So, I may have gotten myself into trouble, gaming-wise. Years ago, I used to play Everquest 2. Usually I'd solo but there was a time when I was in a guild with a group I met through my college and it was so much fun! I don't think I'm a very typical player. Mostly I just liked going on quests for plushies, decorating my house, and crafting and collecting stuff and then selling it through the broker. You all see what I did there - used a Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game to play solo and do my own thing. Anyhow, the game evolved into something where you had to buy stuff and group and raid for hours to accomplish anything. It just became not-fun and I gave up on it several years ago.
Right now EQ2 is in the middle of a beta for a time-locked expansion server circa 2006-ish. It's EQ2 from when I had fun playing it! I bought 3 months of All-Access so I could access the beta server, made a new character (she's a Kerra Wizard) and I'm ready to play again! I think. This game is quite the time suck - one does not just hop on for a bit. I was really debating whether or not I wanted to get back into it because I get obsessive with single games. We'll see how this goes.
I used to go out to concerts several times a year but I have mostly given up on that unless I'm guaranteed a place to sit. I had not been finding the live music experience in a general audience (standing only) situation very fun for a while. I'm only about 5'3" (160 cm) so unless I was up against the stage, I was in the middle of a pack of people, not actually seeing the musicians, just the backs of people in front of me. Also, I have some lower back issues and I find it difficult to stand for a long time, much less the length of a concert. I just want to sit down with my drink while actually seeing the band and enjoy my music. Is that so much to ask? Apparently it is. If someone really super cool and awesome comes to town, I might suck it up and I almost thought that was going to happen because Joan Jett is going to be in town next week. I've seen her in concert before and it was awesome! But then I saw the venue she's playing at - an outside ampitheater on the other side of town. Bonus points for having a guaranteed seat but, people, it is projected to be 104F (40C) on that day. And I am too old to bake outside in the heat even for an awesome show. I'm not sure what possessed her tour manager to book her in an outside venue during our summer but I bet she's going to have words with them after.
Speaking of music, I am liberating my music from iTunes and it's a slow process. I'm going through everything and it's like going through a closet. Some songs I liked at one time, but don't now. Some I got in a large download where I didn't necessarily want all of the songs (I like disco but I have so much disco and I don't really like all of it). But it's hard for me to get rid of things. It's mine! I can't let it go! I might want it again some day! This is also why I'm very unsuccessful going through actual closets and getting rid of old clothes. I'm currently going through the folder that has "loose" songs (not entire albums) and, surprisingly, I've already to the Js.
Last week I had a bunch of links to share. This week I only have one. But it's pretty darn cool. I watch a cute hipster couple on YouTube who have a channel called Oddity Odysseys. They travel mostly around California, discovering cool and unusual places. It's their verson of Off the beaten path. Anyway, their latest video is about the Desert Lighthouse which is in Hinkley, California. They were lucky enough to run into the artist who built it while they were out there and were able to get inside (usually it's blocked off to avoid vandalism). I just love art installations like this. It's such a cool idea. If I didn't know about it and I was driving through the Mojave at night and saw a lighthouse, I would be so delighted to see something so unexpected! You should check out their video, it's pretty cool.
Reading
I've been on a Patricia A. McKillip kick lately. I know I've read her in the past but it's been quite a while since I had picked up one of her books. I had one sitting on my library wishlist that I finally checked out and absolutely loved. So far I've read The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, The Alphabet of Thorn and The Riddlemaster of Hed. Riddlemaster is a trilogy and I'm currently reading the 2nd book, Heir of Sea and Fire.
Watching
I've just started watching Shardlake on Hulu. This is a 4 part series based on a series of historical mystery books by CJ Sansome, set during the reign of King Henry VIII. I've only watched the first episode but I'm quite liking it. Well acted, beautifully costumed. Sean Bean as Cromwell! What's not to like?