^^ACTUAL WORDS SOMEONE GAVE ME^^


Yeeeeeeeup, working me to two bones in fact~

Brand new injury list additions, get your betting pools ready!!

Got myself all laid up in bed for now, that leg cast's grown a little larger up to the thigh now, and it's got a brand new cousin on my left wrist, so I went with red and green, yay for getting into the spirit, lol

Figures it'd be just a few weeks before cast off day, not to mention the big Anniversary, so, plans have been hampered a little, luckily most of my Holiday shopping was done, but still so much to be done and I'm just feeling a lil bleh at another Xmas in plaster, with the addition of throwing everything on Jeri's lap when it was going to be a big occasion for our first year together

The actual incident in question, after surviving harsh winter weather and rolling blackouts in the most clichéd ways, was me, in the office, trying to do too many things at once, and for some reason believing I could masterfully juggle multiple files across the office without my crutch because for some reason I was in too much of a hurry to waste 30 seconds to put them down, go back, grab it then come back and work out a better way to do it

So, down I go, left wrist hits the floor first and I leave a sizable dent with my leg into a filing cabinet XP

"You should've seen the other gal!"

Yeah, and since this is done over the course of a day or two, slowly losing the ability to type as pain meds wear off and I can gain feeling in the arm again that tells me I'm not using it for a day or two, so, recovery time~

Dunno if this'll reach everyone, but, worth a shot again

Also just realised, no Magic for a bit, not unless I ask my opponents to shuffle for me, lol, certainly am NOT gonna be able to shuffle my Commander decks >_>

XP Ah well

22 days til Xmas, I only need 5 of them to get back on my feet hopefully! (Well, not LITERALLY, but, y'know?)



Ze List:
-  NathanCowan [PAID]
-  Hundertneun [PAID] [Sketched]
-  Hundertneun [PAID] [Sketched]
-  The_Lost_One [PAID] [Sketched]
-  Twoofclubs [PAID]
-  Kritterfox [PAID]
-  Kritterfox [PAID]
-  Straitfox
-  Straitfox
-  Straitfox
-  Straitfox

=D Power has returned, of course, just in time for Black Friday and in time for everyone to spend all their money on different things for family members

My family included

And no, lol, I did not attend the sales, although I did online order a Blu-Ray player for my mom and dad from me and Jeri to go with the new smart tv they went and bought =B Now they can finally use the Netflix profile I made for them a while ago!

Also means this house can finally start collecting Blu-Rays, lol

Jeri came back to us Thursday, so we enjoyed what company we could get and family dinner before an early bed, Jeri was too tired for much else, but I didn't mind, just having her back, we got a lil Friday together, and today's just been all about quiet time, catching up, taking stock...

So not much accompnished, but finally now we enter the December straights, and look to get lists and tasks and things seen to =D

Just wanted to leave this here to say how things are, and the fact we've got the power back and all =B

More to follow~!

Hey guys, figured now I had limited access to power I owed you at least another update on how things are in this little corner of the world?

Power's still fritzing, but it's being returned in stages, priority places first, although we're hopeful that everything should be back to normal in time for Turkey Day, or at least stores hope that for the day after, lol

And no, no, I will not be going to Black Friday sales, I still remember what happened with the hip spica and all... Yeesh.

Me?

I've been kept out of trouble, lol, although our house has been kind of turned into a hub of activity

Pros for having a wife who's a Nurse in times of crisis?
The emergency folk dig you out first so they can get her to the hospital where she's needed

Cons for having a wife who's a Nurse in times of crisis?
She's at the hospital where she's needed

Ehhh, I can sleep a few lonely nights knowing Jeri'll be back, managed to speak to her once or twice and heard she's tired and aching but surviving, just can't wait until she's home and we can just, well, be together and all

But yeah, we've had a few folks over and tried to share the house to collect supplies and such, and just generally not go stark raving mad with Cabin Fever, which I'll admit I near hit when this happened:

"Okay! Power's out! No TV, no distractions, let's buckle down and do these commissions."
*Plops down*
"Paper, pencils, few remaining hours of dim daylight? Check, check and check... Now, refs..."
*Stares at blank computer screen*
"Huh. Did NOT think this through..."

So, after turning paper into confetti and chewing the resulting mash for nutrients I reconciled myself with the fact I was decidedly NOT getting any work done, lol

Did pass the time with paper books and comics - thank lord I buy Transformers in hardback form - and tinkered with cards, even had a candle-lit FNM action going, where I made many an enemy with a mono-black EDH deck (Although, yeah, maybe Sudden Spoiling + Black Sun's Zenith was a tad too much...)

Then yesterday offered an opportunity, work was open, so I hitched a ride in, sat down in the office, and with the argument I needed my iPhone/iPad as work tools, got to have them charged up!

So, here we go, second day, just have to take my fill and ration it out until power properly returns I guess (Why did I have to learn of the existence of Poppy O'Possum before the power went out?! I wanna read more...)

So, yeah, that's about it, nothing to report on my side health wise other than having to wear like two socks over my casted foot to keep my toes from freezing off, lol, I've been good and not got in any other bother.

...

Although it would give me an excuse to to see Jeri again...

Hmm.

See you soon folks!

So.

Quick follow up to last journal, can't talk or reply as need to conserve power on cell, snowed in and power's down.

Still have job!

Just, snowed under, literally and figuratively, lol

More soon, hopefully >_>

Anyone else in similar conditions right now, good luck and take care!

?

The title? I needed a snappy line I guess, lol, so, quick story? I had a rolling success in a Magic the Gathering draft that wound up with me pocketing an 80 dollar card and winning like another 20 bucks worth of cards all for one 10 buck entry fee into an event at the local store XD

That, and having successfully crafted a Group Hug Magic deck that was so well enjoyed I ended up with folks buying me food and drink afterwards to celebrate!

Goddamn I love Magic <3


Anyhow! Rolling on!


Ze New List:
-  NathanCowan [PAID]
-  Hundertneun [PAID] [Sketched]
-  Hundertneun [PAID] [Sketched]
-  The_Lost_One [PAID] [Sketched]
-  Twoofclubs [PAID]
-  Kritterfox [PAID]
-  Kritterfox [PAID]
-  Straitfox
-  Straitfox
-  Straitfox
-  Straitfox


Welp, my art may have taken a beating of late, but, at least seeing this list much smaller is a big pick me up~

Geez, a lot can happen in two weeks when you stop and think about it, so it's been something of a thing just to sit and catch up to you guys here, which in itself is kind of its own story I guess?

Big things have been following News-wise that I've been watching follow around from the old in the memorials to the first world war, to the world moving onward, only about a week or two after the release of the movie Interstellar - thought it was full of fairly cool ideas and set pieces, just, execution mayhap fell down a little for me =x - we landed a probe on a comet!

Geez, considering this is a probe that was built ten years ago? And dreamed up 15 years prior to THAT? I'm surprised it got as far as it did without worse happening, hoping we'll see more and more about that when the light powers enough for them to get data back and plan a next stage

But more down to earth, things have been doing alright =o I mean, I've been getting up and about alright on my crutches, same as always =B Horse throws you off you gotta get right back on, so, life goes on and up I got and kept going~ So, much the same as is!

But as I prod on, I can't help but looking around just now, how things change and keep on changing, today I read the first issue of Shonen Jump since Naruto ended - and damn hell, Naruto has been like one of the first serial manga I followed, I think right back to issue 2 of the US Shonen Jump, back when I RPed Redwall and everything, and seeing the end of an era when it finished? It's been surreal I guess, is one word for it, but, it's a feeling that seems familiar of late

Boardwalk Empire? Over. The Newsroom? Final Season. Doctor Who? Over, with some damn bittersweet feelings, and the worrisome hanging thread in the air that the BBC has yet to renew a new season or not.

I always think about every year as Winter approaches, the whole changing of the seasons, and there's that whole idea of things that happen as they come and go leaves room for new growth, new life

And I kinda wonder, with the sudden looming possibility of being let go at work, what could be next for me?

Change is scary, with me sitting on no savings, with a veritable buttload of debts that I've been relying on a lot of other folks piling in on to help hold down, with my own share of insecurities, and a Christmas round the corner I probly can't afford to buy folks for, maybe scary is underselling this, this is damn terrifying

But, would it be such a bad thing?

It's been a good year now, year and a bit, since I last had any work published, since the paper decided that my work didn't afford page space and ever since I've been an unofficial secretary, and I feel drained every day even though I feel like I really did nothing in the office, I've got to wonder, a fresh start, a blank slate, could I go out and manage to rekindle a few passions along the way?

I'm sorry for the suddenly downbeat second half of this journal, and how mood whiplash set in suddenly, but, I dunno, I didn't know how to really vent this one out, with a lot of tiny things nibbling away I'd like to see some positive, I'd like to imagine I could start over again and maybe there's some light ahead, it's certainly not the sunniest Christmas start I've seen, with Thanksgiving between here and there, I guess we'll see how things go =o

Just like I said, right? Horse knocks you off, gotta get back on up =B

"What's the prognosis, Doctor?"

"24 year old female, broken ankle, signs of swelling, six to eight weeks recovery. Also, chest x-rays came back, looks like we're looking at a broken heart too."

"Okay, I'll get on to Ortho and- Wait, what?"


Yeeeeeeup, everything yesterday wanted to hurt me~

I was using a day off to try and organise my Magic cards for a new Commander deck. Well. Two Commander decks to be specific, loooootsa cards to go through.

(My lovely lady Commanders by the by~)
http://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=122406&type=card
http://teresenielsen.typepad.com/.a.....9479970b-800wi

Aaaaand, then, the phone rang, so, up I get, and lamniate flooring, plus thin and slippery plastic-cardboard objects upon said flooring?

Down I go~


Then insult to injury was when I downloaded the new issue 34 of More Than Meets the Eye whilst in the hospital and going through treatment. Goddamn, the hurt there's about the only thing that numbed whatever I jacked up in my ankle >_>

So, yeah, lol, I'm back home, off my feet for now for the rest of the week, feeling a little lousy, but otherwise fine, and I'll be okay =B Until then, I'll just be keeping my foot up and showing it off in my pretty pink new footwear~

Current Art List:
-  NathanCowan [Sketched]

Ze New List:
-  NathanCowan [PAID, Sketched]
-  NathanCowan [PAID, Sketched]
-  NathanCowan [PAID]
-  The_Lost_One [PAID]
-  The_Lost_One [PAID]
-  Hundertneun [PAID]
-  Hundertneun [PAID]
-  The_Lost_One [PAID]
-  Twoofclubs [PAID]
-  Kritterfox [PAID]
-  Kritterfox [PAID]
-  Straitfox
-  Straitfox
-  Straitfox
-  Straitfox


It's nice to be back, and nice to see the list shrink, if only like a lil for the folks who've paid up =B

Time rolls on and I chip at what I can, but no incidents of injury I am happy to report =3 I've been cracking on with getting my Christmas list written up, buying a few presents for folks and trying to see if I can budget myself accomodatingly for the next two months until another Xmas passes, whilst also planning for birthdays, Halloween and Thanksgiving in between...

Not to mention of course that first Anniversary <3

Yeeesh, big expectations there and still not sure how the hell to live up to last year's honeymoon - asides you know, not getting hurt and whatnot - to try and do something for Jeri as a big gesture of some sort, I'm not really sure how yet, but I'm thinking on it =o

I'm gonna update some art tonight that I've gotten elsewhere but have failed to post previously for whatever reason, just because I needa thank some folks and arts needs to be shared for the sake of it <3

But as much as art needs spotlight, so does some writing, since  RainThunder7 completed work on a story me and him had been trading ideas and such for Melody breaking her leg and the things that revolved around from there, as well as leading up to events of recent where Faith... well...

Read on!
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/14725960/
[Part 5 of 6]
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/14728107/
[Part 6 of 6]


In Magic news, Khans of Tarkir's Game Day occurred this weekend across the globe, with players showing off new decks built up from the latest sets release being incorporated into the new Standard, and, while I didn't make first, or even top 8, I had fun seeing the latest new brews appearing in the mix

And, I'm inspired for NEXT Game Day, which should be, what, January next year? I look forward to blowing some people's minds with what I come up with =D

But until then, I've pretty much nabbed every card I could want from Khans, and just need to find some trade material to put together this new idea

Cats shall rule standard once again!

Mwahahahahah!

And now, we return you to your regularly scheduled furry art site~

Current Art List:
-  NathanCowan [Sketched]
- DA Art Trade [Sketched]

Ze New List:
-  NathanCowan [PAID]
-  NathanCowan [PAID]
-  NathanCowan [PAID]
-  NathanCowan [PAID]
-  NathanCowan [PAID]
-  The_Lost_One [PAID]
-  The_Lost_One [PAID]
-  Hundertneun [PAID]
-  Hundertneun [PAID]
-  The_Lost_One [PAID]
-  Twoofclubs [PAID]
-  Kritterfox [PAID]
-  Kritterfox [PAID]


Working on some doodling today, hopefully will have at least one pic to show for it today, some may have to wait... Although that comic does need to wait for reasons that will soon become clear, mwahahaha...

*Ahem*

Anyhow, a friend has been of much help to me lately and I said I'd give him a shout out here as a bit of thanks

 Manarat knows me from way back. Like WAAAAY back. AOL chatroom RP way back

And invariably, as a lot of Internet relationships go, sometimes you kinda lose track of folks, in our timeline, that was aboooout 2003/4? Then cue a decade later, he spots my Hero's Path picture and recognises my fursona from all this time and sends me a Note =D

It's pretty awesome that getting into Magic could reunite me with a friend from way back, so we caught up with one another and I got to enjoy telling him a couple things that happened since, Y'know, like getting married and such~

So!

Along with him going into a college course for teaching, he's decided to hang up his lurking hat and decided to try his hand at arting, which considering him, is kind of a big thing, and I think it deserves a lil appreciation and some cheerful encouragement to let him improve and work on it whenever he can =D

To that end, here's one he doodled of my fursona to boot!

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/14623885/

=B

Go poke him, have a look at his stuff, offer him some encouragement, he's a pretty fun guy and I'd like to see him get a happy welcome to FA finally ^^ My Magic mentor needs some kudos!

Current Art List:
-  NathanCowan [Sketched]
- DA Art Trade [Sketched]

Ze New List:
-  NathanCowan [PAID]
-  NathanCowan [PAID]
-  NathanCowan [PAID]
-  NathanCowan [PAID]
-  NathanCowan [PAID]
-  The_Lost_One [PAID]
-  The_Lost_One [PAID]
-  Hundertneun [PAID]
-  Hundertneun [PAID]
-  The_Lost_One [PAID]
-  Twoofclubs [PAID]
-  Kritterfox [PAID]
-  Kritterfox [PAID]


Welp, all went well in my first journey to the Plane of Tarkir, I managed to come in ninth while representing my clan of the House Abzhan! And for my loyalty, in my Promo pack I got to meet the favor of my clan's leader Anafenza! Everything went well, with plenty of fun decks flying around

Just like I thought, Mardu and Abzhan was everywhere, the card pools for them are so strong, that when you choose them, their color pools just flow into one another, it's almost interchangable, that if you don't find what you like in one clan, you can borrow from the other =o

So, MOST folks went with that, although the real surprise I found was when I met any Jeskai folks, jeez those monks pack a mean punch, especially one card they had:
http://cartamagicastore.com/image/c.....ue-500x500.png

Goddamn, if this is what Mister Miyagi taught, no wonder those Cobra Kai folks never stood a chance, the monks just built up all pacifist and all, then suddenly erupted into kung fu death, swinging out each time for the killing blow


Welp!

Abzhan aside, I look forward to the full release on Friday, me and a bunch of friends decided to hold ourselves a mini-draft, we're all paying in 20 bucks, to buy a FULL BOX of Khans of Tarkir we got from a pre-order price at the store =D

We're going to each take our share of packs, build a sealed mini-draft to see who gets the promo card you get for buying a full box and also how we split up the remaining packs =B It's always fun to see what you can do with Magic if you get creative, much like how I discovered pack wars

One thing I hate about card games is the whole idea of how much money goes into it, buying a pack of cards, you lay down like four bucks a pack, open it, and then, say you're after a certain card, you skip right to the rare and find yourself with something you didn't want, it's kinda like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory here, looking for the elusive gold tickets

Cracking packs is expensive overall, and not really fun unless you see immediate reward

SO!

I got introduced to Pack Wars recently! Think I mentioned this previously, I've not held my unbeaten streak sadly, but this has proved a massively fun way to get most fun out of my four bucks, and weirdly enough, has seemingly increased my chances at finding rare cards o_O Dunno how, but, since I used this method to open my packs, found so much fun stuff... Including today?

FIVE packs were left in the M15 box, we decide to have a three-way match, so we take three cards... and in our pool?

One friend gets a Yamivaya Coast...
http://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=383441&type=card

Painland, fairly nicely priced rare land...

The other? Soul of Ravnica
http://www.magicspoiler.com/wp-cont.....15-Spoiler.png

Not the most powerful Soul card in M15, but still a mythic rare...

So, three packs, one pulled a Mythic, best pick, right?

WRONG.
http://mythicspoiler.com/m15/cards/.....worldwaker.jpg

NISSA. WORLDWAKER. Goddamnit, one of the three highest priced cards in the set, up alongside Ajani and Garruk, she's an awesome card, and with her recent reforming that she's no longer an Elf supremist, an awesomely welcome character to represent the Green color to players from now on =D

So, yeah, Magic wise all goes well

I've also gotten some small headway on my first art list, even if my second one grows larger as it does, lol, but progress is progress, small, but meaningful =3 With that writing bit I did earlier for the Theros art post as well, I tick something off my list I meant a long time ago~

I've also been reading more of Kyell Gold's work, and found a character I'm now head over heels for and need to make fanart of, we'll see if I can squeeze her in somewhere between everything else <3

For now, gonna stop here, this seems like a fairly nice stop point to holler everything's alright and going well =D

Jeri sends her love and I remain yet castless, and hope to manage AT LEAST into Halloween for some shenanigans <3

Take care all, and will speak to you again soon!

Jeez guys, you know how to make a girl feel loved, don't you? =D

Meant to put this up like- *Checks calender* Two days ago, but waiting for one last person I held off, seems alright to put it up now, soooo, let's see the results of that DfD drive!


Current List:
-  NathanCowan [Scripted - Revising]
-  Vandercat ,
- DA Art Trade

Ze New List:
-  NathanCowan [PAID]
-  NathanCowan [PAID]
-  NathanCowan [PAID]
-  NathanCowan [PAID]
-  NathanCowan [PAID]
-  The_Lost_One [PAID]
-  The_Lost_One [PAID]
-  Hundertneun [PAID]
-  Hundertneun [PAID]
-  The_Lost_One [PAID]
-  Twoofclubs [PAID!]


There we go, our new slots~

I may not be the quickest off the draw, certainly not this weekend with Khans of Tarkir happening, but I'm already thinking of ideas to work with some free range slots I've been given and hoping that the results will all be worth the money and trust you guys keep putting in <3

That and just happy that I can offer art skills without it being for some great disaster I've dug myself into, lol

Thanks all, and I'll report back in sometime soon! =D

=O Well now, been two weeks, I daresay it's time to update this

With FIRST and most important update?

CASTLESS AM I!

Yup, got me to the hospital and my cast was removed with great jubilation, before I began on my Physio, so that took up a chunk of time, but right now my wrist's pretty much back to full strength, and I'm getting about okay just using a crutch here and there to help out =B And yes, lol, after everything, I'm back on the vibrating plate machine this all began on, so, no new injuries there, we'll see if Jeri puts a safety harness on it or something later

Doctor Who has been awesome as well, Jeri's not really as big a fan, but, any excuse to cuddle up close on the sofa's appreciated as we watched last week's Robot Hood and enjoyed the writing styles of Mark Gatiss, who continues to shine at Who episodes, although it really did work on how well you enjoyed the idea that the Doctor cannot stand Robin Hood and all his trope-ticking everyone-loves-me antics

Well, happy and fun adventure over, scary adventure tonight...

http://youtu.be/N15qtDfix78


Khans of Tarkir happens next week, a new prerelease and I'm scrabbling to come up with new ideas to try out for decks with Game Day coming the month right after, but Khans does look like an awesome selection of multicolored cards I'll need to ready for, which reminds me about how long its been since I uploaded a certain commission or two that really needs to go up... guess I'll need to work on those blurbs!

But for now, here's some Khans action!
http://youtu.be/BIC1M_eKagk

Really, REALLY hoping I get lucky with my Abzhan box, 1 in 8 chance of pulling my chosen clan's leader <<
http://i.imgur.com/ILI3UTQ.png

In other Magic news, someone introduced me to Pack Wars, which was a weird and fun thing to play, just you and a friend buy a pack of cards each, open it and yank out the token at the back, but don't peek at what you get... shuffle in 3 of each basic land, theeeeeen proceed from there =B Best of three wins!

Three-Nil me, whoo!
(Certainly DID NOT HURT I yanked an Ajani in one pack, a Chandra in the other <3)


Now then, we're all slightly caught up...

I was poked and prodded by a few folks over my DfDs, and, I've made it clear I don't wanna rally these too often since I think I'd be abusing you guys over your goodwill on this, I've always run this as you donate money, I draw something in exchange as thanks

HOWEVER

Some people have been saying I should look at it the other way, that some folks want art and this is them wanting more

So, with that said - and the fact that I'm a little over budget on my entertainment section this month - I'm gonna open up DfD slots for folks who're looking for some =B Just ten to test waters and see if this is something I should do some more

I'm almost finished work on some prior orders, sooooo, let's see here....



IN PROGRESS:
 NathanCowan 1 Comic Page [SCRIPTED]
 VanderCat 1 piece
Casts-n-crutches of DA who doodled me a pic as an Art Trade =B

SLOTS:
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-

RULES:
Donations For Doodles rules stick, you donate ten bucks, I'll doodle a character of your choice, wanting two, then it's two slots, etc, anything special requests, we talk =B

Just Note me if you have any interest and I'll pop it up here ^^


Thanks again for hanging around guys, hope I'll give you some plenty fun shortly =D

Welp, looking forward to tomorrow, hopefully tonight'll be my last Friday Night Magic in a cast for a while =B

Physio's gonna suck, but then that's kinda expected since this was a bad break after all, although the irony is not lost on me that working out getting my leg broken is gonna result in me working out more now it'll be castless again, lol, at least I can be sure my arms'll be getting a workout on crutches after spending so long stuck in the wheelchair

I've been having fun as well finding plenty to laugh at, whether or not it's Kermit taking the ALS challenge...

http://youtu.be/Mmax3yEZX58

Or just the sheer nerdiness of what can be done with a Tesla coil...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkMFw7tqzvA&feature=youtu.be&t=17s


Orrrrrr just the horribly wonderful puns as Scotland apparently searched the world for the year's funniest joke and went with:
"I've decided to sell my vacuum... well, it was just gathering dust."

They had another I liked, all of this at the Edinburgh Fringe, sad to hear they didn't do another one for the worst joke, but for my fave?
"Money can't buy you happiness? Well, check this out, I bought myself a Happy Meal!"

Gotta love them jokes you love to cringe at~


Yeah, it's good to laugh, I think I got my horror quota from all the Five Nights at Freddy's hype spreading around, I really wanna play it somewhere somehow, een a friend offering me to buy it which was nice, but I just don't have a laptop that cares enough to stay stable for me even just for casual internetting, I doub it would be happy with me playing video games XP

Although, then again, maybe my horror quota isn't done, not when James Roberts and friends posted up the cover for an upcoming Transformer comic...
http://www.comicbookresources.com/prev_img.php?pid=26757&disp=ilib&oty=1&oid=54952


So things are nudging along quite nicely, Jeri finally laid down the money for WWE Network, so we can catch up on recent events or look back at classical events, and it kinda makes me a lil sad to go buying new art for Faith with rekindled PCA interest, and she's getting stuff for both of us to enjoy, I'm gonna have to rectify this shortly and think of something nice to do for her, our big anniversary's coming up for December, but I wanna get her something before that, just because =O

...

Not to say I ALSO don't need to put thought into the anniversary, it's big and I'm still not even sure I know what would be a great gift for her there

(Speaking of PCA, if you haven't seen Kae's amazing art? Go do~ http://www.furaffinity.net/view/14295507/)

Although maybe I could think about her friends a little, not something I've brought up here often, but Jeri does try to include me in her ircle of friends, mostly hospital staffa nd all, but also, she has a hand in some of the LGBT rights via a number of her friends, who, sadly, I'm not in best circles with

Imagine Tumblr in real life, and kind of there you go, her last 'meeting' with them had preferred pronouns as a major topic of discussion, riveting stuff, although, I feel a little guilty about maybe not taking it serious enough

Jeri wasn't lucky enough like me to have as supportive an environment I had growing up and coming out, and I can see she just wants to lend a helping hand to kids that come to terms with who they are, I just don't know if this group is quite doing that for her, but it's not as if there are any other equality groups around an area as small as this to help her out with that

Kinda reminds me of the Kyell Gold books someone got me into, about the characters Dev and Lee, who try to pursue a relationship with the hopes it won't prevent Dev's chances of getting into professional football and hamper his career, whilst Lee weighs up how he feels about closeting himself for his boyfriend, and it kinda resonates with me a little with Lee, when he realises that as an activist, he FOUGHT for people's rights to love whoever they wanted to, so he can feel happy with being with Dev

It's a nice set of books and I'd like to follow it up more, especially when I found this incredibly cute animatic of the two main characters loosely following hte first book, nothing explicit, just cute and nice <3

http://youtu.be/j96-4b-xedA

Something I might ponder about more in a later journal on this front, but, I think I'll just look forward to a tomorrow, cast free day, and hopefully more adventures to come =B Or maybe a lazy weekend with my wife

Until then, eyes peeled on my page... HOPEFULLY I might have something ready by the end of the day...

Well!

By now you'll have seen the pile of uploads I shoved up by now from Fox in Scotland showing off all the arts that I got out of the share from Auto Assembly, all that Transformers art and sketches from folks, eeeee~

Well, while I couldn't be there myself, at least I've got all those arriving that I can see them in person soon, as well as a few other surprises I've not been told what they are, but know to expect something soon =B

While all that was happening, I've had my own adventures to enjoy, because even if I'd been able to journey to the UK, I'd have been tough driven to pick between Transformers and Magic cards, since Game Day for Magic 2015 took up the whole weekend!

Only one problem was, the fact I was working the whole weekend too =P So instead I went and flung in a whole pile of overtime and shaking about shifts until finally I managed to get both days off to take part in the event

There wasn't any side story for me this time after the XBox game pretty much filled the gaps on the Garruk story, but I still got to have some fun with folks playing against the Garruk cards we were all given in the original prerelease, or filled the time with other items we could come up with

As far as the main events though, I had not one, but two decks to use, deciding that I'd try each of them out and see how things would go

Sadly day one did not go well for my latest brew of "Blueprint for Success"

So basically it ran around:
Chief Engineer:
http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--WN5nIHwk--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_320/785470751656997291.jpg

Who would employ all my creatures into work forces who would build my big massive Artifacts, say either...

Soul of New Phyrexia:
http://media-dominaria.cursecdn.com.....83388.full.jpg

Or...

Scuttling Doom Engine:
http://www.magicspoiler.com/wp-cont.....15-Spoiler.png

Basically, artificacts that are actually creatures, really big ones with awesome effects that hit hard and heavy

And then finally?
Shrapnel Blast:
http://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=383380&type=card

To detonate my giant creatures and cause the finishing blow! Prime example being one match where I brought out Scuttling Doom Engine against a player who was hiding behind a set of 1/1 Soldiers, none of whom could block it from smacking their owner in the face for 6, then Shrapnel Blast exploded the doom engine, which caused 6 damage when it exploded along with the 5 from the shrapnel blast itself, 17 damage all in one turn!

Saaaaaadly it was very situational, and there was a case of too many giant creatures to work really, sadly landing me at 10th in rankings and not enough to make it into the top 8 finals, still, it was a nifty promo for taking part with the already awesome Reclamation Sage now in full art form: (whose wrath I'd already felt more than once in the day...)
http://media-dominaria.cursecdn.com.....2729461828.png

So, instead I concentrated on working on the next day and traded a buttload of stuff for a foil version of Thassa to wrap up my day, I may have came out the one trading for more overall, buuuuut I still felt damn happy with my very pretty God card, who joined the other water creatures in the artifact deck =B


Next day?

I went in with a Green/White/Black Superfriends deck, all based around Green Planeswalkers and splashing into the other colors needed to give me access to other creatures and have fun there, so all in all, I had access to six Planeswalkers to work around...

Nissa, Worldwaker:
http://roxiecards.com/wp-content/up.....worldwaker.png
Who helped me ramp up my mana points, as well as create some new critters in a pinch out of my own land

Ajani, Mentor of Heroes:
http://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=380367&type=card
Who... just... just so versatile, find more Planeswalkers or creatures? Make creatures out EVEN stronger? GAIN 100 LIFE?!

Vraska the Unseen:
http://images.magicmadhouse.co.uk/i.....4-39625000.jpg
Scary lady, really she existed just to be a decoy who folks would attack to try and get rid of before her 'win the game' final effect could kick in, sadly she never did get to create those assassins of hers...

Garruk, Apex Predator:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oVmb39k71.....east+token.jpg
EVEN SCARIER big guy, who certainly was expensive to play, but when he did, he took down mirror matches against other people with Planeswalkers, created hard to deal with tokens, then finally would just be a giant control stick against opponents

But all this was just green, the white/black ALSO meant I got to splash out foooor...

Elspeth, Sun's Champion:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--6u95UMii.....blem+token.jpg
Elspeth. Enough said.

Ajani Steadfast:
http://37.media.tumblr.com/77acf8ec.....2dho2_1280.jpg
Second Ajani and chronologically the next card after the Mentor of Heroes appearance for Ajani, after Elspeth has been killed and all, which you can see him there wearing her cape, his green mentor clothes ragged and dulled... this Ajani really helped power up and protect other Planeswalkers and is just a cool card overall for story flavor purposes as having failed Elspeth, he tries to redeem himself

Liliana Vess:
http://s3.amazonaws.com/mtggoldfish.....5BM15%255D.jpg
Final planeswalker and just capitalising on the Black, to annoy opponents either by getting rid of their cards before they can play them, or by letting me effectively choose whatever my next card will be to my advantage

All in all, these guys made a fairly damn solid team together to just take control of the board, especially when backed up with an artifact tailor made to enhance Planeswalkers, the Chain Veil:
http://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=383412&type=card

This combination proved particularly effective, using the green as a backbone to the deck to get enough mana open to summon out the planeswalkers and then dominate from there, using a few small but bulky creatures to defend them while they did their thing, well enough to get me through to the final eight on Sunday's Game Day and land me with a fairly respectable third place =B

Not to mention, my top 8 prize card, the full art version of my Chief Engineer!!
http://wintargetgame.net/wp-content.....neer-promo.jpg


Sadly, none of my packs had found me anything really memorable to mention right now, but all in all, it was a good, if not exhausting weekend, before returning to the grindstone, yesterday was my first day off after all the excitement and I think I'm still recovering from that, lol

Maybe next Game Day I'll concentrate more on my deck before hand and just try one day with ONE deck instead of two days with two types!

In other news, two weeks time I'll be back at hospital and hopefully good news'll see my leg cast come off, it'd be nice to be castless again for a bit =B

I do admit I've been pretty wrapped up in things of late though because of this, between the event days and all the extra work, will feel better to get back into a groove and then get working again on my hopeful projects~

I still have some art to post up, but it requires writing from me to be added before it can get shown, so we'll see how long it takes me to do that now!

Until then, I'll look forward to the new Magic sets and bring on the Khans of Tarkir!

Welp!

Mini update of yay, sooooo, first thing's first, I am one cast down!

Yeeeeeeeup, I am now back to two wrists, and am hard at work at physio now in getting my hands back on level playing fields =B Which is good considering I'll need them for this weekend when the newest Magic Game Day occurs, so, wish me luck, as I approach the batting field with some apprehension over Convoke Artifacts and whether or not I can swing this, lol

Magic aside - you'll likely hear pleeeeeenty of that from me next week - me and Jeri got to go to the movies to celebrate one less limb in a cast, and I think you can happily add both of us to the list of folks who plenty enjoyed it

It kinda takes me a second to look at Marvel and DC and realise just how much Marvel has went up to bat and swung on the idea that their fans love the camp and the fun of comic book movies, whereas DC always goes for droll and serious, I glance back at my movie collection and realise the only DC movie in my collection is Dark Knight, which I loved for the Joker, black humor or not, eh =o

In concept I guess as a start a comic book movie is meant to be just what it is, and the whole EVERYTHING SO SERIOUS really did grate a little with the latest Superman offering more visibly than prior movies, these kinda movies are supposed to be fun, so it was nice to be able to go and watch a movie in the Marvel-verse that really did feel on the upbeat

Is it my fave marvel movie? Possibly not, Thor and Iron Man 3 still likely hold those positions, but it's a definite top 5 position, not sure how much I wanna spoil for folks who may not have seen yet, but it's well worth the admission price for Rocket Raccoon alone - We're all on FA, we all know who the real star is of course =P - and certainly I loved seeing Vin Diesel return to some Iron Giant roots with Groot (See what I did there?)

Not to mention Drax! Jeri being a wrestling fan, we've both seen some terrible, teeeerrible Wrestling movies in our days, and we're not discussing Mr Nanny here XP But the idea of Drax being entirely literal really worked wonders for Bautista to plsy the ham out of it and get away with it

All in all, it was just fun galore, and I keep finding myself humming the soundtrack whenever I'm working away right now, lol

Not to mention that after credits scene~ I don't care if no one else got it, but welcome back Howard!!


Just felt like posting this up, I've still got a bit of healing to go, still being stuck in the wheelchair and all, but I got a fresh leg cast on, so my leg feels a little less ick after getting washed down, and I'm feeling better and better as I feel more mobile each day, so hopefully no more doldrum days of waking up and spending all day in bed, lol ^^

I shall holler you all soon as more things occur!

Welp, considering that this journal's update is BECAUSE of a Magic article, yeah, consider this a mostly MtG thing XD Doesn't hurt I had more Magic things occur to add to this

On the healing front, I am finally no longer required to have my leg all traction-ed up, as long as I promise not to use crutches or put any weight on it, I'm allowed to wheelchair, and if I'm lucky, next week the cast on my wrist should come off!

So yeah, healing front, all is good =B

Magic front? I certainly made a big rant or two about the whole thing with Wizards killing off Elspeth in a very poor manner and then leaving us very little closure, well, Wednesday is Uncharted Realms day, when Magic writes up a short story about some corner of the Magic Universe, either between the wandering Bard and Biologist Yisan and Jelira who investigate the growing threat of the Sliver Hive, or a short story about a sentient Voodoo doll...

Seriously, not kidding about that last one =P

But then, on Wednesday, they made a short story about Ajani, the leonin Planeswalker who acted as Elspeth's mentor and friend, in card form, he's recently mourned her passing, taking to wearing her cloak

http://www.magicspoiler.com/wp-cont.....aneswalker.png

And now, we've learnt his side of the story after Godsend when Ajani is forced to leave Elspeth's body behind and is rescued by the other Leonin:

http://magic.wizards.com/en/article.....nce-2014-07-23


But yeah, not gonna ask you all to go read it, buuuuut as it's now clear that the Elspeth story isn't over yet, I'm happy to see the book isn't as close ended as it was, particularly that there's going to be some comeuppance for Heliod to come, with more chapters to Theros to come

In other Magic news, Theros has still been making a big part of my deck, with the uber powerful Soul of Theros I found at the prerelease staying at home in my deck along with some of the other powerful cards I've found giving me enough luck and power to win a FNM this weekend! =D

So for this win, a pile of packs, and a particularly shiny promo card:
http://images.magicmadhouse.co.uk/i.....1-37686600.jpg

=D It's not often this happens, sooooo it's been pretty awesome and good news for a last hurrah from my cards before most of them get rotated out of the current Magic season and I need to try rebuilding it

It's been pretty awesome overall since joining Magic, I really feel like the whole community's been a lot more friendly and supportive of each other than any of the old YuGiOh groups I'd found, especially in how far the in universe fiction goes and how involved it makes players to be part of the lore and make up their own stories

(Speaking of which, played M15, was short but fun to be able to play around with a different card pool, and nice to know a little more of the Garryk story... plus shiny Promo card! Whoo!)

With SDCC having happened this weekend, with pony news, Transformer News (EVERYTHING COMBINES!!!) and Magic stuff, it's definitely been a full weekend of announcements and pure geekism fun for me, with also perhaps a surprise on the art front from me regarding a comic commission I'm working on...

Well, we'l see how fast I can work the finer details out, but hopefully the results should be enjoyable =D Wish me luck, and I'll keep at it!

Well, I decided to split my last journal, as being LITERALLY a half and half situation, one half of the journal positive, the other half negative, I figured it'd be nice to have the happy half on the journal front anyhow

Welp!

Progress report!

Saturday, things started off with a message from  Shockblast who had nabbed something rather epic that I wanna share with you guys... not arrived yet? But holy hell, this wasn't even just because it was a get well thing?

This is just a Shock is awesome thing he's been planning for a long time now =D


https://www.dropbox.com/s/scteriuq8.....%20Jasmine.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8q4gspyc4.....ee%20photo.jpg

(Apparently? He was NOT asked to write that, lol, he did that just all by himself XD)

May I just take this moment to say HELL YES?!

...


So yeah, these are on their way to me soon and I cannnooot wait for them <3

Sunday? It was the big day, game day at prerelease of Magic's new 2015 core set, and it just clicked when I popped open my sealed card pack and began constructing my cards from the ground up, it's something to be able to make your own deck, its another to go in blind, then start putting something together for fighting folks off with a stick, luckily my packs seemed to send me a clear message

Liliana Vess? TWO Ob Nixilis? Soul of Theros? Yeah, Black and White was the name of the game, and I rode it to 4 wins out of 5 games to land myself in fourth place overall for the day =D

And between the Soul of Theros, a pulled Ajani Steadfast, Avacyn and a traded Soul of New Phyrexia? I've pretty much got everything I wanted out of M15 all in one go, now I just need to trade for Nissa and I'm happy

It wasn't just on the competitive front I did well either, every person who got in received an oversized card in their entry box that is actually a challenge mode for the game to be played against, this being the first core set that makes a flavor story to go with it, as Garruk has now began hunting down Planeswalkers as his curse of encroachment turns him feral, no longer a hunter of the wilds, but now hunting across the multiverse as he tracks down the 'ultimate game' and here he's found us

And no-one's gonna use a 600 dollar deck to get out of this, Garruk's got the drop on us, we've gotta fight with what's to hand

And I'm happy to say? I not only survived, I kicked his cursed ass to the kerb, before then giving the biggest sigh of relief ever, lol

Now of course, I just need to BUY THE GAME tomorrow to actually get the end of the story XD

Damnit

Ah well~ Free cards too =B

Not to mention, through all of this, and yesterday even, me and Jeri found plenty of time to spend together, watch some movies and such... it's been pretty fun and a really happy weekend in that regard

A mixed weekend certainly? But overall happy enough =3

Decided to split this journal in two halves, start the downer half here, do the other half where it's happier afterward so it's the one on my front page =O

...

Downers

Two in particular really, one more minor than the other overall, but bugging me more

First one being financial minded, after being happy that I paid my way into the prerelease and my money was invested elsewhere?

The stereotypical magic player is of a sizable girth, and unfortunately, tables are placed in close proximity to one another, and even with the nifty fact that DCI sets up tournaments so that if someone's there in a wheelchair they can have a designated spot that folks came to me rather than me having to be pushed about to find them?

It was still quite a squeeze, aaaaand, as one member of the group got up and squeezed past, bumping the table for the sixth time that day? Down went my iPad, and at first I think it's okay, it just fell off the table right?

Open the cover up and there's a huge crack on the corner it landed squarely upon, which has splintered out across the entire front

Damnit

Well!

Apple want HOW much to replace this?

I'm not sure what to do since I rely on the little thing for entertainment and such a lot while laid up, reading my books and such inside it, but I certainly as hell CANNOT afford how much Apple want to fix this, and I know that a lot of cell phone stores will do it much cheaper, but I'm terrified of what job they might do, or if they'll try and peek at my stuff inside while it's with them

Or even just the cost of the slashed price cost @_@

I certainly can't fix it myself, I've seen how people fix it and I've nowhere near the steady hands necessary to repair it myself, that's even before the wrist cast in the way to boot

So

Yeah

Trying to think what to do there is a bad thing, looks like I'll need to open up commishes after all once I finish Nathan's comic

Finally?

Back to that topic at the start of the journal, "It's not any fun."

I have a problem with one of my Magic friends, and he's actually the person who mostly got me into Magic =o

The thing is, recently there's been a thing he's done, whenever we're playing, where he suddenly complains when I pull off a big move or a combo, that he'll just complain that my decks aren't fun to play against

At first, I think, okay, he's just having a bad game or two, it happens, people tilt out once or twice in Magic, hell, I had someone at my table who had an awesome deck that just wouldn't work for him, and ended up physically smacking his fist into the table when he conceded

But no, my friend doesn't get physical, maybe a swear word or something, toss down his cards, but eventually he'll just scoop and then voice the same complaint every time, that the problem is that I 'build every deck like I'm building a tournament' and that I'm not playing for fun

And it really stings, I spend a lot of time coming up with stories to go with my decks, and although I'll use one or two powerful cards, nothing stupidly overpowered ever enters the fray

Prime example, last game we played, I used my Heroic deck, which is all these little creatures that you pile up enchantment cards and they get stronger and stronger with every new attachment, basically it's like a voltron thing =o

My friend complains about Blue cards, counter, detain, Daxos in particular, my starting hand has a Daxos and a counterspell, and I just decide to sit on those cards the whole match and not use them

He plays a cat deck which is all about lifegain, indestructible cats and tons of cat tokens swarming the field

So literally all I do is create big monsters to smack into his and he still complains afterward that it's not fun, I even ask him afterwards what was wrong and he just shrugs , I ask him how HE would have made the deck differently and nothing again

In Magic, there are different players, Timmy, Johnny, Spike, with Spike's being the uber competitive people who play to win no matter what, and even though a good friend reassured me that this is my friend just being a sore loser, but it hurts to think I'm putting winning over my friends at any point

I'd just avoid playing with him, but he's kind of our main player and whenever we hang, he always wants to play, and I dunno what to really do here x_X

But it's a really fine line between competitiveness and all, and it honestly is still nagging me even while writing this, trying to think where the line lies, it's so hard to judge whether or not I've crossed it already x_o

Huzzah!

Rejoice, for I have come once more, back to my homely little home~ Aaaaand, immediately ran out of things to say <_<

Got out on Saturday and was welcomed back by friends aplenty, I'm currently installed back in my room, under the implicit instruction that I'm only to be allowed out of bed on a wheelchair and not to spend more than a few hours out without keeping the leg elevated, whilst returning home means that I'm all rigged up with a traction system keeping me tied to the bed and the leg properly extended and raised

I guess these are the perks of having a nurse who can vouch for me not getting into hijinks if they let me loose early >3

Well... as many of you may have likely already guessed?

After the night of rejoice and settling back in, Sunday, was Age of Extinction day!

My first day of real freedom and I'd willingly volunteered to go sit in a theater and watch a Michael Bay transformers movie, after hearing JUST how much the quality spoke for it XP

http://www.shortpacked.com/index.php?id=2096

I was quite honestly terrified, but I felt as my beloved fandom, I had to witness this train wreck first hand to fairly give my own two cents...

Aaaaaaaand, honestly?

I didn't hate it =o

I dunno if it was just entering with low expectations... (My words were, 'If this is at least not as bad as the new Turtles movie, I'll be happy', that in itself is a rant worthy of another day and journal, lol) or if the movie just knew where to hit me =O

Lockdown... is the movie's main antagonist, or at least the one who gets most screentime, and by far he is the most competent and imposing villain the Transformers live action movies have portrayed in the last ten years

For a character who started life as a creation in the shortlived Animated cartoon, to get a toy and cameo in the backstories of the second live action movie, Lockdown has been escalated into main story status and the movie really did itself great, especially compared to previous ones on sharing screen time between transformers and humans

It's by no means perfect and I can see at least a half hour could've likely been scrubbed by the editing team to make it more palpable, certainly I felt the time frame, although that may have been influenced by my leg after so long in the chair and out of traction, I felt an ache that had me asking for us to hit the door without waiting to see if there was anything post credits

That can wait for another day I guess when I see it again, lol

SAYING THAT, the movie was by no means near perfect,but certainly I enjoyed it as a fan and hope it's maybe a sign of improvement for the movies to come, especially with a seeded plotline to follow the movies to come

It's not perfect, but I was happy enough with the movie =B

We ordered pizza when we got home, and just enjoyed the time we had, before next day and Tuesday saw me gtting installed in my out of office office in the bed, lol, catching up on some work

Tonight? A few friends came round with Magic, I got some trades in and am happy with how my decks are turning out, with thoughts sent forward now to the weekend and the big pre-release to look forward to, hoping I can get through it alright, but it was pretty awesome to be able to call the store and they said I'd be alright with the chair, that they had contingencies to avoid moving around the draft and such, which means I'm good to go there =D

...

Now I just need to face my dilemma <_< Angels or Demons... which shall I seek for my aid?

XD Journal for another day mayhap

Now, PART of that M15 draft happening is much thanks to  Nathancowan supplementing my entertainment budget with a comic commish! So... since that'll be this Sunday? I only think it's fair he sees some reward before that date =B

I'm hoping I can manage something special with this one, lol, as a PWYW, not sure what scale to use, but this is something I'm going to enjoy anyhow ^^

That's all for now, will update this as fancy takes me! =3 Thanks for all the notes and such guys! Feeling a lot better back home in my own bed and wanna keep doing so!

Look forward to speaking to you all separately!

Well, all, its official!

This Saturday I'm being sprung loose! =3 Aaaaaand moving from one bed in the hospital to my own bed in the house, lol, still, I can't even begin describing how nice it's gonna feel to be home and have some comfort in my surroundings once again

Although weirdly ironic?

I see MORE of Jeri in here than at home I think, either she's off and she's keeping me company, or she's on work and she takes occasional peeks in to see me and how I'm doing =B

More than once also, she has came in literally after just finishing a shift to then kick off her shoes, still in uniform, clambers onto the bed and snuggles close before asking what we're watching =B

My recovery's going well, I'm using my left wrist a little at a time even with the cast, I'm getting better at typing again for instance, although it's basically that I've just got my left hand propped over the keyboard edge and type like all of three keys I'd have to reach for to make normal sentences and such =B

Leg? I dun really know, it's still like, elevated and out of my way, I can't tell how much I've recovered on it until I maybe start getting around some, but it's past the first week blues anyhow, so all good and dandy, should be fun to see if I can leave and get out of te hospital on my own steam =B

Speaking of steam... eeeeesh, the heat from this fan is ridiculous, lying in bed all the time, heat... makes me sleepy...

Oooooh.... well, maybe that explains why I haven't been able to finish a journal in like five days XP

In fact? This journal was started LAST night and then I ended up like falling asleep halfway through, mental note to try and not write journals too long << Woulda posted sooner, but like after I finished work, food came, then friends with Magic cards

I realize also that in my boredom and such, I've spent like my entire month's entertainment budget in two days.

That's a pretty big whoops right there... <<

I'm considering maybe opening up commissions again, make a new drive and see how that could go, but it would involve me not getting distracted, that'd be a big call right there, lol, so much going on this month, transformers movie...

*Shudder*

XP I don't care, it can't be worse than Revenge of the Fallen, that's all I'll tell myself

Then the Magic Pre-release happens, I'm already plotting away to try and figure out my strategy for attacking the new challenge mode!

Until theeeeeen, well, I guess I can enjoy my new Turtles comic book =D Got the trade for the Northampton issues, all the Alopex and Turtle fun in so bittersweet cute Campbell art stylings <3 God, this is like my fave Turtles story ever

(Though don't know if it'll ever best Bebop & Rocksteady for best standalone issue, lol)

Still not sure whether or not it's worth sulking over the fact that some of my friends in the UK will end up getting to see this movie before me, lol, but eh, it's certainly not been enough to hear everyone raving bout it yet XD

For now? I'll work on getting out of here and speak to you all soon ^^

Shorter journals from now on =B Speak to you later!

So hey guys, just wanting to respond a bit more broadly, write this up here and means I don't need to rewrite it over and over for folks when I speak to them, lol

If you're here about the artist needed, you can leap tot heend =O

First and foremost, healing, going slow but steady, not much I can get up to here that I can hurt myself, still all tied to the bed by my leg rightnow, so still stuck there, but I'm slowly tryng to encourage my left wrist to do things without exerting it, which is why I'm still a bit of a slow typer right now XD

For passing time, I was happy when I got my laptop back and being able to communicate again with the internet meant I was able to reach out past the confines of my room once again and not feel so cooped up, it's been great talking to you guys, even in snippets it just helps time go that much faster

Hopefully you'll see me try to act on my time and be a bit more creative as moods fancy me or not, lol, most times I'm just trying to rest myself back up, watching things on iTunes, catching up on stuff like rewatching the 50th Anniversary episode of Doctor Who once again (bygod how great that episode was <3)

Today my friends dropped in a care package, a whole bunch of Magic cards they'd looked around for, and apparently they spoke to folks at the local shop, and players just all chipped in cards to pass me, and they didn't just pass me their spare Pillarfield Ox cards or nothing...

Shocklands, Dethrite Shaman, Mizzium Mortars, even three people who threw in for an Obzedat Ghost Council, a Voice of Resurgance and a MUTAVAULT!

Those last three are like 20 to 30 dollar cards! >_>;;;

It was a hell of a gift package, then to boot my friends had just gotten a fat pack JUST to play a game of Wizards tower, so we opened all the packs without looking, then shuffled in all the land to make a giant library and began playing against one another, taking turns to draw from he uni-deck and a pool of cards that got collected from the deck also

It was pretty damn fun, but it's kinda expensive to play, lol, so it won't be a common occurrence, it was pretty special

Looking forward to the Magic prerelease of the next set, I should be allowed out of here in plenty time for it, and looking forward to the game side of it too, when the newest 'Challenge' appears =D

Although things to look forward to getting out of here is like a long list I could go on forever about, lol

Today Magic, tomorrow comic books, as I look forward to generous dollops of transformers, ponies and Saga all on one day~


Speaking of Transformers? Botcon happened, big props to Chupi for having a great haul and meeting all the people from behind its scenes =D Much awesomeness I can never imagine <3


Aaaaaaand finally, artistry required!

As Magic progresses, and Theros' block has ended, Xenagos has fallen, the Conspiracy goes round and round, Garruk approaches in his hunt and the Khans await, I wanna ask for someone to do some more art of my fursona in the Magic setting to go along with the progress

Sooooo, I'm looking for someone who can handle fantasy and is flexible in pricing, even if just for a sketch commission of my fursona in much the same style as the last pic =B

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/13481644/


Only problem is that it requires some props/background that I know can be a deterrent to folks =o

One being a weapon...
http://37.media.tumblr.com/b42b544a.....2un2o1_500.png
http://media.wizards.com/images/mag.....cardart_gs.jpg

And the other being a far off glimpse of the High City Paliano =O
http://www.magicspoiler.com/wp-cont.....al-Spoiler.jpg
http://media.wizards.com/images/mag.....0_cardart1.jpg


So yes =O Hoping some folks can point me in directions, I know that Misao's too busy to accept new art, and all things said, I'd rather wait and let her finish the Xenagos pic before any new projects asked of her, I'd appreciate any help pointing out folks who could lend a pen =B



Welp, until next update, I'll speak to you guys later!

I didn't think I put that much emphasis on the 'bust' part, or at least hoped it was Jeri's bust or something

Yeeeeeeup, it's that time again folks, new cast time, in plural form, with no one really to blame but me for all of this mess

Remember that super fun super vibrating plate that we got?

I spend my time on it youtubing videos or such since there's not really any other way to spend it actively, too much shaking to write anything eligible, etc... And for whatever the heck reason, the plate and my cell phone didn't seem to like one another, with the plate SOMEHOW being the one black spot in the entire house for any signal, even on wifi, it just kept flinging me off of the videos, so I found that if I stand on it back to front that I had this sweet spot where it worked

In the middle of watching a comedy Magic skit, suddenly it stops working, and me, being too idiotic NOT to stop the machine and lose my place or my time elapsed already, try to move around to fix it, before my headphones have caught on the side of the machine, I jerk and then fall off the back of the machine, hitting the ground knee first and wrist out to avoid my head meeting the hardwood floor

So yeah, one day later and here we are!

Got me in the hospital, with my right leg all tractioned up and a cast on the left wrist for the heck of it XP

Aaaaaand, y'know? I can't help but think I jinxed this at some point, or just maybe, just maybe each time there's a Michael Bay Transformers movie coming out, I'm cursed to avoid seeing it on opening day by being confined to a hospital bed or something

I'm gonna be here for another week or two whilst they keep me here, I did my knee a mischief and a half and all that, so they want me someplace they can make sure I'm not meandering about, not to mention how hard that'll be with one of my arms casted up tot he elbow as well

So, yeah

Here we are XP

Gonna sign off for now, took a lot of effort just to get energy enough and post this up, shall hopefully speak to you guys soon again, should hopefully make me feel better, but until then, just so you now what's going on and all

Catch you guys soon~

=B

Just because, haven't updated this in a while and it's damn overdue! Through mixture of business, work, pleasure and otherwise I just can't seem to get time to update this, although I was happy I invested it instead in the art piece for Vosur earlier

That said however?

It's time to update and it's sorely needed!

First things first? I am once again castless, I managed to get a cast off WITHOUT needing to overshoot the prescribed plaster prison time =B So it was nice to be able to get rid of it in a timely fashion and am as of writing this now comfortably back on my feet, even having survived a Friday 13th relatively quietly!

Seriously, lol, everyone around me was giving me this wide radius of isolation just because they thought I'd like explode at any minute XD

I also happen to have accelerated my Magic collection, enough to happily say that I'm finished with the latest set Conspiracy, not like the WHOLE set, but I've gotten the 'power' cards

The reprints of 'Fact or Fiction' (foil!), 'Swords to Plowshares', the blue power counters Misdirection and Stifle, plus the manaramp power of Exploration! Mwahahahah!

Nope, my real pride in the collection is the fact that I've assembled the Conspiracy! All of the Character cards who are the main players in the storyline of the power struggle that grips Palio the High City, right down to the awesome Planeswalker Dack Feyden =B

So yeah, I'm set for M15 coming up, which I think I'll dip my toe in the pool at the Pre-Release then saunter off, nothing I've seen that I want out of it, instead I'll just consider my Commander deck and build up my Weatherlight crew =D

(Gaaaaaah, why did they have to make the Hanna promo a Judge Promo instead? << I can get the normal version much cheaper, but it's not as pretty D=)

My much thanks goes to an old friend I've gotten back in touch with in  Manarat who generously gave me some cards to help it out =D Older, harder to find stuff that's gonna prove pretty damn awesome

That aside, things with me and Jeri been fun of late, tonight we're gonna have movie night with the horror movie Curse of Chucky I found on the bargain shelf of the store while doing some shopping and being a big girl for once, lol

Really wanted to get it before and couldn't due to cost, excused myself the few bucks to nab it and enjoy, having watched the first Chucky movies long ago =B

Jeri also RENTED - rented, not purchased, big difference she says - a brand new item for the keep fit thing right now, a Vibrating Plate, it's not really for keeping fit as much as toning up, but certainly, when I went and got on it, had to joke about whether or not the thing could accomomodate two people, lol

Now that I'm castless, no need to worry about broken bones being jostled by vibrations =B So I can jump on without any worries!

So, in all fronts, things are just as busy as always, but always just as fun <3

Thanks for letting me do a journal that's happy and drama free for once XD

Sooooo yeah, this is a Magic rant, and as such will be full of nonsensical yammering by me, so don't worry about reading this too much, though I'd appreciate hearing back any thoughts from folks =O

You guys might have seen the pretty awesome pic Misao/Surfersquid doodled for me for my new Magic the Gathering addiction recently, if not, here it is again, lol...

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/13481644/

Yup, it felt rather damn awesome; the more events you played at Magic, the more rewards you would claim on the Hero's Path storyline that accompanied the card game and created a narrative and quest you would follow until Step 9 of the path, Game Day 24-24th May, a standard rules tournament with prizes to win and also the free to enter final challenge against the big bad Xenagos himself, the end of the Theros campaign

Most people had known the inevitable for the canon, thanks to the card Deicide which actually shows the main character Elspeth GETTING the killing blow on Xenagos as it all came to a head

http://www.planeswalkerslibrary.com.....ou/art/037.jpg

But not everyone read the official novel 'Godsend' to read what happened next

Xenagos dead, both Elspeth and her mentor Ajani are wounded and exhausted on the ground and realise they need to leave the Gods realm quickly to avoid some almighty wrath

When Mr-Head-of-the-Gods Heliod appears out of the aether and declares that even if Elspeth hadn't made a deal with the devil to get there (trading her soul for a friend/randomly sudden lover Daxos) he didn't plan on letting her get out of there alive, that Elspeth was like Xenagos as a planeswalker, and that he as head of the Pantheon would not allow a mortal to live who had more knowledge than a God, the Planeswalkers and their multiverse knowhow and all

Before anything can tweak, Heliod unleashes a burst of sunlight that blinds both Elspeth and Ajani, then grabs Elspeth's own weapon and stabs her through with it

And that's it.

End of the story, our heroes dead - and in typical deal with the devil style, her deal with Erebos is a monkey paw wish anyhow - and no comeuppance for Heliod. Ajani only survives because Heliod doesn't realise HE can jump realities like both Xenagos and Elspeth could have done.

The first book was wonderful and world building! The second... was just horrible, with an ending George RR Martin must have been guest writing for.

Some folks say it's what it is, a greek tragedy, but usually in Greek tragedies, the heroes downfall is usually one of their own ill characteristics like Icarus' pride and the wax wings, but here Elspeth did EVERYTHING she should have to the tee, always helping fight for the people despite her urge to hang up her sword somehow

And they kill her off, not in a valiant battle to the end with the big bad, but a back stab right out of left field from the God she was supposed to be his champion, whilst exhausted and injured. It all seems so unnecessary and overly dramatic, like it's trying to be controversial for the sake of doing so.

I almost wish I hadn't read the book, now, but I'm glad I did and didn't end up learning this second hand or even worse, in summary form like here today on Magic.com...

http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazi.....ly/feature/301

It just feels kind of horrible, and I don't get what point it serves having Elspeth die like this, especially considering this means out of like 80 Planeswalkers, there are now only 6 females left

Overall, the storyline, the world, I still loved Theros? But this ending, I really just don't know how to describe it...



So yeah. Game day!

Having made a challenge with my cousin for both of us to use the same deck type, I went out with my weird Red/Green/White deck and got further than I had dared expect!

Round 1, Heroic Blue/White deck, I was assaulted by tiny weenie creatures being buffed again and again by different enchantments, I managed to survive by using big bulky cards and ramping up so I could bring out heavier hitters

It was just a pity that he was able to turn EVERYTHING into a flier nearly, or unblockable thanks to Stratus Walk or Aquaeous form, even my Planeswalker cards weren't safe! But an Archangel of Thune was more than a match in the sky powered up!

2-1 victory!

Round 2

Black Devotion deck, the poor guy got mana starved round 1, and as soon as I saw the cards he was forced to discard, I brought in a pithing needle in the next round and named Pack Rat, to stop him building up forces, after Domri Rade helped me kill his quickly before he could swarm me in rodents! Overall, I got a lucky win out of this one =o

2-0 victory!

Round 3

Esper control, used a bunch of enchantment removal and a well placed Polis Crusher to keep battering away until finally he just didnt have anything left, had a second match I botched and took us to a decider won by Brimaz and his entourage of cats alone

2-1 victory!

Round 4

Junk Constellation, this was just scary, a deck built around 'Strength From the Fallen', every time an enchantment hit the field, his monsters gained points for EVERY monster in the graveyard

Couple that with creatures that WERE enchantments triggering them every turn, and then a SECOND strength of the fallen into play, suddenly I had a Master of Feasts over 20 attacking me for a one turn kill, I fell just as quickly in the second round as he milled things, then whip of erebos-ed them back to have them bash me again

But, 3 out of 4 victories was enough to land me fifth place, some packs of cards [Including a Brimaz!] and put me in the top 8 for the elimination tournament!

Saaaaaadly this is where my run of luck ended, lol

I met the same Junk Constellation deck in my elimination round and even packing a bundle of enchantment destruction couldn't get me past, especially when Brain Maggot would keep appearing and exiling things from my hand to stop him

With that, my Game Day on the main tournament was over, but it was enough to net me a special promotional version of an existing card, which was a very fun little prize:

http://cdn.magicspoiler.com/wp-cont.....yx-Spoiler.jpg

Although, that wasn't quiiiiite good enough to outdo my cousin, who rocked a five Planeswalker deck to victory against the odds, lol, so, congrats to Fox if he's reading this too, may he use that Champion playmat with honor and much folks envy XD

Business wasn't done either, because the final challenge deck still rang out, and truth be told, I'd already beat it during a test run at the store they asked me to help them get used to using the deck as a trial before the tournament, but it didn't really feel like it was over without doing it on the official day

So, that said, we proceeded and began swinging blows, I don't stress enough that they ratcheted the difficulty up a few levels, with Xenagos swinging at players from turn 1 whether or not they'd managed to build up any solid defense, luckily my bulky lilttle 1 and 2 cost monsters were bulky as anything with Nyx-Fleece Ram and Lagonna Band Trailblazer - How can such cheap monsters be so bulky and wonderful AND have lovely flavor text all at the same time?! - let me build myself up to bring out Brimaz, who ended up holding the line all by himself nearly, before finally Xenagos stood alone, his revellers destroyed, and luckily enough, I had indeed one of my copies of Deicide in hand for the final blow! (Ironic enough, lol)

http://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=380395&type=card


So, that was it. Hero's Path over with, and the storyline of Theros complete, it was nice to be able to go the distance, especially with the difficulty level on the final challenge, I heard that day's end Xenagos had an 80%+ Victory rate, less than a fifth of the days challengers managed to defeat him, it really did feel like a victory earned

I'm left a little bittersweet about the fate of Elspeth, more unhappy by the manner they killed her off than anything else, but I'm not sure if the response they received may have them looking for a way to bring her back considering the text from the summary page of the whole storyline

I really did enjoy Theros and how involved I felt playing it, it was a far better experience than YuGiOh where there wasn't any storyline to follow it up, and I'm hoping they do a Return to Theros story some point to put some closure on Elspeth, as well as some comeuppance on Heliod for everything him and the other Gods did

(Actually kinda glad I sided with Karametra, since her and Nylea... and Thassa to an extent were about the only decent members of the Pantheon... more I think about it, only the female Gods are given very benevolent portrayals o.o)


I do wanna commemorate this somehow, like what I did with the picture by Misao, but not quite sure how yet... or that if I did something it'd end up looking like an ego-trip trying to think of the RP narrative of everything XP

Buuuut, we'll see I guess

For now, this'll be the biggest Magic moment for me for a good many months, lol

Yup!

Just like the title says, yesterday's TMI is over, and thanks to all for your questions =D Hope you guys got to find out some new things about us both, or at least didn't get too scared off, lol

If me and Jeri ever have a slow day again, we shall possibly open this up once again~
(Also Mother's Day went nice and serene, that was a thing too!)

In other news, my Magic deck is pretty much ready for battle in two weeks time, I'm thinking of getting some arts done to commemorate this big epic final battle of my fursona in a Magic getup for the whole thing, gonna keep an eye open for folks who enjoy doodling fantasy things~

I'm recovering well, and haven't posted on this in a while, so thought I'd do this since I'd been planning to and like never had yet, lol

Honestly happy to say all is well at the moment, had a few computer scares, but nothing calm rational thinking hasn't solved and a little TLC with Jeri hasn't failed yet, heck, even my cast doesn't bother me, I'm nearly forgetting the crutch on occasions just now XD

But yess!

TMI Sunday!

I'm gonna be sporadically on and off today, so you guys can talk to me ANNNNNND Jeri! I have convinced my lovely lady to take questions and as long as they're not TOO personal we'll both do our best to answer them ^_^

So, as away, and whenever we get the chance to look in, we'll answer them for you guys.

Journal is open for business, ask away guys!