Renewed

So, as a follow-up to my WoW respec worry post, I am feeling much better about being a prot warrior. Will, Scott and I have run Botanica and Arcatraz with some pick-ups, and both went REALLY well.

I also took charge of the marking, and felt I did a rather good job of that. The trick to all this, I think, is for me to research ahead of time, and then give the group as much of a feeling that I know what I'm doing as possible. Though Scott will tell you that I was double-checking everything with him almost constantly :)

Either way, I feel much less stressed about holding aggro. According to Will, we were in Botanica with two top-tier DPSers and I held aggro just fine. Hooray!

Of course, it also helps to have very clever groupmates. We've been lucky that our pick-ups have been really on top of things. Perhaps Heroics are not so far out of sight afterall!

In other news: Pink Door, Jersey Mike's, and Gumbo-a-go-go have been checked off the Food Tour list.

Food Tour continues...

On a less dorky and less melancholy note, I've knocked two more places of my Food Tour list. Today I am enjoying a delicious sandwich from the liquor store deli, and on Friday night we ate at Lynn's. Granted, all I had there was a huge plate of sweet potato fries, but that's all I really wanted anyway.

I also got to see Strother. Hooray!! Strother is one of my all time favorite people, and I am thrilled that we got to hang out!

As for the rest of the Food Tour, I'm scheduled to eat at Vietnam Kitchen on Saturday with Ken (anyone else is invited). Pink Door and Gumbo-a-Go-Go still need to be worked in, Jersey Mike's I can grab for myself for lunch some day, and the bakery will surely sneak up on me one of these mornings.

Hooray for fooooood!

WoW woes...

After WoWing for about a year and a half now, it's finally happened. I always knew it would, some day, but I got by with just putting it out of my mind. But no more.

I have to respec full prot.

Now, my warrior was my first WoW character ever, so my spec is quite homemade, and probably not efficient at all. It is, as I like to imagine, held together with duct tape and patchwork. The reason I started out on the arms track to begin with was because it took me to my 30s to realize there were 2 other tabs to choose from...

So I got by with this flimsy arms/prot build that was wonderfully multipurpose. I could solo just fine, and tank just fine, and hold my own in pvp if it came down to it. My friends claim that I am a very skilled tank, and have the technique and theory down quite well. But technique and theory can only carry you so far, and lately I've been struggling like mad to hold aggro, even with all my tricks and a clever, cooperative group. If I have any intention of doing heroics, my homemade talent build has to go.

Will empathizes with me deeply, as it reminds him of the day he realized he would have to take his priest full holy spec. He was a brilliantly clever healer, but just couldn't heal to kill Terrok in Skettis. I suppose it is for the best.

I am also training up to be a more responsible tank in general. My server is apparently dreadfully tank-depleted, as everyone is always needing one. I've been making myself to do the marking, rather than rely on Will to do it, and take more of a leadership role. I think, mostly, I just need more confidence in myself.

...but oh, I am going to miss Mortal Strike so much!!

Louisville Food Tour continues....

Mayan Cafe and Maido can be checked off my food tour list. Hooray!

And, in a shocking display of daring, at both places I tried something I DON'T NORMALLY GET!! (gasp!) At Maido I tried their udon soup, which was quite tasty, but the helping was huuuuuge. Granted, everything else I got was normal (miso soup, shrimp tempura, and one of about 4 sushi rolls that I repeatedly get), but the udon was different.

At the Mayan Cafe I got the Shrimp Invasion, which was deliciously tasty, and fried plantains of course. Though it was tasty, I will probably revert to my always getting the Uxmal Salmon, because it remains my favorite.

Now to approach the rest of the list...I would almost certainly have liquor store deli for lunch today, but I am carless, and thus stranded. I shall have to arrange otherwise.

In other news, the ballers played Apples to Apples last night, and it was predictably enjoyable. I've been sleeping and reading for leisure on my break days, and have begun poking at Actionscript 3 to prepare myself for the spring semester.

I'm trying not to work too hard, though.

I often praise Louisville for its delicious food opportunities, and since I'm in town for a bit, I intend to do a food tour. It's a trick to be on vacation, actually, because I'm still making a list and accomplishing tasks. Let's see what's on the agenda..

1) Penn Station -- CHECK! Scott and I went for lunch today
2) Maido
3) Mayan Gypsy
4) Pink Door
5) Gumbo-a-go-go
6) Lynn's Paradise Cafe
7) Nord's Bakery
8) Jersey Mike's
9) Vietnam Kitchen
10) Liquor Store Deli

Am I forgetting anything?

Silliness

Best Rock Band quote from last night--

Brendan: Aw, man, I have to drum for Iron Maiden.

Will: Just use one hand!

Brendan: ... THAT'S DEF LEPPARD!

Home again!

After an incredibly intense-yet-rewarding semester, and then an incredibly busy-yet-productive 2 weeks of working on the Bryan Scary video, I am FINALLY home. Home, and able to rest! I say that I shall sleep for days, but it's easier said than done.

I've never been very good at relaxing, especially when I'm wired to work my tail off. However, I am under orders from Andy to do so, so I must figure out a way!

At any rate, I got to see the ballers, and Brenna, and play some Rock Band. Tomorrow I'll get started on sleeping for several days.

BVW Show!

Hi everybody! The big BVW show is tonight, and I'm super excited! If you would like to watch, there's going to be a live webcast of the show at 6:00 pm Eastern time

http://www.etc.cmu.edu/bvw/show/webcast/

Just check the link around that time, and if it's not up yet, wait a bit and refresh.

The show should be quite silly, if anything.

Home Stretch

At our last improv class of the semester, we did a brilliant activity. We sat on the floor in a circle, facing outwards, and had to close our eyes. Then three people at a time were chosen to stand in the middle. Brenda (our professor) would give instructions, such as, "touch 3 people you think are good leaders, touch 5 people who have a good sense of humor..." and so on. Then after a few of those, 3 more people would get to go to the middle.

It was a very warm way of affirming one another anonymously, especially for me (being one who is terrible at taking compliments. I get all squirmy). Plus, it is amazing to learn how other people truly see you.

According to my classmates (though I don't know from which ones exactly), I am caring, energetic, assertive, a good friend, someone who has been there for someone in a crisis, cheerful, wise, sensitive, and a good listener.

It was a great way to end improv, as my improv class has really bonded with one another. It was also a very refreshing start to the most maddening weekend at the ETC yet. We are all finishing our Round 5 worlds and preparing for the BVW show, and it is chaos for student and TA alike.

Nevertheless, the stress is good stress. We are all having a fantastic time, and I'm absorbing people's energy left and right. It's somewhat of a problem, though, because I've been constantly wired. Last night I stayed until my programmer left, but instead of going home and getting rest, I stayed at the ETC until 3 or so in the morning, riding a scooter around the halls and visiting with people.

I hope I don't crash after the BVW show on Wednesday. I still have much to do: I have two scholarship applications to finish, I have to follow-up with thank you emails for the interview I had last week, not to mention the marathon of work on the Scary video that is soon to follow.

...I am so happy to be here!