Voyeurism - Watching the PTR

I have to admit to having a bit of that in me. This week, a few people have been streaming video from the Public Test Realms as they play. Last night and right now, I am watching Stompalina of the Rawrcast Show. Last night she had a 10 man raid ready to work on the Iron Council, which they had one go at before they shut down the instance. Stompalina gave us a tour of the parts of the instance that weren't blocked off, too. Today she is showing us some of the dailies for the Argent Tournament. I can't imagine the amount of multi-tasking involved, doing dailies, making sure the feed is going, watching the kids...

Thanks, Stompalina! Guess I'd better go crack the whip on my kids so I can get some real world dailies done now. If I'm lucky, I'll be done by 4 Central to listen to her live feed!

Queue Up for Battlegrounds... Anywhere?

This is fabulous news. I have heard of the twink that would group up, travel to Sen-Jin Village to get whatever buff the witch doctor would give them, and then have their buddies queue up for a battleground. Now, Bom'Bay, the witch doctor in training, doesn't give any performance enhancing buffs, but how fun is it to run into Warsong Gulch huge, or ghostly? Mangletooth in Camp Taurajo has buffs he gives in exchange for Blood Shards that improve your stats. Certainly worthwhile for a level 19 twink to park themselves in Camp T instead of a major city now, isn't it? For us higher level characters, perhaps we'll be camping in Zim'Torga and using our Drakkari Offerings before a fight to get these buffs. I don't imagine Alliance have any cool buffs you can get for a few worthless gems, do they?

What other fantastic things can we do as we wait out our queue time in just about anywhere? Dailies come to mind, as well as flower picking and mining. Fishing trips with a little butchering sprinkled in? Tired of the long grind for reputation and want a change? Enter the queue. Pug group really so bad that you want to go kill yourself? Queue up and let the other side do it for you.

When you finish your battleground, does it deposit you where you left off, or will you find yourself at the nearest town, flightpoint, or worse, major city (faction taken into account)? I guess we will have to wait for the test realm players to tell us. I can wait. :)

Sixth Image In My Blog Folder...

My screenshot folder was erased tragically a couple of days ago by my husband when he reinstalled WoW for me. My fault entirely, I forgot to move it. But I do have a folder here on Blogger that has all my screenshots I use for the blog. So here it is. The Sixth Image...

Esoterique, about level 45, in the Hinterlands. She loves fire :)

I do have another place I store images, so I thought it might be fun to see what my sixth image on Photobucket. Well, maybe not my sixth image, it's wallpaper, the same as this site has. So the sixth screenshot is...
Carlotta at Brewfest! I think she was trying to get the brewmaster's attention. After all, she does have two steins to keep filled...hic!

Alright, I'm wondering if I have any other strange gems hiding on my computer. (riffling through the image folders on my desktop...) Here's a worthy candidate. The 6th in my Google received image files folder is..


Synna and Stroganhoof, a pair we leveled during the recruit a friend months, in their early 20's. They both reside on my husband's account now, and he still plays with Synna, but poor Stroganhoof sits waiting for someone to love him. I tried, Stro, I really tried, but I have an aversion to playing male characters. I hope you can forgive me!

Pixelated Executioner tagged me, and now I get to tag others! Who to choose? I'll start with Kathoid at Druidkitty, as I see she hasn't done this yet. Binary Colors, because I think I'd like to see what kind of images Ila is hiding in her folders. Tinuviel and Anelf at Steady Shot, I know you're hiding some gems in your folders, too. I can't possibly tag 6 that I read on a regular basis, because most everyone has been tagged already!

Alright, I have to throw one more image in. Number 17 in my Picasa photo album according to date submitted (because the 16th is sideways)...



My second youngest, last summer at the water park. Yes, sometimes I do get out in the sun!

I Dusted Off My Tank Yesterday...

...and it was a horrible disaster! A friend needed a run through of Azjol-Nerub for his new death knight and his son's moonkin, and I was faced with the decision to either overpower the instance with heals and pug a tank, or to try and tank and pug a healer. In hindsight, the first option would have probably been best, but I decided to dust off Shawndra and put her into the fray. She was specialized well, in the protection tree as she should be, and she had all her Karazhan gear, with the new addition of some plate shoulders. Her glyphs had not been changed out for leveling, as she still had glyph of Revenge, Thunderclap, and a couple other tank specific glyphs. We grabbed my hubby's death knight to round out the party, as there were no healers available, and pugged a healer.

Right from pull one I had trouble gaining rage. I chalked it up to my not knowing how to play a warrior, having been so deeply involved with my priestess. So, I shrugged of having lost aggro to the death knights, and pulled again. My rage starvation continued. I apologized, got to the first boss, and pulled again, hitting my rage generation button and prayed as I started Thunderclapping and using my new AoE stun Shockwave to help the healer keep me up more easily, and hoping it would help to gain on aggro generation. A little better, but I had still very little control over the mobs. But I had more rage! Got to the boss, used devastate, heroic strike, shockwave/thunderclap, and sprinkled in taunts to try and keep him on me. I think I remember dying just before the boss went down. I was resurrected, and we skipped down to the next boss' lair. Pull number one? Wipe! I forgot to mention we had wiped at least once on the way to boss number one, and once pulling the mobs directly in front of same boss. 3 wipes in, our priest says, "You guys are beyond bad." and leaves group. I had disclaimed myself before the run, and apologized after he hearthed out, thanking him for sticking it out. Seems part of my rage starvation was directly the cause of having been bubbled. I didn't say anything to him about that, but started figuring out how to continue this run so my friend could get what he needed. End solution? Pull out the overpowered healer and bring in an overpowered death knight to tank. Instance completed shortly after, no more wipes.

So, where did I go wrong? My hit rating is abysmal. This could have been a problem. I have no doubt that that was a big part of it. No recent practice, and no careful study of other warrior tanking blogs. I need to know what attacks to use, in what order, in different situations. guess I'll be looking over some tanking blogs! And, I need an overpowered healer to back me up while I tank guild runs until I figure out this tanking thing again.

Will I pack Shawndra away in mothballs again? Maybe not, but she definitely isn't my top priority. If you have any suggestions, places to go, stuff to try, alluring tanking items to equip...

Please leave a comment after the article!

Bow Loving Orc Chick :)

Sorry, Carlotta hates guns. She trained them, and went out of her way not to ever use a gun for 75 levels. Then, she does a quest in Grizzly Hills, and what is the quest reward? A gun. A big, fugly gun. Guns, in her opinion, are clunky, smelly, noisy, and heavy! A bow, no matter how huge and ornate, will never be as heavy. The gun is, at best, a side grade. She will lose 34 attack power to gain another point in agility and 13 critical strike rating. The top end damage is one point less, and the DPS is .4 less than what she already has. That, and she would have to buy an ammo pouch and bullets.

You know, I think she's gonna just keep her Sunfury Bow of the Phoenix. Gavrok can take his Bondsniper and put it you know where.

Thanks to Dramek, I now have an ammo pouch. I suppose I'll give the gun a try. But I don't have to like it!

Left Out? Check Your Attitude, Girl!

As a short side note, this is all about me and my bad attitude. Any references to any other human beings are simply for illustration of said horrible funk, and not meant to paint them in any other color than the wonderful people they really are.

It's probably nearing that time of the month where everything bothers me, even the good stuff.

It all started out so nice. Hubby and I grouped up and headed for Westfall, got into Deadmines, set the loot to free-for-all, and he killed while I looted. Jokes were made in guild chat over whether I was going to master loot Van Cleef, so that the obvious healer gear wasn't given to a caster by mistake. Hubby got the Siamese Cat out of Cookie's apron pocket. As my husband was being killed by a lower level paladin in Westfall afterward, he drops group. No group chat saying, "I'm gonna run this or that with him or her". No turn to me and say, "Oh, the guys want me to run such and such, so I'm leaving." Nothing. I tried talking to him, but with the headset, turned up conveniently loud, he didn't hear me the 5 times I said something. I got miffed, saw he was in a raid, and ran into Stormwind for the intended follow up to Deadmines, the Stockades, alone. I got killed, resurrected at the spirit healer, hearthed, and logged in my bank character. I set the scan for Auctioneer, and continued to cast mean looks at my husband. Boy was I in a foul mood. I eventually got on my hunter and ran Draktharon with a few of my friends, and got a mail headpiece, and then killed a few random worgen for the final points to 75, then ran the Ampitheater of Anguish, only to get even more ticked because my hunter had been so lazy about her leveling to 70 that she hadn't even done the original ring of blood to get the quest achievement. Growling even more, I logged in my bank alt again, checked my auctions, and saw my favorite paladin tank log in. In ventrilo, someone mentioned that Graham had logged in, and I snarled,"You can't have him, he's mine! I've been waiting all evening to run a heroic to get some gear." Snippity, bad, snarly, growly, ugly! I was mean! This doesn't happen often. But when it does, oh baby, shut down the "your momma" jokes. Don't trash talk with anyone in the guild. Don't mention the drop you just got. Don't even mention you're in a raid or heroic. I wasn't invited, it didn't happen. And it better still not be happening.

Delgada got her run in the Nexus. But she had to DPS. Because she had hit gear and the other priest who said she'd fill the unfillable spot in the group didn't and she was discipline and not confident of her damage dealing skills. Also in the group, a newly 80 warlock, and my husband the mage, who by then was aware of his crimes and had been apologized to. I was still growly, and I took it out on one of our ex tanks, who had stolen my husband away to a full clear of Naxx-10 (which I also haven't done). I think they even ran Obsidian Sanctum. He walked away with some nice pants, along with his achievement. Still mad. Still grousing at anyone who will listen.

I got a neckpiece off of the boss that summons all those portals. "Look, honey, loot!" Yeah, like a BLUE was gonna make me happy. I don't even think legendary was gonna make me happy last night. We got through all the encounters, save the first, without too much trouble, despite my lousy 1k DPS. I should have been happy with that number, as my gear was lacking in hit rating, and was low level at that. At one point, I had even got to 1.2k. It was fleeting, only lasting about 3 minutes, but it was a high point. Still not happy. Got to the end, killed poor Keristrasza, and she dropped plate. Bitch! Yeah, still not happy. Kinda had my sights set on a weapon. Yeah, you healers know which one I'm talking about. The one that looks like it was stolen from Lady Liberty.

Instance done, I hearthed. I did say thank you, nice run, and all the obligatory pleasantries that go along with a guild run of anything. But I didn't say anything when I turned off Ventrilo. It was probably best.

Sorry, everyone. Give her what she wants, and noone will get hurt. I hear this only lasts a few days. Please bear with her, and give her bon bons and tell her she's pretty. Things will go more smoothly, I promise.

Almost Two Full Months Event Free!

I don't know how all of you feel, but I'm holidayed out! It seems that for the last several months it's been holiday achievement list after holiday achievement list. I'd like to thank Blizzard for taking this almost two month long break to help some of us regain our sanity. I don't have to think about holiday achievements until the beginning of April. I am sooo excited!

That being said, I will still have Delgada do her tour of Outlands and Northrend for great spots to take your sweet, even if they will be a bit outdated when they are released. Why? Because she said she would! I am going to hold her to her word.

Also, I kind of scrapped the Holy DPS project, mostly because I ran out of me time to do it in. My guild has been needing more of my healing abilities as we bring in more great people, and I find myself going into more instances, and even into heroic raiding! KNR usually has problems getting close enough to 25 people that want to do something at the same time. Usually, we have enough for a 10 and an instance run, with a couple on the side. But lately, with some recruiting and some luck, we've had as many as 30 on in an evening. This made it possible for us to run heroic Obsidian Sanctum, successfully, and only had to bring in one DPS from outside.

So, I guess that means I am kind of busy. Thankfully (should I be?), this last week everyone was busy getting their "Love is in the Air" achievements out of the way, so Delgada was able to finish her piece on the Eastern Kingdoms. But, right after the holiday was over, they were back at Naxxramas, and time ran out. I plan on being busy starting tonight, upgrading some gear I have been hanging onto for no good reason at all, as one of our priests goes from Holy to Discipline, which means I had better be a better raid healer...yesterday! Wish me luck!

Nose to the Grindstone

Delgada has been so busy traveling Azeroth in search of the best romantic spots, she has neglected taking care of some achievements. Please bear with her as she finishes off some chores. She plans on a return Sunday, with "An Escape to Remember: The Outlands".

Romancing the Eastern Kingdoms: A Photo Journal

Delgada once again puts on her traveling attire and readies her camera to find lovely getaways in the eastern kingdoms.









The home of magic abusing elves, Quel'thalas is also one of the prettiest parts of the Eastern Kingdoms. Usually deserted, Silvermoon City can be yours to use as you please. Go riding out past the Dead Scar to Fairbreeze Village and buy a Dragonhawk hatchling to match your date's outfit!
Home to the Scarlet Monastery, Tirisfal Glades is beautiful, in a misty, mournful way. Have you known your sweet forever? Plan ahead, clear out the Cathedral, and stage a wedding! Don't forget the tuxedo and wedding dress, or the ring. After the wedding, head out to Shadowfang Keep in nearby Silverpine Forest, clear out the dining room, and set out some feasts and cakes for a reception she's not likely to forget soon!

Indiana Jones will have nothing on you should you take your gal along on an excursion through Jintha'alor in the Hinterlands. Bone up on your troll lore, and hope Mith'rethis the Enchanter is there and drops those sexy spider robes!

Is she the rugged, outdoors type? Perhaps she would enjoy some rock climbing. Head out to Hillsbrad Foothills and climb the crater left behind after Dalaran moved to Northrend. Not challenging enough? Make sure the both of you have finished your prequesting and find the man behind the Love Plague near Manor Ravenholdt. Hike the hidden trails to get back there, and when you are done questing, explore the manor.

Your party girl will love the Grim Guzzler! Located deep within Blackrock Depths, this bar serves up ale and entertainment. For those looking for a good fight, all you have to do is take a beer mug off the table. Make sure it is alright with your date first, though! The Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftains play there nightly at 8:00 server time. If you are fortunate enough to have Direbrew's remote, just talk to the roadie for a private showing anytime you like!









Maybe a ride into the countryside followed by a picnic is more your style. Ellwyn Forest has many places suited to picnicking, and several unoccupied barns offer themselves up for an impromptu roll in the hay. If you are of the Alliance faction, a stop by the Crazy Cat Lady should be included, if only to save one of those cats she sells from her stewpot!

Does your lady long for the sea? Menethil Harbor has boats to many destinations. Is she perhaps just content to sit and ponder the waves? A quaint lighthouse off the coast of Westfall is a great place to watch the waves, and your ghostly host is friendly to both factions. Does she just like to watch the fish? The best aquarium ever is said to have been made was quite accidentally done by the gnomes when they made the tram between Ironforge and Stormwind.

Stranglethorn Vale is the place, if a safari is in your sights! Head over to Nesingwary's original camp and, if you haven't already, partake in his savage desire to rid the Vale of all wildlife. If this is small game to you, grab a mudskunk lure and head for Zul'Gurub. Head for the fishing camp, cast your line, and prepare for excitement! You may want to do this as a double date, or a group outing...Does your gal fancy herself a dragon slayer? There are many areas infested with dragonkin and drakes, such as the Burning Steppes, the Badlands, the Searing Gorge, the Blasted Lands, and a few places in Kalimdor. Grab a good sized group and visit Twilight Grove in Duskwood. Pay a visit to Emeriss, or Lethon, or Ysondre. A challenging date, for your dragon killer!

Nothing says I love you to your gothic gal quite like a free ticket to dinner in Moroes' dining hall. While you're there, grab another couple or four and make your way to the opera hall. I do so love their rendition of Romulo and Julianne. If there is time, clear the library for some achievement reading.
No romantic getaway is possible without some means of transportation. In Dun Morogh, there is a fabulous airstrip that takes a little work to get to. Follow this tutorial to get there. Save your date the hassle of the trip, and bring a friend and a warlock friend with you to summon her up! There is a nice area up there large enough for a whole guild party, but I'm willing to bet it's also deserted enough for a snuggle by the fire. Oh, I said there was transportation here? Fat chance. None of these planes are leaving anytime soon!

I hope you found this journal helpful in finding ideas for that special someone. Come back soon for my journals on Outland, and time permitting, Northrend!

Romantic Kalimdor: A Photo Journal

After stopping by the bank for her Romantic Picnic Basket and several eye catching outfits, Delgada slung her camera over her shoulder (those gnomes are just so clever) and took the portal from Dalaran to Orgrimmar, the Horde capital city. Realizing her Alliance readers may not want to wine and dine their date in the style that the orcs and trolls are accustomed to, she hopped a wyvern and flew to Ratchet, a quaint goblin operated fishing village on the shore.

The Broken Keel Tavern is a clean place run by Innkeeper Wiley. The food is adequate, if you are just looking for a quick bite before your adventures. There is transportation to the Eastern Continent and Booty Bay via the Maiden's Fancy, if this continent does not suit your date's style.

There is a great opportunity for someone who fancies the pirate's life just south of Ratchet along the Merchant Coast. An empty pirate ship, complete with cannons and flying red and black sails. Pick up some swashbucklers shirts, let her wear the captain's hat, and have some fun!

Further south, off the shores in Dustwallow Marsh, there is Alcaz Island, full of beautiful tropical plants and breathtaking scenery. Make sure your date has her raiding gear on and is at least level 70, because the island is also host to Naga, hydra, an evil doctor and his minions, and some dragonkin. Still, a breathtaking spot for an intimate picnic. Did I mention that there is some opportunity for snorkeling off the coast of the island? An interesting shipwreck is visible above the water, waiting to be explored.

Thousand Needles is home to breathtaking vistas from fabulous heights. It is also home to the Shimmering Flats, and the Mirage Raceway. Bring your rose colored glasses, buy some Tigole and Foror's, and sit down and watch the races. This is a grand spectacle noone should miss. Don't forget to visit the pits on both sides for some insight into the workings of their race vehicles. While you're there, if your sweetie doesn't have one, buy her an Ancona Chicken!

In Tanaris, a cozy spot to have a drink and a bite is the Tavern of Time, just inside the cavern on your way to the Caverns of Time instances. Two stools in an elvish inspired inn, with a bearskin rug, for some snuggling after a long day at the races? A great place for a walk, though short, would be outside the Culling of Stratholme, which reminds us how beautiful it was before it was burned to the ground and filled with Scourge.

In Un'Goro, show her the beauty of the crystal caverns. It's dark, lit only by the glimmer of the stones, so who will know if you sneak a peck on the cheek? We won't tell. By the way, the kodo by the entrance loves bloodpetal sprouts...



Beautiful even in ruins, Dire Maul is full of history. For the gal you know is smarter than you, study up on the high elves and their fall, and impress her with your knowledge as you stroll amongst the still magically charged ruins. If you have time, be sure to drink some ale with the ogres, and make her queen for a day!

Into a little excitement? How about some Colossal Diving? Beneath the Twin Colossals, you will find Maril Wishrunner, who will send you on a zephyr to the top of one of the twins. How to get down? If you are a priest or mage, jump and cast levitate or slow fall and giggle as you float. All you normal people out there will have to depend on Kalin Windflight and his Colossal Parachute. Once you have purchased this item, drop it in your toolbar, and jump. After a few seconds, hit your button, and parachute to safety. For those who are fishermen (and women) at heart, this is also a nice, private fishing place to hit for those rare fish you are trying to catch for your achievement! Bring a picnic, some Captain Rumsey's, and your pole. Lure covered hats and fishing chairs are optional.

Desolace is, just as it is named, desolate. Not much in the way of romantic spots, unless you want to take your date on a run of Maraudon. Giant flowers and breathtaking waterfalls? It may work.





Ashenvale is so beautiful all over, there isn't one spot that makes me want to say, "Go there!" Well, maybe one. If you don't tell the elves you went skinny dipping in their moonwell, neither will I.



Dating a party girl? The trolls in Shatterspear Village know how to do it right. Hike among the peaks of Winterspring, following this guide, and with a little slow fall help, you could be dancing the night away. Don't worry, they aren't hostile to Alliance, unless you hit first!

This concludes my photo journal of Kalimdor. Next stop? Eastern Kingdoms!

Gifts For Your WoW Sweetie

You know it. Everyone knows it. You've been /drooling over that hot Draenei shaman for well over a month now. You don't even care if there is a real live girl controlling her. So, what do you plan to do to get her to notice you?

Well, you could just /tell her you think she's fine. That could end up well, or could really make you swear off pixel chicks forever. So, slow down, turbo. Lose the haste gear. Watch her habits. When you raid together, does she always have a non combat pet at her heel? When you bump into her in town, is she wearing her new epic gear, or some fashionable hanbok? When she farms, what is she after? Is she into ore, herbs, or leather? Or perhaps she likes cloth. Maybe she is working her way through all the patterns in her favorite profession while she farms. Maybe she is after that one specific pet. Whatever the case, gather as much information on her habits as you can. We are on a quest, to win her pixelated heart, and the reward? Only time will tell!

You've watched her for a while. She likes the non-combat pets? Maybe she isn't exalted with the Oracles yet, or too young yet to know who they are. How about a White Tickbird Hatchling? I hear they hatch pretty regularly from the egg you can buy from the Oracles. If you haven't got the faction to do it alone, ask a guildmate, or check the auction house. These do not bind on pickup, so you are fairly certain to find one there. She already has a bird? How about an engineered pet, like the Lifelike Mechanical Toad? It's not a super easy pet to find, but if you know the right people, or advertise for a bit in trade, you can probably get one of these. The Mechanical Squirrel Box is another cutie, but is also fairly common. I wouldn't risk gifting this to any but the lowest level character. She's a pet afficionado, and has everything known to Azeroth? I'll bet, if you put your mind and time into it, you would be able to farm up one of the most rare pets in the game, the Parrot Cage (Hyacinth Macaw). If you are any level above 60, these mobs should be easily aoe'd to the ground. The drop rate is rather low, but you want to impress? This one is the best!

She isn't too into the mini pets? She's into leather? Perhaps a nice poem and a crate of rare leathers will tickle her fancy. Loves ore? Then perhaps that poem would go better with a crate of rare ores. Likes to blend herbs? A few stacks of common herbs and a few more rare lotus to go with would be sure to please. Does she have a crafting profession? I'll bet a smooth fella like you could find a few rare recipes that she doesn't have. Wrapped in a box and ribboned, it's sure to pluck at her heartstrings.

You say she's pretty independent, and doesn't need anything? How about a nice dress? This time of year, tailors and collectors trot out the best of these, but not without a price. See if you can find the dress from the easter holidays, or maybe you'll be a lucky enough guy to get a dress from a gift box you get from those alliance gals swooning over you in Stormwind. You might know a tailor that would make a wedding dress or a festival dress for you. Additionally, there are vendors in Moonglade and Dalaran that make some nice hanbok and dangui. Some of the lower level white quality robes are also very prized for their looks. Kill spiders in Tirisfal Glades for a Spider Web Robe. You can rarely get Snowy Robe from Starving Winter Wolves in Dun Morogh. Light Magesmith Robe drops from Frostmane Trolls in Dun Morogh. The White Woolen Dress made by tailors is also very pretty.

What are all these dresses worth without the proper accessories? Shoes can make or break an outfit. If your gal has toenails to show off, Cross-stitched Sandals would be a good find. If she'd rather hide her feet, make sure the dress is long, or buy her some Dress Shoes. Most women have favorite necklaces and rings they wear daily, so I wouldn't buy anything there. But a pretty flower or bauble to hold in her hand? Flowers are always a good idea! There are flower vendors in Dalaran, Thunder Bluff, The Culling of Stratholme, Valgarde, and Stormwind. There is also a bind on equip offhand frill with stats, Dreamseeker Dandelion which would look lovely, and add some combat stats. What if she isn't a flower loving girl? Maybe she'd still like a different offhand to compliment her attire. Does she love her ale?A Ritual Stein or Lapidis Tankard of Tidesippe might catch her eye. Is she often questing in the dark? Beacon of Hope would help light her way. Does she seem a bit gothic to you? Swampchill Fetish might thrill her dark little heart. She loves to read, you say? I'll leave that up to you, you clever fellow. There are books to be had all over the place! Now, if she's into the odd offhand, perhaps you'd better go fishing.

By now I should have hit on something to win your sweeties heart over. Just because you have won her heart does not mean the work is finished. Tomorrow's post? Hot spots to take your sweetie for some romantic roleplay!

Change of Pace

I haven't been playing my priest heavily this last week or so, because I really don't like raiding without my husband. He's on the cusp of 80 with his new main, so I have been toodling around on my hunter, Carlotta. Forsaken beast mastery hunter that she is, I still find it to be the easiest leveling spec out there. Not many characters you can walk away from at the start of a fight and come back at the end with them still standing, much less at full health and with a happy pet.

I have to admit that, though I play my priestess more heavily, I don't feel I have a main character. I priest well (both shadow and holy), I hunter adequately (never been much of a trapper), and until WOTLK, I tanked well enough on my warrior to have been main tank for my guild, for a time. Fury DPS was not hard either, giving my hubby's rogue a run for his money many times. Since Delgada is 80, has a few pieces of gear, and her professions are close to where they should be, I don't feel like I need to push for groups to upgrade, even though she really needs some (her mace is one of them). So, Carlotta got to run Nexus again, and with that was able to do some of the quests she had been holding onto in the Borean Tundra. I'd like to follow the plan of doing all the easy stuff and saving the tough stuff for last for the gold, but I just don't know if I have the patience this time. I like having a choice when it's time to raid. Without having a choice, sometimes I just get left behind when they have too many healers. I really don't raid for the pretty purples, I raid for the fun of it. Having a few characters ready for raiding really appeals to me. As long as I'm not bumping someone who really needs the run for a drop, I am ready to fill about any need the guild has. Need a tank? I got one. Need heals? Piece of cake. Need some ranged DPS? I'm your girl. Need some melee DPS? Well, I'm still working on that. Maura was the last one of my stable of main alts (he he he) to hit 70 before Wrath. So, I have 3 more to level to 80, with a mage and a warlock biding their time in Hellfire. Guess I'd better get cracking!

Way Off Topic Rant

Please pardon while Shawndra leaves the room for a bit and allows Jeni to vent.

I hate telling kids I can't feed them. HATE IT. Yes, I know, hate is a very strong word. I would be alright telling a junior high student or a high school student to take a hike, but elementary kids? I know sometimes we forget, and that is why, at least where I work, they allow them to charge. It's not a huge amount, but it should be sufficient for the once in a while rush when they forget to hand Johnny his lunch money or box. We even have a system in place for when their account is at it's charge limit. But what kid wants a plate with salad and a milk only, especially when there are such wonders as corn dogs, uncrustables, cheese pizza, and sloppy joes on the menu? None of them do. The lips pout, the eyes tear up, the sniffles commence. I should not have to be the big meanie and tell them no. I would like to have the parent, instead, in line and me telling them they can't have their lunch and that they have to wait until 3:00 when they get home to have it. Then make them go sit in the cafeteria with all their buddies with an apple and a milk and try not to cry because they really wanted a hot dog and tater tots instead.

If you can't afford it, pick up the application! There is no difference between a free lunch and a paid lunch when the kids step up and touch their button. None of them care one bit. Why should you? Please, make the lunch lady happy and take care of your kiddos. She'll go home a little less heavy hearted, knowing she turned away one less kid today, and had to call one less parent's answering service to tell them she served Jessica an emergency lunch. Because, even if she looks like a mean old ogre, she still has a soft spot for these kids, or she wouldn't be there everyday serving them.

/rant off

Achievement Break-Jenkins and More!

My hubby and I grabbed a couple extra guild mates and aoe'd our way through LBRS and UBRS, claiming the Jenkins title and grabbing achievements for both dungeons. Hubby and I also got attuned to Blackwing Lair. We weren't ever, nor will we ever really be, serious raiders, so this is something for us. Maybe we'll get a few people together this weekend for some classic runs!

Hubby and I also hit Blackrock Depths, getting that achievement, as well as grabbing some Dark Iron Ale so that I could get another non combat pet during the Darkmoon Faire's visit to Shattrath.

We got it! Sinnerman and Delgada are now the proud owners of unhatched jubling eggs! Yippee!

Alright, I know this is all way too exciting for you. Next up, after some more research on my part, a solid rotation for a Holy DPS priest. Stay tuned!