Musical Monday...and more...

I haven't done a 'Musical Monday' in a while have I? Well, seeing as how I can't get this song out of my head, I thought I'd share it with you. Peter Murphy's 'Cuts You Up'.

This used to be one of my favorite songs to dance to back in the mid-to-late 90s. I was in the Navy back then and occasionally this song would be played at the bar on base, as well as the local gay bar. Most of my Navy buddies thought I was a bit "off" when I would be the only one dancing when this song was played. None of them had ever heard it before. Eventually they warmed up to it and after hearing it a few times they would join me on the dance floor whenever it came on...not that I really "needed" them on the floor with me. I was always dancing in my own little world when this song was played.

So, that's it for 'Musical Monday'...here's where the "more" begins...

First, I need to send out another "THANK YOU!" to Tycertank for choosing one of my screen shots during her August screen shot contest. In recognition of that I took the following screen shot. This is my Druid, Draiko, wearing his best Druid outfit while standing proudly admiring his new pet. Thank you Tycer!!!!

I was flying around doing pet battles a few nights ago and caught the lighting at a perfect moment. I was in Swamp of Sorrows when I took a series of screen shots.  I made an Animated GIF out of the screenies and sadly the quality diminished some from the original images. But, you should get the idea of how cool it looks. I love how the wings of my Hippogryph shadow in the sky.

While browsing though my old screen shots folder I came across the following image. I had taken it during one of the Brewfest events in game. I had had Thela drinking quite a bit and her vision was a little skewed. I happeneded to notice the name of a toon near her and decided to take a screenie of it...drunk and all. The name fit perfectly with how drunk Thela was. I really like how it came out. (If you don't know what 'Foobard' (actual spelling is supposed to be FUBAR) is don't be ashamed to ask)

If you can't see it too well, the toon's name is 'Foobard'.

I also came across the following screenie I took inside the dungeon 'The Arcatraz'. I love the kalidescope look it has.

The following screenies are of some glitches I found while out in the zone 'Uldum' one day. From a distance I could tell something wasn't quite right with the mob I was looking at but couldn't figure it out. It wasn't until I got closer, and changed angles, that I saw it was a glitch...and a funny looking one to boot.

The next ones are of the infamous 'UFO' that people have seen in various parts of Azeroth. I've actully seen this in three different zones. Uldum. Isle of Thunder. And Zangarmarsh. I got these screenies the same day I got the ones above of the glitched Neferset.

Hunter Appreciation Week - Jstmel

Jstmel was my third Hunter, but sadly never got very far. For the longest time she sat in Ironforge as a banker toon, stuck somewhere around level 12 or so. I created her with good intentions of leveling her and learning the ins and outs of the Survival spec...but failed miserably in doing so.

I was just too busy back then. I was raiding Kara with Thela. Learning how to heal on Draiko, my Druid. Leveling Sheeturself and Sheetahn. Doing mad amounts of goofing off in game...see? Just too busy. So, poor Jst got sidelined and religated as banker toon. Mind you, I really didn't "need" another banker. I had 7 others already. But, such was her fate.

It wasn't until the fall of 2007 did I begin to do anything with Jst.

That fall my real life kitty cat, Chloe, passed away. She was 14 years old and was extremely close to my heart. I had hand raised her from 2 weeks old. She was, for all intents and purposes, my child.

Her passing hit me VERY hard. It could not have come at a worse time. My last living grandparent, Pearlie (my dad's mom) had passed away two months prior. My emotions were still all wonky from Nana's passing. When Chloe passed it was like getting hit by a Mac truck all over again.

Shortly after all of this, I was in game one day and decided I wanted to go tame a kitty cat in honor of Chloe. Since the release of the Burning Crusade expansion, the Lynx style cats were ones I like the most and I decided I would go get one to be my in game kitty, Chloe.

Two problems here.

One, Thela was level 70 and already had her trusty Ghost Saber, Obadhai. Back then it was a lot of work to maintain and level your pets, so getting rid of one to replace it with another was a very big deal. Plus, Thela had had Obadhai for a long time. The bond was just too much to mess with.

Second, getting a pet and naming it Chloe wouldn't go well with Sheeturself's name. "Chloe Sheeturself"? Nah. "Sheeturself Chloe"? Nah. Just doesn't sound right.

So, Jstmel was the best option for getting a Lynx and naming it Chloe. Plus, being named after my online nickname, it only seemed proper to have Chloe be Jstmel's pet.

Problems again.

Jst was only level 12. The Lynx cats came in the following level ranges and locations:

8-10 - Eversong Woods & Ghostlands locations
14-16 - Ghostlands locations
65+ - Blade's Edge Mountains & Netherstorm locations

Hmmm...It would take FORVER to level Jst to 65+ to get one in the TBC zones. So that's no good.

It will be a long ass run as a level 12 from Ironforge to deep into Ghostlands or into Eversong Woods to get one of the 8-10 level cats. Yea, not gonna do that.

Looks like the 14-16 level range was my best option.

As quickly as I could I leveled Jst to level 16 and began her journey to the southern parts of Ghostlands to get her Lynx kitty.

The trek started off easy enough. In fact, I made it all the way to the lake in Western Plaguelands with only one death. Those damn, level 19 elite ogres, that used to be in the mountains along the path between Loch Modan and Wetlands, nabbed me. Other than that, it was easy runnings.

Western Plaguelands presented no real danger either. I swam through the lake to the northeastern mountain range and then skirted the mountains into Eastern Plaguelands. This is where things got...ummm...interesting?

The main path into EPL wasn't too bad. I think I only had one bat or demon doggie find me. I was lucky enough, however, to outrun them and make them reset and go back to wherever they came from. Shortly after this though my adventure began...or should I say romance began?

No sooner did I get within eyeshot of Corrin's Crossing did I sustain my second death. At level 16 my aggro range was HUGE in that zone and some ghoul or zombie or something came and ate me.

I wave at the Spirit Healer and make my corpse run back to my body. I rez and *poof* I'm dead again. Nod at Spirit Healer, corpse run, rez, run 3 steps, dead. Wink at Spirit Healer, corpse run, rez, move 4 steps, dead. Sit and chat with Spirit Healer, corpse run, rez, get 5 steps away, dead....you see where this is going?

Me and the Spirit Healer spent a LOT of time together that afternoon. From the point you encounter the first Corrin's Crossing mob on the western edge of town to the last mob on the eastern edge I died some 14-16 times.

As I was making one of my corpse runs to my dead body in the center of town a friend logged in and asked what the hell I was doing there at that level. (for thost that don't know, or remember, EPL used to be a level 55+ zone) I told him what I was up to and he asks if I want an escort. I told him I would probably be out of the worst part by the time he reached me but he could come if he wanted.

So, I continue on with my new love affair with the Spirit Healer while my friend does the Flight Path Dance to me. By the time he reached me I had finally made it to the eastern edge of Corrin's Crossing and rezzed just as my friend landed on the road.

As soon as I rezzed I had to make a mad dash up the road. I timed things wrong and the patrol of 3-4 bats that used to be in that area was closing in on our location. My friend had his back to them and didn't see them until they started chasing me up the road. Thankfully he caught them in time and was able to kill them before they killed me.

The rest of the run was uneventful and we made it into Ghostlands unscathed. My friend stayed with me to watch me find a Lynx kitty and tame it. Afterwards, he flew away and I hearthed back to Ironforge with Chloe by my side.

From time to time I still log onto Jst and do some questing, or battlegrounds, to spend a little time with Chloe. It's nice to spend time with a kitty that is no longer around in real life...even if she is just pixels.

Hunter Appreciation Week - Sheeturself

As I mentioned before, I had created three Hunters back in the day so I could have a Hunter for each spec. But Sheeturself was also created, or so I thought, to be a level 19 PvP twink. I learned quickly that I was HORRIBLE at PvP...so I ended up leveling her and just having fun running around taming different pets I liked to give them funny names to combine with her name. Some name examples are:

• WillMakeU
• HeHeYouJust
• OmgYouJust
• GonnaMakeU

I never raided with Sheet and would mostly just log in on her to goof off. Sometime during the Cataclysm expansion she became the main toon I would log in on. During the duldrums that pop up towards the end of an expansion I ended up obtaining the 'Loremaster' title on Sheet. I don't know what it was, but she was my "go to" toon for pretty much anything I wanted to do. She also became my "Achievement Whore".

I was lucky enough, and privileged enough, to take her along with Bear, of BigBearButt, when he hosted his ICC 25 man achievement runs back before Mists of Pandaria was released. She was my first toon to get exalted with the Tillers. The first to get exalted with the Lorewalkers. The first (and so far only) to get exalted with the Order of the Cloud Serpents.

When Pandaria was released she was the toon I first logged in on and started doing pet battles with. She obtained many, and almost all, of the pet battle achievements I have. After a month or so of doing nothing but pet battling, she was the first toon I leveled to max, got geared and took a stab at LFR with.

Even now, almost one year after Pandaria's release, she is still the toon I log in on most...even though I have seven level 90s to choose from.

I don't know what it is about her that has made me choose her, above all my other toons, to be my "go to" toon. Maybe it's because she's a Hunter? Maybe it's her name? Maybe it's her pet's names that still make me giggle? Maybe it's her sexy transmog and matching pet? Maybe it's her Draenei waggle?

Yep...it's her Draenei waggle!

Could orange look any better?

Making Shaman all across Azeroth jealous.

Hunter Appreciation Week - Thelandira

Thelandira was the third toon I created when I first started playing WoW back in 2006 and was my first Hunter. I was new to the MMORPG world with WoW being the first of it's kind I had ever played. I tried to be thoughtful in naming her, along with her pets.

I knew I wanted a female Night Elf Hunter but wasn't sure what to name her. I hit Google up for some help and found a site of Fantasy names right away. After browsing the site for probably some good 30 minutes or so I landed on the name 'Solonor Thelandira'.

This is the name of an elven god of hunting from the D&D campaign 'Forgotten Realms'. The full description is, "...is the elven god of hunting, archery, and survival in wild and harsh places. He teaches his followers the arts of hunting; including archery, moving unseen and hiding in the wild places. He watches over the borders of wilderness and farmed land and seeks to maintain the balance between them."

How perfect is that? Granted, Solonor Thelandira was a male god. But, that wouldn't be a problem. Solonor Thelandira was too long for WoW's naming rules so I would have to shorten it. Solonor was too masculine sounding, but Thelandira wasn't. So, Thelandira it was.

I used the same Fantasy names site for naming mostly all of Thela's pets along the way...starting with her trusted Ghost Saber, Obadhai. When Thela was but a wee pup of a Hunter I had seen another Hunter with a Ghost Saber pet and knew right away I had to obtain one when I could.

I quickly leveled Thela to around level 24 so I could nab a ghost kitty. Their level range is between 19-20, but I got her a few more levels to make her task a little easier. To get a ghost kitty was no easy feat. In the northwest portion of the zone Darkshore were some ruins heavily patrolled by Naga (and still are). Within these ruins were small figurines, Cat Figurine, you had to click on that had the chance of spawning a Ghost Saber for you to tame.

I was relatively lucky on Thela in that it took less than 20 figurines to click before the kitty spawned...some of my other hunters weren't so lucky. I think I remember that Sheeturself clicked some 45 or so before getting hers (which she no longer has). All the while, you had to constantly kill Naga so you could search the ruins for the figurines. They had random spawn points throughout the entire ruins. Obadhai was, and still mostly is, her main companion over the years.

The true name is supposed to be "Obad-Hai", but we can't use the - symbol in WoW names. His description is, " is the god of nature, wildlands, freedom, hunting, and wild beasts". Fitting for a ghost kitty I think.

Thela quickly became the main toon I played. She was my first level 70 (I started playing WoW about one month before 'The Burning Crusade' expansion was released) and was my main raiding toon throughout that expansion.

Over the years I have bounced around on many alts and Thela has pretty much been sidelined. I do get around to leveling her to max level with each expansion and do enjoy logging in on her from time to time to putter around Azeroth and reminisce. She holds a special place in my heart for she was the toon that made me fall in love with the hunter class.

Even though Thela hasn't been my main for many years, all of my guildies (and some long time WoW friends) still refer to me as Thela regardless of which toon I'm playing. I think of that name as a kind of "badge of honor". Not because I'm some uber leet Hunter, but because it links me with what is, in my opinion, the best class in the game.

Thela in her "play clothes" back before we had Transmog.

Hunter Appreciation Week - The Introduction

Laeleiweyn, at World of Lae, is hosting an 'Alt Appreciation' event and this week's chosen alt is the Hunter class.

The third toon I ever created was a Hunter. This toon quickly became my favorite class to play. I loved having a permanent pet, that I could name, at my side to run around and explore with.

I ended up loving the class so much that I eventually created 3 Hunters so I could have one in each spec (back before we were given dual specs). Below I present you with my three Hunters (I have more Hunters than that but they are mostly bankers):

Thelandira - my first Hunter and main toon for quite a while as BM spec

Sheeturself - my second Hunter who was supposed to be a PvP twink as MM spec

Jstmel - my third Hunter who I made to fiddle with SV spec

Over the next few days I will discuss their history with you...well...as much of it as I can remember that is.