The Cupcake Muskateers Tavern welcomes You

[Aelonwy]

I got to play for a little while yesterday. I still think Ravenloft is some of the best content in the entire game. I wish there were more of it.

I recently watched one of the best, most well-written gothic? stories I have ever encountered. Its on Netflix and its called Midnight Mass. It has a character like Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter. Imagine that, someone actually wrote a character I can loathe even more than Dolores Umbridge, that's just incredible.

I say gothic because its from a particular genre... but they never once use the word that describes what is happening... as if no one is aware of that particular lore. I don't usually go for that particular genre myself, I prefer hauntings (not demonic) and shape-shifter stories particularly ones where the shape-shifter is the hero rather than the monster perhaps because druid is one of if not my absolutely favorite PnP class.

[doomboyv2]

heading to singapore to meet my sis in a week.
first time i'll be meeting family or friends in 2 years.

[Aelonwy]

heading to singapore to meet my sis in a week.
first time i'll be meeting family or friends in 2 years.

*hugs* I hope you have a great visit.

[cdbd3rd]

Heh. So it's one of those days.... 10:40 AM and already had 2 politics call, 2 calls wanting to buy our house, one call from the WV Bureau of Child Support Enforcement looking for a Jessica, and another robo-call that just hung up. (When I'm in the right mood I answer hoping to get a human on the other end.)

From there to email, where I got yet ANOTHER Photocrapbucket email threatening my saved photos if I don't upgrade my old account. We remember that whole ransom-ware tactic they pulled back in 2017, right? Yeah. Well, they still trying to play the gangster role for da monies. So today... (remember, I'm in that mood) ... I click over to their site, dig around til I find a CS contact and send them my opinion - much re-typing and editting before I sent, as even in a mood I try not to be too crass.

To wit:

I was done with your service after your 2017 pseudo-ransomware tactic. Your constant emails threatening anything I left on that account unless I pay you are just tiresome and a continuation of that same trope. In fact, if you take the time to look at my remaining photos on your site, you'll clearly see my opinion of your company and your so-called service. Go ahead, look, I'll wait....



Ah, you're back? Good. How'd you like my pix? Good, right? So... WHY in any version of reality would I ever trust your service again - free or not?? LOL! Quite honestly, if your servers were on fire, I wouldn't waste my <forum-safe edit> putting em out. So, umm, feel free to file my remaining photos anywhere you find convenient. Cheers.

As for the edited photos I left on my account, let's just say I added my own anti-photobucket watermarks to them.

...and it's only 10:50. How are YOUR Mondays going?

[cdbd3rd]

Heh. I had actually forgotten HCL started yesterday. Good thing, apparently.

I'll still log in and make a character for the season, but it will stay parked in the craft hall.

[Aelonwy]

It primarily started with their inflated pricing for badges that far exceeds what would be considered standard inflation. Indianapolis doing the same with their over-inflated taxes and fees on hotel rooms.

There are other smaller reasons that are my own foibles, but the magic has just gone out of the whole thing.

Feel the same way about the Texas Renaissance Festival. Its where hubby and I met, its where he proposed, its where we got married. But the ticket prices per person have gone up from 10-12$ (15 yrs ago) a person to $35 a person (over age 12), a single meal item like a hamburger for instance has gone up from 4.50$ to 10$ as of last year. A drink went from a 16oz soda bottle for $2.50 to a 12oz soda bottle for $4.50 as of last year. Rides were never free, they used to cost $2.50 a person for a ride that lasted about 5 minutes now they are $5 a person same amount of time. The shops have supposed hand-made garments... the same costume shirt that cost $30 when we met was $120 last year. Parking used to be free and if you got to the festival early you could park close to the gates, maybe 5 minutes walk. Now the first 15 rows are "premium parking" so no matter how early you get there you have to pay $15 (as of last year) just to park in a wooded lot with weeds and rocks all over the ground and you still might have to hike for 20 minutes to the gates. Or you can pay another $20 for a cart to take up to 4 people to the gates. The shows are free but you are heavily encouraged to tip the actors that they barely pay. Outside food and drink are prohibited. So pay to enter festival, pay to park, pay for not having to hike from your car to the gates, pay for food and drink, pay for rides, tip the players and I sure hope you don't fall in love with anything from the shops because woo nothing is reasonable. Oh by the way, we both used to work there so we know first hand, most employees get less than 20 hrs because they are only there for weekends so they aren't paying for insurance or any over head like that on the majority of employees either. Its all just excessive greed. Its priced way out the window for the average family of 4.

Heh. I had actually forgotten HCL started yesterday. Good thing, apparently.

I'll still log in and make a character for the season, but it will stay parked in the craft hall.

I hope to make it to 5k favor but the new mechanics of this particular season feel like someone in particular took umbrage that some of us don't like or want to run reaper so we have to have reaper-like mobs in normal and wilderness zones just to rub our faces in it.

[cdbd3rd]

I hope to make it to 5k favor but the new mechanics of this particular season feel like someone in particular took umbrage that some of us don't like or want to run reaper so we have to have reaper-like mobs in normal and wilderness zones just to rub our faces in it.

It's hard not to take it that way, for sure, especially not starting the effect at level 4 or something. I tried a few toss-away characters. Definitely don't want anyone soloing this season.

[cdbd3rd]

And again, belatedly, a HB to our All-father. (July 27)

[cdbd3rd]

Gonna drop this here where I can find it later. I know it comes up now and again if there are still AS rewards on Daily Dice lists. There are.

[cdbd3rd]

Found an invader in my tomatos yesterday. He's gotta be re-located, but that pose is just too cool. (This is the resting pose of a Tomato Hornworm. They eventually turn in to the big brown Hawkmoths)






This is what they look like later.

[doomboyv2]

got to visit sis. approve of her BF. mom was also able to come so got to meet her too. was nice.

[Aelonwy]

got to visit sis. approve of her BF. mom was also able to come so got to meet her too. was nice.

That's awesome.

I was sad today. I put my Mom's ashes in a planter, a couple weeks back, for a Violet Angel's Trumpet plant and all was going well until the last few days. It had doubled in size, bloomed three flowers, and then something called a leafminer got to it and ruined ALL the leaves in a matter of days. Doesn't look like its going to recover. I checked over all my other plants because apparently its very pernicious and two other plants from the same origin had leafminer eggs so I clipped all the leaves with eggs but I'm still sad about the plant meant for my mom.

[doomboyv2]

That's awesome.

I was sad today. I put my Mom's ashes in a planter, a couple weeks back, for a Violet Angel's Trumpet plant and all was going well until the last few days. It had doubled in size, bloomed three flowers, and then something called a leafminer got to it and ruined ALL the leaves in a matter of days. Doesn't look like its going to recover. I checked over all my other plants because apparently its very pernicious and two other plants from the same origin had leafminer eggs so I clipped all the leaves with eggs but I'm still sad about the plant meant for my mom.

oh man, i'm sorry to hear that :\

[Aelonwy]

oh man, i'm sorry to hear that :\

These things happen, I know, but its surprising how much the little things keep affecting me. I was talking to hubby about a trailer for a movie I saw called Look Both Ways and how similar it looked to a movie called Sliding Doors and I said "my mom just doesn't get flashbacks" in the present tense and the moment I said it I realized it again and it felt like getting stabbed in the chest for a moment. I'm holding it together, really I am. :/

[cdbd3rd]

Well, the only good thing to come out of my trial run with the Covid diet plan...




Probably the first time that jacket's been out of it's tote in a couple decades.

[doomboyv2]

Well, the only good thing to come out of my trial run with the Covid diet plan...


Probably the first time that jacket's been out of it's tote in a couple decades.

nice! i've been trying to lose my covid weight. blegh, fattest i've ever been.

also, my first time i've ever seen you in 10+ years lol
somehow you look exactly like how i imagined

[cdbd3rd]

nice! i've been trying to lose my covid weight. blegh, fattest i've ever been.

also, my first time i've ever seen you in 10+ years lol
somehow you look exactly like how i imagined

heh. That's also me in my sig pic - tho that shot is about as old as DDO itself.

... Has it been 10 years since our last 'beards' comparisons? Another day to feel older. Lol.

[Aelonwy]

heh. That's also me in my sig pic - tho that shot is about as old as DDO itself.

... Has it been 10 years since our last 'beards' comparisons? Another day to feel older. Lol.

Congrats on the lost weight, though NOT the method. I've always liked your sig pic, I think it demonstrates a playful personality.

...and db...me too, me too

[cdbd3rd]

I know this is more of a LOTRO thing, but pretty much stopped hanging out on that forum.

Facade of the KC library....

edit: Another disappearing pic. Well, what the front wall of the library looked like was a line of books on a shelf, with LOTR among them. *shrug*

[Annex]

Wait. Is that beard regulation?