where his civilizations, including our own

Not pictured: Grobbulus, Gluth, Thaddius, Noth, Heigan.

While I was doing Nano I also was dealing with trying to get mah guild in order, which has been somewhat nerve wracking. I have a hard time being in charge of things because I take it too personally when they don't go as planned. This wasn't something I wanted to be in charge of, at all, but fortunately I'm surrounded by smart people.

( big pix )

Four bosses on day 1; I'm cautiously pleased. It's not like this is a difficult part of the game, but we have to start somewhere.

This area of the game is full of giant spiders. One of the people in my guild is afraid of spiders, and makes horrified little "aaaaaaaaaaa" noises in voice chat when we encounter a particularly big one. It's very cute.

No, things sure haven't been going very well. I would tell you what's wrong with me but I actually don't know and neither do my doctors, who are treating me for things that might be wrong in true House style. The latest medication takes 30 days to reach maximum therapeutic effect. So, see ya in 30 days!

Let's see, what else.

( health benefits )

( well it could be worse, you could have been hit by a car )

( fotobukket )

( dragons flying over shoulder of very large dead boss )

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Also things have just been... hm insane. I had to go off hormones for about 3 months due to losing my insurance (back on now), and I grossly underestimated how horrible that was going to be. I dunno if any transpeople read this, but srsly don't ever go off hormones even for "a little while" if you can possibly help it. It won't "probably be fine".

What else. I am in kind of a developing new relationship, after being totally uninterested in dating or sex (with other people anyway) for several years. It is scary and exciting, frequently at the same time.

Relatedly, I'm thinking about where I'm going to live in the future, and what the process will be like of getting my brother transitioned to living on his own. He's able to do a lot by himself now, but I haven't ever pushed for his independence because I basically didn't see any reason to. It's not a living situation that I particularly mind, and I never had any motivation to want to live elsewhere. But both of us can do better for ourselves, can grow more, and grow up more, if we take the opportunity.

Many other things. Due to various twists of fate I'm seeing my old therapist again... like from six years ago. Nothing like that to make you consider how far you've come in six years, and yet how stuck you still are in some ways.

( Of course when you get to Magister's Terrace you find out that you never actually killed him, you just killed his hair. )

They call this boss "the guild killer" because he is so difficult that sometimes while trying to learn to beat him, people can't take the pressure and frustration, start fighting among themselves, and the guild collapses. That didn't quite happen to us. We spent seven weeks on him. It was hard, and it did cause a lot of strain, people bickering and snapping at each other, all that. (Doesn't this game sound FUN?)

When you first engage the guy he has four friends with him, who each come out one at a time and say their bit. I kept myself entertained by imagining this set to the RHPS floorshow, you know:

Thaladred the Darkener yells: It was great when it all began...

Whatever gets you through the night, I say.

My boss is sick this week; she apparently has either food poisoning or a stomach virus. She finds it necessary to call me and update me on the status of her vomiting and... other things. I feel very sorry for her, but that doesn't mean I actually want to hear about it. "Too sick to come to work, with disgusting symptoms" would more than cover it for me.

On the plus side, the minion who could not learn my name has finally learned it!


( Meanwhile, back in pixelville )

At work one of my minions was reading a self-help book about the power of positive language or something, and she left it in the break room. My boss came out brandishing the book and asking me what it was. I said it was the book our minion was reading, she must have left it behind.

"No," my boss said, "she did this on purpose! She wanted ME to read this book! It's her way of saying I need help!"

Think I should leave a book about paranoia in the break room?

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( dead bird pix )

1) I think I've now mailed replies to everyone who was nice enough to send me a Christmas card. They are all beautiful and are sitting on my bookshelf.

2) Wil Wheaton's intense fanboying of Jonathan Coulton is putting me in a state of geekgasm every time I refresh.

3) ( Fathom-Lord Karathress is a merman who lives in a giant toilet. )

In olden tymes, what DID they use for lube? Surely this comes up in certain fandoms, but I have never had to deal with it before. I feel super lame for having to ask this. :(

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( also we made some things die, here are the pix for my future nostalgia )