Yes, I do want fries with that.
Can’t get enough of Valucre? Neither can I, that’s why I
practically live here, in spite of spending 60+ hours a week at work. To show
my love and appreciation for all things Valucre, and because I just have so
much stuff to share with you, I decided that we’d do a supersized blog. What
does that mean exactly? That means you can expect this edition to be brimming
with content. Not only am I going to give you your normal serving of fresh RP
content, I’m going to pile extras on to your plate- yep, the upgrade in your
meal came for free. It also means I am going to be introducing a whole lot of
new people, throwing in an extra highlight and sharing something extra as well.
Something extra… wondering what that means? Well, remember
how a bunch of us all went ‘Away from Valucre’ all at the same time? Time to
blow the lid off that ‘well-kept’ secret and reveal what exactly was going on. If
you were curious about the major absence and want to be in on a bit of the fun,
make sure you keep reading.
If I haven't said enough to make your palate absolutely
salivating with anticipation, I honestly don't know what it will take to pique
your interest. Perhaps a picture of a real supersized meal? [That's a Burger!] Either way, you're just going to have to find a way to prepare that appetite of yours, because this blog is big enough to feed a small army.
Can’t get enough of Valucre? Neither can I, that’s why I
practically live here, in spite of spending 60+ hours a week at work. To show
my love and appreciation for all things Valucre, and because I just have so
much stuff to share with you, I decided that we’d do a supersized blog. What
does that mean exactly? That means you can expect this edition to be brimming
with content. Not only am I going to give you your normal serving of fresh RP
content, I’m going to pile extras on to your plate- yep, the upgrade in your
meal came for free. It also means I am going to be introducing a whole lot of
new people, throwing in an extra highlight and sharing something extra as well.
Something extra… wondering what that means? Well, remember
how a bunch of us all went ‘Away from Valucre’ all at the same time? Time to
blow the lid off that ‘well-kept’ secret and reveal what exactly was going on. If
you were curious about the major absence and want to be in on a bit of the fun,
make sure you keep reading.
If I haven't said enough to make your palate absolutely
salivating with anticipation, I honestly don't know what it will take to pique
your interest. Perhaps a picture of a real supersized meal? [That's a Burger!] Either way, you're just going to have to find a way to prepare that appetite of yours, because this blog is big enough to feed a small army.
What's Happening Valucre?
The Chosen: Round Three Continues- Might as well think of this as the placeholder of the blog, because I am going to keep pushing this on you. It's like the leftovers you never wanted- you just keep trying to get the family to take it, because if they don't, you're just going to throw it away, right? Well, this isn't to say this isn't worth following, I'm just acknowledging that this is a broken record, and despite that, I'm still going to sneak it in that casserole I just made you. While you worry about that food poisoning, why don't you gamble on the fights too! If you aren't so interested in that, visit the lounge.
Ceyana Welcoming Party- There has been some major plot development surrounding a storyline in Orisia chronicling the Rise of Brightstorm keep (for you avid blog readers, that should be familiar to you ;) ), and this is perhaps the final chapter in that story. The thread details the welcoming party put on by the Orisian Royal court, and while definitely open to anyone who wishes to join, the thread author also encourages those who participated in the Brightstorm storyline to make sure they stop by as well. Maybe they will have a buffet table?
Autumn or Something Like That...- Odd thread title I know, but I don't name these interest checks! Anyway, the idea behind this one is that some small region in Terrenus is undergoing some revolutionary times, with all out war bringing about corruption, betrayal, and shifts in power. Some underhanded acts led to certain parties looking like they were great heroes who brought about a 'pseudo-state' of peace, at least until the folks they 'defeated' made their way back to the city, looking for revenge. If revenge plots are your thing, come take a bite out of this one.
Fall of the Empire- The tagline 'Bring an Empire to Ruin' certainly captures the attention, no? Anyway, the Nightshade Empire seeks to spread itself further, bringing about the ruination of each land it touches. RP participants have to make a choice- join the side of the Dark Heir, he who seeks to destroy, or to join the path of light, to put an end to this monstrous destroyer of lands and see to it that his crimes are ended for good. This is actually building up into a major plotline, with numerous threads going into this story. If you want to see all your options, I highly suggest chewing on the content found here.
The City of Stars- This thread will be a stab at Gming for this member, who plans to run this in the alternative board. It's a massive city out in space, with no perceived threat of Astral interference. It's asked for that you have some flexibility with your characters, especially as the limitations include them being human. As this is an alternative storyline, one should probably look at creating a throw away character. Anyway, this thread is a little lacking on all the details, but it's author has committed to getting some more info up soon, so go enjoy the hors d'oeuvres while you wait for the meal. ;)
Wardens of the Wave- An Iselyr based Quest RP, the board leader of Iselyer is looking for a few participants to come help with a quest that takes place in Port Hymir, chasing after a stolen possession of a prominent half-orc figure in the city, with the promise of treasure and VB as your spoils. If you are looking for some booty- and maybe some free bar food, check out this and see what you think.
Revamp- Long time member of ours is looking to brush off a bit of rust and dust and get back into RPing with us. She has a new character she's putting together a sort of Surgeon/Inventor who might be of some questionable ethics, and hopes to perhaps involve him in a current/new organization. What he specializes is not yet decided, because the hope is that this can be based on what the needs of the inviting parties are. So, if you want a possible mad-scientist type of doctor on your side, come have lunch with this RPer.
Silent Night- Got to love these horror story based RPs, especially with Halloween just around the corner ;). Anyway, this RP is taking place in an unnamed Genesaris village, where people in the area have been going missing, either brought back by friends having gone mad, or never seen again at all. The victims found appear to have been mauled by animals, but those returning babble on about monsters in the nearby woods. For whatever reasons your characters have, they decide to investigate and get down to the bottom of this mystery. Do you hunger for a horror/mystery?
Looking for Role-players For the Isle of Gesen- Got an itching for some RP in a different sort of place? Well then, Genesaris has this little slice of land (actually, an island) called the Isle of Gesen, and it is just waiting for some fine folks (such as you all, you classy Valucreans you). The islands have slowed in activity as of late and so the owner is looking for some help generating some RP once again. He's not looking for anyone to necessarily go elbow deep, but starting up an RP thread and following the lore is definitely appreciated. And best of all- he says he has snacks! Go get your snacks!
I'll Be Your One Night/Post Stand- I am truly sad that this has not got as much attention as it deserves, but things do happen so quickly sometimes that things get buried. It is a regret for me that this went up a couple hours after the Blog did, so I was unable to include it in the last update. Anyway, Malum is a greater writing companion who sometimes gets too busy to keep up with some in-depth RP and long term stories. To at least participate in some capacity and to be able to change things up, he's agreeing to take on a role sort of like a storyteller sometimes does- playing a short term role for your RP. Perhaps you have an NPC you need played out for a short time- Malum will be your guy. So if you want a cameo from our favorite Canadian, whose beard is only rivaled by Chuck Norris himself, you should come inquire about his services. Not those kinds of services. >_>
It's Approaching?- Only one more day until the spoilers for this goes up- less than twenty four hours, and all will be revealed. Looks like I have had a few of you trying to nose around and figure out what is going on- and one person actually has figured out, the perceptive person that he is (Damn you Praetorian!), so keep in mind that that chilling music you hear echoing off the empty folds of a starless night, floating by like the hushed whispers of forgotten children haunting empty streets... means that something sinister- yet thrilling, has arrive in Genesaris, and it is sure to entertain, so long as you are willing to take on the risks.
Final spoiler before the big reveal- this is the return of a major event from last year! It's our Second Annual.... Find out in less than 24s. ;)
Spinal Chills!- There are some things that come around on Valucre that get me really excited and one of those things is the Spinal Chills contest. Why is that you might ask? Because it is flipping awesome of course! Last year, we had a bunch of entries come in and we ended up with a several way tie between them. The tie occurred likely because there were some damn good entries put in, with lots of good reading to go around. I love RPing with you guys, but it's especially cool to get to see some people put forth their writing chops and show us what they can come up with when writing straight out prose. Best of all, this is your chance to scare the crap out of us! Believe me, I am a huge fan of the horror genre and I love halloween time, because it's a good time to let loose, have some fun, and enjoy all the macabre and spooky stuff going on. Zombies, ghouls, and witches, oh my! The contest writing window has already opened and you will be able to turn them in through October 24th. Voting runs October 25th the 30th if I recall correctly, the winners announced the 31st (fitting, right?). 3rd and 2nd place get some VB and bragging rights, first place VB, super bragging writes and a spinal chills medal!
Featured Read of the Week- A quest that Supernal has been trying to get lifted off the ground is finally getting moving, with the Body Snatchers of Dougton thread underway. In this thread, an unsure and understandably paranoid Noel (Desolate) is trying to find additional help to fight off the 'Menace', but given his lack of ability to contact his HQ and the town guard being entirely compromised... this is problematic. So far, a gathering of eccentric folks begin to form to take on this great menace- the character dynamics alone make this worth the read.
Congratulations Desolate, Lastlight, and Offtopic for being this week's featured read.
Dupes of Imposture - Poor Noel, unable to get assistance and clearly over his head, seeks a way to recruit some help from unaffected peoples to stop the menace taking over Dougton while the peacekeeer is away. After putting up a flier, his first new partner to arrive is a young man with a lisp, carrying with him a spear and a great deal of his own suspicions. While the two of them hash out a plan to accost and interrogate a Gnomish woman (who might be a snatched, or might be a poor woman about to be clumsily questioned by amateurs), an even stranger third man arrives, casually strolling down the street. Where will this story go? Read and find out. ;)
Lore of the Week!
This Week's Feature: Bay of Chemosh, Isélyr
At a Glance:
Canonical Occurrences by Members:
At a Glance:
- Leader: Not Stated
- Population: Assumed Human, otherwise unstated.
- Defenses:
- On a Bay- provides some covereage. Naval capabilities.
- Hot Spots:
- Elegant architectural structures house the many steam rooms, spas, and bathing pools where the wealthier population may find quiet relaxation.
- The Athenaeum houses the largest collection of written works available on Isélyr.
- The Healing Nymph: The breweries of Chemosh make the most exquisite Celestial Brew, using only the finest of ingredients. The owner of The Healing Nymph, a local tavern, sells what has been deemed as 'the best of the best' as far as Celestial Brew is concerned. It is said that their version of Celestial Brew is made with the healing waters of the natural hot springs in Iblis-Shaitan, though that is merely speculation.
Canonical Occurrences by Members:
- Nothing Found
Available Quests:
- Nothing Found
Brief Summary of Lore:
Taken from Lore:
Settled just west of E'Kraun forests on the beaches of the Argent Sea, the quiet community of Chemosh is the exact opposite of its eastern counterpart, Hymir. Regional Fauna includes various species of common lizards, herons, sea gulls, turtles, otters, sea lions, gray fox, raccoons, pelicans, salamanders and other such creatures as well as their giant cousins. Also, the Scroll Insect: Slender, cream-colored insects that resemble scrolls. These annoying insects nestle themselves within a pile of scrolls and begin feasting. Many a hapless mage have opened their knapsacks to find that what they believed to be the beginnings of a new spell to learn is nothing more than a pile of beetle dung. Another is the Azure Lizard: These brilliantly colored sapphire lizards can grow to two feet long. Rather slow-moving, these venomous creatures produce a toxic saliva that is prized by blacksmiths and alchemists alike.
Regional Flora- much of the western coast's flora is similar to that of its eastern cousin, Hymir, though these species are smaller. While the more dangerous species inhabit this coastal region, a few are native solely to Chemosh.
Stingerbloom
A carnivorous plant, the Stingerbloom is a spidery-white plant with dew-covered, pale yellow blossoms. The plant averages about eight feet in diameter, and lies very close to the ground. Attacking anything that moves, it will shower a volley of thorns until the movement ceases.
Lunar Hood:
A creamy white stalk stands nearly five feet tall, sporting a pair of eyes and a large maw. Several smaller stalks sprout near it, and long, thin vines covered with beautiful blue flowers creep along the ground. Sweet-smelling fruit adorns the plant. Its fruit is addictive and capable of enslaving those who eat it. The plant commands most victims to simply approach it so it may devour them. Others are kept as slaves, serving the plant in a number of ways, from fetching food and water, spreading and planting its seeds, and even to lure other victims to their doom. Because a Lunar Hood may absorb some spells from those it devours, spell-casters are generally eaten rather than kept as slaves. Quite fond of magical items, the Lunar Hood hoards them with other treasure beneath the soil near its main stalk. Lunar Hoods reproduce via seed pods which are carried away and planted by its slaves. The slaves tend and guard the young plants until they can defend themselves. These pods are highly sought after by alchemists for use in mind-altering potions.
Visionplant:
These shrubs have long, sword shaped leaves that, when chewed, release a chemical that causes an individual to have "visions". Used primarily in religious rituals. The flowers blossom on a cylindrical cone that shoots from the main head of the plant. These blooms have various medicinal properties, as well.
Taken from Lore:
Settled just west of E'Kraun forests on the beaches of the Argent Sea, the quiet community of Chemosh is the exact opposite of its eastern counterpart, Hymir. Regional Fauna includes various species of common lizards, herons, sea gulls, turtles, otters, sea lions, gray fox, raccoons, pelicans, salamanders and other such creatures as well as their giant cousins. Also, the Scroll Insect: Slender, cream-colored insects that resemble scrolls. These annoying insects nestle themselves within a pile of scrolls and begin feasting. Many a hapless mage have opened their knapsacks to find that what they believed to be the beginnings of a new spell to learn is nothing more than a pile of beetle dung. Another is the Azure Lizard: These brilliantly colored sapphire lizards can grow to two feet long. Rather slow-moving, these venomous creatures produce a toxic saliva that is prized by blacksmiths and alchemists alike.
Regional Flora- much of the western coast's flora is similar to that of its eastern cousin, Hymir, though these species are smaller. While the more dangerous species inhabit this coastal region, a few are native solely to Chemosh.
Stingerbloom
A carnivorous plant, the Stingerbloom is a spidery-white plant with dew-covered, pale yellow blossoms. The plant averages about eight feet in diameter, and lies very close to the ground. Attacking anything that moves, it will shower a volley of thorns until the movement ceases.
Lunar Hood:
A creamy white stalk stands nearly five feet tall, sporting a pair of eyes and a large maw. Several smaller stalks sprout near it, and long, thin vines covered with beautiful blue flowers creep along the ground. Sweet-smelling fruit adorns the plant. Its fruit is addictive and capable of enslaving those who eat it. The plant commands most victims to simply approach it so it may devour them. Others are kept as slaves, serving the plant in a number of ways, from fetching food and water, spreading and planting its seeds, and even to lure other victims to their doom. Because a Lunar Hood may absorb some spells from those it devours, spell-casters are generally eaten rather than kept as slaves. Quite fond of magical items, the Lunar Hood hoards them with other treasure beneath the soil near its main stalk. Lunar Hoods reproduce via seed pods which are carried away and planted by its slaves. The slaves tend and guard the young plants until they can defend themselves. These pods are highly sought after by alchemists for use in mind-altering potions.
Visionplant:
These shrubs have long, sword shaped leaves that, when chewed, release a chemical that causes an individual to have "visions". Used primarily in religious rituals. The flowers blossom on a cylindrical cone that shoots from the main head of the plant. These blooms have various medicinal properties, as well.
Newly Awarded!
Endurance Awards:
Shadow, Rin, Suta, Ayden, & Offtopic!
The first four were actually overdue, but got missed. Offtopic just had his one year anniversary and now qualified for it based on time and number of RP posts.
Activity Award:
Darkheir!
As a reminder, the Endurance award goes to any who have 200+ posts in a one year span, with their activity being fairly consistant (a spike of 100 posts in one month, then 100 in the next 11 months, will not get the award) automatically qualifies you for the Endurance award. Shadow, Rin, Suta, and Ayden were folks that got overlooked in our first batch. Offtopic just had his one year anniversary recently and now qualified for the award. Activity awards go to those who have generated a bunch of (real, not purposely bloated) activity within a short span of time (usually look at one to three months), based on posts and attempts to create RP.
Congratulations to you all! :)
What Was With That Mass Disappearance?
Alright, so we're letting the cat out of the bag :P. The reason why so many of us went and took off for a week at the same time- if you haven't managed to guess yet- is that we decided to do an UnVal style meetup. Well, Unval meeting in that: A. All of us have frequented Unval to some degree & B. This was not an official Valucre meeting, but instead a meetup designed by a group of us who decided it would be cool to do a meetup.
In this case, Fallen Joy, the Hummingbird, and myself are all aquainted already, as we were all present for Jordan Con, but we didn't get to hang out as much as we would have liked. The other attending folks wanted to do Jordan Con but were unable- so they made this get together instead! Who all was there?
Fallen Joy (Amber)
The Hummingbird (Raze)
-Lilium- (Candice)
Praetorian (Cody)
Me! [Acies] (Nick)
So, we took off for the week and went over to Big Bear Lake, California, driving up some steep-ass winding mountain roads to a gorgeous town sitting at just under 8,000ft elevation. All but Praetorian drove down there, and for Lillium, The Hummingbird, and myself, we had a long drive at at that (17hrs and 15hrs respectively). I cannot speak for Lillium, but I know that our drive took us through the Redwoods of Northern California, the scrublands of central California, and then we got to cut through the Mojave desert. The drive itself was a pretty cool experience, if not for the part that it was utterly exhausting! That, and Raze and I managed to get stuck in some flash-flooding in Southern Oregon, bleh.
We got to meet up that evening, everyone arriving by about 8pm local time. Fallen Joy brought a couple other friends of hers (helped with the Cabin costs :P) and it was nice meeting some of the people she hangs out with outside Val (and as it turns out, they were cool people to hang out with too :) ). Once we got people settled in and got some food, we wound down and had some time to catch up, converse, and plan the next day. It all started with hiking...
The Hike
We decided to let Fallen Joy take us out to a hiking trail that she promised went by some really cool waterfalls and was not so bad at all. Well, as it turned out, we quickly found out that she isn't so good with navigating and we ended up at some other trails. We certainly weren't going to let that daunt us though, especially because it was quite a pretty sight. We set out on the trail and began hiking.
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| Looks Easy Enough |
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| Very pretty too! |
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| -Lillium- (left) and Fallen Joy (right) |
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| We found this thing. It was pretty cool. |
Fallen Joy, the bundle of energy that she is, bounded ahead of us, leaving all those who did not rush to keep up with her behind. I jokingly mentioned, "I feel that the story that begins with 'Amber led the way' ends with, 'They were never seen again'". Well, it seems that this almost might have come true, as she did in fact lead, and eventually led us off trail and into the middle of the woods. Even worse, she led us through some massively hilly terrain, with angles as steep as about 70°- I am not using hyperbole here.
It got to the point where my overweight, asthmatic (in high elevation) sorry ass could not keep up- believe me, I was seriously getting oxygen deprived and tasted breakfast in the back of my mouth (Bacon to be precise, which at least was not unpleasent, lol). I had to stop a few times to catch my wind, and I was trying to insist upon people going ahead, especially because Fallen Joy would not quit moving, and one had to wonder if she would lead herself into trouble.
Well, Praetorian, awesome guy that he is, declared that no man shall be left behind, and called for a break at a nice log, where we both chilled for a bit, me slugging down a ton of water. While I recooperated, things might have gone a little south- I'll let the pictures tell the tale. I'll have to leave you wondering: Do they tell the real story, or is this an exagerated account of what turned out to be a funny morning/afternoon that did go astray for a time, but after some rerouting (and dodging poison oak) led to us finding our way out without issue?
Perhaps those were not present shall never know. ;)
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| I was toasted, but Praetorian wasn't going to leave a man behind! |
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| Then We Went Off Trail... |
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| He was losing it... |
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| Amber ended up getting T1'd. Me in the background? Yep, sitting and laughing. She led us up that blasted trail! |
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| Stuff might have really got out of hand... |
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| Had to Seek High Ground to find our way... |
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| There was much rejoicing... |
The Village, Trip One
Next, we decided to head into 'The Village', which was their fancy way of naming what basically was a zone put together for tourists to come buy stuff- and well, we were tourists out to buy stuff. :P
As it turns out, I do not have that many pictures to show for this trip, though I do have a couple of goofy ones for you, with us trying out helmets, and one really strange decoration I found while there. These pics are getting ahead of this text as I write it, so make sure you start with the pic of Praetorian trying out a helmet. The pics end with a skeleton taking a power dump.
No, you did not misread that. 0_0
Let's just say you can find odd stuff.
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| That helmet looked smashing! |
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| Raze decided to try it on too. |
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| I went with my viking roots. |
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| One of those things you just had to take a pic of, because... yeah. |
Monopoly (Evening)
We decided to wind down the last night with some monopoly, a great game to get going and see who could bring all the others to their knees. The participants in this was me (banker as well), Raze, Cody, Candice and her husband (Amber was busy at the time we started). The game started out as one might expect, everyone going around the board, buying up properties as they were able to land on them.
I managed to swipe up a decent amount property early, buying everything I could. Others were a little more selective, but as the game went on and properties started flying out, we got to that point where we started having to barter. Deals first were based on money and titles, but soon expanded to some nontraditional deals. First deals included Cody making exchanges with Candice's husband involving rent-free stays at his properties. As my wealth grew and things looked uncertain for Cody, he made the wisest move of all- sold me all his properties for cash, rent free stays, and 'investments'. Any time a sucker landed on one of the properties he sold me, he got 10% of the rent. This worked out beautifully. I built a massive empire; Cody coasted, staying free of a loss by having free rent at two players' properties, making money to cover rent costs for those he did not have deals. The game ended with me and Cody at an impasse- neither one of us could ever go broke. So, we declared ourselves mutual winners. This is what happens when two people from OIC get together.
Given that we tend to be night-owls, Cody and I ended up staying up with Amber and her friends for a while, and they introduced us to a game called 'Heroes'. It was quite a bit of fun, though admitdely (especially the first night) we really weren't sure about what we were doing. Still, it was an enjoyable way to pass some time, and it was cool of them to include us- these guys (and Amber) seem to be really into that game.
Day 2- The Zoo and Lake
Well, sadly, Candice and her husband had some things come up and had to take off early. We wished them well and began our planning for the day. We decided to go and hit up the zoo they had up there, a wildlife refuge where they rehabilitate injured animals in the hope of releasing them back out into the wild. There are a few permanent residents- a bear with three legs, a Bob cat who could never get pregnant or she would die (spaying reduces their hormones which make them aggressive, another death sentence for a wild Bobcat). This zoo had Foxes, Wolves, Coyotes, Bears, Eagles, Hawks, Cranes, Boar, Snakes, Toads, Bobcats, Mountain lions, and other creatures. It turned out to be really cool, and a great way to spend $9.
We broke up into our our little pocket groups, checking out animals at our own pace and based on how we wanted to navigate the zoo and check out stuff. We crossed paths plenty though, as the zoo is not an especially large one- but you got a much closer view of the animals, with you being able to reach out and touch the fences. We were there when they began the feeding tour and they started it off with having kids howling at the wolves- this actually gets them to howl back. Well, the first time, it was the coyotes who started and then the wolves all joined in. It was a really awesome experience to get to witness it. After it all settled down and the zoo keepers were going about doing a feeding tour and teaching about the animals, some kids came and ran up to the wolf enclosure where Cody, Amber, Raze and myself were hanging out, and they started howling at the pack of wolves.
The wolves immediately howled back, answering the kids as these kids howled at them. It was a funny and quite awesome moment. I was especially glad that were there to see it. Check out the pics, and this is a shared link in my drop box to watch the video I have of those Wolves conversing with the kids. :P
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| Wolves! |
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| Bear! |
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| In person, that Golden Eagle was HUGE! |
The Lake
After the zoo, we made our way back to our cabin to grab some food and then to head out to this lake that the town was named after. We got there without too much trouble and made our way for the water. A few people in our group decided to go ahead and give the water a go, but others of us were not dressed for it and so were not very interested in getting wet. We spent a lot of time trying (rather unsuccessfully) to skip rocks, finding that all of the good rocks for skipping seemed to have been used up!
Seriously.
The only rocks you could find were odd shaped rocks that were to thick and not nearly flat enough. We managed to get a few to skip a time or two- Cody disovered if you threw it at the water with a great deal of force, surface tension made the rocks bounce off the surface and skip at least once- that was pretty cool. However, our rock skipping attemts turned out to be in vain, and we ended up having to give that up. Instead, we settled for climbing much bigger rocks (like huge) and spending some time high up and under the sun.
Probably one of the best decisions we made in the entire trip (not to say we didn't have some good ones, just that this turned out to be that cool), as that beautiful afternoon sky, the sunshine and the view of the water just created a picturesque scene that you really could not capture with words- you had to be there to understand it. It was relaxing, fun, and just easy to sit back and doze. Cody pointed out- and I agree with him fully- that it was one of those spots where you could pass away contentedly- like, someday when you die, you hope you're in a place just like that.
Absolute truth.
We probably spent a couple hours up there, enjoying the sun, enjoying the company, watching people, just having a good time. After it got dark, we decided to make our way back to the car and figure out something for eating that night. I took directions from Amber (a foolish mistake, I know) and we almost got lost looking for the grocery store- but we found it. We decided Hamburgers sounded good, and as it turned out- they had a barbeque at the cabin, so we could grill them up.
Well, as it turns out, grilling at high altitudes is a major pain in the ass. The reduced oxygen concentration means your coals don't burn as hot and your food takes significantly (like more than twice as long) to cook. I ended up out there grilling burgers for about three hours, if my memory serves me correctly. Fortunuately, we had enough sides that one burger sufficed for everyone, and the rest were cooked up for lunch the next day.
We ended that night with some socializing and turned in, looking forward to having some good times on our last day together.
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| We kinda fail at skipping rocks. |
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| View from the rocks |
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| Cody chilling below |
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| Raze and I, relaxing. |
Day 3: Village, Car Issues, etc
Never a good thing to see in a title [car issues] about a trip right? More on that a little later.
Raze and Amber both wanted to get back into the village, souvenirs on their mind. We went back through all the same stores as the day before, trying to track down everything they had wanted. While in the first store, Cody and I decided to get our T1 on, wearing our helps and clashing with swords. Who was the victor you might ask? We'll let you speculate.
After we got through the stores, dealt with the getting the girls to make decisions (yeah, that was a challenge), we stopped to get some pics with their new found goods. Raze decided to get a god-awful bear hat for some reason (I have no idea :P) that even growls- yes, that bear hat growls when you push a button on the ear. Amber too got a hat, and well, let's say I am pickier about my hats than they are.
While they took their pictures, Cody and I worked on photobombing them, because it would be funny. Raze sent a rather hostile message and Lastlight regarding his 'Orca army'- it seems this war of the Penguin empire continues.
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| It was a fight for the ages. |
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| Perhaps I do creepy a little too well... |
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| Cody goes all out |
Go figure, seems like I cannot take a trip without having at least one issue with my car. We were driving back to the cabin, to eat and figure out what else we wanted to do, when Raze's car (took hers for the trip, and I was driving everyone) went 'putt, putt, die'. It sounded a lot like running out of gas- only I just filled the tank the day before, after the lake.
So I get under the hood and on the phone with my Uncle (Car Wizard extraordinaire) and we're trying to troubleshoot this thing- thinking possible fuel line issue, with the hopes of not having to delve into the electrical shit. Well, as it turned out, Amber had nearly got us lost again- I mentioned the street I needed to turn on (By this time I knew how to get to and from the cabin) and Amber shouted 'second left'. This caused me to think that I might have erroniously assumed the next left was the 2nd, when it was the first, so I passed it- and it was wrong. So I had to turn around and head the other way, just to break down before our turn.
At this point, you might be wondering about the relevancy- well, by not getting onto the next street, we happened to be on the street that a mobile mechanic (does house calls basically) happened to be driving by, having finished and all day project. He pulled over, tested my fuel pressure and checked the crank sensor, before discovering a lack of spark in any of the coil packs- damn Ignition Control Module died.
Believe it or not, the NAPA in town actually had one in stock, so about $230 later (ouch!) the car was good to go. This put us getting back fairly late, but everyone entertained themselves with
guessing games led by Cody. I pissed everyone off by correctly guessing his thought of thing after hearing two questions answered, when everyone else had nearly used all twenty (20 questions).
Sometimes, spoiling games is too fun to resist. ;P
We made it back to the cabin, ate some food, and then the Valucre crew went out on a final mini hike, going by some trails much closer to where the cabin is. Amber nearly got us lost on this one too, but finding our way back happened a lot faster, despite it getting very dark out very quickly.
We spent the final night together hanging out, playing a bit on the computer games and chatting it up. Amber decided this was the time to show us her much darker side- seriously, the picture will show you just how sinister she can be (cringes). With a bit of nervousness I took off to get my usual 3-4hrs of sleep so we could take off early in the morning. Raze and I had a 15hr hour drive ahead of us and Cody had a plane to catch by noon, so we had to book it.
Leaving and Final Thoughts
However, before we took off, we managed to get in a group picture, without Candice unfortunately. I was half-tempted to do superimpose her into the pic via photoshop, but in order to do that well, I would be working on it for many hours. Chances are, I'd just do a sloppy job and it would be far from convincing. Next time, we'll make sure we get the whole gang.
So, I am doing a final thoughts on this, just because I thought I'd share a fine point- this get together did not require a massive meeting that involved more than a dozen members, but was just a planned get together with some cool people we all decided we wanted to hang out with- and it worked out perfectly. I truly enjoyed the smaller setting, as it was easier to spend time together doing group activities and really getting to know the people we were hanging out with. It's the same thing that happened when I got to hang out with Rob- quality time that makes it easier to really enjoy the company.
Don't take me the wrong way- Jordan con was awesome, I loved hanging out with the people, and we had a blast there too. I am just pointing out that there are benefits to both and I reccomend that
people take advantage of both. Try to hit up Jordan con (or another future mass Valucre meeting) and plan these smaller get togethers.
We did not need a special reason to do this- some people simply decided it would be awesome to do it, and we all planned accordingly. We gave each other some good notice, saved some cash, made plans, and took off. Anybody can do this and I encourage you all to consider it. If you have a certain group of friends you really wish you could get together and meet- talk it over and make it happen. ;)
 |
| Amber's hidden, much darker side. I always knew it was there.. |
 |
| The gang, before leaving. |
New Members and Returns!
Welcome:
Okay regular readers, I am sure you know what my take is on people who don't give me fodder- how can I properly greet them without material? Well, this person only said hi and admitted to being a newby. Oh, and I guess they are happy to be here. Really now- is that all you can give me? :(
Siren Demora:
Brought here by a returning member (got to love it when they return with baggage- new member baggage, always a plus). This here is Carmen and she expects that she is a decent RPer, but hopes to someday become a great one- well, if she wants to become great, where else does one need to go than Valucre.com? Says she works a lot (Like me!) and might have trouble being on a lot- but that's okay, we all got lives. Well, most of us.
Rys:
Rys practically accused us of leaving the front door open so that they could simply invade our little world. Well Rys... you're right, we always leave that front door open to the public. We're always taking new members. :)
Aire:
Aire comes here looking to get the creative muse back on boarding and working again. Aire is looking for some more advanced RPers to do some quality collaborations. Aire likes to hike, walking the dog and killing brain-cells over the interwebs. Welcome to Valucre Aire, hopefully we never kill any brain cells for you.
Refrigerator:
I love it when new members jump into the RP scene and get things going. Regrigerator already has an interest check out for RP (See Silent Night). Refrigerator says we look friendly and... literate. I hate the use of that word, we are all literate if we read and write all. Some of j us just have more limited writing abilities than other.
Serenity1985:
Another one using that term, gahhhhh! Well, this person is new here and does not realize that we here at Valucre are trying to make those terms go extinct. Other than that, this is a new RPer with plenty of time on their hands for now- utilize it while you can!
Animalmorph:
Animalmorph is another one of those who just dove right in rather than testing the waters- more power to this individual too! I love it when the new members find themselves some good RP and get involved. It looks like his drive was fueled by self-described aching to RP, so who could blame him?
OROCHIMARU:
This new member immediately puts out there that their username is not from Naruto, but they plan on playing a serpentine character nonetheless. I personally wouldn't know either way, I don't watch it, lol. Anyway, OROCHIMARU is brand new to Forum based RP and might need some extra help and mentoring- so help the new member out!
Noxious:
OOooh, I like this one already. They are speaking my kind of language. Noxious used to do a great deal of online RPG writing (in AOL) and then went to college, got into shooters, drinking, and homework and lost touch with it. Now that Noxious has moved on with life and into the work field, they find that they still have an itch to express creativity, and feel saddened that it takes pot to make some people talk about anything deep. Well Noxious, you have found an excellent home. Great RP, some awesome conversations and thinkers, all present and willing to engage. :)
Threepwood:
Threepwood heard that because of our quality and sense of community, we are one of the best out there when it comes to online forum based Rps. Well, wouldn't you know it, someone steered this new member in the right path. Well, Threepwood admits to being a little overwhelmed, so help this new person make their self at home.
Eric:
Self described as the man from a little island, he was surprised to see that the name Eric was available without having to add bells and whistles to it. Well, we do have one other Eric, but he does not use it as his username- so plus for you! He hopes to collaborate with others so he can express his love of writing. Give Eric someone to write with :)
Louispls:
A woman named Louis, with a story to boot but hasn't deigned to share it. Louis works and goes to school and lives on the west coast (like myself) and so they might have an erratic schedule (again, like me). Louis is looking to get down into some RPs with folks who have some decent and basic writing skills. Well Louis, I hope you find what you are looking for.
Gohrick Trisona:
A stay at home Dad looking to get into some RP. Started with tabletop in Jr high and then went on to dabble on Gaia online for a long while. After that, he did time on a Final Fantasy forum, only to find his way here eventually. He hopes to get some good collaboration going, as he likes groups for RP material.
Katiespike:
Her character's name is Kira and she tends to change as the varying plots require her to so she can fit in. Kira is looking for something to get into and only asks that you have some decent grammar skills and post more than one sentence- lots of those here on Valucre!
XxDeadlyDevilxX:
One of those brief introductions, I don't got much on this one, either than they are really looking to get involved in something. Good luck to this individual.
Skylander:
This new member described their travels to Valucre in an RP sense, and has stated they will stick around for a while to see how things go. He wonders how it will go- so go show him a good time. ;)
Brikk1:
This new member has been on numerous sites, some more chat oriented and others purely chat oriented. Brikk1 is looking for some RP they can get into without much hassle. This is most of Valucre, so they are covered. :)
Returns:Welcome:
Siren Demora:
Brought here by a returning member (got to love it when they return with baggage- new member baggage, always a plus). This here is Carmen and she expects that she is a decent RPer, but hopes to someday become a great one- well, if she wants to become great, where else does one need to go than Valucre.com? Says she works a lot (Like me!) and might have trouble being on a lot- but that's okay, we all got lives. Well, most of us.
Rys:
Rys practically accused us of leaving the front door open so that they could simply invade our little world. Well Rys... you're right, we always leave that front door open to the public. We're always taking new members. :)
Aire:
Aire comes here looking to get the creative muse back on boarding and working again. Aire is looking for some more advanced RPers to do some quality collaborations. Aire likes to hike, walking the dog and killing brain-cells over the interwebs. Welcome to Valucre Aire, hopefully we never kill any brain cells for you.
Refrigerator:
I love it when new members jump into the RP scene and get things going. Regrigerator already has an interest check out for RP (See Silent Night). Refrigerator says we look friendly and... literate. I hate the use of that word, we are all literate if we read and write all. Some of j us just have more limited writing abilities than other.
Serenity1985:
Another one using that term, gahhhhh! Well, this person is new here and does not realize that we here at Valucre are trying to make those terms go extinct. Other than that, this is a new RPer with plenty of time on their hands for now- utilize it while you can!
Animalmorph:
Animalmorph is another one of those who just dove right in rather than testing the waters- more power to this individual too! I love it when the new members find themselves some good RP and get involved. It looks like his drive was fueled by self-described aching to RP, so who could blame him?
OROCHIMARU:
This new member immediately puts out there that their username is not from Naruto, but they plan on playing a serpentine character nonetheless. I personally wouldn't know either way, I don't watch it, lol. Anyway, OROCHIMARU is brand new to Forum based RP and might need some extra help and mentoring- so help the new member out!
Noxious:
OOooh, I like this one already. They are speaking my kind of language. Noxious used to do a great deal of online RPG writing (in AOL) and then went to college, got into shooters, drinking, and homework and lost touch with it. Now that Noxious has moved on with life and into the work field, they find that they still have an itch to express creativity, and feel saddened that it takes pot to make some people talk about anything deep. Well Noxious, you have found an excellent home. Great RP, some awesome conversations and thinkers, all present and willing to engage. :)
Threepwood:
Threepwood heard that because of our quality and sense of community, we are one of the best out there when it comes to online forum based Rps. Well, wouldn't you know it, someone steered this new member in the right path. Well, Threepwood admits to being a little overwhelmed, so help this new person make their self at home.
Eric:
Self described as the man from a little island, he was surprised to see that the name Eric was available without having to add bells and whistles to it. Well, we do have one other Eric, but he does not use it as his username- so plus for you! He hopes to collaborate with others so he can express his love of writing. Give Eric someone to write with :)
Louispls:
A woman named Louis, with a story to boot but hasn't deigned to share it. Louis works and goes to school and lives on the west coast (like myself) and so they might have an erratic schedule (again, like me). Louis is looking to get down into some RPs with folks who have some decent and basic writing skills. Well Louis, I hope you find what you are looking for.
Gohrick Trisona:
A stay at home Dad looking to get into some RP. Started with tabletop in Jr high and then went on to dabble on Gaia online for a long while. After that, he did time on a Final Fantasy forum, only to find his way here eventually. He hopes to get some good collaboration going, as he likes groups for RP material.
Katiespike:
Her character's name is Kira and she tends to change as the varying plots require her to so she can fit in. Kira is looking for something to get into and only asks that you have some decent grammar skills and post more than one sentence- lots of those here on Valucre!
XxDeadlyDevilxX:
One of those brief introductions, I don't got much on this one, either than they are really looking to get involved in something. Good luck to this individual.
Skylander:
This new member described their travels to Valucre in an RP sense, and has stated they will stick around for a while to see how things go. He wonders how it will go- so go show him a good time. ;)
Brikk1:
This new member has been on numerous sites, some more chat oriented and others purely chat oriented. Brikk1 is looking for some RP they can get into without much hassle. This is most of Valucre, so they are covered. :)
Totalitarian:
An animation student who showed up more than two years ago and then quickly disappeared. Due to changed situations and a desire to write, they are back and ready to give it a try.
JCQuinn:
He was here previously but had life come sucker punch him, and now he is back. Now that he is moving onward, he wants to give up so much gaming and get more into RP. Welcome JC!
Chi:
Chi was here formerly and then left, and has now decided to make a new character. However, given that she admitted to having been here for, I threw her on this list anyway. :P She admits her writing isn't the best, but she hopes to improve it as she goes along. With that said, Welcome Chi..
Shanrakk:
Shanrakk took a brief stint of time off due to school kicking him in the pants. Things have settled a bit, so he hopes he can get back to it.
Asilentmusician:
Here for the third go around, Silent here hopes this is the last time this will happen. and that they will get back on the wagon. Life happens, we understand guys.
Vagrant:
All exclamation marks? How do I work with this. ><
Darkpane:
Darkpane is back and feeling ready to go, eagerly waiting on getting back into RP. Darkpane wonders if anyone remembers them- well, I do!
This week was exploding with goodness, like a Thanksgiving Turkey stuff with awesome. 17 new members and 7 returns- that is a lot. Good job folks!
Other Highlights?
Valucrecon- Keep hearing about a possibility of a get together? Wondering how to get in on it? Well go to this thread first, and from there join a usergroup we have put together to do just that. . Click Here.
Marketplace- Want to buy some cool stuff from the canon? Want to get stuff you know with 100% certainty will be counted in canon? Check out the stores in the market place! Lot's of awesome stuff contained within, all for some VB. Check it out here.
Marketplace- Want to buy some cool stuff from the canon? Want to get stuff you know with 100% certainty will be counted in canon? Check out the stores in the market place! Lot's of awesome stuff contained within, all for some VB. Check it out here.
Closing Thoughts?
Took me a while to decide what I wanted to write here. I
think I have a subject or two leftover on that theme I was following, but
neither one were going to amount to a very lengthy blog post. I guess I could
have combined them to make something a little more substantial, thus fitting
with this theme of the week- but I came up with an idea instead. I am not sure
how much mileage I am going to get out of this one, but I figure I will write
until I feel like I have written everything I have to say on the matter. I can
only hope that it amounts to something reasonable- neither excessive nor
lacking.
Someone put up a thread earlier asking about how others deal
with their anger, specifically with their anger directed at people. They
noticed some of the bickering that has taken place over time here and Valucre
and I suppose some of that bickering could certainly make another individual
wonder about anger management. I could answer the question of some things that
I do inside the thread itself, but I thought I would take this a little bit
further, and shed some thoughts on the matter myself. Some of what I think
comes from experience and the education I have received through my work place,
and other parts of it are just my own opinions.
Take it as you will.
Take it as you will.
Okay, tricks for dealing with assholes, especially assholes
on the internet.
Some folks have already brought up great points- that while
you can do something in the moment to help you calm down, this is not taking
care of an underlying problem, if this
anger has become a repeat occurrence. Having a good means to diffuse anger in
the moment is an important skill, but finding ways to deal with it before it
comes to a head is an even better one.
Let's talk about understanding anger. Anger is a secondary emotion- it is almost never the very first thing you felt, except maybe in cases where you are dealing with an intermittent explosive disorder. Anger is a tool that we use to deal with some other emotion, often one that we'd rather not deal with in the moment. Anger might arise due to a feeling of vulnerability, or something that has damaged our ego, or it could arise from frustration- and inability to control one's one situation is often a precursor to anger. This can be especially true when that uncontrollable situation involves many people.
Let's talk about understanding anger. Anger is a secondary emotion- it is almost never the very first thing you felt, except maybe in cases where you are dealing with an intermittent explosive disorder. Anger is a tool that we use to deal with some other emotion, often one that we'd rather not deal with in the moment. Anger might arise due to a feeling of vulnerability, or something that has damaged our ego, or it could arise from frustration- and inability to control one's one situation is often a precursor to anger. This can be especially true when that uncontrollable situation involves many people.
You feel something else before you feel the anger. Dealing
with the anger in that moment (to prevent you from doing something stupid) is
fine, but one has to work on identifying what is going on inside your own head
so that way you can determine what caused the anger. Resolving the true, basal
emotion will help you feel a lot better, rather than with a lingering feeling
of something not quite right, unable to determine what is the cause.
When someone calls you a name, you might be filled with
anger, but if you really think about it, your stomach drops, you might cramp
up, and you want to get away. You are just tired of hearing what is being said,
and you wish to make it all go away. Conversely, you might not be filled with
the urge to flee but the overwhelming urge to meet the, and show them what you
thought of their comments. This is the process of fight and flight, and it will
often erupt when someone is under a great deal of stress, particularly stress
that makes you feel out of control.
A lack of control can be a big causal factor in creating trauma or triggering old trauma.
A lack of control can be a big causal factor in creating trauma or triggering old trauma.
At this point, a person might wonder why we are worrying
about what someone said to you, especially if it was someone over the internet.
'Internet is srs business' right? Who cares about what people have to say on
the internet right? After all, these are just numbskulls on the internet who
make rude comments to try and troll people. Why should that ever bother anyone?
Well, because no matter how a message is delivered, if it is
still a message that came from another human being, and what they say likely
stings just as badly over the internet as it does when something is said
directly to you. The delivery of the message does not matter- you can write it,
say it, tell me over the phone, however you choose to go about things, you are
still telling me a message with the intent of causing me discomfort and
emotional harm. I can say that it's just some nub on the other side of the
screen all I want, but they are still trying to cause harm- and do.
I argue against the notion that things on the internet do
not hurt and that the internet cannot be taken seriously. The internet is a new
form of communication and that it should be recognized as such. If anything,
people have felt freer about being absolutely mean, showing little to no regard
for the individual. If there is some degree of separation, people lose the
ability to read body cues all together and it leaves them unable to think about
what they are doing from the context of look at that person's situation. There
are no longer any limits to things.
Regardless of the delivery, the message hurts, and this is
evidenced not only through anecdotal examples, but in all these cases of teen
suicide that involved cyber bullying. There are cases now where the person was
bullied exclusively online, to an absolutely nasty and harsh degree, and then
eventually kill him or herself. Are we just going to say that these people were
silly fools who took everything on the internet too seriously? Seems rather
callous to me.
I see no difference between the internet and real life. Anymore, half my real life is tied up in the internet anyway, so this makes internet a big part of my life. Whether someone says something hurtful to ones face, or hurtful to him or her on a cell phone text or Facebook comment, it all still hurts. People do not separate the two as two different things. Trying to tell someone to suck it up when it comes to cyber-bullying is insensitive, ineffective, and silly. People will feel hurt over nasty comments, no longer how they are delivered.
The best we can do is learn to regulate our own emotions and become proficient in dealing with situations like that in general. Telling someone to suck it up is like trying to put a bad bandage over a massive wound- it isn't doing much. Rather than trying to tell someone what should or shouldn't bother them, we should work on building up your ability to be resilient, becoming gradually more immune to the effect based on the time you do these sorts of exercises.
I see no difference between the internet and real life. Anymore, half my real life is tied up in the internet anyway, so this makes internet a big part of my life. Whether someone says something hurtful to ones face, or hurtful to him or her on a cell phone text or Facebook comment, it all still hurts. People do not separate the two as two different things. Trying to tell someone to suck it up when it comes to cyber-bullying is insensitive, ineffective, and silly. People will feel hurt over nasty comments, no longer how they are delivered.
The best we can do is learn to regulate our own emotions and become proficient in dealing with situations like that in general. Telling someone to suck it up is like trying to put a bad bandage over a massive wound- it isn't doing much. Rather than trying to tell someone what should or shouldn't bother them, we should work on building up your ability to be resilient, becoming gradually more immune to the effect based on the time you do these sorts of exercises.
The very first thing you must do in trying to manage your
feelings (and by extension, anger) is to acknowledge them. You have feelings.
You get hurt, you feel frustrated (out of control), you experience happiness
and joy, pain and suffering. These feelings occur in reaction to something that
has happened, true, but you have to take ownership for them. You have to take
back ownership and control over those feelings by thinking in terms of
"I" instead of "They". They did not make you angry. You
felt angry when they did that thing. Billy-Jo did not make me annoyed because
he was rude and unpleasant; I felt annoyed because of Billy-Jo's rude and unpleasant
mannerisms.
By acknowledging that I am feeling these things and that others
are not making them feel them, I can better understand that I have control over them. Yep, you have
control over these feelings and emotions, you have the ability to stop, process
it, and then put it away. Something happens, you feel something, but then you
get the choice to keep feeling it, keep dwelling on it, or to store it. If you
feel happy after something happened- then by all means, hold on to it! If you
feel sad instead, understand why you feel sad, accept it, and then put it away.
This does not mean bottle up your emotions and ignore them-
I am saying you do have to process
them. Processing allows you to understand what it is that are going on inside
of you, and then to make a decision about how you are going to handle it. I
feel annoyance, disgust, and then anger when listening to Billy Joe talking. I
recognize that his voice and choice of conversation ends with me feeling that
way. Now that I know that- I have to decide how to deal with it.
Ignore it?
Ignore it?
Leave the area?
Talk to him about it?
Hit him with a sucker punch to the throat?
While I do not recommend number four by any means, you see
that you do have options, that you do have the ability to make a choice about
how you handle the situation. With patients, it is easy for me to get through
things by reminding myself that when the time comes, I will still be able to
leave at the end of the day, and they will not. Find what options you do have,
mull over the decision for a little while, then put them up.
There is two of the three things I want to cover with this- Understanding
what anger is and what causes it, and remembering that you have control over
it. The last thing to talk about is that long term care, as other people
mentioned in the thread.
Part of maintaining good emotional health is to do
activities that help you replenish the juices and allow you to keep going. Taking
care of yourself keeps putting gas back into that tank so you can keep going.
Get some sleep, get some exercise, eat decent food, pick up hobbies you truly
enjoy, go out and have fun- do things that bring up your level of happiness, so
when something takes a ding at it, you can still have a good time.
Alright Valucre, this is the closing thoughts. Considering I
started to zone out a couple times, there might be a couple of weird errors in
here- I hope not- so don't mind if there is. :P
Now, this is per the request of one of our coolest members: A reminder to all, just as they would say in John and Hank Green's hometown: Don't forget to be awesome. ;)
- Acies
“When you want to fool the world, tell the truth.” ~Otto von Bismarck
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