Category: Achaea

Overwhelmed

On By mikeykjrIn Achaea, Worker's compensationLeave a comment

As previously noted on Update on My Work Crisis, I have started a worker’s compensation claim at work. I wished to all the Gods it would not come to this but this is where I can. It’s just beginning and it’s a struggle every day.

On Tuesday, I saw my primary care provider for a follow up on my ER visit on July 3rd. I almost went into a panic when they told me she does not accept workers comp. However, they did have another provider onsite to help me but I would have to return later.

Two hours later and an hour of documenting everything with the Physician’s assistant who will help me with this injury was emotionally exhausting. Yet, I’m glad she sat me down from start to finish to get it all on paper. Her recommendation was to take the next two weeks off, new meds and to schedule a visit with physical therapist.

I have so many people to contact, so many calls to return and mail to answer. I have never had my phone go off so much and received so much mail in the five years I have lived here. In just one ER visit, I have five different bills. With my employer I have two companies to help with this, corporate and a third party but was told just to go through my “claims adjuster” at the corporate office. He and I spoke once and since I have not heard from him. So that is another problem but expected. I was told by another Associate who has the same adjuster to just send him all the crap I receive and they can settle it all. So I’m going to do that tomorrow.

Right now, it took me more than a half an hour or more to walk to the corner store for a pack of cigarettes.It’s nice outside but by the time I got home, I was dripping in sweat and in a lot of pain from walking. I have some new meds to be delivered tomorrow so we’ll see how they help me, if any.

With that all over now, I’m taking a break and playing my game, Achaea, to get my mind off normal life for now.

I have to remember, just like sobriety, I have to take one problem, tackle it and move on. But at times, it’s just so much.

Then there is so much I need to do at home too.

It’s just so overwhelming….

Challenging Weekend Ahead

On By mikeykjrIn Achaea, Personal2 Comments

Starting a new life of recovery is always difficult with a whole host of challenges. While most of the World is sleeping, I’m awake purposely because I work the night shift (overnights). It’s Winter where I live and it’s unexpectedly brutal outside, so I have to find other things to do. Despite these challenges and others, I am committed to stay sober and will be grateful when all is said and done.

When one starts recovery, they go through withdrawal from the substance. This experience can range from mild to severe depending on the person and length of how long the person has been addicted to the substance. I just started a recovery journey after a two to three year alcoholic bender. At the end I was drinking anywhere from four to six beers a night on workdays to more than 48 beers (a thirty pack and 15 pack plus) on weekends. I was expecting the worst. Thankfully, I have not had a rough road at all during my “detox” period. However, there are cases where withdrawal can appear again in ones future without them noticing it. So I must be persistent and vigilant in my observations. For now, I’m actually doing quite well.

As mentioned in other posts on this blog, I work for a major retailer on the night shift (overnights). For the last couple of decades I have also worked this shift with other employers. I have a set schedule when I go to bed and when I wake up. Weekends are on Monday and Tuesdays. Despite the loneliness, I surround myself with a list of projects from playing games, genealogy and learning programming. It just depends on my mood what I dabble into. The point here is that when I drink, nothing gets accomplished because I just from one project to another and back again. Then I forget what I did and do it all over again and again and again.

Winter doesn’t help. For the next three to four months temperatures here will drop enough where it is not comfortable to go outside. What does one do when nothing is open? Either I just walk around the block or I take long trip playing Pokemon Go. I haven’t done that since my last sobriety, thus I need to find other things to do going back to my project list.

I play a game I’ve been involved in since 2006, Achaea – Dreams of Divine Lands. It is not, at all, a kind of game people play today with all graphics and popular games kids play today. Back then it was a time of no graphics, dial in modems and Telenet which was played around the World. It’s all old school..text character based, role playing, guilds, cities, questing, combat, etc set in a medieval type time period. The game evolves based on how we (the adventurers) interact with other. The Gods (admin) throw in some other things to get other things going too. This game has brought my experience of programming to a whole new level (however, it is NOT needed to play the game..it just enhances the experience).

This is not an actual screenshot of my screen but
a random image off the internet of what I use to play the game.

Anywho, I could talk for HOURS about this game. Moving on..

Where was I? Oh, a passion of mine – programming. I have an Associates degree in Computer Science. Unfortunately, I have never been able to use it in the real world. But I still enjoy programming when I get the chance. I have learned HTML, PHP, MYSQL on my own, thus attempted to incorporate it when playing the game (to keep track of things for myself). Again, over the years, I start it, scrap it, start it over and never ending cycle continues. Today, I hope, to stop that cycle. “Rome wasn’t build in day” and neither will this for what I have planned.

Alright, I think I have a plan for this weekend and need to get to it. Honestly, at the present moment, I have no desire to drink. Have I thought about it? Yes, there are moments it has occurred but either I have said the Serenity Prayer or searched for something to read about sobriety to help abate the feeling. Honestly, saying it out loud makes me nervous for some reason (taking deep breaths).

The gauntlet has been cast down. Challenge accepted. We shall prevail!

It’s Time for A Change. Something New . . .

On By mikeykjrIn AchaeaLeave a comment

First, I want to thank everyone who follows this blog; I really do appreciate all the support. In turn I hope I hope others achieve their sobriety goals. Whatever, they may be. Meanwhile, my life has gotten mundane. Therefore, I’m going to add a new section to his blog which details the accounts another part of – the gamer.

Years past I was never able to afford to play, not did I have the right computer system to play games like World of Warcraft or any others. While I do play WoW, on occasions, I have played mostly played text-character based games called MUDs which are free (to a point).

In 2005 or 2006 when we still had modems to ‘dial up’ to the Internet, I found a text-character based game called Achaea – Dreams for Divine Lands. I believed I used a Telnet client at first but found a better client called Mudlet. In summary, it’s a text-character based game (no video), with several races, classes, cities and organizations to join to help develop your character. People from around the world play this game. There is no ‘end game’. The game revolves around the characters interacting with each other. Of course, like the world we live in to, conflicts evolve either resolved through ‘diplomatic’ means or war. There are also Deities, Gods and Goddesses, that are involved in story lines but rarely ‘get involved in mortal affairs’. However, that doesn’t mean that the They don’t have conflicts among Themselves – it’s happened! Over the years, Iron Realms Entertainment (IRE), the parent company has really help bring some really interesting content to Achaea.

Right now, I’m currently playing a Dwarf, who is of the Runewarden Class and a citizen of a city-state called Cyrene. Here is my current description:

He is a stout dwarf. Standing about chest height you see long dark brown hair pulled in a ponytail
falling down his back. He also has a thick brown beard running down this puggy face again tied in
another ponytail. Both ponytails feature intricate knotwork. Thick eyebrows complement his piercing
green emerald eyes with rosy cheeks. You are surprised at his toned, muscular arms and legs despite
his lack of height and broad waist. His stature exudes perhaps a cautious manner until befriended
with loyalty to follow for many years later. A rune shaped like a mighty oak has been sketched onto
him (jera: +1 con and str). A rune resembling an elk has been sketched onto him (algiz: 10% dmg
reduction). A rune like a lion has been sketched onto him (berkana: lvl1 health regen).

Mazal, an Outrider Runewarden, a citizen of Cyrene

This time around, I have kept track of a lot of information. I’ll be honest, I’m to lazy to sit down, deal with Apache, PHP and MySQL (even though that is my preference as a programmer). But at the same time, the Garden (administration) heavily frowns on publishing information publicly. This doesn’t mean, I can’t keep the information private. This also doesn’t mean I can’t start a ‘dairy’ of my character explaining what he does on a daily basis (as long as I don’t divulge certain game information).

So my weekend, Monday and Tuesday (probably Wednesday and Thursday too, as I’m getting my second COVID vaccination with an allowance from my employer of paid leave if I have systems bad symptoms), you’ll probably see some posts begin to appear. I will make it a point for people who get email based notifications to have ‘Achaea: (something)’ in the title so you can just delete them if you aren’t interested in the content. They will not be numerous, either daily or none for a couple of days depending on my game play, as I plan to ‘journal’ my activities after each gaming session. Why? To be honest, I’m getting old, there is so much going on with the character, I can’t remember one day to the next, the who, what, where and when and sometimes its important to remember these things. Hence, the journal.

I’ll eventually get pages up on others topics like: What is a MUD? How Do I Play a MUD? I joined, what do I do now?

If you already play, please MSG Mazal! Enemy or not, I’d still like to hear from you. Perhaps we can join a secret Order? *laughing hysterically*

Anywho…

I’ve thought about this a long time. Now it’s time to do it.