The Tides Turn Once Again

The tides turn once again. Another chapter has come and gone, and as the story goes, new history is written.

Three weeks left and the kids are out of school for the summer. For one, it's his last year before the dreaded teens. For the other, her last year of single-digit age. For us, it's a time to look back and embrace the memories and look forward to their futures.

We've decided to stay in our humble home for some time longer. There are many factors, most of which have to do with money, the kids and our current lifestyle. We're living comfortably and we'd like to keep it that way. Our little house on the prairie will have to wait a bit longer. Instead, we'll focus on smaller upgrades to our home to keep it happy.

In geek news.. guild hopping isn't seen as a positive thing for any EQ player, but the state of the server is at an all time low, and judging from the horizon of new games, it's not going to get much better, if not worse. We joined an excellent group of people, because at the time, they were right where we were.. Elementals, on a rampage to Time. Well, as all guilds short of the hardcore face, an exodus occurred. I fear some things stirred up a bit before our applications that had a large domino effect. Within a few weeks, many long-timers left the guild or game in general. We had to make the hard choice of looking, once again, for a guild with the numbers and appetite for progression. We're in trial mode now, 28 days to go. We'll see if we have the stuff of uberness. If not? Well.. that remains to be seen. Planes of Power is old, now, in EQ terms. It may be time to put aside Time (once again, skipping past content...) to see Gates of Discord. With the Tipt trial done, we're well on our way to finally seeing what the CURRENT expansion has to offer, and we want to be ready for Omens of War as well, come July. I'm tired of seeing the new stuff a year or more later than everyone else.. i'm old and grumpy.

In school news.. the light at the end of the tunnel has appeared. After years of part-time classes, lost credits due program changes and expiring classes, my four-year degree (yes, only four) is in sight. It's still a ways off, but I am about to take my very last class at the 2-year college and move onward. I ended up taking a Psych class I didn't need (maybe it'll count later.. anyhow, it was worth taking, I highly recommend it), so I am set back but this last science class. Julie has applied and should be joining me in the Fall as well. This is another reason to stay in our current house - school. It's going to be expensive, even with work footing some of the bills for me. Now is the time to get this done, though, so we're determined. It'll all pay off someday, I know it. We took the work route, went part-time for years. It worked for us; it doesn't work for everyone. We managed to build a decent living without degrees (this is something I try not to preach to the kids too often, school IS important), but in the end, school is king. Stay in school!

Music.. Good stuff out recently. Ayreon's new opus should just about be out now. I've had the MP3s for a while (I know, bad.. bad.. bad) but there's nothing that would stop me from buying the official product, ever. I wholeheartedly support Arjen's work (and Devin's), and buy all their stuff, in any form. I just couldn't wait! I had to hear it. Anyhow.. the assortment of singers on the current project is just astounding. New After Forever is also excellent, and hey.. Fear Factory ended up with SYL's guitarist. It's a good year for music (metal) so far. You know.. Metal is big again, and so few outside the scene know it. It's a shame what you see on HBB is such crap.. there's so much better music out there. "Oh look! New Mudvayne CD". Ugh, that's crap music, people. Get yourself a Voivod CD and really listen to it. Go snag an Ayreon or Devin Townsend CD and really listen, read the words. These guys/bands aren't new, they are veterans. Linkin Park? What the hell IS that anyhow? You still like Metallica? Next they'll be singing duets with Faith Hill.. it's country music people! Metal too rough for you? Get a "The Gathering" CD and really listen to it.. Bah, enough of my soapbox chatter. Support the real artists.. buy the CDs from the ones that count, pass around that Linkin Park to anyone you want.. they'll be gone in a few years anyhow, just like all the other cash cows. Whoa.. since when did I get morals?