So Ash’s computer has a problem. When she plays WoW, her video card will suddenly crap out and the ground she’s running out will completely disappear. It makes it hard for her to play because she’ll run into mountains she didn’t know were there and game play is pretty much impossible.

Here are the details. She has a NVIDIA GeForce 6150 on her HP Pavilion dv6000 (which runs Windows XP Media). Blizzard recommends a ATI Radeon X1600 or a NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT class card to successfully play their game. We’re currently trying to find something affordable that we can get right away that fits the requirements. She found a NVIDIA GeForce 9400 GT on eBay for $64 but it says it goes to Vista. Does it matter or is it really not made for XP? And does this sound like it would work?

I’m not sure how many of you are computer nerds/gamer nerds, but any help will be great. I’d really like to be able to play with her without having to lead her around because she can’t see the ground she’s running on. Not that I mind, but I know it annoys her greatly. Thanks in advance!

I’m already missing Austin. We’ll be back soon, I know, but I still miss it. There was just always so much to do and warm and wonderful. I love the mountains here, but it’s also been raining the last few days and it will continue to rain for the next few days and I’m bored of being stuck inside.

Thank goodness for WoW. Ash made herself a new Belf Hunter so I ran my Glenwyn (Belf Lock) out to Silvermoon to help her level. While there, I also got my first mount, with many thanks to Meg for lending me the gold to accomplish this task. I’m really liking the new stuff that Blizzard has put into the game. The calendar is awesome and displaying the achievements makes me feel more successful (and makes me want to keep playing – definitely something Blizzard thought out carefully, I’m sure). I got WotLK for Christmas but I haven’t installed it yet – I figured I’d just wait till I got high enough for it to really matter.

At some point today or tomorrow we need to go out to the pet store so I can pick up some hoppers for Kendi. We’re looking for jobs too, though from what I’ve seen in the papers and online there’s really nothing. I might end up heading over to Staples since they seem to have some positions available. Though that’s definitely not what I was hoping for. I miss my old job. That reminds me though, I have to update my resume.

Ash is currently working on an in-depth post on our adventures over Christmas break, so I’ll tweet that when she’s done. Apparently she’ll breaking it up into several different posts so you’ll have to continue reading it over the next few days. Speaking of Christmas, here’s the list of goodies I racked up:

From work: Tons of Candy, a set of cards, a puzzle, offers for references
From Ash’s work: A really sugary good-bye cake when we left
From my parents: A pair of PJs, The Daily Coyote by Shreve Stockton, WotLK Expansion pack, Childrens Writer and Illustrated Market book, candy, earphones, crayons, a sketchbook, socks, Flogging Molly CD, Great Big Sea CD, Kingdom Hearts Remix, Far From Home, There’s a Nightmare in my Closet by Mercer Meyer, Dark Whispers by Bruce Coville, some gas money
From my Oma and Opa: $15
From my Aunt Rosemary and Uncle Bob: $50
From my cousin Eric: his annual mix CD
From my cousin Randy and his wife Kelly: Not sure, it’s still in the mail
From my Grandma: Her annual $2 bill
From Ash’s mom: hand-knitted hat and scarf, The Idiot’s Guide to Children’s Book Publishing, Stitch n’ Bitch book, some yarn (I kind of stole it), a remote control Dragonfly copter
From Ash’s Ricky Daddy: $50 (and he took us out for a lot of meals)
From Ash’s Teddy Daddy: Lots and lots of meals that he took us out for
From Ash’s Grandma and Grandpa: $20, a t-shirt from North Carolina, a beautiful Asian dinnerware set
From Ash’s Uncle Bo and Aunt Jen: What’s your Dog Thinking book
From Ash’s Grandma and Grandpa Niels: candy, a cool LED flashlight, blank greeting cards
From Ash’s sister Courtney and her husband Harry: $15 giftcard to Target

Ash and I have not exchanged our real presents to each other yet since the one she got me is still in the mail, but I did give her the Journey MP3 player I bought her, a pair of Coca Cola boxer shorts (she collects Coke stuff), a car adapter for her MP3 player, season two of Charmed, and I got her a used Okami game for the PS2 but her mom bought her a new one so we’re gonna go exchange the used one for another game (woot!). She gave me a How to talk Southern Dictionary (I got a lot to learn) and while we were in Texas we went to the Disney Store (I’ve never been there) and she bought me a giant stuffed Eeyore. He’s so super soft and great to cuddle with. I can’t remember if I’ve missed anything. It was a great Christmas this year – better than I ever thought it could be.

I also loved celebrating New Year’s in Austin. I honestly cannot wait to go back. One of my favorite things? Yep:

I was excited to see cacti. There is some in central Wisconsin, but it’s all small stuff and dies fast and it not at all nearly as impressive as the stuff here. It was everywhere! I think I surprised everyone by not getting hurt when I ran up to them to get my picture taken. I got my picture taken with palm trees too, and lichen, but I don’t think either of those are as fun as cacti. There are few people who honestly understand and relate to my nerdy fascination with lichen. It’s cool, okay?

Anyway, I’m either going to go play WoW, knit, or watch some TV. Who knows. I love the rain, but I want to go outside and play basketball. I hope it clears up tomorrow. Ta.

So 2009. How’s it been for you? We’re only 5 days into it and already I can tell it’s going to be a good year. Got my girl, got our kids, got tons of support, got World of Warcraft, life is good. Just got to find jobs, though that seems an impossible task considering there is nothing available in Crossville, TN. Anything’s better than Ashland though, and I’m glad to be out of there. I’ve missed running barefoot through the grass and we seem to do that daily here. It’s beautiful.

My About section needs a serious update now. I think I’ll go do that. I’m currently watching Speed Racer a second time (good movie, though extremely long) while waiting to get into Kel’Thuzad for some gaming. The queue is long time.

My girlfriend is hot. How’s your 2009 been?

Explored some of Austin today and went out for some yummy sushi and then Mexican. I am really loving Austin and not looking forward to going back north – we didn’t get enough time here. I do miss Ash’s mom though and Tennessee is beautiful so it won’t be bad. Actually, I can’t wait to go back, it’s just that our vacation was too short and I wanted to do more. OH well.

It’s the last day of 2008. How crazy is that? Where did the year go? It marks the first full year Ash and I have been together and my first meeting of her whole family. It was a year of many things, but none that I’m really going to get into right now.

It’s ten o’clock – two more hours until 2009. What will I be doing until then?

Playing World of Warcraft. What’s a better way of ringing in the new year than killing a few murlocs?