Someone nonfictional!

Look, I'm making a post, and it's not some unholy hour of the night!

That's because I specifically refrained from writing this last night.

So, my fictional readers, are you still fictional? Because I know I had at least one real person visit.

Or rather, nonfictional person who role-plays a fictional character. Whatever.

I linked this blog to the realm forums last night, as it was the easiest way to link to an audio file of 'Anytime, Anywhere.'  I tried just making a link on the forum, but I seem to be unable to comprehend how to format posts properly.  In any case, this gives me better control over access to the file, so it's not entirely a bad thing.

So, my very first comment! Yay!

Plainswander is the founder of AAMS, and if you visit aams.guildportal.com, the author of the very outdated home page.  I actually forgot, until a couple of weeks ago, that the guild page shows a different message if you're not logged in.  I actually wonder how many AAMSer stop to read it anymore, considering its age.  It actually mentions that the guild charter hasn't been signed yet!

Yesterday, the folks at CC helped keep me sane.  We've been having visits from our maket team at work, and have been expecting a regional visit, so everyone's been on edge and scrambling to shape the store up.  I recently lost my best associate to a promotion (which gives me a mixed 'Yay!' and 'Nooooo!' reaction), and another one is on leave, so I'm down two people.  Plus, I suffer from horrible stage fright, and my boss was not at all impressed when I did a horrible job touring the market team through my department.  I admit it: I was behind, I wasn't prepared, and I lack confidence.  So I was in a poor mood.

You know what boosts confidence?  Hearing that people liked something you did.  Reading the responses on the forum really brightened the rest of my day.  I couldn't stop smiling, even when said boss reminded me to get my act together.  If that regional visit comes today, I know I will do better.  I've had to to review my numbers, organize my notes, and I have something to keep me cheerful. ( "Think: drunken Drakehide! Drunken Drakehide!" )

My good mood has also caused me to be more charitable to my recording of 'Lady by the Lake.'  It's still not publishable, but I actually like one or two lines now.  And I'm not tempted anymore to take shortcuts; AA has given me a standard that I cannot dip below on any future posts.  Granted, AA isn't that high quality- I can hear where I forgot to cut out breaths, there's some distortions, no dynamics, and a host of other issues- but it's good for what it was meant as: a fun, silly song.

On a side note, I also giggled a bit yesterday when Derscha appeared in someone else's post.  Raechka from Homeland started a storyline where she's inviting healers from all over to a medical conference.  Derscha has training as a healer, so she took an interest in the project and delivered the request to the Iron Forge Clinic. Then Gentyl from Pia Presidium wrote her response, mentioning a gnome from AAMS.  Yep, it was an entirely tiny reference- and underneath Derscha's own post, anyway - but I giggled because it's the first time something I've done in-game has been written up by someone else.  (I don't count Drakehide getting drunk, because that was all forum stuff.)