Marathons Are Long! (Teal Deer Warning)

Monday:

No XI today. I was on a "no complaining of lack of sleep" warning from Ape after yesterday's bender. The big Labor Day plans were for us to meet my folks at the mall for a little shopping after we ate breakfast. Then, quick shopping for the party at Sis's.

At the mall, I wound up running around for the others as much as I got to shop myself, but I did get some new stuff at B&BW. This was after a salesgirl offered me a sample of the new flavor and before I could grab a tester to smell, she put a bit of the lotion in my hand.

We all grabbed snacks later in the afternoon and Dad and I ran into his old friend and we chatted a bit.

I picked Ape up when it was time to go - she'd made it to the other end of the mall but started feeling lousy again - and then I did the shopping for dinner. We stopped back at the house to grab the Clones then off to the party.

Dinner grilling was underway quickly so we got to the food pretty quickly, and as usual, it was very tasty. Afterwards, it was time to play Apples to Apples. I won ^^

Back home, there wasn't much time left so we just got the kids settled and wound down.

Sunday:

...And here I was telling Ape I didn't play that much per session! I started up a bit after Ape and the boys went off to Fernandina with Sis & Co. I was off the hook because BIL didn't go but I *did* offer. Ape said I could have the day for me. And *this* time, she delivered!

I resumed my lumber fishing in the Canal and on my last trip of my multipass (it was an ordinary multipass, not a Leeloo Dallas Multipass) I scored a drop! I continued the back-and-to to close that one out, then Hyper Active, then The Naming Game. This one also involved farming, but I got luckier with the Cryptonberries in Pso'xja. And my chosen airship name? "Eternal Celestial Mystic". Surprised?

Somewhere in here, I helped Snouzer, Zeb's boy, with the BST unlock in Qufim. We both showed up as WHMs although I think he was 54 to my 75. Still, plenty capable. The Kraken fight was cake but the NM above wasn't - I picked on a new high-level beastie and got pounded. Oh well! Big buffer!

I then finished off 5-1 and proceeded into 5-2 - Promy-Vahzl. I'm supposed to be able to solo this now that the level cap was off. I really didn't have any trouble climbing the first 4 floors and took time to try obtaining a White Memosphere for the map. But the Memory Receptacle leading to 5 was a pain. I had to Benediction but I made it up.

By now, it had been like 5 hours of running all over Vana'diel, plus I knew I wanted Benediction for the final Spire fight. So I took a break to drive another load to the storage unit. I had taped up the boxes during some airship delays and such. And I wanted to eat too. Ape was supposedly still in Fernandina but as I was leaving the storage facility and headed to find food Ape called and said she was home and wanted to go with.

I headed back, grabbed her and we were off to Wendy's, the crew's unanimous pick. We grabbed some grub, then I offered to grab a Redbox and watch something with Ape. We settled on "Book of Eli". Back home, we ate and then started the movie. Younger actually stuck around, despite warnings of violent and bloody content. He's squeamish. He actually watched more than Ape did :3

The Review: Pretty interesting premise... Strangely-driven man called Eli (Washington) journeys West, protecting what turns out to be the last surviving Bible, post holocaust. Seems 30 years ago something laid waste to at least America, if not the planet. All the scenery looks like the aftermath of a nuke war. Very "Road Warrior" - including the roving bands of thugs in hand-armored vehicles. Eli isn't just a vagabond - think Transporter, complete with insane levels of bad-assery. He dispatches goons and hairless cats with aplomb.

So, Eli. He winds up in a small town run by Carnegie (Oldman) who just happens to be searching for a Bible, believing that with the power of dogma, he can influence a larger number of people and expand his control. Yada yada yada Eli escapes just as Carnegie figures out what he's sought for so long is staying in one of his hotel rooms. Eli "emptied" Carnegie's bar when one of the Brute Squad muscled in on him. Carnegie wants a new Enforcer. Eli wants to turn him down so Carnegie puts him up for the night to try to change his mind.

By sending his girlfriend's daughter Solara (Kunis) to seduce him. Doesn't really work. But soon after the two of them find themselves reluctant traveling companions. After a quick bite at a remote farmhouse (great scene BTW), Carlisle and Co. arrive and level the place, recovering the Bible. And the heretofore unassailable Eli gets gut-shot and left to die.

This is when the audience wonders what kind of Divine intervention will save the day for our devout hero. Nothing terribly dramatic. Just a good memory and a Heavenly sense of irony. See, the Bible he's been toting across the wastes is a *Braille* edition, and Carlisle's conveniently-blind consort refuses to read it to him. Meanwhile, his minions sense Carlisle's slipping power and bolt.

Eli and Solara on the other hand, find themselves in San Fran, rowing a small boat to Alcatraz Island. There's a growing library there curated by Malcolm McDowell. Eli reads the Bible while the Curator transcribes. He's gonna print new ones on a press he's almost got working. Movie wraps with a dead but content Eli being laid to rest on the Island while new Bibles get printed. Solara takes up Eli's gear if not his mantle and heads back home, presumably to get her mom.

I loved the ending, especially Carlisle's expression of bewilderment when he realizes he got what he wanted and still lost. I'd spend time in later days trying to figure out if Eli was in fact meant to be blind. There's evidence in the film for both possibilities (and I have to believe he was at least partially sighted) but the screenwriter gave an interview saying, Nope, he's blind. Whatever. Still cool.

Oh, and the Curator? The man lives on a green island, WITH electricity and a printing press, and he can't come up with a ratty manual typewriter? Or even a Selectric? Really?

So, after more family time, I picked back up with XI. I resumed my assault on the fifth floor of Promy-Vahzl. Turns out the level 80 baddies they added when the level cap was removed were no problem. And I never had to worry about links because the only things I attacked were the memosphere holders and they were unique enough. So, I finish off the fifth web and head to the Spire. I had to choose - fight the buff-eater first or last? I opted for first and I think it was the right choice.

I engaged him and totally forgot the second boss wanders in at about 20%. So I found myself getting beaten senseless by two angry monsters while low on mana but I managed to finish off the first before I died. Benecide helped keep me kicking just long enough. The second retreated to the center and I reraised, hoping not to get hate as soon as I did. Nope, Number 2 stayed put and healed. I was then worried the first would respawn but it didn't. *Phew!* I could rest, buff and fight on a more even footing with food and buffs.

And that's what I did. The next two battles were much like the web battles from earlier and I won. With less than 4 minutes to spare! Yikes! Warped outside I slogged my way to the other tower for the last little cutscene and planned to go to bed as it was now 2:30am.

That's when Soulshear asked for partiers at level 40-odd. I said all I had was my Sam at 20 and he jumped at it. So I wound up in a Qufim party. Until 5:30am. But man, what a party! Soul and I skillchained Scissions all night long while our BLM bursted off them. We never really had trouble once we all got our rhythm down. It was really fun and I wound up gaining 4 levels too!

As I made ready to leave, I thought Soul wanted me to find a rep, and I did, but then two or three of the others wanted to knock off too and so the party broke. Just as my rep arrived, too >< I felt bad but there was nothing for it but to apologise. And /yawn!