August 2009 Archives

So, two things have happened in recent months that are of special note. Why? Because they are two things I swore I would never do.

Whoever created that "never say never" idiom that guarantees shit like this will happen just because the idiom exists, with hope, is currently rotting in a special hell where they get to listen to comedians recite Reader's Digest jokes for all eternity.

Bastard.

Anyway, Thing of Note Number One: I am now playing and MMORPG.

Anyone who has known me for any length of time at all knows I have specific reasons for steering clear of the MMO phenom. A) I get easily obsessed with games and will end up playing for hours on end which could mean "forever" since MMOs really don't have endings, just ends of quests. B) I hate people. The latter is the most important reason. Oh, sure, it sounds funny coming from a massage therapist, but trust me, people in real life are way different than the blithering, idiotic 14-year-olds and their adult counterparts online. Seriously, most people will not say or do the things to your face that they do online. It's that whole protection through anonymity thing. And, trust me, my need to gank in-game assholes runs very high.

Now, this sudden change in my stance is completely my husband's fault. He is a foul corruptor who gladly uses his husbandly influence to his advantage. (Me? Use my wifely influence? Never! I'm innocent! Innocent!) We got one of those WOW trial disks in the mail, and he kept wanting to try it out. Knowing how much he loves the MMO thang and how much he wants me to play them with him and how much I can't resist his charm, I decided to try it out.

Okay, so the actual mechanics of the game I liked. I still wasn't digging the public involvement, but since we avoided the PVP server like the plague-infested hell hole it is, it wasn't so bad. But, in truth, I decided what made it fun was playing with my husband, just me and him teaming up and killing things. I thought if we had a guild of friends we knew from the real world, it would be really cool, but I couldn't see paying a monthly fee for a game we wouldn't play consistently.

Enter Runes of Magic. It's very similar to WOW. It's cool. It's fun. It's free.

Yes, I would have preferred the husband have not found it, but now it's too late. I'm hooked. Along with the husband and at least one friend, although another Twitter friend will probably be joining our guild. (You need five members to be a guild on RoM. Apparently, "members" means characters in the game, not necessarily actual people. So, with three people, we have a guild. The more you know...)

I guess I could look at it making me more well-rounded Geek Girl, and while I did give in, at least it was for my husband. I don't feel so bad. Besides, it is rather fun.

(For those interested in playing RoM, they will be doing an update next month that will add Elves, a higher level cap, and some new game content if you would rather wait to start playing it. The website isn't giving an exact date that I could find.)

Thing of Note Number Two: I have joined Facebook.

Now, this Thing of Note is one of which I am particularly ashamed: I'm on FaceBook

Lo, I swore for months, maybe even years, I would not go on MySpace.  I swore even harder I would not join FaceBook.  And, lo, my friends and even my family quit emailing me and letting me know their situations.  With a much sunken heart I did search for my friends and family and I did find them on FaceBook updating their situations without updating their email.  And, there was much cursing.  Oh, yes, there was much cursing, for it was known that I would have to join FaceBook to know what was going on with my loved ones and that meant swallowing more pride than I was willing to swallow without cursing.  And, yes, upon the day I signed up for FaceBook, there was cursing unlike the world had seen since a Voodun priestess contracted Tourette's syndrome after being beaten by a sailor at arm wrestling.  And, yes, the horde responded by not acknowledging my shame because I believe they were equally ashamed.  The jerks.

I am on FaceBook.  For that sin, I hang my head in shame and hope to make it up kharmically before it's time to brush up on my Reader's Digest jokes.

I ask that my readers - those who remain - forgive me of my transgressions.  I promise to make up my sins by listening to William Shatner singing while dreaming that Spock only thought of me...

...Or not...

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Leave it to the ones I love to make me into a hypocrite.

So, the old Kumquat has been more or less neglected for the last few months.  You might think it's because I haven't been geeking out as much.  Not true.  I don't think it's possible for me to not geek out.  My geekdom runs deep and true.  However, we did buy a most excellent house, and I have been busy with crafty stuff more suited for Crochet Cultist.   That and the Cultist tends to be my more personal blog.  I've been trying to keep the Kumquat a little more geek oriented, although Halloween might expand that into the realm of dark and twisted.

Not that you guys aren't used to that from me anyway.

So, while this update might be more along the lines of "Oops, haven't blogged in a while." it is also my confirmation to myself that Kumquat will continue along the geeky bent I have set for it.

Okay, now that the Kumquat's existential crises is over, I suppose I should try the whole regular updates thing.

Or just tease you mercilessly with that idea.

Heh.

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So, yeah, the house thing is so awesome. We have a whole closet dedicated to a server and networking cabinet, the entire house is networked, and the sun room will eventually be a theater room of "screw the Rave" proportions. I love our house.