Burning. Drowning. Missing.

Burning.

I rarely get affected. I try my best to be on top of things and rationalize whenever possible. I find it difficult to deal with emotions, and would rather sweep them under a rug. Except for happiness, of course. My "default." But I can't ignore what I'm feeling.

I'm burning up.

I feel hurt. Betrayed would be too strong an adjective, so something close to it. I just found out that a close friend got married recently. Through her friendster. A friend I have valued for so long. Someone that I really trust (and for those who know me really well, you know how cautious I am and how many layers and walls surround me constantly). Wow, I'm typing this really fast. And no errors or typos. Here I am rambling again. It's painful. Not getting invited. Not that it's an obligation. I know it's wrong feeling this way. But I feel it anyways. And it sucks even more, knowing I'm still this immature.

Drowning.

I'm drowning in paperwork. Paperwork that can't wait. Everything is urgent. Everything is important. Everything has consequences if not done (a) on time and done (b) improperly. Has this been done? What about that? And this? And that? I am only one. PUTANGINA, IISA LANG AKO!!!!!!!!

I'm burning out.

And my partner. My closest friend in the team. My tag-team buddy, who I share my load with unselfishly. Is missing.

Missing.

My best friend. My better half. My anchor. The one person that can pierce through this haze I'm in and eradicate all confusion. Is still in Boston. Might extend her stay there. Is no longer present in Yahoo. Cathy. Come home. I miss you.

I'm burning.

But not for long.

Tomorrow is another day.

It's bound to be better. Can't get any worse, right? :)

Fave Famicom Soundtracks

Wow, I haven't written in a looooooooooooongggggggg time.

My name is Al. I am a workaholic.

Anyways, here are my Top 10 Fave Famicom Soundtracks:

(10) SQOON - There's something enchanting about the song. It fits the dreamlike backdrop of the game.

(9) TRANSFORMERS - It may seem repetitive as the game is one of the more difficult ones of that era (so you hear the song over and over and over again when stuck at a particular point), but the songs seem adventurous and inspiring. Especially when you hear that trademark Transformers logo-changing hymn at the beginning of the game.

(8) SUPER MARIO BROS. 3 - The songs of each world complements their respective themes.

(7) JUMPING JACK 3d - Running involuntarily across chessboard plains and listening to that music, I always felt pressured to finish each stage (I never did finish the game, tho).

(6) CASTLEVANIA - Ahhhhhhhh. I like EVERY song in Castlevania. And a couple in Simon's Quest. Fave's: Wicked Child (Stage 3), Vampire Killer (Stage 1) and Bloody Tears (my ringtone for a year now) and Silence of Daylight from Castlevania 2.

(5) TWIN BEE - If you don't get the powered bells and listen to the song 'till the very end, you'll realize that it's perfect for long leisurely drives!

(4) GRADIUS - Everytime I played this game, I really felt as if I was flying VIC VIPER across space! I like how the song starts out slow and then suddenly speeds up when you enter the caverns.

(3) RYGAR (called LET'S FIGHT by BROCHIERE) - The first song you hear, sounds as if the hero has just started this journey. Additionally, you have a beautiful picture of a rising sun. I also like the forest theme and the desert (top view) theme.

(2) MEGAMAN/ROCKMAN - Any volume! Megaman music is very addictive! Even 'till today, me and my buddy hum Megaman tunes (blending hehe). The songs also almost always fit the stages. Bubbleman's theme is very relaxing, Flashman's theme, distracting, Airman's theme, grating, and Woodman's theme, overbearing! My fave? Magnetman's theme, preceded by Protoman's brief whistle.

(1) KONAMI WORLD (WAI WAI WORLD) - A mix of the best themes Konami has to offer. King Kong's city theme, Goemon's chinese theme, Konami Man's heroic theme, Simon's famous theme, Moai's funny theme, Fuuma's (from Moonwind) travelling theme... all in one game! The villain themes are kewl as well.

Honorable Mention:

Not a famicom game, but SUPER MARIO RPG: LEGEND OF THE SEVEN STARS (Super NES) has GREAT MUSIC all around!

A lot of these songs can be downloaded at www.vgmusic.com.

What's your TOP TEN? :)