Blessings from A Roadside Fruit Stand

I have ridden by this guy’s fruit stand in Shadowmoon Valley about a million times. I never really gave any thought to the giant statue … I don’t know … I guess if I thought about it at all, I figured the guy thought it was good for business. I didn’t know it DID anything. Did everyone know but me?

I had a Goren Invasion to do. It seems you can get people on my server early but it was afternoon, so after having no luck through trade I thought I’d try the custom group and see if anyone was around. I don’t post them with an iLevel requirement in the hope that people know there is no pressure. I’m not looking for a Platinum, just some fun.

Yay! There’s one! Yay! Another, we’re ready … yike … I didn’t even know iLevel 691 was possible yet. I’m worried they’re going to be disappointed. I hope they don’t expect …

Let’s give it our best and get a Platinum!

Oh … they do.

691 said, come with me. I’ll show you a buff.

Off we went down the road and it turns out Mr. Fruit guy’s statue is a Pilgrim’s Shrine. Who knew! I took Blessing of K’ara, a multistrike buff. Wow! Thank you!

I have had people get a little bossy on invasions. You go here … you do that … no … do this!

Not 691 … 691 just said, we can do this!

And we could!

691 was one kick ass lazer chicken, so not only did we have a new buff but a Routed Invader’s Crate of Spoils too! It’s funny how it can turn your whole day around when you randomly group with two really nice people.

I wish I could remember their names. Dammit. Should have written them down. I was happy I had Erris the Collector and happier still they both got a pet!

So just in case there are people like me out there thinking that statue is just the fruit vendor’s attempt at attracting business, now you know.

Maybe it’s a chain of fruit stands and there are more of these things. I think I should ride up there and buy something from the guy. Wonder if he has bananas. I could go for a banana.

 

Character Luck

Or lack of it. Over the years it’s hard not to notice a trend. Catwynn has no luck. Well not NO luck, she did manage to get the Reins of the Raven Lord somewhere past 160 tries. In general though she’s not the one who gets the mounts or clothes she’s looking for.

And she has NEVER received Blingtron’s Secret Vault mission which irks her no end now that she has all these Treasure Hunters. The rest of the crew for the most part have had that mission once but then there’s Cim.

I’m pretty sure that Warlock has had it three times. She’s the one who collected most of the mounts. She has a bank stuffed with clothes she wanted and got.

What’s going on here.

Three characters at this point have a Salvage Yard. Both Cat and Cim do. Cat loves it, she gets lots of greens to vendor, an occasional low level epic. It’s all good. But Cim received two level 100 BoE epics from her Salvage Yard … really nice ones. She made about 50,000 from them.

If it were just the Salvage Yard I’d say she’d made some kind of nefarious deal with Helmsley but this luck pretty much covers everything. I know, I know. It’s my imagination … gotta be. And don’t get me wrong, I’m quite pleased but it makes me uneasy. She is after all a Warlock.

Any one else notice a marked difference between their character’s luck? If not I’d better start checking the alts, I wouldn’t put it past her to have sold one of their souls. Jeez … Warlocks.

Garrison Monuments, Hunters and You are Not Prepared

This is the one I could have. Blah … yuck … no way. I don’t even want to add up how many of those things Cat had to accumulate to get her cloak to iLevel 670.

Now she’s working on her hat. She needs about 40,000 more for that baby and I have no idea how long that’ll take. I don’t want any reminders staring at me. So, no Apexis Monument for Cat.

Anyway as Cat pointed out it seems risky to have a giant chest filled with riches in front of your house. It’s like you’re saying, hey come on in and rob me!

She’ll get the crafting one eventually but what she REALLY wants is the Pet Battle Monument.

That’s something to aspire to! It’s beautiful Cat, I really like it too. How close are you? Oh … well you’ll get there. Cat doesn’t know who to believe. In game shows she’s at 303, if you look her up at Blizzard it says 366. Either one, it’s still a long way to 2,000. To those that already have this, I salute you!

My first character is a semi-retired Hunter. She went through so much hell with noob me she couldn’t take it anymore and retired. She pops back up now and again to test the waters. I know practically nothing about huntering. Nada. I want to ask you this on the down low, are Beast Mastery Hunters really good right now?

Don’t say it loud though, if they are I don’t want Blizzard to … adjust them.

She was in Nagrand when she noticed Luk’hok who has a 100% mount drop. She started hollering to Nagrand, 100% mount drop! Luk’hok! 100% drop!

Nothing, no one interested. I guess maybe everyone’s already got one. She in iLevel 620s gear and I have no idea what I’m doing with her. What the hell, the worse that can happen is she’ll die and I’ll have to send her a gift basket to make it up to her.

She got out her piggy and gave it a try. Admittedly it took forever but finally, the mount was hers! Either BM Hunters are pretty darn good right now or old Luk’hok is a pushover. I don’t care which. Yay!

I’m sorry, I just couldn’t resist.

No Illidan … I’d say YOU ARE NOT PREPARED! YEOWCH!

 

Retail Therapy: Shoes or Pixels?

What do you do when real life kicks you in the butt? In an unscientific poll over here IRL I appear to be an outlier. Chocolate? Nope. Ice cream? Nope. Shoes? Nope. Another dog … that’s always a danger but nope.

With three Horde characters waiting to march through Tanaan Jungle and an unskilled Alliance Death Knight, what do I  do? Yep … I buy a character boost. Apparently it’s my version of retail therapy.

Needless to say this has made for some grumbling in the ranks. Sasche’s been waiting patiently for her turn and then this character jumps the queue. I found myself having to defend my decision. I mean there really is a reason. Maybe not a GOOD reason.

I think I have … I don’t know … probably eight True Steel Lockboxes. They probably only have a pair of mismatched socks or something in them. The fact that my Death Knight can’t open them with keys any more just annoyed the hell out of me. So see? There was a legitimate reason, just not a very good one.

Anyway, Hachette the deadly assassin was born. It works for me! It was a little rough trying to fight her way through the jungle in boost gear but she’s doing better now.

In an attempt to skew the numbers and make myself (hopefully) seem more normal I’ll do a poll here.

Only eight more levels to go before we find out what riches lurk in those lockboxes! Go Hachette!

Kam’s Back Channel Liebster

Yes … disturbing, but you can’t have a post without a screen shot and this was my most recent. Cat was shocked to find out her garrison has a prisoner with only a steaming bucket of … whatever … for company.

It seemed fitting though, as I can use it to rate the veracity of the answers. Sometimes people have trouble telling if I’m serious … cause sometimes I tend towards hyperbole … just a little.

1) What is your least favorite color?

Pink. It’s kind of weird, when it occurs naturally I’m fine with it but pink clothes or walls or cars … just eeuuuwww.

2) What music do you like to listen to when you’re in a thinking sort of mood?

My deep thinking music is of course, classical. Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings and Fauré’s Requiem come to mind … hey wait WHAT! Who’s calling bullsh the bucket on me! Okay, alright. Think AC/DC and you have an idea of what I listen to thinking or otherwise.

 

3) Who is your favorite Garrison follower?
I’m with Kam on that. Leorajh is my favorite too. I used to get annoyed with my other stupid bodyguards when they kept getting themselves killed but with Leorajh I feel guilty. I should take better care of him poor guy.

4) Should Farmer Yoon date Gina Mudclaw (whom he has a crush on) or Tina Mudclaw (who has a crush on him, but can’t decide whether she likes him or Farmer Fung better)?
Well, you didn’t hear it from me but I have it on good authority that Farmer Yoon has been seen stepping out with none other than Joan Tremblay. I KNOW! I was surprised too! I always felt Joan was one can short a six pack. She was always telling Sasche, Do Not Seek Death. Hello? Joan, can’t you see I’m Forsaken. That ship has sailed. Anyway who are we … WHAT NOW BUCKET? Sigh … you got me. I couldn’t pick between the Mudclaws so I just made up something. I’m very fond of Farmer Yoon, I want to make the right choice.

5) What is/are your favorite Tier set(s)?

I’m not even going to make up something here. I’ll avoid the bucket. I don’t really have a favorite as for whatever reason I seem to like making ridiculous outfits out of low level gear but then I’m too embarrassed to wear them, hahahahahaha. What a loon.

6) Chocolate & peanut butter, or chocolate & mint?

Chocolate and peanut butter is the only way I roll … ever. I’ll have to try a Lindt chocolate and mint and see if it changes my mind.

7) If Arakkoa were made into a playable race, would you rather be the cursed, flightless Arakkoa that we first met in Outland, or the flying “high Arakkoa” that we meet in Draenor?

I’d be a high Arakkoa. The Arakkoa in Outland had such terrible posture. I kept wanting to yell, STAND UP STRAIGHT at them. Instead I just killed them.

8) What is your favorite RL holiday, and what special foods must you have to eat for that holiday?
I would say Christmas. We had a family tradition, an old standing tradition of crepes for Christmas Eve. One person didn’t like them. Last Christmas I thought I should start a new tradition. One that everyone liked. To please everyone, young and old, the crepes had to morph into … lasagna! Yes, not very Christmasy but everyone’s happy now. Long live lasagna!

9) Did you make a pie for Pi Day? If so, what kind?
No. The last time I made a pie totally from scratch was DECADES ago. I spent three hours peeling the apples, making the crust, so on and so forth. I took it out of the oven. It was TOTALLY devoured within 15 minutes.

A frozen pie from the store would also be devoured in about the same time. I decided to claim that 3 hours for something else. See, that’s where I get all the time to play WoW. Those 3 hours over the years add up. True story, didn’t get the bucket.

10) What utensil do you prefer for eating rice?

Chopsticks, I use chopsticks. I used to live in Hong Kong where I learned … to … use …

Oh alright. I did live in Hong Kong where I was always given chopsticks when eating out. And I tried, really I did. I tried to learn how to use them but after a while any restaurant I ate at enough for them to recognize me started bringing out a fork when they saw me. I didn’t get chopsticks anymore. They gave up on me. The memory is still painful.

 11) What new attraction would you love to see at the Darkmoon Faire?

I want Kam’s Ferris Wheel too, then I could actually ride on one. They scare me IRL. I’ll do a Roller Coaster but not a Ferris Wheel. My fear of heights is weird. When I was in my twenties I took flying lessons until I ran out of money. That was fine, I think it was too high for me to register the height, who knows. A Roller Coaster goes high but I guess I think you’re going so fast that if you crashed you wouldn’t really have time to notice.

What? Oh yeah, Cat did try to interrogate the prisoner but got no where. If you have any luck finding out what he’s in for, let her know. It’s driving her crazy.

I think she’s off trying to rent him a porta potty.

Cross Faction Cooperation

Cenarion Circle. These guys have got their shit um, act together. They manage to work cross faction for the greater good. Lately Cat’s had friends say, let’s get a group together and do this or that. She always yells, pick me! I’ll go! Oh no … I can’t, I’m Alliance.

Cat spoke to a few of the Cenarion Circle representatives in Silithus and they suggested she go to Moonglade and talk to leadership.

Off she went. An all-hands meeting was called. Cat’s not much for meetings, a lot of it went right over her head. It wasn’t at all what she’d expected.

I think she had anticipated something with a sweat lodge and maybe smoking some type of herb but instead she heard things like, paddle on both sides, eat the elephant one bite at a time, data-points … whew … what was going on?

Never mind, she thought. The Cenarion Circle are the leaders of cooperation, surely they’ll come up with a plan!

The meeting finally broke up, a Tauren approached her.

It is decided. Tell Blizzard that the Cenarion Circle will allow a monthly fee to be paid for Honorary Temporary Membership in the Cenarion Circle. You will be able to assist your friends of the opposite faction. You can group and help with invasions, dungeons, raids.

BUT … if Blizzard wants to accept … say … five of those pieces of paper they use over there every month we will expect our payment in real money … gold.

Yay! Well, there it is! I’d sure be willing to pay five dollars a month to erase the faction barrier. I hope the Cenarion Circle has their people call Blizzard’s people soon and set up a meeting. I can’t wait!

Post Trapping Stress Syndrome

I should have seen this coming. It was only a matter of time. Cat’s taken the responsibility of Savage Blood production for the family very seriously and the stress seems to have finally broken her.

It’s something that people don’t like to talk about … it’s embarrassing. Some suffer from the more common premature trappulation, but Cat … even worse … post-trappulation. I know, so sad.

After a hard, sweaty trapping session she returns to her Garrison to take a break and then this. I think I heard Jeff Miller there yell, Hey, careful man, there’s a beverage here at her.

I didn’t feel too sorry for Jeff, he signed up for dangerous duty at the Garrison BUT … NO! Cat! We nearly trapped the puppy! That will not do!

Cat enough with the denial! You HAVE to visit a trap therapist! No more putting it off, enough is enough. I do not know why every time you return from trapping, a trap goes off without setting one but there MUST be a cure.

Poor Cat, I think she might need a vacation. Maybe sunny Tanaris would do the trick.

Leibstered by a Passing Star-Fired Beef!

If being leibstered by Dahakha doesn’t call for a Cat Form selfie I don’t know what does.

How often do you go out to a restaurant?
Almost never, I have to be dragged kicking and screaming to a restaurant. It’s unfortunate too as everyone else in the family likes to go out to eat. Pretty much only to celebrate someone’s birthday.

If you could design the next playable race for an MMO (of your choice), what kind of race would it be?
I don’t know, maybe all the Warlock’s succubi (?) in WoW should join together and branch off on their own. I could see me running around whipping everything to death. Are you sure these questions aren’t some kind of deep psychological test? Will wanting to be a succubus fail me?

You have to spend the next year in a different culture. Where would you choose to spend it?
When I was ten or eleven a New Zealander friend of my father’s gave me a beautiful book on New Zealand. I always wanted to visit although now that I’m an old curmudgeon I can’t see me sitting on a plane that long unless I became a rich curmudgeon and could stretch out in first class … so probably not happening.

What kinds of things make you laugh in games?
Kicking goats off mountains comes to mind and I enjoy the references that I get. Firefly references I get, I’m sure there are many others that I miss.

Is freedom really free?
Freedom is a subjective thing … oh boy … I don’t want to go off on a rant. I’ll just say no and move along.

Name a book that was better than the movie, and a movie that was better than the book.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a movie better than the book. If I have I’ve forgotten it so it couldn’t really have been that good could it?

If you had no access to a computer/tablet/phone for gaming, what would you do instead?
OMG!!! Noooooooo! Okay, I’d do what I did before. Read, read, read.

What is the best pizza topping?
Mountains of cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese!!!

Do you think raiding is a net positive or a net negative for MMO games?
I have no idea since I don’t raid. I used to feel I was only here on sufferance and well, because I paid them. I don’t feel that as much anymore.

Favourite alcoholic (or faux-holic) beverage?
It would have to be red wine as that’s the only alcohol I ever drink.

What is the one feature you would love to see in your game of choice that isn’t currently there?
A Proving Ground that detects “niceness” rather than skill. I don’t care how skilled anyone is, I care that they aren’t going to be a total ass. I know … I haven’t figured out how to implement it and neither has Blizzard.

Having done this before I am now going to play fast and loose with the rules and not pass it on but if you’d like to answer Dahakha’s questions be sure to let me know!

Garrison Quirks and The Most Expensive Toy Ever

I don’t know if everyone has garrison quirks but I sure do. I realized I NEVER log out unless the character is inside the Town Hall. I can’t leave them out in the open, what if it rains while I’m gone.

Cat likes to chat with the miners, maybe she’s keeping up moral.

When she rides into her Garrison there are sometimes followers standing by the fountain. As she rides by they usually wave and then she feels guilty if she doesn’t stop to acknowledge the wave. She doesn’t like to snub them. Okay, okay … it’s me. How weird is that.

But the weirdest quirk is Cat’s ongoing battle with Oscaar, I’ve never known anyone to get on her nerves like that, she’s usually so mellow.

Oscaar I’m warning you, DO NOT COME IN THIS BARN! Oscaar! Oscaar! Dammit!

OSCAAR! We have spoken on this subject before! DO NOT ride your Elekk in the Barracks! These guards have to sleep in here! GET OUT!

I thought she should get away from the Garrison for a little relaxation.

Let’s go to the Darkmoon Faire Cat, forget about Oscaar for a while, have a little fun.

Oops … things went downhill from there.

Thanks to Navi telling me beforehand how to do Triumphant Turtle Tossing that went really well.

See Cat, all you needed was to get away from the worry of being a Commander. Isn’t this fun … let’s try the race!

Big mistake.

We watched videos, Cat tried again and again. The more she tried the worse she got. She was getting more stressed out by the race than even Oscaar made her. I felt bad … responsible somehow.

I went to lunch and she wouldn’t leave the Faire. I came back and she was still there, buying bag after bag after bag of tokens.

Cat, you could have bought some nice gear with all that money, how much have you spent?

No answer … she’s so focused I don’t think she hears me, poor thing.

That Trixi Sharpworth was laughing all the way to the bank, that Goblin took Cat for so much money.

FINALLY. Cat made it. She was officially a Darkmoon Racer Roadhog. That Cat takes her toys very, very seriously. Hopefully now we can get back to something more soothing and peaceful … like beating everyone in Black Temple to death until they drop those pets.