"He can call me Flower if he wants to."

I'd never seen a moth so new. Its wings hadn't even dried yet.
It looked alot like a flower bud at first.

Final Fantasy Flaming

I'm constantly amazed by the degree of bitching that goes on in the Final Fantasy XI forums on Allakhazam. I understand people griping about things like stupid players not knowing how to do their jobs, not willing to skill chain or learn how, and not having the most (realistically) up to date armor. (The standard armor for your level, not necessarily the suped-up expensive +1 stuff.) Anger about kill steals, botting, and people scamming parties for rare drops is understandable, too.

What baffles me are when the bad players who don't know how to do their job, never skill chain, don't wear reasonably up to date armor, and don't level their sub-job flame about people who won't invite them because of these issues, with the stipulation that since they're paying for the game, they should be able to do what they want, and get invites from people who ALSO pay for the game.

People who refuse to party with races that aren't optimal in that class are just as justified to gripe as people who create them, if they make no effort to compensate for the weaknesses by eating food and buying equipment with the appropriate modifiers.

I have read posts where people justify cheating, hacking, botting, power leveling, and buying gil with cash with the argument that they don't have the time to do these things, but should still have all the benefits as the people who invest a lot of time crafting, farming, and legitimately investing in their character. That someone does not have as much time to invest in their character does not make it ok to undermine someone else's accomplishments with cheats, or break the TOA.

Reading posts where cheaters bitch about getting caught and banned makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Business, (casual) as Usual

I'm back to my button down shirts and heels.

Casual, for a Change (of clothes)

For the past two days, I've been allowed to wear casual clothes to work since I've been unpacking, packing, and doing inventory on a booth display we ordered for conventions. It's such a small thing, but I was pretty pscyhed about wearing my regular clothes. When I go places dressed up in my button down shirt and heels, and I kind of feel like I should walk up to people and tell them 'Really, I'm not like this.' Today, I sported a soccer jersey I picked up from Goodwill. (I really need to cut down on the puns.) I love that shirt and its three dollars worth of uber pimpness. The colors are so fun.

I went to see Mean Girls after work with Nick and Walker. I didn't even need to change first! How exciting. It really was a good movie, too.

Austin Traffic Report

While the most of the scenery on my commute is nice, the construction of the toll way near where I live is interesting, at best. At worst, all the trucks clog up traffic.

Sugar and Vice

One of my favorite weekend perks (pardon the pun) is my morning coffee and cigarette. While I can have those both at work, there's an obligation to go back inside that just detracts from the experience. There's no way that's going to compete with Sunday morning pj's and bed head.

Austin Traffic Report

I have a longish commute, but at least the scenery's nice.

I'm a little happier about the blog, now that I've found a place to host pictures, though I've yet to change the template. Still, it's kind of boring, but hey, I'm domestic now. I suppose I could make something up about being famous and coming back from the dead.

Ramen Rave

It's annoying that America doesn't have more hot fast food. I'm not talking about the typical burger-and-fries fast food restaurant. Nothing involving a drive through window. I've had serious ramen cravings for the past two weeks. I'd love some Japanese ramen. The kind you you get in little diners that sell ramen exclusively, not the 10c supermarket stuff that comes in blocks and styrofoam cups. I guess it makes sense, business-wise, for that kind of stuff to not show up as often in the US. It's the city layout; we drive everywhere. Downtown Austin, 6th Street specifically, has hot good food in little shops because there's so much foot traffic on the weekends. I need to live in a city with a subway system.

Hundreds Die in Scalding Floods

I take perverse pleasure in ridding myself of anthills by pouring a few pots of scalding water on them. The dirt washes away and in a few minutes dead ants and larvae show up, which are soon rescued by the remaining live ants. I pour boiling water on them, too.