Haven’t blogged in awhile. It’s kind of sad. I’m probably the only one who noticed anyway.

So what’s new? Well in the gaming world, KHII: Final Mix will be released in Japan on the 28th of this month. Unfortunately, it won’t be released in North America or Europe until this Fall at some point, though the actual date hasn’t been announced. I’ve heard rumors that a KHIII might be in the making, but I won’t say anything else until I find out more.

I’m insanely interested in the Lord of the Rings Online MMORPG, Shadows of Angmar, but if I even attempt at thinking of signing up for the Beta run I’m afraid my computer with sponataneously combust. So, if any of you are playing it already or interested in it, I’d like to hear what you have to say about it.

And just to throw in a little WoW since that will forever be my favorite of all the online gaming world, the Armory is up and running in Beta mode. It’s been up for awhile, I just haven’t gotten around to saying anything about it. It seems pretty helpful though I admit I haven’t fully delved into its treasures yet.

In other news: I missed my favorite band playing tonight, and I’m incredibly sad about – I shouldn’t be, but I am. So I’ll spread the wealth. Go check out Great Big Sea and listen to some of their clips. If you like them, I’ll upload one of their CDs for you. Because I’m generous and I don’t have that big of an audience.

That’s it for now.

I was talking to T today about New Year’s resolutions and I decided that I need something a little different from my usual “I won’t procrastinate” motto that I try to stick to and then put in the closet to do later. So, after reading the latest issue of A List Apart, I’ve decided that my New Year’s resolutions are going to be more along the lines of technology-related. Here’s a list I’ve come up with:

- Move Amadaun.net to a new host that is WordPress-friendly.
- Move my Coyote Dreams blog from Dan’s site to the new A.net.
- Redesign and recode A.net/blog with Web Standards being the first thing of mind.
- Revamp and add content to A.net that brings in a variety of different readers.
- Have readers: This means actually writing content in the blog worth reading about!

Other resolutions that are slowly filtering into my mindset are anywhere from the lines of hit lvl 60 on both my warlock gnome and my tauren druid before the year is out, start drawing more – not just painting, writing stories for both my Atlantis series and my new Stories from the Paradise People series, getting something published even if it’s just in a magazine, working out more (yeah, right), and get an Outdoor Education internship as well as an English internship. I’m also trying to tell myself not to be so literal, stubborn, hypocritical, and hard to deal with, if not for my sake, but for T’s. She does it now (though I still don’t know how), but she puts up with me. I want to try to work on it though since the ringing in of 2007 means that this is the year I’ll be moving in with her (not for another 6 months but oh well).

This year, I think the biggest resolution I’m setting for myself is to be harder on myself, goal-wise. I need to motivate myself and stay with it (which I suppose will go hand in hand with not procrastinating so much).

Of course, I’m also going to try not to be so sick and catch every bacteria and virus in the line of touch. But I’ve already seemed to lost that battle being sick and still running a fever and throwing up. Wonderful isn’t it?

Come on 2007! Bring it on! I’ll sneeze on you and bring you down with me. This is going to be a good year.

Now, if you’ll excuse me. I’m going to go pass out since I’m still feeling really groggy and ill.

Here’s a copy of a letter I sent to the Irwin family.

—

Dear Terri, Bindi, and Bob,

I don’t think I could possibly say anything new that hasn’t already been said here. But I’d like to offer my deepest regrets and heartfelt sympathy for the friends and family of the late, great Steve Irwin – most of all to the three of you.

Growing up, I was deeply inspired by people like Steve, and Jeff Corwin, and Marty Stouffer, and Jane Goodall. My mother helped grow a love for nature and all wild things in me, and my passion to raise awareness intensified by watching the Croc hunter in his glory.

I started going to college to be a biologist, but not long into it I changed my mind and I’m currently working towards becoming an Outdoor Educator in hopes of reaching out to children and showing them that life is precious and we need to appreciate the nature and wildlife that is around us.

I can’t begin to express how Steve Irwin helped fashion my beliefs in conservation and animal rights. He has been my inspiration longer than anyone else (other than my mother). I’m still not able to fathom a world without him. I guess I took it for granted that one day I would be at the Australia zoo shaking his hand (and yours, Terri) and thanking you both in person. I’ve always believed that I would do that once I got out of college; my plan was to go down to Australia and hopefully find a job and visit the zoo as much as I could. I guess I waited too long.

He’s achieved immortality though. He has left behind a legacy and the urge to save the animals from any harm. He has done what many have tried and he did it with a passion that was unrivaled in all senses. I will be one of many who will miss him forever.

Steve, you rocked. Thank you for everything. I wish I could do something to help your family in their pain, but all I can offer is just simple words of how your life inspired my own. Wherever you are, I’m sure you’re stirring up excitement and love for animals, and giving those angels quite the thrills.

Thank you, Crocodile Hunter. Thank you. And to Terri and your kids: I admire your courage and your bravery and the passion you have all shared for what you love doing. What you have given the world is priceless. Your lives have helped and touched more than just animals. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Nikki Jeske

—

His death hit me a lot harder than I’d like to admit. I’m numb from it. Animal Planet has been on my TV 24/7 the last week. I’ve been watching all my Croc Hunter tapes and, yes, crying over the loss of this great man.

The world got a little less-wilder when he left.

Randy and I are two very sad and unfit people. The last two days we’ve walked all over Ashland and today, well, today was just horrible. Both of us took on too much and pretty much died from heat exhaustion trying to get back to campus. I’m so glad I brought a water bottle with, even if it was really hot by the time we started walking back.

I’m in a wicked (hah) mood, so we went to the bookstore and I bought a copy of Wicked by Gregory Maguire, which I’ve been meaning to do for awhile. I love that book, and rivals two books for my favorite book of all time (Peter and Wendy by J.M. Barrie and The Neverending Story by Michael Ende). If you haven’t, read it.

I’ve been listening to a lot of the music from the musical as well. I’ve been feeling wicked.

In other news, I’m knitting and have no clue why. It’s way too hot to be knitting anything. I need to take Emry out, but it’s so hot, I don’t want him to get overheated. He will be coming with me when I go home now, so I’m excited. The plan was for him to stay with Tiff originally, but since I’m staying home longer now, I’m bringing him with.

I cannot Bear this heat. Remind me now to leave food in an open car.