The death of a shaman..........

For now.. Palana, level 65 Troll Shaman, currently stationed at Spinebreaker Hold, Outland.. is dead. Her sisters of battle (Avette, 61 Undead Mage; Myrethea, 63 undead Priest; and Blymthe, 60 Undead Warrior) followed her, dying of broken hearts.

Why did they die? Because I woke up. And I've been asleep for two years. That's a long time to sleep when you have three kids. One of which is only three years old.

Last night, I watched my three year old daughter peacefully sleeping next to me in bed while I read a book, and realized just how much I missed of the last two years by playing in the wonderful fantasy land of Azeroth. AKA the World of Warcraft.

You just cannot play that game in moderation. I thought about just trimming down my time online, but I've tried that.. and it doesn't work. I always end up playing every night. Someone always needs help, or there's one more piece of gear to get. Being the guild master didn't help. You always feel like you HAVE to be there. It helps to justify your time online.

I'm taking some time off. To catch up on life. To catch up on my kids. To enjoy some of my hobbies again....

Will I go back to Outland, and finish Palana's training to level 70? Maybe. But not until I can do it with moderation. Not until I can put the game in it's proper perspective. It should always come last. It is, after all, a game.