Matty doesn't live here anymore….

It's pretty much official - please go to the new blog:

http://wowsugar.wordpress.com

to find me.

(this is harder than it looks)

Moving...

It's not done yet, not by a long shot - still hanging up the drapes and putting toilet paper on the rolls. But…so I don't lose anyone…and this is important - I'll be moving to

http://wowsugar.wordpress.com

full time very soon.

Awkward

 

Sometimes--sometimes I think I understand the culture of Azeroth better than moving and navigating the real world. In Azeroth, there are no co-pays, mammograms, or messy closets. Well, messy guild tabs don't count. So while out there in the real world, taking care of myself, I grabbed a cup of black coffee filling it halfway to the top. I left it on the table when the nurse called me back, feeling guilty I didn't throw it in the trash. I came out of the checkup about twenty minutes later and a woman is sitting in the chair, texting on her phone, and my coffee cup is still there. I pick it up and throw it in the trash, while she tells me it was her coffee. Yes, I threw away a stranger's coffee. I laughed, embarrassed, and offered to pour her another cup. She declined, which can you blame her? Some crazy lady fresh from boob squishing wearing jean shorts and hoody trashes your coffee? God knows where those hands have been! Hey, I was on a roll today. Pulled a few weeds, got a closet almost done, recorded GoT and plan on a big ol'glass of Sophia Coppola wine and watch it. But I didn't get everything done. But the world is safe from my coffee trashing.


Wait. Wait a minute. Did she throw out my coffee cup before she got her own? Gross.

Back to Azeroth soon.

Forty-Beats #33

Found this site, Pitchfork, which for limited periods streams music. The soundtrack for this film was available through March 2, so alas, I missed it.

http://pitchfork.com/news/54108-stream-wes-andersons-the-grand-budapest-hotel-soundtrack-on-pitchfork-advance/

However: Wes Anderson never fails me. I am not sure how he tells these masterful stories---at once so deeply human, and buoyant. You'll just have to see it for yourself.

Dahahka was right.

OLRG: Haka Style (and Forty-Beats #32)

Oh, New Zealand. With your Hobbits and wizards, sheep, Peter Jacksons, glowworm caves and starry nights. Now you give the world this? Will your generosity ever cease?

Thank You, NZ

Now now, before you start accusing me of objectification of the male form, casual sexism reversal, hey, I appreciate the human form in all its glory. If these nice gentlemen want to take off their shirts and perform a haka celebratory victory dance in the rain, who am I to judge? They are making the world a better place (fans self Southern lady style saying, "Oh my stars!" Dies of blushing).

So what lame excuse or rationalization can I write to show how football haka men relate to Old Ladies Raiding Guild? Cymre did a great write up, so I don't need to give away too many more notes. (She also nominated me for Liebster, and I think Navimie did too, but you guys know way too much about me already.) ANYWAY (*fanning furiously*) Oh yeah….connections. Relevance. Drawing conclusions and whatnot.

Okay- Old Ladies. So last night we tried it Horde side, and I'm sorry Tome missed it - I am sure she has some family needs (love to you, Tome). It was "interesting" to me how many of my battletag buddies jumped on board when it was Horde side. I was telling young leet druid that it seems that those on the Horde side have much more strong allegiance to Horde than Alliance does to Alliance. Has anyone else noticed that? Personally, I couldn't care less. What I care about more is when people say "I could care less." NO! NO I TELL YOU! *Hits you with a hard-bound grammar book* Anyway, as usual I gave everyone assist so they could invite friends, and some took me up on that. What I failed to do, because I didn't think it was necessary, was give everyone a run-down on culture norms. Not rules, not strict guidelines -- norms. Those unspoken expectations that need to be spoken, otherwise the chance of stepped-on-toes debuff and the chiding-matronly-voice spell activate and then people get cranky.

So, let me spell it out: if you bring a friend, please let them know this is a group of close friends, grown ups, who play the game in a different way. We do not rush through old content, we are a tour bus. If you act like Beavis and Butthead Do America and you're tagging along because "you're bored," please go find something else to do. But let me restate: if you're interested in getting to know some other amazing folks in and out of Azeroth, of seeing old and new content, of making your achievement and mog gear dreams come true, we are your group, and you're more than welcome. We have over 100 years of collective play experience combined, many veteran and heroic raiders in the group, who know this game inside and out. Please bring your knowledge, too, and kindness and sense of wonder. That's all you need to pack.

So: next Saturday - I want to do an Alliance run first through Firelands, Ulduar, and maybe one newer content, and then a Horde run if possible. Maybe we can start at 3PM for the Alliance side? I promised Amerpriest Ulduar, and I mistakingly thought she had a Horde character, and felt terrible that I disappointed such a sweet lady. Or, how about this? We do Ulduar Alliance next week, and then switch to Horde for some tasty Firelands gear? Kellanyx is now a red-head, and she makes no apologies for being totally hot. Just like those footballers make no apologies, either.

See you then!

Forty-Beats #31

Ich bin ein Liebster (Part II: It Goes to Eleven)

Okay, because I can never follow rules, I am allowing Mataoka to answer these questions. She is quite the storyteller, so please indulge her. Mr. Snerguls is somewhere deep in the jungles of the Amazon rain forest right now, so he is not available to edit.

11 Questions to my Nominees…

1.             When did you start blogging , What it’s all about and why?

2.             Post your most favorite Screenshot of all time!

3.             Favorite city in WoW you hang out to and why?

4.             Do you play other games besides WoW? Any console you using besides your PC?

5.             What’s your favorite Trasmog gear?

6.             How many WoW characters in game do you have? Do you equally play them a lot?

7.             What’s your current achievement score? Whats the most favorite one and why?

8.             What was the most memorable experience since you started playing WoW?

9.             How many total deaths of critters do you currently have? What are your thoughts about these creatures since they can battle now with your own Pet collections too.

10.         First word comes in mind when you think about WoW and why?

11.          Warlords of Draenor is coming up soon, its the new expansion everyone is talking about, What are your expectations and why?

I started telling stories from Azeroth December 14, 2010. My human has been writing for years, though, and may return soon to her other issues of note with more diligence.

Here is my favorite image:

 My favorite city is not really a city at all – Azuremyst is home.

Currently I don’t play any other games, unless you count the ones at the Darkmoon Faire. But those are rigged, so unless I am interested in being cheated, I don't visit there much anymore. 

 Here is one of my favorite looks:

I have many sisters, cousins, and friends in Azeroth. My sisters, Zeptepi and Luperci, confuse me somewhat, and they don't understand me either. But we are family, we are blood, and that bond is unbreakable. I have an adopted daughter, Dornaa, whom I love with all my heart, and would readily die to keep her safe. She has had her heartbroken already, and from that, no one is protected. 

My current level of achievement is. 13,000 +/-. I would have to say my favorite is “What a long strange trip,” because that is the one that my friend Kaylyne and I did together, and that friendship is still one of my most cherished. She has left me to serve the Horde, and I respect her decision. Choices made for love are for only us to make.w

Memorable experience: Memory is an odd beast. How does one discern the moments of anguish and ecstasy? We are all foolish enough to think our memories are our own, and yet, 

Critter deaths: Never bothered to count. Hard to feel their little skulls crunching under my hooves.

First word that comes to mind: love - no need to explain that!

I am feeling excited and anxious about Draenor: to see my ancestor’s from their time in history, to seek redemption and reclamation – this is what heroes do. My bond with Nobundo is strong, though, and I rely on his wisdom to see me through.

11 Random Facts About Mataoka:

*She has given her heart away. It has not returned.
*She loves to be rubbed behind her horns, but you better know her very, very well or else get a mace to the face
*She wishes she could live in Azuremyst all the time, and envies mages' abilities to port at will.
*Her fatal flaws are pride and stubbornness
*She prefers cinnamon candy over chocolate
*She believes in generosity
*She keeps a secret stash - of what, it's secret, of where, that's secret too
*She's better than she thinks she is
*Gets angry easily, but forgives easily
*Greatest regret is when her journals burned in a fire.
*Misses Guarf every day.
*Secretly thinks she is wonderful in every way, but wouldn't want to brag

Now - I am to return the favor and nominate other blogs. I think by now most have been given a nod, and I am feeling lazy (actually the human must go to the store before the OLRG, so time is fleeing) so here's Dahahka's blog http://starfiredbeef.wordpress.com  - my own Mr. Snerguls when Mr. S is not around. Thanks for all you do, sir!

Ich bin ein Liebster (Part 1: The Disclaimer)

Amerpriest graciously added me to the list of Liebster-love eons ago in Internet time, and I'm sorry I haven't been able to give it due diligence. In my life, often it's a matter of triage. For example, this is how I left my kitchen yesterday:

Before

It was either clean the kitchen, or get coffee and feed the chinchilla: the chinchilla is in constant danger of becoming a Barbie doll fur coat (JUST KIDDING PETA, jeez) and the coffee, well. You know. And as many of you have read, I cannot work on this blog at work, so there's 9 hours wasted! Stupid job. Giving me a paycheck and personal satisfaction and all that nonsense. I can't even go on websites that describe it, but what I think I'll do is sneak a peek at my phone today and write my answers down on paper.

I'm not sure where my eleven questions are. Maybe Amerpriest gave up on me, and revoked the nomination. I don't blame her. Regardless, the chinchilla thanks her, and anyone else who thought of me, so that's cool. I'll get to it, promise.

See?

After

I confess I think this blog has been one big Liebster Award to myself. Gads, if there is anything you don't know about me by now…but maybe I still have a few tricks. For instance, did you know I can sing like Aretha Franklin? No, not really. But my soul can.

Forty-Beats #30

Forty-Beats #29

Tiny Story Time: Kellrose

"Stop that nonsense right now," snapped her mother. "You're much too young to befriend shadows."
Irritated again. A battle of wills. Gods, how could one so young be so damned precocious? As strong as her mother attempted to pull Kellrose to the Light, she preferred Shadows. She suffered the light only to create them: watery, oozing, growing shadows. Before she could speak, she possessed the power to toss her shadow across the nursery walls at will, hiding this power under the blankets before the family woke. The proper path, the path of the druid or the path of light, was not meant for her. The shadows answered when she called, and did not seem like nonsense. Sometimes with a child the best approach is to get out of the way.

Dahahka, I got the same boots!

Forty-Beats #28

Today's New Music for Lent song is brought to you by a singing crow, Kellrose's pet, Eat. She sang today:

Butt of the joke...

I know you've all seen this, especially since Tome put it on her blog, too:*

First - for a split second, I admit - I was fooled. Let it be known I hate April Fool's Day - had a "joke" played on me yesterday that resulted in serious consequences. Remember when I said my job is sometimes potentially dangerous? I wasn't kidding. Anyway, I confess: this image got me for a second.

But then, the deeper, more disturbing emotions set in. And a touch of anger, too. Anger at myself, and others. This is a circle-back laundry list of whatever - if you dare say "QQ" --just. Don't.

I felt the odd and not-so-tingly sense of shame. Shame on myself for wanting and loving playing a character model that is considered by most sexually beautiful. Shame on myself for feeling so sad that they gave her a weak chin, cellulite, small hooves, and palsied gait. And most of all-shame on the jokesters who thought that by showing something that doesn't fit in the standard models of "beauty" that is would be "funny." Efff you. And me, too: that I would be hesitant to proudly play this "new" model, one who reminds me too much of pear-shaped women and pre-plastic surgery chins. I truly think all the models in Azeroth, all the races, have a unique beauty to offer - but my Draenei females --they are my characters who still embody sexuality, wisdom, and strength. Those characteristics did not include, in my schema, cellulite.

CD Rogue loves me. He loves my Rubenesque physique. But be clear: there are never any demands for how I look, my habits of life, or control in any way. Probably because he knows if he gave me gruff for having an ice cream sandwich or being too exhausted to go for a walk he would be a grease puddle on the floor. Besides, he's too busy dealing with his own health issues to worry about mine. I don't use him as my measuring stick when I take stock of my physical and mental well-being or attributes. I know when I need to lose some weight, I know how to eat right, and I know when stress tips my abilities over to the red zone, and what to do about it (mostly have a good cry and get those toxins out).

True confidence and beauty, the understanding and truth of them, tend to come to us later in life. But I really admire this generation who, by and large, see beauty in a different light and define it for themselves:

Flaws are okay.

Okay, I feel better now. I had my own moment of QQ. Fine, model artists: if you want to destroy the Draenei female model, give her cellulite, weak chins, and asymetrical eyes, fine. She's still beautiful to me. If you think it's funny to make fun of flaws, joke's on you. Pretty is as pretty does.



*The logic is since most bloggers read Tome and have her awesome blog on their blogroll, and she is one of the sweetest, funniest friends I have in and out of Azeroth, I'm claiming sweetness by association.

Forty-Beats #27

A few doncellas told me about this song today:

My my my reputation...

There are at least 60 Exalted Reps here…so many Beloveds!

One of my project is building a rep. Yea, that's right. You heard me punk, a rep.

Lorewalkers: click and fly
Tillers - I know what to do. I just don't feel like doing it on two characters.
Tushi - where is that tabard?
Honor Hold: go talk to the Dwarfs. Again. And kill Orcs. Again.
The Sha'tar: Tempest Keep
Lower City: Auchindoun
Keepers of Time: Sigh.
Waterlords: Molten Core hikes
Nozdormu: Anything for you, Noz. Anything. Even sand in my butt cheeks.
League of Arathor: Arathi
Booty Bay: Oh, that shameful time I got the Bloodsail Admiral title. 
The Violet Eye: Karazhan again - not a problem

Oh, and I have a few other things on my to-do list too, like honor with the Liebster thingie, (thanks friends!), find some videos on Penitence, learn how not to click, and well, yeah. Oh well. Oh I wanted to play an April Fool's joke but I'm doing my best to ignore today's date. Besides, it's over in other time zones already, so I'm free and clear!