I am a: Quirky sysadmin. Geek. Gamer. Comic fangirl. My little space, my home on the interwebs. I blog about personal stuffs, work, various coding projects, and anything else I feel like.

I know I’ve been pretty quiet lately. There’s been a lot going on lately, and I’ve been unplugging more and more to deal with everything going on. There’s plenty of family drama going on with Jim’s ex … but that isn’t exactly anything new is it? Work is still going ok I guess. Two people in my department turned in their notices, so things will be a little tight for a while until the new hires (myself included) are brought up to speed. Jim is still out of work, so that’s definitely putting a strain on things. I’m really hoping he’ll be hired on where I’m working, but I haven’t received a definitive answer one way or the other if the company allows nepotism.

Over the last few months, I’ve been busying myself with various things — escapes, if you will. I finally finished Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse series, and have made it a little over halfway through Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series. I really liked the first book, but the second one was VERY hard to read. I’m now halfway through the third, but haven’t picked it up in several weeks. I’ve picked up handful of other books that have been recommended to me by various people, but haven’t started on any of them.

Call me a fangirl

I’ve been taking a break from reading to delve wholly into my latest obsession — Aion: The Tower of Eternity. It’s a new MMORPG by NCsoft (makers of Lineage, Heroes, Guild Wars, etc.). It’s due to release in September. Jim and I have participated in the last two closed betas and I am absolutely loving it. (so much so that I’ve set a screenshot of my character as my iPhone wallpaper *g*) It’s a visually stunning game, and I absolutely adore the soundtrack.

I’ve all but quit my other online gaming and will most likely play Aion exclusively once it’s released. Both Jim and I have pre-ordered and Jessie, after watching me play all this weekend, has asked if she could also play. She went into detail about the class and character name that she’s already chosen. Jim and I talked about it, and if she keeps her grades up, we’ll pay her subscription fees so that she can play with us. :)

It’s kind of funny … Jim recruited me, I recruited a couple of guys from work, and we’ve both inadvertently recruited Jessie … all to play Aion. I’ve had a few WoW buddies also express interest in playing. I think once it’s released, Aion will give WoW a serious run for its money.

Appreciation — the gift that gives back

One really great thing about working where I am now, I see a LOT more soldiers and vets! After being there just a couple of days, I learned to keep an extra stack of Soldiers’ Angels cards at my desk just in case I see a group in the mall. I also keep a stack in my car because I often will come across some when out and about running errands and/or grabbing lunch.

A couple of weeks ago, I had gone out to lunch with some of my coworkers. As we entered the restaurant, I ran across a soldier who was getting ready to leave. He politely spoke with me for a few minutes when I stopped to thank him for his service. His response was similar to that I’ve heard from several soldiers and vets: “Thank you, I wish more people felt the way you do.”

I assured him that most people appreciate their efforts and definitely support our military. So many people that I’ve talked to over the past year say that they want to help … they just don’t know how. While I encourage folks to look over the Soldiers’ Angels website and consider joining, I always stress making their support known. It doesn’t take much — if you see a soldier in uniform, or a veteran, walk up and say, “Thank you for your service.”

That’s it. No big elaborate speech or presentation necessary. Most people will politely thank you and go on their merry way. It’s a small task — and it really DOES make a huge difference. I really wish more people would show appreciation to those who are serving, have served, and who support those who did/are (their families need our appreciation too!). After all, it’s good manners … and I guarantee that you’ll feed good inside when you do.

Who knows you may just make somebody’s day!