Picture Nintendo...

...all up in my house. I know, that's not exactly anything I've ever really thought about picturing either. That was, until yesterday when quite literally, Nintendo was in my house.

Yep, that's me on the far right with all the Nintendo Peeps in my front yard.

Confused? Here's how it began: I get an email with "Nintendo Ambassador" as the subject. I look over it, and send a reply, "I'm sorry but I think you may have sent this by mistake". Get an email back stating that it was no mistake along with proof that the email is legit (I think I may have asked for them to take me off the spam list or something short and cynical) and that they know who I am (which I'm assuming meant the lowest-tech person stumbling around the blogosphere) and found me through my blog. Wow. OK, interest peaked. After a few more emails back and forth I find myself all signed up as a Nintendo Ambassador. Huh? I basically agreed to have some super hush-hush gamer shindig at my house so a big old bunch of my family and friends could check out the highly anticipated, not yet released Wii Gaming System. Disclaimer- this would be something I never thought I'd do in a million years until my husband caught wind of it. Mind you, he's no gamer but his thought, if the blogging world offers me perks, then who am I to refuse?? Good point. So,we had the party yesterday and if you can imagine, there were 4 amazing TV's set up, with 4 Wii Gaming Systems (under lock and key, I might add)throughout our house. It was pretty impressive, I must say. And I'm one mom who is not easily impressed with these kinds of things. But everyone was really getting into the fun, flailing arms and legs and everything. Let's just say that most of the Wii system games that we played do not accommodate couch potatoes!

SO, back to the perks. Hmmm, let's see if I can recall some of the perks...

Free shirts

Enough food from our favorite Mexican Restaurant to feed a small country (did I mention beer and wine?)

The ability to really impress our friends

Family bonding

Getting witness people getting their 'game on'

Letting our daughter and her friends go nuts (who now think blogging is the portal to all things good)

Our thank you gifts (Can you say DS lites & games? I'll bet your kids can!)

Playing games that no one else has played yet, "neener, neener, neener!" (as my Uncle put it)

Party Favors

To have a phenomenal group of strangers come in, set up a full-blown, all expenses paid, totally amazing party at our house and then CLEAN it all up for us.

Left overs (in both the food and the alcohol department)

But don't just take my word for it-check out the mosaic I made with those groovy flickr toys.

So, to put it simply, Nintendo won me over. And I think I can say the same for the 35 other people that we're here. I'll betcha half of them have already pre-ordered their Wii Systems (which won't be available to the public until Nov. 19th). Which is I'm sure what this party set out to do. And if that is the case, mission accomplished guys. Wii now love Nintendo. And for the record, you are welcome in my home anytime!

Comments

[Justin]

What a wonderful story, Tracy. Thank you for sharing!

I heard about your recent foray into the world of Nintendo from a Nintendo blog that I read daily (to get info on the Wii). SO I thought I would hop on over to your blog and read it for myself. I've really enjoyed your articles so far!

Not only am I a devoted father of three, but I am also an avid Nintendo fan, and (as my kids would say) the world's coolest dad.

I think it is great that Nintendo made you an embassadore, and it fortifies the opinion I had of their company as being family friendly.

I think that gaming is a great way to bond with your kids, and Nintendo has always facilitated a wonderful gaming environment for our family. Their games seem to be fun, no matter what your age is.

This is more than I could say about the other gaming systems, which seem to cater to adults mostly. I wont have those other systems in my house.

Anyway, I'm glad that Nintendo could win you over, it proves that they are really out there for family people like us who want to have a good time.

I am happy to say that I will continue to read your blog, it is very fun and enciteful.

[Samuel Traineer]

My name is Samuel and I am 14 and home schooled in the ninth grade. My mom thought I would learn a lot if I had to help other people. So she told me I had to come up with a project to help a needy group of people. The assignment was to help improve the lives of needy people. I have decided to help kids with autism because I have Asperger's syndrome.

I have read how important service dogs are to the disabled and I know they use dogs for kids with autism. But I don't use a dog. Cats are smaller and not as noisy and a lot of kids who have Asperger's don't like a lot of noise. My sister's best friend has Asperger's Syndrome too and she loves cats. Hers helps her like Hub helps me but mine is doctor ordered.

Hub is my second service cat and both of them were trained to sit still and do their job. I have learned if you train a cat when it is younger to do a job it will always do it's job.

Not every cat can be a service cat. They have to have the personality for it. Only one of the kittens we took in can be service cats because the other one doesn't trust people. I decided that I would help disabled kids get trained cats who wouldn't scratch but who could obey commands and help them like a dog does.

I have trained two so I know how to train them. Training homeless cats to help disabled people would give the cats a permanent home and would help the disabled people live a better life. I am training two kittens I found abandoned on the side of the road and I already have a waiting list for them.

Do you think you could ask your employees or members to save the tabs off the tops of soda cans for me for a few days and send them to me? I was trying to collect them for the month of April because it’s Autism Awareness month but I still need more. We have found a place that will redeem them if I have at least 10,000 tabs. About 200 or less will fit in a business envelope. Then it's like everyone helped build the shelter.

I am wondering if I could ask you to help? If you could save and send the tabs of cans to me it would help so much. It will take a lot of tabs to get the money to start the shelter so can you also forward this to anyone who drinks a lot of soda?

It might seem like a dumb thing to ask and I have to ask a lot of people who have never met me because everyone always thinks someone else will help. It's only for one month and you can follow my progress on my website. You can send the tabs to me at:
Samuel Traineer
PO Box 2814
Douglas
Ga 31534

If you cannot help or don't want to help that's ok. Mom said not to get my hopes up but she also says that if I never ask I'll never know. What's the worst that can happen? If I get a no then I am no worse off than I was before. Thank you for your time. IF YOU KNOW OF ANYONE WHO DRINKS A LOT OF SODA CAN YOU FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO THEM?
Thanks,
Samuel

PS
I also got an email saying this is urban legend but lots of cub scout packs save them and then donate to charity and Ronald McDonald Houses collect them also. Recycling places will accept them and I have located one that will redeem them for me. Nancy Cale from unlocking autism is helping me so I have my website and hers. The two web site links are www freewebs.com/tenerekingdom and http unlockingautismstore.org/Store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=91

Thanks for your help!

[wii sale]

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