Dinging - it's a weekend thing

I dinged several times this weekend - but two were more important.  In RL, I dinged 42 on Friday.  Yes, 42.  I know, I know... old for a gamer - never mind an MMORPG fanatic, but it's true.  I'm a girl too.  We are on the internet you know!  My husband made sure I had two wonderful days of celebration and he fed my NCIS addiction by getting me two season on DVD!

The other important dingage just happened.  My druid, Zinaria, finally hit 80.  To say it has been a long trip would be an understatement.  She was the second toon I ever created to level - Rionach, my warlock, was the first.  Her 'birth' predates AQ40 and Naxx's existence in the game.  I just never got around to leveling her.  First, I was too busy with Rio, then I was too busy leveling Fi and Eib on a different server.  Zinaria was an Alleria baby - and the last toon I moved from that realm.  Rio was first.

I loved playing my priest so much - then the shaman - that I didn't dream I would also love the druid as much as I do.  I don't care if I have tree limbs or bear paws - I enjoy being a druid.  Out of all the classes I have played - and she is now my fifth, OMG FIFTH!, 80 - I have to say, I think the druid is the most versatile of the bunch.  The Shaman is close -but you can't tank with them, so I'll go for the druid. 

Tonight to ding 80, I had to do a random dungeon without my pocket healer, Ivanohvah aka Gariath.  It was the first time anyone else had healed me, and it was an experience.  Again, I want to say that Ivanohvah has turned out to be a great healer.  The healer I was with this time was a disc priest - and well, I'll take my holy one any day.  Speaking of Fi, if Ivanohvah ever gets leveled up, I can't wait to heal a raid with her.

I don't know if any of the nice people who helped me along the way with my tanking will ever read this - but I want to tell Azyrth thanks for teaching me how to hold and maintain aggro.  After he and I chatted about how to build it, I did so much better!  Stoutporter from Gurubashi realm helped teach my how to LOS pull, and stressed how important it is for a druid.  Another nice patient player. 

I have found most everyone in my pug runs to be nice and for the most part patient.  I have also discovered that tanking makes you grumpy!  Oh my, was I a grumpy bear at times.  Aggro-stealing dps hos!  I swear they won't give a bear a second to get aggro on a multiple-mob pulls!  Hell, I'd settle for one second - just one!  so I could hit several buttons before all hell breaks lose.

I'm tired now, and it's time for bed.  In other news, I beat my husband in Fantasy Football tonight.  Life is good.

Back in the Blogging Saddle Again

I seem to be spending less time on Fidelma than I have in the past - well, except for ICC runs (coming up this Sunday).  What I have been spending time on is playing my Druid, Zinaria, and learning how to bear-tank.  It is a challenge that is very different from healing.

I have never enjoyed running after mobs - hence why my rogue is still 61, but it seems to be necessary as a tank more than I would like.  I'm getting better at tab-targetting - and not the mobs further up the road, but it is all new and different for me, but I have to say it is fun.  I need to find some good sites/blogs to read about bear tanking.  Possibly that will be an adventure for this weekend.

For now, I'm going back to recording with Gariath our Leveling Azeroth podcast - then I'm going to drag him out healing.  I never thought I would say that!

Don't tell me how to heal...

...especially when you are not close to me in heals and laid dead on the floor the first attempt while I healed the tanks alone for 15% more of the boss' health.  Just don't.

This is Fidelma ranting... I don't do it often, but here I go.  I have- I think - I sum total of four people on my ignore list. FOUR after playing for um... four years!  It takes a lot to piss me off, and well, this raid leader/disc priest managed to do it tonight in VOA.  He went to the ignore list, after I politely left the raid, explaining why - he decided calling me a hoe (meaning ho' but getting by censors) was a good idea, and I added my fourth name to my ignore list.

I'm still a bit hot under the collar about being told when to do Hymn of Hope - I know when thank you very much - but when I bust it out on the second raid warning were he asks - I expect you to shut the heck up about it.  He continued to spam it in raid warning, then decided to talk about how people don't listen.  I'm like wtf.  After we wipe, again - he started to yell at me about it, and basically told me I didn't cast it for the full time.

Now the seriously funny part about this is that I out healed him (including his absorbs) by 13%, less overheals, and the first time I was the second to last to die (tank - me - tank was how our first wipe ended).  So, obviously, I know the boss and I know how to keep me alive and the tanks.  So, stfu.

I was willing to try a third time, but after he accused me of not doing it - I just politely said, you will have to find another healer, because I will not be yelled at when I have done my job and 49% of the raid heals.  Good luck.  I hope they wiped again - well, I hope the nice people finished and he was faceplanted with a high repair bill.

I logged off and got on my Lock - and dinged 74.  It made me feel much better :).

DPS'ing... I didn't know I missed you

I blame it on Gariath...I was a happy healer.  Then he said, "why don't you grab Rio and we'll do a random."  I was a goner in just a few minutes - remembering the fun of not watching green bars and instead trying to figure out my rotation to up my dps.

Since then, I've been playing her every chance I get.  I'm remembering all the things I loved about being a warlock - she was my first toon, and I'm here to tell you that it is like riding a bicycle.  I'm playing her demo this time, and that is totally different than how I've played her in the past.  I've always been destruction, so it is a complete change - and I'm loving it.  I've already got her to 73.5 and I'm going to try for 74 after recording Leveling Azeroth tonight.

It's nice to rediscover the joys of leveling - even doing quests.  I've been working on her rep with the Walrus people so she can make the big herb bag for my herbalist and alchemist - not to mention, Rio is a fisher and wants that sexy fishing rod that they have at exalted.

Fun times... who knew, I would enjoy dps'ing again.  Now, if I can just figure out that tanking thing on my druid....

Reflections on WoW and RL

I didn't get a chance to talk about it much in Leveling Azeroth this week, but RL has been full of WoW blocking fun.  My fiancé is a wonderful man who actually supports me playing WoW, but I'm having trouble finding time to fit it in these days.  Getting married is one of those all encompassing events in your life - and it has taken over mine, even though I am having a fairly simple wedding.  There is always something to do - including rearranging and cleaning my house for my fiancé and I to make it our home.

That said, I am having a great time in WoW when I get the chance to hop on-line.  Tonight, I'm hoping to knock the weekly raid quest out of the park on two toons and maybe get a level on my druid.  On the other hand, I need to finish my pantry reorganization... lol.  Somehow I'll get it all done.

I just had a thought - I'm going to be gone twice this summer on 2-week study abroad programs.  Hmmm... I might need to line up some guest hosts for Gariath...

Leveling Azeroth

Gariath and I just finished recording our 3rd episode of Leveling Azeroth.  We're still working out the kinks -but it is getting better and easier.  I'm still not sure what the right mix of things are for us to talk about and include - but hopefully we'll get feed back or some natural progression will happen.

In game news, I ran with some old guildies last night from Blackwatch on Shadow Council.  We had a blast!  I'm hopeful that we can get them to run some raids with us.  We stepped into Black Temple again last night and downed one more boss.  I've got to do some reading about the next one - lots of dmg to the whole party - hard for one healer to keep up, but we're going back next Monday - and every Monday following - until we get it done!

My cat, Clover, is curled up on me and I'm feeling the need to nap - but need to go tweek the show notes from episode 3 first, then get started on episode four.  It's all about professions - and I'm thinking of picking up a new one...

Cheers!

14 months... the long journey to a new weapon

After FOURTEEN months, Fidelma finally has a new weapon.  KT's mace has been swinging at my side since we downed him for the second time on our 25-man multi-guild run.  I put the lower level spell power enchant on it - because at the time we didn't have enough mats for the upper one.  I thought I would only have it for a while... little did I know that I would have it for this long.  It served me well, but now it is in my bank.

I have a dagger now - and I like it!  The Pit gave it to me and I appreciate it.  I keep hoping for an even better weapon - but I'm happy for the upgrade.  Elune - just don't let it be 14 months again!