That's like going from prime rib to ... weird brother of prime rib.

[sarea]

Happy birthday light_music! You were one of my first friends on LJ, and that is a bond to be taken seriously! :D Remember that story about the dogs? It was the best story ever. And about your daughter's budding lesbianism? No, that was the best story ever. In any case, I am lucky to know you, and hope you have a super day!

===

This is old news, but I haven't mentioned it -- Arrested Development got signed on for a third season! Beg, borrow, or steal someone's DVDs of S1 and S2 (when it comes out). You will not regret it.

===

Hmm, an LJ permanent account. I'm just not sure about it. I mean, $150 isn't bad for a permanent account status, considering it already costs $25/year for a paid account. But that means it would take six years just to get it 'paid off,' and who the hell knows what will be going on in six years? Will we even be using LJ? Won't someone invent something even cooler by then? After all, the move from mailing lists to blogs only took a few years.

===

I've made a deal with Jade. She got asked by someone in RL about IYOK at dinner last night. And of course, the culprit for the next chapter not being done is not her, but me. So I've said that I will work on IYOK for an hour every day ... but I need an incentive for doing this. Something I can either do for myself, or get myself, or something. You know, something to reward myself with at the end of it all. Jade mumbled something about "not being able to read D/G" until it was done. I was like, no way. I'm out. Finito. But then she was like, "Not D/G! DV!" And that's slightly different. That would be a pretty good incentive, because of course I want to read more DV (assuming there's more to read). But I'm thinking that my 'reward' shouldn't be about depriving myself of something and then getting it again -- not very motivational -- it should be more reward-like. Problem is, I don't really deprive myself of much. So I don't know. Any ideas?

===

I've named my iPod "Tiffany," since that was one of the names my mom considered for me. I now bestow it upon my MP3 player. Here are some random facts about Tiffany:

1) She really likes "Square Dance" by Eminem. I know this because it inevitably turns up when I'm using her in shuffle mode.

2) The music game is the Best. Thing. EVAR. My best score so far (I always stop myself at 100, because as far as I can tell, it will go on indefinitely if you don't stop it) is 96/100, 44,700 points. Not bad for having nearly 3,000 songs to choose from.

3) It is soooo neat to be able to go from Linkin Park to a suite from "Spirited Away" to something from BtVS: OMWF. It's like the best radio station ever.

===

I've started a Tauren Druid on Llane named Aeiryss. At least, I think that's how it's spelt ... but I don't mind it being a bit tricky. It just means that someone has to REALLY want to bother me in order to whisper to me about something. (This is why Sarea always got pinged instead of Vatrixsta when we were together. :-l)

She's lvl 8 right now, and I can't wait to level more, because right now this char is driving me nuts. She's got mediocre powers in everything, but isn't really good at any one thing. Her healing, at least at this level, is nowhere near as good as the priest's, so I always end up healing myself too late. And then her attacks take up so much mana, but I can't actually kill an enemy using the whole of her mana pool, like the mage can (in fact, the mage can probably kill two or more with her mana pool)! Which means I'm always out of mana, yet I can't just conjure water like the mage. Then her melee skills aren't such that they're a good substitute for her magic attacks. So yeah, I've found it kind of frustrating so far. But from having seen Jade in action, I know it improves in the higher lvls. I just want to get there already.

Comments

[heinous_bitca.livejournal.com]

w00t!

I've got a consulting appointment tonight after work, but I'll add you to my flist for when I next am online when you are.

Don't forget that druids can hit decently, too. It doesn't all have to be about the mana/spells.

Get her up to 10 and you've got bear form! With the horns! And get her up a little bit more and you can come adventuring with Seluja and Hyacynthia. ;)

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

Really? I haven't found the melee aspect all that impressive ... reminds me of my hunter, actually. My spells do a lot more damage than my melee hits, but maybe that'll change when I don't have a crap weapon. It'll be exciting to get to 10 to start getting the more Druid-specific stuff. :D

[corianderstem.livejournal.com]

I knew you'd like that iPod. *g*

we need to hang soon!

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

I definitely love having an MP3 player -- the only thing that might be iPod specific is the music game (and even that, I'm not sure if it's available on other types of players). Mostly, people love whatever player they have, no matter what kind. So I think it's just that MP3 players are reaaaalllly useful and fun. :D

Where would you like to hang?

[corianderstem.livejournal.com]

Silly me, I just assumed it was an iPod! I was all excited about the game until I realized we have different players. *g*

Want to get together for lunch? Maybe a movie? Are you interested in seeing "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants?"

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

LOL, no, I do have an iPod. And I think we have the exact same player, except for yours being the SE U2 version. I just meant that mostly the things I was excited about had to do with having an MP3 player (such as it being the best radio station ever), and not necessarily because it was an iPod. (And I was saying that the only iPod-specific thing I love is the music game, though even that I'm not sure if it's available on other MP3 players or not.)

Anyway.

Lunch sounds great, as does the movie. I haven't read the book, have you? I picked it up, but couldn't get past the first ten pages or so. But I know lots of people love it; I should give it another shot. But maybe not until after I've seen the movie.

[akscully.livejournal.com]

If you finish IYOK, I will talk to you all the time! What a great reward!

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

You have to offer me something I don't already have. That's how it works, see.

[akscully.livejournal.com]

I could start pinging you all the time. Wouldn't you like that?

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

You don't seem to be getting the concept of "something you don't already annoy gift me with." : )

[acciopotter.livejournal.com]

Wow, under what circumstances did someone in RL ask about IYOK? Oh, and *poke* on that, btw. :)

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

Let's see, this is how it went...not really that odd...

Jade went out for Robbie's birthday celebration dinner. At the dinner was a gal we knew from our XF days, but whom had subsequently become RL friends w/ Jade and Rob. Turns out that she's also into HP fandom, though I'm personally not familiar with her work (I only know her XF stuff) -- I think slashers and H/Hr fans are familiar with her, though; her LJ name is hesychasm -- and that she's actually reading IYOK. So she asked Jade if we were ever going to update it, and Jade used it as a point to make me feel even more guilty than I already do. And thus we are now caught up. :D

[gianfared.livejournal.com]

I could use a little motivation to write the next chapter of several fics... Hmmm. A friendly wager, perhaps? But what would the stakes be? Hmmmm

*ebil grin*

In all seriousness, how about fanart? Surely one of your talented fans would happily do a pretty piccy. Or perhaps a treat of something international which a fan from elsewhere could get you (for example, the HP stamps in Australia or something of that ilk). Basically, I'm thinking something that's not so easy for you to get your own paws on, but requires the help of another who would feel rewarded in their own right by another chappie of IYOK. Consider it bartering.

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

Oh, I fully agree that that would be best, but I could never do that. It feels a little too much like those people (whom I hate) who say at the end of their chapters, "Review this story or I'm not posting any more." :p I'm not big into manipulating others to make me write/post. I'd prefer to keep it that fanart and things of that ilk ought to be freely given, because they were inspired to do it and really want to do it, not because I asked them to do it.

Bribing myself is a different matter, though -- ultimately I write for myself, for the satisfaction of writing/finishing a story -- but I need a nudge now and again. (It's just like taking tests ... it's a bitch to get me to study, but it's always the best feeling in the world to ace the final. Know what I mean?) So I just feel like the reward should be something I can give to myself -- not only because I can control whether or not I actually get it, but because it's the most kosher way I can think of to reward me for writing, without being one of those people who threaten to withhold fic. (If I'm "withholding fic" it's because I'm not actually motivated to write -- but that's my problme.) However, the reward should be something I wouldn't normally do/give to myself.

You're sweet to offer a friendly competition! Bwahahaha. But I can tell you right now it wouldn't work for me -- I don't work well under pressure (I'd just be like, "You win" and thus remove the pressure), and I'm constantly "competing" against Jade when I write IYOK anyway, since we each do half a chapter. Sighsigh. I'll be working on it for an hour each day because I promised her (what the results will be is another matter), but I'd really like to be able to have a reward for myself to have something to look forward to and motivate me to really finish.

Gawd, it's so trying to be a writer, isn't it? To paraphrase Meg Cabot, writers spend most of our lives avoiding writing. It's a difficult existence to lead!

[gianfared.livejournal.com]

*nod nod* I totally agree with you. I can't write,draw, or create unless inspired, but a nudge in the right direction can be of help. I'm quite the same as you when it comes to competition too. I have tried to have workout buddies for that reason, but I usually end up conceding to their win because ice cream with chocolate syrup is so much more rewarding than bragging rights over oblique crunches. Heh. I've tried to bribe myself as well, but alas, it does not work. *sighs with you*

So you need a reward - hmmmm - I'd go with some out of the way-uber-cool-unusual food that I love but rarely have. Maybe you would like the thingy that lets you play your Ipod through a radio station while plugged into the car? I have one and it's wonderful! I'd even say it's a must have.

Perhaps you need simple behavior modification. How about accountability: with each day you honor your agreement with Jade, you get a gold star *giggles* and with each day you don't come through, you simply don't get a star. You can post it here and your LJ friends can give you pats on the back or shake their heads. [/mommy mode]

Honestly, I couldn't do that one. *grins* Not much help, am I?

Best of luck, darlin'! :-*

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

ice cream with chocolate syrup is so much more rewarding than bragging rights over oblique crunches

Haha, yes!! I mean, that's not to say that I'm never competitive, but writing just isn't one of my buttons. Things get done in the time they get done, that's all there is to it.

I was considering an iPod accessory as a 'reward,' and you've touched on the one that I'd really like to have. Problem is that I've heard the technology isn't all that great yet, that there's reduction in sound quality, etc. If you love yours, I would be very interested in knowing the exact make/model, so if I get one, I can be sure it's one that someone else has really enjoyed.

Public castigation might work, if only I thought anyone would actually castigate me. At this point, I don't think anyone even cares (and I don't blame them; it's been a year or so since the last update), which means it's really just me motivating myself, and Jade giving me guilt trips. Which do work to a certain extent, believe me.

[gianfared.livejournal.com]

*grins* You make Jade sound a bit ... motherly. ;P

I asked the hubster about my iPod accessory since I am not (at all) an expert on sound quality or technology and he said that the sound quality is as good as it's going to get when you consider that it'll be only as good as your car speakers and radio reception. He purchased what he thought was the best one out there. I have the DLO TransPod Mobile FM Transmitter (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=6285423&type=product&id=1072287118476).

I listen to my iPod more in the car than anywhere else (partly due to amount of time spent in the car) so I LOVE LOVE LOVE having that accessory. My only gripe is that I can't use it on any radio, it's totally for the car. I guess you can't have everything. ;) My next iPod accessory will be a speaker type thing in which you can play the iPod at the pool or wherever my wittle heart desires. :D

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

Excellent, thank you!!

[ropo.livejournal.com]

How about when you're ALL finished with IYOK you can get yourself a new Kate Spade purse or a great pair of shoes? But you can't get them until it's done, see? It's not deprivation 'cause you don't already have it, but it's a good reward. If you can afford it, that is. If not, then, uh... Cold Stone!

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

Thanks d00d! That's actually one of the first things I thought of (naturally). But a) I think I've spent quite enough money as it is on purses/shoes in recent history -- which also means that buying one has lost its 'specialness' factor, and b) I'm trying to save up significant cash like that for the trip itself (and, you know, in case I want to buy a KS bag *from* NYC :D -- which I would end up doing anyway regardless of fic, because how often would I be able to do that?).

I think now with my iPod, accessories for it are pretty much going to be what's on my 'want' list. So I think I'm going to go w/ the FM transmitter that Gian suggested. :D

[dejaspirit.livejournal.com]

Thank you Sarea. Hey, btw, you guys never noticed what I've had on my interest list, for like, a year...

[sarea-okelani.livejournal.com]

LOL! I guess I don't make a habit of checking my friends' interest lists (I can't even be bothered to keep my own up to date), but of course your comment made me run right over to check it out. And I laugh! How flattering! Alas that you are the only one who is interested in it. ;) Guess that means we just have to make a bigger impression on more people. Thank you for being such a pioneer! :D