Blurgh it’s early, after a week off work getting up at 10am it’s going to take a few days to get back into the concept of getting up at 7:30am, never mind being able to actually do it without feeling like a week old corpse. I’ll try not to post exactly this same blog entry every morning when I get up for the next week 😉 Assume I’m ‘blurgh’ until further notice.
A New Dawn
And here we are again, another attempt at blogging, another promise to keep my website up-to-date, will I manage this time? Who knows, certainly not me.
I played with the idea of using Blogger, but decided since I had other stuff on this site I wanted to keep I’d try again here, and at least it keeps it all in one place. I’m going to try and put something in here every day, mainly for myself, but also to keep friends up-to-date with what’s going on. Lots of friends just left work, and I don’t want to lose complete touch with them – so this is my attempt at that.
car and bens
As usual, it starts with cars 😉 This time, failed the MOT but only on front-lamp (no pattern) and break lights (always on) which is damn good news for us, considering our luck with cars. Oh the breaks need looking at and the engine has an oil leak (our drive is clear evidence of that), but the MOT will be fine on Friday once we get the lights done. Major good news. Grete’s appeal against her benefit decision came through a little while back, some of you already know, and was found in our favour. Mixed feelings, it’s odd being told you are officially ill after all, but at least they’ll pay the benefit going forward, and Grete got it back paid since last year, which helped buy some glasses for us both (more later), and a few other nice things.
eq
So, still playing EQ. Not quite as aggressivley as I was while in the raiding guild, but still pretty much all our spare time is spent playing or dealing with the game. The guild is moving forward, we run regular raids on weekends now (myself and another member co-lead them), and they’re fun but a strong committment. Got some WoW accounts, and played a bit, but it’s socially void even though it’s technically excellent, so struggling to get into it, and at around the same time, EQ really picked up again socially, which didn’t help.
vision
It’s been on the cards for a while, but I finally went for an eye test, and yes, I’m short sighted. After spending my teens and 20’s with perfect vision, it’s frustrating to find it’s no longer so. I’m still legal to drive apparently (although not owning a license might be an issue), but I’m definately getting short sighted. Got a couple of pairs of glasses which I should use when doing long-sight work, although I’ve not started doing them yet.
work
I used to work in a team of around 11 people, some two years ago. Now, the team is down to 5, with 3 covering the same work that I do. Down from a 1 in 5 24/7 rota to a 1 in 2 24/7 rota. Four of those people left last week while I was on holiday, due to some unforseen timing, and an offer of voluntary redundancy. Several other friends in other teams left at the same time, and more are still planning to go. So, very different place this morning to the one I left 10 days ago. Uncertain times, unhappy times, we’ll have to see how long I can stick it out.
the web
I’m a total slacker with the gemmell mania website. Haven’t updated the news on the front page in 18-20 months, and rarely read the forums on there. I really need to decide what to do with that site, either ignore it, close it, or hand it over to someone else. Having fun with the Truly Naughty Troop website though. And the guild members seem to like it.
Dawn of a New Age
… again
So I thought I’d try some blogging again, to pass the time when I have the time, even though I know I’ll never get around to keeping this up-to-date, and I wonder why I’m not doing it on my own website?
5:39am – can’t sleep (clowns are gonna get me?)
It’s light and the fuc*ing birds are warbling at full volume.
Normally it’s a great sound, it’s nice to live somewhere that can sustain wildlife that doesn’t want to mug you and take your wallet, but come *on*, it’s not even fuc*ing 6am yet.
Don’t they have *any* respect?
Woke up at 4am, after getting to bed at a bit past midnight, couldn’t drop straight back off, due to the cat meowing to be let out, the birds warbling at full volume (yes, at 4am), and some noise downstairs.
Which turned out to be the CD player. Which neither of us can work out why it was on.
5:42am – wondering why the CD player was on – can’t sleep (clowns are gonna get me?)
Got back to bed at about 4:15am, had a quick chat to Grete to see if she knew why the CD player was on, then we both needed the loo and she needed a cigarette, got back to bed again at about 4:30am. Too much noise.
Too much hate of work to rest.
Lay there until 5am, not sleeping, specifically not sleeping, wondering if it’s legal to shoot birds on your own property in the UK, sadly I don’t think it is. Decided to put myself out of my own misery and get up.
Needed an early start anyway to shave – it’s gonna take three goes of the razor to get rid of this facial hair.
Had some toast with strawberry jam. That helped. Having coke now, liquid brown version.
5:49am – not bothering to sleep (clouds might try to get me).
I wonder why I only ever feel like ‘blogging’ when I’ve not been able to sleep? Cause or effect I wonder. Perhaps the urge to blog is so strong at times, that it stops me sleeping. If I was younger I’d take out a university grant to study that, I’m sure I could string it out for 4 years for a PhD.
“Blogging And Sleep Prevention : A Study In Causality and Inappropriate Use of Government Funding”.
Someone I knew after university did a PhD in a narrow field of superconductor theory, and spent roughly 80% of his time deep-freezing yoghurts in ‘dry ice’ and perfecting the process to make instant-yoghurt-ice-lollies.
Don’t think he made any superconductor breakthroughs though.
I do remember having to suffer him walking around my friends house in his grubby y-fronts and nothing else, more often than is good for the soul. I used to get a lift from my friend to the place we both worked, so I’d travel there and wait in the lounge for Jack (said friend) while Yoghurt-Ice-Lolly-Y-Front-Dood would wander around making toast and mess.
I can’t remember his name though, although it might come to me. There was Jack (metallurgist), Chris (physicist), Phil (electrical engineer), me (computers), and y-front boy, all sitting in Jack’s lounge thinking the same thing (well, y-front boy wasn’t thinking it). Which was, why is he wearing those grubby y-fronts.
I remember the day Jack had his entire garden tarmac’ed – excellent decision, not only did it reduce his garden maintenance to 0 hours per week, but it provided an excellent platform on which to play football.
5:56am – can’t sleep (y-fronts are gonna get me)
So may people in my life that I’ve just lost touch with – I’m such a lazy friend in that respect. People who’s company I enjoyed greatly, but because I moved away or changed jobs, just fell out of touch with. It’s especially true of university friends, I mean some of those people I knew for four years, and then just stopped knowing. I made an effort to stay in touch with a few, mainly girls now that I think about it, but they probably felt I was stalking them.
The guy who used to start practicing his trumpet playing at 7am in halls of residence, I don’t mind not keeping in touch with him.
Sarah, the girl who lived in the room next-door to me and learned to play the Saxophone and didn’t mind having a sign on her door saying ‘no sax before lunch’.
Welsh Mark, who used to drive us to the chip shop on Saturday’s in his mark 1 Ford Escort, and who didn’t object (enough) when we volunteered to put a dart board in his room, and then subsequently ruined his wall with a billion dart holes.
Charles of course, who I thought I’d know for ever, but still managed to lose touch with really, although we do sometimes exchange e-mails.
Linda who was innocent as the day is long (for the first year), and who taunt me everything I needed to know about periods.
Alison, the first person I ever knew who actually smoked dope, the memories of a faint purple haze floating out from the bottom of her door. Alison is the one I miss the most, although I’ve only just realised that. Here’s to that night we drank brandy from mugs like it was wine.
Too many people, I’d be here for hours remembering them.
Those four years were good years (except for the bit in year 3 where I very nearly went insane, or perhaps I did it’s hard to tell).
06:05am – rambling now – can’t sleep (clowns are too tired to get me)
It’s gone suspiciously quiet. Perhaps Bubbles (our cat) has eaten all of the warbling birds. A more conscientious wildlife person would go and check, but not me. I’m staying here.
Eyes feel gritty, combination of non-stop-computer-gaming for four days, and lack of sleep I suspect. Although later I’ll forget about the gaming element and claim lack of sleep for my tired eyes, no doubt. Selective human memory rocks.
My mum’s moving house, out of the one she’s lived in since I was 4, so 30 years. She doesn’t own it, it’s a council house she rents, and she’s moving into a council flat nearer to my sister. Which is good. If I got sentimental about this stuff I guess I’d be feeling sentimental about now, I’m sure she is.
They’re clearing out the loft and keep ringing and asking if I want the junk they found that used to belong to me. It’s all going except a black bag full of letters and stuff, probably from around my University days, just before the Internet really took off in the UK while I was still actually using paper to send messages to people.
Philistines.
Anyone know any good cheap carpenters in Nottingham? Got some rotten wood around two door frames, and I’m too inept to know how to repair it, and too concerned about the cost to get in contact with anyone.
It’s one of those constant niggling worries I always have around me, I think I collect them on purpose, like a safety blanket, in some way protecting me from bigger more important things to worry about.
Or perhaps I’m just delusional due to lack of useful sleep.
Enough junk from me. See you all in-game later no doubt.
Cars
Can’t open the car bonet again, after having had it fixed already. Suspect the car is leaking oil (well, I damn well know it’s leaking oil, but denial has been helping over the last few days).
I hate cars, and they hate me, it’s simple.
Probably won’t make Andy’s wedding, which I feel crap about, but I can’t risk driving the car for 200 miles or whatever it is there and back.
Playing loads of EQ again, re-opened the second account, blah blah, addicted, blah.
Work sucks
Otherwise life normal
Sunday slowdown
Played a bit of EQ, mainly to do some raiding. Helped a friend run a raid for TNT, went really well, enjoyed it greatly. The game can be fun if there’s some specific focus.
EQ2 goes live tomorrow, but I won’t be playing, performance on my machine wasn’t good enough to make it enjoyable long term for one thing (sad considering my machine spec), and to be honest, if I started a new MMORPG I’d want to do it with a bunch of people I knew, at the same time, who played in my timezone, so we could keep one character in the right range to play together. That’s the mistake I made in EQ.
Slowly getting the websites sorted out, stuck a discussion forum onto the Gemmell Mania site, should have more time to keep up with it than lats time, hopefully it’ll generate some interest. Need to consider revamping the front-end, perhaps using PostNuke or something of that ilk, or just moving the entire sit into the BB section, with admin only forums for news / content / etc.
Progress
Moved Grete’s pages across to the .co.uk. domain, Grete’s promised to update the content at some stage.
The less said about work the better.
Thought I’d be tempted to play EQ, but not even remotely interested, it’s probably a phase, and I’ll feel like playing soon, but we’ll see how that turns out.
OMG!
Over a year since I wrote a diary entry? An entire year has passed without comment. Time flies when your job sucks eh?
It’s just possible I might be over my everquest addiction, time will tell, but I got quite excited about the prospect of getting back to some web development stuff, we’ll have to see if my black moods get in the way of that, but I can always fall back on Age of Mythology – destroying the gods of other pantheons is always a good way to relieve stress.
Moved the diary to the .co.uk pages, almost a year after I promised to do it, I’ve nearly shut down the .org stuff, I will click that button soon and do it. Need to work on moving Grete’s pages across as well, and getting those sorted out for her.
Feels good to be back.
Truly Naughty Troop Newsletter – Edition 25 – 21st July 2004
These posts are archives of forum / blog entries I made on my EverQuest guild website. The website won’t be around forever, and I wanted the posts all in one place so I didn’t lose them, this blog seemed like as good a place as any.
Truly Naughty Troop Newsletter - Edition 25 - 21st July 2004 Contents 1. Introduction 2. News 3. Upcoming Events 4. Zone-mania 5. Help Wanted 6. Help Offered 7. Useful Links 8. Acronym Buster 9. Messages 10. Feedback ------------ // ------------ 1. Introduction So there were three patches in the end, but things have settled down, and we're left with zoning pets, sellable LDON gear and a whole bunch of funky new stuff. So, who's up for a bunch of Veeshan Peak keying, and some elemental toughness XP'ing? The newsletter is not a replacement for the board, and more often than not will just summarise something and provide a link - so, go sign up and take part - pub21.ezboard.com/btrulynaughtytroop You've already signed up to get the newsletter, obviously ;) , but I'd like to encourage you to get your guild-mates to sign up as well. The more folk signed up the better. E-mail addresses will be kept private, and will only be used to send out this newsletter on a weekly basis, so it's safe to sign up. Spread the word! If you feel like contributing something to the newsletter, or have any feedback on it, please drop me a mail at tnt-newsletter@darkstorm.co.uk and I'll see what I can do. ------------ // ------------ 2. News PoF - Torelian bravely led the troop north from the Fear zone in. Yes, north ;) Still, after a wipe and a recovery, the troop broke in fully (going west), and proceeded to wipe the floor of Fear with the trash. Sadly, no mini's or bosses up, but still, breaking in is an experience and a useful tool. Shawl Walk - Daiggo's shawl walk went very well, thanks to everyone who made it. It was successful and Daiggo is the proud new owner of the 8th shawl. [Know someone who dinged something significant? Let me know - I'm not always on (no, honestly) so sometimes don't get to see dingage] ------------ // ------------ 3. Upcoming Events PoJ Trials - Sunday July 25th - Meeting time: 10am ADT/11am PDT/2pm EDT/6pm GMT - Meeting Place: PoJ GY - full details can be found in this thread, p087.ezboard.com/ftrulyna...=218.topic HoT Raid - Saturday, July 24th - Meeting time: 7am ADT/8am PDT/11AM EDT/3pm GMT - Meeting Place: ToV (Temple of Veeshan) - full details can be found in this thread, p087.ezboard.com/ftrulyna...=216.topic As a general reminder - include the time/day of raids in the subject heading of your post, and always start a new post when talking about a new raid or event. People often don't go back to check modified threads, and they will miss posts which don't include dates/times in the subejct headings. ------------ // ------------ 4. Zone-mania From Moonebeam, Favorite zone: Tower of Frozen Shadow This zone has something for nearly everyone, and as a bonus, is often empty. (No KSing! YAY!) At the moment, it is the "hot spot" for levels 30 to 40, so has a very large experience bonus for those levels (not certain of the exact numbers here). Each floor of the zone requires a key to proceed, but also has a place to zone completely out of the Tower. Only one person in a group needs to be keyed for each floor, and if you get a key to a higher floor, all lower floor keys are automatically added to your keyring. All floors have undead on them, so Necros, Paladins, Clerics, and Shadowknights are very useful here. The "trash" mobs drop up to 8 plat each, as well as various other drops that sell for decent cash. Once you get to the 3rd floor, some very nice mid-level gear drops from several different mobs. The fifth and seventh floors drop velium commonly, from small pieces all the way up to blocks. All in all, this is a great mid-level experience zone, and a great high-level farm zone. ------------ // ------------ 5. Help Wanted From Muldian, I need to see if someone can help me set up a raid for posky. I need to kill the Essence tamer for epic drop (Swirling Sphere of Color). I dont have much raid exp. and not sure if i can lead a raid so please anyone willing to help me send me a tell in game pls. From Moonebeam, Tradeskill items Moonebeam is in need of: Spiderling Silk Velium (made into studs if you have the skill, otherwise any will be welcome) Arctic Wyvern Hides Vials of Clear Mana (Will pay the cost - 300p per stack, or supply the emeralds and poison vials) Send me stuff to include in this section omg! ------------ // ------------ 6. Help Offered I am once again offering up Moonebeam's tradeskill prowess to assist the guild. If you would like something made, simply bring me the bits and I will attempt the combine for no charge. If you do not have the bits, I will have to charge bazaar (or merchant, if the bits are vendor bought) prices for the bits. Again, there is no fee for the combine attempt. Skill levels are as follows: Baking - 250 Brewing - 200 Pottery - 239 Fletching - 200 Blacksmithing - 200 Tailoring - 204 Jewelcraft - 200 Please note, for Jewelcrafted items to have any stats, the metal must be enchanted by an enchanter. I am working on leveling up a toon for this purpose, but as of yet, can enchant ONLY silver. Also, if you need an imbued gem, make sure you have the imbued version and not the plain version. I can imbue Emeralds, but no other gem. ------------ // ------------ 7. Useful Links Want to find out what's going on with EQ spells? Want to see what the items really do? Check out Lucy, the most comphrehensive and up-to-date item database on the web - lucy.allakhazam.com Missed the previous edition of this newsletter? Deleted it and want to read it again (to assist with getting to sleep perhaps?), check out the previous editions here pub21.ezboard.com/ftrulyn...troopfrm19 thanks to the Keeper of the Boards. ------------ // ------------ 8. Acronym Buster Bah send some in you lazy good for nothing toons :p ------------ // ------------ 9. Messages You have no mail. ------------ // ------------ 10. Feedback Please feel free to send all feedback about this newsletter to tnt-newsletter@darkstorm.co.uk. Let me know if you'd like to see any additional sections or content, and if you have any content to contribute. The best way to get content into the newsletter, is to post it to the boards, and I'll pick it up. If you like, send me a pointer requesting it be added, but the board is the first place you should stick it :) If you would like to stop receiving the newsletter, or would like to change your e-mail address, or any other administrative mail should also be sent to tnt-newsletter@darkstorm.co.uk - please remember to include your character name and e-mail address. You can also send me a tell in game as Eviltrix if I'm on, but you should be prepared for vitriol :p ------------ // ------------
Truly Naughty Troop Newsletter – Edition 24 – 14th July 2004
These posts are archives of forum / blog entries I made on my EverQuest guild website. The website won’t be around forever, and I wanted the posts all in one place so I didn’t lose them, this blog seemed like as good a place as any.
Truly Naughty Troop Newsletter - Edition 24 - 14th July 2004 Contents 1. Introduction 2. News 3. Upcoming Events 4. Zone-mania 5. Help Wanted 6. Help Offered 7. Useful Links 8. Acronym Buster 9. Messages 10. Feedback ------------ // ------------ 1. Introduction PATCH! 9 hour patch today, expect the discussion boards to go crazy with bored folking taking out their boredom doing some boarding. The Patch message is out, I won't repeat the whole thing, but I will summarise, zoning pets, removeable augmentations, and ldon merchant stuff can be sold back. Veeshan's Peak is now an elemental-level zone, with an XP area, quests and faction issues. Expect PoK to be as laggy as hell as every pet class in the game runs around for a few days with their pet's perma-summoned. The newsletter is not a replacement for the board, and more often than not will just summarise something and provide a link - so, go sign up and take part - pub21.ezboard.com/btrulynaughtytroop You've already signed up to get the newsletter, obviously ;) , but I'd like to encourage you to get your guild-mates to sign up as well. The more folk signed up the better. E-mail addresses will be kept private, and will only be used to send out this newsletter on a weekly basis, so it's safe to sign up. Spread the word! If you feel like contributing something to the newsletter, or have any feedback on it, please drop me a mail at tnt-newsletter@darkstorm.co.uk and I'll see what I can do. ------------ // ------------ 2. News All quiet on the western front. [Know someone who dinged something significant? Let me know - I'm not always on (no, honestly) so sometimes don't get to see dingage] ------------ // ------------ 3. Upcoming Events PoFear - July 17th - 3pm PST, 6pm EST, 12am GMT - more info here p087.ezboard.com/ftrulyna...=214.topic 8th Shawl Walk- July 17th, morningish? (Subject to change) - Meeting time: 10am PST, 1PM EST, 7PM GMT - Meeting Place: PoK - Daiggo needs your help - more info here - p087.ezboard.com/ftrulyna...=215.topic As a general reminder - include the time/day of raids in the subject heading of your post, and always start a new post when talking about a new raid or event. People often don't go back to check modified threads, and they will miss posts which don't include dates/times in the subejct headings. ------------ // ------------ 4. Zone-mania Nothing this week - got a favourite zone or hunting spot? Send it in - let others know why you enjoy it so much. Remember a zone fondly from your character's youth? Let folk know. ------------ // ------------ 5. Help Wanted From Muldian, I need to see if someone can help me set up a raid for posky. I need to kill the Essence tamer for epic drop (Swirling Sphere of Color). I dont have much raid exp. and not sure if i can lead a raid so please anyone willing to help me send me a tell in game pls. Send me stuff to include in this section omg! ------------ // ------------ 6. Help Offered Anyone offering help? Eh? Anyone? ------------ // ------------ 7. Useful Links A link to one or two of the more difficult to map locations (mostly PoP) - www.angelfire.com/ma4/saeny/ Missed the previous edition of this newsletter? Deleted it and want to read it again (to assist with getting to sleep perhaps?), check out the previous editions here pub21.ezboard.com/ftrulyn...troopfrm19 thanks to the Keeper of the Boards. ------------ // ------------ 8. Acronym Buster Bah send some in you lazy good for nothing toons :p ------------ // ------------ 9. Messages From Xakc, I just recently moved to another town where I am reduced momentarily to dial up. I can not seem to get EQ running on it for some reason. I will be out of the game for about 3 weeks or so. I just started a new job too so time is limited. You are now talking to the next Sac & Fox Police Officer for my local indian tribe SWEET huh? LOL I will miss everyone. See you all in a few weeks. ------------ // ------------ 10. Feedback Please feel free to send all feedback about this newsletter to tnt-newsletter@darkstorm.co.uk. Let me know if you'd like to see any additional sections or content, and if you have any content to contribute. The best way to get content into the newsletter, is to post it to the boards, and I'll pick it up. If you like, send me a pointer requesting it be added, but the board is the first place you should stick it :) If you would like to stop receiving the newsletter, or would like to change your e-mail address, or any other administrative mail should also be sent to tnt-newsletter@darkstorm.co.uk - please remember to include your character name and e-mail address. You can also send me a tell in game as Eviltrix if I'm on, but you should be prepared for vitriol :p ------------ // ------------