Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Introduction To The One Person Still Playing Pokemon Go

My name is Kalen Smith and yes, I do still play Pokemon Go. I worked too hard to get this 3k CP Dragonite to just quit like everyone else. I feel like I mainly like it because I enjoy riding my longboard while I play.

Enough about Pokemon Go, I'll tell you a little more about myself.
 I am a Computer Science major and I plan on graduating in the Fall of 2018(fingers crossed). I was born and raised in a town some of you might have heard of called Norman. Getting to go to OU has kind of been a dream for me ever since I was a kid. I grew up playing and watching sports so I got the privilege to see all of the great athletes that have attended this university. My favorite was Adrian Peterson and I was actually at the game where he broke his collarbone. That year he still almost won the Heisman even though he was out the last 4 or 5 games. My second favorite was Blake Griffin, and if I was still a Blake Griffin fan today he'd probably be my favorite OU athlete overall. Too bad he's on the Clippers and just acts like a punk.

I come from a fairly large family. I have 3 siblings, 2 sisters and a brother. I was the third child so growing up I was always picked on. The youngest sibling is a girl and my parents wouldn't let us tease her so since I was the next youngest I was the prime target for my their antics. My favorite thing about my childhood is that we had a trampoline in the backyard. We could spend hours out there making up silly games and just hopping around.

My hobbies are playing Pokemon Go, coding, playing basketball, longboarding, and collecting pennies. For some reason when I was a kid I always wondered how many pennies could fit inside a specific trashcan at my house and I have been collecting every penny I get in that exact trashcan. It's over halfway full and at this point I can't even accurately remember what age I decided to start collecting.

There's a short introduction of me! If you have any questions or would like to just say hey, leave a comment!

23 comments:

  1. Pleased to meet you Kalen. First, lets talk about the Pokemon. I spent my internship last summer with an engineer that was obsessed with Pokemon Go. It was rather funny to see this 40+ year old man running around the St. Louis airport and capturing these creatures. Then, even funnier when he would text me pictures of these rare Pokemon floating around our job site. I guess you are never too old for Pokemon Go. The pennies thing is really interesting to me as well. That takes a certain level of dedication to keep it up.

    I have a confession to make, I am always rather impressed when I hear that person codes for a hobbie. I took a C++ coding class, and have no idea how a person gets there by just playing around with code. I wish you all the luck and success in your chosen field.

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  2. Ha ha, I had to laugh when I saw Introduction title, Kalen! That's great! And if you are into Pokemon, maybe you will enjoy all the wild and weird creatures of the Indian Epics. You will meet Jatayu in the Ramayana, plus all the wonderful monkeys (like the monkey-god Hanuman), and there are many more amazing mythological animals. Take a look at this graphic novel we have on the shelves in Bizzell for checkout; it even has a video trailer. Very cool stuff! Divine Beings ... the world of Indian myth and legend is vast, and I hope you will enjoy exploring it for this class! :-)

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  3. I’m glad you are still having fun with Pokémon Go Kalen. You’re a true fan of the game. I was shocked so many people dropped playing so quickly. That’s awesome that you got to grow up here in Norman and see the big-name players. I know a lot of people that would be very jealous of you. Don’t feel too bad about your siblings picking on you that was just their way of showing you they cared about you. I’m sure they’ll all be impressed when you fill up that trashcan with pennies!

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  4. Hi Kalen! Wow, it must be so much fun being part of such a big family. I’m sure you’ve introduced Pokemon Go to them. You really are a true fan. I’ve never played the game, but I know a lot of people that did. I though it was a great way to get people to go outside, and be active. Your penny collection seems to be really cool. I wish I could stay dedicated to a collection like that. It’s nice to meet you!

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  5. Hi Kalen! It was really interesting reading about how your still into Pokemon Go! Over the summer I worked at a large concert venue in Houston, Texas and I actually caught people trespassing while trying to catch Pokemon. I'm not from a large family but I can relate to you being the one whose always picked on because that is me in my family! To this day my dad and brother still picking on me for the littlest things and even my friends have deemed me the one who they poke fun at or pick on easily! It was nice to meet you, can't wait to read more from you throughout the semester.

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  6. Ha, that’s great. I somehow never got caught up in the Pokémon craze (I swear I had a TV as a kid, though I apparently watched it under a rock), so the Pokémon Go thing is really fascinating to me. It’s really cool that you grew up an OU sports fan and then got to come here, too. Best of luck with the Penny Project, and I look forward to reading some of your stories!

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  7. Hi Kalen! Haha! I think it's awesome that you still play pokemon go... I was never in to pokemon, but when the game first came out my sister and I would walk around my small town downtown and everyone there would be doing the same thing. It was funny. I always wanted more siblings, so I think it's cool you had that! (Even though they picked on you, sorry about that.) I think it's fun that you're a collector, I am sure you have quite the collection. Also, you might have to help me with my MIS class if you like coding! Ha! Nice to meet you Kalen.

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  8. Hi Kalen!
    Wow, haha. After reading your recent story, and then seeing this introduction, I just knew you had a big passion for Pokemon! That is so awesome. I honestly wish I had gotten into it more when I was younger so I could understand it better. Your hobbies are very unique, and I admire that! It's definitely what makes you, you! It has been a pleasure to get to know you, and I look forward to reading more of your stories and know more about you!

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  9. Hi Kalen! I respect the fact that you are still playing Pokemon Go. I however quit playing but am thinking about coming back for the new generation additions. Also very jealous of your 3000 cp Dragonite. That is some serious effort. I know the feeling of having a lot of siblings, I have five sisters but luckily I am the youngest! Nice to meet you Kalen, and keep up with the Pokemon!

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  10. Hi Kalen! Very nice to meet you!

    I used to be an avid Pokémon Go player, but like the rest of the world, I suck and stopped playing once the earliest roll out of updates came out and messed with the tracking option. I was totally team valor.

    I LOVED jumping on the trampoline as a kid! We used to put our sprinkler underneath it in the summer and jump on it in our swimsuits. I also had siblings and was often the one who was most picked on. We middle children grow up strong though! I can't wait to read through your blog!

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  11. Hi Kalen! It's nice to hear that you are still playing Pokemon Go. It definitely shows your dedication. Unfortunately, I am one of the many people who quit playing very early. I think it was mainly due to the game's initial bugginess and how much it ate at my phone battery everywhere I went. I think it's really cool that you have been collecting pennies into the one trashcan for so long. I wonder how much money you've managed to save up just there haha. I'm an only child, which I think is rather lonely and sad, so how do you like having such a big family other than the fact that you got picked on a lot?

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  12. Hey Kalen - cool name! It's great to meet you. I admire your loyalty to Pokemon Go. I grew up playing Fire Red on my gameboy, and loved Pokemon Go, but like you said, I forgot about it. I think that the penny thing is really cool! I definitely can see that you don’t have a problem sticking with things. I look forward to reading more!

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  13. Kalen, that is really cool that you grew up in Norman and got to see those athletes! I was born and raised a big OU fan but I never got to go to any athletic events until I finally came for college. I loved that you mentioned having a trampoline growing up because my siblings and I practically lived on our trampoline growing up! Nice to meet you!

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  14. I think that people born and raised in Norman that attend OU is so great. Having such an amazing school in your hometown is so awesome. I am jealous that that didn’t work out for me! Fun fact: my sister was working at the movies and she got to serve Adrian Peterson popcorn! Penny collection sounds cool! Thanks for sharing!

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  15. Hi Kalen,
    Nice to meet you! I think it is really cool that you grew up in Norman and decided to go to OU, especially since it is something you’ve wanted since you were young. Are you enjoying Pokemon Go now that they have brought out more Pokemon? I liked playing it when it was warm, but once it got chilly not so much. I plan to start again once Spring is in full swing!

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  16. Kalen, I definitely played Pokemon Go for a while, especially with my boyfriend. It was pretty fun and it helped me get some much needed exercise (haha). I love OU football and going to OU was always my dream too (even though I didn't live in Norman). That is a large family! I am actually an only child. I had a trampoline when I was younger too! I was out on it all the time till I got older and my dad just threw it away one day because I had not been on it in a while. Thanks for sharing!

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  17. Hey Kalen! I have to admit, I only started playing Pokemon Go because my friends made me start playing. But, ever since then, I have tried to play it when I travel or something so I can get Pokemon everywhere I go! It is definitely a lot of fun to play. I wish I had a trampoline when I was younger, it is definitely still a dream of mine to own one someday, haha. It was great to learn a little bit about you!

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  18. Hi Kalen, I think it's cool that you've decided not to conform with the rest of society and actually keep playing Pokemon Go. So many people will try something for a while and wear themselves out with it haha. I also think it's cool that OU was always a dream for you, because it was the same for me. I grew up in Tulsa, but visiting Norman made me fall in love.

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  19. First off, Pokemon Go was just too much to handle. More than anything, I just liked catching things. I don't think I ever fought or battled or whatever the correct terminology is. Also, the fact that you have been collecting pennies that long is really cool. I have a big glass bottle I fill with extra coins. I take it to the bank and cash the coins in. I started that in middle school when I would search for coins in the sofa cushions. Now, I have an obsession with change. I will almost always ask people for their change when they pay for things in cash. No shame! You seem like a cool dude! Good luck on graduating!

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  20. Hey I still play Pokemon Go too! I thought I was the last one! I didn’t have a new enough phone to play when it came out so I had to side load it and I didn’t want to do it again to update so I was super excited when I got my new phone! I hope you aren’t cheating with all the apps they are making to cheat location now. Your penny collection sounds pretty cool- watch out for wheat pennies- one specific year is worth a lot of money if you find it!

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  21. I still play Pokemon Go too. I am on team Mystic. I have a rather large family as well. A lot of siblings from both sides of my family. That is an awesome hobby to have. That is a lot of pennies to fill a trash can half way. It was nice getting to know you a bit. Good luck with the rest of the semester.

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  22. Its so nice to meet you! I must say I am extremely jealous that you are so far on Pokemon go! I played it all summer and I swear if I get one more pidge I will scream! I think it is so cool that one of your hobbies is coding. I am in Gaylord and they are always stressing to us how important those skills are! I really hope you are having a great rest of your year and good luck with graduation!

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  23. I really like how you owned that you were still playing Pokemon Go. It's fine if you still enjoy the game and I understand what's like to have worked so hard to reach a certain level of the game to stop now. I'm not sure how you longboard and play the game, but I could imagine that it would be difficult. Also, I really enjoy that you have a hobby unique to you such as collecting pennies. Why are pennies so appealing to you?

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