User talk:Gaile Gray/Journal/Temp

Video of Tender Wolf

I must admit I didn't see it before, but it's a great video and a very nice song to go along with it! For those who haven't seen it yet: here. One thing is for sure, these are memories that won't be forgotten! -- (Tribina / talk) 21:00, 24 June 2008 (UTC)

I agree, Trib, Tender Wolf made a lovely movie. Thanks for your kind words, I'll pass them along to her! -- Gaile 05:25, 2 July 2008 (UTC)

Austin

Omg lol i remember you face from the NF colleters DVD, and i live in austin and saw you at stubbs!!, but i wasent sure if it was you, but i know now! lol would have been embarrasing to go up to a random group of people and be like "omg are you GAILE???!!" And the bats are awesome im so glad you got to expirence that. SweetEscape 02:02, 26 July 2008 (UTC)

Wow, that's really something that you were there when I was at Stubb's! (Dang, I loooove that place!) But please tell me you didn't see me taking pictures of everything, like a typical tourist? (I admit I exceeded good taste and good manners when I waited until the Ladies Room cleared out and snapped pictures of the rest room "stall" doors. :) ) Next time I come to Austin, we should have coffee. Or BBQ. You folks know how to do that right! :) -- Gaile 03:11, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

Bats and Planes

I'm glad you got a chance to see the bats. They're fascinating creatures! One of our former student workers is heavily involved with Bat World. Yes, there is such a thing. She does bat rehab here in town and is doing research on bat populations. She likes browns, and reds are "cute," but she thinks they have no brains. It's fascinating to see the babies fed formula. To feed them, she uses makeup sponges cut into very small triangles, then soaks the sponge in formula. The baby bats bite and suck. You can see their little bellies getting round, as if they'd swallowed a white marble.

With respect to airlines, the most reprehensible behavior occurred when my husband and I were waiting in Dulles for our flight to Indy. The flight was the last to go out, and it was just after the Christmas holiday. The flight was delayed, and delayed, and delayed. Finally, it was cancelled, and we were informed the maintenance crew had taken off home. What was so reprehensible? Well, a serviceman was scheduled to be on that flight, and it was his last chance to see his son before being deployed to Iraq for 15 months. If the airline had been more upfront and honest about the reason for the delay, he'd have been able to switch his flight. As it is, he had no way to make it to Indianapolis and then be with his unit. Sheesh! ceolstan 19:54, 1 August 2008 (UTC)

Goodness, I forget about this talk page -- I'm so embarrassed! (And you know it's not like me to ignore folks! :) ) I think that the people working with bat preservation are doing a great job; my hat is off to that student for her good works, works which benefit all of us when you consider the exceptional contribution that bats make to the environment.

It's sad to read the story about the father being prevented from seeing his son. I wish that all service organizations would get on board with the concept of having greater transparency and showing a heightened level of concern for their customers -- everyone would benefit! *steps off soapbox* ;) -- Gaile 03:20, 9 September 2008 (UTC)

George

Hi Gaile, I've always liked reading your stories about George, and it was very sad to read the end of this one. He was a real gaming kitty and he will be missed. purple llama 06:54, 15 September 2008 (UTC)

I had the feeling when i started reading Fox007 14:08, 15 September 2008 (UTC)

I feel sorry for your loss. That's a sad story, but it's also a nice one. I have always wanted a cat; if I manage to get one, I hope he/she will also enjoy watching me play Guild Wars  : ) (of course, it would be GW7 at that time, but anyway...) Erasculio 14:14, 15 September 2008 (UTC)

Thanks, guys. I appreciate the kind words. He was an important part of the family, for sure. There are times I still look for him or start to say something to him... -- Gaile 18:29, 15 September 2008 (UTC)

I am sorry to read about your loss. And in a way comforted by the fact that you gave George a long good life. --Silverleaf Don't assume, ask! 19:47, 15 September 2008 (UTC)

Its sad to see George go. Looks like he had quite the adventurous life. Dominator Matrix 04:03, 16 September 2008 (UTC)

Remember the good times, it certainly made me smile to learn about his mannerisms, and in cat years 17 years makes a very old cat does it not? Im sure George is in feline heaven, getting his own back on Diablo, right? =) My thoughts go to you.Frozenwind 12:20, 16 September 2008 (UTC)

I am glad that you and George spent so many happy years together, and so pleased you decided to share with us. The best family animals always come along when you're not expecting them. (My three kitties just wonder if I'm *ever* going to come to bed and stop staring at 'the box'...:D but I hope they live as long and as rich a life.) Mllepandora 19:39, 16 September 2008 (UTC)

I'm sure a dear friend like George will be missed, but remember his important teaching: "Napping is serious business" 75.146.48.190 22:38, 16 September 2008 (UTC)

There are so many "George stories." Like the time he tried to take on two dogs, both five times his size. (You don't get onto George's turf without permission, thenkyouveddymooch!) The dramatic episode when he got outside and spent three days up a tree. The evening I stepped away and he decided to take a bite of my chocolate-frosted cake doughnut, then swore he was innocent, even as I pointed out the cocoa trails on his whiskers...

There were a lot of good times over the years, for sure. Thanks for your kinds words, friends. -- Gaile 17:23, 19 September 2008 (UTC)

May George rest in peace. As I have said many times before, I ask, no I demand! That George has is own NPC in GW2 as a reward for all the hard work he put into making Guild Wars a great game. --King Of Kamelott 02:05, 22 September 2008 (UTC)

I enjoyed reading the story of George, but its sad to hear he went. I will remember him, as the cat that caused Gaile grief, but gave her fun. I love cats, but i hate to hear of them passing away. He will be remembered. --Burning Freebies 18:11, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

A great cat has gone. The story moved me greatly, my cat passed away, after only 12 years, a few months ago, and I still miss him badly. We already had another cat, but no cat can replace Poes, my first cat. You're not the only one that named her ranger pets after a real cat, Poes still lives in Guild Wars, as my Melandru Stalker (and you can be sure he'll have offspring in Guild Wars 2!). Now, excuse me, I must whipe some tears and find a tissue for my nose.

I hope you will find a new cat to fill that hole George must have left with his passing. Another one to walk across your keyboard and do a reboot of your system (I know I now have two of those, both desperate for attention and jealous of my keyboard and mouse I think...) --Lady Rhonwyn 10:15, 27 September 2008 (UTC)

My cat seems to understand the link between pressing buttons on the keyboard and things happening on the screen. A beloved pet is hard to replace. It's like loosing a part of yourself. Even if you fill that gap, it's juts not the same... — Wolf 15:15, 27 September 2008 (UTC)

Lady Rhonwyn, it was nice of you to write (and nice to see you again). I do send my sympathy for your loss and I love the way you memorialized Poes. I shall have a George in Guild Wars 2, you can be sure.

Wolf, you're quite right: I can remember every cat I've had and yes, they do become a part of ourselves. I've been looking at shelters and ads and so forth, but I just don't know... -- Gaile 20:37, 28 September 2008 (UTC)

The right companion doesn't always show up right away, or even looked for, but when he/she does, you will know without a doubt. Best of luck in your searches Gaile. — Wolf 20:46, 28 September 2008 (UTC)

Gaile, first of all, I've only just now read your story about George and I am very sorry for your loss. It actually made me tear up, I had an 18 year old cat we had to put down at the beginning of last year, I haven't truly been the same ever since. Like previously said, they truly become part of you, especially you've known them for so long and spent so much time with them. Underated Skill 02:02, 29 September 2008 (UTC)

Oh, Underated Skill, I'm sorry if I made you sad. And I am very sorry for your loss; it is a hard thing to go through. George was with me every day and even now, I keep feeling his loss. For instance, when I sit down to watch a movie, I want to call out "TV Time!" (his signal for uninterrupted cuddle time) and when I stepped outside this weekend, I had to tell myself "No need to worry about closing the door, there's no little feline to escape." :-/

I wonder -- have you gotten a new kitty, or have you considered doing so? -- Gaile

That's such a cool story. George seems like he was a nice cat. I don't know what I'll do when my dog dies. When I first saw Angel (her name), she was the only one in her litter who didn't scratch me when I picked her up, but just looked at me really cutely. Anyway, this is a cool thing to do for your cat. And about chosing a new one, don't worry. People always find the perfect pet. It's a law of the universe. :)--70.71.240.170 06:42, 26 October 2008 (UTC)

Update on Cats and the Kitty Search

It took me a while to get into the mood for a new cat, as you probably could tell from my comments here. I guess that's normal. Then I thought about George, and what would he want, and I figure he'd not see it as even remotely feasible for me to have "TV Time" without a kitty with me, so that felt like a nudge in the direction of a pet search.

My whole family has been scouring the ads and adoption sites and visiting a few adoption places to search for a new family member. I will be looking at two kittens this weekend -- two brothers who look adorable in the photograph, with lovely parents. Listening to the owner talk about the parents (she owns both the mom and dad cat), the father is just exactly the kind of pet I'm looking for: people-centric, friendly, active, outgoing. Not a "sit in the sun and ignore you" cat, but a "in your face, at your feet, all over your keyboard" kitty. :)

Basically, the owner wants these two brothers to be adopted together. I'm hesitant to do that, but will consider it. The fact is, I've learned that two can be territorial and competitive and that can result in fights and may cause a lot of damage to the house (which I hate to think of, with new carpets). In my crazy younger days I had four cats: Mom, Dad, son, daughter. My apartment was in shambles! Plus the father and son starting fighting in earnest when the son was a few years old and I ended up moving the son to my parents' house to keep the boys from killing each other.

I am writing Tami at work (she has three cats) to ask her thoughts. If any of you have dual-cat, brother-cat, or other thoughts, let me know! :) -- Gaile 20:57, 30 October 2008 (UTC)

From all my experience, it's usualy the female cats that get territorial, but there are also the cats that fight each-other for not forseeable reason. I mean hey, people do it all the time! My experience beyond a single cat doesn't go far, so I'm not going to pretend to be an expert or anything. A friend of mine has 14 cats, so he would know. I'll get ahold of him. I've spent the night there a few times, and inevitably never need a blanket and wake up with 6-8 kitties sleeping on me! =D I hope it works out for you, multiple cats are multiple times more fun and multiple times more to cuddle and love on, and have love on you. — Wolf 21:46, 30 October 2008 (UTC)

I've always had orientals and pretty much always a pair. First was a brother and sister pair of siamese litter mates and since then when one cat has left us there has always been a new arrival shortly after. The funny thing with many orientals is that they generally like having another one around. The first two loved each other dearly. The old female lean mean battle axe took about a month to get used to the new boy. He grew into a muscle-bound warrior and her protector eventually. Limpet, her replacement and later Lucy, Limpet's replacement, both adored the old boy and in Lucy's case it took less than a week for the proud warrior to accept the new arrival. He did squawk once when the kitten tried to suckle though. That's was definitely one of the funny moments.

The fun started with the current pair. Lucy missed old Peri as much as the rest of us did and her loneliness only hastened the move to get another cat, but when I brought home the tonkinese siamese cross Sam, Lucy was not amused! Three months of growls, hissing and spitting gave way to another three of keeping distance, before finally giving way to acceptance. They sleep together when they are cold, they lick each other and are generally on good terms these days. The only trouble is the tonkinese streak in both of them makes them in-your-face cats just a little too much for anyone's good. When Sam wants attention he'll be looking you square in the eye as he reaches up and hooks his claws in a curtain.

Anecdotal ramblings aside, I think you'll be safe with two from the same litter if they start out together and stay together. =) -- WarBlade 22:32, 30 October 2008 (UTC)

Hey, thanks to both of you for sharing your thoughts on this. I am actually looking at two Seal Point Siamese kittens, although I have been tempted by the beautiful Bengals quite a bit. The photograph of these two is adorable, but really, it's allll about the personality, so I won't know if either or both of them is a good fit until this weekend.

George and his predecessor were quite honestly the homeliest of their litters. The latter's ears were too big and he was cross-eyed. (Some say that's a "flaw;" I actually look for that, as all my favourite cats have been so.) George was knock-kneed and clumsy; he crashed into a picture window when we were trying to decide between six very sweet kittens. Upon that antic, and seeing George's expression of "Yes, I meant to do that! Don't dare tell me I wasn't!" it was "We'll take him" and we were never sorry. :) -- Gaile 02:10, 31 October 2008 (UTC)

I have two cats. I have read that if you want to take two cats, it's best to take males, so you're good there. Ok, about mine. They're both males, one around 4, the other somewhere between 1 and 2 (both from the shelter). The older of the two is the smaller one and the most cudly one (he's usually walking over my keyboard and trying to hunt my mouse). The other is big and heavy and acting the big brother of the two. He's the one that fights all fights with the neighbouring cats... In house, they're the biggest of friends. Often, the little one is licking the big one all over his face and the big one is enjoying it greatly. Very lovely to see. It usually is the precursor for a "fight" so, they'll try to knock everything off my desk (where the baskets are) untill I throw them off. I wasn't sure how the new cat would be accepted (there being an age difference, and them being unknown to each other), but I'm glad I took the chance.

I'd say, if you have the opportunity to get two cats, do it! I don't think they'll be territorial, if they're brothers, especially if you "help" them. And never play favourite! They'll get jealous... But if you do that, I know you'll start smiling when you see them play-fighting with each other. --Lady Rhonwyn 07:19, 31 October 2008 (UTC)

From my experience, you're safe to adopt two cats together. My family has had cats since before I was even born (and with my 18 years, I dare say we are cat-owner veterans by now). First we had a brother and a sister, the sister was a great cat, though not really active, and the brother was, well, not a really nice cat, but well, he was part of the family as well. When the female passed away, we decided to adopt a kitten, because both my mother and sister missed the cat very much. Soon though, we started to realise that our new kitten would be happier when it had a playmate, so we adopted another one (actually, we didn't quite adopt her, my sister found her somewhere along a road, together with four other kittens, abandoned, and as we were considering adopting another kitten anyway, we just kept one of those after finding an address for the other ones). Our two new cats get along very well, even though they are both females. As Lady Rhonwyn said, if you have the opportunity to adopt two cats, don't hesitate! ;) — Why 13:11, 1 November 2008 (UTC)

@ the request of my two beautifull male cat brothers who have been "reminding me" to respond here: Please Gaile bring those two brothers home?

know these two a little over 7 years now :). When I got to know them they wouldn't have nothing of that stroking-touchy-two-leg's that moved them to a new territory. They have mock up fights, crawl up together in big nap-time-cuddles, request food loudly and are alway's..alway's devoted to our family. Brothers are life long friends and partners (even in crime). No matter what your choice will be Gaile, kittens that grow up in love are very very adaptive to the Person they own. They'll break a thing now and than. Big Kitten eyes will apologize :). You are save with cats (any cat) as long as you love it :). 1, 2 (or in my case) 5. See this as proof >>[1]<<. --Silverleaf Don't assume, ask! 18:10, 1 November 2008 (UTC)

Just want to show you how much fun it can be to have two cats: [2] (and I should keep my camera handy at all times...) --Lady Rhonwyn 18:32, 2 November 2008 (UTC)

Get the brothers. I've got two sets of sister/littermates. No troubles with the sisters, just between the two pairs. A good Friend of mine has always told me to get two cats, as they will keep each other company.02:35, 4 November 2008 (UTC)

Update to The Update

Realizing I'm taking the game wiki waaaaay off course, I'm going to update friends who are interested in this "continuing saga" in another space. Here's a blog link if you're inclined to read that sort of thing. Hey, I'll bribe you with piccies! :) -- Gaile 08:58, 20 November 2008 (UTC)

Ohh, congrats with those two mischief makers! They really do look adorable and we'll want more pictures. *bookmarks the blog* And better watch your shoelaces :D --Lady Rhonwyn 10:10, 20 November 2008 (UTC)

Ohhhhwwww myyyyy goshhhhhhhh....how adorable!!!--Silverleaf Don't assume, ask! 14:18, 20 November 2008 (UTC)

Life goes on, with the household now firmly in the paws of the two Pwr Kittuns. As I type, they chase each other across the floor, tumble into a rolling Orb of Furriness, and are now sneaking behind the aquarium cabinet to see what mischief they can get into. (I just extracted one from the cabinet: he implied I was quite mistaken about his intentions, he was only investigating the system to make sure the pump was working properly.)

I have updated with a few more stories and photos, and will be adding another today. These guys are quite the handful, but everyone was right about getting two. :) -- Gaile 22:15, 29 November 2008 (UTC)

Have either of them taken to laying on your keyboard? I come home from work every day to find mine covered in a layer of fur! XD My cat has taken it as his favorite spot on my desk, whether I'm typing up a storm or not. — Wolf 22:18, 29 November 2008 (UTC)

Well the keyboard gets your undivided attention for long periods of time so obviously that is the place to be! :) -- WarBlade 22:49, 29 November 2008 (UTC)

Too true -- heaven forbid that you get to go about your business unimpeded and uninterrupted! :) -- Gaile 00:01, 30 November 2008 (UTC)

LOL! This is true. He long ago figured out that GW was just as fun and entertaining to watch as it is to play, even if it is just to attack all the floating numbers and such. — Wolf 03:00, 30 November 2008 (UTC)

My sister has two kitties. Mrs. Kitty is the more "people kitty" of the two, but she doesn't climb around on the keyboard. Oh no! Keyboards have hard edges! It's much nicer to jump into the nice lap and stay all nice and warm there. Congratulations on your two new kittens. They're adorable. Bob (my husband, not a gamer) and I were considering bringing back the two outdoor cats my sister's feeding: Snoopy (girl cat) and Pauly (boy cat), spayed and neutered respectively. My sister won't let us have just one; it's either both or none. We had no room this trip, but they may find their way to our new house in the foreseeable future. In the meantime, they have a very nice cat bed in a dry shed outside. ceolstan 16:34, 1 December 2008 (UTC)

RE:Halloween Weekend 2008

HA HA HA HA...that's funny!. Had the greatest time myself and spoke to a lot of eager and happy players :). Wintersday here we come, indeed!!--Silverleaf Don't assume, ask! 12:08, 4 November 2008 (UTC)

Lovely piece of humour there :D And I had a great time too. Those undead out of Bergen kept complaining I re-killed them with my smite condition, at which I responded they shouldn't try to poison me and just drop those bags. (and I loved the joke about the future!) I too, can't wait till wintersday! --Lady Rhonwyn 13:31, 4 November 2008 (UTC)

I'm with you, Gaile! I like those "mistakes" if they are corrected in this way :D I think some more undead are going to die this weekend... --Lady Rhonwyn 08:07, 7 November 2008 (UTC)

I got back from Austin (having spent a couple of days with the Support Team) and jumped right into the game. Yes, yes, I admit: I'm a holiday-drop-o-holic. :) -- Gaile 20:45, 8 November 2008 (UTC)

Great Bonus Weekend!

Ohh, I love pie! That hard liquor on the other hand, I could do without... But yes, I think it's for a Thanksgiving feast! We've so much to be thanking for :D --Lady Rhonwyn 09:36, 13 November 2008 (UTC)

I LOVE a delicous pie! — Wolf 23:35, 13 November 2008 (UTC)

I felt quite risque this weekend: Instead of serving pumpkin pie, I served S'mores pie, with chocolate, marshmallows, whipped cream, graham cracker crust, etc. It was delicious, but I still felt a little "seasonally inappropriate" with having chocolate instead of pumpkin and spice. :) -- Gaile 22:08, 29 November 2008 (UTC)

I traveled to my mother's house over the holiday week. My husband and I brought a turkey we'd purchased from a local farmer, a few local squash, and some other local produce. At just shy of 19 lbs, it's one of the smaller turkeys I've roasted. Yes, I roast it with the stuffing inside. As long as both bird and stuffing are cold, and as long as the internal temperature of stuffing is at 165, it's safe. My kid sister the molecular biologist was there with her husband and very precocious 4-year-old, and she and I had a bit of a consultation regarding temperatures. 165F is definitely safe, and according to my sister, it's about a 15 degree F overkill. I made cranberry sauce, cranberry orange relish, a couple of kinds of sweet potatoes, butternut squash (mashed with allspice and a touch of brown sugar and butter), three pies--including a couple of pumpkin pies made from pumpkins we'd bought earlier. It was a lot of fun. I like doing the occasional big meal for lots of people! ceolstan 16:44, 1 December 2008 (UTC)

I like pie

Thankfully, I got more pie than booze last night, so, it must be your luck there. Though, I expected the opposite, considering I was knocking out some dwarves. I expected them to keep the pie and drop the cider, as they usually drink ale, so I didn't complain :D But, one of my friends (or guildies, shouldn't mix them up!), will take those ciders off my hands, gladly, I think :D --Lady Rhonwyn 07:08, 28 November 2008 (UTC)

Clearly, they already drunk it. -- Alaris 16:57, 28 November 2008 (UTC)

^^Definately. I seem to have a surplus of Cider on ym hands if you would like it Gaile =D — Wolf 18:31, 28 November 2008 (UTC)

Wouldn't it be funny if certain creatures dropped things according to their own personalities? For instance, what if the Mursaat were teetotalers. What if all their drops were pie because they'd never have drink in their pockets and backpacks? And what if the Dwarves were known to have a liking for drink and... oh wait a minute... What if the well-known Dwarven delight in All Things Drunkard caused them to drop twice as many ciders as pies, because we all know pie doesn't go so well with booze? ;)

I don't mean that some groups had more of the drops in total, but that the random drops were secretly not so random, that they were related to hidden or known characteristics of the monsters and races that we had to figure out. And hey, I'm just having fun with an idea here, random really does mean random -- despite the hauls we get that seem to say otherwise. :) -- Gaile 22:04, 29 November 2008 (UTC)

In the end, I did get more pies than ciders, which is all fine by me. It's been ages since I've eaten pumpkin pie... Not even sure we can get it here. --Lady Rhonwyn 08:51, 1 December 2008 (UTC)

Stop messing with the minds of superstitious folk, Gaile! Although admittedly, it is lots of fun to do so, it can have negative consequences... I once had my wife believe she was cursed, by telling her the computer didn't crash on me (even though it did). A few days later she believed that her mere presence near the computer could make it crash. Ah the joys of false information! (ps, yes, I did tell her that I pranked her afterwards) -- Alaris 14:44, 1 December 2008 (UTC)

Hey, now, I did say "random is random," didn't I? I was just having fun with the concept, and not saying it was factual! :) -- Gaile 22:55, 31 December 2008 (UTC)

Life of the Party

Hey Gaile, gratulations on achieving the Life of the party and the Connoisseur of Confections title! Even though you're no longer CRM, you still got that awesome community spirit in you who visits us every event. These are times I and a lot of other players really appreciate and look forward to. So besides congratulating you I would also like to thank you for being such a community player! Now don't go hiding next event because you maxed these titles *grins* You truely are a big part of the live of the party ;-) -- (Tribina / talk) 08:33, 1 January 2009 (UTC)

Hi Trib. Thanks a lot for the kind words. I had a lot of fun getting those titles -- I'm a bit past 1,000 on Drunkard now. *hic* -- Gaile 10:20, 2 January 2009 (UTC)

Hear Hear for the both of you!! --Silverleaf Don't assume, Know! 14:24, 2 January 2009 (UTC)

Definitely congratulations! I have started to work toward my level 1 Drunkard title, but keep forgetting to drink more! ceolstan 05:18, 4 January 2009 (UTC)

Hear hear for her that now gained the title "Life of the Party" while she was that anyway's ;-). --Silverleaf Don't assume, Know! 11:51, 4 January 2009 (UTC)

I'm finding the Drunkard title to be ...well... time consuming. You see, I'm getting it on a non-player character -- my main account's main girl, Gaile Gray -- and because she doesn't actually play the game, I can't go out and do runs or quests while in a bit of an inebriated state. Oh no, she's getting her points in town or in the guild hall, standing around playing the flute and chatting with guildies. I just wish we had a guild hall game of dominoes or something. :) -- Gaile 07:33, 8 January 2009 (UTC)

Congrats on the Drunkard title hunting. I've started on my monk, mostly because he's doing runs right now to farm for the gold to fund his skill hunting title. I'm lousy at watching the clock, though, so I'm sure I've wasted some minutes. Also, during the Wintersday snowmen run, the final fight is a good time to work on the Drunkard title. In other words, it is possible to work on a title while playing--though perhaps for your Gaile Gray toon, a drunkard title while you sit in the guild hall chatting away with friends is probably the best of all possible times to work on a title! ceolstan 00:19, 21 January 2009 (UTC)

You're right, I did find the Winterday caves a great boon to the title. I think I'm close to having enough of the "liquid consumables." I am nearing 8,000 hours. Oh wait, that's minutes, they tell me. ;) -- Gaile 05:17, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

lol... It only counts if you get drunk in the game. Just fyi. -- Alaris 14:29, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Wintersday 2008

I agree that this has been the best Wintersday ever. I've been out of town without decent Internet access for the majority of the festival, which was fun because I got to spend time with my nieces, including the adorable 4-year-old with the Shirley Temple curles. Since I arrived back in town, I've had a wonderful time in the game, racking up about 20 hours of in-game time in less than 48 hours. The high point, as far as I'm concerned, was when one of my guildies had the Polar Bear mini drop for her. She was, of course, thrilled. I am extremely thrilled for her, too.

It's always amazing to see what the dev team does for these in-game events. I thought that the Eye of the North Wintersday quests were a lot of fun, and the charmable bear was a charming reward. The focus on Gwen was also a nice touch. I did repeat the Nightfall quests, and while I understand that it's designed for new players whose characters aren't level 20, the amount of geography covered remind me too much of why I don't play standard MMOs. The EotN quests were fun, and the snowball fights had just that right amount of trickiness necessary to challenge the player to think of how to win given the player's specific character build. As a monk, I had to play the fight quite differently from friends who played it as rangers. Kudos to the creators of that quest! This, too, is the first year I've done the Rift Warden quests. I'm a mere 440 minutes away from Rank 1 Drunkard as a result!

I hope your Wintersday both in game and in life were as good. ceolstan 02:39, 6 January 2009 (UTC)

It was very nice to hear from you Ceolstan. I'm glad you had a nice holiday, and thank you, mine was wonderful, as well. We had snow (lots of it!), a beautiful tree, great presents, and good fun with family, friends, and kittunz, of course. The only drawback is I'm still nursing a sore hand from all those Polar Bear runs... ;) -- Gaile 07:28, 8 January 2009 (UTC)

RE: Canthan New Year 2009

You BLEW UP your laptop?! Oh dear, how did you manage that? I'm out an about so much, without it, I would almost never be on the wiki. :P — Jon Lupen 03:37, 3 February 2009 (UTC)

You weren't wacking your laptop instead of the wurms, were you? *grin* -- (Tribina / talk) 20:14, 6 February 2009 (UTC)

Or wacking wurms with the laptop... but at least you had a great time! I was sliding down a white, slippery slope at that time and thus missed the entire weekend. --Lady Rhonwyn 09:58, 9 February 2009 (UTC)

Sounds like my impending weekend =D — Jon Lupen 16:29, 9 February 2009 (UTC)

I've no idea what happened with the laptopm but I'm now suspecting -- thanks to some insight from Linda on my blog -- that small four-footed furry creatures may have contributed to the demise of my <18-month-old laptop. And it's a good laptop, too, with which I've been thrilled and which I've personally recommended to several people, at least two of whom purchased that particular model.

I was in the game most of the day, dual-tasking on both machines. As I typed a note on my desktop, I was idling in the Guild Hall, after several hearty rounds of Dragon Next. I heard a sort of soft "pop" from the direction of the laptop, the sort of sound it normally made when it shut off. I hadn't touched it, it was fully charged, no power surges, no nothing! But since then, the comp won't even try to turn on. I removed the battery, plugged it in directly to the wall, tried different cords/plugs, and it simply will not turn on. The kind guy in IT says, "It's dead, Jim!" (Truffles to the person who recognizes the reference. :) )

Since the laptop was under warranty, the company is kindly replacing the entire unit, with which I am very pleased. I should have the machine this week, in time for a trip I have planned, so it has all worked out well.

I am planning to get The Frog to provide his Aura of Amphibian Protection around the replacement machine, just in case said four-footed furry creatures should find it overwhelmingly tempting. ;) -- Gaile 05:15, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Sounds like Star Trek Gaile, captain James Kirk aka Jim, I love the original Star Trek with Spock and Scotty. We have Druids Guild Hall atm and it has a real beam me up, Scotty area! *awaits approval to start drewling on those truffles* -- (Tribina / talk) 15:45, 10 February 2009 (UTC)

Spock has always been my favorite character. If you like to pay atttention to details, in one of the last movies still involving Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner, Spock is alluding to one of his ancestors, from the human side (his mother is human), and is quoting a well known "theory" from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. You then understand how this fictional character can play a 3 dimensionals chess against a high tech computer and win in 5 seconds (in the movie following Spock's death), and why using technobables on him...would be a very bad idea. Live long and prosper. Yseron 86.209.192.65 19:17, 9 March 2009 (UTC)

I always liked Spock the best, too. I cry every single time I see The Wrath of Khan; I saw it less than two weeks ago and here's me, blowing my nose and wiping my eyes. (Yes, you may laugh at me, but keep it quiet, eh?)

For ST:TNG I was miiighty fond of Data. I could do the list, you know, Crusher was a bit of a bore, No. 1 was a little prissy, Troy (Troi?) was just overdone... oh wait, Patrick Stewart! Ok, Data was second in my heart. :) :) -- Gaile 23:16, 1 April 2009 (UTC)

It's Troi. You know, it's funny that I happened on this page just now, because mere minutes ago I finished watching episode 2 season 2 (Where Silence has Lease). I'm slowly collecting all 7 seasons on DVD; I wish I had the money for the 72-disc boxed set, but... well, college. Data is my favorite, I've always been able to really identify with him. I like Riker too, though; Kirk's legacy of brash manliness and sleeping with alien women lives on in him. My least favorites were Tasha Yar (her death always makes me laugh) and Wesley Crusher. Good thing the producers agreed with me. :D Felix Omni 03:38, 20 June 2009 (UTC)

A burning question

This may not be the thing to ask here, but I figured why not give it a go.

How do so many people manage to get money for sugar drinks, firewater, and firework crates? Maybe I just need to get a few more years of experience, perhaps stop thinking that 60 armor rating is impossible to get.... Thanks for reading, and if this sounds like begging: sorry about that. 69.48.19.120 03:12, 20 June 2009 (UTC)