The thrill of getting level 99 Cooking in RuneScape was short-lived as my account got hacked.
The first sign of trouble was that my character was in an unfamiliar area. I checked my bank to find most of my valuables gone, including 33 Halloween masks and 52 Santa hats. The hacker also took my armor and weapons, all of my gold and lots of other items. I know it's only a game, but this really sucks ass.
Of note is that an online virus scan picked up a Trojan on my computer. I guess that explains everything. Though I'm pretty careful about downloads, I've heard some malicious websites can install viruses through browser vulnerabilities. On the other hand, this was probably partly my fault because I had a weak password.
It's also possible that I was specifically targeted. Being the 36th player to get 99 Cooking likely made me somewhat famous. But considering that Jagex doesn't return items, none of this really matters. Oh well, better start earning my stuff again...
Update: A bit of good news: my friend Sandman2002 gave me a green mask to help me get started again. There are no words to express my gratitude. Thanks, dude!
Currently listening to: "Sandstorm" by Darude
Tuesday, April 29, 2003
Wednesday, April 9, 2003
level 99 Cooking in RuneScape
I finally reached 99 Cooking in RuneScape after an eight-month grind. Here is a screenshot of me leveling up. I still can't believe this actually happened. Hell yeah!
Of course, this monumental task would have been much harder without the help of friends. I'd like to thank Vera02 and Jeboy for swapping their raw lobsters for my cooked, and Cbkmy for letting me cook his swordfish. The same goes for everyone else who sold me supplies. There are too many people to name, but you know who you are.
In my opinion, the biggest problem with RuneScape is that training is too repetitive. Doing the same thing over and over again quickly gets old. For the Cooking skill, I'd probably be in the top 10 on the leaderboard had I really tried. That said, being the 36th person to reach 99 Cooking certainly gives me bragging rights. :-)
In other news...
On a related note, good luck to fellow RuneScape player Thehate as he is also getting 99 Cooking soon!
Currently playing: RuneScape
Of course, this monumental task would have been much harder without the help of friends. I'd like to thank Vera02 and Jeboy for swapping their raw lobsters for my cooked, and Cbkmy for letting me cook his swordfish. The same goes for everyone else who sold me supplies. There are too many people to name, but you know who you are.
In my opinion, the biggest problem with RuneScape is that training is too repetitive. Doing the same thing over and over again quickly gets old. For the Cooking skill, I'd probably be in the top 10 on the leaderboard had I really tried. That said, being the 36th person to reach 99 Cooking certainly gives me bragging rights. :-)
In other news...
On a related note, good luck to fellow RuneScape player Thehate as he is also getting 99 Cooking soon!
Currently playing: RuneScape
Monday, February 17, 2003
Yosemite trip report + rest of winter break
Happy Presidents Day!
Winter break has been great as I just got back from Yosemite National Park with my parents. Because I was sick during Christmas break and couldn't go anywhere, Dad decided to take us on to Yosemite over the long weekend. This was nice as we hadn't been there in ages.
Day 1
The first stop was our family friend Tiffany's house in Fresno. Mom wanted to stop by because Tiffany often brings her daughter over to study Buddhism. I mostly played Duke Nukem II on my laptop while the adults talked as there wasn't much else to do.
The three of us arrived in Oakhurst about an hour later. Our hotel was nice and quite comfortable. But because it was late, the evening was uneventful aside from dinner at Burger King and a stop at Kragen Auto Parts for snow chains.
Day 2
The air in Yosemite was very fresh and made our stay very worthwhile. The fantastic views were the best part of the trip. I also enjoyed visiting Yosemite Village and checking out the Village Store. Our final stop of the day was Curry Village. This was our first time staying in the cabins!
Day 3
We had to leave fairly early because Dad has to catch a flight to Japan. Though we considered stopping in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, there just wasn't enough time. However, I'm not going to complain because a short trip is better than no trip at all.
Speaking of which, there was a funny moment as we were getting ready to leave: my mother and I were taking things to the car when an awful stench hit us. It seems someone in another cabin just took a huge shit. The smell was so bad that we couldn't stay outside for more than a few seconds. The whole thing was gross but hilarious in hindsight. Mom and I had a good laugh about it on the way home.
February 24 update: I'm now back in school as winter break as ended. I didn't feel like making a separate post as the rest of the week was uneventful.
Currently playing: Duke Nukem II
Historical note: Pictures from the trip are available here.
Winter break has been great as I just got back from Yosemite National Park with my parents. Because I was sick during Christmas break and couldn't go anywhere, Dad decided to take us on to Yosemite over the long weekend. This was nice as we hadn't been there in ages.
Day 1
The first stop was our family friend Tiffany's house in Fresno. Mom wanted to stop by because Tiffany often brings her daughter over to study Buddhism. I mostly played Duke Nukem II on my laptop while the adults talked as there wasn't much else to do.
The three of us arrived in Oakhurst about an hour later. Our hotel was nice and quite comfortable. But because it was late, the evening was uneventful aside from dinner at Burger King and a stop at Kragen Auto Parts for snow chains.
Day 2
The air in Yosemite was very fresh and made our stay very worthwhile. The fantastic views were the best part of the trip. I also enjoyed visiting Yosemite Village and checking out the Village Store. Our final stop of the day was Curry Village. This was our first time staying in the cabins!
Day 3
We had to leave fairly early because Dad has to catch a flight to Japan. Though we considered stopping in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, there just wasn't enough time. However, I'm not going to complain because a short trip is better than no trip at all.
Speaking of which, there was a funny moment as we were getting ready to leave: my mother and I were taking things to the car when an awful stench hit us. It seems someone in another cabin just took a huge shit. The smell was so bad that we couldn't stay outside for more than a few seconds. The whole thing was gross but hilarious in hindsight. Mom and I had a good laugh about it on the way home.
February 24 update: I'm now back in school as winter break as ended. I didn't feel like making a separate post as the rest of the week was uneventful.
Currently playing: Duke Nukem II
Historical note: Pictures from the trip are available here.
Monday, January 6, 2003
a crappy Christmas break
So the spring semester has started. To tell you the truth, the break sucked because I was sick the whole time. I'm actually still not feeling well and can barely talk due to laryngitis. :-(
The other thing is that we mostly stayed home due to our current financial situation. Though we went hiking in Stevens Creek County Park three days ago, that's pretty much all we did. I also had to study for the finals. Fuck that shit.
All that having been said, there were some high points. One of our family friends gave me a tray of dried fruit from Casa de Fruta. It was nice to share it with my parents. I also got to play RuneScape during study breaks. Speaking of which, I'm close to level 90 Cooking and should get there in a few days. :-)
Currently playing: RuneScape
The other thing is that we mostly stayed home due to our current financial situation. Though we went hiking in Stevens Creek County Park three days ago, that's pretty much all we did. I also had to study for the finals. Fuck that shit.
All that having been said, there were some high points. One of our family friends gave me a tray of dried fruit from Casa de Fruta. It was nice to share it with my parents. I also got to play RuneScape during study breaks. Speaking of which, I'm close to level 90 Cooking and should get there in a few days. :-)
Currently playing: RuneScape
Wednesday, January 1, 2003
an unhappy new year
I hope everyone had a great new year because mine sucked. The worst part is that I caught a bad cold just after the break started. I'm actually still very sick at the moment. The fact that finals are coming up doesn't help the issue.
2002 in review
The last few months have been rough. For a start, the workload was heavy - which isn't unexpected for 11th graders. It doesn't help that my father decided to start an argument with me over my studying habits. Mrs. Schiffman kicked me out of Spanish III two weeks later. I then had a crappy weekend before getting this nasty cold - what a shitty way to end the year.
Despite all the bad things, 2002 had its highlights. Our trip to Hawaii was probably the best part of the year. I really enjoyed visiting the Southwest U.S. as well. All that having been said, here's to hoping 2003 will be better. :-)
Currently watching: True Lies
2002 in review
The last few months have been rough. For a start, the workload was heavy - which isn't unexpected for 11th graders. It doesn't help that my father decided to start an argument with me over my studying habits. Mrs. Schiffman kicked me out of Spanish III two weeks later. I then had a crappy weekend before getting this nasty cold - what a shitty way to end the year.
Despite all the bad things, 2002 had its highlights. Our trip to Hawaii was probably the best part of the year. I really enjoyed visiting the Southwest U.S. as well. All that having been said, here's to hoping 2003 will be better. :-)
Currently watching: True Lies
Friday, December 20, 2002
it's been a tough semester...
School's out for the holidays. I must admit this has been the most stressful semester so far.
Although I don't have any AP classes, that hasn't made things any easier. For one, physics and trigonometry are both tough subjects. To add to the stress, my father started a big fight about my grades in September. It doesn't help that I was kicked out of Spanish class two weeks later. I also had to miss a dance to catch up on assignments.
But at least I can catch my breath for two weeks now that the break is here. However, the semester isn't actually over until a week or so after the break ends. This means I still have to study for the finals over Christmas. Go figure.
Although I don't have any AP classes, that hasn't made things any easier. For one, physics and trigonometry are both tough subjects. To add to the stress, my father started a big fight about my grades in September. It doesn't help that I was kicked out of Spanish class two weeks later. I also had to miss a dance to catch up on assignments.
But at least I can catch my breath for two weeks now that the break is here. However, the semester isn't actually over until a week or so after the break ends. This means I still have to study for the finals over Christmas. Go figure.
Sunday, December 15, 2002
the worst weekend ever
Hopefully everyone had a good weekend because mine was terrible. Sometimes shit happens.
As you may remember, the holiday dance in 10th grade was pretty fun. I was definitely looking forward to going again this year. However, my mother advised me to stay home and finish an overdue paper for American Literature.
Because I'm supposed to be catching up, she didn't think Mrs. Herrera would be thrilled to see me at the dance. I felt she had a point and reluctantly agreed not to go. Considering that I've been waiting for months, this was a huge let-down. It didn't help that I also had physics, trigonometry and web design assignments. Talk about unlucky — no wonder Friday the 13th gets a bad rap.
Of course, that alone wouldn't have been so bad as there are other things to do. For example, my family loves to go hiking on weekends. But that didn't happen either because the trails were all muddy from the rain. I decided to catch up on TV shows — only to find there was no signal available. Just wonderful.
Another thing is that my favorite online forum is shutting down for legal reasons. It's like a second home to me. Seeing the community disappear really sucks. Other forums just aren't the same. :-(
However, the good news is that I managed to find time for games. RuneScape is something that always cheers me up. I actually reached level 70 Mining and can mine adamantite ore without boosts. Click here for a picture. It only shows my stats because I was too excited and forgot to press Print Screen after leveling up. D'oh!
Update: I asked my mother for RuneScape membership in exchange for giving up the dance. She said that would depend on my grades. I guess it's time to work harder. :-)
Currently playing: Blackhawk Striker
As you may remember, the holiday dance in 10th grade was pretty fun. I was definitely looking forward to going again this year. However, my mother advised me to stay home and finish an overdue paper for American Literature.
Because I'm supposed to be catching up, she didn't think Mrs. Herrera would be thrilled to see me at the dance. I felt she had a point and reluctantly agreed not to go. Considering that I've been waiting for months, this was a huge let-down. It didn't help that I also had physics, trigonometry and web design assignments. Talk about unlucky — no wonder Friday the 13th gets a bad rap.
Of course, that alone wouldn't have been so bad as there are other things to do. For example, my family loves to go hiking on weekends. But that didn't happen either because the trails were all muddy from the rain. I decided to catch up on TV shows — only to find there was no signal available. Just wonderful.
Another thing is that my favorite online forum is shutting down for legal reasons. It's like a second home to me. Seeing the community disappear really sucks. Other forums just aren't the same. :-(
However, the good news is that I managed to find time for games. RuneScape is something that always cheers me up. I actually reached level 70 Mining and can mine adamantite ore without boosts. Click here for a picture. It only shows my stats because I was too excited and forgot to press Print Screen after leveling up. D'oh!
Update: I asked my mother for RuneScape membership in exchange for giving up the dance. She said that would depend on my grades. I guess it's time to work harder. :-)
Currently playing: Blackhawk Striker
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