World Renown

I have been promising photos of my adventures in Middle Earth for quite some time. Today, after nearly a year I got a title I have been working towards, and more importantly a VERY nice horse!
Horses being the hook that got me involved in Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) thanks to a certain Burro...

This is Belandwen, my Elf Hunter and my primary avatar in LOTRO. She is now at level 74 and is exploring the newest content in Dunland, heading for Isengard.


This is Fani, a fair Dwarf maiden. Some believe that there are no female dwarves, but Fani would beg to differ. She has gone from being a shy young thing, just arrived in Thorin's Hall from her home in the Grey Mountains to being an experienced warrior of some renown herself! She is currently a level 53 Champion, and is a fierce lady!


And this little cutie is Varia Brandywise, Hobbit Warden. Varia is my beloved's primary avatar in LOTRO. You will often see a tall Elf and a very short Hobbit out causing mayhem in Middle Earth - that will likely be us :)
A big part of the appeal of LOTRO is the really beautiful world that Turbine has created for us to inhabit. The vistas are just phenomenal, and the details are wonderful. The magic of the Elven realms, the vastness of the Dwarven halls, and the unremitting opression of Angmar truly have to be experienced.

I will try to update more often...we shall see!

Even Better!!

Black Oatmeal

What She Said!

Internet censorship is good for nobody.

The Answer to Violence is More Democracy

Ten years ago I had just moved to a new city and was getting ready to start my first job as a hospice nurse.
The day began with my mother calling and telling me to turn on the TV. It was spent, like in most of America, watching the television and trying to understand what was happening.
Two days later I began the work I had spent years preparing to do, as our nation and the world was coming to grips with what had happened.
The biggest impression I recall from that time was the surreality of walking into the homes of our patients. Outside the door, a nation was trying to cope with a horrific attack. Planes were grounded, everything seemed to stop as we tried to figure out what happens next. It was all that anyone was talking about or thinking about.
But walking into most of our patient's homes was stepping out of the world. The personal tragedy of the impending death of a loved one completely overshadowed the national tragedy going on outside the door. This was one of the best lessons I have learned.
Entering a patient's home, I am stepping out of space and time - I am entering a liminal space. That space is sacred and must be respected. And what is going on inside that space is the most important focus for everyone there.
Since that time, I have seen our nation cope with changes to our national identity - both good and bad. I am frightened by the erosion of our freedoms, saddened by the loss of our innocence, and hopeful that we can mature into a more globally responsible nation as a result.
Today, I am going to focus on the amazing strength and love that was demonstrated during a time of darkness. People individually and in groups responding to horrific tragedy with heroism and hope.
In the words of Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, speaking at a memorial for victims of their own recent national tragedy "We have memorials in churches and in mosques, in parliament and in the government headquarters, on the streets and in squares … Evil has brought out the best in us. Hatred engenders love."

The Zombie Problem

I have a small confession.
When I think zombie, the first thing that springs to mind is an alcoholic drink. The second thing is *BEWM*. I do dearly love to blow me up some zombies. Shoot 'em, decapitate 'em, explode 'em.
Good times.
Now the one thing that I will confess has never entered my mind would be to become romantically involved with a zombie. The stereotypical zombie just does not appear to be great date material. Limited conversation and poor table manners would be just the beginning.
Now I am going to have to rethink my assumptions and open myself up to the idea of a zombie as a romantic leading man.
The wonderfully talented and very charming Lia Habel has written a novel - a Steampunk Victorian Zombie Romance novel! And it looks like a lot of fun.

Dearly, Departed

The release date is October 18th, and I will be eagerly awaiting a chance to rethink my ideas about zombies!

Order of the Clockwinder

My perusings recently took me to revisit a build in progress that excited me greatly when I heard about the initial plans.
To quote the article, it is " an implicit statement of optimism".
And it inspires me to consider the creation of a sort of knightly order, dedicated to winding the clocks every year. An annual pilgrimage, for generation upon generation, for ten thousand years. Simply to confirm that yes, we are still here.
According to the article this would be unnecessary, but the idea that people were tasked with remembering the Clocks, and their purpose, and possibly even being capable of a repair if needed appeals to me.
To pass along to each following generation the message of hope. Or, like the Mayan calendar, a chance to pull a great joke on our distant descendants, with the punch line taking ten millennia.

The Clock of the Long Now

Hey, where did you go?

Vivito and I have stepped away from SL for the time being. Nothing dramatic, just a slow erosion of usability that has finally resulted in SL being more hassle than it is worth. The frustration of trying to walk, build, or chat - forget flying or exploring - and being unable has made SL a source of pain and stress rather than of relaxation or fun.
We are trying hard to stay connected to our friends and community via Twitter, email, and even the dreaded FB (for those friends who know us under our offline identities).
It is an awful wrench, and we miss being able to log in, chat and play with our friends.
We will maintain Caer Firnas for the time being, but are divesting the rest of our SL properties. The financial outlay makes no sense as we are unable to utilize the properties, and we have other offline needs for the money in any case. We have always seen this as our "entertainment budget", so some entertainment value is rather expected :)
For now we have been lured by the siren call of Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) by a naughty Burro, and are having a wonderful time questing and adventuring together again.
This is not a flounce, and we are not abandoning SL. I am VERY hopeful about the changes Rod Humble is making and count on his making the viewer and the grid usable for us again.
My SL IMs go to email, so I will get those. If you drop me notecards I will eventually log in and get them, but depending on other traffic they could get capped, so if it is important send an IM letting me know so I can log in and pick it up. The same goes for Vivito.
Contact info is in my inworld profile as well.