I have been gaming all over the map.

Mostly, I have been in Lotro. Alot of fun, soloable, but still an MMO. I bought a house in the game the other day. I painted the walls pink, bought music to play, a little furniture and the house came with an extra “bank” chest with a storage capacity of 30 slots. It’s a heck of a fun game to get addicted to.

I logged on the other day and the guild was watching a Christmas concert up by Thorin’s Hall. I cannot begin to describe the awesomeness of watching the 6 bard, who were in matching dyed costumes, play all manner of Christmas songs.

While standing there, my guild leader was explaining to me how to use the costume system. He passed me over a few item, then told me to go stand over by one of the bards. I’d entered the costume contest!!! After a few rounds of voting, I tied for first place LOL!!!

I got Borderlands as a late Christmas gift, and have discovered I still suck at FPS’s The hubby watched me play for about an hour and managed to cover his laughter. I have leveled a character to 12. It’s been brutal, but I am enjoying the frustration, I think!

I would be playing and finishing Dragonage, but the hubby stole the controller and the game from me. He is at the end fight as I type. I am hoping the controller survives this fight… from the cursing and fussing floating upstairs to me, it might be touch and go.

Star Trek Online comes out in about a month. I have already reserved Collector’s Editions for both the hubby and myself. We’ll get headstart access and I will have my phasers on stun so soon I can taste it. Can’t wait to see if this game can in anyway live up to all the hype.

To prove to the world what a gigantic geek/nerd/gaming diva I am, the hubby cleaned Toys R Us out of the new line of Star Trek toys. I have an Enterprise, Bridge model and a transporter room all set up on my books shelf in my living room. The ship lights up and has some speech. I randomly push the button as I move between the kitchen and the living room. It drives the puppy nutty. What can I say, I love to be evil
DDO still gets played at least once a week with my static group. I am still having fun and enjoying it. Mostly I am a wee tad bored, but I am hoping to be back in the saddle early in 2010.

It’s been a fantastic Holiday season so far. The puppy didn’t destroy the tree, I enjoyed time with family and friends, and I am gaming like a mad woman. Who could ask for more?

This has been a year of firsts. All this change has often left me feeling on woobly feet with shifting sands throwing off my balance. I’ve made it through and can’t wait to see what will come of 2010.

The puppy had a blast with Christmas paper and bows. She had cart blanche to tear things up, which for her beagle mind probably means she thought she died and went to heaven!!!

Game on!!!

It happens about this time every year. I get a wee tad over zealous about my goals.

Christmas trees go up and my mood sours. It has nothing to do with the trees specifically, it has to with my innate need for introspection.

Coupled with my odd Grinch like behavior as the year winds down, comes a serious case of burn out.

The two go hand in hand.

Let me explain.

I am a goal maker, scheduler, avid planner, organizer… well ok, some might characterize me as a little OCD in my need to try and make things happen. I have lists for lists

Christmas trees signal the end of another goal making period. While I don’t generally make New Year’s resolutions, I do make a master list of goals. Financial, personal, business, and so forth.

During the already hectic holiday madness, I slip into thinking about my master list. There are always missed opportunities, things I thought would happen, goals not even close to being met.

As I ponder morosely my inability to be Superwoman, I generally feel a sense of burn out with my gaming. If I gamed less, I would accomplish more, right?

It’s an ugly cycle.

To combat my over reaching need to dissect my life, I hatched what I thought was a brilliant solution this year.

It began with an article on Massively. Stop playing your favorite game.

Could it be so easy?

Next, I looked at my overfull holiday schedule and blocked out gaming session’s. That’s right, I am making gaming an appointment in my planner. Make fun if you must, but I abhor missing a meeting, so this gets me to sit down at a keyboard

I’m trying. I am in a break mode from DDO, my current MMO of choice. I’ve been playing Dragonage, and Lotro. The hubby has been playing Dragonage and Fallout. Each of us trying something new as we wait for the yearning to log into DDO to fire back up.

And just in case I need a little inspiration for the New Year, I got this fabulous e-mail from cryptic this morning.

*drools* Guess what pre-order I am getting for Christmas?

So far, Operation Burnout is keeping me gaming, just not playing what I thought I would be. I don’t think it has anything to do with DDO content, Free to Play changes or anything else. It’s just a season and will pass and I will come back to DDO after a few weeks off.

In the meantime, I am looking forward to trying new things, being open minded, and hoping I can squeeze a few more completed goals into 2009!

GAME ON!