Screenshots and Smiles

So I had three days of constant tears, then another four or so when I unexpectedly burst out in tears at least once a day.  There were times when I wanted to log on, but I didn't think I really could.  It's odd not being part of the group.  I may pop on a little this weekend, on my fishing alt . . . after all, someone has to help keep the guild in fish, and my time hasn't run out.  Might as well spend it in serving some useful purpose.

(On the bright side, when I saw the new application from an elitist high school student on the guild website, after I got done unwrinkling my face in pained amazement, the thought crossed my mind, "Oh, boy, I'm glad I don't have to deal with this person.")

One thing I have really enjoyed (found comforting? helped me through the mourning process?) the last few days has been going over my screenshots.  I don't have a lot of them, really, and what I have is Wrath and beyond, pretty much.  The kids inherited my old computer, which just died, so I can't access my older ones on their hard drive until we get that hand-me-down computer which has been offered us.

But, oh, such fun to see old names and faces and to laugh at the memories of the little things . . . Like the time I solo-healed Beasts . . . Granted, I was in ToC heroic gear with possibly a couple of ICC pieces at the time, if I recall correctly . . .

Some guildies wanted to put together a 10-man ToC alt run one weekend and asked if I'd come along to help heal.  I had nothing else going on, so I joined the raid and prepared for a fun evening.  (Remember, Druid healing in Wrath was actually a lot of fun.)  The ready check passed, the tank pulled, and off we went.

As the encounter proceeded, I realized I was having to work a lot harder on the healing than I expected.  It was mildly disturbing, watching life bars hovering around mid-health, frantically trying to spread the healing around so people would stay alive, and wondering what was wrong with me, as I was used to healing quickly, but being able to keep people reasonably topped.  (Especially with this kind of a gear disparity . . .)

Somewhere along the encounter, I turned on my Recount and realized the 2nd person on the healing meters was the Ret Pally (or was he tanking in this encounter . . . I don't remember).

In choppy chat, I managed to ask if I was the only one healing.  There was laughter as people realized I was, indeed, the only one healing.

We successfully completed the encounter, which certainly gave me a run for my money (and my mana).  It felt good, though, to have met and conquered the challenge, made all the more challenging for its unexpected nature.

One of the guildies leading the raid apologized and said she really had thought she'd picked up another healer.  (Then asked the elemental shammy if he wouldn't mind going into his healing off-spec.)  We all had a good laugh about the incident and continued on in a slightly more relaxed fashion.

My screenshot shows the final healing meters from the encounter, as well as the laughing chat from the group.

I have some portrait screenshots, including one in Ulduar with another Resto Druid with whom I healed a lot until real life took him away from the game.  (As a bonus, it also includes my husband's hunter's pet, during the brief time he raided with us.)  There's a portrait of myself and the last other remaining Tempest Herald of the Titans title-bearer, after the others had server-transferred, before he, too, left for real life concerns.  There is a casual portrait of a few of the guild members in ICC, while we wait for . . . something . . . I'm not sure what.

The last two Heralds in the guild.

You can tell my husband and I have children, or, at least, we watch children's movies.  ;)

Casual "family portrait"

And then there is the upward-angled picture of the guild falling slowly into Anub'arak's lair, after we've all been Levitated . . . And the one of our very first Val'anyr proc ever.  (One of the rogues asked if I would proc it by healing him--he wanted to be the first one on whom it proc'd.  So I did.)  There is the parade of consecutively-numbered gnomes following our guild leader, Namelessone, around Dalaran--a plot engineered by one of the officers and brought to pass by several guildies.  There is the screenshot of one of our first Blood Queen kills in ICC, with only one of the tanks alive, and others, as well, with only one or two raiders left alive--the victories which almost didn't happen.

Falling . . . or Levitating?

First Val'anyr Proc Ever!

Overwhelming!

Fransham solos Blood Queen!  Pally tank power!

There are screenshots dealing primarily with things said in chat, everything from reminisces of a mispull in the Teron Gorefiend encounter to the sneakily triumphant chess victory by our guild chessmaster over someone who thought he could beat him.  (He sacrificed his queen--telling me beforehand he was going to do it--because he could and still win the game.  It made his opponent feel victorious, until he was checkmated.)

Yes, the name of the historic Druid chat channel is a carefully guarded secret.  ;)  And I did actually write that blog.

Let's face it--as our MT said, "Vit's pretty much unbeatable for us mere mortals." (I'm on my priest alt, Kaminoko.)

Good memories of good times.  Makes me wish I had taken more screenshots.

Come to think of it, every day my kids are growing and changing, and I should take more screenshots.  Brb while I get the battery charged.