2012 year in review.

     This year's over, and I'm not making any resolutions. I just want to take time to mourn defeats and reflect upon avoiding repeating them, as well as time to cheer victories and reflect on how to accomplish them again, or improve upon them.

     2012 was a good year in that I did not suffer many personal losses. I've fought a few bouts of depression, and my share of what I call my "Howard Hughes periods" - where I am terrified of leaving my home, out of fear that something could happen.
     I did win battles against diabetes. My average blood sugar - A1C - keeps dropping with every checkup. And my weight has declined. My main fight now is against asthma.

     Professionally, I feel like I've worked my way out of being the low man on the totem pole. I'm not as terrified as I used to be about fucking up. I'd like to further improve upon that, too. I keep looking at my work's number on my caller ID, thinking "Oh, shit." I've formed friendships at work - with people who still live out of town, and I've even strengthened an old friendship with someone I've known for years who works with me now, Courtney. She's my little homegirl.

     In my personal life, in the romantic department, I'm still with Dawn, and the distance still makes us miss each other. We've come to understandings, and even briefly shared another girlfriend - someone that I met from work. Didn't turn out that great, but it was a nice experience while it lasted. I guess you could say we're more of an open relationship, in that we still have non-intimate "playmates" on the side, but we're still bound to each other.
     In the other parts of my personal life, as I've said, I've been hanging - at least via texting - with my pocket-sized homegirl. Being that we both like girls (she exclusively), we talk about hot chicks on the web, TV, and movies and we exchange pics. I like to send her a pic of a big butt (preferably my crush, London Andrews) and say "You're getting mooned!"
     I've re-acquainted myself with a friend of mine from high school, Monnica! We've been talking and she said she's going to send me Thai recipes. I've also started talking again to Adrienne, whom I remember from 9th grade. They both like my writing. Maybe they're biased, I don't know.

     Speaking of writing, I'm still writing that series of "Vampire: The Masquerade" fan-fiction. A lot of people like "The Silent War." Being that it's based on a role-playing game, and has characters inspired by people that I know, there are a lot of inside jokes, but it's still relatable. Jordon loves that a major character is inspired by him - a Brujah biker gang leader.
     I've also started working on that new series I mentioned before, tentatively called "Harmonic Era," which is a fusion of science fiction and fantasy. I want to work on that more, too. I'm just now getting the rhythm of it.

     Gaming-wise, I learned more about the rules of "Vampire," as far as combat and XP. I have decided that I'm going to run my game, even if I just have a couple of players. It's just so hard to keep a big group together anymore; and this campaign I want to run is going to be a big, ongoing saga that will end up being EPIC, and needs consistency in players.
     Speaking of a fusion of science fiction and fantasy, I sometimes entertain the idea of writing a Rifts campaign. It's an idea that's a bit of a way off, but not a bad idea, nonetheless.
     The new Hitman game came out this year! And I got through the story line on both normal and hard. I think it might be time to up the ante soon, because there are three more difficulty levels left.
     I've enjoyed the new WoW expansion, "Mists of Pandaria." I've run out of time on my account, but I plan to add more time soon. My rogue is 89, and halfway to 90.

     I finally got through watching all the episodes of every Star Trek series (except the animated one)! All thanks to Netflix. For anyone who doesn't subscribe yet, whenever you do, mark down on your calendar when they take out your payment each month. I've made the mistake of not doing that, and it's tripped up my finances. Anyway, I've caught up on Trek, and I'm getting caught up on Sliders, Doctor Who (I'm going to miss the 9th incarnation - he's cute!), Sons of Anarchy, and Quantum Leap. Courtney's gotten me into a new series, Lost Girl.

     I haven't been introduced to new artists, but I have heard new music by artists I already like. Soundgarden's released "King Animal," and I found out what Gothica's Alessandra Santovito has been up to for the past few years - a dark ambient group called Hexperos. I have the new Tanzwut release, "WeiBe Nächte." It's pretty good. I'm going to start writing reviews when I get new music in.

     And in academic news, I passed my Communication Law class. I have one more class left before I get my associate's in journalism - Design 155. I start it next week.

     Well, I have to get ready for work. I'll blog later.

Fall on the horizon.

     I just have to get my book and I'll be ready for this Communication Law class that starts on Tuesday. I might have some memory of last time I took it. I was functioning on just a few hours of sleep and struggling with my health. I'm getting more sleep now, and my health is a lot better. I've lost some of the weight and my sugars have dropped markedly. I'm looking forward to seeing what my A1C will when I take it next month. The chronic bronchitis has let up, but I think my lungs are scarred, because I still have a wheeze, and I hate hearing it. At least I have one more class and no interviews to go to. Not that I didn't like doing the journalism part, I just can't juggle as much as I thought I could.
     I'm kind of looking forward to hanging out a little bit in the cafe and going to some VU Pride meetings. I don't know who I'll run into, friendly, indifferent, or otherwise. I only know one person who will be coming back. I'm at a loss to think of others.
     I've been practicing writing by writing a novelette that I finally finished. I've started writing a series based on Vampire: The Masquerade. The basic game setting serves as the backdrop, but I created the characters, themselves. Some of it has personal elements, and half of the main characters are inspired by people i know. A few people who have read "The Silent War" loved it. I've already started the second one. It will be a Lovecraftian combination of a film-noir detective story and XFiles.
     I recently talked to someone local, and she said she thought my music reviews were fantastic.
     This fall, I'm looking forward to the next WoW expansion coming out, Mists of Pandaria, and Hitman: Absolution. For pre-ordering H:A, I got the Sniper Challenge, and I've unlocked all that's available for when the game comes out.
     Lately, I've been playing LA Noire all the way through. I like it, and I have the downloadable cases. I'm impressed with the fact that the people in the game do more than just voicework, but also have their face captured in great detail.
     I've also been meaning to get back into Dragon Age. I have the DLC so I can play as a darkspawn. It's somewhat difficult, however. In the main campaign, where I have an elf, I should get more XP before I try to do more of the main story.
     I just watched a good movie tonight. It's "God Bless America," directed by Bobcat Goldthwait. It's about a guy who's frustrated with American pop-culture society. Pete, from "Dharma And Greg," is in it, so is this adorable cutie-pie, Tara Lynne Barr. I'd put it in that category of movies like "Falling Down" or "Idiotcracy." They're movies that ask "What the fuck is wrong with you people?" I think I would also count "Phone Booth" and "Network" among them, too.
     I've slept since I started this blog. I got the book I need, and I'm going to rearrange my money and pay my bills this week. Then my rent next payday. It'll be tight, but I'll be fine. So, I'm hanging out at the cafe, drinking a pumpkin spice cappuccino. It's pretty good.
     While sorting my finances and drinking, I'm also trading naughty pics with a friend of mine in Indianapolis. I just introduced her to Sapphire, an actress with 38Ls. Yes, you read that right.
     I feel like playing WoW when I get home, since I have my thongs taken care of. I sort of took a break from it these past couple of weeks. I just got sidetracked by other things.
     In other news, Dawn and I are still together, sans Stacy. She stayed with the guy who wasn't nice to her. I'm not sure if I mentioned that before or not.
     My doll is now a few states away, and Bekah is in Ohio. Dawn's still up north. Terri and Festus are still in Indianapolis. And I've developed a minor phobia of traveling. I fear that something could happen to my home while I'm gone, or that my car could break down, and I don't make it back home in time to handle my obligations. I think that going on a work-trip to Terre Haute for Special Olympics was a good step for me. But then again, I wasn't driving, nor was it in my own vehicle. And I was still anxious to get back.
     Well, I'm going to head home and eat.
     I'm at home, and I'm warming up my gaming by playing LA Noire. I'll play WoW when it gets darker - my screen would be easier to see in my easy chair.
     Despite my insurance company finking out on paying for an MRI, I feel like today was good and productive. I got bills paid and even leveled my death knight to 71. But while on my way into work, my phobia proved realistic. I hate cars, and don't trust them. I often wish life in America wasn't so centered around owning a vehicle. Everything is so spread out in the typical American town. The settlement of this land centered around expansion, and the car fit that need, which is why it was invented here after a while. But in turn, cities grew around the existence of the car. Cities in places like Japan and Europe have a smaller reliance on cars because most of them were already established before the car was even thought of. Sometimes philosophical talk helps me think. But anyway, I hate cars.

Sick again.

     Another episode of something came up in my system. I've been fighting it back with juices and pills, and a concoction of NyQuil, tequila, and diet Mt. Dew - Code Red. I have this shit on the ropes so far, and for a good jab, I just went out to get another bottle of orange juice and for a hook, a bottle of cherry juice. Also, I'm going to take some Airborne before I go to work, just for that Hail Mary uppercut. Right now, I'm still alternating between being too hot and too cold. I hate that. I'm walking around in a hoodie because I'm cold, yet I'm sweating.

     While I still have some energy, I'm doing laundry and sorting my bookroom. Funny thing is that most of my books are in PDF format. I still have physical books, anyway, and I need a place to store them. Also, it'd be good to have a quiet place to study, read, and make gaming notes.

     Speaking of gaming notes, I have figured out where I'm going to place Ravnica - I'll make it on its own continent - and Rokugan. Also, I know where I'm going to put an area for the vanara and nezumi. I've even thought about using other settings from Magic: The Gathering, like Kjeldor, Shiv, and Tolaria.

     I think I'm going to run through a few dungeons on WoW and then go to sleep for a few hours.