WHO am I?
"I comic, I game, I bake, I food, I read, I nerd." - Zaythar
NORMAL QUESTIONS
Let's start with basics. Where did you grow up and where do you live now?
Grew up in Davenport, IA (Iowa/Illinois border), lived in Raleigh for total of 5 years. Moved to Irvine, CA four weeks ago.
What do you do for a living?
Business Analyst in digital world; I currently work for an amazing digital marketing agency. It is the best company and job I've ever had. I even have my own "Easter Eggs": http://fiveanddone.com/12
Where is your favorite place you've traveled to?
Visited some friends a couple times in Raleigh before we moved there. Fell in love with the area and jumped at the opportunity when I had the chance to move there.
Have you ever dressed your pups up in costumes? Do tell!
Sindaen HATES clothes. However, he does have a huge assortment of bow ties: Christmas, Marvel, Great Gatsby, Easter, Spring, etc. Zoey has cupcakes and Marvel collars. Sindaen knows where I keep his ties and collars and will let me know when he wants to change it up.
What or who inspired your to get into baking?
My grandma always had me in the kitchen with her at home and at her taco house. I was always stirring and "making" recipes. At 5 years old I made my first batch of sugar cookies and entered them in the county fair and won grand prize. From there, I expanded my skills and figured out how to incorporate my love for comics, games, and movies into my baking.
Have you ever invented your own recipe from scratch? How did it turn out?
I have! I have come up with a mocha spiced orange cake; cranberry orange pistachio icebox cookies: chocolate mochi waffles and currently working on a few more recipes for the holiday season. There is always trial and error trying to get the right amounts. If they aren't good enough, by my standards, the treat is thrown out and I start over.
Does all your family expect cookies and cupcakes from you for the
holidays?
My friends, who are my family, hope I bake them something. Normally, I do a full-on baking extravaganza every holiday season so they get tons of cookies, cupcakes, breads, and brownies galore. They tell me those are their favorite gifts. :)
Where are your favorite restaurants in the NC area? Or Downtown Raleigh? (I
love Oro & Sono!)
I love Taste in Morrisvile (fantastic Vietnamese), Rise Doughnuts in Durham, Joule in Raleigh, LaFarm Bakery in Cary, Cocoa Cinnamon in Durham
Now, that I moved, I'm getting to discover new restaurants and flavors: legit ramen, oxtail pho, Peruvian food, poke, and so much more.
I know you are a huge dog fan like me, tell me more about your 2 dogs.
We've had Sindaen since he was 8 weeks ago. He actually was my sister-in-law's dog but Sindaen didn't get along with their other dog, a Great Dane puppy. We met Sindaen at Christmas time and it was love at first sight. A week later, my sister-in-law asked if we wanted to be his new "parents". Sindaen is so spoiled, he loves his baby, Frog, and BALL (any will do). He also knows how to spell ball and bone. He LOVES the ladies, human and doggie. Of course, he is a huge fan of bow ties, collars, and bandanas.
Zoey came to us in July of last year. She had been in four previous homes. The folks who I got her from loved her but Zoey didn't get along with the other female dog they had. I arranged to meet Zoey and fell in love. She is a love bug. She wants to cuddle with everyone. She has acclimated well to being spoiled as much as Sindaen. Sindaen is finally warming up to Zoey and is actually starting to chase and cuddle next to her.
Outside of doggies and dessert goodies, what else do you like to do for
fun?
I recently taught myself to crochet so I have been crocheting up nerdy scarves and gloves. I also am an avid reader. I tend to read mysteries and fantasy/sci-fi. The last book I read was Summer Wind by my friend Christa Charter. Next on my To-Read list is Broken Soul by Faith Hunter.
VIDEO GAME/NERDY QUESTIONS
I've noticed you are quite the Diablo fan. When/how did you get into
Diablo?
My husband brought the original Diablo home after it came out. He was excited because he bought me my first "real" computer game and he knew I would love it. He was right and I spent so many hours with Diablo, Diablo 2 and now Diablo 3.
Do you play any other Blizzard games? I'm addicted to WoW (again).
I am such a Blizzard fangirl. I played WoW since the beta. I take breaks every now and again but always come back. I wanted the new expansion but unfortunately, my PC is in storage and only have a my work laptop. I played the original Warcraft series as well. I didn't really get into StarCraft. That's my hubby's game.
I tend to buy the collector's editions of their games so I get all the sweet schwag. I picked up all the Funko POP! Blizzard figures because I am sucker for Funko, too. I also have one of the plush murlocs: Gurky. My friend, Max, used to work for Blizzard and surprised me for my birthday one year with Gurky. I am also close to the Blizzard campus now and hoping I can score a tour. :)
Are you a Sony, PC, or Microsoft fangirl?
I'm mostly a PC fangirl but tend to lean more towards Sony, too. I love my PS4, PS3 and Vita. My 3DS also gets a lot of love. My poor Xbone rarely gets any love these days. I think it's mostly because I got to know the old Xbox in-house community team. When Microsoft decided to be idiots and get rid of their community folks and filled their dashboard with ads, I move away from the 360. That is actually what made me become a Sony gal.
What type of class do you gravitate towards in games, and why?
I love action, rpg, puzzle, sim, and MMOs. I love puzzle games because of the logic, especially if they are mystery puzzle games. With action, RPG and MMOs it's because of the story and quests. I started my rpg love with the Final Fantasy and Zelda games. Then Everquest and WoW cemented my dedication to the MMO genre. Oh and I am a huge fan of the LEGO games, Animal Crossing, and Cooking Mama.
What was the first video game you have played?
First video game was Asteroids at a bar/restaurant in Springbrook, Iowa. Quarters were a precious commodity to me as a child.
Is the cake a lie?
Nope, it's inside the cube!
I also know you like EQ. Have you ever played EQ2 pvp? Hardest PVP ever in
my opinion. heh.
I really don't like PVP and it's because of EQ. LOL There was so much griefing with PVP in EQ. Just trying to get to level 10 back then was AWFUL.
What is the longest gaming spree you've ever done?
Oh that was EQ as well: I'm pretty sure it was a 16-hour day with leveling, dungeons and corpse runs. You really had to work to get your experience in EQ. LOL
What is your game of the year for 2014 and why?
My game of 2014 was Diablo: Reaper of Souls. I was a kind of disappointed when Diablo 3 was released because I thought Blizzard missed the mark a bit. However, with RoS they completely redeemed themselves and hit a bullseye. But they didn't stop there and keep improving and adding things. I'm hoping it also means Blizzard is setting me up for Diablo 4. :) I had so much fun with it that I even picked it up for the Xbone and have been debating if I want to get it for the PS4.
What top 3 games are you looking forward to most this year?
Batman: Arkham Knight (My company is actually doing the website for the game!)
The Order: 1886
Yoshi's Wooly World
FAVORITE QUESTIONS
Cake flavor + topping combo? Red Velvet Cake w/ Boiled Flour Frosting (NOT cream cheese)
News website? Twitter :)
Childhood toy? Star Wars Death Star
TV Show? The Flash and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Video Game Genre? RPGs
Marvel character? Rachel Summers Grey & Magik
Kitchen tool? Kitchen-Aid Mixer
Meme? http://mydarknessfalls.tumblr.com/post/73944316958
Celeb? Chris Evans
Dog store/items? Oliver's Collar in Durham (Chloe and Mr Cuddlebear help you shop), Stevie's Studios on Etsy, Kong Dog ZoomGroom Brush, Stella & Chewy's dehydrated food
Check out Zaythar's twitter! http://www.twitter.com/zaythar