Good things today

I made it to the gym for the first time in months. Stretching (I’ve lost flexibility) and cardio only, but still, woo! Heart rate made it up to 179. 400 calories. Half an hour. I wonder if I’m overdoing it? I need my iPod back in action.

WAA earned her title again today. I went in to talk with her about my academic performance, and she affirmed and agreed with everything I had to say. It was refreshing. She agreed that my final paper blew, that my weekly papers were somewhat slapdash (She also said she was just glad I got it in). But she said that in every other aspect of the course, most pointedly, discussion, I was the top of the game. She kept reiterating that I’m a very smart person, very likeable, and eloquent when speaking. She said I needed to get out of school and go to the GAO. That working on teams would help, and people would compensate for my writing skills if I brought my other skills to the table, and that my skills would improve with practice. “You made it through CMU, you’ll make it through here.” I was feeling pretty bad about the class as a whole, but she reminded me that it was a discussion class, so screwing up the writing is not so bad. Plus, this whole academic situation of solo writing is not the way the real world works.

I’m going to miss her, and I barely know her. =)

Not dead, just disconnected

I’ve not been reading or writing in my lj. That’s unusual for me. Even when I’m not writing, I’m typically reading. Not sure what’s up with that. I got rid of the beard, and trimmed the hair back down so that I look like a boot camp recruit. I’m getting my YWCA membership this evening and working out for the first time in a very long time.

The holidays are usually a time of disconnection for me. Nearly everyone else has other plans for the holidays, but I don’t. It leaves me introspective. As did visiting the extended family. Thoughts and examinations on where I am and where I want to be.

I opened salary negotiations with the GAO today. The person I spoke with said they were inflexible on vacation time (not a surprise) but they might give me money. You know, that’s like 4th on the list of things I’d like to negotiate. 1st being the team(s) I’d be working on, 2nd being location, 3rd being time off.

I have to prepare a little “why you should offer me more money” email. Why am I so filled with ambivalence?

In other, more time wasting news, I bought a hat that makes me feel like I ought to go out and hunt something, but it keeps my ears warm, my final fantasy character has made tremendous progress, I’m really liking the old firefly episodes and I think my tichu game is improving. I made a grand tichu (basically a “they’re 135 from victory and we’re like 600 points below them, I don’t care what my cards are” grand tichu) and my partner went out second today. Sadly, we still lost, but that took it from “humiliating defeat” to “respectable match”.

Grades last semester: two I’s, two B’s.

mmorpg populations

A recent post by got me thinking about the population of various virtual worlds. Specifically, the number of players dabbling in them. It’s 5 million for WoW according to blizzard. The estimates I could find for FFXI ranged from one at least a year old of 200,000, and an undated one saying 500,000-600,000. I did find a more recent number that says more than 1.x million _characters_, but that’s hardly a useful statistic. And a page looking at that very question for several games, not including WoW, along with commentary.

On homophobic family

So, I’ve heard that a certain relative of mine is a loudly anti-gay type person. In my upcoming travels, I will likely be in said relative’s city of residence, probably for an overnight. It’s $125 cheaper to take flight in a day earlier, I figured I could find a hotel for that amount. Mom encouraged me to stay with her. I said, quite staunchly and matter of factly, “No, _________ is about the last relative I’d want to stay with, because I’ve heard she’s virulently Catholic and anti-gay.” Mom was completely silent on the other end for 30 seconds. (It only occurred to me afterwards that mom is Catholic and might take offense.) I restarted conversation with “surely a room in a flop shack can be found for less than $125/night.”

So, aside from my complete lack of diplomacy, I kind of wonder if that’s the right tact to take. No, I don’t want to be preached at. And I have no real desire to be hosted by someone who’d be uncomfortable taking me in. Fuck “Don’t ask, don’t tell.” But at the same time, aversion will change nothing. If I refuse to talk to the homophobes in my own family, what makes me think I can do a damn thing to make a difference to a complete stranger?

Then there’s the issue of third hand condemnation. Hmmmm. All sorts of moral quagmires on this one.