So I was listening to "The Instance" podcast today and they had an interesting question... What part of the Lore will they base the new Movie on?  I personally think using the Arthas storyline would be pretty cool, I mean the scene with him killing his father would be amazing!  But I am not sure what other arcs they could use that would have a chance of appealing to more than the WoW people.  I mean, they will probably go see it once and some may see it another time, but the movie will  need a broader audience than that. 

Any thoughts?

Well today was a day that Amee and I both had off... She works this weekend so she had today and Tuesday off to compensate.  :-)  Got some of the mundane stuff done (Shopping for example...), then we went to Valley Med for my interview for a spot on the Help Desk Team. 

The interview went really well and it sounds like it will probably pay about what I made before at Iron Ring... we will have to see since I won't know if I am offered the position till at least next week.  The manager said I was overqualified for the position, but there is a lot of advancement opportunity by going to different groups and such.  And starting in a "new" group (the current help desk is actually outsourced),  gives me a chance to really make my mark there.  And just by the way he talked I got the feeling that I will see an offer letter.  Well, here is hoping. 

There was a real interesting part to the interview... He asked me what I did in my off time.  I went through the fact that I spend a lot of time with family, hang with friends, used to play music more often, and of course I play WoW.  When I said that he asked what server I was on... he then revealed he used to play but was a full blown addict and lost 2 years to the game and had to "walk away" from it.  He did ask about some of the new content and stuff but we left it at that.  :-)  at least I know he is a geek as well. 

Warning:  this isn't a post about happy rainbows and fluffy bunnies... 

( you have been warned )

Well ok, We are gamers...  A'mee and I don't like having drops in our network.  So I will be modifying the network at home.  Right now, we have a wireless network using a Linksys WRT54G wireless router going to 2 pc's.  Which isn't too bad as things go, but I think there are some issues with the electrical shielding and/or my router.  We have had some signal drops and lag where there shouldn't be.  So to get around it, we have run 2 wires across the living room to the PC's.

Which is all good till now.  Maddie is getting more mobile, and everything is going in the mouth.  So I am going to get a couple of very long Ethernet Cables, and basically run it all along the ceiling and over to the PC's.  The whole fix won't cost much (50 bucks for the tacks and cable), but the fun will also be cleaning up the wiring behind the pc's and the entertainment center.  With Maddie mobile, I need to put some sort of block in front of the entertainment center so she won't pull our gear out of there.  lol 

"MADDIE BRINGER OF CHAOS AND EATER OF DA BITS!!"

I am trying to get a headset mic to work for in game chat like TS and Vent.  Here is my rig...

Intel d945pvs board
Creative Audigy SE sound card
ATI graphics
2gb ram
Vista Ultimate X86
etc

basically, I can hear the sound and manipulate it but for some reason Vista won't register (showing levels and stuff) on the Mic so that I can record voice or chat.  I tried using the onboard sigmatel 92xx audio and decided to try to bypass it.  I am far from a novice but I am a bit sleep deprived and looking for answers without losing more sleep.

Is there anyone out there Who has run into a problem with getting thier mic to work after installing Vista SP1 and if so, how did you fix it?  I am pretty sure this is a vista issue bc I even tried my wife's usb headset and it didn't work either.

Well another year older...  yay!  Christmas day went pretty well and our place still looks like a bomb went off.  Oh well, I was busy with a screaming maddie so I couldn't really do much.  A'mee was actually able to drive into work on Friday and that was a first time in a week.  I will say this, I have been kinda trying to distract myself from today.   I mean, I know 35 isn't too bad, but it is another one of those "inching toward 40" feelings.  blech..  A'mee has been working with some friends to put together a cool dinner thing tonight that should be pretty cool.  It will be nice to see everyone!  I know one person is still not sure if they will come, and I hope he can make it bc we don't get to hang out much.  

It sometimes worries me how much of a hermit he has become.  i have known him for about 17 years now and he seems to only leave his place when he has projects or work.  I am all about quiet time, I love it when I get some of it....  but I just am not sure if he is being antisocial, doesn't care, or what.   It just seems like we never see him, and that is sad.  Now to be fair, having 2 kids in tow means that whenever we visit anyone it kinda becomes a production.  lol  I just wonder if he had a choice if he would be far away from everyone except his wife and his gear.   Well I will drop this subject now that i vented...

One cool thing we found here is a real meat market.. these guys were able to get us the right cut of meat we needed for Christmas and it was awesome.... they also make thier own pepperoni and summer sausage too!  We are going there to get steaks later today for tonight.  As I mentioned earlier, I am really looking forward to hanging out with everyone that could make it...

Snow is beautiful if you just have to look out the window at it.  Planning holiday events and getting basic stuff done... well, that is another story.  A'mee already covered most of the frustration and I share them as well.  I am up now scouring the bus schedules to find a way to get her to work (although the times are all f#cked up due to weather).  My office is off line this week so I get a week off free and clear, she is not so lucky, and it sounds like she is really feeling pressure to take "Heroic Measures" to get to work.  She is worried she will look bad if she doesn't get there somehow...  Well I know those pressures.  I feel them at times as well, but more about doing some of my tasks even when at home because of some possibly misjudged sense of "duty to the network I run".  Her feelings I think stem from her being new, and she probably feels like people are judging her bc she doesn't want to take 5 hours to get to work bc there is no way to know what time buses will be coming.

I understand it, and I know she is also probably going a bit stir crazy.  I know bc I am too...  even though i have gone to Fred Meyer 2 times in 2 days (my legs are killing me due to them).  I am hoping I can give her some options that won't require 4 buses and a mile of walking... I just want to help her in any way I can.  God knows she is probably tired of lookin at my ugly mug all the time... at least without breaks. lol  It may not be diamonds, but hopefully I can give her some ways to lose some of the stress in this shitty snow. 

And who knows what is going to happen for the holiday on Thursday, I have meat to get from the meat market, and a list to get from the store.  I can carry some, but I ain't that good.  Especially if you have put ice and the hill in the equation... weeeeee

gotta love the guild

Well everyone seems to know about the fights happening in Olmpia, WA over the Athiest sign in the capitol building.  Well Frankly, in my opnion, i do think that the Gov (as A'mee has put it) has to become a "mom" and just take all of the displays out bc if everyone can't play nice, nobody gets to play.

Well now there is a new chapter...  For those who have seen Sienfeld, a group has petitioned to put a Festivus Pole in the capital.  lol Here is the article. 

I do believe that what A'mee said was on the right track but this new twist is great too...  basically it sends the message of Lighten UP PEOPLE.  I think that people forget that there are more important things there than arguing over a display like this.  I kinda with the Gov would just take em all down.  I am tired of hearing about it.  Government and Religion should not be connected, and this always seems to happen around the holiday.  Not everyone believes in the same stuff and it is a sure fire way to cause problems when this stuff happens. 

Well we are in the new building at work... that is great.  Still have a lot of small fires cropping up and we are tackling them as they appear.  So I am still breathing. 

So now the fun begins...  This thursday is my company's december Bday's potluck....  gotta bake something for that.  Then Friday, is my company's holiday party in Redmond, so that takes care of that night... 

Saturday and Sunday, A'mee is working so I am home with the kids and trying to start getting the house in order (see further events as to why)

The week is pretty standard for Monday through Friday, then we have more stuff on Saturday happening (the 20th) and then on the 21st....

Well most of you already know when you get married, you have EVERYONE on your invite list bc you know only 50-75% of them will show tops... well we are having our first of 3 family holiday gatherings, and well... EVERYONE is showin up.  So we are cooking a massive ham, and cleaning up the place to accomidate like 14 people!  Space will be making it an interesting event to say the least.  We got our tree from Ikea again this year and it is a very full tree.  At least it isn't the "leaning tree" we had a couple of years ago. 
heehee

Then there is a chance my office may shut down the week of Christmas and my boss said if they do that it will be Unpaid.  Ok this ain't so great, but I like the week off part, and I think I can bank enough time in the weeks to come to combine with my vacation/personal/sick hours to cover it, we will see. 

Fast forward to Friday the 27th...  I hit the big 35.  It is not an easy one for me.  30 didn't really phase me, but now I am only 5 years from 40 and it just feels wierd.  Oh well, I have definately rambled on too much... lol

Joe satriani is Suing Coldplay over a stolen riff... watch this and see what he is talking about....

Has anyone ever used that Netflix TV box for streaming movies called Roko?  Check the link HERE.  I am curious to hear how it works.

K well I was one of the many who wanted to get the WoW expansion when it came out.  I was the first in line at Gamestop by my place to get my copies and the line was about 150 long according to employees when midnight hit.  I got home in record time (10 min on foot) and loaded not only my pc, but A'mee's as well.  Then I tried the game... 

WOW 

The music, graphic effects, quest quality...  so far so good.  I finally went to bed at 3:30 AM and My Bother in law is still logged in as I write this.  I am planning to play a bunch today, but I am also trying to just plain unwind.  The move at work is happening soon, and I am pretty much handling a good part of it.  So this is my chance to gain sanity (yeah right) before then.  I took some pics with my new phone of the line at gamestop and I am hoping to post them once I get them off the phone.  I have waited for this expansion for so long and I got to play a Death Knight in the Beta but I didn't have the time or a high enough leveled toon to play in Northrend.  Well now I do and it is amazing!

True quote:

Coworker to boss:  "Don't put that there... it will just give you a reason to blow me again!!"


k I wish I could have made that up.  

(it was in reference to a can of compressed air)

The whole office lost it when he said that before he realized what he had said...

so we are getting ready for the release of Wrath, I have 1 Collector's Edition and 1 regular edition preordered and partially paid for at Gamestop...  all is good.  Amee looks like she is getting her job at UW although not as soon as I was thinking it would happen (she would possibly start on the 1st).  So due to money constraints I will most likely be unable to get the CE of the expansion I am holding off converting my order till release night in case we wiggle the budget to get it.  I am not counting on it though.  I am a bit grumpy about it (mainly bc I like my extras and bonus stuff, still using the mousepad from the last one at work), but if we can't get the cash together, I am not going to cut into groceries or anything to get a game.  Pretty easy choice altogether. 

Then this morning happened...

got an IM from Amee telling me the car got broken into.  GPS gone, possibly even our maintenance records from the glovebox.  I am upset and angry. they also got Elias' gameboy... he will be using mine.  I am really pissed.  I called the banks and put notes on the accts that personal info may have been compromised, contacted the credit agencies and put fraud watches on for our listings.  frankly, I am pissed and tired of Renton.  we spend over 1/2 of my montly take home to live here and I just feel upset.  It is really hard to concentrate right now.

listen carefully at about the 1 min mark... heehee


this does take flash to play

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