Through Dangers Unknown and Hardships Unnumbered, I have Found my Way to the Other Side...

    In the next couple of weeks most of us will be celebrating the craziness that is the holidays. There will be many cases of racing other carriages to get from one place to another. There will be much food casting sleep spells on all of us as we eat to the point of being very full. In many cases there will be times of casting armor on ourselves and giving ourselves buffs to deal with all the stressiness that comes with seeing ALL of our family or having to be certain places by certain times to see everyone we want or need to. Take heart however, as soon we shall be through this stretch and get us back to our normal adventuring, however crazy that in itself is.

    For me this time of year is always a time for looking back at my year or past couple of years and seeing where I was and how far I've gone. Looking at the past year, I can honestly say that I was correct. This year was for healing and fixing. I spent a good amount of time just allowing myself to have down time. Separating myself from some people who were continuously casting spells on me to make themselves feel better and bring me down and remembering or finding people who are supporting loving and don't use or abuse the fact that I am that as well. I have spent the last year or two learning about who I am, where I want to go and finding a good place for me to be myself.

    In the last year I have found a questing partner who I can actually consider a partner and a match, a person who I am completely comfortable with and have let into my heart completely. After letting myself heal and taking time to make sure that I was ready to move forward in matters of my heart. His patience with me at first and his continued ability to deal with all of my crazy makes me feel so very lucky to have found him and been able to get over the fear I had of letting someone in. I can say in complete honesty, if you aren't ready to find someone who can be your partner completely in your adventure called life then you won't. As much as you may want someone to be, once you're ready for them and they come along, it is so worth the wait.

    I have dealt with stalker types, there have been a couple (remember Captain Mosquito amongst others), and with people who just didn't understand the world and how it works. There have been giant boss battles, which I can officially say I have won. There have been large achievements which took some work, but I was able to finish them finally. There has been changes in jobs from a horrible job to the Wizards Tower, which has been one of the best things I could ever ask for in a life changing event. I had one of the worst things I could have had happen to me a year ago. I was actually hauled away by the guards from one of the towns around here and spent a night in their local dungeon. Let me tell you how "fun" that was.

    The past year or two has been filled with a lot of crazy. A lot of ups and downs, many new adventures, side quests and dailies. Even a new zone or two. All in all I can say as difficult as it was to go through a lot of it, I am glad I did. Life wouldn't seem as full, the levels I have gained in my path would not seem as complete and I may have made some very different decisions with everything in my life. A lot of the things I went through have had high prices to pay, however I have paid them all and now set forth to see if my adventures will bring me that next amazing horizon.

    So as I am not positive I will be able to post next week in lieu of all the holiday craziness I will leave you dear readers to your thoughts and reflections. I wish all of you a very safe, warm and joy filled holidays. Talk to you all, next year! Here's to 2014 being the year of better things to come!

Will Saves Required...Time to Cast ALL of the Buffs!!!!!

    Ever have one of those weeks where you seem to aggro everything and these things decide to combine and become corporeal, starting to attack you with spells which cause stressiness and to become disheartened about things? This creature which has manifested leaves you defenseless and feeling quite overwhelmed. Not able to cast spells, or even use melee attacks to get back at these newly corporeal beings of ick. Well, that is what my last week or so has been like. It has been a bunch of small things piling up together and becoming one big corporeal mini-boss fight. Silly elites and their stress spells! I have been attempting to pass my Will saves big time lately to get out of the stress and be able to get rid of this thing I have aggro-ed from my attempting to make things happy for those I love during the holidays, being physically ill and to some extent things at the Tower. This horrible Elite monster that just wants to beat me with emotional attacks has been trying to fight me the entire step of the way.

    I am SO lucky to have had my wonderful questing partner and the members of my crew / adventuring party with me on this journey. Even my fellow scholars, wizards, sorcerers, and oracles here at the Wizard's Tower have been amazing and helped immensely. Because I really don't believe that I could have made it to this point without falling in defeat otherwise. Though this week in particular has been tough despite all of this. I have found my way through and am glad it is soon to be the weekend. Hopefully all will be better this next week. It is the season for these battles to pop up in each person's life, between the shorter, darker days, the stress of the holidays and just the stress of finishing dailies on time and to the best of our ability. So I know I am not alone in my fight.

    So my friends who actually grace me with reading my adventures when I do get the chance to post them. Fear not, for there are others helping you to fight this battle and move forward through the craziness and emotional defeat which these new monsters have been trying to put on us. We will make our saving throws, and stand united as a full group party to beat these elites and get the mad epic loot which they carry inside. We will see the other side of these dark days and get through this season of badness! As we move forward, remember we are not alone, there are many in this same place and if we work together, our buffs should help each other to roll higher then we thought possible on all of our Will saves to get through. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend and sending out as many buffs as I can to help everyone through this holiday season.

Leveling these Skills and Getting Achievement Points.

    I hope everyone had a wonderful day of feasting and down time with their families last week. Hopefully it was filled with lots of tasty food, resting, happy times and good memories. For me, last week's holiday involved much time with my questing partner, relaxing and fun times with my crew (also much needed), a great day full of family time AND unlocking one of my big achievements that I've been working on for almost a year. Wait...what...did I just say that? I do believe that I did say that. And yes, before you ask, I posted a little earlier then usual, I was anxious and excited to share. :)

    It took me eleven months, however as of Friday I can officially say, Achievement Unlocked [License to Drive]! It really makes me think of everything I've been through in the past year and realize that I have spent the year healing, fixing and getting myself to a point where I can actually adventure on my own if I need to. Has it been a good and rewarding thing for me to gain levels as an Oracle? Has it been something I needed to get through all of that and heal from my past? Has it been a wonderful to fix my life and be nearly ready to get back up and adventure (though not without my questing partner at this point as I kinda want to keep him around for a while)? Yes to all of these things. Has it been easy to get here? Any of my crew can tell you how many hours I spent agonizing, being upset, I'll admit it crying, and trying to work my way back to where I am right now. So, no. It was not an easy trip, but at least now I have this achievement and can move forward! Onward and Upward right? Next achievement up in my log on this particular chain, [Mount Up: Let's Drive!]

    Let me tell you, after the amazing of last week, especially the part of lots of time with my questing partner! This week has been trying at the Wizard's Tower as well as in my daily adventuring outside of the Tower. I have had lots of code breaking and transcribing things both via communication devices and through scrolls which I have to change the format of. So lots of straining my eyes to see what other people are saying, or to make sure that I have transcribed the correct things. I even had one which had been given to me in physical form instead of the normal methods. But hey, I got it done and I am finally back to happily finding items to help those who have lost everything due to horrible evil creatures of fire or water. In other words, this little Oracle is back to my job of helping people again, of which I am a fan. :)

    Outside of the Tower in my daily adventuring, I have been having some problems with sleep. I have always had some of those problems, just it seems lately they have been worsening. When in the domicile of my youth, I cannot seem to sleep early, or stay asleep long. Though I assure you my animal companion Willow, deciding that 4 in the morning is time to get up, doesn't help. Even without her "help" I tend to not sleep so well lately. I have even pushed off the alarm spell to wake me a bit later instead of getting up and dancing my way into awakeness.

    If I haven't mentioned Willow Cat before, she has been my companion for the last 11 years, she is a very pretty grey and white cat, who's grey parts look like that of Pussy Willow's, hence where her name came from. Yes I know most would assume it came from a particular movie which I loved as a child, but nope, not so much. My point about her however is I love her but she is also not helping my sleeping patterns at all. Silly girl wants to get up and play, or eat at 4 in the morning when I usually have 2 hours left until my alarm spell goes off. 

    Another thing that has been causing the tired and just in general ugh of this week is that I have somewhat been working 2 jobs. By going home from my day job and working on my crafting skills. I'm not sure how many of you know this, however I am getting close to maxing out my Candlemaking Crafting Skill. So as I have a fun place to sell these wares on Friday I have been working overtime once I get to my domicile to grind out a few levels and make more candles. I would like to have a good amount of them for the Bazaar at the Tower this Friday. As I have been asked to make things for it. It may provide some much needed extra gold and is fun in the meantime. Though I did stay up far to late into the night to finish a few levels last night. I am hoping I do not do that tonight again.

    So while I get through this week, I keep in mind that I really do have a lot of things to be thankful for and I am mostly happy. Even when things are rough, I do have so many things going my way and the way things seem to be going, I feel as though all will continue in the upwards direction. Which from my view is super happy! I am wishing everyone a fantastic week and honestly if there is ever a topic which you dear readers wish me to bring up, please feel free to let me know, either through comments, message me in private or in a way which you can get ahold or me. Write more next week, same bat time, same bat channel! <3

So You're a Real Life Cleric? Hmm...I Think Not So Much.

    I think I might finally be able to stick with doing this weekly or bi-weekly at this point. Just to keep all of you my dear readers wanting to see all the crazy quests that I go through in this adventure I call life. I know I had several months of slacking off. But let me tell you, there's been a lot of growing as I said in last weeks episode with our intrepid little Oracle. There's a lot on my plate but it seems to be something that I no longer need 3 of me to do. It's almost relaxing to finally have a moment to spare for myself sometimes or to do the downtime things I enjoy most. Especially when I get to share those things with my questing partner. Have I mentioned how lucky he makes me feel? Because he does, every single day. So very glad we were able to find each other in our questing and join forces in our daily adventures.

    So this week I want to speak about our lovely people who specialize in the First Aid Skill. I'd call them healers, but that's not always the case. Honestly sometimes I'd equate them closer to alchemists then someone who uses healing spells. So these people are supposed to help us with what ails us. They are people who are supposed to help us get better and move forward in life and with things of that nature. Let me tell you, that is seriously not always the case. It's appalling some of the things that happen when we spend our time and hard earned gold to go and see these people in hopes of either being healed or having them tell us there's nothing wrong and have a nice day.

    Well, with my new place in the Wizard's Tower, I finally have a plan which helps with the gold costs of these crazy "healers." It's helped immensely with some of the crazy injuries I've endured this fall and has helped in some other ways already. However this past Friday I went to see a new "healer." One of such who is supposed to be a general care person and the person I see yearly to make sure I'm still able to say that I am of good health. I was nervous and excited. It has been several years since I've been able to see a "healer" of this type. It's something I've needed, yet haven't been able to have due to lack of a plan or being able to find one who was taking new patients.

    I went in, and things started off well enough. I was asked a lot of questions about my past and my family's past. I answered as best as I could and continued on thinking all was well. They checked my heart beats, the rate at which my blood flows and some of my breathing to make sure all was well with that. He then started to inform me that I was healthy, except, I needed to loose weight. I was shocked and quite upset.

    Now, I am not a big person by any means. I've gained a little weight as of late due to the comfort and happy I have in my life, and I know that, but I don't look overweight or unhealthy by any means. Not to mention the fact that all of the women in his place of practice were at least two of me. So ultimately it made me feel horrible. He informed me I needed to start cutting things from my life that honestly aren't always that bad. The way he was talking it truly seemed as if he was trying to make me need to see him more often. By causing me to come down with an illness or weakness due to lack of nutrition. It was quite horrible.

    He proceeded to end my meeting with him telling me I was healthy, I just needed to be the lowest possible weight I could be. Of course after which I was given shots from needles which caused pain in my arms just about the entire weekend. But I went home unhappy.  I spent a good portion of Friday evening unhappy to the point where I didn't even go out to see some of my crew and end up cheered by spending time with them. Wasn't a good day. However, I did come to realize that if I am happy and HEALTHY (as he did keep stating over and over), that what he said shouldn't matter as much. Though it still angers me that people can be that judgmental when there really isn't a problem. Perhaps he was just projecting the things he wanted to tell those in his place of work onto me. But who am I to judge on that as well.

    This week so far has been ups and downs. Tuesday was a little rough due to some friction in a couple of area's of my adventuring. However Wednesday I came in to a note from my higher up telling me I was too good for my own good. Which was more proof that I do in fact belong here at the Wizard's Tower. I sometimes complain about it, but I truly do love my spot here and the work that I do. Today has been a day for me to sit at my desk, breaking the codes and predicting the amounts of things dancing in a seated fashion to the newest recordings from my favorite minstrels. So really I can't complain. Plus tonight when I get done here I get to see my adventuring partner and start the days I stay with him. Which also cheers up my mood greatly. Not sure what the plan is for the rest of the days this week / weekend. But hey, I'm ok letting what happens, happen.

    I also want to give a giant HAPPY BIRTHDAY! To one of my dearest and oldest members of my crew! He joined the ranks of being another year closer to being older then dirt (granted I reached that number 4 months ago), but still. He has been one of my friends for nearly  half of my life so far. One of those people who through thick and thin we are constant friends and though our adventures have brought us to different area's in life we have been crew members and family through it all. Talk about a person who's seen the worst and best of my life and me of his. Love you Cornfed as I KNOW you'll read this! ;)

    So now dear readers, I leave you to your day in peace. Wishing you the best time finishing up the week and this weekend. I am not positive I will be able to post next week as we have our day of eating, being thankful for things and time with family and friends half way through and a mini-vacation for me as for the first time since I can remember I actually have Black Friday off from work. So if I don't get here next week. Happy Thanksgiving, have a safe and wonderful day filled with family, friends, food and rest!

The Wizard's Tower and the Real Life Equipment Bonus'

    I know I've been a horrible blogger for a while now. I've been busy doing my dailies in real life. Spending time adventuring with my questing partner and trying to get to the point of being able to accomplish my big achievements that I've been working on so long. Life has been continuing in an upward direction from where I was even just 8 months ago. Good things are going on in life, love, with my dailies both in the Wizard's Tower (my job) and the rest of this adventure I call life.

    Today I'd like to talk about the other people who share my job here in the Wizard's Tower. The amount of giggle with our missives back and forth about all the things geek is fantastic. There have been many a day of long discussions about Star Wars, Doctor Who or even Portal. I don't believe I've ever had the level of camaraderie to this extent that I have here. I have found myself truly liking the job I have and the people I work with. Plus the amount of gold I manage to get for completing each daily helps with all of that as well. It's made me feel very happy that the Wizard's here liked me enough to allow this little Oracle to join the grind trying to get through all of our codes and transcriptions every day. The early hours that I must be here sometimes make me cringe, however, once I'm here, I enjoy working on the spells to make the day fly by.

     I have still been working on some of my bigger achievements, though I've gotten closer each day. Well, each paycheck really. Still trying to deal with fixing my life from the past year. However, I am happy to say, that has been a much easier process having a wonderful questing partner to help me through it all. He has become my partner, my best friend, a constant support and a wonderful person to have around and be around in pretty much every aspect of my life. I never have to hide who I am or what is going on in my life from him. I can be completely myself and he can be so with me as well. I am so happy to have him and that everything has worked out well for us together.

    As I come up on the anniversary of the worst year of my life I can honestly say. This year has been a lot of trials as well. However they have all been towards fixing the bad things that had happened a year ago. For that I am eternally glad and happy that the quests I've been given lately have been all about improving and moving forward in my Adventure of Life. I am so glad to have what I have, and am glad that things are moving forward on that front. I am so thankful for the daily quests I am given right now and SO grateful for those who have continued to help me through them and stand by me as I have basically had to start over from the ground up. Not a re-roll per say, just lost all my equipment and had to start again. So here we go. Onward and upward!

Reminders of Real Life Battle Scars

    Thanks to our wonderful data gathering software deciding it doesn't like me this morning I have time to write some of this while waiting to be able to search the world online for new data and information.  I am beginning to feel like a netrunner who just can't figure out that last password to get into the super secret plans of the big organization.  Yet I keep banging my head against it to try and get the password and try to get in.  I WILL get this done.  Just going to be a day of pure frustration I'm thinking dealing with the netrunning.  At least I will get a break from fighting with the system for an hour to speak with and transcribe something dealing with a house itself. 

    My leveling up week was fantastic.  So much fun and so much happy!  Got to spend lots of time with my questing partner as well as many of the other members of my "Crew."  I know I spent 3 of my 5 days of work at my job, but it didn't feel like it counted.  I felt as if it were a much needed vacation from all the crazy and horrible of the past couple of years.  I feel so grateful to have such wonderful people in my life and to have figured out that I was ready to have someone as my questing partner again.  As I've said before and am saying again.  Happiness is abounding there in, honestly, I hate to sound this way, but it's about time.  I know he reads this to see if he's mentioned, so there you go sweetie, making you smile at the fact you're mentioned and talked to.  :-p  Been a long run of this little lady trying to win the fight and just getting defeated and beat down.  I'm pretty sure I'm finally winning the war as I've gained a lot of good wins on personal battles lately.

    So having a single day at work where I'm banging my head against my codes and wondering why these things aren't working in the long run of successes is not too bad.  Honestly after the course of my life and all the crazy, I'm thinking I'm in a good state.  So I'll chalk it up to the gm's of life not wanting me to forget the battles that I've fought and the things I've learned over the years.  Seeing I can still see the ways these things have changed me, ie the permanent battle scars on my being that have helped me to become who and make my way to this place in my life, I am ok with this.  Because without those things in my past, I wouldn't have made it to the person I am now.  Shiny!  

Ding, Real Life Leveling Time

    So as I "leveled up" yesterday.  I received a pretty great present from the big game we call life.  I am yet again one more step closer to my Achievement, "License to Go."  I got a piece of mail from the state of CT DMV and it informed me that my license with them is completely restored!  Let me just say how happy that made me.  This level up day had already been the best I've had so far, it just helped to make it that much better.  Now it's just a little more gold and I'll earn my title!  This was pretty big and exciting news for me in general.  As I have been waiting on that to continue this achievement.  Again, life seems to be heading in a forward, happy direction. 

    So far this leveling up time has been great!  Other then the fact that my shoulder muscles are spasming that is, there has been good food for this month's Dishcrawl.  Then there was dancing and fun with friends at our local quarterly gothy night.  Spending all of this time with my questing partner mostly and some of my other nearest and dearest.  Been so very very good.  This weekend is more fun.  Tonight will be watching things for the Bruins while playing GW2 with my questing partner, as he picked up the game last weekend.  So yay for hockey, gaming and time with him, which will be great.  There may even be some dancing at Riot tonight as well as some of my good friends are spinning in the DJ fashion.  Then tomorrow is more time out with some other friends, Sat is Six Flags!!!  Which will be fun.  And then I get to blow the dust off of my Sorcerer for one of my Pathfinder games.  Then Sun will be more Pathfinder for my other game.  SO MUCH GAMING!!!!  I am seriously looking forward to all of it. 

    Yay for things and stuff!  Luckily I've not had to pull out any more fire spells and have been shown how many people I have who truly care.  This has been the best week!  Now I'm back to the grind for one of my 3 days here this week.  Woo! 

Real Life Fireballs, Wait, Why?

    Apparently this week I have more to talk about.  Today I'd like to talk about the return of Captain Mosquito.  While I'd been happily being devoid of his presence recently.  In my happiness in life I had almost forgotten the stalkeresk treatment this person gave me, apparently he was just waiting the "right time".  Despite many attempts to use my diplomacy at first and trip / push back spells later on to make him go away he decided to come back in full force yesterday.  I mean the fact that he knows I have found a life questing partner, who I am quite happy being with, he decided that it was time to continue the unwanted pursuit is even worse.  I really never did anything but be nice and talk to said person to cause him to aggro on me.  I have tried very hard to let him down, even be completely brutally honest with him, that I am SUPER not interested and no amount of persistence is going to change that for him.

    So yesterday after actually asking for a date again.  I pulled out some of my flame spells.  I told him to stop contacting me, that I was getting ready to spend a lot of time with my boyfriend over the next couple of weeks and that he didn't have a chance EVER.  I had said these things before in much nicer terms, but without the I have a boyfriend part.  After I told him off, for the last time, I used my Banish spell and removed and blocked him from contacting me.  Which is not something I often do.  So needless to say, I had to be a lot meaner then normal, and actually pull out a flame spell or two.  Which usually I'm a very, calm, person.  So it was quite frustrating.  I think I did the correct thing as this guy has not gotten the message previously. 

    I still don't really understand, how or why I aggro some of these people so much and for so long.  I do believe it is a thing I will never understand, I believe that people think this way of me, but I am ok with the fact that it's just the way it happens.  At this point I am happy with where I am and all that jazz so, hopefully there will be no more fire spells in my near future. 

   

Shocking the World with Real Life Strength

    I am just going to have to deal with the fact that my job has been taking me from this lately.  I know it's sad and some of my readers have wished I'd be able to keep up daily as I used to, but that just isn't something that can happen right now.  I have been getting much work from the Tower of Transcriptions, i.e. my higher ups, to keep me much more occupied then ever expected.  I am enjoying the work and it's been keeping me busy while there, so I can't really complain.  I do miss writing the amusement in gamer terms daily that this gave, but honestly, this job brings in the gold so that I can get to the end of some of my Achievements I've been working on.  I'll get back to it daily perhaps, but for now, just posting when I can to let you all know that I'm still here, still gaming, still being my normal geeky self.  Just dealing with a lot of the real life stuff as well.

    I know I've talked about dreams before.  But this is a little different spin on them.  While en-route back from my job which uses my intelligence score all day long, I ended up falling asleep.  While I quickly started dreaming.  Now I don't know where it came from, though it could have been inspired by the massive amounts of storms we've had recently, or thinking about a particular Pathfinder character I haven't played in a while.  Suddenly I was a white haired, mage, who harnessed the power of lightning specifically.  I was part of a team of "superheroes" who all had very different powers then the normal team you see in the comic books or cartoons.  It was all people who are part of my own adventuring party, who I normal would spend time with anyway.  Just a hugely different skill set for all of us.

    I feel like perhaps it was somewhat my self conscious' way of telling me it's still there and kicking.  Also telling me it misses being let out.  I have been trying to take a day a week to write, a day a week to do this and a day a week to in general veg out.  Just so I can keep myself up on things that I SHOULD be doing.  Gotta keep up with the things that make me, me.  I also have been having a lot of happiness in other parts of my real life.  Some of which have included gaming with my life questing partner, sometimes for an entire night, hanging out with some new adventuring folks and trying to work on fixing my biggest achievements.  Life has certainly taking different turns then I ever expected.  But again, the way that things have gone I am happy.

    So here we go, time to fly back to the world of shocking the supervisors with my good work.  Tune in next time to hear more of this little gamer ladies anecdotes and fun quirks about gaming.  Sadly it'll be much like Fox and Firefly, no idea what day or time.  But I'll be back.

   

Real Life Achievements, Achievements, Achievements. The Ding Keeps Going Off.

    I've been horrible, horrible about getting my anecdotal posts out there for all of you to enjoy.  Horrible at keeping up with my book writing, horrible at keeping up with my online gaming.  Well other then my weekly Pathfinder game with my amazing and wonderful questing partner and other friends as well as the singular night of a LAN party I went to this past weekend.  Things have been crazy pants, but really really good here in real life world.  I've been enjoying all of the rewards of the achievements I've gotten lately.  Lots of good has happened and yes I still have a ways to go on certain bigger achievements in my life but.  I can't completely complain as I've enjoyed the mini ones that I've been getting lately. 

    Last Tuesday I actually ended up earning two Achievements on my way to the big one of "License to Drive."  So it was a good day.  I went to my official last day of my battle with the judicial systems for the area.  I am officially done with that boss fight and I have emerged victorious!  With very little damage on the whole.  It took a very long time to get through this boss fight, as there were several adds which I had to fight on the way through.  But now I'm there.  This has earned me the achievement, "System Beater."  As I got through it all with only having to pay a little gold to the state for that one.  As I had a free day of downtime I was also able to earn the first achievement in a series of three so far, "Tax Free, One Down, Two to Go."  So that was very exciting.  This week I will be getting the mini achievement, "Restoration."  I'll be finally getting my reinstatement for my license in CT.  Then it's a quick bit of more payment and I will have my achievement "License to Drive."  From there it's just a bit of a wait and saving my gold to get my next achievement, "Time to Go."  Where I will actually have a vehicle again.  So things with that are finally progressing nicely!

    Today I received yet another achievement.  I actually got my notice letting me know that I get to go sit down with HR and finally be officially part of the scribes here at the job which has been keeping me so busy every day lately.  So as of Monday I will have gotten the achievement I was waiting on, "Officially Official."  I am super amounts of excited!  I knew it was coming, I just didn't realize it was going to be this soon.  As my contract through the other place doesn't end until August.  But hey, I'm not complaining and I'm extremely excited.  This means a whole lot of other things that will help me breath even more of a sign of relief.  Shiny!

    I also was finally able to sit down and scribe out more of my book last night.  In my usual fashion I sat down to write and play into the Bardic side of my personality and poof there were 2 more full sized pages.  So I am quite ripe for the writing again.  I just have to make sure I roll my concentration to do it.  Which I've started pressing upon myself as was the case last night. 

    There has been so much to look forward to.  I'm excited to say that real life has been more exciting the gaming.  From the happiness I've been finding with my transcribing and code breaking at the job to the complete happiness that I've been finding in my questing partner, he has been amazing with some of my mini-boss fights that I've had to deal with and tackle before some of these moving forward things.  Keeping me feeling supported, comfortable and happy.  Things have been great.  The achievements and life moving forward bits have been fantastic as well.  Truly this seems like the past few years of trials and boss fights are finally working themselves out!  Now I think things are truly allowing me to get back to some of the other things that I have been neglecting due to adjustment time with everything. 

Are there More Castings of Real Life Luck to be Had? Quick, Rest and Restore!

   Well I have been back up and running on normal speeds with my encryption for a couple of days now.    Their newest thing for me is to have me take all of the bigger puzzles to decipher.  Yay for being competent and catching on quickly.  They've also started having me be the first person they ask to use the magical communication devices we have to speak directly to agents who are physically in the field seeing what each person has lost.  Which I don't mind, I really enjoy talking with people and can keep up with the field agents in my transcribing what they're saying quite easily.  So I'm good with all of this.  It's something I can absolutely handle for my daily transcribing quests.  I am still very much enjoying the job after a month and a half this is a good thing. 

    We are still having the problem of adjusting to the newness of this particularly power that be.  So we are still having issues with the amount of work that we have to do.  So I was again asked by my higher ups to stay in tomorrow.  Which I don't mind so much, as tonight I will be going on an adventure with my questing partner to head off to see some others for an adventure.  So chances are it will be a late night.  Which means I can be my natural nocturnal self tonight.  NO creature of the night and therefor evil comments!  I already get enough of the I have no soul comments from being of the slightly reddish hair persuasion (I dye it a bolder shade of the auburn it actually is).

    This also means I have more time to check into my options for the next Tier on the achievement with my license I've been working on.  Though that is seriously looking as though I MAY not hit that mark by Tuesday.  I've been waiting to hear back from quite a few of the ruling parties for different places that were needed to get this process done and they just haven't gotten back to me.  Silly humans and their lack of paying attention when someone needs help.  It may put off one of my achievements for 6 months to a year, however that means I'll have a bunch of achievements all at once.  So it means a bit of inconvenience for a while longer, and then all sorts of good things all at once.  I just hope that the people who've been helping me with all my adventuring and who have been spending time with me despite everything will not get tired of such.  Just my caregiver nature peeking it's head again, worrying about others and what's going on with them. 

    So, there have been crazy highs at work and in life, and there may be a little bit of a disappointment / drawing out of the time in which I have to deal with an achievement.  But hopefully all will be well, and seriously if I go without that particular achievement for a while, it may turn into, 3 at once.  Achievement unlocked, License to Go, Achievement unlocked, Time to Drive, and Achievement unlocked, A Place of My Own.  See, I am attempting to allow the happy, shiny that usually try to surround myself with to kick in.  Just lots of nerves right now attempting at poking that bubble to burst it.  All will work out, just, might take a little longer then planned.  I just hope that those who've been with me recent will be ok with it all.  I know, I know, if they aren't then there is something to be said about the type of company I keep.  But, it's always a worry. 
    

Who Cast Real Life Slow on the Office?! Time to Paint Things Red, so They'll Go Fasta!

    Taking advantage of the moments when I'm waiting for a transcription that I just made to move itself into the area for me to play my match up mini-game.  Let me just say last week and the start of this week have been comical.  Most of it has been a breakdown in the ways in which we receive our codes to decipher, in the overarching system in which we can even do any of our work and due to miscommunication between our machines and our communication devices.  It's been frustrating to say the least.  So needless to say, it's been a lot of hurry up and wait, a lot of slower then normal on the job and a lot of, being sent home due to lack of work.  Which makes me a little unhappy. 

    This week has started just as poorly.  Our inter-society communication is still down.  I am using someone else's password to be on the programs itself and I cannot get to anything outside of the matching mini-game.  For which there isn't a lot of work left as even my upper's are not able to get into their projects to assign them to us.  I'm hoping that before the week gets to be too stressful it will get fixed. I'm still liking my job despite these issues and I do like the people I work with immensely. 

    This past weekend I was able to help out a dear friend at the Mutton and Mead Medieval Festival, selling her adorable wares from her company of Bright Eyed Creatures!  Was a good time, albeit tiring and hot, we had fun, did lots of good business and were able to make it through.  Also my questing partner came out to visit for the end and helped with clean up.  Which made me exceptionally happy.  So glad that we found each other in this capacity.  Knowing who the other person is for many years and truly getting to know someone are completely different.  I am glad that things went in the way they did. 

    Then I finished off my weekend with some gaming goodness as my fun little Oracle, which may actually be what my levels are in life rather then full on Cleric, just seems to make more sense.  This game is with my amazing questing partner and some of his friends.  Some I have known for a while, some I'm just getting to know now.  It's been a blast.  I mean myself and the Magus took out a Manticore last night, if you don't know what those are, here.  While the rest of the party attempted to hold of a band, including a king, of Demonic Dire Weasels.  They did it as well.  Man was it amusement and fun. 

    The fun from my weekend maybe what gets me through today.  As I'm finding myself quite flustered and desiring for the going home.  I think there maybe attempts at face melting while listening to the Stanley cup playoffs tonight as I have been neglecting GW2 AND I need to blow off some steam.  But for now I head back into the land of match up mini-games and hope it turns out alright. 

Real Life Newspaper Rolling and Nose Smacking.

    So it seems as though there is another "creature" which has come up in the ranks of my adventuring.  Not quite as bad as Captain Mosquito, who by the way has lowered their contact to about once every week or two lately, though still trying.  This new one might have to be some sort of Elite named creature as I have even informed him that I have begun adventuring with someone else and he still has continued to persist on his inquiries of gaining my attentions.  I have told him that I'm not interested, I have told him that I'm now happily running some quests with another person, which has been a very happy thing, which was a complete sneak attack on it's own.  But it has been very happy so far.  I have informed him that he should go after ladies his own age, and yet, it never ceases.  Sometimes I really do believe that I am just too nice to people.

    I have always wondered about this Charisma score that I have been informed I have.  I've seen it at this point so I don't complete doubt it's existence, I just often wonder how I ended up with a high score there, when I'd always thought I'd end up with a much higher Intelligence score, the type who hides in towers doing research and not the type who people decide to follow about or confess interest in pursuing.  It has never ceased to be a confusing and odd phenomenon to me.  Sure I'm friendly, kind and care about those around me.  I take care of people and do my best to be a good person, but surely that's not enough to have caused such an anomaly in a Char score as to make everything that has happened in my life, happen.  I just have never understood it at all.  Believe me I am not asking for emotional buffs, it's just my thoughts.

    So more creatures floating about, I'm still having to combat them with my air spells and truly hoping I won't have to pull out any fire to burn the creatures.  As I don't wish them ill, just to get the message, I'm not available for them!  Believe me if it gets to that particular point I will make them use their flee skill from my fire spells.  But I'd really prefer not to have that happen.  So seems like I need to cast some good luck spells and roll my dodge.

Stay on Target, Stay on Target...Almost there for Another Real Life Achievement!

    Tier 2 complete!  I received the missives today from the higher ups.  I have finished the second tier of my 3 tier achievement to be "Trained in Full" here at my still somewhat new job.  Which means I'm well on my way to getting out from under the thumb of the Temporary status.  Awesomeness!  I THINK I might be excited about all this.

    I'm finally getting the hang of balancing my days filled with my daily quests of puzzle deciphering, and code breaking with my nights and weekends which as of late have proven to be rather filled with personal fun quests.  Even the newest branch of adventures and the adventurer whom I've been doing these two person quest with has been fitting in nicely with everything.  Good stuff indeed!  This writing thing may even become regular again.  Who knows!

    For today I'm going to keep it short and sweet.  But I swear to you I soon will return with more anecdotal fun and crazy stories of the gamer persuasion.  Until then, sleep well and dream of big women...wait...I don't envy the headache you'll have when you wake...wait...Alright, off to more deciphering, enough of the being silly! 

    Edit:  I am happy to also announce that I have been moved to the desk where I will be staying while here.  I officially have my very own little cubical which looks like it's going to stay put.  Which means, I'm pretty much a sure thing for finishing up this particular achievement and moving forward!  This is a happy thing indeed!

We Have All Pressed the Real Life Start Button.

    Again, sorry about the lack of posting, it's been crazy pants in my life lately.  Last week was insanely busy, and this week might just be shaping up to be the same.  I do actually have a topic today for you guys that I've not talked about before.  So that'll be fun!  Lately I've been thinking a lot about life things.  Thinking about what adventures got me through all the levels and quests that I have been through to get me where I am now, far from max level, but I'm starting to get to some of the better quests now and more or less done with most of my grinding.  That is until the next expansion of life and I have to level even more.  Now I've always been a big believer in the fact that we turn out the way we do both due to our environments, which is how we've been raised as well as our base genetic codes.  Some of us may have had the genetics to be thinkers, dreamers, athletes or even folks who sit at home and don't want to do anything.  Our brains / bodies are fun things.

    For me I know that a lot of my geekiness comes from my parents.  I was less then 1 years old when they decided to bring me on my first adventures to see the original "Star Trek" movie and 1 years old when I was taken to see "The Empire Strikes Back."  The first books read to me which started when I was 2 or so were The Chronicles of Narnia, The Hobbit and when I was about 7 or 8 The Lord of the Rings.  We've always had fantasy novels in the house and when we were young we ended up getting an Atari 7800, that was the one BEFORE, the 2600 which was the one where Atari systems became better known.  Then we got a Tandy RL 1000 and I was hooked on computer games.  Which is still part of my hard wiring to this day.  We didn't have a lot but what we did have was all to help further our abilities as geeky types.

    I mean as kids due to the fact that I was the darker haired pale one and my sister had the blonde hair, blue eyes and willowy look, my sister and I were even nick-named Arwyn and Galadriel.  How's that for allowing the geekiness reign.  I grew up on ST:TNG, Doctor Who, Star Wars, Battlestar and of course some of the old school stuff like Lost in Space, Buck Rogers and Dark Shadows.  From the time I was 10 years old or so my favorite movie was the Princess Bride, and from the first time I saw the 1985 version of Dune, I adored it.

    Granted I didn't start larping or tabletop RPG's until I was a tiny bit older.  But I was a geeky gamer girl from just about day one.  I really truly believe that for that I have my family to thank.  So here's to them, while we may not always get along, our adventures may take us in other directions sometimes and occasionally there are issues.  They are still my family and I am grateful for their help in  making me who I am today. 

Bad Active Gamer Girl is Bad.

    Sorry guys, I've been working my little butt off with all of the cyphers, puzzles and codes I've had to break.  When not there, I've been spending a lot of time actually out and about on adventures, or even those where it's been quiet downtime being happy and relaxing.  That has been a lot of what's been going on as well.  Not me being lazy and just not doing anything, but spending time doing things.  Mostly with one particular fellow adventurer lately.  But sometimes there are girls nights, like last night.  Where not only did we have fun, eat our sustinance, but we also talked about what's going on in our lives with work things, life things, and worked on some clay projects for the upcoming, Mutton and Mead Faire.  Which should be a good time and I'm very much looking forward to being able to make people smile with the Bright Eyed Creatures, and of course dressing as if I were what one of the imps turn into after about 1000 years.  A grown up imp as it were.  It should be a blast!  If you have a free weekend, you all should come out and visit! 

    As for what I'd love to talk about today, it has to wait as I've got more codes and ecryptions to do and get to keep moving forward in that.  Have to keep moving forward.  I promise I will come back to making more of my anecdotal posts again soon.  Just have to get through all of my training and be approved for it all.  Wish me luck as I continue to roll my enigma checks and keep going forward with all of this. 
   

Zug Zug

    Been a bad writing week for me.  Sorry about that.  Between a holiday, sickness, work being crazy and fun new adventures being had, I've just not had the time this week.  But then I do this for fun and to entertain people, so I will not get all whiny about the crazy that life can be.  Especially seeing it's not been a bad busy, just busy.  Some of it has been downright happy and pleasant.  Despite the sleepiness that my body has been enduring as it wishes I was still able to be much more of a lady of the night.  However now 3-4am comes with a price when there is my working in the place of encryptions and decoding the next day.  But isn't that the way it works?

    When adventuring it seems that there are times when we will find a side quest or even a daily quest that will require a little bit of a sacrifice on our parts.  For example, I'm making more gold then ever from my new daily, but it requires me to sleep earlier and do less during the week.  It's also taken a little bit of time away from my writing, even on here.  Which is somewhat sad, but right now I am ok with that due to the ability I'm going to have to finally make enough to pay for a new to me means of transportation and a roof over my head.  Whether it be with other's who need to find a new place to live or not (knowing me I will have to do just that, however, it's nice to think about the fact it's not too far off). 

    I've also been horrible about playing my games this week.  I believe I signed onto my little elementalist for maybe 20 minutes all week.  I'm shaming the fact I'm a gamer by this.  Though staring at the computer screen when I was sick, wasn't a fun thing that I wanted to do, and last night, the first I was fully better this whole week, I was out enjoying an evening of downtime with someone who I'd recently been spending a little time adventuring with.  There was tasty bits of steak and veggies, then there was much watching of things.  Was a nice relaxing evening after half a week of sickness. 

    I SHOULD get back on par with all my dailies, my rolls and spell craft checks soon.  But this week was just, CRAZINESS!  I keep asking myself when did I blink and get a life.  Because that is exactly what it has felt like has happened.  Hopefully it won't all go by as quickly as a blink, as I'm really enjoying the dailies and new adventures I've been having. 

Bamph...I'll Be Back...

    Isn't it always the case in games where the healer usually forgets to heal themselves?  Yeah, silly me, thanks to the below freezing, the rain and myself being too stubborn to stay inside the WARM buildings I am attempting to stop failing a Constitution check yet again.  So far my regiment of Echinacea, Vitamin C, Zinc, Mucinex and tea with honey have been helping.  Sadly there is no cure potions right now to make this ALL go away.  But at least there's not really been a fever since last night and I'm working on using my first aid / heal skill to get better. Can't use the healing magics on myself as it's not really a wound.  But hey, it is what it is.

   Sadly I did attempt at heading into work today and due to the illness, I am not deciphering and decoding puzzles today.  I even offered to continue my research and work from home.  But was informed to go home, relax, take a down time day and just get well.  Was a nice change from the, get here if you can, who cares if you're sick.  That I am used to from the powers that be in my working.  So here I am, attempting to relax, using my first aid to pass my Con check and get back to completely functioning.  Though compared to how often I used to get debilitatingly ill I'd say I must have raised my Constitution with in the last year or two a bit.

    I completely dislike being ill.  I start to feel down on myself for letting down the people I work with and for.  I start feeling as though I'm infringing on people when I talk to them due to boredom or feeling lonely.  I feel exceptionally lonely and want nothing more then to be with or talk to those I care about.  But at the same time really don't want to be near them for fear of getting them sick as well.  Quite the inner battle goes on when I have actually gotten to the point of bed rest, even for a day.  Might make me seem a bit crazy or it might be something you all deal with as well.  Either way, it's a frustrating thing.  So instead I watch movies, read, sleep and take all the things to get rid of the sickness even faster!  Because I can!

    No one can ever say that I'm not resilient after seeing me sick, hurt or just down.  I come back as quickly as I can.  So this too shall pass.  So hopefully by tomorrow I will be back to my normal happy-go-lucky, mostly healthy self.  For now I head back to my nostalgia watching one of those crazy shows from my youth, "Hercules, the Legendary Journey's"

Look, Listen! The Real Life Heroes We Should Remember

    This past weekend Kyranthia was fantastic!  There was fun, there was intrigue for the players and oh my word was there Bards, Barding and Bardic Magic!  Was kinda awesome!  I am so very excited for the future of this game, to be able to watch the development of the players, the plots and see where we go from here!  There's already been a lot of rolling with the punches, feeling out what's coming next and having to plan for the worst case scenario with this game.  Yay for that!

    I seem to have passed my Constitution checks after this one as well.  Either that or I've got a pretty good condition remover going on right now, that prevented the post larp plague.  I've known for years that my low score was definitely Con on my real life character sheet.  I almost always get sick when people around me are.  However I'm pleased to announced that it seems like this time I may have avoided it.  I will be continuing to hope this and knock on wood several times after saying this, however.  It seems to be the case.  

    Last week was quite busy, the one thing I didn't really have to worry about as much was Captain Mosquito.  Though I have managed to aggro some other folks, which I may have bubble to get rid of that aggro soon.  But it was mostly nice and quiet on the unwanted attention front, for the most part I was quite happy with the attention I recieved, especially from a particularly welcome and smile worthy source, but I'll go on about that another day.  Good things indeed!  Seems to be a lot of good things going around lately.  I'm hoping it stays that way and spreads to those who I know have had as tough a time as I have recently.  Again, I'm not saying I don't still have battles to fight and achievements to unlock, because I really really do, just things seem to be going in an ok direction currently.

    So as I didn't get to it yesterday I wanted to talk a bit about what yesterday was as a day.  It was Memorial Day.  Sure it's a day off from work, or a day which a lot will mark as the first big weekend of summer (first one I've had off since I began working).  It's also a day filled with drinking ale, eating food which has been prepared over a fire pit, and generally having some good old fashioned party / down time.  Which is great!  However it is also a day when we celebrate the lives and sacrifices of some of the real life heroes.  People who have served to protect us against the villains and evils that are in the world at large.  These are people who we should be proud of and glad for everything they have given.  They are some of the true heroes in this world

    I believe we should be thinking and thanking those soldiers and heroes every day, however Memorial day is a day where everyone should stop their busy adventuring lives and remember.  We as a whole have benefited from the sacrifice of other's and probably not everyone thinks about it.  We've all been so busy adventuring, dealing with our own down time, and just being too oblivious to realize it.  I know I for one will always think on these people and be grateful for the sacrifices that were made to keep our lives safe and allowing us to continue in our own adventures each day. 

Real Life Run Speed, Automatically Movement x's 2

    Prepping for both larping goodness this weekend AND the long weekend!  I'm excited to go out and see my pc's, to help overrun the town AND to get all the plots out and going!  I also get to finally meet all my bards, I run the bards plot and guild at the game!  I'm seriously sitting in my desk here at work doing a happy dance, I think it helps that half of the bards are part of my real life adventuring family, whom I love dearly! 

    I can hardly wait until 4:30 to run out of here and get home to be started on my way.  I will, and I'll keep busy as I've been continuously been sent missives from the higher powers, keeping my workflow going.  Still, I'm excited.  It's been a busy busy week, filled with lots of prep work, lots of helping friends with things, a bunch of fun and all in all, I'm here on Friday, not dragging my feet and wanting to hide. 

    So I also have embarked on a new adventure in my life, yet again.  It seems that right now is truly the time for new adventures.  I'm excited and happy with all that's been going on.  I'm going to remain quiet on this new adventure for a bit, but I can assure you once I'm more certain of what is going on with this new quest in my life, I'll brief you all with smiles and amusment.  As this has caused a rediculous amounts of smiling, laughing and just general fun.

    I also have some news on the license achievement, thanks to the MUCH larger gold intake here at the job of deciphering, I am officially in process of telling CT to shove off and validate that license.  The next tier on that achievement is to in turn talk to MA, and see what I have to do, it does look like I can complete the achievement "Massachusetts License" by July 2nd.  Which is the BIG deadline from the court.  And there was much rejoicing...yay...

    As you can tell I'm a bit of a scatterbrain today.  I've been having a crazy day at the end of an insanely amazing couple of weeks.  This adventure I call life has been going insane lately with good things, FINALLY.  I'm only hoping that I can share some of that good with my adventuring party so they too can be smiley, happy and finally relax and have some fun!  So now I go back to my cyphers and texts and be a busy little lady until it is 4:30 and therefor time to go home. 

Hmm, Weapon of Choice, I'd Have to Go With, A Spork!

 

    I have so been there.  Part of the problem with being into video games is that I do have this happen.  One of the big things that usually can draw me to a new game is the graphics.  I know I talk about GW2 a LOT, but well, I play that one most often as of late.  It is also a way to spend down time with some of my crew when we are not out adventuring together.  Good things all around.  Plus, I mean how many things from that game have I used on here?  When I really look at it, there's been quite a few.

    So one of the cool things about that game, is that I don't have to worry about this weapon changing issue.  They have a neat thing where you can just combine the item looks that you like with the stats that you want.  They do a LOT right on that game, but I do believe that is one of the cooler things that I have encountered. 

You get the "stones" that you use to do this from map completion or you can spend gold to get gems and buy them from what is this game's auction house.  It's a really fun thing.  I can honestly say I've had my Princess Wand skin on EVERY weapon I've needed since I got it way back at level 10 or so.  I don't think I'll ever be changing it out.

    Where am I going with this you ask?  Well, it's sad in real life as well, when a favorite item ends up damaged, hurt or lost and the replacement just isn't quite the same.  I especially have thought about this now as I deal with people's losses in their homes, sheds, barns and on their properties.  So it's kinda on my mind as of late.  Sadly we haven't developed the science just yet in real life to switch how these items look or feel to make them like the old one.  I think we better get started on learning how to use the spell Prestidigitaion.  Because at least for a while that might be the only way to do it. 

    To be fair, in the long run, it's only stuff, and shouldn't really be used to define ourselves.  But I know with today's society and the way was work, we definitely DO let our stuff become a part of us.  Some of it being much more important then it aught to be.  I sometimes think about just getting rid of everything and starting over.  But then I think about all of the gold I have spent at the vendors of life on everything and just can't do it.  But hey, at least it's a thought that happens.  Something I challenge each person to do is to think about exactly what you could and would give up, what you don't need to live and what you do.  Feel free to let me know if you'd like.  I'm interested to hear what people have to say about it. 

So Many Real Life Mini-quests!

    This week life outside of work is proving to be the busiest week ever!  It's been a WHILE since I've seen this much happening in one week.  It's exciting and been keeping me from being bored that is for sure.  Last night was the first ever Dishcrawl for Pioneer Valley, it was really good.  The restaurants did a great job with the food, and there was walking involved in between so even the copious (for me at least) amounts of food I ate last night didn't seem like as much as it was.  I was returned home, full, and in really good spirits.  Was definitely a very neat quest to go on.  I can't wait to do it again!

    Along with my crazy new quest line here at work this is also the crazy week outside of work. Almost every night this week I've been off doing some mini-quest line, keeping me busy.  It's been nice to not be at home the whole time.  Crazy amounts of things.  I also have Kyranthia coming up this weekend, so I'm excited about that.  That is a baby larp, which I've been helping with since the first event.  I have been writing plot lines, running the bards guild and now I even get to help out with the church of Light.  Should be a good time!  More running around for me!  YAY!  Though this is in quite the literal sense, running around with foam weapons, song books, and bird seed packets to help our players have the best time they can!

    Tonight is going to be the side quest of preparing for this event.  Getting the articles I need for my big quest line, prepping songs for the bards guild to sing and have fun with, because I WILL have a sing along by the fire this event I demand it!  Making sure all my garb and such is clean and ready to go.  Remember which articles of garb I need for which character and basically, getting all the stuff ready.  If I feel ambitious I may even do some baking, as I hear a rumor there's a couple of birthdays for players this weekend and soonish, but I said nothing!  Should be crazy and spastic tonight to prepare.

    It will be a good weekend.  I'm looking forward to it muchly!  Hey if you folks have a free weekend and desire to come out and give us a few hours hitting people with foam weapons or want to come and pay at the door to play, come on out.  The powers that be, LIKE to know ahead of time, but honestly the more the merrier!

    I am also looking forward to the rest of this week, there's some good things in store!  But that may or may not be stories for other days.  Off to the realm of puzzle breaking and deciphering texts as I just got my next missive from the heads of my organization. 

Whaddaya Say We Try That Again huh? Yes, Yes, Yes, Without the Oops

    Today is the day for Pioneer Valley Dishcrawl!  Looking forward to hopefully seeing some of you fine folks out and about tonight as I help my dear friend guiding those who have come out for the fun to the four restaurants to have some choice food from some of Northampton's best!  It's going to be a lot of fun, if you did get a chance to get tickets and come out for this one, don't worry, there will be more opportunity to do so!  So keep an eye out for future events with this! 

    So with every new adventure there are mistakes.  There are trials, and there are things that make us stumble a bit.  Yesterday I failed another perception check.  Granted, it was my first day with this new type puzzle to work my way through and I was thrown to the wolves as it were to figure out this particular thing, with only the clues that I recieved during training on Friday.  So it was definitely a, "it's dangerous out there, here take this" kind of moment on Friday.  Granted the preception check I failed is definitely not a horrible one as it shows that I am in fact decent at this job.  As it left me doing a lot more work then I was supposed to do and seeing their goal is much lower then what I averaged for it when I did the calculations.

    I was sent a missive telling me which particular book I needed to read, translate and appraise (this is a skill I'm currently putting points into with this adventure in my life).  They informed me it would be the first of the two items in the book.  So I sat down, found the book and started into what I thought was the first puzzle.  Which the two were listed top to bottom.  I set to work, reading, translating, appraising the items.  Decoding and trying to finish the puzzle of wits in record time, with no mistakes.  A flaw could very well be a difference between replacing something cherished or not.  I just couldn't take that risk that I could make someone upset like that.

    Now as I went forward, much over the amount of items that were supposed to make up this puzzle, I realized that I had done so.  When I went back to look at the bottom puzzle I realized that in fact, that was the one I was supposed to be fixing.  I sent a missive to my superiors and started on the one I was supposed to be doing.  By the time my work day was done I was just about finished with it.  Proving that I indeed have the stats to do this job.  However, was an amusing thing that I could definitely finish more then they had assigned me first off.  Which is good seeing I was able to get through my first real big hiccup in this new adventure.  Which of course was on my first day, so, it can only get easier and better from here. 

Real Life Level Grinding, About to "Ding!"

    Okay so I apologize for not posting on Friday.  I ended up just putting my nose to the grind and working. Plus they have been liking to give me the bigger more complicated projects the last few days of work.  Perhaps that's because they have been testing me.  As of Friday at 3pm, they actually had me go into training for the next tier of the training.  So I've completed the first tier of the dailies and am now going to be working on the second.  There are only three tiers to get to being fully trained and certified to do what I do.  I'm completely certain that I'll get there and quickly.  In the course of people who've worked for the company there's only been 4 people to make it through all three tiers of the quest to get the achievement, "Fully Trained"  But I plan on being number 5 on that list.  I'm well on my way!

    So I do feel like I'm about to level up in general.  I've been doing the grind and working on things in my life, gold intake and spending, and doing all the dailies / personal story stuff that I needed to do before moving forward.  I'm now in process of fixing a few things AND I feel like I'm in that last bar before I hear the ding, next level!  There's been so many good things going on, and unlocking of achievements in my life lately that it has to be about time.  Between the job bits, and the fact that I'm good at it, and my supervisors have continued to be impressed and tell me so.  Plus I kinda fit in with all of them.  One constantly makes Star Wars or video game references, one has a Wheatley key chain for her key fob to get into the office, one is quiet but when he speaks it's usually encouraging or geeky and the last one is hyper intelligent and likes to be sarcastic and witty.  I get along with them famously!

    There's other parts of my life that seem to be coming into the home stretch for the next level as well.  Thanks to the new job, I'm in process of paying off the CT part of my license issue.  Once that is done I can turn around and save for another car.  Which will be two of my BIGGEST achievements done, that I've been working on.  I'm really excited about it.  I can't wait to have that done and moving forward with all of that.  I have another one that I've been working on for a year, that I WILL talk about eventually, but it's too early as of yet for me to disclose things.  Just know it's more good things and means that I've come a LONG way in the last year.  

    I do feel like I've been at that stage of just too early for one zone but sorta too big for the zone I've been in for a bit now.  So I've been working on all of these things, grinding to get through it all as it were, to complete this level and move forward into the next level and next zone.  For once all this grinding feels like it's finally paying off and just coming together for the next level.  I have plans in place, I have happy things to think about and be on the horizon and life seems to FINALLY be working itself out.  Now I just need to figure out balancing the new job and my writing and I'll be golden!  So now I keep on grinding that last little bit of level to make it to the next step and sneak through the portal to the next one.  Yay!  Wonder what sorts of surprises I'm going to discover there!

    Also I wanted to remind people, that tomorrow night in Northampton, MA, we have our first EVER Pioneer Valley Dishcrawl!  Going to be a blast, good food, good company and fun times walking about Northampton discovering some of the great restaurants they have!  If you haven't you should totally get your tickets today, as I think we have a few left.  I am going to be one of the "guides" to get you from place to place and I'm SO looking forward to the fun!  So please, come on out, enjoy the food, fun and company and who knows maybe you'll find your new favorite restaurant in the process! 

Finding Their Precious'

    Today has been another busy day on the net.  Cracking the codes, which I do seem to keep getting the harder ones, yay for challenges.  Rolling my computers + enigma's to get through each project and keep myself moving forward.  I have a feeling that once I'm taking calls it will be a different story as to the challenge all together.  Seeing I do have a pretty good memory to start with and I actually am ok at listening.  So that is ahead.  I will still have have to use all of my net running skills to look up items / prices and break some of the codes that get sent to me.  But I'm looking forward to what's ahead.

    Though today has been crazy as I've had a particular project that I just can't seem to break the code and get through it.  It shouldn't be giving me this much problem, but alas, it is.  At least I have my next project lined up for this afternoon and I'm ALMOST done with it.  A lot of it is having to work my way through the codes and look up the items so that I can find out what they are talking about.  As this person's encryption is vast and filled with many traps like misspelled words, incorrect grammar, or things that just don't exist even in my digging and searching, it's been taking me a bit.  Thankfully the stress from that will be releaved the instant I am done and move onto my next project.  Just been working on it a long time today. 

    It's interesting to learn about people in this job.  You really can tell a lot about someone with what they see as important to them.  When I'm deciphering the codes and figuing it out, I'm always amused to find people with similar things that they would deem as needing to be replaced.  I mean most of the projects that I've been dealing with have been from people who have ALL of the gold achievements in real life.  Because WOW, I don't know as though I could EVER horde as much gold as they have.  I swear I'm breaking codes dealing with dragon's things.  But I have been finding every now and again I'll find one person, who will put down that he or she has lost their superhero ation figures, comic books, movies, video games or some other such geeky type thing.  When I come across those folks it always makes me stop and wonder if I actually do know them, and to have a moment of sad that they've lost all of these things which would also be important to me. 

    So now I go back to the ONE project that seems to be taking me all day and hope that I get to go out and dance tonight to releave all the stressiness that seems to be eating away at my shoulders due to not getting more then this done today.  I've been able to get my speed up and have a good and steady pace until this particular thing.  So I'm pretty sure they can't fault me for this one.  At least I know that I'm doing a decent job at it as no news is good news on my projects and I haven't gotten a lot back.  So yay for doing well!

This Princess is for Another Castle!

    Anyone who has known me for more then the past few months can tell you that life hasn't always been kind.  For whatever reasoning, the "GM" of the universe has seen fit to have me have a lot of horrible encounters over the course of my life.  Things I usually just make my checks and push through.  Again, it goes along with one of my superpowers being my resilience in life.  Things I just don't bring up due to not wanting people to worry, think I'm complaining or feel badly for me, and that is just not what I want AT ALL.  I am okay, lately actually I've been stronger and happier then ever despite some of the leftover stupid, badness and crazy that's been going on.  My life has started moving in a better direction and there have been SOME happier things going on.

    Lately I've been dealing with a named Champion, if people remember my references of Champion's from GW2, or in other game's terms a rare spawn / mini-boss.  I have started refering to said person as Captain Mosquito.  Despite all of my skills to avoid aggro lately, I have somehow captured ALL of the attention of this person.  Despite repeated spells with verbal components to tell him to go away, he just hasn't.  I have been using my air spells to try and push him back, with verbals of course, I have told him I'm not interested, not going to have a fling with him, and in general he needs to back off.  I receive messages from him EVERY day, trying to get me to see him, spend time with him, go out with him, informing me how much interest he has in me and in general wanting me to reciprocate the interest he has shown in me.  To the point of being me finally switching to fire and telling him off.  Which STILL doesn't work most of the time.  So I ignore him and try to hide from the fact that I get so many messages every day from this person.  

    Now I understand that slow, steady and persistent wins the race, but I assure you, I am no race.  I understand that I am an okay looking, geeky, gamer chick, but I am not a prize to be won.  If I have informed you to go away, do so.  I know I've babbled about all this before.  But it has been frustrating me to no end that this person WON'T listen to what I've said and just let me be.  I've aggro'd him, but I've also been honest, clear and undesirous of his OVERWHELMING amounts of attention.  As a good friend once said about a situation that he was dealing with, this person is a class 5 clinger.  Though I did nothing but be nice at first, to warrant such attentions.  It has gotten to a point where I'm tempted to tell him to come out, and then invite all of my "tanky" friends over at the same time so THEY can tell him what he hasn't been hearing from me right along.

    Again, I'm not complaining about attention (anyone who tells you they HATE positive, individual attention, even if it makes them blushy and hidey is broken) and the fact I have aggro'd attention from someone.  I'm not complaining that someone has decided that I am his Princess, I just wish I could go to another castle and have him search for a different princess.  I'm not Peach, I'm Daisy (kudos to you if you get the reference) darn it!!  I am NOT the prize for him to rescue, take home and keep forever, as a few in my past have wanted to.  I am my own, I am happy being that for a while longer, and I'd LOVE for him to listen to the verbal's on the spells I'm casting in his direction as it hasn't been just because I feel like wasting my spells on a named, spawn who seems to be rhino hiding his way through life.  Because I can't seem to get through his barrier of "Immune."

Cracking the Codes, Roll Computers!

    Sorry this is later then normal today, we had a fire alarm this morning for half and hour and threw off my entire day somewhat.  So needless to say it's been a day of playing catch up and getting all my stuff done as quickly as possible.  It seems like they're finally giving me the challanging codes to break.  Because I am actually having to use my brain, memory and roll my ciphers on the codes I'm needing to finish my projects and move forward.  I'm kinda ok with this.  I mean anyone who's known me for longer then perhaps a month or two would know how much I love a challenge.  It's not something I've had for a WHILE and it's great!

    It is really helping me feeling like I'm using the points that my natural character sheet has in intelligence.  I knew they were there, it's just been a while since I've had a job or something I've done every day where I used them.  It's definitely a nice and fun thing.  So often I find myself dumbing down what I'm saying or doing, as I don't like to confuse people.  Lots of things go on in my head that I just don't say because I'm pretty sure that most wouldn't comprehend either how I got to that thought, the thought itself or where I'm going with it.  Plus you know, by the time I say something I'm usually about 3 thoughts ahead of where I was.  So often times, I just stay quiet or dumb it down.  I don't want to force people around me to be constantly making intelligence checks or believing that I'm the crazy that needs to be put away.  Because last I checked, I'm crazy, but not PSYCHO!

    So despite being challenged, I've been facing each one and making my rolls.  Now that I'm in my second week, I've only been informed I did something wrong on 3 of the codes that I've been breaking out of about 20 or more that I've been given.  Not a HORRIBLE ratio, especially seeing I'm still new.  They are pretty sure I'll be ready to move my desk and up in my decoding skills by the end of this week.  It is still reminding me of netrunning in a cyberpunk game, which is great.  As I seem to do EVEN better when I can equate the things I'm doing to something gamer like. 

    I'm happy to report that after a full week and now nearly halfway into my second week, I think this is a good place for me for this oncoming time in my life.  No worries dear readers, it's not going to get in the way of me writing here, nor writing my novels.  Nor for those who I know in real life, is it going to get in the way of me seeing people.  So here goes, the clicking of the netrunning keyboard as I crack each code with even more vigor!

I Aint Afraid of No Rain!

    This past weekend we had a decent amount of rain.  I happen to be someone who loves the rain.  I love he sound, I love to watch it fall down.  I love sleeping during it and I actually do love to walk in it.  It's relaxing, peaceful, allows me to come back from that walking feeling refreshed and better then I have in a little while.  It's a nice feeling, so needless to say, when I went out for walks twice on Saturday it was a great thing!  There was enough raininess to make me feel so very smiley and happy afterwards.  Might be a bit of a weird thing, but the person who calls me normal is a liar and well, we all have our quirks!  It's what makes each of our real life character sheets a slight bit different and it's completely a good thing!

    As I was walking in the rain I was reminded of a couple of larp events I have gone to in the past.  No one has EVER been able to say I hide from the rain at larps.  Now I know there are other's out there, however in my experience, if it's rainy, downpouring or snowing, people tend to hide away from the weather.  It's not a thing I usually do, unless I'm sick, because then it's a whole different ball game, silly low constitution scores!  These event were no different because I refuse to let the weather take away my fun.

      The first time that I tend to think about, I was an NPC.   Playing a dryad, which if you don't know the lore on those, are pretty much one with the trees.  NO hippy jokes, or else!  As this character I was more of a druid or ranger then anything else I suppose and quite a bit of fun to play.  I was originally sent out as part of a plot for woodsy type people.  Trying to hook them onto becoming part of a clan of fae type creatures who lived in the local area of the town.  As this character and adding the fact it was me playing her.  I became well liked and got to go out attempting to help further the plot even more.  It was especially helpful for those who wrote the plot, they knew I was responsible, likeable and knew the plot line well enough to send me out when they couldn't. 

    Also I might add, this as this particular character I was green on ALL showing skin, so that made things interesting as well.  Despite having been in theater for YEARS. my years of NPCing and larping did more to help me gain MANY skill points in disguise, costuming and make-up.  Which helps immensely with my cos-play and costuming now.  One of my favorite things I have found is barrier spray!  Let me tell you if you do costuming with make-up at all, invest in this stuff, it's AMAZING!

    The one thing I did emphasize was the fact I didn't like buildings.  They were made of dead friends and trees which my sister's were connected to.  Yes, yes I know it sounds VERY hippy like, but shh, DRYAD!  So there was one particular event, where it was rainy almost the entire weekend.  Covered in green make-up almost from head to toe, I put on my smiles, and wandered into town to help with this plot.  Wandering near, but not into the tavern, I spent a good couple of hours taunting some of the other folks who were hiding.  By the time I was done, I had a lot of the townsfolk laughing hysterically and had even convinced some of them that, "they needed watering so they should come out and play in the puddles with me."  Was a fantastic time. 

    The second time that comes to mind was for one of the games I play.  There when I am able to go, I play a little Cleric of Radiance.  I had just had a VERY charged weekend, where I'd been chosen by my Avatar, "The Voice of Radiance" and helped defeate a big bad in that particular plot.  Might I add this was my VERY FIRST event as this character.  But it had been amazing!  I LOVE it at larps when I barely have a moment of rest, and this had definitely been one of those events.  This was Sunday morning and lots of the folks were tired, plus it was truly downpouring.  But as people hid in the tavern, we were attacked by dragon looking baddies.  Most of the folks hid in the door way to the tavern, fighting from there.

    However myself and about 5 others, out of the 60 or so players who were inside the tavern, PUSHED the front line outside and into the pouring rain.  I WASN'T going to hide inside and let them take us!  As it went on, it ended up being me fighting along side these 5 others, yelling out to keep the line together!  Was exhillerating and SO MUCH FUN.  After a while I couldn't even tell it was raining any longer because I was just having a blast, helping the brave few push the evil away and help to save those hiding from the pouring rain in the tavern.  It felt great all of us who were outside came back in after smiling and happy, people thanking us for pulling our "crazy antics"!

    Needless to say, it just shows that when I do something I go ALL out.  No holding back, all or nothing.  As I am having my fun I do my very best to take other's with me and help with them having the best possible time I can as well.  Thanks to my charisma scores it usually works pretty well.  I guess it's in my nature to try and help people where I can, even if it's just to stop being afraid of the rain and come out to have fun!  But again, it's one of my merits / flaws, honestly with that one not sure which it is, maybe both?  

   

Botching Real Life Dice Rolls, Oops!

    Occasionally I fail my own perception check and forget that those who're not part of my crew, may not always understand the way I show affection to those who I am close to.  When I tell someone I miss them, it's not always because, I'm being obsessive and clingy, or chasing after them.  Generally it's just because I genuinely miss them being part of the antics and quest, whether mini-conversation quests in the bigger quest.  Which happened a lot last night while I was out completing my weekly of "Dance at Riot," or part of the biggest personal quest of "Living Life." 

    One roll of the dice with how affectionate I am with my close friends definitely has lead to times where people thought I was like that with everyone and got TOO touchy feely.  Thinking that they too could be flirty, cuddly, and have me be the same in return.  Or I have had people believe that I am interested in them, and decided to try and take it TOO far.  Becoming one of the creatures that I have mentioned in previous posts.  Getting to the point when I had to use my dps skills or in a few cases pull in one of my tanky friends to get make them BACK OFF!!  They lead me to wonder how low their perception checks truly are.  Because if my honesty skill doesn't damage them enough to go away, and I HAVE to bring in a tank, lets just say those must be some thick skulls.  While great for fights with things that knock you down and make you hit your head, not so good for dealing with people like me. 

    The other dice roll that I have encountered with that, is people have believed that I was VERY interested in them, too attached or chasing them myself.  Which I'm pretty sure, if I were truly interested, they would know it.  I mean I only have a level or two of rogue, so I'm still not the best at hiding some of my feelings, especially for happier things.  I've come a LONG way on that, but then, we all have our Merits and Flaws.  Granted I have MOSTLY tended to be interested in people I'm already friends with in the past, but still, THEY'D have to not pass any checks with perception or alerteness EVER! 

    I am thinking I MAY have had the second dice roll happen recently.  I had messaged a friend to ask why they weren't out at our weekly "Dance at Riot" run, as he'd been showing up quite a bit before that.  He had stuff come up, so wasn't a big deal, and I told him that he was missed.  I added that I at least missed him, he played it cool and let me know he'd be around.  Now I haven't seen or heard from said friend since.  I was a little saddened by this.  It was not meant to be needy or sound like I was making chase of him.  Nor was it meant to sound like I was playing games with him.  I hope I'm completely off base on this, but it was really convenient that it all happened RIGHT after that comment.

    If that is what happened, well I've been giving some time to show, hey, wasn't my intention.  But either way, it's kinda sadness that my friend hasn't been around.  But hey, just have to remember that sometimes the way I am with some people is not how I am with others.  Just see how the dice rolls from now on. 

Real Life Quest Lines, Rolling the Dice to See What's Next!

   So far this week, I have shocked my higher ups in the organization with how quickly I've been able to get everything done for them.  I'm already breaking codes left and right in this new job.  I seem to even have gone above and beyond what I needed to get done with my projects in speed, accuracy and figuring out the information they need.  I do believe that I have rolled well with finding this chance and moving forward on this personal quest here.  Apparently they're not used to people who have the points in Intelligence, Computer Use and Enigma's that I have.  As they've been very surprised.  When I started 2 days ago I was told after I get to 5 projects with 95% accuracy or more I'd be trained for the next tier of my job.  Well I finished that last night.  This morning I was already given two lets call them codes to break, and I did that in an hour.  Oops, I THINK I might be in the right place for right now.

    So that is going well.  Other things in my life, are on hold while I accrue money for one of the achievement's I'm working on.  I am still on the mend as far as my emotions and feelings towards finding a partner to share things with, I might get there sometime in the nearish future, but I'm SO not there yet.  Do I miss having someone there?  Sometimes, but I've honestly been able to do what I need to do without worrying about checking in with someone, or having to make diplomacy checks on something that I "did wrong."  I've been able to pay attention to EVERYTHING that I need to put more dots into, fix in order to complete a personal quest or just in general be alive, and happy by myself.  Because I really don't want to bring the past baggage forward if and when I do decide that I'm ready to move on, on that front.

    Has that made the puppies, mosquitoes, skunks and other "creatures" stop pursuing?  Not so much!  I guess when you, as people like to tell me, have a decent real life character sheet, it happens.  Plus I'm nice, sometimes too much.  So that doesn't help.  There have been a few times recently that I have had to call in some of my friends who're of the tanky variety, which I love!  They're SUPER helpful in those instances and it makes me REALLY glad that they're as protective of me as I am of them.  I mean after all, I'm either heals or dps primarily so sometimes I agro EVERYTHING or EVERYONE too much.  But it is how it works sometimes.  Needless to say it keeps me on my toes and practicing my skills all the time! 

    I can say that my personal adventure has been somewhat crazy at times, but so far it's allowed me to become who I am today.  Which all in all, I don't really see that as a bad thing.  I'm kinda starting to like who I am, what I've become and where things are heading in my life.  Weird huh?  Definitely not the same girl I was even 6 months ago, much less 13+ years ago when I first started to come out of my shell.  I'm now ok with making my mistakes, I'm ok with just living and both finding the path I want and seeing if they fit with where I feel I should be.  Life I'm pretty sure is on it's way to better.  Still trials and things to overcome in front of me, still things that bog me down.  But with some hard work and some allowing myself to breath I think those things will be behind me in no time!  Also, yes, I know I'm annoyingly optimistic, but it's nice to be back! 

Real Life Enigma Checks

    So now that I'm on my second day here at the "New job of shininess" I have been having all sorts of numbers and facts going through my brain.  Due to the nature of this job I feel like I went from a fantasy style dungeon at the last job to a sci-fi based netrunner position.  Lots of on the web and going on's.  Fun stuff!  I am learning a lot about the encrypted languages of insurance adjusters and agents.  Figuring out what they are trying to say, even when I can't read it due to HORRIBLE hand writing.

    Hacking my way through each day with the codes and numbers I'm entering.  It's definitely been keeping me busy and on my toes!!  Rolling my skills of computer use to make it through my projects.  The co-workers in my department all buzzing away on their own netrunning projects.  Breaking the code that is each adjuster's handwriting or typing as the case may be.  Or sometimes they are even listening in to what the adjusters have said.  Which I'm actually on my way to doing as well.  I'm on my 5th project I need in order to get past to the next level of training.

    Now on one of my 15 minute breaks (I FINALLY get those now!!).  I am standing in one of our conference rooms watching the storm overhead.  It feels like walking from my net runner desk and area to a high palace tower to look out over the area!  Shiny!  Granted it is in the middle of the city here, BUT it's still gorgeous!  I love watching the power and beauty of the storm coming in or floating over head.  Letting us know that nature is INDEED still more powerful then us.  At least until someone with the power over weather is discovered as a super power.  But I don't think we've found that person yet.  *shakes fist at Storm from the X-Men* (yes she is my LEAST favorite female X-Men).

    I'm looking forward to the potential future netrunning, rolling well on my enigmas checks and getting to know my fellow employees here.  Tonight I leave at 4:30 to be collected by my friend who is the afforementioned person who runs Pioneer Valley Dishcrawl (she still has an event coming up, and you all should get tickets and come out because it's going to be tasty, fun and did I mention fun?), and head out for another evening of watching Iron Man 3 and general good geeky company!!  Yay!!  Should be a fantastic night!

    So as I head back to work for my last little bit of time here today.  Let me ask, what places make you feel like you're in a palace?