Sunday, June 24, 2007
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Aggravation
So, when a big famous website where people auction stuff sends you an alert telling you that you have to update information in your account, and you actually go to their website (to make sure it's legit), find the alert message, and then click the link in it to update, shouldn't that fix the problem?
No! Apparently, it shouldn't. You see, the link in the alert message only updates half of the info you need to update. The other half is, of course, not even listed as steps or as a link in the alert message.
To some of us who are easily annoyed by an alert message (that you can't delete, by the way, even though you followed all the instructions in it, because you, of course, didn't follow the secret instructions that aren't there) this is enough to drive you nuts. Nuts enough to contact the customer service of the site and ask for the stupid thing to get nuked I don't have to look at it anymore.
Cut to the response from customer service, snarkily telling me what I should have done. I even opened the alert message up again to see if I just missed this part, but I didn't. It's not there. When I inquired why this part of the procedure (which does not follow naturally from the instructions provided, by the way) isn't listed in the message that was designed to get you to accomplish both tasks, I got a non-response, a boilerplate restating the instructions I got originally, as though I was too dumb to follow the first one.
No, no. You don't realize that I'm trying to help you by pointing out all the time of yours and ours you're wasting when you don't tell us what you actually want us to do. I bet they wonder why no one updates their information, too.
Real head-scratcher, that one.
Oh, and I updated the info. The alert's still there, and I still can't delete it, even though they said I'd be able to once I finished the sooper seekrit part of the process. For heaven's sake.
No! Apparently, it shouldn't. You see, the link in the alert message only updates half of the info you need to update. The other half is, of course, not even listed as steps or as a link in the alert message.
To some of us who are easily annoyed by an alert message (that you can't delete, by the way, even though you followed all the instructions in it, because you, of course, didn't follow the secret instructions that aren't there) this is enough to drive you nuts. Nuts enough to contact the customer service of the site and ask for the stupid thing to get nuked I don't have to look at it anymore.
Cut to the response from customer service, snarkily telling me what I should have done. I even opened the alert message up again to see if I just missed this part, but I didn't. It's not there. When I inquired why this part of the procedure (which does not follow naturally from the instructions provided, by the way) isn't listed in the message that was designed to get you to accomplish both tasks, I got a non-response, a boilerplate restating the instructions I got originally, as though I was too dumb to follow the first one.
No, no. You don't realize that I'm trying to help you by pointing out all the time of yours and ours you're wasting when you don't tell us what you actually want us to do. I bet they wonder why no one updates their information, too.
Real head-scratcher, that one.
Oh, and I updated the info. The alert's still there, and I still can't delete it, even though they said I'd be able to once I finished the sooper seekrit part of the process. For heaven's sake.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Choosing a Class
So, I started playing an MMO again, like I mentioned in a recent post. It's something to do while the B is napping and I'm captive in the house. I didn't reactivate my WoW account, though, because everyone I know in there is leagues ahead of me in levels, and I'd be a big drag. Plus, there was a game I wanted to check out.
We got LotR: Shadows of Angmar. Initially, the mister was the one who bought it, but I found it really fun to play during B's naps, so I've really been monopolizing it. Now, that game is really quest-oriented, so if you're going to be flaky (as in, if she wakes up, I have to log out, and RIGHT NOW) then there's only one thing you can do.
And that's be a healer.
People will put up with just about anything if they can play with a healer. There are so few of us, and stuff is so much easier to do when you, you know, don't die. It's like being the kid in school who had the really great heated pool. You're popular because of what you bring to the table.
But what class should you choose, if you choose to play an MMORPG?
Answer this question: What do you like to do?
1. I like to watch numbers instead of the pretty fighting. I can do math in my head, and quickly. I like to do things as efficiently as possible. I like to be liked.
2. I like to stay out of the way, but still have some effect on stuff. I'm sneaky. I like to watch the pretty fighting. I'd get bored watching a bunch of numbers.
3. I like to make people mad at me. I can keep track of three or four things at a time. I like a flurry of activity and then I like to relax. I trust my fellow players to do their jobs.
4. Hulk smash!
Answer key:
1. You are a healer. Embrace it. Roll it. Put on the cloth, baby.
2. You are ranged DPS. Buy yourself a bow, find an out of the way place, and deal out the damage.
3. You are a tank. Get yourself some macros to pull all the enemies to you, increase your threat, and then sit back and let the healers keep you alive while the DPS does the killin'.
4. Wait, I'll use little words. You are up-close DPS. Try not to do too much, or you anger Mr. Tank.
And if you didn't answer 1, then do the healers a favor, and stay where they can bloody see you! If you run behind them, don't yell at them when you die. (For heaven's sake.)
(More updates coming soon, including B updates.)
We got LotR: Shadows of Angmar. Initially, the mister was the one who bought it, but I found it really fun to play during B's naps, so I've really been monopolizing it. Now, that game is really quest-oriented, so if you're going to be flaky (as in, if she wakes up, I have to log out, and RIGHT NOW) then there's only one thing you can do.
And that's be a healer.
People will put up with just about anything if they can play with a healer. There are so few of us, and stuff is so much easier to do when you, you know, don't die. It's like being the kid in school who had the really great heated pool. You're popular because of what you bring to the table.
But what class should you choose, if you choose to play an MMORPG?
Answer this question: What do you like to do?
1. I like to watch numbers instead of the pretty fighting. I can do math in my head, and quickly. I like to do things as efficiently as possible. I like to be liked.
2. I like to stay out of the way, but still have some effect on stuff. I'm sneaky. I like to watch the pretty fighting. I'd get bored watching a bunch of numbers.
3. I like to make people mad at me. I can keep track of three or four things at a time. I like a flurry of activity and then I like to relax. I trust my fellow players to do their jobs.
4. Hulk smash!
Answer key:
1. You are a healer. Embrace it. Roll it. Put on the cloth, baby.
2. You are ranged DPS. Buy yourself a bow, find an out of the way place, and deal out the damage.
3. You are a tank. Get yourself some macros to pull all the enemies to you, increase your threat, and then sit back and let the healers keep you alive while the DPS does the killin'.
4. Wait, I'll use little words. You are up-close DPS. Try not to do too much, or you anger Mr. Tank.
And if you didn't answer 1, then do the healers a favor, and stay where they can bloody see you! If you run behind them, don't yell at them when you die. (For heaven's sake.)
(More updates coming soon, including B updates.)
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Two Very Unrelated Things
I am just lifting my head out of a period of extreme weirdness here, and I have two odd things to share with you.
First, in playing a bit of LOTR: Shadows of Angmar, I encountered an odd situation. I was invited to help with a quest, and I warned everyone there that I might have to leave partway through if my napping baby woke up. It was all right with everyone there, but one of them said, "Dude, isn't that what your wife is for?"
There are a couple of things wrong with that. He assumed I was male because I was playing an MMORPG. He also assumed that it's the woman's job to attend to the baby. I just laughed and ignored it, because who wants to type enough in one of those tiny MMO chat windows enough info to set that guy straight? Plus, what's the right answer? "I am the mom"? That implies that it's always my job to get her when she wakes. Better to just ignore it.
Second, while I was playing, I had Snakes on a Plane on (Netflixed) in the background. Worst movie ever made. Seriously. I was only giving it about 40% of my attention, and it still bored me to tears. Just horrible. Why did we ever waste the queue space on it?
The worst part is that I'd heard from just about everyone how horrible it was, and I still had to see it for myself. Yikes.
First, in playing a bit of LOTR: Shadows of Angmar, I encountered an odd situation. I was invited to help with a quest, and I warned everyone there that I might have to leave partway through if my napping baby woke up. It was all right with everyone there, but one of them said, "Dude, isn't that what your wife is for?"
There are a couple of things wrong with that. He assumed I was male because I was playing an MMORPG. He also assumed that it's the woman's job to attend to the baby. I just laughed and ignored it, because who wants to type enough in one of those tiny MMO chat windows enough info to set that guy straight? Plus, what's the right answer? "I am the mom"? That implies that it's always my job to get her when she wakes. Better to just ignore it.
Second, while I was playing, I had Snakes on a Plane on (Netflixed) in the background. Worst movie ever made. Seriously. I was only giving it about 40% of my attention, and it still bored me to tears. Just horrible. Why did we ever waste the queue space on it?
The worst part is that I'd heard from just about everyone how horrible it was, and I still had to see it for myself. Yikes.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Ow
Today, the B was resisting a quite necessary diaper change (TMI: because of a bit of a rash) and was flailing her arms around. Unfortunately for me, she was holding her hard plastic sippy cup in her hand, and it connected with my nose.
It was only love the deepest parental sort that allowed me to hang on to her (I'd picked her up intending to comfort her because I knew she would be upset about the diaper change) while the birds and stars orbited my head. If I'd been hanging on to anything else that weighed 27 pounds while I was that stunned and in pain, I'd have dropped it.
A little ice and some Advil seem to be doing the trick, though I was afraid at first that it re-broke my nose. Still feels heavy and strange, but I think it's okay. Yow.
It was only love the deepest parental sort that allowed me to hang on to her (I'd picked her up intending to comfort her because I knew she would be upset about the diaper change) while the birds and stars orbited my head. If I'd been hanging on to anything else that weighed 27 pounds while I was that stunned and in pain, I'd have dropped it.
A little ice and some Advil seem to be doing the trick, though I was afraid at first that it re-broke my nose. Still feels heavy and strange, but I think it's okay. Yow.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Spam, How Do You Know Me So Well?
I just got a spam message that was sandwiched between two excerpts from Jane Austen's "Emma". How do you know, internets, about my recent obsession with Jane Austen's books?
That's just creepy.
That's just creepy.
Saturday, June 02, 2007
18 Months
18 months ago today, I was lying in a hospital bed, worried that we'd never figure out how to take care of a baby.Now she's walking, talking (a little English, but mostly Brigidese) and generally causing a ruckus. That last part, if nothing else, proves conclusively that she's our little girl.
It's been a great adventure so far. I can't wait for the rest. Happy year and a half day, B.
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