Holy long-winded ramblings, Batman!

As are most hunters, I’m constantly plagued by the fact I only have 3 stable slots. (This in reality means that I can only have two consistent pets, because the 3rd slot will be used for taming new pets with higher abilities of bite, claw, etc. for the two mains.) Anways, my stable was currently filled with Caedmon (cat), Archimedes (snowy owl), and Thor (orange gorilla).

I remember roaming around Stormwind post-BC and seeing a hunter hot-trotting around with a nether ray. At that point in my Wow career I was still playing Catja and had very little understanding of hunters, but I still could appreciate a thing of beauty. Perhaps it was strange alien, floating, buggish, creepy beauty…but beauty to be sure. So I made a note-to-self to add that to my imaginary pet wish list.

We fast forward to the present and Cerwyn has reached Outland and it’s time to let the new pet taming ecstasy begin. Where to start? How about a Sporebat or Nether Ray? My high expectations for a “glamorous” pet were dashed quickly after a stop at Petopia. (On a side note: may I recommend Petopia to any and every hunter looking for new pets or where to find new levels of abilities. Many ludicrous pet ideas have been trashed after looking up the pets real stats on this website.)

As it turns out, Sporebats can learn absolutely no skills. That’s right none. So this makes them entirely a fashion statement and nothing more. Sure they might look trendy strutting around Shatrath with you, but you’ll also be followed by the sniggering of hunters who know the truth. You’ve sacrificed an entire stable slot to look “cool”. The Nether Ray situation is similar. Most of them are “casters” to start with, meaning that they are inferior (lower armor, health, and dps than other pets of the same level). In addition, the few that aren’t casters can’t train very many abilities.

So eventually practicality sinks in and I settle on a Ravager (not attractive but effective). This is when the strategic planning began. One of the pets had to go and it would be Thor. Him and I had some great adventures together, but he never really got leveled very far as he just can’t compare to Caedmon. So I had to make the most of the open slot and run some “errands” before finally grabbing a ravager.

First, I journeyed to Winterspring and tamed a Frostsaber Stalker with both Dash and Prowl rank 3. Then I grabbed a “Hobbes” cat just to take some pictures and say that I’ve had one before. Then I came back to Hellfire and trained a Thornfang Venomspitter which had Bite Rank 8.

Whew! With all of those abilities collected I could finally get down to business. I found that the “style” of ravager I preferred most was the Rip-Blade Ravager, who’s skin is “crawlervar2”. This ravager also had Gore Rank 9, so the plan was coming together. I trekked up to blades edge and found the ravager breeding grounds.

Initially, all I see are ravagers with the “crawlerpurple” skin and I jump the gun and tame one. At first I assumed that perhaps Petopia was mistaken and the “crawlervar2” ravagers were not located here. After further exploration of the area I do indeed find one that “looks” right and tame him. So this is the 3^rd ravager I tame in less than a ½ hour. But w/e. I’ve got my ravager and my skills and I’m ready to roll back to Zangarmarsh. So I grab the flight point at Toshley’s Station and fly back to Telredor.

Upon arrival I glance over at my accomplice and “WTF! This isn’t even my ravager! This is the second one I tamed…crawlerpurple!” So at this point my hinny is sore from riding hypogryphs all over the place, but a mistake this monumental cannot go uncorrected….so I head back. I land at the Station and to my bewilderment yet another ravager is with me this time. Now I’m intrigued. This one is “crawlerorange” a variation that I had never tamed before and there must be some method to this madness. So I do some tests with dismissing and calling the ravager and low-and-behold his skin randomly changes with each summon. Now after I return to Petopia to investigate whether this is common or not I find that it is clearly documented. (Perhaps some of you more perceptive readers noticed this already.) Anyways, 3 ravagers in one? Sold.

So please give a round of applause to Prickle the newest member of my clan. Due to his Stat superiority he will most likely earn himself a permanent spot on my roster next to Caedmon.

Screenshots of my studies will be posted when I get to my home computer.

Underblog.

Two nights ago I ran Underbog for the first time with a PUG. Our group consisted of…a level 70 warrior (not Tack), level 64 warrior, level 64 Paladin, level 62 rogue, and level 63 hunter (me). We were sort of strange mix, but it worked well and we had a great time.

Since reaching Outland I’ve had a few chances to practice my chain trapping in Ramparts and Blood Furnace. In Underbog I really fell into the rhythm of it and I feel very confident now. It’s all about the timing. Learning to set the trap ahead of time, so that the cool-down is up in time to set it again and again and sometimes…again. I was able to consistently trap a mob up to 3 times until the rest of the party was ready to burn him down. On a couple of occasions someone (I think our pally) broke the trap and it was stressful waiting for my cool-down or the group to assist me, but it never became a serious problem.

Then there is dps to discuss. Even though I was constantly trapping I still managed to top the dps charts. I was almost at 500 which was a full 100 higher than anyone else. My dps has recently increased a great deal by improving my hit rating. It was a good feeling to know that I was pulling my own weight.

After the second boss the group kind of fell apart. The Paladin needed to leave and our new Paladin needed to be summoned and we swam through some infested waters and all died and I needed to go to bed…but a fun night for sure.

The big two four.

Whew, what a day. White chicken chili...cards...flowers...a new video camera...a new episode of Heroes...Pene got her staples out...the kitties got bathes...watched this funny Charmin commercial with a pink and blue bear...searched Temerity Jane's blog for a funny post she wrote about that subject. Now I feel the urge to write on my own blog.

Tonight I'm at T.G.I. Friday's and I'm wondering in my head, "Should I mention it's my birthday? I mean, they certainly must have some sort of a reward. It's Katie Day darn it. I must be entitled to some sort of chocolate sunday or something right?" But in the end I chose to keep it on the dl. Who wants a plain old sunday anyways? It's Katie Day and I need some cheesecake or something else worthy of the occasion.

So I'm eating my dinner and I kid-you-not the girl in the booth next to us has a birthday sunday delivered. It was a massacre. Total public humiliation. They make her stand-up next to them and then the shouting, singing, hullabaloo starts. I was embarrassed for her and thanking Elune that I didn't order anything alcoholic which could have blown my cover.

So watch out for T.G.I. Friday's and their false promises of free birthday deserts. They make you earn it.

Pene got cwned.

Look at her lay there…all conked out after her hectic day. It’s not funny…but it sort of is.

I brought Penelope home from being spayed Wednesday evening. After getting home she immediately started picking at her stitches. So an hour later I realized that it wasn’t going to stop, so I had to rush back to the vet before they closed to pick up some “bitter orange” stuff to put on the incision. And it worked really great. All night she left it alone and cuddled and purred and all was well.

Then yesterday morning I wake up to find that she has managed to completely remove her stitches. And you can imagine it was very gross and I don’t deal well with those types of things. So luckily the vet opened in about 10 minutes, so I was able to rush her in.

(On a side note…it turns out that Pene hates the vet. She is the most loving affectionate kitten you could ever ask for and it’s because of her strong attachment to us that she pitches a fit at the vet’s office. I have never heard a cat hiss and growl like that. So it’s just pleasurable to take her there repeatedly.)

So the vet glued her shut and put more bitter orange on it. Now at this point the vet recommends that I keep an eye on her for a while to make sure that she leaves it alone.

And our morning/afternoon consists of:

She licks at it, I apply more bitter orange, she leaves it alone.

30 minutes later…

She licks at it, I apply more bitter orange, she leaves it alone.

30 minutes later…

She licks at it, I apply more bitter orange, she leaves it alone.

And by mid-afternoon her incision is half open again and we are headed back to the vet. This time the vet means business and so my poor, poor Pene got stapled/glued and a cone.

After getting back home she seemed just sort of defeated and slept for the rest of the day.