Welcome to Lord of the Rings MMORPG, now I am addicted

Addictions can get you anytime, anywhere. I have never thought of myself as having an addictive personality. I don’t drink, do drugs, hoard stuff or anything I would consider a type of addiction. Even my gambling is “safe”. I play bingo once every few years, I play the lottery weekly and used to spend $10 every couple of months to play online poker. I am addicted to coffee, but have cut it back to one to three cups in a day. So I would never think I could become addicted to anything.

Seems I am addicted to my computer and computer games. I was playing Dragons of Atlantis on Facebook for a bit. Found myself playing for hours on end. I never noticed the time go by. My kids and husband got quite cranky after a couple of weeks. I liked the game but had to stop playing. It is never ending, with new things to do all the time.

My husband made the mistake of introducing me to a MMORPG Lord of the Rings. It is free to play now, and a lot of fun. It blew Dragons of Atlantis away for me. It does not have the strategy aspect I loved on Dragons of Atlantis but the graphics are much better. You can walk around, talk to people, fight things, create things and even find things. There are quests and tasks to do. You can work with people, or alone. Though, at times you are required to form fellowships to finish some quests. I love it.

I am playing a lady hunter who makes jewellery and food. Seems my personality showed up in my game character. I have fun doing tasks and quests but am not very good at fighting with others. I am a little focused on just getting through that I forget about the people playing with me. Not so good, but am working on it. I think it will just take some practice.

My husband tended to take over my character when I did fellowships and skirmish’s. So now that I am actually trying to do them I suck! I just don’t have the skill yet. I will learn it but I have to do group fights at a low level until I get my skill up. I like doing the quests and tasks more than working as a group, but for some things you need to work with a group so I am learning.

I have had to limit myself to how much time I can spend on the game. I thought Dragons of Atlantis had sucked me in. Lord of the Rings is much more addictive. There is just so much to do. Lord of the Rings is so flexible and complex that it works on many levels. Each person is experiencing a different game but playing the same quests and tasks.

You can create unique and individual characters, change their looks and what they do until you are happy. You can create several different characters to play on one account. That way you can be anything and everything in the game. You can even have a home to relax in. There is a hobby, fishing. And you stand there and fish. I think this game is a way to have fun and leave the stress of the day behind, as long as you don’t end up creating problems because you are spending too much time online playing.

My family has made some smart choices about this game. We have limited ourselves to one account with different characters for each of us. This way we have to share the account and the time we spend on it. It would be a bad thing if we each had our own account. It would be too easy to find ourselves playing on different computers for hours. Instead we are limiting our time, but not our fun.

We are working together as a family. We make sure we spend time together off line, and help each other in the game. It is taking a lot of work to make sure we have that balance. Lord of the Rings is just that much fun. I am glad we are playing it the way we are. I am not sure if my husband and son will still be playing once the new Star Wars one comes out, but until then we are having fun together.

Because it is free I am happy to recommend Lord of the Rings to other people. If you do decide to try it out it would be appreciated if you would put Fenwolf1978 as the person who referred the game to you. If you do they will give us some Turbine points that we can use to buy or open up new quests and areas of the map, horses, houses, clothing and more. If you do, thank you in advance. If not, enjoy the game anyway. Look us up, Fenwolf, Mohasaba and Nicdragon. We will be happy to help out with any quests and tasks. You could fight with Fenwolf or Nicdragon. Or you could help me, Mohasaba, be a better team player. Just don’t blame us when you realise you have become addicted to the game.

Working from home - The good, bad and ugly

For several years now I have worked from my home. I ran my own business for years and now I work for a company doing copy writing for their websites. I love my work but there are some real pros and cons when working from home.

Working from home can be a great experience but it takes the right person to be able to do it. The demands of life always seem to interfere. There is always something more important to do then sit down and work. You have to be strong willed and motivated to make yourself sit down and go to work, even with all the distractions going on around you. There are phone calls, people dropping in and house hold chores crying out to be done.

At times, ok most times, a job is work and is boring. Not too many people enjoy working and do it because they have to. Watching TV, reading a book, talking with friends and playing video games are much more fun than working, even when you like what you do. It can be too tempting or easy to not work when you work from home. For some people working outside of their home is the best option otherwise nothing would get done.

When working from home there are good, bad and ugly things to be said about it.

The Good

• I don’t have to travel to and from work.
• I can work around my schedule.
• I can wear what I want.
• If my kids get sick I am already home, I can be with them and then work when they don’t need me.
• I get a good paycheque and I love what I do.
• I can still work even when I am sick.
• I can avoid most office politics. I can also avoid being distracted from work by co-workers, there is no chatting around the water cooler.
• My work space is mine, I don’t have to share and no one cares what it looks like or what I have on my wall.

The Bad

• It is very difficult finding a job that you work from home.
• There is no real socializing with co-workers. You tend to work by yourself. At times it does not feel as if you are part of a group. It is not good for people who love to socialize in the office.
• I have to have a work space. Even if I live in a small place I have to have an area that is just for work.
• I supply my own hardware, desk, chair, computer and everything else I need for my job.
• I am responsible for my computer software, internet and protecting my computer. If something goes wrong with my computer I have to pay to have it fixed or buy a new one.
• I pay for internet, electricity and everything else.
• It can be hard to get started some days. There is always other stuff to do. Some days the couch and TV call my name and I don’t get work done.
• If my kids are home I get nothing done.

• I cannot get away from work. There is no leaving it at the office.
• Problems with communication with boss. It can be harder to get hold of my boss then if I worked in the same office. Sometimes it can be difficult to get clear and precise instructions. It would be easier if I was in the office and could see what my boss wanted.
• I forget to stop working. There is no “end” to my work day. I can work 24/7 if I wanted. That means I sometimes forget to stop and eat lunch. Once I lost track of time and was late picking up my kids from school.
• It is not easy, I have real work to do and no one to help me or do my job if I am sick. It is not a cushy job sitting around my house doing nothing. If I don’t work I don’t get paid.

The Ugly

• I am treated different when working at home then I would be in an office.
• People just don’t respect my job.
• Working from home is viewed as not actually having a job.
• It is too easy for people to forget you are working.

o There just seems to be a lack of respect for my job and my work hours. People are always saying they would love to be able to work from home, but when I say that I do suddenly my job is not as important as theirs. It somehow becomes devalued by the fact that I don’t have to dress up and go into an office every day.

o Many people think that because I work from home it is not a real job and I can stop and do other things whenever they want me to. I get phone calls during my work hours when people just want to chat and then they think I am being rude when I say that I have to get back to work. They would never call me at “work” if I worked in an office. But because I am at home that means I am not working and I should be available to them.

o I was taking to child care subsidy. Because I work from home they were telling me they don’t usually give child care subsidies to people who work from home. After all they can watch their kids because they are home. The fact that they cannot get any work done and they lose their jobs is their problem. It would be a different story if I had to leave my home to work. After arguing with them and pointing out that I have a job, with a paycheque, and scheduled hours they had to agree that I have a job and require child care. It was only because I told them that I do have to drop into the office every once in awhile that they agreed that it was a “job”. There is an office to work in but I don’t always work there so I have a real job. The fact that I don’t have a desk there and only go there for face to face meetings with my boss was not as important as the fact that I had to go into the office at some point.

o Even my husband has said to me, you are going to be at home today so you can get all this stuff done. Then he looks surprised when I say “no, I am working”. He used to think that I should be able to stop and do things with him and would actually get upset that I was blowing him off to “work”. That changed when he had a work from home job for a bit. He suddenly understood that being home does not mean I am not working. I think it would have become a big problem if he had not experienced working from home for himself.

Working from home can be very rewarding, but it is not easy to do. I think that I am very lucky to be able to work from home. But that does not make it any easier to actually work from home. I have to make myself go to work every day. It is easier to do so when you are expected to show up someplace and do a job. I don’t have my boss breathing down my neck checking up on me but I still have to get the work done. I am 100% responsible for what I do and do not do.

Another great Jedi Kids Video

The Jedi Kids Video for the Star Wars the Old Republic MMO

The Jedi Kids was created to allow Young Jedi and their parents a place to talk and play. To ensure a safe environment for Kids to enjoy the Star Wars Universe and meet other kids to work together on all the team based content of the game. Any one allied with the Republic and 17 and under can join.

http://www.thejedikids.guildlaunch.com/index.php?gid=209570

Jedi Kids guild for kids

My son has fallen in love with Star Wars, the movies, T.V. shows and video games. My husband is going to be trying out the Star Wars the Old Republic MMO when it comes out. My son cannot wait until the game comes out. He is going to play with his dad and then once he has learned how to play he is going to get his own account and character. My husband is going to sit with him and help him play, until he is much older and can play by himself (with supervision.)

To make it safer my husband and another of the dads have started the Jedi Kids guild. This will give kids a safe place to play, with people they know. This will eliminate the worries of the MMO bullies intimidation tactics, abuse and swearing. The Jedi Kids can enjoy the game as they learn to play and hopefully make friends. Most of the game is single player with specific points where group play is involved, unless you are on the group server. I want the people he plays with to be his friends or at least friendly.

I am glad that they are doing this. I don’t want my son’s love of Star Wars games destroyed by other people who think it is fun to pick on new players. Some people think my son is too young to play. I think it will be fine as long as it is with my husband or me. It is not like we would let him play by himself. All his game play and computer time are supervised.

My son is so happy about this whole thing. He gets to play a Star Wars game, gets Daddy time and is looking forward meeting kids from all over the world. He hopes lots of kids join The Jedi Kids Guild.

Top six Easter gifts for girls 5 to 7 years old in 2011

Easter will be here very shortly. This year my daughter has helped me create a list of what she thinks would be the best gifts for the Easter bunny to give her. Of course there will be the usual chocolate and other goodies hidden for the kids to find but I do like to give each of them one bigger gift, or a couple of smaller toys for them to find.



Lalaloopsy dolls
She has been asking for a Lalaloopsy doll since before Christmas. I am not so sure what the appeal is but she thinks they are great. Yes they are bright and different looking, very creative. She seems to like Jewel Sparkles with the Pet Pink Cat the most. I have found Lalaloopsy dolls costing $29.99 (toysrus.ca) up to $70.00 depending where you look. The Lalaloopsy mini dolls are $6.99 (Toysrus.ca). I can see a mini finding its way into her Easter basket. It is cute and not too expensive.



Monster High dolls
Yet another toy she has wanted since before Christmas. Most of her school friends have at least one of the Monster High dolls and brings them to school all the time. I think my daughter feels left out because they have them and she does not. She has never seen the show so her only contact with the dolls has been commercials and her friends. She wants the Clawdeen Wolf one. I would have thought Cleo de Nile because she is like a princess or Draculaura because she has a lot of pink. No, she really likes Clawdeen Wolf. I have found Clawdeen Wolf from $16.99 to $19.99 online.



Furreal friends
Furreal friends she has been collecting for at least a year. She has dogs, cats and a racing bunny with track. It comes as no surprise she would like more. She has been asking about the furreal friends Kitty Cat ever since she saw it in a store. It is around $50. She also loves the furreal friends snuggimals dress ‘n snuggle, they even have a bunny one that is around $17. I can usually find small furreal friends between $7 and $13 at Walmart.





Zhu Zhu pets
These were big around Christmas. She has a couple from Christmas but she would like a puppy just like her friends at school has. They are very popular right now with all the girls in her class. I found them for about $11. What she has been getting is the baby Zhu Zhu pets. They don’t require batteries, they just have a little ball on the bottom that the role on. They come with accessories, are small and usually under $7. There are many Zhu Zhu pet accessories she would love as well.



Build a bear
Build a bear is always a hit with my kids and they have bunnies. A couple of build a bears stood out to me, the lamb and a bunny. I think that they are cute. However, the real charm of build a bear is that the kids get to build the bear and bring it to life. It is not the same to be given a build a bear as it is to make your own. I would put a build a bear gift certificate in her basket before I would give her an actual “made” build a bear. The clothing on the other hand has unlimited possibilities. She already has a build a bear, so clothing for that build a bear is a great option. The clothing can start off as little as $4 but is usually in the $10 to $20 range. It would be easy to pick up a couple of small pieces or an entire outfit for Easter.




Lego
My daughter would play with my son’s Lego but never seemed to get into like he does. Then for her birthday she was given a “girls” Lego set. The Lego was pink, white and other light colours. The figure was a girl and she could make pets, there were stickers for eyes, flowers and other cool things. Suddenly she was playing Lego all the time, building things and talking about getting more “girl” Lego. I think part of the fun was that I was right there with her, playing and building. There is some wonderful “girl” Lego out there, any and all of it she would like. She would love the pink Lego box with 219 pieces for $21.99 or the large pink Lego box for $39.99, that one even has a horse. I really like the Lego Ville Pet Shop I found for $29.99. It has a girl figure and several pets and it is a little shop. Very cool. I do know she also likes the Mystery Lego Minifigure bags. They are only $2.99 each and it is fun to see what you get. Both my kids are starting to collect them. However they do have an agreement that any girl figures my daughter gets.

Finding the perfect birthday gift for your boyfriend or girlfriend

I have written a couple of blogs on great birthday gift ideas for your boyfriend and girlfriend. I have had some positive and negative feedback. From the feedback I have the impression that some people just don’t get it. Finding the perfect or greatest birthday gift is not easy; it involves work but more importantly an investment of time and energy learning about your boyfriend or girlfriend. I get asked all the time; what should I give my boyfriend/girlfriend for their birthday. I will keep creating gift idea lists because it’s fun and new things come out every day. People need to understand that lists are just ideas, suggestions and a way to get them to think out of the box and come up with their own gift ideas.



It comes down to communication. Talk to each other about your likes, loves, hates, dreams and anything else that comes up. The more you know about each other the easier it is to give things to each other. Lists of gift ideas don’t mean a thing if you don’t know the person you are giving the gift to. That is why I always say in the beginning of a relationship keep the gifts simple and somewhat generic but still try to take the time to learn what your boyfriend or girlfriend would like. After that finding the right gift should be easy, finding the right gift within your budget can be the hard part.

If you know the person you are buying for it should not be that hard to get an idea of what that person would like. With my husband it is easy to figure out what to give him even after 10 years. We talk to each other, and I don’t try to give him what I think he would like, but what he actually wants. I know what movies he likes, the books he wants and all his weaknesses and I take advantage of that knowledge. The problem is keeping him from buying it before I can give it to him. He usually finds out his gift early because I am trying to stop him from buying something or I keep telling him to wait a few weeks. He figures it out quickly. However there have been more times when I had to return something and come up with a new gift idea because he bought what I was going to give him.



This year I got him something unexpected that he loves. Speakers for his computer that light up and change with the music. He loves listening to music when he works or relaxes. The speakers were better quality than his old ones and he loved the look of them. He put them on his computer right away. I had to think out of the box on this one. Normally I don’t mess with his computer he builds them for fun and always knows what he wants. So I knew he would never expect me to buy him computer speakers. It was great seeing the look on his face when he opened the box.

My husband on the other hand has a hard time figuring out gifts for me, even when I tell him what I want. For years he would give me what he thought I should want not what I told him I wanted. What I wanted never seemed romantic enough to him. So I ended up with romantic gifts that were things he wanted me to have, not things I wanted. It took a long time for him to finally figure out that I was much happier with the so called unromantic gifts. To me they were much more romantic because he took the time to really hear me and understand me, and gave me what I wanted.



This year one of my gifts (from my kids but really my husband) was a bunch of fun socks. I love being gifted unusual, funny and strange socks, anything but plain black or white boring socks. It is a simple gift, but I know my husband and kids have a great time trying to find ones I will like. I like wearing them and remembering when I got them, or having my kids excited because I am wearing the socks they picked out. It may not be a big gift, or a romantic gift but I think they are great.

I like to cook so for the last couple of years my husband has been giving me “cooking stuff” that I will not buy myself. A really nice restaurant quality wok, better quality pots, pans, cookie sheets, cheesecake pans and even a perogie maker. Whatever new cooking fad I am in he gives me what I need to do it.



My husband knows how much I love my coffee so one year I was given an individual cup coffee makes, a coffee grinder that does one cups worth at a time, and a wonderful bag of coffee beans. He likes to surprise me with different types and flavours of coffee beans to try. The man simply knows me, and knows what I like and has learned to give me that.

The point is to learn about your loved one and understand what is important to them and run with it. Who cares if it makes sense to anyone else, or does not seem romantic? All that matters is that it makes your boyfriend or girlfriend happy.



However, there are some people that are impossible to buy for and gift idea lists can be a great help with them, because at least you tried and did not just go out and buy any old thing. I have people in my family like that. It does not matter what you give them it is never the right thing, not expensive enough or not what they really wanted (not that they told anyone what they wanted). With people like that you just try and find what makes you happy to give them because when it comes right down to it they are never going to be happy with what you give them so you might as well be.

Build a Bear Birthday Party was a Success!

The Build A Bear Birthday Party was a lot of fun. We had 16 out the 19 kids show up. We decided to drop the limit to $20 from $25. It made a difference on how much it cost and it did not reduce the number of bears the kids could pick from by much. Most of the kids picked the Heart Bear (six of them). We had bunnies, Koala bear, one dog, a cat and a mix of other bears. Not all the kids picked $20 bears. Some picked $12 bears and love them just as much as the other kids love their $20 bears. It's not the price that counts when it comes to Build A Bears.

The staff was amazing. They really like what they do, you can tell. They made the party for the kids. I was impressed by them and so were the other parents. Many people stopped and watched the party, kids wanted to join in. People were quit surprised when they found out the party did not cost extra, we just paid for the bears the kids picked. I think a bunch of kids are going to be having Build A Bear parties now. From what some of the parents told me they loved the party and think that there kids loved it as well.

I know the kids loved it. They hugged their bears and had great big smiles. As soon as the party was done there was a rush to the clothing and accessories. Many of the parents had been wandering through the store looking at the outfits as the party went on. Some had outfits picked out before the kids were done. It was funny watching the parents trying to negotiate for the outfits they wanted. For the most part the parents relented and let the kids "help" pick out the outfits, and others the parents got to "help" the kids. In some cases the kids got to pick exactly what they wanted.

Many parents were surprised when we gave them $5 coupons for Build A Bear. We knew that as soon as the kids had bears they would want clothing. We had warned the parents but I don't think they expected to find all the cool stuff. Some of the parents came back after the party to buy their own bears and outfits.

I think Build A Bear can become addictive and it is easy to go from one bear to a collection with lots of outfits and more. I think it is more important for my kids to keep their bears special by not buying a lot of them. We have decided the only way our kids are getting more bears are as gifts from Grandma or if they are invited to Build A Bear parties. Three are enough. Now they can get different outfit instead. They are okay with that. Though my daughter keeps seeing new ones she would like to get. Mind you she sees a lot of things she wants to get everyday. What kid doesn't?

If I could go back would I do the party over again, yes. Would I change anything, no. Will I have another one, yes if my son wants one but the rule is one Build A Bear Birthday party each. The funny thing is it's the adults that want to have an adult only Build A Bear party. Why because when the kids are with us we always buy for them. If we had an adult party the adults can do something special for themselves, and have fun. I guess my husband is right, everyone needs a bear to hug once in a while.

The Build a Bear Birthday Party that took a life of its own

My daughter asked if she could have a Build a Bear Birthday party. She is turning 6 so sure that sounded like a great thing to do. We knew we needed 6 kids, but in a pinch my husband or I could get a bear. We invited one of her friends, and her sister, and one of my son’s friends. My daughter asked if she could bring a friend from her class. Sure, but our rule is that if you invite one kid from a group you have to invite everyone. No kid should feel left out.



It did not seem like a big deal inviting her kindergarten class to her birthday party, last year we invited her class and only had 4 kids from it. We figured we would have maybe ten kids in total. Last count 19 kids. That is 19 kids each getting a bear from Build a Bear! The limit is $25 per kid that is almost $600. Even if we dropped the limit to $15 it’s still just under $400. OMG! That is much more than the $150 we usually budget.



The strange thing is that we are still letting the kids have a limit of $25. They get one bear. The parents can buy outfits. On top of that we are making cupcakes. Each child is getting a bear, a cupcake, a drink box and a gift bag with toys (we spent about $60 on that already).



Can we afford this, not really! I just started working a part time job and my husband is looking for work. What we have done is saved every penny we have for months so we can do this. Why, because we love our daughter and we committed to the party months ago. We did not expect the number of kids, but we will deal with it. What gets me are the parents of kids we don’t even know asking if their kids can come to the party. Nope, sorry the party is limited to her class and one friend outside of school. That is it. We also had parents complaining about us not buying outfits and lunch for all the kids. They were quickly told that if they don’t like it they don’t have to bring their kids. This party is for the kids, not the parents and the kids are more than happy to be able to pick out and make their own bear.



At this point we have 19 very excited kids counting down the “sleeps” until her party this Saturday. Some kids have been looking online and have already picked out their bear. Others have just been talking about it at school. It has become a major event for all the kids. They are all so happy and excited that it makes us feel good about the party, even if we wished it was not going to cost so much. On top of that we have had several parents take us aside and thank us for doing this. They could not afford to do this for their kids, and they really appreciate that we are willing to do this and include their children. Things are hard for a lot of people, and to be blunt we live in an area full of poor people just like us. It’s only money after all. Making 19 kids happy, giving them positive memories and maybe a much needed bear friend is worth it. After all you’re only a kid once.


Build a Bear Birthday Party was a Success please read all about the party.

Dec. 21 2012 a self fulfilling prophecy

It is still February 2011 and already Dec. 21 2012 is being felt. 2012 has begun to dominate casual conversations. People are already thinking about having to plan, organize and get things ready for the upcoming event. For the last 20 years or more scientists have been warning us of the consequences of industrialization, pollution and overpopulation. No one really paid attention, so why now. What makes the unknown 2012 disaster real, and not the scientific facts we have had for years. Why are people treating hypothetical 2012 disaster as a fact?


I think because there is a date. The same date comes up in many different cultures and histories as an important date. I think that if the early scientists trying to get people to change had provided a dooms day date, even Dec 21 2012, people would have listened more. But I don’t think they would have changed what they were doing until the deadline started looming. It’s not like the knowledge of Dec. 12 2012 has not been around for a long, long time. Only as the “deadline” comes closer are people reacting.



Is it possible that a natural disaster will occur on Dec. 12 2012, yes! But nature for the most part is unpredictable so a natural disaster can happen on any date, or not happen. People on the other hand are a strange mix of predictability and unpredictability. I think 2012 is going to become a self fulfilling prophecy, not a natural disaster. It is more likely that people will be the cause of any disaster, not nature. Fear can be a powerful force. The date is almost two years away and people are already changing. People are already building survival shelters, stocking up on food and other necessities. Others are planning to move to other countries they feel are more likely to survive a world disaster.

As the date comes closer things will become even more stressful, fearful and dangerous as people start to panic. Terrorist’s activity will increase; both the local and foreign terrorists. It does not matter their message, just the feeling that they have a very tight deadline to express themselves and terrorise people. What better time to strike, when people are already afraid and feeling out of control. Besides, if they are going to die anyway on Dec. 21, 2012 they might as well die for their cause, whatever it may be.



People are already talking about what they are going to do when the riots start, as if it is a foregone conclusion that there will be rioting the closer it comes to Dec. 21, 2012. Many people have already started to act as if there will be no consequences for their actions, or lack of actions. Why does anything matter if we are all going to die on Dec. 21, 2012? So why should they go to school, get jobs, practice safe sex, eat right, and generally take care of themselves? Other people are trying to get jobs so they have the money to be ready for anything on Dec. 21, 2012. They want to survive and are trying to figure out what they need to do.



Personally I just want to be away from any major city (including the one I live in) to try and avoid all the panicky people and the things they do in fear and the need to feel in control. I know what people can do in situations like this. I have seen the riots on TV, I know my history and tales of cities burned to the ground as people panic. In the end the disasters’ will have been created by people’s fears, or by people taking advantage of others fears. Like any self fulfilling prophecy we did it to ourselves.