It was Kaylea's birthday last Friday, so my vacation the past 10 days centered around her. Last year, her b-day was rather somber as her recovery from medical issues was taking precedent. This year though, she was in much better health and was able to do a lot more in terms of travelling, going out, etc.
About a month or so prior to my trip, I had talked with Girlfriend's mom about what they were getting her for her b-day so we didn't double up on gifts. They were going to get her a TV and I figured if they were doing that, I'd get her an entertainment center to put it on. This gift idea was also supplemented by the fact her sister was getting her an XBox360 and with the current set up, that would have found a place on the floor.
Now Kay strongly suspects at this point that she's getting a new TV for her b-day. I already know for a fact she is. The only caveat to it is I don't know how large. I figured her folks would get her a 19-21" HDTV. I called to make sure before I went about planning the entertainment center and turns out they ended up getting her a 32" one.
You know what they say about the best laid plans...
Kay has lived in this apt. for 10+ years. Over that time period, she's amassed a nearly uncountable number of books, movies, and games. In order for me to set up a new entertainment center, I would have needed to clear out the area that most of her games and movies currently occupy. In order for me to do that, I needed a place I could move/store them.
There wasn't one...
...not w/o some serious changes to her apt. overall.
So I addressed the books issue first. I went to Target and bought 4 bookshelves ($85) and started moving shit around in her "book storage/dining room". This turned out to barely be enough space for everything.
Next up was moving this old couch of hers that I roll off of everytime I lay down on it. Then moving her computer desk in place of the couch. Then moving rocking chairs, movie storage carts, consoles, old TV, etc out of the way for her new entertainment center ($198).
Lastly, after all the blood (yes I managed to stab my hands numerous times putting this furniture together and moving it around), sweat (fkn 90 degrees in that apt before I put her air conditioner in the window...), and tears (not really, but you can't say "blood" and "sweat" in sequence w/o saying "tears")...I got to listen to Kay gripe ALL F***ING WEEK about me tearing her apt. up (Priceless...).
At least until she got a much larger TV than she suspected. She still griped about how much money was spent on her, but that was greeted by a collectively massive S.T.F.U. from her family and myself and that was the last we heard of it.
So after driving 3000 miles in 10 days, building furniture and rearranging her apartment, I probably didn't have much time for FFXI right?
Mostly. I did manage to cram in Einherjar and a couple XP and crafting sessions (Cooking 60).
Einherjar
Obsidian's 6th Odin took place after a bit of a bad luck stretch with Tier 2 rooms I'm sure I ranted about somewhere in previous posts. I found that we were in the position to potentially start doing Odin every 5th run instead of every 7th. This gives us at least one shot at winning each tier and a make up run in the event we have some bad luck.
I was originally hesitant (and still am to a degree) about trying to do Odin this frequently as I have concerns about the numbers that show up at Odin and I have concerns about actually winning 3-4 runs in a row between Odins. I looked over our previous 10 losses (dating back to October) and there was only one I could find where someone screwed up and cost us the run. All of those other losses I was hard pressed to find any reason other than bad luck.
For the Odin run, I was on my laptop as I always am when I'm on the road. My laptop plays FFXI just fine for being manufactured in 2002, but when I get around 15-20+ people in a small confined area, it's performance really does just go to absolute shit even with everything filtered. Since I can't keep my eye on everything else going on, I delegate leadership to someone else that's there.
Everything went smoothly though with the same couple RNG hate issues we seem to have every time. Odin dropped one of the three things I've been wanting since starting this event up too!
While I don't consider these better for DRG than Ares Legs for a WS piece, they represent a significant upgrade in a slot I've been notoriously weak in for WS. I'm currently working to HQ a pair of cursed subligar, but I'm not convinced it's worth losing 300k/NQ just yet for the HQs.
DEX on a WS piece doesn't really effect DRG much at all except for Penta Thrust and I'm still not 100% sure how Attack+ on a WS actually modifies the WS damage. These may turn out to be better than Ares Flanchard to a degree cause I'm Elvaan, but it's VERY hard to discount anything that gives Double Attack+ on it along with huge stat boosts.
Over what I'm currently using for my WS leg piece, I'd gain +8 Dex and +13 attack. I'd lose +3 STR. Most would look at that as a no-brainer cause of the acc and att boosts you'd get, but it really isn't too often that I don't get full TP return from Drakesbane and I rarely use Penta Thurst anymore.
Still mulling options for this over. My gut tells me it's better for me and my brain tells me think about it a little more.
Paladin
Very special thanks to Omoikitte, Kallo, Izman, Kreoss and Saphiraa for allowing a PLD to come "merit" with them on Greater Colibri. :)
This is my third job to 75. I started leveling this seriously back in January cause I had most of the end-game gear for it already. I won Hauteclaire in Mog Bonanza about this time last year. I'm the first to admit I haven't done a lot of research into which set up is best balanced for TP gain, Shield skill, haste and MP, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know at least 2 homam pieces are going to come into play and possibly 4. Homam hat vs. askar hat. Gallant Leggings/+1 vs. Homam Gambieras. No question Ares body is pretty much the full-time body piece for PLD unless you're wanting an enmity build (which I have Neuvo-whatever with +5 enmity on it in that case). Elvaan PLDs aren't exactly built to be MP machines, so I'm leaning towards Homam pieces as my primary pieces.
First things first though...I need to work off WS points for Atonement and I need to kill the Savage Blade NM (not necessarily in that order).
Anyway, I have some catching up to do in regards to work, so I may not be able to update this blog daily for another few days. Until then...
...lolcanadians.
No comments:
Post a Comment