Pet Battle Fever Diminished?

I feel compelled to post today as there is the possibility I might be off-air soon. All week the drama queen weather people have been ranting about the coming Frankenstorm and they do this all the time so I don’t pay attention to them.

This morning I checked the National Weather Service who I’m more likely to believe. Oops, you too huh. Well, it’s too late to go racing off for supplies, we have sufficient dog food and I know they would share. The last storm that knocked out power for a day and a half was almost my undoing, I was jonesing for internet after five minutes, that and the whole waiting for a huge tree on the roof thing. That one scares me as I think we’re really tempting fate by having a brand new roof. It already attracted one large tree limb.

In our neighborhood we’re THOSE PEOPLE, yeah, every neighborhood has to have them. In the aftermath of the storm, if the power’s out the neighborhood will sing with the hums of five thousand dollar generators except at our house. We did look at them but the ones that seemed affordable would only power a coffee-maker so that seemed like overkill for just coffee. So if I stop talking it’s because the power went out and I’m driving around looking for a Starbucks to get wifi on my iPad.

Anyway, I meant to wait to do the Pandarian Trainers until I leveled a magic pet but I just could not wait. Hyuna of the Shrines I think was the longest fight. My crab and her turtle battled it for about a half an hour, lol. But my crab Rangoon prevailed, he’s a very patient crab. I’ve done PvP battles where when I brought out my crab the other person forfeited. Apparently they don’t like long, drawn out battles with a crab that won’t die.

None of the fights stood out as really hard, I would have to try a different mix of pets sometimes until I got just the right one, but the crab is my one constant.

So Cat has a new title and she wanted a screen shot of her prize winning crab. And she finally got some bandages from Aki the Chosen. So I thought maybe she’d get back to helping out the Golden Lotus guys now. Nope, not a chance. She’s flying around trying to get her four hundred pets right now. And the language, oh my. Damn you Miniferal, Damn you! Now I know how Navi felt. And that’s just one of the pets that keep alluding her, there are many more.

Pet Battle Fever continues undiminished. She was crushed when she found out the Qiraji Guardling was only available in summer months but of course she had to go look just to make sure. So I’m off to accompany her in the few remaining hours of power. NOVEC? Could we be best friends? Could you try really hard to keep the power on for Cat, I’ll send cookies … enchants … glyphs … ANYTHING … my Sinister Squashling will be yours, just name your price. Not to even mention if this storm messes up Halloween I’ll be stuck in this house with a metric ton of candy. NOT GOOD … so pretty please.

Oh and while I’m ranting, Hurricane Sandy? Really? Who names these things anyway. If these things come in leaving destruction in their path I really would rather say I was hit by Acidmaw or Brutallus, now these are substantial scary names with weight. Sandy? If it had been Hurricane Brutallus I might have paid attention and gone out and stocked up on toilet paper, just saying.

Food the Tillers Like or …

Yes! It’s my new BFF Framer Fung! Although I find flying around looking for dirt piles fabulous, it soon became clear I really didn’t have the dedication of some. I began to fear I’d never make friends based on gifts so I went into food production overdrive.

I think Farmer Fung may be the easiest as he’s not very demanding and only asks for Wildfowl Roast and the Wildfowl Breast is a nice drop rate from the cranes not far from where he stands. What a great friend, he made it so easy for me.

Now that we’re BFFs he’s sent along a Yak for my farm and he even mailed me an Enigma Seed Pack, aw, so sweet. Jogu the Drunk is going to be my next BFF I just know it. It seems he’s easily won over with donations of copious amounts of liquor.

• Farmer Fung – Wildfowl Roast

• Fish Fellreed – Twin Fish Platter

• Haohan Mudclaw – Charbroiled Tiger steak

• Jogu the Drunk – Sautéed carrots

• Gina Mudclaw – Swirling Mist Soup

• Ella – Shrimp Dumplings

• Sho – Eternal Blossom Fish

• Chee Chee – Valley Stir Fry

• Old Man Hillpaw – Braised Turtle

• Tina Mudclaw  – Fire Spirit Salmon

I guess since Farmer Fung was my first he’ll be my VBFF and the rest will be just plain BFFs. I not sure of the etiquette here. No matter, I’m sure we’ll all work it out.

Yeah, on a completely different topic I’m wondering if this is bothering anyone else. I mean the Mantids are a completely alien culture … but they celebrate Hallow’s End. I have no idea why this creeps me out. I guess creeping people out at Hallow’s End is kinda the point so … I guess … Klaxxi! Job well done!

Pet Battles — Life as I Knew it Forever Changed

I know that sounds a bit melodramatic but it’s true. My WoW life has been forever changed by something that, pre-expansion, I thought sounded nice for some but I certainly wasn’t interested in it. Other than a few side trips to get to level 90 and get a Cloud Serpent it’s about all I’ve done.

I abandoned the Golden Lotus for pets. I mean they have all those fine overachieving people who grab 8 or ten mobs, so really, why do they need me. I’m sure they’ll be fine, I’ll be back … really … in just a little while.

Yes, here’s Cat doing the Angler’s dailies. WAIT! Cat, you’re supposed to be … oh nevermind. It’s no use. I can’t stop her. I give up, I know I’m not alone in this obsession which is some comfort. I’ve tried to analyses this compulsion, what aspect of pet battling is pulling me in?

Is it capturing rare pets? While I love to get them I haven’t spent time camping them, it’s nice if they’re there and okay if they aren’t so I guess that’s not it. When I’m hunting for a specific pet I’m looking for a rare with high speed, nice to get the first shot in.

It all started when I first met Grand Master Major Payne, he flattened my team. They had done so well up to that point and I realized they were great out in the wild but against mechnicals, humanoids, basically against anything other than beasts and critters they were toast. I PvP battled, I tried to see what worked well. Although logically I know someone didn’t beat my team because of just one of their pets, this began my hunt for pets with spells I liked.

Wiped out by a Darkmoon Zeppelin? Hurry, start leveling yours up. Brutalized by a Fawn? Haunt the starting area until I get a rare and level it up. I seem to be enjoying finding a diverse group of pets and leveling them to 25 hoping that by then I’ll have the right group, a team with perfect synergy who complement each others spells and fight like a well-oiled killing machine. It’s beautiful, like a ballet. Man, this pet battle stuff is deep … stop snickering … I’m not kidding.

And it’s not like pet battling isn’t helpful. Look what I found while searching for a pet to battle. An old axe, apparently it was Lost and Found. By me … cause I was pet battling. See, useful in so many ways.

Okay, I’m off. Got a lot of pet leveling to do. But let me just say Major Payne I’m coming for you. You feeling me? I got you in my sights. It’s only a matter of time. You’re history, we’re going to kick your butt all around the Argent Tournament Grounds. Yeah … in a bit.

The River Speaks of Your Deeds

Well that’s what Jogu the Drunk tells me anyway. I hope it’s just the ravings of an alcohol-riddled mind because Cat does NOT want the river running its mouth about her. Yeah, she’s hiding behind a Tauren mask, who does she think she’s kidding. She got her feelings hurt because Navi made disparaging remarks about Night Elves on a Girls Gone WoW podcast. I told her, look Navi has to say those things, she’s Horde. You don’t want her in trouble with Hellscream do you?

So anyway, Cat’s been running around sucking up to every faction she can find. She kind of ran out of steam once she got honored with the Golden Lotus which meant the siren song of pet battles pulled her back in. Seductive little beasties.

She did stop to do a couple of scenarios. Both had the same mission, brewing. Those crazy pandas. They were both fun although I’m not sure what happened in Unga Ingoo, A Brewing Storm went fine but for some reason on Captain Ook at some point I realize my two buddies are dead but Captain Ook doesn’t turn around, which was damn lucky for me so I shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

So then Cat decides, yes, it’s always Cat NOT ME when we get to the bad stuff. CAT decides that since she’s 90 she’ll go to Naxxramas with a Laid Back Raid. I mean surely at 90 she can’t be a danger to anyone aside from the whole getting lost thingy.

OH NO! She can too! She was trying to stay away from everyone, casting puny, weak, spells and the next thing you know she’s cavorting around as a giant bear dealing all kinds of death and destruction. This was puzzling to her as of course she hadn’t actually READ anything about the fight beforehand. After coming back to life she did look it up and found that stupid, stupid, Kel’Thuzad does a mind control thingy in 25 man. So yeah, that explains the whole running willy-nilly thing. But as a bear?

Yes … well, I had consumed a glass of wine by this point, and yes, my “turn into a mighty bear” key is right next to my renewal key, so maybe it was me and not Kel’Thuzad responsible for the bear part. So anyway I think I killed everyone, either that or I’m some kind of egomaniac that thinks everything must have something to do with them. Especially if it’s bad. So either way, just saying … not good. The river’s calling her Cat Jenkins.

After being the cause of all that carnage Cat headed home. Getting to see the moon did cheer her up a little. Usually she has to rely on someone else to view it. She vowed to stay off main routes and follow the back roads of anonymous pet battlers. Meeting at lonely, seedy, dives where no one knows your name. Until finally, the river stops speaking of her deeds.

I’m Dying Here …

Yeah … no not there, but since this is about worm problems I thought that shot perfectly displayed a freaking big WORM PROBLEM. I love my Druid, but really is Blizzard trying to MAKE me change my spec. Seriously, are there really worms that size? The damn thing stayed that size the entire time and this wasn’t the old style 5 minute Coren Direbrew, I think we were in there a half an hour.

As per usual, I can’t find his BUTT, where the HELL IS HIS BUTT? Should I get inside the Hunter’s pet assuming if he’s there it must be Coren’s butt? So anyway, I was flailing away trying to hit something and really ran out of energy AND patience.

So that was the end of queuing for Coren, I’ll catch him next year. So this should have alerted me. The warning signs were there but did I pay attention, NO. I merrily flew off to do my  Order of the Cloud Serpent dailies.

Yay! Some new quests! As you can imagine I’m thrilled to do whatever they ask of me so I excitedly accepted two new quests. Pooped and Sweet as Honey. Picking up poop is just an extension of real life, I do that every day when I walk the dogs so I’m more than happy to do it for the Cloud Serpent people. Off I go and … OMG! OMG!

WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING! GEEZ! I’m dead. Was it the Shao-Tien Behemoth? Was it Cracklefang? Oh hell no, it was WORMS! I was attacked by little worms while trying to gather honey. They are deadly those stupid little worms. So yeah, pick up your poop first, then except Sweet as Honey after you turn in your poop. I want my death to have meaning; at least it can save someone else. Pandaria’s a strange world, you can single-handedly knock off elites but a gang of worms … deadly. And elites, there seems to be quite a range there. Are they ELITE elites? Or the other kind, kind of wimpy elites. Really no way to know without giving them a go and if they are ELITE hoping someone else shows up.

So after all that drama and dying and worms, fishing was in order, it’s very calming. So you can see I’ve broken down and transmogged Cat’s cloak. I bought the Apexis Cloak thinking it might come in handy some time. Now I can stand to fish, she looks acceptable from the back. I know it’s really selfish to have no regard for her front. Other people have to look at the horror, I mean she’s wearing Baradin’s Wardens Tabard in case she wants to go home quick, she’s wearing all kinds of clashy things but I just don’t care at this point. I have worm fatigue. I don’t know the cure … maybe plant some vegetables … yeah, that’s the ticket.

An Underachiever’s Guide to 90

Yep, that’s it. Stop it, stop it, stop it with the pet battling already. Simple, easy. There’s my guide. I was feeling like such an underachiever that I finally decided to get to 90. I got really excited when I realized I would be able to queue for Coren Direbrew who I’d totally forgotten about. In an hour and a half I didn’t get in. A group was formed once but a dps never accepted. Weird, maybe everyone’s off battling pets.

As soon as Cat hit 90 she rushed off to train flying. I wanted to take a screen shot of the momentous occasion but she refused to turn around. Yeah, she’s not looking too good, she’s embarrassed. She has a new stun, the Stun of Unbelievably Awfulness. Come out of cat form to caster form to stun your opponent with clashing colors. They will stand there starring for probably ever or until dead. Handy.

I did have a bad moment on my farm. Wild crops? Hmm, that’s a new one. I see I have two buttons, I guess I’ll use them both although the interrupt doesn’t seem to interrupt anything. I continued using my powers to no avail, so yeah, google.  So thank you kind person for the information that you have to use the controls to build up a buff on yourself. Once you reach 50 stacks, the vine goes away. Thankfully, planting can resume which is very, very, important. Cause I want The Tillers to really like me cause who doesn’t want a riding goat, right?

But that’s the problem, who next? Order of the Cloud Serpent because yes, Cloud Serpent. I also feel kind of bad. When I hit 90 I left those Shado Pan in the middle of Townlong Steppes without so much as a goodbye. I’ve even been avoiding their representative in the Shrine of Seven Stars because I feel guilty I abandoned them. I’ll have to go back and help them out.

Just … um … not right now. I have work to do for the Golden Lotus because leatherworking patterns! Cat really needs some new clothes even if it means losing The Stun of Unbelievably Awfulness. Looking good is not without its price.

Connecting …

Since I can’t login I thought I’d let you know I have been reading. Just on the iPad though, if I’m near the computer I’m playing, can’t stop myself. So when I visit on the iPad the most I can manage is a “Like” if you have one. I just don’t want to fight with auto-correct.

So I did read JD’s post about pinking it up and I DID mention it to Cat. It’s very hard to get ahold of her right now. After some discussion she told me she just can’t take a break from pet battling right now to look for clothes so instead she said she would battle with a pink pet instead in support. Yeah, me either. I don’t think that counts Cat.

TROUBLE, trouble, trouble. Worry, worry, worry. After 158 attempts I do not want to have a monotone bird. I don’t think that’s fair. What is happening? Have the servers become Sha-Infested? When I returned to Stormwind, that was hinky too so I finally remembered to check for a driver update for my graphics card.

Okay, still can’t login. So let’s see … what else.

Oh wow, this is embarrassing. Just how derpy can one be. Well, it was Cat not me really. She’s been on the hunt for a Sand Kitten. She has three battle pet teams for low, middle and high level battles. She saw a Sand Kitten and excitedly landed and clicked the kitten and without checking which team was up, sent a level 25 at that poor kitten. Really wish there was an “oops” pause attack button. Dead kitten.

On her next check for the kitten, she saw one! Landing and … yeah … excitedly began battle without … you know … checking. It was her low level team, kitten killed them all. So all I can say is I really need to get a battle kitten. They apparently do some kind of mind control from a distance. A derp gun perhaps. Those suckers are dangerous!

All is Not as it Seems in Pandaria

Yes, as a result of a family birthday celebration on Saturday I now have a Panda. Children love to make Pandas I found, there would have been more created but while they’re aware of Pandas they don’t know about multiple servers. I kept quiet about that.

I was allowed naming rights, just barely. And I had to really lobby for it, but I just can’t level someone named Fluffytail. So this is Wanchai. I don’t know what Wanchai is like now, but when I lived in Hong Kong it was the bar district. I spent some time there occasionally so I thought since the Pandaren are big on beer brewing, it fit.

So anyway, I have been taking a little time out from pet battling to tour the countryside. The Pandaren seemed like lovely people, full of kind words and sage advice. I was lulled into a false sense of security I admit. All that came screeching to a halt when I met a sadistic, maniacal, Pandaren masquerading as a gardener. Gardener Fran and the Watering Can was the first pain I’ve felt in Pandaria. Crazy, slave-driving woman. So just beware, they seem friendly and all but some of them are as crazy as humans. Just saying, watch out.

So I’m wandering around, doing the whole zen thing and I was annoyed to find I leveled on Blackhoof. Too fast, slow down. I haven’t even found some story lines in Jade Forest yet. But I was pleased that so many rares seem to stand out in the middle of a field, plainly visible. That’s so thoughtful of them, so now I have a horn that I can blow to attract all enemies attention within 40 yards which doesn’t sound like a good idea. I put it in the bank because I knew I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from trying it out. Keep wanting to take it out though and go to a virmen infested area and blow it.

I have just been all about the pet battling. Oh, if you’re trying to find the battle pet tamers of Eastern Kingdoms that David Kosse is not where his text bubble is. When I finally found him at about 63 54 in the Hinterlands I took out my big guns and annihilated his team for wasting my time. Ha! Showed him.

So I’m all cocky now and think my team is ready to do a PvP battle, yeah, FEAR MY TEAM! I’m a proud coach, My Shore Crab, Forest Spiderling and Clockwork Gnome will defeat all takers! OMG! My babies, NOOOO! They were all dead before I could figure out what was going on. Okay, no worries, give it another shot. I queue again and get the same sadistic bastard player. As they’re trouncing my team I made note of his pets. I only saw two, he didn’t need anymore to TOTALLY FLATTEN my team. I was so crushed I had to go and plant vegetables to recover.

So it’s back to the drawing board. He decimated my team with Lil’ Ragnaros and a Panadaren Monk. Didn’t really use Rags much, just the insane Panda. I even see complaints on the forums about the unfair uberness of Pandaren Monks.

So, I’ve got to go. Got to level up my Pandaren Monk. Looks like I need a second team, a PvP Supreme Team! Better go haunt the boards to find the best third, I will have my revenge!