Jumping Jacks Staff Rocks!

Although this is predominantly a kids center, I had a great time tagging with the staff of Jumping Jacks in Savannah, GA. When I first walked in it was a little quiet, which ended up being ideal for me to get a better game with the staff. 

Kendria took me back to the arena where Anton said he was training a new employee so the timing was perfect. I sat in the briefing room getting amped up by the familiar audio rack while waiting for a game with Anton and Konner,

Annalynn and me with Deliah acting as gamemaster.

The arena was small, but appropriate to their typical clientele. It was well designed for its size.

Considering it was just the four of us it was a pretty good game! The guys fought hard on red. I was on blue playing as Olympia. I took top score, they took top team.

Konner made me feel like a rockstar saying "I want to have your life to travel and play laser tag." I really do love that I've gotten to take so many trips, play in tournaments and have lots of adventures along the way...plus you never know who you'll meet!

And that was the beginning of my trek through Georgia.

Comments or questions? 

Contact: tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com

Websites: www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com and www.photonforever.com

Tagging the Rest of the East Coast Starting with Florida

I started my southern state tag excursion on the opposite end of the east coast about 1000 miles from home. This trip will allow me to play in four states. After flying into Florida on Friday morning my first stop was to Adventure Landing in Jacksonville, FL.

This is a medium sized arena where they operate Laser Runner as one feature of a nice park with mini golf and go carts. It's a two level arena and by far the nicest arena I've seen for Laser Runner. It was decked out (pun intended) with a pirate's quest theme.

This was really more of a kids place, however it was the only site in the area. It's ok, I figured as much when I saw that it was Runner.

So I played it really lightly just enjoying the fact that I was there in Florida and knowing that being here meant I'd be checking off another state...and that when I was done I could enjoy some 75 degree weather!

Jacksonville was gorgeous. But the best thing I experienced besides my game of tag would have to be...BABY ALLIGATORS!!!

So glad to have made it to Florida. :)

　

Comments or questions?
Contact: tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com
Websites: www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com and www.photonforever.com

Tag Swag...and Some In Progress

A quieter night, but still worth the trip to tag in order to make some headway on a project I have in the works. I'm in the process of designing some custom laser tag themed fabric and I needed a model for the player silhouettes, so shout out to Nate for helping me with a few pics between games to give me profile shots to work from that will accurately depict a player in the game. For all the photos I take I realized most of mine look like Charlie's Angels rather than what you might look like while actually playing laser tag.

Why am I doing this? Well, I credit Katt for getting my gears spinning. She's my LLR rep and a couple months back she wrote me a note saying "now we just need some laser tag leggings". Well...with my seamstress skills and some printing knowledge from my friend J-Bay I think I can actually make such a thing happen. This may take a few weeks and I'll likely start with something simpler like a tunic or a t-shirt, but in theory the only reason I can think of that this doesn't already exist is that most guys don't care about leggings...but I love a challenge, so I'll update as the project progresses.

I was almost ready to jump ship and head to the other center when a group showed up. Although there were less players than usual it was still a fun evening. And all the more so when I won some tag swag for my collection.

 

So the rest of this weekend will be about finishing my design...but now I can stay hydrated as I get that done!

Comments or questions?

Contact: tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com

Websites: www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com and www.photonforever.com

Blog: tiviachickloveslasertag.blogspot.com

SM5 or...

I am tempering my public opinions about playing SM5 nights and editing this post. Let's just put it this way...



If it's after 9PM on a Sunday and I have to work the next day I am smart enough to know that my time may be better spent not picking up this "Gecko"...

...but staying home and chilling with this gecko instead.

As D- would say "Dig it if you can"...and if you've been to one of these nights I'm pretty sure you get it. ;)

Comments or questions?
Contact: tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com Websites: www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com and www.photonforever.com

Blog: tiviachickloveslasertag.blogspot.com

Memberships...GO!!!

For months I have been looking forward to Zero Gravity having their new membership system up and running and I'm pleased to say that (other than employee test memberships) I got the first active public membership last night and it was definitely worth the wait. Although I technically have similar cards from three other Zone sites, they were tournament tick cards so I haven't had an active site membership for Zone since back in my very first days of playing. Although to some people it might not mean more than having a personal code name on the screen (and right on the phaser too), for me it's really cool to see some stats on my playing, which will be more valuable to know as I play more and more with my card.

Two other members got on board right away and it was fun to track stats against Daedalus and Icarus who were great competition all night. They got their memberships after noticing mine (and even a couple of the employees, once realizing my vest was activated commented that they wanted to get theirs too. I look forward to the potential for member nights, tourneys and more now that this is set up. BTW, this is what my stats looked like after my first couple of games...

A moment to talk about something I've gone on record about...I usually say I couldn't care less about unlocking achievements. Well, at the Force center this is true and I hardly ever even look at my accounts because I care so little about random factoid accomplishments that mean nothing. BUT...I am really changing my tune now that I have started unlocking some Zone achievements. I knocked out a few of them very quickly and here are just a couple that are my favorites now that I unlocked during night one:

Laser Expert - Get a Tag/Deactivate ratio of at least 2:1

Speedy Gonzales - Tag 10 players within 5 seconds

Team Carrier - Team wins and you score 25% more than other team mates

Good Game - Schieved an average of 1000 points per minute in a single game

There were others, but I think these best reflect something you'd call an actual "achievement" and also measure factors I was unable to before the membership activation.

Well, after a couple of us had our new cards (and we could identify other members because of the way the packs flashed differently) then the game went up a notch. Daedalus and Icarus were teaming up against me, but that made it more fun and the last game was the best of the night. Props to Icarus...the final score had me ahead by a scant 400 points, which made that the closest and most intensely played game of the night. He called it a heart breaker, but to me it was just a heartening to meet new players who went in as seriously as I did and know that now that we have a member community starting that the likelihood is that it will only get better from here. Can't wait to go back!

　Comments or questions?
Contact: tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com Websites: www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com and www.photonforever.com
Blog: tiviachickloveslasertag.blogspot.com

Birthday Tag

Because I had a commitment to help run sound for an event in Clifton Park last night I thought that celebrating my birthday was going to have to be postponed, but instead I had a great time visiting the smaller laser tag center in the Albany area that I hardly ever get to because I'm usually at ZG when I do get out to the Capital Region. But since Spare Time was so close by my friend Stephanie and I decided to check it out. To be honest, the fact that they had food was also a determining factor...quesadillas and lava cake were the PERFECT birthday treats.

Steph had not played laser tag in a very long time, so it was kind of like a first for her. This center runs Zone using Rift so we went in and I showed her how to hold the phaser with a quick tutorial on what to do. The first game out was against a random group of twentysomethings who gave us a great game...and then left. This place was offering discounts for multiple games, but no AYCP to keep a group there, so we had to wait a little while before getting into another game...so we sat out in the bowling alley part of the center by the sports grille and had time to chill for awhile and catch up. I don't slow down enough to just hang out with friends all that often, so it was nice we had the time. Then the game master came over to let us know a group would be playing in a few minutes so we headed back to tag in time to find out this was going to be an "employees vs civilians" match...and let me tell you, it was a BLAST! Everyone played hard and one guy who worked there said he hadn't had that much fun playing tag in a really long time. It was totally worth hanging around to play with this group. Then our final game was against a group that had been...let's just say, enjoying the bar. So going in I knew who was going to be an easy target. Those guys didn't see it coming...well, except for one who was on his game. However, the guys who were big talkers going in seemed a bit perplexed by how I could be on one side of the wall and tag them and a moment later reappear in a different spot. That game was fun if for no other reason to appreciate those reactions.

I do wish there was more consistency to the game schedule when I visit this arena, but regardless we had a great time and I am glad I had the opportunity to play a little tag on my birthday and celebrate with a phaser in one hand and a piece of cake in the other. :)

　
Comments or questions?

Contact: tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com
Websites: www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com and www.photonforever.com


Blog: tiviachickloveslasertag.blogspot.com

Freedom Leggings with a Half Hour to Spare

To me this pair of leggings represents my freedom to choose my place in the laser tag community without pressure to play in any particular spot. Sound a little bizarre? Welcome to how my mind works. :) 

 

Let's review what has happened recently and maybe that will make more sense...

Since December I have been playing tag somewhere every week as usual, even though I have not kept up very well with my blogging. I have most often been frequenting Zone sites in both Syracuse and Albany, checking out new places (like my excursion to the little center in Ithaca) and planning my next big laser tag trips...I kid you not, had it not been Spring break I was seriously about to hop on a plane to North Carolina and play a small tournament down there this past weekend! However, I have not been back to the Force center this whole time. There are a few factors that went into my conscious decision to leave. I don't need to get specific about the reasons here, but there were enough of them that I chose to walk away when a final straw broke the camel's back. And I'm sorry to say that tempered my enthusiasm for that particular system. So, since December I've played every weekend somewhere else.

Three weeks ago the "somewhere else" was once again FJ. I love playing there...it feels like home. I'll admit part of what I like is the affirmation of my skills as I regularly get props for being one of the best players there, but it's also because the atmosphere is so different and upbeat. It's the difference between operating like a business where they want the customer to have a good experience versus walking into a teenage clubhouse. Atmosphere aside, I also really enjoy the people I get to play with there. If memory serves I think Nate might have been game master that night and Dakota was off duty just playing. They always jump in and give a good game. Plus Joe, Tyler and Tommy showed up and were even joined by Ass who came over from the other center to try our place for the first time. It was kind of like a blast from the past playing with both these guys there like we used to every week when I first met them. And I've got to say, they are the players that made it a really fun, competitive, "work for it and earn it" and good game to all at the end kind of a night. I left that evening feeling like that's the kind of tag I want to be part of.

Fast forward to the next weekend. I guess I must have played on Friday because I wasn't actually at tag on Saturday...I was hanging out backstage with Vanilla Ice and the other acts at our 90s concert. Some nights I really love my job! :)

 

 

So since I worked late the night before I woke up Sunday calling it my day off and my choice had been made back in December that I did NOT want to play in the ECT at the Force center on my day off...or the subsequent couple of days. A couple of points about this...this event was announced literally days after I had been told they were "done trying to put tournaments together" there. This on the heels of four (yes, I can name four) smaller local tournaments and a league being announced there, but not actually happening with the blame largely falling on member egos and apathy. So my choice to not participate was shrouded in irritation over what does and does not actually come together with involvement from the very same member base (plus the visitors from Detroit and a couple of players from Pennsylvania). Another side note...if anyone really feels that this represents the entire East Coast please look at the Laserforce site map. I'll make it easy for you. Here it is...

http://www.laserforcetag.com/sitemap/

Ok, moving on. I decided not to play this event mostly out of some internal sense of righteous indignation. Which was easy enough to muster and since I was no longer playing at this center I obviously would not be practicing. And who in their right mind enters a tournament without practicing? (rolling my eyes again in the Syracuse direction)...but I was curious and wanted to wish a few of the players luck. So the perfect reason to stop in that day (first time I had walked in since mid-December) was to shop some LLR with one of the visiting players. That's when I found these leggings. Now, since I was asked within thirty minutes of start time whether or not I'd be playing I have no doubt I could have jumped into the mix right there on the spot. But I was feeling a bit cheeky and instead replied "there's still half an hour to go, I don't actually believe a tournament is going to happen today"...homage to the last four, thank you. My sarcasm was tempered with humor as my intention is not to be rude to the people I actually like at this center, but I think my point was received. So back to the leggings. Instead of letting myself feel like I must play every opportunity just to be a part of it I deliberately spent exactly the cost of the tournament fee on new clothes (two pairs of leggings) and then went out for sushi with a friend. And THAT is why these leggings represent choice and freedom to me. I was there and made the decision to walk away...then looked into that NC tournament thinking what a kicker if I could actually make that work. However, space available flying is a virtual impossibility during spring break week so, sigh...

Before I leave this little rant behind, could I ask a favor? Could we PLEASE put a moratorium on twenty-somethings making dramatic proclamations about "retiring from tag"? I am so sick of the retirement drama llama! 

That gets me to this past weekend. Yep, I was back playing tag at one of the other centers...with twenty-somethings who are NOT constantly announcing their retirement. Had a great time. Then at the start of the week an announcement from out of the Force center...in an effort to find new players they are starting a regularly scheduled SM5 night that plays at a reasonable hour and also another local tournament. Part of me wants to say "how gullible do I look?", but the other part of me wants to be optimistic, set aside my reasons for having left and go back to enjoying this form of tag. But I'll wait until half an hour before start time before I believe it. ;) 

Comments or questions?

Contact: tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com
Websites: www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com and www.photonforever.com


Blog: tiviachickloveslasertag.blogspot.com