A Libra Out of Whack

05:47 pm - Ugh

Not only am I broke, but I'm about to drop a ridiculous amount of money on my brother's bachelor party. Right now, I'm waiting for something else to go wrong. If I have to skimp on my brother's party because of people falling through on their obligations, I may have to remind the general public why I learned to control my temper.

Seriously. How hard is it to just pay shit back?

Current Mood: frustrated

02:05 am - Hrm

Your result for The Camelot Test...

Lady of the Lake

<a href="http://www.helloquizzy.com/tests

Current Mood: curious

12:16 pm - Ruminations on Friends

I am incessantly organizing things in my monkey brain. I have this teeny-tiny need for order and control, and categorizing helps assuage my issues.

I find it that I have four kinds of friends.

The first kind are the kind who constantly demand from me. It is not enough that I am their friend, but I have to provide something for them - roleplaying games, a drinking buddy, including them in things I do, SOMETHING.

The second kind are the kind who don't need me for anything at all. I am myself, they are themselves, and we orbit around our friendship comfortable in our roles.

The third type are the casual friends; we run into each other at events, or through social engagements, or work. We rely on an external force to keep us in contact, and while we get along, if you removed the external force, we would never interact.

The last are my true friends. We may not interact for years at a time, but as soon as we hook up again, everything is the way it has always been. In the back of my head, I know that I am loved and liked by these people, and sometimes all it takes it to reflect on those friends to realize how lucky my life really has been.

What about you? Where do you think you fall in this category? Do you agree with these labels, or do you use different criteria?

Current Mood: contemplative

10:29 am - Rekindling my faith in humanity

It is odd how an well-trained customer service representative can relieve stress over an administrative error. I work in customer service, and while a lot of people view it as a scum job, I have to point out how vital these people are in resolving problems.

I'm in a bit of amazement, as it seems that not only one, but /two/ financial institutions are working with me to resolve not only a deposit error, but also the approximately $650 in penalties that attached themselves to that error.

There is no guarantee that the problem will be corrected in its entirety, but I am mollified in knowing that the issue is being worked. Here's to hoping that it all works out.

Current Mood: exhausted

01:18 pm - For my Charleston Changeling peeps

If you've seen Hellboy II, just think of Unseeline Ieun and compare him to Nuada. I hate being That Guy that compares his PC to the Movie Dude, but it's a pretty awesome comparison. :)

09:43 pm - Listen up

If you are a friend of mine, you've probably been informed of this already. If you haven't, set your web brower to http://www.drhorrible.com/act_I.html and enjoy.

Do it.

Bad Horse commands it!

11:02 pm - Blast from the Past

The Butcher is a god-damned son of a bitch, and you can tell him I said so.

Current Mood: geeky

02:20 pm

I always find it amazing to discover the nooks and crannies of other people. I think that is why Facebook works so well; unlike LJ, it really just allows you to briefly and unobtrusively watch people you know go about their lives.

The oddest part? Realizing people I really had no concern for throughout high school have such interesting and varied lives...and that I'd probably be better friends with them if we hadn't gone to high school together. :D

Current Mood: amused

12:11 pm - [LARP] Ruminations

It's like I awakened from Torpor and set about in a flurry of activity. I haven't had this much fun discussing LARP issues and organizational politics in a long time!

Something Kory mentioned in another thread started my gears a-churning. With regards to trying to change the culture of OWbN in certain areas, I have always found it best to start small (whether in one or two games, one or two groups of individuals, one or two clans) and bring them into the fold, rather than stand up and wave my hands and proclaim the One True Way. It's much like any grassroots or guerrilla tactic: those people then spread their interpretations and preferences to other players, who then spread it to others, and so on.

This is the essence of why there are regional differences in the organization. This is why changing a culture intentionally is so very difficult and frustrating.

Thoughts?

Current Mood: creative

06:36 pm - Ye gods!

Nothing says, "Don't go for that afternoon walk you had planned, Alex!" like a sudden torrential downpour.

Instead it says, "Go get soaked and have fun in the rain!"

I'm out for a bit and enjoying Mother Nature.

Current Mood: cheerful

02:01 pm - [WoW] Tonight is the night

Tonight, my guild takes its first crack at Kael'Thas. It may sound silly, but I'm scared shitless of this fight - not because I don't think we can do it (we have the skill and the gear) but because it's so damn complicated that one raider making a mistake could wipe us.

It's a five-phase fight, involving fighting 4 mini-bosses one at a time, then 7 enchanted, sentient weapons simultaneously, then the 4 mini-bosses simultaneously, then the final boss with his phoenix pets, then the final boss while we all float in the air.

The strategy video alone runs just under 25 minutes.

I can't wait. I know we can do it. I'm just not sure what it's going to do to some of our not-as-capable raiders. It's one of those do-or-die fights, and we may lose people over it.

Current Mood: anxious

09:15 am - [LARP] Brave New World

I've been thinking about becoming more active in the org again. I think two years is an appropriate amount of time hiding in the trenches. Now I just have to resubccribe to certain mailing lists, update my friends' list, and get an idea of what issues are really presenting themselves to OWbN.

Apparently it boils down to: Brujah suck, Tremere cheat, there are too many Archons, we hate the coords, and the obligatory love/hate over Conclave. :)

I always find social interaction fascinating; it is one of the things that brings me back to the org time after time. I do not think the org is in any kind of death spiral or stasis; to me, it's the same hurtling-towards-drama-yet-getting-things-done that it always has been.

I do not like the monolithic nature of the organization, but I understand the human desire to simplify, codify, and pigeonhole. The nature of the World of Darkness /should/ be chaotic and not easily definable. I believe that Camarilla law should be a series of precedents and decisions made on the fly, with no Prince beholden to another. I believe that Domains SHOULD be little fiefdoms, in which the Prince or the Primogen or the Harpy can do whatever they feel...because that's the structure of the Camarilla. There should be no Master Harpy, but perhaps a council of respected Harpies who give input (but make no decision other than the weight of their approval or disapproval). I think traveling to other games and large gatherings should be fraught with peril and the possibility of death or disgrace should always hang over anything Kindred do. Because it's the goddamned World of Darkness.

The next time you sit down to complain about how it is stupid that your Presence works differently in the chronicle three miles down the road, think about it ICly. If the Disciplines change over time (and WW has shown that they do), and do not always work in the way that you expect them to (as WW has shown that they do), then turn it IC. Curious why Auspex picks up possessed Kindred in your Domain but not another? Turn it into personal plot. Just stop bitching about it OOCly. If players took personal responsibility for maintaining an appropriate atmosphere, STs took personal responsibility for running clean games, and the Coords took personal responsibility for maintaining genre, the game would be a lot more fun.

It'll never happen, but a fellow can dream, can't he? :)

In short, many of the I hear people complain about on lists, LJ, AIM, or in person I simply find to be appropriate. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe it's just based on how and where I learned to play. Maybe I'm not. Let's just have fun and play the damn game.

Edit: I'm just as guilty of this as anyone else. I wouldn't want people to think I'm sitting on my high horse and chastising the masses. I'm sitting in the mud, chastising the masses. >:>

Current Mood: bouncy

06:46 pm - Boredom!

It's my day off, I have no car, I don't want to play WoW right now (I just booted up Diablo Uno for old times' sake), and I'm still freaking bored.

Someone call me. Or text me. Or AIM me. Or SOMETHING. When Tim's AIM is the highlight of my afternoon, you know I need something to do! (No offense to Tim at all; it's awesome catching up...but a 10-minute AIM conversation should never be the highlight of an entire day.)

I'm in a good mood. I'm just restless. And bored. Bleh.

Current Mood: bored

11:29 am - What do you mean, it's not even noon yet?

My itinerary for the day so far:

06:00 - Awakened by hungry cats.
06:05 - Cats fed, collapse back in bed.
06:27 - Awakened by ulcer. Unable to return to sleep.
07:45 - Finish sorting mail for the last two weeks. Trash collected, prepared to be thrown out.
08:00 - Realized that until I receive a copy of my birth certificate, I will be unable to acquire a replacement license.
08:15 - Start dishes.
08:20 - Sort laundry.
08:30 - Stop sorting laundry when I realize I'm out of detergent.
09:00 - Finish farting around online, wake up girlfriend.
09:15 - Girlfriend successfully awake.
09:30 - Leave for the bank.
09:45 - Realize that the PIN for my replacement card does not match the PIN for my original card.
09:50 - Deposit rent from roommates, am told I cannot withdraw money without a license.
10:00 - Return home. Fight with girlfriend along the way. Also, call bank customer service and told that they can send me my PIN via mail in 3 - 5 business days. Also find out that my doctor's office is closed today.
10:15 - Call bank customer service back, am told that I can use my work badge as photo ID.
10:30 - Return to bank. Talk to same teller. Am told that work badge will not suffice.
10:31 - Contemplate homicide and/or possible bank robbery.
10:35 - Verify with teller that he cannot reset my PIN, but that he can allow me to withdraw money.
10:36 - Resist urge to point out that I had my badge around my neck when I was speaking to him 45 minutes earlier.
11:00 - Return home. Girlfriend pays for the insurance on her car and leaves to have her license renewed.
11:15 - Start second load of dishes.
11:30 - Sit down and realize that it's not even noon yet.
11:36 - Point this out in ironic manner on LJ.

Current Mood: exhausted

12:32 am - My Awesome Wednesday (A Recap)

I'll make the long, Alex-rant short and simple.

I had expired tags on my car. I knew they were expired, but chose to forego their renewal as I had other, (to my mind) more important financial considerations. I have no one to blame for that decision but myself, although the less mature side wants to go whine and point fingers at people who owe me money.

While gaming on Wednesday night, the local police chief for the village at which I was playing decided that he would run tags on cars parked on the street. Guess who was scooped up in his game?

I was pulled from my TT game, where I was placed inside the squad car for over 45 minutes while they tossed my car, treated me like a lower-class criminal (and possible thug), impounded my car, and wrote me a ticket which requires my presence at the village's mayoral court. Yep, I can't just write a check, I have to take time off from work to drive across town to let Mayor Podunk harangue me and THEN write a check.

I would only be annoyed over this, if it were not for the attitude the chief of police displayed. While I was engaged in a criminal act, and it is a pretty common act, I'm hardly a common criminal. My police record involves parking and speeding tickets. There was no need to treat me like the scum of the earth when the only thing I was guilty of was having expired tags.

It insulted my pride, ruined my game, and disrupted my plans for the weekend. I was having trouble arranging to go to Jersey this week anyway, but now I definitely can't make it. Fuck.

Edit: And he wrote on the ticket: Brown hair, brown eyes, 6', 250 lbs. Fuck THAT, asshole, I don't weigh 250 pounds. /queen

Current Mood: annoyed

11:27 pm - I Feel Pathetic

My pride is abused, my sense of accomplishment punctured, and generally feel like white trash scum. Thanks, Mister Policeman.

Current Mood: angry

11:01 am - Things I Learned This Week

Dehydration is bad. Drinking while dehydrated is worse. Drinking while dehydrated with an ulcer is even worse.

Part of me really wishes I hadn't succumbed to the lure of Origins. I had fun, but I had more fun seeing old friends (and making a few new ones) than gaming itself. I am glad that I went, though; it reminded me of the things I enjoy about the organization. Also, hanging out with Lee is a fun thing to do that I just don't do enough of.

Money is tight right now, and I may have to miss one of my best friends' wedding because of it. This makes me more than a little angry.

My ulcer keeps coming and going with me. I love when stress mixes with stress to cause an ulcer that stresses me out. Life is funny that way. :)

On top of all that, I lost my wallet. If it weren't for all the good things I don't bitch about, I'd think my life was miserable. :D

Current Mood: tired

04:18 pm - [MEME] 3 Things

Post 3 things you've done in your lifetime that you don't think anybody else on your friends list has done. See if anybody else responds with "I've done that." Have your friends cut & paste this into their journal to see what unique things they've done in their life.

Hrm, this is a tough one. Too many of my friends have had crazy encounters to really try to top them.

1. Been hit by a Somali taxi driver while on the sidewalk.

2. Pretended to be German to ignore panhandlers in New Orleans, only to find out that the panhandler I was avoiding WAS German.

3. Lived off of crackers, salt, and beer for a month.

06:48 am - Old Fogey no more!

I finally succumbed and joined Myspace and Facebook. The end could very well be nigh.

Current Mood: awake

01:12 pm - The Perils of Short Term Disability

Right now, the only option of which I can think that allows me access to my medical records in a timely fashion would be the following:

1. Make doctor's appointment.
2. Wait until I'm alone with the doctor.
3. Kick him in the testicles repeatedly.
4. Grab my medical files.
5. Flee the office, cackling madly.
6. Fax the information to MetLife (which should have been done a week ago by the aforementioned doctor).

I can understand putting things off. I can dig being a bit lazy. But the motherfucker had a month to submit this information. I handed a list of everything needed AND the fax number AND my claim number and made it clear that I would be fired if it wasn't submitted by noon of last Tuesday.

At this point, I think it may be time to start looking for another job.

Current Mood: frustrated