Today has been a pretty good week!

Aside from a rather frustrating and abysmal raid on Wednesday, I've managed to get a bunch of stuff done this week:

1) My druid has her epic flight form!
2) ...and dinged Exalted with the SSO about ten minutes ago.
3) ...and is wearing her Sorcerer's Alchemist Stone.
4) Over on Horde-side, we downed Dragonhawk in ZA for the very first time. We've tried him a couple times, but we got it down tonight. We also poked our heads over at Malacrass, and he kicked us in the teeth. We'll get him. Oh yes...
5) I spoke with my guild leader about the crappy Kara run, and they've agreed to let me run the next Kara raid, which'll be exciting for me. I just have to hope I don't screw up. On the plus side, I can't do *worse* than the person who led the last one...

Whee!

I've decided to try and build my bunny a multi-level C&C type cage but I have some concerns. He is horrible about the litter box and basically just goes wherever he wants (including on his toys) inside his cage, so the ground material needs to be easily cleanable. I know guinea pig cages use coroplast with edges around the entire perimeter to avoid any pee/bedding escape, do you think this would be a good idea for him, or would he just eat/chew it? Also if anyone has any ideas, sites, photos, or experience with what you made for your own buns PLEASE let me know! I'd like to get some opinions on what works and what doesn't before I make one myself, thanks :)

I've decided to try and build my bunny a multi-level C&C type cage but I have some concerns. He is horrible about the litter box and basically just goes wherever he wants (including on his toys) inside his cage, so the ground material needs to be easily cleanable. I know guinea pig cages use coroplast with edges around the entire perimeter to avoid any pee/bedding escape, do you think this would be a good idea for him, or would he just eat/chew it? Also if anyone has any ideas, sites, photos, or experience with what you made for your own buns PLEASE let me know! I'd like to get some opinions on what works and what doesn't before I make one myself, thanks :)

Tonight in a Karazhan run, I about doubled my DPS from last week in TK. And I'm 9 badges away from my Scryer's Blade of Focus. Which will then get enchanted with +40 spellpower. Which will put me over 1000+ shadow dmg with no raid buffs. My shadow priesting mentor said that 550-615 DPS on early Kara boss fights is enough to keep my raid spot, my RL just has to confirm that.

It's been a good night. :)

Tonight we were making attempts on Zul'jin (usually he goes down easily, apparently, but with all three healers-- myself included-- never having seen the fight before...) when I received some very bad news about someone very close to my family in the middle of a fight. Naturally, my concentration was shot and I immediately became more of a liability than I already was. When we wiped I whispered the raid leader, vaguely explaining the situation (the raid leader for the Zul'Aman timed chess events is an ass and I don't want him knowing more of my personal business than he has to) and high-tailed it out of the instance then /camped right there on the steps, leaving vent after a quick apology. Staying on the computer even if I had wanted to wasn't an option.

It's been gnawing at me ever since, though, what I could have done differently. What would you have done in a situation like that or, heaven forbid, have you done if something like that has happened to you?


EDIT: I should add that I have a history with ZA. The reason I haven't seen Zul'jin before tonight is because I've always been busy or shadow or just haven't wanted to go. That's a huge part of this guilt. "Sure! I'll finally go on a guild timed ZA! Yay we made three chests! Oh, no loot for me, too bad--ohgottagobye!"

Somebody just asked about this and I posted the following in a comment. I'm reposting it here because I think it's really important information that a lot of people don't have.

If I made any mistakes, please mention in the comments, and I'll try to update the post with a correction. If anyone has access to any charts or anything that show the progress of insulin resistance, that would be cool to embed in here, too.

The lingo doctors and patients use to describe IR and type II diabetes treat each of them like a state - you either are IR, or you aren't. And although there is a line that has been defined as type II diabetes, and a line that has been defined as "IR" on the blood tests, that line is profoundly misleading.

You see, insulin resistance is misleading. The way IR actually works is kind of like the way you might acquire a taste or acclimate to spicier and spicier foods - except that it snowballs.

Step 1: You start off with an inclination towards IR; this would not show up on any of the blood tests. Where you got that inclination is unclear - environment, genetics, and epigenetics are among the causes under investigation by researchers.
Step 2: You have a diet and lifestyle that is less than optimal. This does not mean that you are a lazy pig. It means that a diet that might be perfectly healthy for someone else is, unfortunately, not healthy for you. It means that you need to be active at a level that most people do not need to maintain. It may also mean that there are chemicals in our food that help trigger IR (see step 1). This starts the IR ball rolling: the combination of your inclination towards IR, and the imperfect diet and exercise regimen, cause some weight gain.
Step 3: As you gain weight, you become more insulin resistant. The more insulin resistant you are, the more weight you gain. Wash, rinse, repeat -- it's a vicious cycle. If you're a woman, at this stage PCOS symptoms can start showing up. In fact, mine showed up during step 2 (I was a competitive athlete, exercising about 18 hours/week and dieting constantly, but I got my first cysts and irregular periods during that time. My diet was wrong, though - carb heavy with the wrong kinds of carbs. And for some reason, I was always just a little heavier around the middle than the other girls).
Step 4: Eventually, your insulin resistance becomes bad enough to show up on a two hour glucose challenge test. Congratulations, you're officially insulin resistant, but really, you were insulin resistant all along. (~80 lbs. later, I haven't reached this stage yet (knocks on wood))
Step 5: Next, your insulin resistance becomes bad enough to show up on a normal fasting glucose test. At this point you're defined as prediabetic.
Step 6: We're not done yet! When you are no longer able to generate enough insulin to fulfill your body's needs, you may start losing weight rapidly, and constantly craving both food and water. You're now defined as type II diabetic.
Step 7: And you've arrived: type I diabetes, once known as Juvenile diabetes. This is when your body is no longer able to make ANY of its own insulin. Literally, you're unable to process any food without shooting up. Hell, you can't even process your own FAT without taking insulin. It's highly unlikely that you'll get to this stage.

PCOS is active in steps 1-5. Yet the tests most GPs use won't detect any IR until step 5, and the test most endos use won't detect the IR until step 4. In other words, in most women with PCOS, the IR flies under the radar, because the tests currently in use are not sensitive enough to detect it.

This post is, not surprisingly, relating to my little draenei shaman. (You might remember me asking several weeks ago about professions. Thanks to those who responded, she's at 350 in jewelcrafting! And staying there for now due to lack of funds.)Okay, so she's not that little anymore. She's lvl 60 now, and has hit that "omg what do you mean I need 490k exp to level?!" slump. My main trouble with her is that I'm having trouble surviving in the Outlands.
My first character to get this far was my Hunter, and at 60 she and her cat wandered directly into Zangarmarsh and had few problems from there. I've had no major problems with surviving on my shaman thus far, but lately I've been feeling about as squishy as a mage fighting orcs in her underwear.
For starters, here is Kurree the shaman's armory page.
I'll be honest: I'm a horrible shaman. (At least, that's my opinion.) I have a hard time making myself use totems because: 1) They're expensive, mp wise, 2) I'm not entirely sure as to how to use some of them and 3) When I do use them they don't seem all that helpful. Except for like, debuff removing ones. The ones that say they increase your attack or agility just seem so vague that I don't use them much. I also tend not to use lightning shield because it is so expensive and it eats up my stormstrike charges.
Did I mention stormstrike, btw? I'm Enhancement spec, and I LOVE stormstrike. I have gotten through a large portion of the game thus far using a stormstrike/earth shock combo. It all works wonderfully well, but I'm still getting the everloving crap beaten out of me whenever I have to face more than one enemy. (The aggro'ing totem only seems to make things worse.) I know shamans don't have any real CC, but I've gotten used to that.
So, I need help/recommendations/whatever. Basic things to remember are that due to time/patience/lag restraints I don't run instances. (My guild also is generally still lower in level than I am and the only 70 other than my hunter is the GL.) I might be open to getting myself slaughtered in the battlegrounds to earn things that way, but the same factors as with instances come into play again.
Are my problems just inherent to playing a shaman, or is there something else I can do to improve my situation? Thanks for the advice in advance!

For those who are familiar with the different types of abnormal results that are an indication of PCOS, I was wondering if any or many of you have, or have had ANA blood results at at around 160, lower or even higher? If so, is it normal to have this while also having PCOS?

I have to go back to my GP to get tested again, and hopefully I can get them to run further immune system related ones to find out what's going on.....but until then, I guess I was just curious if it was 'normal' for having PCOS.


Thanks :)


(PS, I'm sorry that this is kind of muddled and repetitive, it's been a very long, stressful couple of weeks)

I got my first piece of tier gear tonight! :) I guess your first is always the most remembered.

I think i've created a monster with this raiding deal .... gosh it was so much FUN! It was mainly a raid of alts (i was the only main) and we got to the prince and ended it. I had fun though.

Forgive me if this has already been posted, but does anyone know where I can find some wow-themed lj mood themes? Thanks! :)

I've noticed a number of people comment that you can be insulin resistant even if it doesn't turn up in normal blood work. Can anyone explain that to me? My blood has always come back normal--just had complete bloodwork done one month ago.

I'm actually neurotic enough that I have a glucose monitor at home that I periodically draw blood and test at various times, fasting or otherwise. Also, normal numbers. I guess I was just wondering if the PCOS diagnosis means that you inevitably are or will be insulin resistant. I also take a medication that can predispose people to diabetes, so it's something that I'm cautious about.

ok, they tried to change my password again. I have spent this evening, rather than crocheting and relaxing, deleting spyware, interface,addons, cleaning up my machine, freaking out, and emailing my gold to my husband to protect it.

this is not fun.

Alrighty ladies I'd like some help researching realms. I'd like to move realms because I'd like a fresh start. I'm looking for a PvE realm where I am not bothered by annoying little boys pretending to be girls and also looking for a raiding guild that is currently around SSC and TK.

 My guild is currently progressing only 25-30 people which annoys me a lot. My guild officers (not the leader) will give out gear to their favorite players and also forget to give certain people their DKP for showing up and doing raids. I have given a lot to the guild through free potions, primal mights, gold, advice etc and I haven't been recognized for my abilities as a mage. I in fact am one of the "founders" of the guild as I joined so we could start raiding karazhan for the first time (They needed 1 more dps). This was ages ago... Everyone who had joined the guild after me have become officers whilst I sit in the background and get stepped on. I've voiced my opinion about it but the officers will say that I "Need to be on more". Which is bullshit (excuse my french) as I am on every single night there is a raid. There is a lot more drama behind it but I will get angrier and angrier as I type it out so I really don't want to alt tab back to wow and freak out on everyone ^_^

but anywhoo...after that rant....feel better...

So, everyone! Tell me about your server and I'll come check it out! <3

Thanks!

Salek

Hey y'all. :D

So I have some concerns regarding Engineering... I have a 70 NElf Rogue main and I currently have lw and skinning maxed out (well, lw is at 373. so close!). And I'm thinking that, since I've always loved the idea of Engineering and the useless crap it can make (and the useful items as well), perhaps I should drop skinning and pick up engineering.

In fact, I know I've already decided to do it. I know I'll enjoy leveling it and using it and YES.  I don't care that it'll be expensive.

My problem lies in picking a specialization (Gnomish vs. Goblin Engineering) and so I have come to you ladies in order to help make a better informed decision.

I have read all the wowwiki articles. I have compared a number of the recipes and the transporter locations, etc. I know what recipes are really important to me, but I'm still having trouble deciding.

Engineering as it breaks down in my head:
I like gnomes more than goblins (yes, this sways me :x ).
I like the gnome transporter locs more than the goblin ones.
But I really want Goblin jumper cables.
But I don't need to be a Goblin engineer to use them, just to craft them.
I want to make the awesome Rogue goggles (does not req. a specialization for use or crafting).
I want to make the flying machines (does not req. a specialization).
Field Repair Bots! (no specialization)
I want the Goblin rocket helmet, but again I don't need to specialize to use it just to craft it.
The specialization pets don't really swing me either way.
The super gun I'm going to make for my bf doesn't req. a specialization.

Really, I think I'm leaning gnome and I'll buy the jumper cables.  But I want to make sure there isn't something a rogue would need (a specific specialization trinket?) or just something REALLY EFFIN' COOL that I'm not passing up by going one way or the other.

Give me your two cents, ladies and gents!  I'd really appreciate some input.  :)

What the subject says. ^^ The guild I'm currently in isn't very, eh, dedicated about running Karazhan to gear people up. Or about running anything, for that matter...so I'm looking for a new home. Are there any casual-ish guilds on Destromath (US, Horde) that run 10-mans and would be willing to take in a holy priest? :)

Here is my armory: Illythia

I also have a 70 mage, but she's PvP specced and I'm more interested in gearing up my priest as she's my main now, but if anyone wants to see her armory anyway it's here.

Thanks for your time!

[x-posted to worldofwarcraft]

FNU game night is on as always. if you wish to join us send me a e-mail (warpedjester@yahoo.com)

So after respeccing to 41BM/20MM, I decided I needed a pet who dealt better dps. After looking up pets, I decided I was gonna get Shy-Rotam. She is so pretty! So I went to winterspring, got the chain quest, killed the first two dudes. Then it was off to get me my kitty.

After a good 40 or so minutes killing frostsabers for the meat I got it, & I summoned Shy. HOWEVER... I forgot that she could fear. So that sucked. :\

( And then THIS happened... )

And that was that. :B

Hey ladies! I was thinking about selling my unscratched murloc suit card from last year's Blizzcon but I'm not sure what they are selling for. I checked Ebay but only saw 2 listed, one has no bids and the other has some suspicious looking bid activity (the same bidder over and over again) so I can't really trust either of those.

Do any of you know what a good price would be for this? Or if you know anyone who would be interested in buying, I've never sold on Ebay before so I was a little nervous just slapping it up there.

Thanks in advance!

 

 Okay so I join a guild on Moon Guard-A

Salvation

I was like "Sweet! Cool people!" I had rped with the GM some time earlier before I joined. We were chattin and such then in vent, I guess a friend of his comes in. Convo:

Friend: Hey, we're rollin on Eredar
GM: What? You got it?
Friend: Yeah, come on
GM: Okay, hold on

GM hands me leadership, quits guild and logs off. What the hell? Got what? Sorry but I'm sooooooo pissed off about this. >(

"Sue's health Update

It's been six weeks now since June 5th, when we took Sue to the hospital. Even the doctors and nurses are saying it's way past time for her to get out of there.

Her TTP appears to be under control. Her lupus is not yet. Her platelets started out the week in the 80's, dipped to the 60's by Wednesday, 82 yesterday, then 72 today. The hematologists have been considering giving her more aggressive drug therapy for several days, but are holding off to see if things can be bought under control without risking the stronger drugs' side-effects.

Sunday they're again going to try skipping plasmapheresis for a day, to see if her numbers stay steady enough (even at a low level) to start tapering off her treatments. That, of course, is the first step towards moving her to outpatient status.

As always, thanks for the good wishes etc.

Andy"

I just made a level 1 warrior on MG and I really can't stand to level without having people to chatter to, can anyone recommend me a nice big, active guild alli-side?

Every time I try to harvest an herb while mounted on my flying mount I get interrupted. I'm pretty sure this has to do with game auto-summoning my pet (I'm a hunter). The thing that's bugging me is that it doesn't happen when I'm on my ground mount. No one else in my guild is having this problem, but I'm the only lvl 70 gatherer with a pet.

It's definitely an add on problem since it's not happening when I disable them all. I'm currently disabling them one at a time, but I have a bunch so it'll take forever. I was hoping someone else may know what's causing it.

Hunters! You guys seen the pet talent info?? So far, it looks soooo coool!

http://www.maniasarcania.com/2008/07/18/wotlk-pet-talent-trees/

Hooray! Wolves become good dps pets! I can't waaaaiiiit!