Nuclear Thoughts

My mental filter is on hiatus since yesterday when an employee was kind enough to ignore my directions (yay for parking lot detail in the middle of a snow storm) and make me chase him a lot over to repeat what I said to him two more times.

(For the record he is just all kinds of fail)

But while I spouting my opinions last night it occurred to me briefly that what the people over at a blog called Broken Luggage did is not that bad of an idea. (However if I sell my house when I come back home I'd be homeless...fail planning.) But I really admire someone that committed to doing something. Imagine what it takes to just pick up and move not only to the other side of the world but to a culture that is so unlike our own. Yeah we're all human but everything I've read and seen pretty much equates life in NZ with life in Europe (England and Germany are the two most common examples) and these people up and left from somewhere in Texas (most definitely not England). The jokes about people hunting me down to return me to loving New England aside the idea of leaving everything and everyone I know for an indefinite period of time is frightening. But if you have say a solid return date I don't see the problem of a longer stay.

:)

But whether I invest in a WHV (Working holiday visa) or not the question remains...

Should I or should I not attempt to hike the Worcester/Providence bike path.

(Ok a walk that long seems really interesting in my head but in print looks all kinds of gay. Dangit!)

There are so many 2-6 mile options for hiking paths within a 45 minute drive of my house and I already have a few out west and two in Connecticut planned but the idea of such a walk just gets me all excited. After all when I was younger (and pretty much debt free) I used to always say I wanted to hike at least a part of the Appalachian Trail (and camp in Glacier National Park, and this list could go on for quite a bit). However there is that 10 mile trail in Sutton. So many options so little time but at least I have weekends free now!

Wow, tomorrow is already Friday. Super 14 begins at 130am. Oh how I love time zone differences. Go Go Hurricanes!

{Why the Hurricanes? They were 3rd last year in S-14 among the 4 NZ teams so not the underdog but certainly not the golden kids either. Just the way I like my sports teams.)

Options and You, Take 'Em?

Well after a roller coaster of a week and the discovery of a new super power Saturday has arrived. A morning of listening to Gaelic (the announcers for the Ireland v France international rugby match) and hanging out with the Sibs has turned into a lazy afternoon wandering the Travelblog site. (A great informational site with a very large solo traveler section, still perusing as I type.)

Oh yes, the super power. If by chance you don't like your car, or a friends car, or that ugly old thing your neighbor drives just give me a call. I apparently inspire fear and death in automobiles. Hopefully Frank can fix the part that just fell off the one I am currently borrowing. Thank God the nice man who lent it to me is in Mexico.

So, when you sit down and write your options down on paper they can either be very daunting (when written on the back of a receipt) or disappointing when on a piece of loose leaf. Still its not the size of the list that counts but what the heck is on it. {Que the music Maestro!}

1.) Work visa
2.) Teach ESL (which involves a certificate program at QCC)
3.) Second job
4.) Hire in a roommate
5.) Cut down on more expenses
6.) No more free money (all is now going into the travel fund)
7.) Sell some of my stuff

Some like #4 are so repulsive to me (I've had enough of those thank you very much) that I doubt it will come to that. Others like the first two (thanks to Sister for the 2nd one) are very doable with a little work and research.

I always work better with lists, probably cause my brain is the equivalent of Swiss cheese. It's now or never! (Hmm where are those Cheez Its?)

Hmmmmm Shiny Spider Hammers

Have you ever been in a closet?

I have. (Mine is nice, it has an unfinished wooden floor! Wait, no not that kind of closet...)

I am a closet optimist.

/hides in shame!!!

Yes. I do my best to be all cynical and grrrr chop chop chop but when it comes down to it I just can't maintain for very long. I remember in my emo high school days when being all moody and grrr was cool and kind of fun. Maybe I just got to old but lately I've been seeing things in a whole new and disgustingly shiny light.

Example:

I really really want to travel. Not like go to Hartford for a day kind of travel but my ass is on a plane for hours across oceans to places no one in my family has ever seen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That kind of travel. I save, I scrimp, I cheese it diet myself to death (but only that one time), I do all that I can to get my ass to say New Zealand. Then last week it was in sight. One more year of saving and I would be there with lots of money in March '11 or with little money but lots of enthusiasm in October '10. (I was pushing for Oct at first but now with Elvis Excursion 2010 coming up in November that seemed like too much time off from work.)

All seemed happy easy until my car decided to eat itself. Transmissions, pfffffff who needs 'em!

Apparently the Buick does.

Now the search for a new car and as usual I am being incredible indecisive. Newer car that could last for awhile (and spell utter doom for NZ '11) or older model that will be less to insure and tax that could last for a few years and let the travel continue? Yeah, I'd love a car that wasn't every 80 year old's dream ride but honestly when have I ever cared about fashionable stuff? After careful consideration and the horror stories shared at work a few hours ago about the average car payment (OMFG) I have decided that older is the way to go. Not retard car but something solid enough to get me from point A -> Point B with as little monthly expense as possible.

Now this is not the popular option (not even with myself half the time) but sometimes you have scrimp and you have to save.

One thing is sure. I will see the Land of the Long White Clouds and I will see it soon!

Depression isn't going to help me get there any faster and with the economy the way it is I can't really count on getting a second job soon (though I hope someone reads my apps). So I'm going to try selling my books.

/Shock and horror

No not all of them. I have crates and crates of books that I don't want. At first I was going to give them away but I may as well try to sell them. Anything to help the cause.

I'd love count on my novel (never ending self induced thing of pain it is) but its no where near even close to done and that's not a really sure thing anyways. Not yet but it is one cool ass story in my opinion and very saleable with absolutely no vampires or werewolves! (Very proud about that.)

Starting my travel fund from 0$ is not the brightest moment in the new year but also not the end of it either. Have backpack - will travel! :)

(What are the odds I'll end up with another Buick? There can't be that many more 95's left on the road, can there?)

Saturday Fun in the Sun

As this is my last Saturday living in a coma-stupor I am trying to recalculate my sleep schedule...meaning no passing out until the sun goes down (and also no getting up at 2am and putzing around for 4 hours until work).

Besides doing chores I have been browsing Netflix.

Netflix, being the helpful bastard it is recommended me Sparticus: Blood and Sand.

Oooooooooooo

So I watch. And I love.

Stylized? Sure, but you have to love the fight scenes, so 300.

Interesting? Plot wise I like the threads (well 2 out of 3 anyways), the Roman whorishness that most shows lack is very appealing and at the same time so decadent.

Ok it is true that I'll give any show with long haired guys killing each other a chance but this one paid off.

...Until I realized it had just premiered last night.

/angry angry face at Netflix

Highly recommended for a good time but I hope you like waiting. Me? Waiting is not one of my favorite things. Back to looking for something to watch as I organize my house.

The Year of the Jock

Welcome to 2010! A new year, a new decade and the start of a great time for sports!

So what am I babbling about?

2010 Winter Olympics (oh yeah, I have a countdown for this and cannot wait!)

2010 MLS Season. This year, since I will have weekends off (finally!) I can go to NE Revolution games!

The possibility of a 2010 Boston 13's rugby club's 1st ever season! Look out for the American National Rugby League, there are already established teams around from last season. Rugby, the OMG He-Lost-An-Ear sport. Think football and soccer with no padding what so ever. Oh yeah.

....yes, rugby. I used to watch the games down at Lake Ave and while I don't really understand the rules of the game (never mind that there are 2 different sets of rules depending on whether it is classified as a union game or a league game) I like watching it.

Plus qualification matches for the 2011 World Cup will start up at the end of the year, NZ Rugby starts in April, I'm still watching the English Premier League hoping to the Almighty that Manchester United doesn't win (at least they aren't in first place), and the Stanley Cup Playoffs coming up at the end of regular season (go go Martin!).

Oh yeah, screw the year of the pig or rooster, it is now the Year of the Jock!

I would babble on more but it is time to watch the Devils and the Islanders clash. Yahoo sports cast - the cheapo's way! :)

Sumimasen

A big part of playing a multi person game, anything from ice hockey to soccer, is learning to accept there are very different people in the world. Maybe because I have always been in some type of team atmosphere I have very little problem getting along with people, even those who are difficult. This makes work easier, WoW easier and teaches me patience at the same time. (Patience is good and I have major stock options.)

In The Knights Who Say Ni I lately have tried to take a more active role as an officer. For the past few months I was either not logging on at all except on raid nights (ie Friday) or I would be on for 5 minutes and then log off. It is normal to go through a period of burnout when you do something so often that it is a part of your daily routine. In that time I still responded to e-mails but really with just little asides, usually agreeing with the general consensus and letting things move on their own. I had my own projects, both writing wise and personally, I started working out and I have started planning home improvements that, more and more, need funding, and I am again considering a second job.

That said, the past week I have been more interested in the game. No, that's a lie, I couldn't honestly care less about end game right now. My interest? A level 45 druid wannabe tank and ubber pawning dps who is cruising right along both level wise and skillwise (jewelcrafting to be exact.) I log on, quest for an hour, farm ore for a half an hour or so and then go and do some chores while I fly to the next zone/city/whatever. It's good times and most people know my new alt project so I can take care of guild stuff/issues at the same time if any crop up. We have a new crop of guildies invited by multiple people who I long thought were kids and was proven to be right (over vent.) While we are mainly an adult guild so long as kids act fairly decent we've never had a problem.

One asks if his friend can join the guild too, I switch to Lecanu, send the invite, give out welcomes and general info on behavior, policy on the Guild Bank and send him on his way. That night we had an open slot in a gearing Naxx run and I gave it to him seeing as how there was a decided lack on interest in going and we were going to have to pug anyways. Then it starts.

Two hours before Naxx he starts worrying no one was on but the usual dinner crowd. I tell him to be cool and relax. This goes on for about an hour.

One hour before Naxx a guildie asks for heals for a daily heroic run, I need 5 more badges before getting my next Tier 9 piece so I go and immediately guild chat is over run with spam, questioning why we are in an instance (one that takes all of 15 minutes), is the run canceled, does this happen often, where are all the officers, the list goes on. Also I am getting private messages about how this is and that is wrong and we won't make it to the raid if we do the daily, so forth an so on.

I am, at this point reminding myself to be adult and not send him a tell amounting to "WTF go away and let me play this game that I am paying for you little weasel!"

This continues until the Naxx start time and a whole bunch of other crap goes on (2nd tank doesn't log on, the kid who was crying foul that he was not geared and who we originally set this raid up for did not log on, the pug pally healer decided he didn't have to heal our only tank and instead decided he wanted to raid heal without telling anyone this leaving to 3 wipes on Spider wing trash before I put up Recount and notice what he was doing.) Logging onto vent someone who's voice is still cracking is spouting off bizare lore info and swearing that he raided back in Classic (but didn't remember Naxx is a floating necropolis), has vent keyed to sound so we got to listen to him apparently breaking rocks over his desk every few minutes, all the while asking who is healing and then complaining that Naxx can't be run with just 2 healers, 1 geared out in Ulduar/ToC drops.

The current GM Myrrandar and I were going back and forth in private/officer chat all night. I apologized, he laughed. I sweared I would demote myself later from the Guild Council to Patsy, he laughed some more and then I looked at the Officer's note under Annoying Kid's name.

"Kelso assumes complete responsibilty for this"

/headdesk

We got 2 wings cleared with 9 people, the new guys got some good gear, some BoE drops were put in the GB along with some enchanting mats from the DE's and after 3 hours of this I felt like I had just spent a whole day babysitting the kid. Even mild always even tempered Myrr was annoyed and snapped at the A.K. a few times, calling the raid when Loatheb was down. (Our original guild member who is A.K.'s friend was fine, spening most of the night chatting with a guild friend who is also a teen over Vent chat. No idea what Duplicity thought of that night other than the fact he had the A.K. muted after about a minute.)

I am tolerant, patient and even tempered most days but I want to phantom guild kick this kid so bad it is crazy. In reality it is doubtful he'll last long in guild since he'll piss off one of the other officers, I'm sure of it. This is my de-stress activity, my winter hobby, and a place where I can chill with friends. I want to help the guild stay running smoothly and run some raids, heals some peoples, out dps the over geared, and slaughter everything in sight under the guise of a cute tattooed bear. I am sure my goals are the same as my fellow Council Members and the rest of our guildies.

I AM SO SORRY. I WILL NEVER INVITE ANYONE AGAIN.

Thankfully I do have a shadow alt in the guild only 1 person knows about.

Enter The Pink Nugget of Doom!

I have a feeling I will not hear the end of this for a while.

A step by step guide to getting through the winter

Hallooooooo! And welcome to December. Be prepared to be assaulted by badly sung Christmas music in any store you go. The weather will mock you, not giving you snow when you think there should be pretty whiteness and then dumping a foot on you at the earliest inconvience. For those in the population who get kind of down at the change of the seasons (personally I always feel better when the leaves are on the trees) the winter can be very long. Driving through Virginia long...shudder. So find 5 things that make your next hour, next day, or even the next week go by like a breeze! (I should so do my own infomercials.)

5. Home Improvements: This can get expensive but a little at a time is all it takes. My newest project is the upstairs (the Empty World that is no longer filled with stuff) redoing both the guest room and turning the smaller room into a writing room/study. Now all of this is just cosmetic, paints, new shades, some new cheapy furniture, pictures on the walls (and my fav LOTR poster from college my little brother found for me at his house and saved it! Oh yeah some days he rocks.) I really really really want to get the upstairs carpeted but that is a bit too much right now so I'm think more along the lines of bound carpet sections and maybe some nice sticky tiles for those places the carpet won't cover.

4. TBR aka the To Be Read pile: I have a big one...a very big one...the entire shelf of a book case kind of TBR. And I love the stupid thing to death. Now for people who dont' like reading there is always the TBW (To Be Watched), the loveliness of Netflicks and Cast TV for shows, or even the insanity of Youtube. Viral videos are great time killers, no lie.

3. Time Sinks: This is anything that takes 0 brain power but consumes half of your day. Winter is great for these, especially if you are unfortunate to fall alseep at 5am (when it is still dark out) and wake up around 5 pm (when it is again dark out). Video games are great T/S. Games like Caesar and Pharaoh, Balder's Gate (PS2 version) and Kingdom Hearts (so sue me I'm a chick) really don't require thought so much as pressing random buttons in near random order. *This is opposed to Battle for Middle Earth which routinely proves to me why I am not a general of an army. Sauron should really just fire me and get it over with. Do you think he gives out pink slips or just fireballs you death? Hmm food for thought.)

2. Hobbies. It could be porno watching, cheering for your favorite sports club or World of Warcraft. Do something to get that adrenaline going. (It's healthy...except too much porn, I'm pretty sure if you pull a Quagmire it is not healthy.) Hockey, football, basketball, Ninja Warrior, there is something out there for everybody. You could even be daring and dual screen it with two games on, a raid and a game on (...not that I would ever not give my full attention to keeping my friends alive. Nope not me...), bring friends over to the game or go visit your friendly neighborhood bartender. Keep up those hobbies because they are the bread and butter of getting through a New Englad winter.

1. Peoples: Friends, family, random people you meet on the street. Historically the winter was the time when people are most likely to be alone (and if you read that article in Time about how loneliness is now experiementally being called a social illness as opposed to a singular persons mental state this kind of ties it I guess) locked away in their homes and villages trapped by mountains of snow. (For some reason writing that sentence made me think of David the Gnome. I miss that show.) Being sociable when you are digging your car out of a snow monster is hard but good for your soul. :) Trust me.

So that concludes my rant from the Gate of North.


Lies.

To Be Continued