Big Fish Games

I absolutely love my iPhone and iPad. I was on the bandwagon with the first generation models, and have since updated them for my digital art work, and got an iPad for my 93 year old mother who uses hers daily to send emails and read books. I always loved pop up books as a youngster, and it was thrilling for me to have written two children's books that are in the iTunes Store. When we had the first snowstorm here in DC about five years ago, I stumbled across an interactive adventure game that I played on my iPhone during the two week hiatus. And since that time, I am hooked on these games and stories. So every evening before we start watching any serious tv shows, my husband and I sit on the couch together and spend about 45 minutes playing these mystery or adventure games. We've tried a few different ones, but it seems Big Fish works the best for us. My husband plays along to keep me company in spite of the fact that he gets quite bored since he isn't the primary player. But each of us has a strength ... I am very visual and can do the puzzles quickly; he is cerebral and can easily solve anything related to math or intricate details. I just don't have the patience - or brain function - for those sorts of things! Even though the story lines are pretty dopey, it's the time together that makes playing them significant. How long will this go on? I hope for quite some time! 

iPad Five Year Anniversary - What A Difference It Has Made - For Me!

I can't believe it's been five years since the iPad changed my life! Since that April day in 2010, so much has happened because of it. I waited by the door for it to be delivered and things have never been the same. I had a feeling about it like no other gadget before it. Now I have three iPads - the first one is now my husband's - and the other two are used exclusively for all my art - and maybe a few games! I downloaded Sketch book Pro and my love for art was reignited. It started with doodles and sketches, and became three children's books - as apps in the Apple Store published by StoryChimes, a New Yorker Eustace Tilley win, self published children's books on Amazon, and commissioned pet portraits from all over the US, Canada, Australia, and Puerto Rico. I even have a "gallery wall" at the Wagtime Shop on Capitol Hill. Along with all the art is the social media that ties it all together - this blog about living in the Capitol City, Facebook business page, tumblr, Pinterest boards, krrb ads, my etsy shop, twitter, a Wordpress personal website, and the most recent Rebelmouse that pulls a lot of it in to one place. The iPad makes it so much easier to coordinate all of these things. It has become my mobile studio - which is a lot cleaner and neater than watercolor and pastels - that I take with me whenever we are out of town. Yes, some of this could have been done without the iPad, but not to the same degree. Thanks Steve Jobs for having the vision. Happy Anniversary IPad!

The QR Code

I was excited to find out we could deposit checks using our iPhones. It is so much easier than all the other ways...hand carry to the bank or using the ATM - which we never did. It is a real pain to even have to write a check any more, but i certainly don't mind getting one. But anything on paper seems archaic. Bar codes are another interesting option. I always knew they were out there but didn't really pay that much attention. It was in a restaurant when a friend zapped the barcode from a trivia game that was being played there, and she used an app to access it. Then I finally put two and two together (duh!) and downloaded a QR reader app too. I wasn't sure if or when I would ever use it. But since I finally paid more attention to it, I'm noticing them everywhere. I'm still not sure how it would benefit me personally to use it, and under what circumstances. I have always liked all these techy things, and am wondering how much I might be missing out on. Last weekend we discovered Foodler, but that didn't go very well. But this seems like it may be useful. What are your experiences with it? I looked it up on Wikipedia to get a bit more of a background. Then noticed it on the business card of someone we visited in St. Petersburg, and on a post office receipt asking us to participate in a customer feedback survey. None of this grabs my attention, but at least now I am prepared if I need to use it.