More Q&A

I've been enjoying the answers others gave to these questions and I found myself asking Navimie and Cymre to answer some of their own proposed questions. I'm not ready to restart blogging about WoW, but since Kamala mentioned she missed reading, I thought the least I could do was give some more answers about myself.

If you couldn’t blog about Wow anymore, what would you blog about?

I'll start this by answering a bit of "Why haven't you been blogging about WoW anymore"?

I'm trying to write for publication. When I have spare time, I've been participating in a writer's forum and write there instead of blogging. I'm not going to say more unless it gets further along than the pitiful scribbling it is currently, but it's in the Historical and Science Fiction genres.

What’s your favourite achievement in WoW?

Collector's Edition: Netherwhelp. Owner of the The Burning Crusade's Collector's Edition Netherwhelp pet.

My son asked for and received Burning Crusade for Christmas, 2006. My first character started during the "Love is in the Air" holiday, February 2007. That Netherwhelp was my first pet and still a favorite, except it's on the account my daughter plays on, not mine.

My son-in-law and I still bond over talk about our Burning Crusade experience. He was actually a Vanilla raider.

How long have you been playing computer games?

I was profoundly influenced by playing Star Trek on a mainframe in 1975. It was part of the reason I became a computer professional. I remember transcribing the Basic program from a listing in Creative Computing and playing it on the school's Commodore Pet, but that was a couple years later.

Oh, yeah. I'm old.

Where do you prefer to go, Mountains or Beach?

We spend every summer at a lake cottage with a small beach. I still build sand castles.

My preference for beaches does not mean I dislike Mountains. I grew up camping in the Appalachians and have hiked part of the Trail. My most profound religious experience was watching sunrise from atop the highest point east of the Mississippi, Mt. Mitchell. I'm still proud of a very technical climb (5.5) of the very recognizable Mount Moran.

Transmog, yay or nay?

I love having my characters wear transmogs. I've discovered I'm horrible at making my own. I should have had a clue because I need my spouse to put my own outfits together. Maybe I was in the military because that meant I didn't need to think about what to wear?

What kind of car do you drive?

Until last year I drove my Ford Escort for fifteen years.

My father-in-law loves gadgets and cars and often gets the latest thing. He currently drives a Tesla. When he gets a new vehicle, we often purchase his not-very-old car, either for ourselves or our kids. Thus I have a Toyota Prius and a Chevy Volt I drive now.

What locations in WoW have the best background music?

I wanted to answer this because it needs to be said. I almost always play WoW with the sound turned off. Even when I turn sound back on, I usually keep the music off as I prefer my own playlist of music.

Which calculator format do you prefer? 

I'd prefer RPN, but my HP 12C sits unused in my drawer at work.

Give me a recipe for something that you like to make for dinner when you don’t have much time or energy for cooking.

Chicken Carrot Soup is my go-to recipe:

1 onion, chopped
1.5 cups chicken, cut up
salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
1.5 cups chopped carrot
6 cups water
2 T chicken bouillon
Half bag of Whole Wheat Egg Noodles

Saute the onion, add in chicken. I usually used cooked chicken, but if it's raw, continue sauteing until cooked. I usually only add less than 1/4 t of garlic powder.

I typically throw the carrot in as I'm chopping them and when I finish, that's when I add the water and bouillon. I cook this about 20 minutes, mostly to soften the carrot.

We've recently switched from the egg noodles to soba noodles. All of these amounts are subject to change. This is just a fast and easy bit of comfort food for us.

If you could choose your spirit animal, what would it be?

I find it awkward that my spirit animal is boring compared to my sons proudly claiming Otter and Elephant. Mine is a wolf, but it's never been in a lycanthropic way. Still when I'm feeling particularly ornery and misanthropic, I do snarl a bit more like a Lone Wolf.

Real Neat Blog Award

There’s a meme going around and Cymre picked me and awoke me out of a slumber, something like Sleeping Beauty.

How awesome is that?! I mean, if you're going to be awakened, who better than Cymre, right? And she's having me grouped up with folks like Coolidge and Dragonray.

Here are the rules:

• Thank and link the person who nominated you.
• Answer the seven questions your nominator has provided.
• Nominate 7 other bloggers and create 7 questions for them.

And the questions I have to answer:


1. How would you pass the time during a blackout?

I can tell you exactly how I spent my last couple of blackouts. We sat around playing cards by candlelight, especially  Sushi-Go. When a prior blackout turned out to be extensive, we went out to a restaurant and after the meal, played more cards. I should point out, my family doesn't need a blackout to initiate a game of cards.

2. If you could be any superhero for a day, who would you be and why?

Squirrel Girl. She's unbeatable. It says it right there in the title of the comic book "The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl".

I'll add here that when the question was "favourite villain", I think the Phantom of the Opera gets a bad rap. Raoul is colourless. All that Erik has done for Christine and she chooses Raoul? Bah.

3. What is one thing you love collecting or loved collecting as a child/adult?

I collected many things as a kid, but one of the few things I continue to collect are coins. However, saying that sounds boring.

Something less prosaic is my now huge Map Collection. I save every map that is put in my hand, including some on placemats or brochures. My kids know when they return from a trip, to give me their maps, too. I think they make fantastic souvenirs, but I also just love maps. They are like puzzles!

4. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

My spouse and I were just discussing this. I was charged with being unimaginative in my initial answer. I can now say  "Boryeong, South Korea". Well, in summer. Otherwise maybe Jeju Island, Mont Saint-Michel, Capri or another Island I think I'd like, Bennelong Island. I bet you can guess how I'd answer the "Beach or Mountains?" question.

5. If you could only take one item to a deserted island, what would it be?

My Hearthstone, so I can leave when I want.

6. Who is your main and who do you love playing her/him?

For Legion, it has been Kallione, a feral druid. My main has been a Human Mage and a Dwarf Paladin in the past. I like trying out new characters each expansion or so. I'd rather learn something different and have some variety than staying with one character for all time.

7. Favourite phone app?

Kakaotalk. It's how my family stays in touch, especially as my son is overseas. Again. For another year.

As far as nominating other bloggers. No. I'm the sad type than breaks the chain. Yes, I'll pretend it's a matter of principles, not that the only bloggers I'd be comfortable with nominating have already gone or something.