The Things They Still Carry

Moved - No Really This Time!

2009-06-10T02:44:00.001-05:00

M. is writing again. Hurray.

I am obsessing about D&D again.

Find us at: http://thethingstheystillcarry.wordpress.com/

Really really! No more new posts here.

tap tap Is thing on???

2009-06-08T01:10:00.003-05:00

Apparently I've been gone a while and it's caused quite a stir among the people who follow this blog (I think that's our dog, some whack-o Canadian hording bacon and that old guy who sells tin foil hats over the nets).

I apologize for disappearing like I did, but I hope you understand that it was never my intention to abandon, merely I had had enough with everything and just wanted to get back to my home, family and normalcy. Basically I just unplugged from everything. No I didn't grow a beard, join a cult, sell all my possesions and devote myself to Rashaan, the former out of work hippy who decided his ideas warranted followers to support his hippy life-style. I just... unplugged.

Heather has mentioned for quite a while that I should resume writing again, as the three people above seem to miss my unique take on things. Also I'm sure most will find it amusing as to what's been going on since I've got back, how I view things now, what I'm up to, which Canadian/ Alien warlord I'm still trying to stop...

I've got this week off and I'll try to start with the postings again. It'll give me an excuse to use the internets for something productive other than trying to earn my 5-star General rank in Call of Duty4 online.

-M

I think
it's getting to the point
where I can
be myself again

D&D Nerdery!

2009-06-03T09:28:00.002-05:00

I've put together a group of people interested in using maptool to play D&D via the internet. I'm both excited and nervous. It will be my first attempt at DMing more than my husband and 12 year old. It should be fun. We've set up a wiki on Obsidian Portal here:

http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/keep-on-the-shadowfell999

I've decided it would be really interesting to write our adventure log in the style of an oral biograophy (like books like Rant and World War Z) because we could have bits of the story told by townsfolk, enemies, and other NPCs in everything from an interview, to conversations, to reports and journal entries.

TTTSC Revisited

2009-05-27T03:10:00.002-05:00

Unable to sleep, as usual, I just reread all the posts to this blog.

It was nice to revisit that time in our lives. It almost seems like it happened to another person.

M. is going back over there in October. He's going to Afghanistan this time.

I continue to write in the new blog periodically but it just doesn't have the same vibe this blog had.

Movin

2009-03-23T20:56:00.002-05:00

I've moved.

M. is not really writing anymore, though at the end of this year he will be returning overseas. This time he will be in Afghanistan. It may be a blog revival.

In the meantime, I've started my solo project.

I decided to keep it fairly random in content, as I'm a fairly random person. My passions shift and twist in the light like the surface of a lake and I decided not to pigeonhole myself into one or another as a result.

After all this time, I've finally become a teacher. I'll be writing about it over there. I hope you join me and my apologies for your previous abandonment...

http://thethirdpersonexperiment.wordpress.com/

Herald of the Lich King

2008-11-12T22:18:00.003-06:00

It is 11:18 pm. I sit here on the verge of Wrath of the Lich King, Blizzard's next expansion to the World of Warcraft, and ask myself a few questions:

1. How did I get sucked back into this game? Oh yeah, my husband.
2. Do I really want to go to the store at midnight for the midnight release?
3. How bugtastic will things be after installation?
4. How did I get sucked back into this game? Oh yeah...

Question 2 should really read, how ridiculous will I feel going to the store at midnight? Pretty ridiculous. And old. And ridiculous. Will getting the copy and playing it now be worth this ridiculousness? There is no way to know the answer until after I have already gone and looked ridiculous. Of course, I can tell myself that I won't look ridiculous because normal people are in bed and only other ridiculous people will be awake and driving around the mall this time of night so we will look ridiculous together. Myself replies, the kids will be thinking, why aren't you in bed sleeping for your job? I tell myself why are the kids not in bed for school, humm? Myself says touche, I guess you make a point. Not one to let it go so easily, I tell myself, besides, my job status is none of their concern.

The job status, since this blog is often a forum for more personal information, is currently full of potential but not full of job. I went to a university today to talk to someone about becoming an adjunct. The staff was rather excited about my degree in fine arts. I mean - a guy walks in the door of their office and they say to him "She can teach English!" as their greeting - that kind of excited. It so happened a regional office person was there reviewing something or another this day. She was able to look over my transcripts and give her initial, unofficial, approval. Yeah, I don't see anything on here that would keep her from teaching English. I also heard a "I don't normally do this," which is something you like to hear when you are looking for a job. Additionally, there was a "I can keep you busy" and some other generally positive comments. The pay is pretty damned good for an adjunct too.

This time of year is so close to a bunch of nice long holidays where the campus is shut down that I am looking at March for my first classes. This leaves plenty of time for leveling to 80.

D&D Nerdery: What's Your Status?

2008-10-28T07:30:00.011-05:00

A number of things can happen to a stalwart hero in the course of battle. One hero is poisoned by a nasty bugger. Another knocked unconscious. A third bloody and torn. The confused cleric looks around the battlefield in an attempt to discern which pristine miniature is in which trouble.

DMs and players must track the status of both heroes and villains throughout the course of a game. There are companies who make very lovely status marker tools, such as magnetic markers that stack up under a miniature. These are great but a bit expensive, so what about status marker tools on a budget?

Poker chips may seem to be the most obvious route to cheap status marker. These chips stack nicely and come in many colors. Oh sure, the rainbow of colors exist but it is difficult to find more than about 4 different colors locally. Other options include everything from colored stones to beads pinned to the top of a miniature's head (personally, I find the idea of shoving a pin into my mini's head abhorrent). What is a cheap DM to do?

Status Marker Tools
Supplies:

Circle Cutter - Martha Stewart produces a circle cutting tool, found in the scrapbook supplies section of Wal-Mart for about $10.

Foam Board - .99 a large sheet, found at most craft stores.
_______

There are a number of different circle cutters available on the market thanks to the explosion of the scrapbooking craft. Hole punches are also a viable option, however if you intend to use foam board, you will likely find your hole punch will not work with the thickness of the board. A circle cutter similar to the one pictured will score foam board enough to pop out beautiful circles. Another advantage to this sort of cutter is the range of diameters one can cut. Try putting a poker chip under a huge Young White Dragon!

Foam board is thick enough to stand out when stacked under miniatures, cheap, and comes in a rainbow of colors for every player mark and status a DM could dream up or read out of a book.

It's a circle!

Cut yourself a bag of multicolored circles and you and your players will soon be able to see the conditions of the battlefield at a glance.

Example: Average sized, bloodied dwarf; large, flying dragon; huge, poisoned and bloodied, elemental.

First Nights in New Home

2008-10-21T16:06:00.002-05:00

I found something I meant to post earlier:

I sit on a cooler in the addition of our new house. Bella rolls around on her back and bites at her legs and tail. The sun is directly overhead so the addition is still nice and cool. Later, when the sun starts to make its way to the west, it will beam directly into the room and warm it up.

Surrounding me are bits and pieces of things I brought in my car. Several gaming consoles sans electrical cords (no TV anyway), a box of important papers with portions of files hanging askew, a backpack with books and the circa binder from work, the cpu and monitor for my computer, a safe, a box of pictures, a bag of dog food, a scrapbook, a bag of yarn half knitted into a rug, a garbage bag with clothes mostly spilled out onto the floor.

There are paper towels, empty kitchen trash bags, plastic cups, plastic utensils, the first mail delivered to our home (mostly from the mortgage company), a box of strawberry yogurt, a case of Brisk, two fresh bell peppers from the neighbor’s garden (I already ate the plum tomato and it was divine) and two rubber fire hose dog toys in the kitchen.

The dining room consists of a pop up dog kennel. The living room, the boy’s room, and the office/game room (because all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy) are all empty except for drapes left behind by the home’s former owner. In the bathroom, there is an old schoolhouse pencil sharpener, a bottle of spray conditioner, and a new shower curtain with hooks, and a shelving system over the toilet that looks just like the one that was in my great grandmother’s. It is ugly and dated but I think of her when I run a finger over the doors. The master bedroom consists of a full size blow up mattress, a seafoam green chenille throw, a pillow without a case, a pair of awful pink and blue drapes, and a red Nintendo DS. The small bathroom contains face wash, a toothbrush, deodorant, a comb, jewelry cleaner, a pair of shorts with a missing button and a pair of dirty capris.

The only noise inside is the occasional settling of the wood structure and the hum of the refrigerator and air conditioner. Outside in the evening, loud insects take over for the chattering squirrels and the squawking mocking birds. Few cars pass in the street. It is too hot for anyone to be outside now but come evening a few people will come outside to wash a car, walk a dog, or check to see if the rabbits got their butter beans.

Let There Be Rock

2008-10-01T07:50:00.004-05:00

There has been much Rock Band 2, visiting eating establishments, going to the movies, World of Warcraft, browsing book stores, watching TV and snuggling. Also, a fair amount of unpacking, yard work, cleaning up, and purchasing new household goods and appliances.

I have met the academic requirements for the alternative route to teaching program. My last step before my first certification is to pass the praxis II in the english subject area.

Tonight, is movie night. Tomorrow we get our new fridge, double convection oven, and washer and dryer. We might play D&D or Munchkin or some other table top game.

Upcoming: Status marker tools on a budget!

Mini Update@12:36EST

2008-09-18T11:39:00.002-05:00

We are home!

M. likes the house.

We're excited but tired.

Mini Update

2008-09-09T13:16:00.002-05:00

M is busy with all his processing. I have nearly finished the knitting part of a hat. We should be able to go home so that M can see his new house and the rest of his family sometime in the middle of next week.

I'd type more but I'm tethered to a spot directly under an air conditioning vent and I am freezing.

2008-09-03T08:23:00.003-05:00

I sat in the IHOP parking lot watching planes fly overhead. I called the military to find out what they wanted him (us) to do. I was told that I was ordered to evacuate that morning (gee, glad they told me, maybe when they were throwing me out of the hotel they could have mentioned the mandatory evacuation since it was a military inn). Furthermore, he was ordered not to leave Baltimore.

I told them I was pretty sure he was in Atlanta about to get on a plane. No, he's in Baltimore, they tell me. Unfortunately, orders are only useful when the other party receives them. I hung up frustrated with them and determined to wait until his plane arrived. Once the plane was supposed to have departed, I went to the airport to ask them if he got on the plane. He had.

I picked him up and we drove north. We ended up in a farm town 70 miles into Missouri before finding a hotel with a room. We shop, read, and watch TV while waiting for orders to return.

Thanks for the well wishes and concern.

Impending Doom

2008-08-31T08:56:00.002-05:00

The hotel will not extend my reservation. They only allow you to reserve 3 days at a time. I went to extend today and they told me to get out by 11am.

Mike's plane will not be in until aroun 2pm. It is currently still scheduled to be on time.

Packing up and getting it into the car.

I lived in my car like a gypsy for about 4 months or so when I was 19. I'm too old for this shit now.

I think maybe I'll just take him home and the military can kiss my ass.

Mini Update @10:20pm

2008-08-30T22:20:00.002-05:00

I have not heard from him all day. The last plane from Atlanta arrived about 40 minutes ago. I have no idea where he is. I do not know if he was able to leave Budapest. I do not know if he will be able to land here much longer. I do not know how much longer I can wait here for him.

Mini Update @ 5:10pm

2008-08-30T17:07:00.003-05:00

I really should not watch the weather report but it is impossible to take my eyes off the progress and information.

I went to fill up the gas tank. I was surprised not to find a line.

Still no word from M. There are only 2 more flights coming in from Atlanta today - 8:30 and 10pm. He said today if the plane could be fixed. I really need to find something to occupy my time until time for those late flights.

Mini Update @ 3:45CST

2008-08-30T15:33:00.003-05:00

Heather is squirmy.

People are evacuating.

I have no food, no water - hell, I haven't even filled up the gas tank yet.

I still haven't heard from M. Is he in the states yet? Is he still stuck in Budapest? I really do not know.

I've started to gather up all my things and pack them back into bags.

I checked the airports and flights are still coming in to here at this time. They will stop some time tomorrow I believe. How odd that landfall is expected on a Monday...again.

People in the media keep trying not to compare this hurricane to Katrina but it is impossible not to.

I can't focus on knitting or reading. I'm too anxious.

2008-08-30T14:06:00.002-05:00

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tiiiick. Tooock.

I'm going crazy sitting here.

I brought books. I bought books. I brought two knitting projects (one simple for mindless calm and the other a complicated pattern for challenge). I could go out into the beautiful calm before the storm.

Yet, I sit here watching the clock.

The last few hours have gone by slowly.

I wish there were a knitting store closer than New Orleans which is likely all boarded up by this point.

The hotel shower is a beast. It pings down on your skin like needles. The shower head does not move so there is nowhere to hide in the little box that forms the shower.

Ugg. Maybe I am going to try to force myself to pick up the more complicated knitting pattern or a book.

Hurricanes

2008-08-30T12:31:00.004-05:00

It is hard not to think of Katrina while watching Gustav quickly strengthen in the gulf. It also reminds me of ant hills being kicked over just as they build everything back up again.

I was blogging elsewhere when Katrina hit. It was a devastating and difficult time. There were nasty rumors about the boys at the Air Force base. Looters roamed the streets. Guns. Destruction. Areas hit by hurricanes still struggle to recover years after the rest of the world has all but forgotten.

I do not know what we will do if the hurricane turns our way. I cannot think that far ahead. My mind is focused on getting him home. I want to pick him up from the airport. I want him to get here. Then we will have to decide what we will do.

I have not heard from him yet. It's about 8pm in Budapest. I assume he would have called me if he were still grounded. Hopefully, the next time I hear from him, he will be in Baltimore.

I Want To Get Married Again

2008-08-30T01:00:00.003-05:00

I've been sitting in the hotel room watching TV and surfing the internet. I just fell in love with the show Rock the Reception. The couples learn a choreographed dance for their first dance as a married couple. It puts a huge smile on my face to watch the couples break out in these personalized, less traditional dances and the reactions these dances get. It makes me want to get married again so I can do that.

Fly Jalopy Airlines

2008-08-29T19:49:00.003-05:00

M: Hello.

H: Hi!

M: Hi.

H: Hi!

M: Guess where I am.

H: Um...

M: Budapest.

H: What?

M: Do you know where that is? (I'm not known for geographical prowess).

H: I don't remember, but it's not here!

M: Hungary.

H: Yes, that's right Hungary. Not here!

M: Laughs. Yeah, not there. The plane broke down. (Apparently, the company previously flying our men out has gone out of business. They found Jalopies R Us to replace them.) The part is being flown in from Miami.

H: How long?

M: Hopefully tomorrow, Sunday at the latest.

H: You know there's a hurricane out there.

M: Yeah, we're watching it. It seems like everything is conspiring to keep me from coming home.

H: If this hurricane interferes I'm going to be the crazy person standing on the beach screaming obscenities while my hair whips around.

He laughs. I tell him I put on makeup! He says "Awe, take a picture." I say no way, I've just about sweat it into a puddle anyway. We talk about the books I picked up. He asks if I brought a skirt. I tell him they are in boxes. I say I thought about going to the mall to see if anything nice was on sale. He tells me I should. We say we love each other.

I went to the mall and bought a dress. It needs a little altering (I'm between sizes apparently). I picked up some jewelry and new purse (my red one looked awful with the dress). I bought $260 worth of stuff for $145.

I can't wait to see him.

Bad Habits

2008-08-29T11:14:00.007-05:00

When I pull up our blog, I often pause to look at the last picture he posted from Iraq. I try to imagine that all over, as far as the eye can see. I wonder what it would do to my psyche to look at such rubble day in and day out.

I slept in this morning. I slept in until there was a fire alarm. I listened to it wailing for quite a while before finally collecting my wallet and door key and wandering into the hall. It was indeed a fire alarm. I walked to the front door and out to the shade of a tree. There were clusters of other guests under nearby trees. The sun was bright in my eyes as I paced under the tree in the hopes of stretching my back enough that it stopped throbbing so.

I have a bad habit of allowing our car to accumlate...things. I've traveled a lot over the last couple of months which means I have eaten on the road many times. Cans, cups, fast food trash, mostly empty snack bags, and loads of dog hair have taken over the car. The outside of the car is covered in exploded insect guts that create abstracts against the white paint and windows. So, before I pick him up from the airport I need to run over to the automatic car wash and afterwards pull up to a vacuum and trash can.

I have not heard from him but I suspect he left at 2am his time, which was last night for me. The length of the trip depends on where he stops on his way out of Kuwait. He normally arrives somewhere like Baltimore and then travels to Atlanta before arriving here. All I can do now is wait and clean the dirty car.

Mind Circles

2008-08-28T21:21:00.004-05:00

I am here.

It has not yet begun to rain. Periodically, I flip to the Weather Channel to check on the progress of Gustav.

I ripped apart a plastic cup to form a shovel for a small container of Chef Boy R Dee because I did not think to purchase cutlery when I picked up a few things to eat.

There is nothing on TV.

The hotel room is nice. I'm staying in a room at the base inn. I have one room with a couch, recliner, TV, desk and sink. A bathroom connects this room to the next room which contains a second TV, a couple nightstands, a wardrobe, another sink and our bed.

I have a couple of books of short stories to read, my laptop, and a couple knitting projects but I do not really feel like doing any of those things right now.

I am not sure when he will get here.

I'm excited about staying in this hotel on a mini vacation.

I'm uncertain how the hurricane will impact this mini vacation.

I'm confused about when he is leaving Kuwait. 2am his time or my time? If he meant his time it is 5:30am so he should be on a plane. I forget how long it takes to get here from there. How many stops will he make? What about layovers? Is he already on a plane? What's the time difference in Kuwait? I've run myself in so many mind circles!

Edit: It's 5:30am in Kuwait City as I type this (10:30 EST and 9:30 CST). This does nothing to confirm whether he is on the plane now, or whether he will be on the plane at 9am EST, nor does it clear up layovers, connections, etc. Bleh.

Life Unpaused

2008-08-27T11:53:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow, I make what I hope will be the final drive to Biloxi. Friday, I'll spend time in the local gaming/hobby shop or the bookstore waiting on M's plane to arrive.

We've spent the last year relearning how to get along without each other. Now, we have the awkward task of learning to be together again. Has he changed? Have I?

Sometimes, I think that deployment is harder than divorce in many ways. The idea is to move on after a divorce. You learn to accept what is your new life. Deployment is not your new life. It is temporary life - life on hold. You continue breathing and going through the motions but you cannot adjust because you know it's not permanent. Time feels distorted. You feel distorted. You want to right it but you cannot. They come home. Your life unpauses.

Initially, I was unhappy that all the various forms of processing required upon his return could take as long as two weeks. I wanted to bring him home. I wanted him to see his new house. I wanted to plug him right back into the family. Now, I think that it might be best for a slower integration. We can get used to each other again without the responsibilities of home ownership and parenting.

M often tells me how he longs for rain. I think Gustav will be more than happy to oblige him with rainfall.

2008-08-15T11:04:00.004-05:00

Yes, I'm afraid I yet live.

My beautiful little house now looks something like a tetris screen, filled with boxes at varied angles with space enough for me to pass through. I have unpacked a few and now have big cardboard boxes filled with thick packing paper piling up in a corner so that it looks like I have not done a thing in the last week.

It's true, I've been playing World of Warcraft. My shiny new little alliance priest is level 50. The thought of grinding out 20 more arduous levels is almost more than I can bare right this moment, so I have to temper it with thoughts of saving the raid and actually getting to go on them - everyone loves a good healer.

Our son comes home tomorrow. His room is still a tetris field. I will let him and his grandmother figure that one out while I continue to work on the rest of the house. I've focused on the kitchen so we can, you know, eat.

I've run into a few snags. The washer and dryer do not fit in the spot they are supposed to sit and the outlet on the wall I've decided the TV and other dodads (Tivo, console games, etc) is the one in the room that does not have a grounding prong. The prong issue will be relatively easy to fix according to Popular Mechanics. The obvious solution for the washer and dryer (buy a pair that fit) has met resistance among family members (some people would rather replumb and wire and put the things somewhere else, personally I would like to wash clothes sooner rather than later). I wanted to complete the fence by installing a gate over the driveway but it seems our neighbor has installed his sprinkler system right up next to the drive, so fence posts are likely to cut into his system. I hate to make him move his system, and it is unclear whether they are on our property or his, but I would like to let the dogs out without walking them out on a leash.

Additionally, I need to make more serious efforts at finding a job soon. I think I will give myself a little more time to get everyone settled, including M (11 days), before I worry too hard about that.

The Future Of The Things They Still Carry

2008-08-09T15:51:00.002-05:00

I come to you live from a mostly empty room in our new house. I have the full ghetto/college furniture going. My cooler is filling the role as monitor stand. I am reclined in a lawn chair. A file box is providing an end table for the mouse and something to drink.

I am absolutely thrilled about owning a house, the house itself, the neighborhood and all the people I have met. People here are just really nice. Yesterday, I was having my oil changed at the local Firestone. On the coast, people waiting in the lobby avoided eye contact and kept huddled to themselves. Here, complete strangers were all involved in conversations and chatted like old friends. The mall is unimpressive and there is no B&N or Books-A-Million but the niceness of the people, the feeling of community everywhere, is what was always amazing about this area. The locals are welcoming, kind, wonderful people and that makes up for the 1 hour drive to get to a decent book store.

As the future opens up before us and the time nears for M to come home, I find myself often thinking about this blog. The focus of the blog was to provide a piece of home and a connection between M and I. We were able to stay in such great contact via email and instant messaging that the blog was almost superfluous but we continued to write in it as a gift to those readers we knew were following our lives. His homecoming means the purpose of the blog will no longer exist. What does this mean for the blog? I am not certain.

Obviously, the focus would need to change. One option would be to narrow the focus and post about whatever obsession we decide to pinpoint, such as The Adventures of the Noobie DM, or World of Warcraft, or maybe something a little more general so that we could also talk about console gaming or anything else in the genre that might catch our attention.

The trouble I have with this is that I tend to cycle through obsessions. This month it may be D&D and next month I may not want to shut up about a book I read or a arts and crafts project I am working on. I would have a hard time maintaining posts about D&D when I was focused on knitting. I would hate making readers interested in D&D articles slog through knitting posts.

There are other options which include discontinuing blogging all together.

The future of this blog is uncertain but what is certain is my appreciation for the positive feedback, the quiet cheering, and the friends I have made through this project. Thank you, dear readers, for being there with us during the last year.