So, I was driving out to the park for my lunchbreak yesterday and I almost hit a turkey. With my car. A turkey. Gah.
Paul got his 900 magic cards yesterday and only two of them were unicorns. But I have proceeded to build my white and green unicorn/elf/griffon magic deck. It isn't the greatest deck, but the cards are pretty. And Ben came over and hung out and we all walked to W.G. Grinders for dinner and overall it was a very good evening. And Paul, Grant, Wendy, and I are all going to go see SPAMALOT TOMORROW!!!!!! WOOOOOOOT!
And it's RAD days in Allegheny County, so stuff is free for the next week. If anyone wants to get into the zoo or the aviary or something for free, now's the time to come and visit. Hilary might come down. ^_^
Author, editor, hiker.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Also..
Paul and I played Mage on Monday and I ran D&D on Tuesday. Both went really well and I'm very happy. ^_^
That's all.
That's all.
Exciting things!
Last weekend my cousin Elizabeth came to visit. We introduced her to Monty Python and the Holy Grail and to D&D. Paul ran a game for me, her, Grant, and Ben. I also taught her how to make bisquick pancakes and she was totally awesome at it. We went to a photo presentation with Wendy, which was pretty cool. Then Paul and I took her to my grandma's house on Sunday and gave her back to her family and ate pot roast and it was all good. Paul and Grant went to a Time Spiral Magic premiere on Saturday. They apparently had fun. Which is good.
This week has been pretty good. I sort of sold an ad, I got another article in and edited, and I am getting a great picture for my cover. Yesterday was my massage school orientation, so I got cool stuff and new books and Pittsburgh School of Massage shirts that I have to wear to class. Classes start next week. And then on the 9th I'm going to Boston for work and not getting home till about 8:00pm on Wednesday, so I'll miss classes but I can make them up on Friday. Everything is working out nicely.
I mailed in a check to my credit card company today so I will have no more credit card debt. Which is very good. And hopefully my electricty bill will auto pay today like I told it too. My student loans will start coming due in October. Gah. Stupid bills and the need for money.
So, yes. That is my news.
This week has been pretty good. I sort of sold an ad, I got another article in and edited, and I am getting a great picture for my cover. Yesterday was my massage school orientation, so I got cool stuff and new books and Pittsburgh School of Massage shirts that I have to wear to class. Classes start next week. And then on the 9th I'm going to Boston for work and not getting home till about 8:00pm on Wednesday, so I'll miss classes but I can make them up on Friday. Everything is working out nicely.
I mailed in a check to my credit card company today so I will have no more credit card debt. Which is very good. And hopefully my electricty bill will auto pay today like I told it too. My student loans will start coming due in October. Gah. Stupid bills and the need for money.
So, yes. That is my news.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
A few Mage details
I realized that I never really said much about the Mage campaign other than "it's awesome" so I might as well fill in some details.
My character's name is Megan, she's 16. She was raised by her Great Aunt Toody because her parents are missionaries in Africa. Her mother dropped her off when she was a baby and she hasn't seen either parent since. She gets occasional letters telling her about how wonderful African children are. She never had any friends because anyone she would get close to would prompty move away.
Then, she started seeing things--mainly a little girl with a can of spray paint--and then creepy dudes in cars appeared outside of her house. A talking rat also showed up, along with a guy who took it upon himself to inspect Megan's room. No one else had been in her room pretty much ever, so she stormed upstairs and punched him. He froze her with magic. A girl who had been the rat showed up and yelled at him for it. Eventually Megan had some visions that she didn't quite understand, and the guys went away.
She had further adventures. She went to meet the group of mages that her two new "friends" belonged to, where she met Argo and was more fomally introduced to Rift and Sarah. Rift continued to piss her off. On her way home, she met a werewolf named Aaron, who she helped fight some famori (sp ~_~) and he helped her fight an evil cat creature that was eating baby souls. However, it wasn't destroyed and Aaron had to leave. Megan asked for Sarah's help to finish it off. Then, the school went crazy and Megan had to save a girl who tried to kill herself with a pen, then she got tazed by a technocrat who then asked for her help, so she went back, asked Rift to take a look at the program that the technocrat wanted Megan to put into the school computers, went through a spirit world vision quest thing, and brough Sarah back to kill the cat. They ended up killing three, but Megan wasn't sure if that was the end of it. Then, she woke up in a creepy house with a burning hole in the sky outside where she had to fight a ghost and an evil dude and she came out of it with a grimoire. She's also got a cairn that she's turning into a sanctum. Rift gave her two dots of library on dvd and asked her out on a date (she doesn't think it's a date because her getting a date is impossible). Her life is crazy. But then, she does have four dots of destiny.
I love Mage.
My character's name is Megan, she's 16. She was raised by her Great Aunt Toody because her parents are missionaries in Africa. Her mother dropped her off when she was a baby and she hasn't seen either parent since. She gets occasional letters telling her about how wonderful African children are. She never had any friends because anyone she would get close to would prompty move away.
Then, she started seeing things--mainly a little girl with a can of spray paint--and then creepy dudes in cars appeared outside of her house. A talking rat also showed up, along with a guy who took it upon himself to inspect Megan's room. No one else had been in her room pretty much ever, so she stormed upstairs and punched him. He froze her with magic. A girl who had been the rat showed up and yelled at him for it. Eventually Megan had some visions that she didn't quite understand, and the guys went away.
She had further adventures. She went to meet the group of mages that her two new "friends" belonged to, where she met Argo and was more fomally introduced to Rift and Sarah. Rift continued to piss her off. On her way home, she met a werewolf named Aaron, who she helped fight some famori (sp ~_~) and he helped her fight an evil cat creature that was eating baby souls. However, it wasn't destroyed and Aaron had to leave. Megan asked for Sarah's help to finish it off. Then, the school went crazy and Megan had to save a girl who tried to kill herself with a pen, then she got tazed by a technocrat who then asked for her help, so she went back, asked Rift to take a look at the program that the technocrat wanted Megan to put into the school computers, went through a spirit world vision quest thing, and brough Sarah back to kill the cat. They ended up killing three, but Megan wasn't sure if that was the end of it. Then, she woke up in a creepy house with a burning hole in the sky outside where she had to fight a ghost and an evil dude and she came out of it with a grimoire. She's also got a cairn that she's turning into a sanctum. Rift gave her two dots of library on dvd and asked her out on a date (she doesn't think it's a date because her getting a date is impossible). Her life is crazy. But then, she does have four dots of destiny.
I love Mage.
Narrow escapes!
I fell yesterday at work. I was on my lunchbreak, walking down a hill, and it was muddy and I slipped and fell on my ass. It hurt. A lot. It still does. I had thought that my war with gravity was finally drawing to a close, but it appears that it has decided to continue the fight. The bastard.
Paul's working from 11-7 this week, so we had to start game late. I drug Ben and Wendy jogging last night, then made hamburgers and home fries for dinner. Then we had a cheese party and played D&D. The monk nearly died, but she was saved by the cleric's god and is now his official second worshipper. We only got two combats in, I'm trying to run my bad guys in a more reasonable fashion. I still never go for the kill (I hate pc death. Unless maybe the character is horrible, like, say... a gully dwarf) but my bad guys will run away or surrender or come up with intelligent plans to try to thwart my heroes. Really, I used to just throw the things at them and act like my villians were mindless. Which was okay, but I can do better.
We had Spanish cheese last night. It was okay, not as good as the French cheeses we tried. They're not anything special, not really worth the money, but they're good on crackers and have fun names.
Tonight I'm going to go visit my grandmother. Paul was supposed to come along, but he'll be working, so I'm going by myself.
Paul's working from 11-7 this week, so we had to start game late. I drug Ben and Wendy jogging last night, then made hamburgers and home fries for dinner. Then we had a cheese party and played D&D. The monk nearly died, but she was saved by the cleric's god and is now his official second worshipper. We only got two combats in, I'm trying to run my bad guys in a more reasonable fashion. I still never go for the kill (I hate pc death. Unless maybe the character is horrible, like, say... a gully dwarf) but my bad guys will run away or surrender or come up with intelligent plans to try to thwart my heroes. Really, I used to just throw the things at them and act like my villians were mindless. Which was okay, but I can do better.
We had Spanish cheese last night. It was okay, not as good as the French cheeses we tried. They're not anything special, not really worth the money, but they're good on crackers and have fun names.
Tonight I'm going to go visit my grandmother. Paul was supposed to come along, but he'll be working, so I'm going by myself.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Toledo! And more!
Paul and I went to Toledo this weekend. We left Friday night, took forever to get there (driving out of Pittsburgh on Friday night = terrible) and then hung out with Ian for a while before going to bed. On Saturday, we went out to breakfast at Bob Evans, then went to the Toledo zoo with Betsy. Then we made enchilladas at Betsy's house and watched Love Actually. Then we went back to Ian's and slept again. I woke up with a migrane, and that sucked, but it sort of went away and we watched El Dorado, with John Wayne. Betsy came over about halfway through. Then we went to The Olive Garden and had lunch, then we drove back home. Paul and I went over to Grant and Wendy's and watched an episode of House.
Yesterday I stayed home and cleaned the house. When Paul came home we went to Giant Eagle and then we played Mage. Mage was very good last night. ^_^ My character woke up in a creepy falling apart version of her bedroom, then when she left the bedroom found herself in an unfamiliar house. Outside, there was a smoldering hole in the sky, and inside she ended up confronting a ghost and a greasy bastard. She managed to kick their asses and got out with a shiny six dot grimoire.
I am going to Boston on Ocbober 9th, and I just realized that that will cause me to miss some massage classes. But it's done, so hopefully I'll just be able to make them up somehow. *sigh* Sometimes I'm just a dumbass.
Yesterday I stayed home and cleaned the house. When Paul came home we went to Giant Eagle and then we played Mage. Mage was very good last night. ^_^ My character woke up in a creepy falling apart version of her bedroom, then when she left the bedroom found herself in an unfamiliar house. Outside, there was a smoldering hole in the sky, and inside she ended up confronting a ghost and a greasy bastard. She managed to kick their asses and got out with a shiny six dot grimoire.
I am going to Boston on Ocbober 9th, and I just realized that that will cause me to miss some massage classes. But it's done, so hopefully I'll just be able to make them up somehow. *sigh* Sometimes I'm just a dumbass.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
More D&D!!
Yeah, I know, it seems like my life lacks variety. But that's just cause I only post after games. I do more than work, clean, eat, sleep, and watch tv.... cause I play D&D once a week! And Mage once a week, too. So there. I'm not boring. Really.
Anyway, last night our fearless party encountered a small pack of starving wolves. They overcame the challenge easily. As per normal, the monk was the only one injured. Well, the monk and the horses. But the cleric healed them, so all was well. A few days later, they came to a town. The men outside told them of plague within and refused offers of aid, blaming an uprising in the townspeople's fear of strangers. However, the ranger heard what he thought were cries of help from inside, so while the monk created a diversion, the warlock slipped into the wheat field and went around the town and in by walking over the walls with his mad magic skills. He met some children, who fled, and a woman, who even though she was obviously terrified by the lizard man, pleaded with him to help her town. The bandits outside were keeping them from getting food, and their companions had kidnapped most of the girls between ages 12 and 24. The kobald gave the woman some food, which she passed on to the children, and left to inform his companions of what was going on. He did so, and agreed to lie atop the wall and fire down upon the enemy from on high. He grabbed more food and went back into the town. The woman he'd met introduced herself as Marian and asked him to go before the council of elders. They pleaded with him to save their girls, and he agreed. He also passed around a few days worth of his trail rations. Then he climbed the wall to await his companions attack.
They charged on horseback, attempting to trample two of the bandits. One of them was knocked prone, the other managed to resist. The ranger continued on with the horses while the cleric and the monk jumped off. The monk was severly wounded and retreated, leaving the cleric to fend for himself. The warlock didn't have much luck with his sniping, and the cleric went down, leaving the monk alone. The ranger reentered the combat by firing upon the enemy. The cleric managed to rouse himself (yay action points!) and joined the monk. They managed to mop the bandits up, leaving them all alive for questioning. The cleric questioned them, then branded them as outlaws. When they went into the town, the kobald was swept up onto a group of young men's shoulders, and he was hailed as their hero.
Marian agreed to lead the warlock and the ranger to the caves so that they could get an idea of what they would be facing. While the kobald went and looked, the human ranger stayed with the girl and chatted her up. Then the kobald returned, and they headed back to inform their companions of what they'd learned.
And it was getting late, so we scened there.
Anyway, last night our fearless party encountered a small pack of starving wolves. They overcame the challenge easily. As per normal, the monk was the only one injured. Well, the monk and the horses. But the cleric healed them, so all was well. A few days later, they came to a town. The men outside told them of plague within and refused offers of aid, blaming an uprising in the townspeople's fear of strangers. However, the ranger heard what he thought were cries of help from inside, so while the monk created a diversion, the warlock slipped into the wheat field and went around the town and in by walking over the walls with his mad magic skills. He met some children, who fled, and a woman, who even though she was obviously terrified by the lizard man, pleaded with him to help her town. The bandits outside were keeping them from getting food, and their companions had kidnapped most of the girls between ages 12 and 24. The kobald gave the woman some food, which she passed on to the children, and left to inform his companions of what was going on. He did so, and agreed to lie atop the wall and fire down upon the enemy from on high. He grabbed more food and went back into the town. The woman he'd met introduced herself as Marian and asked him to go before the council of elders. They pleaded with him to save their girls, and he agreed. He also passed around a few days worth of his trail rations. Then he climbed the wall to await his companions attack.
They charged on horseback, attempting to trample two of the bandits. One of them was knocked prone, the other managed to resist. The ranger continued on with the horses while the cleric and the monk jumped off. The monk was severly wounded and retreated, leaving the cleric to fend for himself. The warlock didn't have much luck with his sniping, and the cleric went down, leaving the monk alone. The ranger reentered the combat by firing upon the enemy. The cleric managed to rouse himself (yay action points!) and joined the monk. They managed to mop the bandits up, leaving them all alive for questioning. The cleric questioned them, then branded them as outlaws. When they went into the town, the kobald was swept up onto a group of young men's shoulders, and he was hailed as their hero.
Marian agreed to lead the warlock and the ranger to the caves so that they could get an idea of what they would be facing. While the kobald went and looked, the human ranger stayed with the girl and chatted her up. Then the kobald returned, and they headed back to inform their companions of what they'd learned.
And it was getting late, so we scened there.
Friday, September 08, 2006
It's D&D!!!
I'm running Dungeons and Dragons for Paul, Grant, Wendy, and Ben. Paul is playing a human cleric, Ben a human ranger, Grant a kobold warlock, and Wendy a dwarfling monk. The campaign is set in a land that was once ruled by a mighty empire, but that empire crumbled eons ago, leaving ruins and a land divided by race. Paul and Ben's hometown is one of the most tolerant of outsiders--most places don't let strangers inside their walls. The countryside is rife with monsters and bandits.
The overarcing plot is mostly about Paul's cleric. He was engaged to the lord of the city's daughter, and her evil aunt didn't think that Paul was worthy to marry into the royal family. So she cursed the girl as punishment for her poor taste and gave Paul a list of seventeen items scattered throughout the world that she could combine to make the cure. These items must be fetched one at a time becuase contact prior to the potion making makes them lose magical potency.
Paul enlisted the aid of his friend the ranger and the two weird outsiders who were staying with his old aunt Gert. They set out to find the first item, a finger bone of an ancient King of Reth. Luckily, there was an ancient tomb just a days walk outside of the town. They went down and proceeded through, killing all sorts of monsters on their way and quickly realizing that the doors sealed behind them by some magical force. When the cleric fell in a fight against the skeletons, the party spent the next four days in the dark. This didn't bother the kobold or the dwarfling, but the consious human started burning his clothing to keep the darkness at bay. They were also running short on food and water. Then the cleric woke, cast light and create water, and things were well again. They pressed on, eventually reaching the end where the cleric found the bone he was after and the kobold and the ranger looted the place for treasure. The kobold figured out that they needed to use the holy symbol of the ancient god who was the messenger between the underworld and the surface to get out of the tomb. So they left and returned to the city where the cleric handed over the first ingredient to getting the love of his life back again. The kobold and the ranger got new armor, and the party purchased horses and a wagon for their trip to Mt. Wassailia, where they must find a white starling feather.
We also had a chesse party last night! We tried three french cheeses, and they were all pretty good. We're planning on having a cheese party every other session. Yay cheese!!
And... it's FRIDAY. I get to sleep in tomorrow. I'm excited. And we're going to play Mage and Changeling this weekend. ^_^ And watch Battlestar Galactica. And maybe hang out with my little cousin Elizabeth. Woot.
The overarcing plot is mostly about Paul's cleric. He was engaged to the lord of the city's daughter, and her evil aunt didn't think that Paul was worthy to marry into the royal family. So she cursed the girl as punishment for her poor taste and gave Paul a list of seventeen items scattered throughout the world that she could combine to make the cure. These items must be fetched one at a time becuase contact prior to the potion making makes them lose magical potency.
Paul enlisted the aid of his friend the ranger and the two weird outsiders who were staying with his old aunt Gert. They set out to find the first item, a finger bone of an ancient King of Reth. Luckily, there was an ancient tomb just a days walk outside of the town. They went down and proceeded through, killing all sorts of monsters on their way and quickly realizing that the doors sealed behind them by some magical force. When the cleric fell in a fight against the skeletons, the party spent the next four days in the dark. This didn't bother the kobold or the dwarfling, but the consious human started burning his clothing to keep the darkness at bay. They were also running short on food and water. Then the cleric woke, cast light and create water, and things were well again. They pressed on, eventually reaching the end where the cleric found the bone he was after and the kobold and the ranger looted the place for treasure. The kobold figured out that they needed to use the holy symbol of the ancient god who was the messenger between the underworld and the surface to get out of the tomb. So they left and returned to the city where the cleric handed over the first ingredient to getting the love of his life back again. The kobold and the ranger got new armor, and the party purchased horses and a wagon for their trip to Mt. Wassailia, where they must find a white starling feather.
We also had a chesse party last night! We tried three french cheeses, and they were all pretty good. We're planning on having a cheese party every other session. Yay cheese!!
And... it's FRIDAY. I get to sleep in tomorrow. I'm excited. And we're going to play Mage and Changeling this weekend. ^_^ And watch Battlestar Galactica. And maybe hang out with my little cousin Elizabeth. Woot.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
If you are interested...
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/PLLI/webreprt.html
Here's the link for the article. It's actually really cool.
Here's the link for the article. It's actually really cool.
Research!
I'm in charge of contacting women's colleges at work, and so I'm researching them. I just found this cool quote in the article I'm reading.
"Given two bridge-builders, a man and a woman, given a certain bridge to be built, and given as always the unchangeable laws of mechanics in accordance with which this special bridge and all other bridges must be built, it is simply inconceivable that the preliminary instruction be given to the two bridge-builders should differ in quantity, quality or method of presentation because while the bridge is building one will wear knickerbockers and the other a rainy-day skirt. You may say you do not think God intended a woman to be a bridge-builder. You have, of course, a right to this prejudice; but...you will probably not be able to impose it on women who wish to build bridges." Thomas, M. Carey
"Given two bridge-builders, a man and a woman, given a certain bridge to be built, and given as always the unchangeable laws of mechanics in accordance with which this special bridge and all other bridges must be built, it is simply inconceivable that the preliminary instruction be given to the two bridge-builders should differ in quantity, quality or method of presentation because while the bridge is building one will wear knickerbockers and the other a rainy-day skirt. You may say you do not think God intended a woman to be a bridge-builder. You have, of course, a right to this prejudice; but...you will probably not be able to impose it on women who wish to build bridges." Thomas, M. Carey
Labor Day Weekend
In the world, Steve Irwin died this weekend. I am sad about this.
In my life, Paul and I went to my parent's house on Friday. We were planning on going to the Great Stoneboro Fair on Saturday, but the weather was too terrible to think about spending the whole day outside in the mud. So we ended up going to Hoss's with Betsy and Steve. Then the four of us went to go see Beerfest. It was a great time, overall. The movie was hilarious, and Betsy, Steve, Paul, and I all get along really well. I learned the Steve thinks that Jaws is one of the top movies of all time and he doesn't like the Karate Kid movies.
Saturday was also my dad's birthday, so Ian and I got him Ultraviolet, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, and a book.
On Sunday, we had a big family dinner with my dad's parents and two of his brothers and their wives. My Aunt Ginny gave me a God Book for graduation. It was nice of her to think of me. I don't know what I'm going to do with it, but I do really appreciate the thought. After dessert and stuff, Paul and I headed home. We watched Battlestar Galactica (the miniseries, we're getting the first season one disk at a time through Netflix) with Grant and then we went to bed.
Yesterday, I went to pick out a bird with Grant and Wendy for Wendy's birthday. She picked out an African Red-Breasted Parrot, which was the one I was pulling for so I was happy. Her name will be Chloe. She's cute and Wendy is really excited. Then, Paul and I took them and Wendy's friend Brennah (no idea how to spell that) out to P.F. Changs for a birthday dinner. Then we went to Best Buy where Grant was delighted to find Pinky and the Brain on dvd, then we went to Eat'n'Park for pie.
I also picked up a few dvd's this weekend. I have all three Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies now, along with Galaxy Quest (it was $4), Resident Evil, and The Parent Trap (which came with the sequel).
Tonight, I'm running D&D for Grant, Wendy, Paul, and Ben. I'm all statted and ready at this point, I'm pretty excited. Paul's going to play a human cleric who is seeking the ingredients for a cure to the curse that has been placed upon his fiance, Grant is thinking about a kobald bard, Wendy is leaning toward a monk Dwarfling (crazy!), and I have no idea what Ben is thinking. If anyone who reads this (if anyone reads it) cares, I will probably post about the campaign more later. You know, once it starts.
In my life, Paul and I went to my parent's house on Friday. We were planning on going to the Great Stoneboro Fair on Saturday, but the weather was too terrible to think about spending the whole day outside in the mud. So we ended up going to Hoss's with Betsy and Steve. Then the four of us went to go see Beerfest. It was a great time, overall. The movie was hilarious, and Betsy, Steve, Paul, and I all get along really well. I learned the Steve thinks that Jaws is one of the top movies of all time and he doesn't like the Karate Kid movies.
Saturday was also my dad's birthday, so Ian and I got him Ultraviolet, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, and a book.
On Sunday, we had a big family dinner with my dad's parents and two of his brothers and their wives. My Aunt Ginny gave me a God Book for graduation. It was nice of her to think of me. I don't know what I'm going to do with it, but I do really appreciate the thought. After dessert and stuff, Paul and I headed home. We watched Battlestar Galactica (the miniseries, we're getting the first season one disk at a time through Netflix) with Grant and then we went to bed.
Yesterday, I went to pick out a bird with Grant and Wendy for Wendy's birthday. She picked out an African Red-Breasted Parrot, which was the one I was pulling for so I was happy. Her name will be Chloe. She's cute and Wendy is really excited. Then, Paul and I took them and Wendy's friend Brennah (no idea how to spell that) out to P.F. Changs for a birthday dinner. Then we went to Best Buy where Grant was delighted to find Pinky and the Brain on dvd, then we went to Eat'n'Park for pie.
I also picked up a few dvd's this weekend. I have all three Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies now, along with Galaxy Quest (it was $4), Resident Evil, and The Parent Trap (which came with the sequel).
Tonight, I'm running D&D for Grant, Wendy, Paul, and Ben. I'm all statted and ready at this point, I'm pretty excited. Paul's going to play a human cleric who is seeking the ingredients for a cure to the curse that has been placed upon his fiance, Grant is thinking about a kobald bard, Wendy is leaning toward a monk Dwarfling (crazy!), and I have no idea what Ben is thinking. If anyone who reads this (if anyone reads it) cares, I will probably post about the campaign more later. You know, once it starts.
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