Life Under Construction

Posts Tagged ‘nerd’

I’ve played quite a few games in my time.  Quite a few indeed.  So when I announced that I was going to start playing WoW, I was irritated at all the negative feedback I got.

I heard a lot of “We’re never going to see you again”s and some  “See you in a few months”s along with quite a few “We all know where THIS is going”s.  Equip each statement with a massive eye roll and there you have it: the reaction I got from just about everyone that doesn’t already play.

I ignored it, and laughed it off.  I’ve been a gamer since I met D in high school.  I’ve been hooked on MMORPG’s (for any of you non-gamers that stands for Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) for a good five years now.  I’ve played Oddessy, Runescape, Diablo2, Meridian 59, UltimaOnline, EverQuest, Lineage, World Of Warcraft, Endless Online, Guild Wars, Vanguard, R.O.S.E. Online, Fly For Fun, Ragnarok, and probably a few others that I’m completely forgetting.  So I’ve been around the gaming world.  I know how it is.

I know.

I don’t need people rolling their eyes at me, telling me they’re disappointed in me and telling me how it’s going to be.

Um, if you know me then you know I’m not like that.  I’m a big girl, and not everyone falls into that stereotype.

Or better yet, if you’ve known me long enough, you should know I’ve been down that road and that I learned my lesson.  Because of all the games I’ve played, no game was more addicting or life consuming than Illarion (before you click the link, remember that it was far less developed 5 years ago than it is now).

This is Illarion.  You’ll want to click to see the full images.

Quinasa at Varshikar. Click to enlarge.

Quinasa and Aristeaus at The Fluffy Sheep Tavern. Click to enlarge.

Quinasa and Aristeaus getting married. Click to enlarge.

Illarion is a free MMORPG.  An isometric free RPG where you can only walk at one pace and all the character avatars look exactly the same, no matter what they’re equipped with.

To say that I loved this game would be the understatement of the century.  I lived this game.  I used to eat, sleep, breathe, and BATHE this game.  It dictated when I slept, when I worked, when I ate (which was rarely), and everything else I did or (more likely) didn’t do.

Probably the longest period I went without having a boyfriend was while I was playing this game.

It’s not just an MMO, it’s actual role play.  To have and keep a character you need to, like D&D, come up with a personality and character description as well as a back story, and then you need your character to blend in with the world around you and interact with other characters.  With the old account system (there isn’t one now) you had to actually apply for an account and not only answer questions, but complete a story in a few sentences to play.

There was no questing.  Power gaming was frowned upon.  All the characters looked the same with our names (and numbers!) over our heads.  85% of your in game time was spent actually role playing, not gaining skills.

It. Was. AWESOME.

For a while.  Then it started to become unfun.  I had this whole life in game.  A husband and a profession, a whole LIFE.  And when it started to get unfun, it leaked into my real life.  My unhappiness spilled over into my everyday activities.  And even then I didn’t quit.  I took it too seriously to quit.  I took it so seriously for so long that I was afraid to leave, even though I was completely miserable.  I needed the game.  It kept me awake at night.  I played for a long time this way before I finally quit.  And I quit twice.

The first time I quit, I went back after a few months thinking that all I needed was a break.  But no.  It was far worse than that.  And I played for a few more months before I quit entirely.  It’s been hard.  I’ve since even stopped going to the forums because I get sucked in that way too.  And I know better.

So when I say I know how it is to be addicted to a game, I’m not kidding.  I know how it is.  I’ve been down that road.  I’ve seen the Dark Side (they don’t really have cookies, don’t let them fool you).  It took a lot of repairing to get my life back into shape, but I’ve done it and I won’t do that to myself again.

So I ask you to please keep your snide comments to yourself.  I don’t want them.  I started playing WoW because Walter has gone to Iraq and I need something time consuming and enjoyable to do so that I don’t spend all my time worrying about whether or not he’ll come home at all.

Don’t assume anything about me based on the short-comings of other people.  I am NOT other people.  And I’ll freaking play World Of Warcraft if I want to.  So get off my case.

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There are dumb  people out there, right?  Like… the really REALLY dumb kind?

OK.  This is hard for me to put this into words.

I’m actually kind of scared of the answer.  You know like that moment in Bambi when his mother gets shot and you’re just terrified, like what’s going to happen now?  OK.  Well, I’m scared that the answer will make me feel like that.  Terrified of the future.

But now that the question has popped into my head I can’t deny it’s existence and to not ask would drive me crazy!

Here goes nothing…

So I was thinking.

Actually I was reading someones blog that had absolutely nothing to do with Star Wars when I was struck by a Star Wars related question.  It’s how it happens, shut up.

Anyway I was reading.  And I thought, wow.  People that aren’t big Star Trek fans are really DIGGING this new Star Trek movie (and just for the record, the blog wasn’t about Star Trek either, my mind just works that way)!  And without missing a beat I wonder if the people that aren’t into Star Trek have even seen the older movies.  And what they would think of them.

AND THEN!!!!!!

And then I wonder!, unbidden!, whether or not there are people out there that actually LIKE the new Star Wars movies.  Like, whether they can like them more than the originals!?!!

I don’t want to know!  BUT I NEED TO KNOW!!!!!!

Can it really happen like that with Star Wars?!!!  WHAT KIND OF WORLD DO WE LIVE IN IF CHILDREN THESE DAYS LIKE THE GROSSNESS OF THE PREQUELS AS OPPOSED TO THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY!?!?!!!

I’m freaking out here!!!!  Someone needs to tell me that it’s UNPOSSIBLE!!!!!!!

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FIVE DAYS UNTIL MY BIRTHDAY!!!

Please be sure to stop by Arielle’s blog today, More Than A Mermaid, for my guest post in which I reveal a deep, dark, nerdy secret.

Epic Nerdery, Revealed!

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Last time we checked in with our heroine, Anxiety Girl, the dread Poison Ivy had spread to her leg and back.

It seems, in the last few days, that the skirmishes have spread, leaving more battlefields than was previously expected.  Poison Ivy has taken up residence on her left side as well as her upper right arm and on the inside of her right thigh (a little too close to The Promised Land for her liking).  See the illustration below to get the full extent of how far it’s dared to spread.

The red dot masses (I know, I am brilliant!) show where Poison Ivy is located on her front and sides, where as the blue dot mass shows Poison Ivy’s dirty position on her back.

This new Anti-Poison Ivy Soap better be worth what her mother paid for it.

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So, happy Tuesday everyone!  Now get on over to Arielle’s page and read my guest blog over there!  You know you wanna!  :D

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Prepare yourselves.  I’m about to wave my Nerd Flag.

Final decision on the film:  Epic. Win.

I loved it.  It was way better than I expected it to be.

I’ll admit, I went into the movie thinking that it was going to suck and that it wouldn’t even begin to compare with the original series because, hey, it never works out right when you get new actors to play old characters.

In this case, I was wrong.

So wrong.

Chris Pine is the perfect James T. Kirk.  His attitude as a young version of the character was SPOT ON and completely believable.  It was surprising how well he fit the role, especially since he had some big shoes to fill.  Even my father was more than satisfied with him, he loved him.  And he’s way dreamier than William Shatner ever was.  *swoon*

Zachary Quinto as Spock was a little unnerving at first.  All I could see was Sylar.  Sylar with pointy ears and thinner eyebrows (let’s face it, the man has some brows on him)!  He was a little less believable as Spock than Pine as Kirk, but I keep reminding myself that they’re supposed to be young, kids really, compared to TOS and 1-6.  But after his first few minutes on screen I was quite satisfied with him.  I was surprised that the movie pretty much revolved around Spock.

Perhaps the most pleasantly given performance comes from Karl Urban, the new Bones (Dr. McCoy).  From the minute he stepped on screen, from the very first words he uttered gave away who he was.  He was definitely my favorite of everyone in the new cast.  His believability and his delivery were impeccable.  Definitely the most perfectly cast role in the entire film.

The rest of the crew was good.  Scotty was awesome, to say the least.  Chekov was adorable and Mr. Sulu definitely fit the roles.  Uhura… well, I’m not sure what to think of her.  She was a little brazen, but again – she’s younger than she’s supposed to be in The Original Series.  Zoe Saldana definitely has the look of a young Uhura.

The special effects weren’t overdone.  They were actually pretty damn good, not overdone in the least.  The Enterprise was beautiful to behold on the big screen, all shiny and new.  It wasn’t like seeing (forgive me for comparing them) Star Wars ships in the prequels, the Starship Enterprise looked every bit as majestic and basic as it did in the original series, with VERY minimal adjustments to it’s exterior.  It wasn’t overly improved upon, the basic design was left unchanged.  Yay!

Now, on to what I didn’t like….

Of course I’m going to nitpick.  I’m a fan.  DUH!

**If you haven’t seen the movie and don’t want it spoiled for you, stop reading now.  This blog isn’t going to disappear and you can come back and compare notes with me once you’ve seen it for yourself.**

The first thing I didn’t like was the actor chosen to play Sarek.  I’m sorry, Ben Cross, is it?  I didn’t like him.  He’s simply not Vulcan material and I don’t approve of the casting choice there.  He didn’t strike me as anything even remotely close to Sarek.  Sarek is supposed to be young, with a severe and angular face.  Not old and slightly chubby with beady eyes.  Vulcans have a longer life expectancy than humans, allowing them to age slower in appearance, but this guy was too old to be Sarek.  Period.  I mean, in the original series Sarek wasn’t even graying yet!  That’s the first thing they got wrong.

The second thing, and admittedly the biggest problem I had with the movie from start to finish, was Spock and Uhura.

Um….. no.

No no, no-no-no.  *insert lots of finger wagging and shame shame noises here*

The relationship did not serve any useful purpose and personally I think it actually hindered the storyline.  It only made me angry because it didn’t belong there.  It felt wrong.  It’s just not realistic for the characters, not even as younger versions than themselves.

Aside from those two things I thought the movie was spectacular.  Hearing Leonard Nemoy recite the opening lines at the end of the movie was a thrill.  He was a real treat to see in the movie as Spock Prime with gray and white hair.  I was surprised that Wynona Ryder played Spock’s mother, I would have liked to have seen an unknown in the role but it didn’t take away from the experience that much.

So tell me!  What did you think of the movie?
Are you a die hard Trekkie?
What did you like the most?
Dislike the most?
How did you feel about Uhura and Spock’s romantic relationship?

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I’m going with Twilight as my next series to read.

I’m not apprehensive about reading it.  I don’t fear that I’ll be sucked into a vortex of preteen vampire dream obsession.  I simply want to read it.  End of story.

And no, I haven’t seen the movie.

In other news!  Today Lemmonex blogged about how to devein your own shrimp.  Not only that, but she did it NKOTB style (you know, Step One: we can have lots of fun, etc).  You should all know how much I love the New Kids.  I got in the shower singing Step By Step, and you know what?  I danced.  That’s right, I dance to the New Kids On the Block.  So what?  It’s like the only thing I dance to.

Now, I type that and I’m singing “my girlfriends a dick magnet/my girlfriends gotta have it” because Theory of a Deadman just popped up on my iTunes.  I obviously listen to a wide variety of music, but when it comes down to making a choice I’d choose music I grew up with over anything else.

I’m a New Kids on the Block fangirl.  I have been since I was five years old.  Once a fangirl, always a fangirl.  Whenever I hear Step By Step it takes be back to being a 6 year old girl, crazy in 6 year old love with Joey McIntyre.  When I hear I’ll Be Loving You Forever I imagine dancing at my wedding someday (because if I ever get married that WILL be my wedding song!).  And I’m totally at Mohegan with Crystal standing in the stands as they run out on stage singing Cover Girl and then Single last September, having the most fun I’ve ever had in my life.

I. Love. New Kids On the Block.

I don’t care how lame and nerdy that makes me.  My parents still listen to the Everly Brothers, Neil Sedaka, the Beach Boys and Sam Cooke.  My grandmother still loves Ella Fitzgerald, Glenn Miller and Frank Sinatra.  It’s pretty natural to listen to the music you loved in your youth, as much as people my age will deny it.  Hanson?  They say Ew.  I say Heck yes!  Wilson Philiips?  Most people will laugh.  You don’t gotta ask me twice!  Old school skanky Madonna, Debbie Gibson, Bon Jovi, Michael Jackson, Guns ‘N Roses, Bryan Adams and Whitney Houston?  Please, just look at my iTunes.  You’ll find Abba, Weird Al, Bonnie Tyler, Metallica, Phil Collins, REO Speedwagon, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Joey Lawrence and Duran Duran mixed in with Ace Of Base, New Kids On the Block, Toby Keith, Led Zeppelin, Johnny Cash and music from Phantom Of the Opera.  I listen to EVERYTHING.  I’m not ashamed of my music library.

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Hallway awkwardness is widespread.  It’s an unavoidable reality, really.  Like a contagious disease shared between coworkers, it’s an inevitable battle to be fought each time you venture from your office or cubicle into The Building.

Hallways are generally designed long and straight and usually practically empty at any given time, unless you’re in high school where the hallway is the popular place to be.

I get so uncomfortable walking down the hallway at work with one or two other people walking toward me separately, and I get the creepy suspicion that none of us are allowed look at each other.  Especially if we don’t know each other.

Why is it when I see someone coming down the hallway I need to immediately avert my eyes lest it’s assumed that I’m staring?

Why must we pretend that we’re alone in the hallway, that we don’t notice the person coming our way until the exact moment when we’re passing each other and obligated to acknowledge the existence of the other hallway traveler?

And don’t you hate it when they don’t even look at you then?  It’s rude, really.

Hallways should be short and winding, taking turns and being all zig-zagged and bee-lined, making for more comfort to the user.  If you think about it, hallways are really only user friendly for the blind, and for people who rush from one place to the next, or people who aren’t bothered by awkward situations.

Is there some sort of hallway etiquette where you work, some automatic protocol assumed whilst your share the hallways?  Do you ever get the feeling you shouldn’t be looking at anyone all the while you’re headed in their direction?  WHY ISN’T THERE MORE TO LOOK AT IN THE HALLWAY TO KEEP THE MIND OCCUPIED WITH SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE AWKWARDNESS???

Today’s evidence of complete nerdism:  While writing that last paragraph I had quotes from Star Wars Ep: 4 flashing through my head, in particular Uncle Owen to C-3pO at the Jawa droid sale.

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I like having my own little secrets, these wee things about me that are so inconsequential to the world that they make no difference to anyone but me.  Right now I have one I would only ever share with one person, and since the likelihood of that ever happening is less than zero because I’ll probably never even meet that person I’m happy to keep it to myself.  Excited, really.  In fact, I think sharing these things would diminish their value in my eyes, so that they would become worthless and pointless to keep.

There are some things about me that I just like to keep to myself.  These small things are precious to me.  I hoard these things about myself.  I cherish them and keep them in a special part of my heart.

If I were a dragon (everyone knows that dragons are ferociously possessive and hoard precious things), my treasure would be secrets.  How can you hoard secrets, you ask?  I keep them for myself, for the express purpose of my own enjoyment.  I think about them and count them like they are precious stones.

My hoard would be the safest in all the land because, as closely as I would guard it, no one would ever want what’s inside anyway.  The information is so inconsequential to anything even remotely possible of entering into existence that even were I to share some of my secrets people would probably think I’m weird (weirder than they probably already think I am, which I am).

I’m gleeful at the ridiculously outlandish concept of me being a dragon with my own hoard.  I imagine I’d be copper with sparkling eyes that changed to every color of the rainbow according to my mood, and I’d be beautiful and terrible to behold all at once.  And I would be very nice and loving.

If that’s what I dream about tonight I’ll wake up happy.

If this doesn’t make any sense to you, don’t worry.  I’ve attained a level of Nerdiness worthy of Nerdom and it probably only makes sense to me.

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Mike: she wanted to know why frodo had to leave on the ship
Mike: i told her it’s because he was a ring bearer
Jaime: she obviously didn’t read the books!
Mike: he won’t die
Mike: apparently not
Jaime: lolz

[...]

Mike: i told her i’m well versed in all things nerdish
Jaime: hehehe
Mike: and if i can’t answer it you can always help me out
Mike: together we’re a force to be reckoned with
Jaime: reconed!  *fist*
Jaime: *reckoned
Jaime: lolz I can’t even do that right

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