2019: In Review

This specialty post brought to you by the PTE Takeover Tournament.

January: The year started with a late year-in review post, followed by the meta of how PTE posting was now in uncharted waters.

February: Trixie was given a eulogy following her passage. RIP Trixster.

March: Nothing was posted, meaning my work hours began going wild that month.

April: The Final Post! and a post of my favourite music albums.

May: A nod to Tayday, and a reflection on where I was at creatively.

June: I was introduced to the world of Phoenix Wright, and thusly began the Ace Attorney Phase. Later in the month I was terrorized by spiders as usual.

July: ??? work?

August: There were no posts as my parents came to town, there was the yearly cabin, and my friends had their wedding at the end of the month. Busy summer, muchos good chaos.

September: 9/9
also
iphone 11 released with it's 3rd eye open
I did a quiz that I said I would wait until 2019 to do, and accidentally fulfilled a prophecy on when I would get married.
Speaking of, I got engaged!

The next post was about the possible of one going blind from eating only potatoes. PTE I tell ya.
And then a work post. A rarity!

The month ended with me celebrating PTE's 10th anniversary by changing it's name to PTE 10!

October: Coming to terms with being a has-been, I became nostalgic over my old projects, including compiling a list of things that ended up deleted, abandoned or just low quality in general. (The post was actually banter at KK-N)
I expressed my success with coding. Became obsessed with Baccano and Anime Jazz.
I then made the 801st post, which looked similar to the 1st post.

November: PTE was cancelled, following the spread of cancel culture.
Then I installed a PTE Vibe Check which nobody passed.
Then the internet existing was celebrated.
The month ended with the announcement of a new RO project, finally after years...

It was and is: The PTE Takeover Tournament!

December: In what can be described as the most work I have put forth for a project since trying to figure out coding for Survive the Music, 8 (9 technically..) Contestants were announced: Taylor, Tino & Tim, Business Penguin, Mythri, Amy, Zeekydude, Torchrose and Jenny.
Gamer Jay had been making music like crazy since September, so to pay tribute and give notice to his hard work, his music was and will be featured in the competition!

Voting was explained, then my parents came to town for Christmas, and the chaos of the holiday season took hold, to keep PTE from more posts once more.

Until now!

Now: The Tournament begins soon. Exciting things are on the horizon!

I'd like to thank you, the readers. As much as posting has been tough as of late, the fact that I've managed to keep a personal blog going for 10 years and have people actually interested in it is something I am immensely proud of. No matter what the future brings, we've succeeded.
I wish you all a happy new year, and continued success into the 20s!

Also

Extra Info & How to Vote

Now that all 8 competitors are released, there's a few references I think I should explain to further expand on certain characters:

RO stands for Ric-Olzow, the now umbrella term for anything I do creatively.

Animanga-R is an unpublished 93 page comic I made, featuring a majority of the characters featured in the Competition.

FWNER stands for "(Frisky) Friday Nights With Eric Riccy", Which was a vlog/art project made by me as part of a larger vlog project known as 'Pegvlog'.

PTE stands for Paper Train Express, the name of this blog.

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How to vote:

Every post should now have a (+1) button attached to it. This is moot for now, but you can choose your favourite competitor with that. It may be interesting to see if the fan favourite correlates to the voting!

When the competition begins in January, the +1 button is the active way of voting. You'll be able to see the results and affect the outcome directly by clicking the +1 button on posts you enjoy.**
The passive way of voting, is simply viewing the post on PTE. Views determine the popularity of the post.
At a certain point the two posts will be compared and using both the numbers will determine the winning outcome.

**+1 Button unavailable on Mobile Versions of PTE

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Intro Competitor Song: Gamerjaym - Big Battle

I would like to thank Gamerjaym for allowing me to use music for this competition. If you'd like to hear more of his music, click here for a music library of his works.

A Fresh Start: Competitor #8

Worth the Frisk: Competitor #7

A Loving Idea: Competitor #6

Let's Get Real: Competitor #5

Attuning the Experience: Competitor #4

This is Serious Business: Competitor #3

Comically Underrated: Competitor #2

Eyeing the future: Competitor #1

PTE Takeover Overview

PTE SO FAR has been the tales of yours truly, Eric Riccy, as I struggled with coming of age, figuring out life between two cities, experiencing the wonders of love, the pain of losses, and the headache that is trying to make sense of the world of RO.

 all while absolutely ripping this blog apart like a high school art project that you found 4 years later because of how low quality it was and burning took too much effort so

Anyway, to ring in the new decade and to celebrate making it 10 years blogging, I've decided to host a little event:

THE PAPER TRAIN EXPRESS TAKEOVER TOURNAMENT!

Now, over the years of blogging here I did set some rules, such as "Nobody can author posts unless they've lived with Eric Riccy" (Fun fact: Dyland still has posting rights, as far as I'm concerned he always will since he fits the rule's parameters.)

With that in mind, I can't exactly just offer up PTE to anyone to post. 

And ultimately it's 99% likely all posts will always be from me. (Now more secure from Snowfire than ever.™)

BUT!

How I post can be changed. As in, my posting: stylized.

Now I could just simply say "guise im gonna style every post and it's gonna be cool".

But after 10 years and seeing me say I'm going to do many a thing that never happened or happened for 3 posts and then never again ... you get it.

I also have some characters that I won't let go of, so... Enter idea.

THE PAPER TRAIN EXPRESS TAKEOVER TOURNAMENT! 

(in case you forgot)

 

*How will it work?* (tl;dr ignoring above)

It will be a stylized posting bracket tournament, with the styles represented by characters created by me.

The characters will be pitted head to head, and winners will be determined by post interaction.

(Not with comments mind you, as much as I love those I don't think they'd be fair since someone could just spam to win.)

The winning contestant will become the new "Manager" of PTE, thus "Taking it over".

Each contestant will have a platform:

-What their topic/style is (Example: Memes, Two word posts + Picture)

-What changes will occur to PTE/RO/EricRiccy/Etc. (DELETE ALL?)

-What Bonus project I will work on if they win (wait-)

 At this point I'm still working on contestants and their platforms. If you have any suggestions for any RO characters or platforms, comment them below, and I'll see if I can add/work them in!

*When will the contest begin?*

First stage will be announcing contestants. I have the groundwork made but my better ideas have always come from outsider input.

I'm planning for December to have all the contestants announced, and the bracket line-up released.

January 2020 is slated for the first rounds.

*How big is it? How long will it go?*

 Currently the bracket is set for 8 contestants. Big enough to have a decent array, small enough to hopefully not feel dragged out.

The Rounds will be 2 posts per contestant, within a 3 day period. There will be breaks between the 3 day periods, slated for specialty posts related to me, PTE or the tournament in some way.

Losing contestants are eliminated. 

Round 1 has 4 battles,

Round 2 has 2 battles,

Round 3 is the finale.

7 battles @ 3 days = 21 days.

So approximately a month.

*What if a tie? Or what if nobody votes?*

If a tie occurs, I have a protocol in mind.

And if nobody votes on anything, then I get to stop posting. If nobody's having fun, what's the point?

 

*This is so weird.*

Thank you for choosing The Paper Train Express. 

RO Project coming soon to a PTE near you!

More updates to come.

Two Words

Vibe Check

PTE Cancelled

Anime Jazz

What it's like learning to code

List of cursed things I've made

Cafe-Chan
Business Penguin
Various Facebook notes
Cafe-Chan
Jenny's Show
http://ricolzow.blogspot.com/
Various comics
Various songs, specifically Aquasize
Cafe-Chan
Various flash movies, specifically PJ's voice demo full version (gone forever, not unlike cafe-chan)
Cafe-Chan

Kitty Kitty Nya

 

Mood

Picture can be clicked on for music ✔

 

The Paper Train Express 10!

THE 801ST POST is always hardest to make. This will be no exception.

So lemme start with an intro. Welcome to The Paper Train Express, or PTE for short. Here, I will keep whoever reads this blog entertained. That is, assuming I remember to update it. (I'm a bit forgetful at times..) I shall try my best to remember to update it though. Roughly every 1-2 weeks I'll post something new. Once again, assuming I remember or that I'm not too busy with work and other things.

Now then, I should also Introduce myself, Just so you know whose writing this. My name is Eric Riccy.

... and that's it for my intro.

I should also mention, My future posts will not be this formal. I usually don't do such complete sentences, and I usually post random silliness and other various inexplicable things to portray my different moods on different things.

So future posts will be like this

 (these will appear alot too, sidenotes are always fun)

I'm tired of thinking. So that's it for this intro!

work

Keepin it Cereal

I recently watched a mini documentary about a guy who went blind from only eating chips, bread and french fries.
Aside from the ultimate takeaway (Spoilers) that a good diet means diversified foods; It also highlighted the need for vitamin B12.
Enter the fortified cereals.
Granted, the ones I like the most are all on this lists avoid category, however
I'm eating healthier-ish than I thought!
And cereal is good for you.
That's my opinion thank you for coming to my ted talk

 

The Facebook Prophecy

Last Reposted February 5, 2013 at 1:38 AM

Are you a morning person or a night person?
Apparently night

Which do you prefer, sweet or salty foods?
salty n sweet

Ninjas or pirates?
2012

Autobots or Decepticons?
in the future we are all decepticons

What was your favorite childhood television program?
Weekenders

Are you a collector of anything?
I collect time
TIME LORD

If you could be any animal, what would you be?
penguin
in a business suit

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
all of em
ye

What is usually your first thought when you wake up?
hello world

 What do you usually think about right before falling asleep?
how comfy i am
and how temperary that will be

 What's your favorite color?
rip ecobat

What's your favorite animal?
meme

Do you believe in extraterrestrials or life on other planets?
ancient aliens

Do you believe in ghosts?
boo

Ever been addicted to a video/computer game?
cities skylines

Which one(s)?
cities skylines

You're been given 1 million dollars, what do you spend it on?
save that money
spend a chunk on a certain someone to have a shoe spree
that someone is me
i now have all the shoe

Have any bad habits? 
absolutely

Have any celebrity crushes?
JENNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY

Any tattoos or piercings?
nah

What's the first thing you notice in the opposite sex?
uh
hair colour
yeah

What personality traits do you look for in a partner?
uh
hair colour
yeah
wait

What personality traits do you dislike in other people?
moochy, hasty, perfectionistic, expectant

Are you mostly a clean or messy person?
clean

Do you see yourself getting married in the next 5 years?
ask me in 2013

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
right here
maybe

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Antarctica
man i know i think too big shush im idealistic cmon
ok vancouver or toronto

List 5 goals on your life's to-do list:
1. make money
2. get dream job
3. pick one
4. ???
5. PROFIT

Name 1 regret you have:
I regret stealing this note
maybe

Name 1 thing you miss about being a kid:
free time

What's your favorite song of the moment?

Caravan Palace - Supersonics

What's your favorite song of all time?
can't pick just one

What's your favorite thing to do on a Saturday night?
not work

What's your favorite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon?
not work

Have any hidden talents?
so many

You're about to walk the green mile, what do you have as your last meal?
cereal

What would be your dream job?
yes

Which would you rather have, 100 million dollars or true love?
true

If you could have 3 wishes granted, what would they be?
never need a surgery
all fears deleted
motherlode

Ever wish you were born the opposite sex?
nah

If so, why?
science wills it

Name 1 thing not many people know about you:
i made music and games and this one infamous blog

If you HAD to change your name, what would you change it to?
Eric Riccy
or Ric Olzow
or if it had to be something not me-ish, Alexander, I'd go by "Alex"
JUDGE AS YOU WILL

Do you believe in the afterlife?
absolutely

On the topic of abortion, how do you feel about cookies?
double chocolate chip or die

You kissed someone last night, didn't you?
what if i did note
what if

Do you have a dog?
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOB I miss her ;(

What's upset you the most in the past week?
ugh

Where would you go on a road trip with your best friend?
calgary
SKSKSKSKSKS
SKSKSKSKSKSKSKS

 oop

So, who do you think is the sexiest woman alive?
kaitlin
dont tell kaitlin k

What's so special about what you're wearing?
its pants
meaning im ready for the world

Have you ever thought about getting your tongue pierced?
I burn it too much for that


Are you currently wanting any piercings or tattoos?
nah
blank canvas ftw

Do you think someone is thinking about you right now?
no i wont go in early to work

How many people do you trust fully?
everybody and nobody

When you're bored in class, what do you usually do?
leave, this ain't my class

How would your parents react if you got a tattoo?
sigh
What were you doing at midnight last night?
slepping

Your heart is racing, what's the reason?
stresssssssssssss

Do you listen to music everyday?
yee

What was the last thing you ate?
cereal

Are you a fast typer?
n o


Do you miss someone?
THE VOICE INSIDE MY HEAAAAAAD

wait without the first part this just sounds unwell

What do you want to do right now?
post on pte

Are you in a bad mood?
nah

What are you allergic to?
wind chill -42
hope i never live somewhere that cold

Are you easily scared by horror/thriller films?
only jump scares
GARBAAAGEEEE

Do you have a friend you can tell stuff to and you're sure they won't tell?
ye
Are your eyes the same color as your moms or dads?
probably

In your current relationship, are you hoping for the best?
i certainly hope so

If you could have one thing what would it be?
yes

Everybody has somebody that makes them happy, do you?
absolutely

What are you excited for?
friday


What's one thing that would instantly make you dislike a person?
weapon

You find out that your ex is having a kid with someone you don't like, you say?
who

How far away is the person you like?
~25 minute drive

Do you actually wear every shirt in your dresser?
not even close baby

Think of your last two kisses. Were they with the same person?
absolutely

Can you count your serious relationships on one hand?
absolutely

Are you one of those people who always changes the radio station in the car?
I'm so bad for that these days

Did the last person you kiss have a tattoo?
no

Did you speak to your mother today?
yes
ruh oh

What are you listening to?
Rex Orange County - Sunflower

What colour is your hair?
brown

Who's bothering you right now?
nobody
let it stay that way 

Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?
absolutely

Who was the last person you gave your number to?
work probably

How good is Coca-Cola?
so much sugar
meh

When was the last time you cleaned your room?
yes
How do you walk?
legs

Would you rather help someone out or be helped out?
sure

What's on your bed?
blankets and pillows
yes its made

Do you laugh?
what is laugh

Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?
me mom

Do you talk about your feelings or hide them?
little a little b

Do you sleep on a certain side of the bed?
the edge of "my side"

How often do you talk on the phone?
pretty often

What is your favorite ringtone on your phone?
all it does is buzz
buzz buzz

Have you ever been around someone who was high?
ye

What's your favorite quote?
"this is still my favourite quote" - me

Do you like your life as of now?
I do

iphone 11

9/9

Would post again

Spiders

Tonight a spider visited me.
It was sitting silently and still on the ceiling above my head as I readied myself for bed.
I would have gone to sleep soundly had I not noticed it.
But I did.
And as I wielded a broom and attempted to end this spider, and failed, and proceeded to lose it to the crevices of belongings, it dawned on me.
Why I hate spiders.
I've had occasional bites from presumably them in the night.
They've always been blamed. The suspected culprit. But there's never been concrete evidence.
But I associate them with this. Imagining a painful? bite. And with other spiders actually being quite dangerous, I've given the common house spider a mightier repitoire than it deserves.
Which is why I hate spiders. That and the part where you fail to remove them and they hide and now you have to try to sleep knowing somewhere in this room, someone's plotting revenge against you.

Goodnight.

Don't let the spiders bite.

The spider right now, probably.

Phase

With the Game Grumps playing Phoenix Wright: Ace Attourney, I was finally introduced to a game I had never played or watched, yet knew of and even referenced before. To learn it's essentially a VN was mind-blowing, but I suppose I really should have just checked it out earlier.

This has kick-started a phase of me consuming media related to that franchise, and by extension, re-igniting interest in Harvey Birdman. (I've seen some parts of the series but I've yet to watch them all, there's also a reboot from 2018.)

This also has helped put VNs in a new light for me, as I saw them as more something meant for dating sims. (Which is why I liked DDLC so much, as it took that expectation and flipped it the bird, and then proceeded to flip the player the bird too. Good stuff)

Attorneys and Law are cool. No Objections!
ok maybe one: copyright

Celebratory Bidoof For a Friend, Unrelated to Post

Taydays

It's that time of year again...May!

The world is in bloom, the grass getting greener, the snow somehow still falling, everyone is working crazy hours, and of course.. wait, what's Taydays?

An excuse to post! And with how ...spotty... posting has been as of late, an excuse is nothing short of a necessary evil.

After searching back, I celebrated the Taylor character in 2015 and 2016, then proceeded to forgot as I do for a solid 2 years straight.
In fairness, at this point the RO characters just kinda exist. JQ is literally 7 and plans to do anything with my IPs is non-existent. Most side projects have taken a backseat as I concentrate on being able to afford living and building a future.

I suppose that has included PTE in a way, to which I apologize. As it goes, most of my time I spend at work, and I think posting about work would be both unprofessional and likely get repetitive.
(The other bits of time I've spent recouping with my usual mix of games and YouTube)

So here we are, nodding to Taylor Poshibole... maybe a bit early. But if you look at the day upside down, close enough? Happy Tayday(s) all!

Casual Favs

This Post brought to you by Gamer Jay.

The Final Post!

Eulogy of The Noob

Bandit and Trixie. This became the dog duo of our household in a time many moons ago.
Bandit came first, with the intent to become the new family dog. We wanted a medium sized, friendly, cute, happy, loving dog.
But we got Bandit instead.
And after learning the truth and obedience training, it was suggested to us that getting another gentler dog might settle down Bandit.
Enter Trixie.

From the fateful day where she climbed up her mom's arm to beg her to be taken, to the introduction of Trixie to Bandit, Trixie quickly cemented her place in our lives with her hyper attitude and upbeat demeanor.
She did indeed tame Bandit, as much as such a creature could be tamed.
And she had to go through a lot with him, sharing bedrooms and learning how to eat super fast so he wouldn't steal all her food. (We tried to help her with separating bowls and everything, Bandit was just a bum to say it nicely.) She would have to even move 850 miles and change cities.
But Trixie held up through it all.
She was lost for a bit, not understanding why Bandit disappeared after he led to his own fateful end.
But she carried on as she did, and got to spend the next 8 years being the sole focus of love.
She made many great friends along the way, and to each person she spread great joy. (Except Dyland)

Her silly antics got her coined the nickname 'Nooby Trixie', as she acted naive. Many times she was clearly putting on a front, as she played the innocence up whenever her antics led to trouble.
With Bandit's bad reputation, she had a very clever cover.

So here's to you, Trixie. A Eulogy. A Song. A Tribute.
We know you didn't want to go, in your nooby way you wouldn't have known how sick you really were. But for how much you did for us, and everything you went through, you deserve an ending of peace, and a tribute of respect.

Keep keeping Bandit in his place for us. Much Love ❤

New Chapter

Since 4 posts a month might not be possible, I'll set it to 40 posts a month and see how far we get.
Admittedly I keep trying to improve my writing quality, and general content quality, especially since I share the same username here as my Twitch and YouTube accounts. I don't want PTE to become a thing of shame; I'm actually very proud that this silly blog has lasted much longer than expected.

I really owe the success to the interactions within it though. Those of you who commented on ridiculous posts, played my silly games, voted in polls, put up with the different "features", kept visiting even after I put this blog through a blender. (On multiple occasions...)
Without all that, I'm certain this blog would have faded into oblivion many years ago.

I think PTE's overarching purpose was to narrate my journey of the choice between New City and Hometown. Now that I'm getting settled here in Hometown, it's as if PTE's ultimate purpose was achieved.
It feels like now we're in uncharted territory.

This month has been limbo overall on the "Drills" front. Last year ended on a high note, and the contract finished.
But the limbo has been figured out, and I am now starting a new role today. My weekday evenings will be work. This further cements being able to make it in Hometown.

A new chapter begins.

 

2018: In Review

This wild ride brought to you by Zoo.

January: I started with resolutions for PTE, including posting more. Mission Accomplished I tried.
Apparently I was still using the Linux Machine in that month. My sister and bro-in-law came to town to visit later this month, which is when the Linux Machine was upgraded to what it is now: The Win10tho.
The month ended with me figuring out the hard way that I had a TV with a faulty connection, and now own double of a console. C'est la vie.

February: Plans to work on Youtube videos began here. I had another opportunity to launch myself  off mountains. My job term at that time finished up, and I was soon planning the next trip to Hometown. I helped Dyland with moving, and the month ended with plans to start painting walls.

March: The Youtube plan went into motion. Life was otherwise simple, lots of appointments for family, and I was a bit of a lazy bun with sleeping in. All that said, I ended up stopping the Youtube Videos, with how extensive the workload was and how my time was expected otherwise, it wasn't working out well.

April: I started my own company, only for it to fold immediately, all assets liquidated, bankrupt, do not pass go-
In all seriousness, I had went and returned from Hometown, with now a plan in place to move back! Something unheard of 6 years ago, but the time had come.
After my birthday I began packing, and enjoying the sun (and spiders...) in the breaks between.

May: With my move on the horizon, the household went into work mode. My uncle came out to spearhead the renos, and I was a secondary helper, trying to keep on pace with deck-building, gate refinishing, painting, micro-tasks, etc.
There was also garage sale adventures, as news of a new coming family member meant preparation.

June: I moved back to Hometown, and PTE was complete. I lived happily ever after. The End.

July: The storybooks lied. Chaos had just began. Is this PTE 2.0?

August: So steaks take a day to thaw-

September: I visited Gamer Jay's cabin, had some wicked adventures. I cleaned up older posts and their profanity. (The secret to making lots of posts is to swear a lot and make garbage posts. Sorry for the quality improvement and continued lack of posts.)
I then went on to discuss why I called it PTE, and celebrated the blog being around for 9 years.
AND BROUGHT BACK BANNERSwait i need to change this months oh no
The month ended with a visit from my mom.

October: Throughout September and into this month, I was helping my sister and bro-in-law with renos for their new house. I made a call-back post as I realized I made a self-fulfilling prophecy. I began live-streaming with Dyland, which has since become an on-going weekly event.
The month ended with my sister and bro-in-law moving in to their own house, now finished renovating. (The main living floor at least)

November: Throughout this month, I messed with coding and thusly brought back desktop features, like the PTE Test Your Luck and BGM, and new features, like the e-mail service. Gamer Jay FM was back as well.
I tried dabbling with coding for game design stuff, as I was re-inspired to try making some projects that have been on the back-burner since the burst of Flash. That said, learning coding takes more than a day. More than week. More than a month.
And my projects remain pretty ambitious. So not surprisingly they are back on the back-burner, as my goal (resolution?) is to make a functional very simple video game.

December: I started the month discussing about social media. (The news-fiend in me continues to this day, its awful)
I didn't post much, as I concentrated on work. And then, life.
I celebrated 7 years with a certain someone.
My parents came to town for the holiday season.
My Niece was born.
It was a magical time of year, and flew by so fast. I was able to be one of the first to hold my new niece. She is adorable :)

 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


For 2019, I'm hoping to keep it up at 4 posts a month.
Banners should be still monthly.
I'll be working away at figuring things out. You may hear more from Drills. 
I have no other plans for PTE at this time. If you want more Eric Riccy, there will be Sunday Streams.
I hope to expand on Eric Riccy content more this year as well. Let's see what the end of this decade Brings!