Goodbye City of Heroes

Today was the last day of the City of Heroes MMORPG (Massively Multi player Online Role Playing Game). I started playing online in 2004 after my roommates Javier suggested I try it out. For years, I played various characters as "Heroes" in a virtual world with thousands of other players. Often times working together to accomplish goals like stop a virtual "Bank Robber" from robbing the bank or more complex missions such as story archs called Task Forces that could take 5 or 6 hours of gaming. My very first character was Andesha, a "Scrapper" on the Champion server.

It didn't take me long to realize that I didn't enjoy the Scrapper archtype as much (a lot of up close hacking and slashing) and rather preferred the Defender archtype and created my first defender; Sailor Moon. Unfortunately, due to copy rights, I had to re-name her to "Nice Heals". I leveled her all the way up to level 50 (as high as you can go). I took this and many other pictures of each of my characters tonight, before the servers came down. This is where Nice Heals will eternally rest, atop the Paragon City Hall next to the American Flag.

I created a character for each of the core Sailor Scouts (Mercury, Mars Venus and Jupiter) and one outter scout, Pluto.  They were all a lot of fun to play. But after Nice Heals my second favorite was probably Frozen Defiance, an Ice Tanker. I also leveled him up to level 50. Ice Tanking was such a blast!

I took a video of Medic Mary Jane loading into Atlas Park and then running over to Lady Liberty (the first Hero you meet, where you level up as a beginner).  The video is just so-so because I was holding my iPhone recording it and trying to also navigate around on my computer- not easy to do!  But I wanted something I could watch and listen to after the severs were taken down.  I got my favorite audio- the Atlas Park loading song, I'll always remember this!

I took all the screenshots, played my last Rikiti War Zone mothership raid, took out Hamidon with Control Queen (Javier) for the last time and then walked through some bases players had built.  I hung in there with Nice heals in Atlas Park right up to when the server went off line two minutes after midnight and thousands of online characters were silenced- forever.  It was very depressing- and sad for lots of people.

Over the years I certainly made friends in the game and it brought me a lot of enjoyment. I created over 30 different characters in all of the different archtypes available (Defender, Controller, Blaster, Scrapper, Tanker) in most of the different power types (Fire, Ice, Mind Control, Healing, Swordsmanship, Plant, etc). May they all RIP in the computer code bit heaven. I'm noting some really special characters I had here.

Septic Revenge (Level 50 Fire/Radiation Controller)
This was definitely my go-to character. When I just wanted to play and have fun and not worry about leveling up, this was my guy.

Medic Mary Jane (Level 50 Empath/Blasting Defender)
Trista's Charge (Level 43 Illusion/Kinetics Controller)
Stone Bubbler (Level 50 Earth/Bubbles Controller)
Freezah Netics (Level 49 Ice/Kinetics Controller)
Villians: Knight Fade, Phalick Symbol, Sylus Rebel, Reculuse's Right Hand

Rise of The Guardians

So after seeing the movie the day before Thanksgiving I had it in my head I needed to get the video game. I called around town until I found an Xbox 360 copy at Target. I had them hold it and picked it up this afternoon. Just after midnight I'd beat the game- haha! Craziest random video came compulsive purchase and playing I've possibly ever had. I had a blast playing the characters- Jack Frost, North, Bunnymund, Tooth and Sandy. Tooth was probably the most fun to play as she had a teleporting attack power that was very powerful. It plays a lot like Gauntlet Legends that was released on the Nintendo 64 years ago. Lots of fun.

Thanksgiving Week

This Thanksgiving I flew back home to Boise, Monday November 19th in the evening. I got in late, but my parents were there to pick me up. It was so nice to be back in Boise for the Holiday. Tuesday I worked on their new computer a bit (transferring old emails over, etc). That night I met up with Chuck and Emily and we headed over to the Dye's house for dinner and cards. It was such a nice evening with Jami and Jason! It was a nice surprise that Jim Carnahan could also make it over. Jami's stuffed baked potatoes were amazing! I really enjoyed the wine, and it was a good time with friends.

That night I was itching to see Breaking Dawn Part II again, so I asked Andrej if he wanted to see it last minute and so we met at Edwards 22 and watched it. He hadn't seen any of the previous ones or read the books, so I had some explaining to do. Man do I enjoy that movie, so good!

Wednesday I met up with Casey and Chuck for breakfast. Then they went back to Chuck's to play Magic cards. I decided I wanted to go see Rise of The Guardians. It was really good, definitely oriented for kids, but I enjoyed it! That afternoon Chuck needed some help picking up the glass top to his kitchen table. So he and I went out in Dad's truck to get it and took it back to his house. That night I went to dinner with Kade at Jakers. It was really nice to catch up with him and have a drink and reminice a bit. After that, I was meeting up with Sarah, Jeremiah and Andrej to plan our annual Tamarack vacation in February. We had some beers at Old Chicago and I even got Andrej to try the house "Cider" as they no longer carry Ace Pear on tap. We agreed on our dates for Tamarack and then left the details for later- it was a fun night out downtown.

Thursday was the big day- and I started it off right with a jog along the greenbelt. Just as I was finishing, Emily and Chuck pulled up- perfect timing! Between me, Emily and my Mom we had the kitchen moving fast! Emily got things started by peeling the huge Idaho potatoes!

Mom focused on making the gravy just right, and I carved up the turkey. We were a great team! Everything was ready to go right at 12:30... but not time to eat just yet! Dad had a few words for the group and then asked everyone to go around saying what they were Thankful for or share something about themselves.

It was so nice having some of our regulars like Chris, Sheryl, Carlie, Cassidy, Lance, Taylor, Logan Dunne, Carrie and Rick Prange, Alice Winfrey and then some out of towners the Couts side of the family! Marcie, her husband, her brother Bill and daugthers McKinzie and Kennedy. Of course, Thanksgiving just wouldn't feel complete without Uncle Mont- 94 years old! There were so many family members who were not able to make it this year, and our thoughts and prayers are with them.

After all the food was either eaten, packed up or stored away we got into cards. We had two tables of shanghai rummy going. It was fun playing with Marcie and Kinzie. That evening I picked up Emily and Chuck and we picked up Andrej to go see the opening night of the coordinated Christmas lights show in Meridian. It was really something to see, and hear!

That night I met up with Chelsie for drinks at the Balcony. We talked for hours! so much to catch up on. Then Joe Boman came in with four or five other friends- they were out celebrating a 21st birthday! It was nice to see him and say hello.

Before I knew it, it was Friday and my trip was coming to an end- but still so much to do! I brought down the Christmas boxes from the attic and started prepping the Christmas lights for outside. I got it done in record time this year- one hour! Just in time to get ready and meet up with Katie and Jennifer for lunch at Fork downtown Boise. It was sooooo gooood! We had the house made chips and artichoke for appetizers. Then we each had a drink and excellent main courses. So nice to enjoy good food with my long time friends! That afternoon I played some cards with the family, then had dinner with Chuck and Emily at the Reef. After that, there was just enough time to stop by my house and see Javier and Danny and see what a great job they did in cleaning up the place! The garage was organized and cleaned out, the house looked good and the porch light had been fixed. I was so happy!

It was a wonderful trip home, and I'm already looking forward to Christmas to see all my special friends and family back in Boise.

LA Boat Camping Weekend

This weekend I decided to take a last minute trip down to LA (Huntington Beach area) to visit my friend Jeff. I was excited to spend the weekend with Jeff and camping out on his boat for the three days. Friday night we went out with his friends for drinks. It was fun bar hoping in the Long Beach area and the guys were really nice.

Saturday we went to see 007 "Skyfall". It was a great movie, if a bit violent. We stopped off at his work the CHOC (Children's Hospital of Orange County).  Then we ran 3 miles at the 24 hour fitness, had dinner at On The Border and then went to Jill's engagement party. It was perfect because I just happened to be in the LA area so it wasn't too far of a drive to go see Jill and her husband to be, Eric. It was great meeting everyone and seeing my friends Jill & Michelle!! Jeff and I both had a good time. I'm looking forward to the wedding!

Sunday morning Jeff took me over to Newport beach for our long jog. He runs about seven minute miles, so I let him run ahead and took a few pictures along the way. Such a beautiful jog along the beach, I could really be happy living here!

No time to rest, off to get coffee and breakfast before heading back to the boat for a little kayaking around the Huntington Beach bay. I was really nervous at first, I've never Kayaked before- but Jeff was a great teacher and I didn't fall in once! We kayaked around the bay, paddling here and there and it didn't take long before my arms were sore and time to head back in.

What a great weekend in LA. Just what I needed to get away from the rainy winter of Northern California for a weekend. Thanks, Jeff!!!

The 2012 Elections - Better Than Christmas!

I don't even know where to start.

I got everything I asked for (except one, CA Prop 37-label GMO products) and then all sorts of things I didn't and/or didn't even know about! My word...it's breath-taking... the progressive movement is STRONG and ALIVE in America. I think we're just so overpowered by the loud squeaky wheel of the crazy relative at family events we feel like we're in the minority- but we ARE NOT!

My night started out at Amanda's house with her and Savannah. We had pizza and listened to the stats as they came in. I was nervous when the electoral college votes for the president were in the 100's and Romney was leading for a while. But by 8:30pm the networks called it, Barack Obama was expected to win!!! I headed home and listened to NPR and then watched the rest of the night on the xbox live feed. I enjoyed a glass of ice wine and kicked back.

So many wonderful things happened, I wanted to write them up here so that I never forget and have them in my blog book.

Tammy Baldwin. First female Senator elect from Wisconsin and the first openly gay member of the US Senate.

Pictured greeting her Mom after winning the election.

What went well for Democrats and the Progressive American agenda?

Claire McCaskill (D) won her Senate seat in Missouri vs Todd Akin.
Elizabeth Warren (D) beat Scott Brown in Massachusetts.
Marriage Rights for same-sex couples passed in all four states.

Iowa anti-gay activists didn't oust a Gay friendly Judge.
Nevada elects it's first African-American Congressman.
First Asian-American Senator from Hawaii.
First severely wounded Iraq war veteran elected.
California relaxed it's 3 strikes law and rejected a law to cripple the power of unions.
Decriminalization of marijuana was approved in Washington and Colorado.
Sherrod Brown held his seat in Ohio.
Proposition 30 passed in California (Preventing further cuts in education).
Proposition 32 failed in California (Protecting Union Rights).
The red tide of 2010 didn't hold this year.

California now has super majorities in the Senate and House, Republicans are completely legislatively irrelevant. Missouri, Montana and Virginia chose democratic Governors. West Virginia and North Dakota both chose their first openly gay state legislators. More women got elected to the US Senate than in any time in history. Young people representation went up from 2008. Oh, yeah, and this happened:

President Barack Obama was re-elected with a landslide Electoral college and a million votes in the popular vote. Not only did Obama win all the swing states (except North Carolina), but Democratic senators were elected from all of those states.

And because Obama is President, we are NOT:

Going to have a Supreme Court that will overturn Roe vs Wade.
We will not repeal Obamacare.
We are not going to give a 20% tax cut to the rich.
We are not going to make you clear it with your boss if you want birth control.
We are not going to redefine rape.
We are not going to amend the United States Constitution to stop gay people from getting married.
We are not going to double up on Guantanamo.
We are not eliminating the department of energy or education or housing.
We are not going to spend 2 trillion dollars on the military that they are not asking for.
We are not scaling back on student loans because the new plan is that you should "borrow money from your parents." (Insert sarcastic grin)
We are not vetoing the Dream Act.
We are not "Self Deporting".
We are not letting Detroit go bankrupt.
We are not starting a trade war with China.
We are not going to have, as a president, a man who once led a mob of friends to run down a scared gay kid to hold him down and forcibly cut his hair off with a pair of scissors while that kid cried and screamed for help.

So what have we learned from this election cycle?

Ohio really did go to President Obama.
He really was born in Hawaii.
He really is legitimately the President again.
The beurau of labor statistics didn't make up a fake unemployment rate last month.
The Congressional Research Service really can find no evidence that cutting taxes on rich people grows the economy.
The polls were not skeewed to over-sample Democrats.
Nate Silver was not making up fake projections to make conservatives feel bad.
Climate change is real.
And rape really does cause pregnancy sometimes.
And evolution, is a thing.
Bengazi was an attack on us.
NOBODY IS TAKING AWAY ANYONE'S GUNS.
Taxes have not gone up.
The deficit is dropping.
Financial reforms are not the same thing as communism.

And the President gave a great acceptance speech in which he included this line, and I'm so very glad he did. Climate change and what we can do to curb the effects is already years behind where we need to be. We need to move fast so we can leave the next generation a planet to survive on.

Oh yeah, and lastly, we're still waiting on *yawn* Flo-rida to figure out their counting... but we're just going to move on without them, at this point. Maybe they'll have things figured out in four more years...

The cherry on top of the ice cream sundae was Boehner's response to the election in which he sums up his message with "We are ready to follow".
I don't need anything else for Christmas, thanks! I have everything I could want!

And with that, I'm happy, sleepy, and exhausted. Time for bed... oh yeah, and I think propositions 1, 2, and 3 failed in Idaho. Kudos to the citizens of Idaho!

2012 Election Day- Tomorrow!

My nerves have been fried by all the news, polls, facebook posts, stories and worst of all the blatant lying and hypocrisy that this election cycle has brought everyone. So when I saw this latest post the weekend before the election of how Obama is polling in the swing states, I finally give myself reprieve and peace of mind to relax and stay calm.

If the polling is even HALF right, then Obama will win. I hope and pray that's the case. The last four years have been so progressive, but we still have so much more to do. We certainly don't want to go back 50 years!

I'm proud to be a Democrat with a capital D. I'm proud that my party stands for actual values that we are not willing to compromise when the ends justify the means (ie Republicans for smaller government, but not when it comes to decisions in your vagina or your bedroom, then they want the whole government in on your business). I'm proud that my party is the banner leader for human rights, protecting the environment and our planet, the success of all Americans by having an even playing field, progressive thought, a monitored wall street and responsible budgeting. The next four years we need to focus on furthering equal rights for all American citizens so that I, for example, am no longer a second class citizen, continue striving to improve our educational system, reverse the damaging effects humans are having on the planet and focus on creating jobs here in America. Team Obama!

Time to go to sleep, peacefully with my mind at ease knowing it's in God's hands now. I'm expecting tomorrow night will be a celebratory evening!

Garage Cleaned!

I know, I know, it's not like it's some mega news flash, but I can't remember the last time I was parking my car in a garage. So when I finally got a crazy brained idea to clean out the garage this weekend and got all the boxes stored away and finally pulled my car into the parking spot- it felt like a California luxury! Just in time, too. The nights have been getting cold enough for frost. Who knows how long it'll last, but for now, my car has a place to sleep too!