Today is the first of December, and it would seem that Mother Nature decided that this would be a good time for the first snow of the Winter season. The roads were... slippery and as usual it appears many people just can't handle driving in such conditions.
It isn't that hard to take your time and not, for example, take a turn so fast that you actually spin around and face the opposite direction to which you were intending. Yes, I'm speaking you to you soccer mom in the big SUV. It would seem that as the temperature goes down, so does driving knowledge. Sure it took me a half an hour to drive just ten miles, but I arrived home safely, even if I did cuss up a storm.
Anyway, I've been going to the gym pretty regularly these past two weeks. I know I can keep it up. I am down to 36% BMI; that's 3 % lower than two weeks ago.
Yes, this is a short update, but it isn't like anyone even reads this. Do you?
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Soul's Majesty
As I've posted before, I admit to being someone who procrastinates. A lot. However, I have yet to really delve into the reason about why I do. My only thought is that I don't wish to fail at whatever I attempt. This is foolish because I know I am smart, clever, and resourceful. I know I can achieve the goals I set forth because I can.
Today I had a serious session at the gym. I didn't wimp out on the elliptical machine, although I had to do my weight exercises from memory as I didn't have my sheet with me. However, I did full sets and reps and I felt very good. I like the feeling that the gym gives me. I'm tired, sweaty, but I feel accomplished. I know I can continue, I just need to make sure I consistently go.
The consistency of my inconsistency has been a very large blemish on my overall character. Thankfully, I've come to accept that that was the past me and I'm working to resolve it. Hell, I'm 26 years old and still living at home working at a job that quite frankly isn't going anywhere. I need to get my life in order.
This "new beginning" is very much similar to the steps a player takes during his turn in the game Magic: The Gathering, (a game I used to help name this blog).
Step 1: Untap - In this the player resets all of his cards into a "Ready" phase. I feel that slowly I am untapping myself and my potential. I'm getting prepared for the many decisions I am going to be faced with as I grow up out of this extended adolescence.
Step 2: Upkeep - During this phase of the player takes care of small abilities of spells, creatures and artifacts (gaining life, making tokens, etc). For me this represents solving current issues with finances, weight and fitness, and overall career aspects.
Step 3: Draw - The player then draws a card from his deck and puts it into his hand. I am slowly drawing conclusions and making plans about what I want to do with myself. Setting forth goals and hopefully meeting them.
There are other steps (pre-combat main phase, combat phase, post-combat main phase, end step) but I just wanted to draw some metaphor from these first few basics.
My hand is spread out in front of me, my future sitting there like a deck of cards. I know I may get mana screwed, I may even have to discard previous assumptions about what I wanted; but I will finish this game. I will, and I'll do my best.
Come Jokulhaups or Wrath of God.
Today I had a serious session at the gym. I didn't wimp out on the elliptical machine, although I had to do my weight exercises from memory as I didn't have my sheet with me. However, I did full sets and reps and I felt very good. I like the feeling that the gym gives me. I'm tired, sweaty, but I feel accomplished. I know I can continue, I just need to make sure I consistently go.
The consistency of my inconsistency has been a very large blemish on my overall character. Thankfully, I've come to accept that that was the past me and I'm working to resolve it. Hell, I'm 26 years old and still living at home working at a job that quite frankly isn't going anywhere. I need to get my life in order.
This "new beginning" is very much similar to the steps a player takes during his turn in the game Magic: The Gathering, (a game I used to help name this blog).
Step 1: Untap - In this the player resets all of his cards into a "Ready" phase. I feel that slowly I am untapping myself and my potential. I'm getting prepared for the many decisions I am going to be faced with as I grow up out of this extended adolescence.
Step 2: Upkeep - During this phase of the player takes care of small abilities of spells, creatures and artifacts (gaining life, making tokens, etc). For me this represents solving current issues with finances, weight and fitness, and overall career aspects.
Step 3: Draw - The player then draws a card from his deck and puts it into his hand. I am slowly drawing conclusions and making plans about what I want to do with myself. Setting forth goals and hopefully meeting them.
There are other steps (pre-combat main phase, combat phase, post-combat main phase, end step) but I just wanted to draw some metaphor from these first few basics.
My hand is spread out in front of me, my future sitting there like a deck of cards. I know I may get mana screwed, I may even have to discard previous assumptions about what I wanted; but I will finish this game. I will, and I'll do my best.
Come Jokulhaups or Wrath of God.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Gathering Specimens
Once again, I've decided to try venturing into the world of fitness and health. This time, however, I met with a very nice personal trainer who helped to set me up with a routine to start with.
Over the last four or so years I've had memberships to three different gym facilities. Those memberships have been one after the other; and there really hasn't been a month that goes by without my checking account seeing a payment to the gym I was and am a member of. My experiences with each have been vastly different. Hopefully this recent venture back will be much better than my last. The last four years, I've maybe gone to the gym a total of two months combined.
In the spring of 2006, almost a year after coming home from Indiana University, I realized I had gained almost 75lbs. I decided to make a commitment and get a gym membership. So, I went to American Health Fitness. With two locations, one had a pool and a steam room and the other just had a steam room, I figured I would be able to go regularly. I even invested in a personal trainer.
I don't remember his name, he was nice, and kind of short. About two weeks into our meetings, however, he left for a job in Indianapolis. I had been abandoned, which caused me to feel fat and depressed. So I stopped going. A few months later, I got the gumption to return to the regime and inquired if there was another trainer available to help me. Indeed there was.
This time it was a very hunky firefighter who did personal training as a second job. He was very macho, muscular, blonde and over all sexy. Which is intimidating and (me being gay) made me tantalized and a little uncomfortable. Uncomfortable in the sense that, if my eyes lingered too long he might realize he was training a gay and maybe beat me up. Irrational; yes. So, again I stopped going.
Well, it was a year after I signed up to the gym and I decided not to renew. Instead a new gym was opening up in my hometown (New Haven, IN). So, I signed up there. It was a small, locally owned affair with one side all cardio and the other all free weights and weight machines. The hours, were bothersome, especially weekends (Sundays they were only open for 4 or 5 hours). I tried to go regularly, but seeing people I knew was a little off-putting. So I stopped, but continued to pay. Another year went by and once again I decided not to renew my contract.
Then I got a job that promised to go places (which didn't and eventually led me to my current position). Next to the office building there was a gym "Anytime Fitness"; perhaps you've heard of it. They're all across the country and the great thing is, you can go anytime. This as you can imagine spreads out the gym population around the whole clock. So, at anytime you could go and there may only be a handful of people around.
I got a trainer to show me around and to put together a routine for me. The initial gentleman was very uninterested in talking and only showed me a routine. He was a scrawny thing and I barely remember him. But for a while I was doing his routine. It seemed to go well. Then again something caused me to stop going.
Yesterday they had a special "30 minutes for $10" with a personal trainer. My trainer's name was P. A fit, shorter gentleman mid to late 30's. Quite handsome and he actually seemed quite earnest while he talked with me. I had met him a few weeks prior when I decided to go and switch locations. One thing that puzzled me though, he mentioned that a client of his knew me from when I used to work at The Olive Garden. I nodded it off but then I wondered how he found that out. I had only met him once before and that was with no one I knew around.
I think my big problem is that I expect goals to happen right away. I've come to accept that this will never be the case. So, after many months of not going. I'm putting my foot down. As I have designs on a relationship in the future and not succumbing to the obese tendancies that my genes can dictate; I need to lose this weight.
Not to mention I have a whole closet full of clothes I would like to wear again. . .
I just need to keep my motivation. Maybe if I go when P is working it might be easier. Seeing a friendly, honest person there (who isn't just after my money for training sessions) would be helpful.
Over the last four or so years I've had memberships to three different gym facilities. Those memberships have been one after the other; and there really hasn't been a month that goes by without my checking account seeing a payment to the gym I was and am a member of. My experiences with each have been vastly different. Hopefully this recent venture back will be much better than my last. The last four years, I've maybe gone to the gym a total of two months combined.
In the spring of 2006, almost a year after coming home from Indiana University, I realized I had gained almost 75lbs. I decided to make a commitment and get a gym membership. So, I went to American Health Fitness. With two locations, one had a pool and a steam room and the other just had a steam room, I figured I would be able to go regularly. I even invested in a personal trainer.
I don't remember his name, he was nice, and kind of short. About two weeks into our meetings, however, he left for a job in Indianapolis. I had been abandoned, which caused me to feel fat and depressed. So I stopped going. A few months later, I got the gumption to return to the regime and inquired if there was another trainer available to help me. Indeed there was.
This time it was a very hunky firefighter who did personal training as a second job. He was very macho, muscular, blonde and over all sexy. Which is intimidating and (me being gay) made me tantalized and a little uncomfortable. Uncomfortable in the sense that, if my eyes lingered too long he might realize he was training a gay and maybe beat me up. Irrational; yes. So, again I stopped going.
Well, it was a year after I signed up to the gym and I decided not to renew. Instead a new gym was opening up in my hometown (New Haven, IN). So, I signed up there. It was a small, locally owned affair with one side all cardio and the other all free weights and weight machines. The hours, were bothersome, especially weekends (Sundays they were only open for 4 or 5 hours). I tried to go regularly, but seeing people I knew was a little off-putting. So I stopped, but continued to pay. Another year went by and once again I decided not to renew my contract.
Then I got a job that promised to go places (which didn't and eventually led me to my current position). Next to the office building there was a gym "Anytime Fitness"; perhaps you've heard of it. They're all across the country and the great thing is, you can go anytime. This as you can imagine spreads out the gym population around the whole clock. So, at anytime you could go and there may only be a handful of people around.
I got a trainer to show me around and to put together a routine for me. The initial gentleman was very uninterested in talking and only showed me a routine. He was a scrawny thing and I barely remember him. But for a while I was doing his routine. It seemed to go well. Then again something caused me to stop going.
Yesterday they had a special "30 minutes for $10" with a personal trainer. My trainer's name was P. A fit, shorter gentleman mid to late 30's. Quite handsome and he actually seemed quite earnest while he talked with me. I had met him a few weeks prior when I decided to go and switch locations. One thing that puzzled me though, he mentioned that a client of his knew me from when I used to work at The Olive Garden. I nodded it off but then I wondered how he found that out. I had only met him once before and that was with no one I knew around.
I think my big problem is that I expect goals to happen right away. I've come to accept that this will never be the case. So, after many months of not going. I'm putting my foot down. As I have designs on a relationship in the future and not succumbing to the obese tendancies that my genes can dictate; I need to lose this weight.
Not to mention I have a whole closet full of clothes I would like to wear again. . .
I just need to keep my motivation. Maybe if I go when P is working it might be easier. Seeing a friendly, honest person there (who isn't just after my money for training sessions) would be helpful.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Forethought Amulet
In the past few days I've had to come to a series of decisions. I just need to buckle down and take control of my life. I've been making bad decision after bad decision, with no heed to my own future. Today that ends, it has to. It has to end or I will just be doomed to repeat these stupid mistakes and make nothing of myself.
I have two people in my life I care for deeply, other than my family. Although I am not sure what to do just yet about them, they both mean a great deal to me. Let's call one C and the other L.
C, I've known for over three years now. We met online, of course, where most people tend to meet their friends these days. We got to know each other, C would often use my shoulder to help cope with love, loss, and his personal struggles. I would do the same for him, but not as much. I'm a private person for the most part really. Hell, it was hard for me even being honest to a councilor I was seeing a few years ago.
C and I don't have terribly much in common, but I enjoy hearing C talk about his hobbies and what he likes. We share interests and we appreciate what differences we have. It's nice. We are both romantic, and while I am an openly gay man. C is still trying to find himself and who he is.
Anyway, over the years I've been there for C when his relationships would turn or his job sucked that day. Through all of this, our relationship grew. I've come to care about him a lot. Strangely I get jealous when I hear he has been talking with other gay men or his involvement with potential girlfriends. It's irrational for me to feel this way; but I still get that small knot of irritation that forms in my stomach when I hear it. These are probably just my latent fears of abandonment manifesting as jealousy. I don't want to lose contact with him, even if he finds himself a nice person to settle down with.
Needless to say, C and I are very close. Our relationship is... a complicated friendship.
Then there is L. I've known L for close to six months now. L is currently unavailable. He also lives some distance away, but it's feasible should I wish to visit. Both of us are going to school. He is going for an architecture degree and I am going for Therapeutic Massage. His degree will take sometime and with me going to school only part time for now, it will be a while for me as well. L and I met online through a friend and we began to talk.
We discovered we had a great deal in common. We like the same hobbies, we are both romantic. He likes the fact that I am taller than him, and I love his large, Romanesque nose. As I have met with him on quite a few occasions when he can come up here, I can say that we both share the same bedroom preferences. He is a smart, funny, adorable human. My feelings for him have been growing daily since we first kissed. Sadly, his schedule and living circumstances don't permit him to visit much, but we talk a great deal online and through texting. I don't believe he is out to his family, which is a pity, but understandable. Though, I have no reason to doubt that my parents would adore him completely.
L and I are growing very close. However, I am not sure how this will/should affect my feelings for C.
I have two people in my life I care for deeply, other than my family. Although I am not sure what to do just yet about them, they both mean a great deal to me. Let's call one C and the other L.
C, I've known for over three years now. We met online, of course, where most people tend to meet their friends these days. We got to know each other, C would often use my shoulder to help cope with love, loss, and his personal struggles. I would do the same for him, but not as much. I'm a private person for the most part really. Hell, it was hard for me even being honest to a councilor I was seeing a few years ago.
C and I don't have terribly much in common, but I enjoy hearing C talk about his hobbies and what he likes. We share interests and we appreciate what differences we have. It's nice. We are both romantic, and while I am an openly gay man. C is still trying to find himself and who he is.
Anyway, over the years I've been there for C when his relationships would turn or his job sucked that day. Through all of this, our relationship grew. I've come to care about him a lot. Strangely I get jealous when I hear he has been talking with other gay men or his involvement with potential girlfriends. It's irrational for me to feel this way; but I still get that small knot of irritation that forms in my stomach when I hear it. These are probably just my latent fears of abandonment manifesting as jealousy. I don't want to lose contact with him, even if he finds himself a nice person to settle down with.
Needless to say, C and I are very close. Our relationship is... a complicated friendship.
Then there is L. I've known L for close to six months now. L is currently unavailable. He also lives some distance away, but it's feasible should I wish to visit. Both of us are going to school. He is going for an architecture degree and I am going for Therapeutic Massage. His degree will take sometime and with me going to school only part time for now, it will be a while for me as well. L and I met online through a friend and we began to talk.
We discovered we had a great deal in common. We like the same hobbies, we are both romantic. He likes the fact that I am taller than him, and I love his large, Romanesque nose. As I have met with him on quite a few occasions when he can come up here, I can say that we both share the same bedroom preferences. He is a smart, funny, adorable human. My feelings for him have been growing daily since we first kissed. Sadly, his schedule and living circumstances don't permit him to visit much, but we talk a great deal online and through texting. I don't believe he is out to his family, which is a pity, but understandable. Though, I have no reason to doubt that my parents would adore him completely.
L and I are growing very close. However, I am not sure how this will/should affect my feelings for C.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Sword of Mind and Body
Yet again, another month has come and gone with only one update. So, in lieu of such sparse information, I will share some random things:
1) I admit I have a mild addiction to Magic: the Gathering cards. I have been trying to cut back however from purchasing them, but it's such a deal to get three packs for $10.70. Still, want to start doing some trading in of cards I don't think I'll ever use for some cards I *may* use; that is if I can ever make the decks I intend to.
2) Over the weekend I played my very first game of "Paranoia XP". For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Paranoia system and universe, it is as if "2001: A Space Odyssey" meets "Tom & Jerry": wacky, violent, and just plain fun.
You basically play a lowly peon who was chosen by the Great and Glorious Friend Computer, to rout out and destroy commie, mutant traitors; but you, yourself, are a commie, mutant traitor. You are also given teammates (other players) who are out to destroy commie, mutant traitors as well (you must kill them before they find out). It was a lot of fun. I was one of the only people who made it to the next security clearance (level), without dying too many times or being accused of treason. Also, in this game you have six clones in case your current character's body meets undue harm, all but two of us went through their "six-pack" of clones.
That's it for now. Tonight is board/card game night at Game Quest (a gaming store here). I think I'll bring Illuminati. Illuminati is a card game where you are one of the great Illuminati that may control the world. As the game progresses your power and influence over organizations grow and you attack and may destroy other Illuminati who are fighting against you. It's fun, but I've never been able to play with other people who as excited to play it as I am. Oh well, hopefully tonight that will change.
1) I admit I have a mild addiction to Magic: the Gathering cards. I have been trying to cut back however from purchasing them, but it's such a deal to get three packs for $10.70. Still, want to start doing some trading in of cards I don't think I'll ever use for some cards I *may* use; that is if I can ever make the decks I intend to.
2) Over the weekend I played my very first game of "Paranoia XP". For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Paranoia system and universe, it is as if "2001: A Space Odyssey" meets "Tom & Jerry": wacky, violent, and just plain fun.
You basically play a lowly peon who was chosen by the Great and Glorious Friend Computer, to rout out and destroy commie, mutant traitors; but you, yourself, are a commie, mutant traitor. You are also given teammates (other players) who are out to destroy commie, mutant traitors as well (you must kill them before they find out). It was a lot of fun. I was one of the only people who made it to the next security clearance (level), without dying too many times or being accused of treason. Also, in this game you have six clones in case your current character's body meets undue harm, all but two of us went through their "six-pack" of clones.
That's it for now. Tonight is board/card game night at Game Quest (a gaming store here). I think I'll bring Illuminati. Illuminati is a card game where you are one of the great Illuminati that may control the world. As the game progresses your power and influence over organizations grow and you attack and may destroy other Illuminati who are fighting against you. It's fun, but I've never been able to play with other people who as excited to play it as I am. Oh well, hopefully tonight that will change.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Scandalmonger (or Judi Dench Said the "F Word")
Judi Dench said the F word? It's more likely than you think. Recently I just watched a delightful movie call "Mrs. Henderson Presents". It is about a rich widow who, with nothing better to do, purchases a theatre and decides to show nude women en tableau. Bob Hoskins is also charming as the impresario who is chosen to direct the shows. All of this takes place around the mid to early 1940's in war torn London. If you have not seen it, or even heard of it, I recommend it for your next rental or Netflics do-dad thing.
Yes, it has been months and months and months since I've posted anything. I had gotten off to such a good start too. Well to tell the truth, shortly after the last post I had had an series of interviews and competency tests for a job which would have been great to get. I was amped and pumped and psyched and all those lovely words to get the job, which didn't happen. Rest assured I was still "on file for future openings". Yeah, sure I am.
Anyway, I vowed myself to go to the gym and afterward post on my blog. That turned into, tomorrow. Which turned into a week, a month, then almost seven months. Seven months, over half a year against wasted on feeling sorry for myself and spend on moping. I had also re-upped my subscription to City of Heroes, but thankfully I hadn't been playing as much as I expected.
However, now I'm in school *again*. I am doing rather well, despite my own intellectual misgivings. Math, while slightly remedial, is something I've needed to get my brain out of it's slump. It's as if the variables, equations, answers are helping to exercise long dormant parts of my brain. I am also in a medical terminology course that I seem to be falling a little behind in, despite the fact that I'm making the effort to study. We'll just keep trying.
Yes, it has been months and months and months since I've posted anything. I had gotten off to such a good start too. Well to tell the truth, shortly after the last post I had had an series of interviews and competency tests for a job which would have been great to get. I was amped and pumped and psyched and all those lovely words to get the job, which didn't happen. Rest assured I was still "on file for future openings". Yeah, sure I am.
Anyway, I vowed myself to go to the gym and afterward post on my blog. That turned into, tomorrow. Which turned into a week, a month, then almost seven months. Seven months, over half a year against wasted on feeling sorry for myself and spend on moping. I had also re-upped my subscription to City of Heroes, but thankfully I hadn't been playing as much as I expected.
However, now I'm in school *again*. I am doing rather well, despite my own intellectual misgivings. Math, while slightly remedial, is something I've needed to get my brain out of it's slump. It's as if the variables, equations, answers are helping to exercise long dormant parts of my brain. I am also in a medical terminology course that I seem to be falling a little behind in, despite the fact that I'm making the effort to study. We'll just keep trying.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Open the Vaults
On Role-Playing. . .
I have been role-playing off and on for the past twelve years of my life. That's roughly 45% of the time I've been in existence here on earth. I've had many different personae, but I wish to just recount and reminisce about a few of my personal favorites.
Part I
Talisen Armatugé: This gentleman had three incarnations. His first was as a purely textual being in the word of American Online Role-Playing/Fantasy chatrooms. We rolled virtual dice and had a gay old time. I remember posting a grand escape of his as a way to withdraw from the "guild" that he was currently in. With that, he and I vanished from the AOL community in general both character and Mun for a while.
Talisen's next version was as a silver-haired sorcerer in my first Dungeons and Dragons campaign run by a friend of mine in High School. He eventually went into Dragon Disciple but sadly the campaign was short lived.
The third and final form happened after this. We were all kind of bored playing a low-level campain, so our DM (same from above) had us roll level 20 characters. It was all great fun, Talisen became a level 20 Lawful Evil Half-Fiend sorcerer. It was great fun, except for the moronic, metal-loving dwarven druid (don't get me started). The campaign however, turned into a game of SimCity, but we concluded that all of our characters became gods.
Quilliant Armatugé: One of the most prolific of my characters I've ever played. He has had many different versions and existed on many different planes and games.
Quilliant first came about as an idea between me and a fellow camp attendee at the "Midsummer Theatre Camp" in Bloomington, IN in 2001. She was a hobby artist and was making a little comic strip about her socially shy wizard. She lamented that she didn't have a foil for her wizard to really get out and adventure and I suggested that perhaps she should have Izzy (not the real name) get an out-going companion. Thus Quilliant was born.
Quilliant that year became a new RP character for me when I went back to the AOL community, which had changed somewhat. It was all well and good, but I hardly remember any of it. Very general, mundane RP.
Then along came Neverwinter Nights. Truthfully, I never beat the actual campaign in that game, I just joined for the online aspect. There I found a server called "Dragon Coast" (not to be confused with Forgotten Realms' Dragon Coat, which I later found out). The community was amazing. And they embraced me as one of their own right from the get-go. Quilliant in this world was characteristic, intriguing, funny, bardic, and just fun. He also had blue hair, bestowed from some magical curse or hex.
Quilliant was my only character on there for close to a year. In that time he "died" four times. Each time (except for the last) coming back when I was ready to rejoin after a short break. The last time was fun as he had been turned into an evil undead minion for a demon. He ended up being destroyed by the epic level paladin Fenia (a drow at that). Anyway, I wrote that his good soul soared into the heavens, free from the earth at last; his evil soul was thrown into the void. So I ended my time there at the Dragon Coast. I still miss them terribly, but they have come and gone and I believe are now on the NWNII system with a different world.
The next incarnation hardly used Quilliant's name at all. Instead he went by "The Skald" a superhero that appeared under the atlas statue to help defend Paragon City. This was of course my main hero in "City of Heroes". I made so many friend's through that game, as I have said before, and they are all wonderful. Then "City of Villains" came out, a perfect time to incorporate a storyline from The Dragon Coast, "The Enchanter" appeared this was of course Quilliant's bad soul come back to terrorize the world once more.
It was all very fun, then about a year ago I thought I was leaving CoH/V for good, so I deleted Skald and Enchanter, thus freeing up their names for someone else to take. I came back, of course (as is my habit), but the names were no longer free. Oh well, all good things must come to an end.
Quilliant's last incarnation came as a bard who used two whips as weapons. He was alot of fun to play and the DM was pretty creative as well. However, when Quilliant burst into a magical fire and consummed the evil dragon army (its always dragons) and himself, I officially retired the name. The only place that I use it now is on my AIM name and my G-mail, though I am considering changing both.
I think that is enough for now, I have a few more but they're a bit shorter than all of this. Anyway, I hope you three enjoy reading.
I have been role-playing off and on for the past twelve years of my life. That's roughly 45% of the time I've been in existence here on earth. I've had many different personae, but I wish to just recount and reminisce about a few of my personal favorites.
Part I
Talisen Armatugé: This gentleman had three incarnations. His first was as a purely textual being in the word of American Online Role-Playing/Fantasy chatrooms. We rolled virtual dice and had a gay old time. I remember posting a grand escape of his as a way to withdraw from the "guild" that he was currently in. With that, he and I vanished from the AOL community in general both character and Mun for a while.
Talisen's next version was as a silver-haired sorcerer in my first Dungeons and Dragons campaign run by a friend of mine in High School. He eventually went into Dragon Disciple but sadly the campaign was short lived.
The third and final form happened after this. We were all kind of bored playing a low-level campain, so our DM (same from above) had us roll level 20 characters. It was all great fun, Talisen became a level 20 Lawful Evil Half-Fiend sorcerer. It was great fun, except for the moronic, metal-loving dwarven druid (don't get me started). The campaign however, turned into a game of SimCity, but we concluded that all of our characters became gods.
Quilliant Armatugé: One of the most prolific of my characters I've ever played. He has had many different versions and existed on many different planes and games.
Quilliant first came about as an idea between me and a fellow camp attendee at the "Midsummer Theatre Camp" in Bloomington, IN in 2001. She was a hobby artist and was making a little comic strip about her socially shy wizard. She lamented that she didn't have a foil for her wizard to really get out and adventure and I suggested that perhaps she should have Izzy (not the real name) get an out-going companion. Thus Quilliant was born.
Quilliant that year became a new RP character for me when I went back to the AOL community, which had changed somewhat. It was all well and good, but I hardly remember any of it. Very general, mundane RP.
Then along came Neverwinter Nights. Truthfully, I never beat the actual campaign in that game, I just joined for the online aspect. There I found a server called "Dragon Coast" (not to be confused with Forgotten Realms' Dragon Coat, which I later found out). The community was amazing. And they embraced me as one of their own right from the get-go. Quilliant in this world was characteristic, intriguing, funny, bardic, and just fun. He also had blue hair, bestowed from some magical curse or hex.
Quilliant was my only character on there for close to a year. In that time he "died" four times. Each time (except for the last) coming back when I was ready to rejoin after a short break. The last time was fun as he had been turned into an evil undead minion for a demon. He ended up being destroyed by the epic level paladin Fenia (a drow at that). Anyway, I wrote that his good soul soared into the heavens, free from the earth at last; his evil soul was thrown into the void. So I ended my time there at the Dragon Coast. I still miss them terribly, but they have come and gone and I believe are now on the NWNII system with a different world.
The next incarnation hardly used Quilliant's name at all. Instead he went by "The Skald" a superhero that appeared under the atlas statue to help defend Paragon City. This was of course my main hero in "City of Heroes". I made so many friend's through that game, as I have said before, and they are all wonderful. Then "City of Villains" came out, a perfect time to incorporate a storyline from The Dragon Coast, "The Enchanter" appeared this was of course Quilliant's bad soul come back to terrorize the world once more.
It was all very fun, then about a year ago I thought I was leaving CoH/V for good, so I deleted Skald and Enchanter, thus freeing up their names for someone else to take. I came back, of course (as is my habit), but the names were no longer free. Oh well, all good things must come to an end.
Quilliant's last incarnation came as a bard who used two whips as weapons. He was alot of fun to play and the DM was pretty creative as well. However, when Quilliant burst into a magical fire and consummed the evil dragon army (its always dragons) and himself, I officially retired the name. The only place that I use it now is on my AIM name and my G-mail, though I am considering changing both.
I think that is enough for now, I have a few more but they're a bit shorter than all of this. Anyway, I hope you three enjoy reading.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Fertile Ground
So today we planted our herbs. Currently they are in cute, little clay pots that are sunning themselves on my window sill. I have them alphabetically arranged just in case the paper tab I have marking them disappears. They are as follows: Basil, Cilantro, Lavender, Mint, and I picked up some Rosemary yesterday. Though the potting soil that I acquired this morning seems a little substandard, I'm sure they'll do alright. The window that they are in faces south and gets plenty of late morning through middle of the afternoon light.
I've completed a full week of going to the gym regularly (baring Saturday, a day for rest/recovery). I feel very good about it, but I don't plan on weighing myself for another week or so. On a lighter note (pun intended), I can fit into some of my old pants. I'm apparently a size smaller even though the measuring tape seems to lie to my face.
While I was out and about yesterday, I went to Barnes and Noble and picked up "The Zombie Survival Guide" by Max Brooks, it's very entertaining. While I was at the checkout line I saw a Quamut display. For those of you unfamiliar with Quamut, they are a supplier of fold out guides for various things (French, Math, Yoga, etc). The particular one that caught my eye, however was for Etiquette and Manners. I'll be the first to tell you, I will always try to be polite and friendly, but the guide also offers proper place settings, business ettiquette, and some good "reminder" guidelines. My favorite section is "Etiquette vs. Manners." Manners will always trump Etiquette, if you must know. Better to be polite and improper than snobby and stiff.
Also, right underneath it, I found a guide to Stretching (for beginners such as myself). Finding a resource for proper stretching was my initial goal of going to Barnes and Nobles. After I had exhausted the DVD and fitness sections which had a myriad of Power Yoga, Tai Chi, and Biggest Loser: Boot Camp programs, I shrugged and felt I'd probably have to go some place else to find just a DVD of people stretching in the proper way without risk of injury. Yoga is all well and good when you have a decent amount of flexibility already; but when you start from Square Zero, it can be difficult. I want be a tad more limber (not to mention leaner) than I am now before I attempt Yoga. Hell, I get a burn from sitting down with my legs out in front of my and placing my palm on my knee, that is how inflexible I am. No pain no gain right?
Also, a month ago a friend sent me this. It gave me a great deal of motivation and things to think about.
I've completed a full week of going to the gym regularly (baring Saturday, a day for rest/recovery). I feel very good about it, but I don't plan on weighing myself for another week or so. On a lighter note (pun intended), I can fit into some of my old pants. I'm apparently a size smaller even though the measuring tape seems to lie to my face.
While I was out and about yesterday, I went to Barnes and Noble and picked up "The Zombie Survival Guide" by Max Brooks, it's very entertaining. While I was at the checkout line I saw a Quamut display. For those of you unfamiliar with Quamut, they are a supplier of fold out guides for various things (French, Math, Yoga, etc). The particular one that caught my eye, however was for Etiquette and Manners. I'll be the first to tell you, I will always try to be polite and friendly, but the guide also offers proper place settings, business ettiquette, and some good "reminder" guidelines. My favorite section is "Etiquette vs. Manners." Manners will always trump Etiquette, if you must know. Better to be polite and improper than snobby and stiff.
Also, right underneath it, I found a guide to Stretching (for beginners such as myself). Finding a resource for proper stretching was my initial goal of going to Barnes and Nobles. After I had exhausted the DVD and fitness sections which had a myriad of Power Yoga, Tai Chi, and Biggest Loser: Boot Camp programs, I shrugged and felt I'd probably have to go some place else to find just a DVD of people stretching in the proper way without risk of injury. Yoga is all well and good when you have a decent amount of flexibility already; but when you start from Square Zero, it can be difficult. I want be a tad more limber (not to mention leaner) than I am now before I attempt Yoga. Hell, I get a burn from sitting down with my legs out in front of my and placing my palm on my knee, that is how inflexible I am. No pain no gain right?
Also, a month ago a friend sent me this. It gave me a great deal of motivation and things to think about.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Mana Cylix
So today was the first day of this new year of my "Full Workout". This entails me doing cardio and weight training. I actually had a great deal of fun. I got on the elliptical for a little over thirty minutes, did my upper body strength training for another 30, and then got back on the elliptical for 30 more minutes. I felt really good.
Also I have a workout sheet, that I'll be gradually filling out this month. At the bottom of each day (column) I'll have the gym attendant initial to say "Yes, he's been here.". It's just a small way to validate that I am making a change. I hope this works out. I have 100lbs I need to cut down by. I know I can do it!
Weight: 325.5 Goal: 225lbs
I gained some from last month, but only a pound. I didn't exercise much at all, so I was surprised that I only gained a tiny bit. Must not put things off.
Stomach: 53.5" Goal: ABS!
Waist: 47.5" Goal: 36"
Hips: 53.5 Goal: 36-38" (firm and sexy)
Edit: Woohoo! Two Pages!
Also I have a workout sheet, that I'll be gradually filling out this month. At the bottom of each day (column) I'll have the gym attendant initial to say "Yes, he's been here.". It's just a small way to validate that I am making a change. I hope this works out. I have 100lbs I need to cut down by. I know I can do it!
Weight: 325.5 Goal: 225lbs
I gained some from last month, but only a pound. I didn't exercise much at all, so I was surprised that I only gained a tiny bit. Must not put things off.
Stomach: 53.5" Goal: ABS!
Waist: 47.5" Goal: 36"
Hips: 53.5 Goal: 36-38" (firm and sexy)
Edit: Woohoo! Two Pages!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Rampant Growth
As I have posted previously, I've decided to start a garden in the backyard. Yesterday I went out to Meijer and bought some herb seeds that I'll probably be starting indoors before spring shows up. I only bought a few, which I actually plan to put in pots, I'll save the actual garden for veggies and maybe fruits.
Lemon Basil (Ocimum citriodorum): This is apparently a hybrid between regular Basil and African Basil. I hope to make some yummy pesto with this, so we'll see how it does. I just have to remember to deadhead it (pick off the flowers before they develop) otherwise the plant will literally go to seed.
True Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia): This should come in handy for giving aromatic qualities to food as well as supplementing the jar of Herbes de Provence I got at Christmas. Also, they are pretty.
Longstanding Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum): I love cilantro and coriander so I definatley wanted this in the garden. While I tend to cook for a rather unappreciative audience of this fine, aromatic herb I could care less, it's MAH GARDEN!.
Mint? (Mentha sachalinensis): The scientific name is a guess actually as the package of seeds does not give the actual name. So on "Mint" I've had to guess, but the common name of Mentha sachalinensis is Garden Mint, and there was no picture. However, there is a picture on the package, as much help as that is.
That seems it so far, but I want to plant some roses too. My grandfather has some of the prettiest ones, especially the Double-Delights which I've always adored. Learning to plant and raise those would be something I'd like to do as well. We'll see. I hope Spring gets here soon, I'm so sick of this snowy weather.
Lemon Basil (Ocimum citriodorum): This is apparently a hybrid between regular Basil and African Basil. I hope to make some yummy pesto with this, so we'll see how it does. I just have to remember to deadhead it (pick off the flowers before they develop) otherwise the plant will literally go to seed.
True Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia): This should come in handy for giving aromatic qualities to food as well as supplementing the jar of Herbes de Provence I got at Christmas. Also, they are pretty.
Longstanding Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum): I love cilantro and coriander so I definatley wanted this in the garden. While I tend to cook for a rather unappreciative audience of this fine, aromatic herb I could care less, it's MAH GARDEN!.
Mint? (Mentha sachalinensis): The scientific name is a guess actually as the package of seeds does not give the actual name. So on "Mint" I've had to guess, but the common name of Mentha sachalinensis is Garden Mint, and there was no picture. However, there is a picture on the package, as much help as that is.
That seems it so far, but I want to plant some roses too. My grandfather has some of the prettiest ones, especially the Double-Delights which I've always adored. Learning to plant and raise those would be something I'd like to do as well. We'll see. I hope Spring gets here soon, I'm so sick of this snowy weather.
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