Two weeks off

December 3rd, 2009 | by TJ |

What two weeks of Thanksgiving vacation time looks like to someone in the military:

beard

Aside from Thanksgiving travel, and the fact that we got all of our Christmas shopping (except for the Christmas beer) done yesterday, we have spent the majority of Phil’s vacation time playing WoW together for the first time in a long time.

Well, playing in the same room. I think we have two or three sets of toons we rolled to play together that never seem to make it past the mid-teens. This is mostly his fault, since he’s always all “Oh, I’m just going to go level some PROFESSIONS, we’re still playing TOGETHER” and I’m all “Fuck professions!” and our play styles totally don’t mesh, because come on, seriously, fuck professions.

Anyway, he hit 80 on Drenden yesterday (there was appropriate fanfare, I threw confetti, which was actually mild hot sauce packets from Taco Bell, but we sit across the room from each other, and actual shredded paper wouldn’t have made it all the way across, and I suppose I could have stood up and walked over but COME ON), and I’ve been playing a priest on Zangarmarsh (where I started playing  before I realized that it’s the server where WoW Insider has their guild, and briefly considered starting over, that’s how much I hate them).

Phil’s play time is usually pretty normal, while mine goes something like this:

“Oh! A rare elite!”
“Hey, a rare elite!”
“Oh look, another rare elite!”

I’m like a magnet for those things. And last night, in a five minute span, I said “Hey, I found a blue in this chest. Oh, look, a rare elite! Hey, this ghost just dropped a purple!”

I was totally like the King of WoW last night.

Anyway, I was in a guild for a little bit, but I had to leave. I didn’t mind the fact that they claimed to be a social, casual guild, but no one ever talked except when they were getting ready to raid. In a hardcore fashion.

And I didn’t mind that they continually proclaimed things to be “gay,” though the fact that most of them possessed literally no other way to express their displeasure was a bit disturbing.

What I could not forgive, however, was the continual use of text speak and the fact that six people IN A ROW messed up the appropriate usage of there, their and they’re.

/GQUIT.

I have since been invited to join another guild, which sounded great, until I found out that their guild name was in all lowercase. COME ON. I cannot take you seriously as a group of people playing a video game as dead people, walking cows and tusk-faces taking on mythical challenges in a fantasy world when you can’t even capitalize appropriately.

Anyway, with his accomplishment of hitting level 80, Phil owns the only level 80 in our household, between both accounts. When Wrath came out, we each had a level 70 lock. He bought Wrath for both of us on release day and… we both rolled hunters. I leveled that hunter to 70 and he got his pretty high as well, and then I took a break from the game for a bit. I played various lowbie alts on and off, and I’ve now started that priest, which is level 45.

He made an entirely new lock on Drenden a few weeks ago, and that is the one he leveled to 80. We both have level 70 locks, and I have a level 70 hunter, who have never seen even one little inch of the expansion. I haven’t played Wrath at all. I parked my 70 lock in Northrend or whatever it’s called the day I installed the expansion and haven’t logged in to her since. I don’t even have an explanation for myself.

After Phil goes back to work next week, I’ll probably drift away from WoW again. I had moved my lock to play with him, and didn’t really have the social aspect of the game anymore, and in my time away on other servers and my long WoW break, my old guild on Drenden has gotten a lot of new players and lost some familiar ones, so it doesn’t quite feel the same anymore. Without Phil playing in the same room and a guild that suits my ridiculously picky grammatical and capitalization needs, I don’t think I will ever have the motivation to make it to 80.

Solution: Phil quits the military to play WoW all day. Turns into mountain man, as illustrated above.

I become deeply resentful of his mountainy face, as his beard chaps my delicate skin. I bottle up my resentment so as not to seem shallow, but become progressively more distant as I level toon after toon to 80.

I begin to sarcastically refer to Phil as “Dr. Beardface” behind his back, correcting myself immediately by saying “That’s Beard FAH SAY,” because that’s hysterical. He catches me making fun of him in such a manner over vent one day and I try to cover by saying I was talking about one of my many, many level 80s. He doesn’t buy it and gathers his favorite belongings into a handkerchief which he ties to a stick, and takes off dramatically with the dog, trudging down the road with his thumb out.

He doesn’t get far, because we live in a low-traffic subdivision, and he stupidly chose dramatic over taking his perfectly good SUV. I lose my motivation to play shortly after he leaves, and all of my leveling work is for nothing. Plus I no longer have a dog.

Anyway, that’s pretty much the only scenario I can think of in which I’d get a toon to level 80, and since it ends up with me not having a dog, I’m not really into it. But if you play on Zangarmarsh, do feel free to say hi. I’m the not-level-80 horde priest. See you there!

29 Responses to “Two weeks off”

  1. By Brian on Dec 3, 2009

    I’m one of those lurkers here that never comments. Anyways, I actually play on the fail server known as Zangarmarsh. I was surprised and happy to see that you do. I play a hunter (yes, I originally found your site through BRK), and my wife plays a priest. We play in the same room, but actually right next to eachother. While we play on our own occassionally, if one of us stopped playing completely, it would probably eventually mean that both of us stop, so I definately see where you’re coming from there. Well, I’m rambling now, so that’s it from me for now.

    [Reply]

    TJ Reply:

    Hello! Welcome to commenting on my blog!

    I picked the server at random for starting a new toon – what makes it a fail server? I know the economy is pretty messed up, at least.

    [Reply]

    Brian Reply:

    The raid progression is awful (Algalon has only been killed on 10-man, by 1 guild, no one has cleared ToGC 25, no one has ironbound or black proto-drakes, etc). Also, there is a lot more alliance than Horde. If you don’t raid, it’s probably not a bad server actually, as there are never login queues, and people are generally nice, and trade chat actually isn’t always terrible. It’s only bad in the raid progression sense for the most part.

    [Reply]

  2. By Skraps on Dec 3, 2009

    Love the Scrubs reference.

    [Reply]

    TJ Reply:

    Thank you. EEEAAAAAGLLLEEE.

    [Reply]

  3. By Tami on Dec 3, 2009

    Oh! That gives me a confession I could have posted on your other post.

    I’m judgemental when it comes to guild names.

    Seriously.

    Aside from totally ignoring anyone with a stupid tag like over their head, I just cannot fathom joining a guild with a grammatical error.

    Like no caps.

    Or misplaced apostrophes. I remember a guild called and foamed at the mouth every time I passed them.

    I’m sure the guild is populated by marvelous, wonderful people who love puppies and make fantastic sandwiches, but…”The of Azeroth which belongs to Raider” makes NO SENSE.

    [Reply]

    Tami Reply:

    ARGLEBARGLE, my guildnames were stripped from the comment. Apologies.

    Should be “a stupid tag like [Poopsock]”
    and “a guild called [Raider's of Azeroth]“.

    [Reply]

    TJ Reply:

    I once harassed BRK about joining a guild called “Sapped Girls Can’t Say No,” because, COME ON. I also judge.

    [Reply]

    Adlib Reply:

    I remembered this post from a few days ago, and I was like “omg I forgot to comment!”

    I have to add agreement to the guild name thing. We have seemingly several idiot guilds running around on our server. Like all caps and even this: K I N G S. I ask you, what purpose does spacing them out serve??? Oh here’s another good one: Legends of Legend. (There’s a guild called Ladies of Legend on our server, if that means anything.) Gah.

    [Reply]

    Adlib Reply:

    I possibly remembered it from yesterday. Hah.

    [Reply]

    Tami Reply:

    The extra spaces are OBVIOUSLY because there’s not enough space between normal lettering to hold all the awesome just BURSTING from their guild.

    (and now I feel unclean. *washes hands*)

    [Reply]

  4. By Gnomeaggedon on Dec 3, 2009

    Sauce packets make better confetti than confetti… I hope you openned them 1st to give the true blood stained, weary, bearded, adventurer look!

    [Reply]

  5. By Dammerung on Dec 3, 2009

    ROFL about the face of armed forces on leave.

    I’m going to have to make a guild just for you.

    “pEOPLE who now they’re Gremmar”

    [Reply]

  6. By Chibi Jeebs on Dec 3, 2009

    Okay, I’ve paid enough attention and/or he’s repeated it enough times that it’s sunken in, that I know Chebbar would be jealous of your blues and purples. But, yeaaaaah. Anyone wanna play Uno on Facebook? *snort*

    [Reply]

    TJ Reply:

    I LOVE FACEBOOK UNO!

    [Reply]

  7. By Mikey on Dec 3, 2009

    The good thing is, if all that happens the dog wont eat the crotch out of your undies anymore (Think of the money you could save!)

    On a side note i miss playing WoW but school takes up to much time and blizzard has killed the joy i used to get from playing my BM hunter. I know Nibbler misses me and some day i might return.

    [Reply]

  8. By Alicia @ bethsix on Dec 3, 2009

    I’m on Spinebreaker but thinking about switching servers. Thinking about getting away from PVP too because it’s so. damn. annoying. to. be. ganked. all. the. flippin’. time. by. kids. who. could. probably. be. my. own. children.

    Get off mah lawn, ya filthy kids!

    [Reply]

  9. By Aeon on Dec 3, 2009

    Nice post

    [Reply]

  10. By Bellwether on Dec 3, 2009

    I envy you your WoW-luck.

    /envywaves

    [Reply]

  11. By ZombiePirateXXX on Dec 4, 2009

    I have 2 80s and at least a 3rd on the way, I have never ever seen an epic world drop on any of my (numerous) characters, loot envy fo’ sho.

    [Reply]

  12. By T-Sonn on Dec 4, 2009

    I have a similar Cutie McCuteface wearing the same facial-hair-as-accessory, thanks to the holidays. I’m digging it, myself. : )

    http://meltedfaces.blogspot.com/2008/06/on-choosing-guild.html

    [Reply]

  13. By Melchoir on Dec 4, 2009

    I certainly hope that the scenario you crafted, in which you reach level 80, does not play out. With neither Phil nor Brinkley around, who would prevent the felines, who still occupy the house, from circling and staring at you while you sleep, plotting on how to sneak Michael Stipe into your closet.

    You know… I think there is a Steven King plot in that somewhere.

    [Reply]

  14. By Phaedra on Dec 4, 2009

    I have the same issue with my husband and his beard. It’s hurty, so I don’t like to snuggle with him (I think sometimes he grows the scruff on purpose). Plus, it comes in gray and makes him look old. Given that I look like I’m 17…we get weird looks when we go out.

    And I would totally offer to play WoW with you, but you would hate me. I like to do some questing, then some professions, then some exploring, then maybe play with my non-combat pets.
    My husband and I have tried leveling together on a couple of occassions. We tried RaFing and got to about level 40 and mainly had a good time, but I went too slow for him. Then, when Wrath came out, we started out leveling together, but I drove him crazy with everything else I wanted to do.

    The irony is that while he was the first person to hit 80 in our guild and I was in the middle of the pack, I was quicked to be raid ready because I am social and he is not. So, while he was questing and grinding, sometimes I ran dungeons.

    And in the 3.5 years I’ve been playing, I’ve NEVER had a world epic drop for me. I think I’ve had maybe 10 blues drop for me. Maybe.

    Hope you find a guild that makes you happy and want to log on and is full of grammatically correct people for the most part.

    [Reply]

    Adlib Reply:

    I’m with you on the drop luck. I’ve never had a world drop. Once, while I was in my 40′s (level), I think I was questing in Tanaris and got Wirt’s Third Leg twice in like 15 minutes. That was really weird.

    [Reply]

  15. By Delicia on Dec 4, 2009

    I probably play WoW way more than I should, though it’s nice to take a break and veg on the couch watching my DVR’d goodies with my husband. We both play together, sitting next to each other at separate desks (I need him in pinching range).

    He has.. um.. 4? 80′s now, I have 2 almost 3. It’s fun to have different types of toons to play depending on my mood, and yes, I like leveling professions too!

    I have a friend that just leveled his NINTH 80. Good Grief.. I thought *I* had no life…

    -Del

    [Reply]

  16. By Mel on Dec 6, 2009

    I didn’t understand this post AT ALL. Would you hate me if I tell that I don’t even know what system WoW is played on? Or is it on the computer? I don’t do video games, like ever, so obviously I know nothing.

    [Reply]

  17. By Clair on Dec 6, 2009

    Random post. I found your blog through another blog, that I most likely found through another blog, irrelevant. I <3 you online for this post though. It was great. In our household valuable living room space has been given up so we can both have our desks to WoW at Hehe.

    [Reply]

  18. By Ale on Dec 7, 2009

    There are a lot of horrible guild names on Moon Guard, but I have to say one of my favorites so far is .

    [Reply]

  19. By Ale on Dec 7, 2009

    Darn it all!

    guild name is: We Do the Weird Stuff

    [Reply]

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