The 1st of January has passed and along with it the pressures of New Year and all that Jazz. I hate New Years because everyone wants to know what you are going to do with the year and to be honest if you only have one big resolution... what a dull year.

So I usually try to set smaller goals and here is the first batch:

• Start and finish the Couch to 5k program: Couch to 5KM
   
• Start and finish the Low GI Diet program:Low GI Diet Revolution
   
• Finish all the books I need to read of my Honours Course

 

After I have completed this, it will be time to move onto other things. So lets begin:

The first week of the Couch to 5k program looks like this:

Week 1
Workout 1: Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
Workout 2: Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
Workout 3: Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.

To ease me in this seems doable but I may do 4 or double up the week, just to ease in from doing NOTHING to doing something.

As for the diet side of things here is week one of the Low GI diet plan. There is a lot more to it than just what you are eating but I think this shows what can be achieved. And the food seems nice to boot.

Anyway those are my New Years resolutions so far. Will keep this blog up to date on the progress...

I always seem to do this with a blog, just appear to forget about it but this is to assure (myself more than anyone else) that I have not forgotten about my blog, I have just had spotty internet access over the last few weeks. There is also that pesky thing called the holiday season that gets in the way. However, I do plan to be back as soon as I can.

I have a lot planned for the new year cause I have a number of balls to juggle and I really dont want to drop any cause there is no need to.  Hence the new links list. For those of you who unfortunately trip over this blog, websites like the one I listed are how to stay on top of things. Anyway, this is about the time of year when I dp my yearly game plan so stay tuned if you want to see the backstage to my life in all its glory.

I hate being ill, it gets in the way of everything including itself. I have been trying to concentrate on things all day and it is just not working. Everything I tried to do is a flop. I think today was just one of those write off days so I am going to bed now. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. Here is hoping...

Well last week was a complete Journal Fail with only 3 posts but to be justified it was one of the busiest weeks this year. I had a few awesome gaming sessions both of which ended at 3am or there about, one involving their humerous hijacking of my living room by a Math Tutor. She lives in the house opposite to me and could not get in so she sat in my living room for an hour until someone let her into her house.

The New Journal has had an update in the buttons department and I am really proud of it so far, even in it's infancy. I have decided to try a sort of feature on the blog which thus far includes custom Sheet Monday and Free RPG Thursday. I think that is ambitious enough of now and we shall see how it goes.

The exams are doing well I suppose, all things considered. I wrote an English paper today that was suspiciously easy so I don't know whether to be worried or overjoyed. We shall see how the last one goes on Thursday and then the waiting game for results begins...

The house stuff got sorted as well, sort of. I know that the movers are coming at 2pm on 30 November to move my stuff and that the inspection of my house is that Monday 28Nov. What I don't know if whether or not I will have keys or not to move my stuff in. I have to go out tomorrow anyway so we will see how it goes. I'll visit the estate agents tomorrow and have a chat.

As for Nanowrimo, I think I call parlay for this year. I cannot keep up with everything and it so I am not going to try. Will see how I feel after the exams are over but right now it is not looking good for Nano.

On top of all of this, I am sick so yay for a f^&ked immune system finally giving up the ghost. I was hoping it would hold out for a few more days but I guess not. Oh well...

Two days I have been absent and each day it was for the same reason. Both last night and the night before we had awesome gaming sessions but unfortunately they ended at 3am or later so my coherence to write just wasn't. Last night we ended with all of the best intentions in the world but we had a small setback. A girl who had just moved into the house across the road from me did not have keys for her place and could not get it. She also happened to be the tutor of one of the people in my house so we invited her in. I do not think I have ever met someone who talks so fast. Anyway, we shared a hubbly until we heard someone open the door at her place and she went home. The night before was legitimately gaming until 3am.

Anyway, that was my two days of absence.

Past that I write Classical Civilizations 2 tomorrow and I have no idea how I feel about the matter. I have tried to study but I don't have any idea what the questions will be so how do you study? I have no idea...

Another thing that happened in the last two days was a discussion about why our gaming society forms cliques.

A little history: I am in a Gaming Society and have been for the last 3 years now. When I got here, there were about 20-30 members and of that 10-15 were RPGers but they held the sway over the entire society. They were also a close group of friends. This was not a problem until they had to start letting other people into the group. I think the only reason I allowed to join was because I was a girl and one of two...

The problem: Most gamers are naturally anti-social to varying levels depending on their personality. They like to live in their own world or interact with a limited number of people outside of it. I.E. good with other gamers, bad with everyone else. So, in this environment, cliques or closed groups of friends will naturally form. The problem with this is the unique nature of our society. We are a society of transient members. Because this is a University society, our members will be here 1-4 years give or take their dedication and then they are gone. 

In this environment, cliquing is a problem because if we do not allow other members into the group, the society will be done for in a few years, 3 at the most. So, a solution to this problem needs to be found. The reason that this conversation was brought up was that someone mentioned they had pinpointed the cause and here is the example as best I can explain it:

* Anne to Zack are all individual members of a gaming society.
* Anne,Calvin,Emmet,Gary and Izzy are in a gaming group together with Henry as the DM.
* Calvin decided they also want to run a game but invites Anne, Emmett, Gary and Henry because they are suited to the game.
* Izzy is therefore left out and gets hurt, which is fair enough BUT...

The reason is because Izzy never talks to Zack or Brad and does not realize that they could play in their games too. The other problem is that if Izzy probably does not even know that Zack is running another game because they are never in the same group and possibly only meet at large functions if at all. The thing is that we are a society and need to act like one, people need to move around or the society will stagnate and die.

I hope this rant made sense, it did kind of in my head...

So today I decided to make my blogs searchable with just about every platform I could think of. I'm not sure what possessed me but I suppose searchable blogs are not a bad thing, all things considered.  

I also created a new blog http://thefemmedm.wordpress.com. The idea is that I all of the ideas that pop into my head that I put down here in their gloriously rough form I can refine into actual usable documents etc and I'll post them there for the more professional side of things. At least that is the plan.

And now for something completely different. This is the most amazing show I have seen since The Gamers. Also made by Dead Gentlemen Productions, it is a 'series' like gamers but is completely 'in' the world. I think the show, the producers and everything about them is amazing. For the point behind them, watch the entire credit roll.


"Following a group of dysfunctional adventurers on a quest to discover and destroy the mythical Sword of Fighting, JOURNEYQUEST is a comedic adventure through the fantasy world of Fartherall, where intellectual orcs, incompetent wizards, and holy zombies form the living (and not-so-living) backdrop to an epic story of unrequited love, burning passion, and severely reluctant heroism."

( Boring Technorati code )

I have operated the entire day on 3.5 hrs sleep, maybe that is why it was a non-entity of a day.

Went to a NaNo Write-in and did not write, not enough time or inclination. Try again tomorrow. 

Finally gave my briefing in an online game. Now we can get started.

Had a DND game and we lost a character. The player is leaving and that is why but still sad.

Realized I am writing my first exam in 6 days . . .0.0 . . .

Oh well, after a full night will see what tomorrow holds...

Today is the 5th of November but more importantly tonight is The Rap of the Knuckles for the 9 of 7. We are a group of friends that formed under some very odd circumstances but have managed to all stay friends and support one another. Tonight we are meeting again in a friend's house to both bless the house and to honour good friends and a great holiday. In honour of that holiday, here is something for your entertainment:


Also I decided to restart my NaNoWriMo 2010. I was not feeling the plot but now I am half way caught up at just over 5000. As soon as the cramp fades in my hand I will continue so I will probably be caught up by the write up tomorrow afternoon.  Would be nice... by the way salambander I take back everything I ever said about WriteorDie. It is a god cause I wrote 5000 words in 4.5 hrs... go me and my new plot-line!. 

My online games mention previously have gotten off the ground in a big way as well. Everyone seems to be enjoying them even through the fight that broke out during the 4.5 hours I was writing... It is okay though, that is what overpowered NPCs are for. We shall see how the story progresses on both fronts... 

Side Note: Hit 21000 DP in the NetherNet for those who play...

So today managed to trip over the records of my project while digging for classics notes (found some of them too). At the end of last year, I realized, admitted and came to terms with the fact that I am a prop heavy DM. My enthusia did begin to wane as I hit 3rd year and was, for the majority of it, taking 3 subjects. Today, I discovered the list that was to be and so I will share in case I lose it again.

My DM/GM/ST kit was going to be divided into 3 sections: Medieval/DnD/Generic Fantasy; Modern/Near Future; Far Future/Cyberpunk/Star Warsesque. The first one I began working on was the Medieval/DnD/Generic Fantasy. I loved the idea of a portable DM kit (portable being a very loose term here) hence the previous video. I began to think about what I would want in my own kit and came up with the following list:

• Prerequisite Rulebooks needed. (Whether bought, PDF, bootlegged or a combo of the above)
• Item Card (will give a tutorial at some point about what I mean)
• Treasure Cards (will give a tutorial at some point about what I mean)
• Sets of Dice (enough to sink a small country or to provide at least 5 players with at least 1 set each)
• Dice rolling cup
• Dice rolling tray
• DM Screen (would KILL for one of the shiny DND original ones with the combat rules on the back)
• 1 AMAZING www.dark-platypus.com/shop/magna-map-combat-grid/
• A set of personalized Flip Mats (more info on these to follow. As I complete them, I will post them on my Deviant Art page)
• A set of personalized Map Packs (more info on these to follow. As I complete them, I will post them on my Deviant Art page)
• 1 set of white board markers
• A selection of Models so that character representation is fairly easy
• 1 Bag of glass bead tokens for bad guys (if I manage enough models this won't be necessary)
• 1 full set of currency tokens and the bags needed for them
• 1 box of pencils, sharpeners and erasers
• Prerequisite storage for all of the above

I have about 1/3 of all the things I want to have, the maps being the largest outstanding. Anyway, as I go in this kit, I will post updates. On a geekier noter I bathed my dice today (yes you read that right...) It was not for any reason other than they were horrendously dirty. A occupation hazard for loaned out dice unfortunately. I also washed them because I acquired 2 new sets:1 set of DnD dice and 1 of 10 d10s. Thats a total of: 8 DND sets, 3 sets of 10d10, 100 d6 and a few randoms.  

Tonight is also a NaNo write in at Cafe Blanca from 6pm. Before then I have to post the starts to my online games or I will never be forgiven methinks.

Side Note: The best web-comic from OOTS in over a month: http://www.giantitp.com/comics/images/xs6SVg7EntlIB1ufZYg.gif. WARNING: spoiler/ very confusing if you are not up to date.

Today was one of those days made of awesome. There was a storm of note, I got to have awesome lunch and an awesome game session.

Today I went for the usual Wednesday lunch with Tracy and Moni and it was awesome. I had a pie, which was made of win and on top of that it was hatters which is even better. Their food is always great but I am also in love with their coffee and it is exams so coffee is a must.

While we were there, there was the mother of all storms for this year with lightning so close that it cracked outside Video Spot and stuck Imaginet killing 2 switches. While not great for them or the man who lives in my house and has to fix it, still awesome. I liked it anyway, everything felt clean.

I took another look at my classics studying and realized there was a section I could leave out of the exam. Yay no Aeneid for me! Now all I have to do is get ofey with the Vases and I can move onto the Roman Novel.

After that, I had an amazing gaming session where we eventually managed to kill the personification (or at least this world's personification) of Famine, allowing food to start growing again. Now all that are left are Pestilence, War and Death. Woot... Well my character Taska, a bugbear bard/rogue raised by halfling carnies, was her alter ego so I no longer have a geus on me, now I'll do the quest cause it is the right thing to do.  

Also had an amazing email arrive from RPG tips which shows 56 ways to start a campaign and I want to try all of them, They sound really fun and interesting and the beginning and ends of a campaign are always the hardest. Will see if I can work them into DM Boot camp manual, could yield some interesting results.