EPT
+ Show Spoiler +
Lauren Mayberry is the cutest lady ever.
Most of you probably don't even know who I am. Well, actually, if you're reading this, you probably know who I am. Unless you just like reading blogs on TL, which I guess is something to do. When I first discovered TL I was still in the Norwegian equivalent of high school, about... 4 years ago or so? I hadn't touched BW since I was a wee kid, borrowing my brother's computer to cheat my way through the campaign and play Footmen on battle.net. I found my old SC and BW discs while looking through my dad's old LP collection in the attic, and spent the next couple of days finishing the campaign for the first time ever without cheating.
Now, to do this I obviously had to get some help, and that's how I found TL, looking for help with the... campaign. I'm not gonna pretend I instantly fell in love with the website, but I stuck around, started watching professionals, and it was pretty interesting. I'd never been interested in any sort of sport ever, but me and BW just clicked.
+ Show Spoiler +
When SC2 was announced, and beta hit, I was pretty fucking pissed I couldn't get my hands on an invite. I was in my last year of high school around the release of SC2. I think. Yeah. I had a lot of shit going on in my life then, what with school and work and being socially active. I stopped watching BW and started watching SC2. I'd still go back and watch any big matches, but most of my time on TL was spent on SC2, and I guess this was about the time I started posting in the SC2 tournament LR threads. “Sunday, 17th of April 2011”. According to TL. I assume that's right.
Finals came and went, I got mediocre results and spent the summer worrying about whether or not I'd make it into Uni. I remember not getting a job that summer. I'd been promised one, but just as summer came around I was told that no, I didn't actually have a job, because the guy that had promised me a job got laid off. Or something. Either way, friends all went abroad travelling and having fun, and I was stuck home alone for a couple months. There were still a couple friends around, and we'd spend weekends and evenings outside, doing what the young ones do.
To take my mind off Uni I'd spend more and more time on TL. That was also the last summer I actually played ladder in SC2, trying to play at least 2 1v1 games every morning. Made it from silver to platinum, and stopped, because I didn't see the point in doing something I really didn't enjoy doing. I guess this was about when I started modding Twitch streams as well. I miss IPL.
+ Show Spoiler +
That's about the time I started to get to know people in the LR threads. I never ventured far from them though, rarely posting in any other sub-forum than the SC2 Tournaments. I still do that, to some extent. I just know I've never posted much in the General or TL Community forums. Which is why I'm a no-name to a lot of people.
I'm not proud of how I lived my life for the first half of 2012. After dropping out of Uni I'd spend most days locked up in my tiny appartment. I'd go to a cafe with one of my two friends in that city on occasion, but mostly I just sat around watching movies, playing games, watching StarCraft. I left the house for groceries, I'd go out drinking every weekend with my buddy, and it was fun. I guess staying by yourself for so long isn't healthy for anyone.
But a 10k celebratory post is no place for depression, so we'll just skip ahead a bit. I remember whining to Hassybaby when I found out that the LR people had a Skype conversation that I wasn't in. Most of the people I'd enjoyed talking to had stopped posting, and I didn't care much about SC2 then. While some of the LR crew had moved to Dota 2, I moved to Brood War as I found out about the SOSPA scene. Still love it. HotS somewhat rekindled my love for SC2, but I still take BW over SC2 any day. Also Dota 2 is cool.
2013 has been a shitty year. I moved back with my parents and started working. I know one person in this city, and he's busy most of the time. About two months ago I got an eye infection, and two weeks ago I was diagnosed with vasculitis. Or Wegener's Granulomatosis. A rare disease that can potentially be really terrifying and deadly, but I lucked out and got it discovered early. I don't feel like once again explaining what it's all about. I'm fine, but I'm once again worrying about not getting into Uni, and I'm grumpy as fuck that this happened to me. I have shitty eyesight already, couldn't that be enough?
+ Show Spoiler +
This post has gone on for so long the first of the TLS groups finished. I guess I should do mentions. I hate this, I know I'll forget most of you, but know that if I've ever talked to you on TL or elsewhere, you deserve to be on this list. It might be cliché as fuck, but TL has been a big part of my life the last couple of years, and the people I've met have become close friends.
The LR Crew – Hassy, Dean, Erik, Lee, Tom, Mike, Corin, Jack
I'm not a fan of talking to people about my issues in real life, so very few actually know I have wegener's, and even them were told after I left the hospital. For the two weeks of insecurity and pain after my diagnosis, these were the ones I talked to the most. I guess one of the reasons I felt like I could tell them is that I knew I'd get a healthy dose of “man-the-fuck-up”, compassion and “lol u have a disease common in middle-aged men”. Most of all they're really good at keeping my mind off the more depressing sides of my life right now. Thanks!
More LR people – David, Alex, BR, Seeker, KiNGxXx, DarkPlasmaBall, Con, FrostedMiniWheats, Dodgin, Wintex, Linwelin, LeLfe, kyllinghest, StarVe, AlternativeEgo and a bunch more.
There are a lot of reasons not to ever click on an LR thread. You're the reasons you should.
The mods – Waldo, Justin, FragRaptor, The BT, silenc, Luke, Maarten, Matthew, Palandiell, Ravager, Sam, Urbzie, Hajaku
Though I've been heavily neglecting my modding duties ever since the last IPL, I still have plenty of fond memories with this bunch. They're the ones that make Twitch chats less shit. Have you seen Twitch chats? These guys are like... martyrs or some shit.
BW peeps – Epoxide, BisuDagger, ArvickHero, snipealot, BR (again), every single staff member
Though the BW community on TL might not be what it was, and though it never will be, the ones that stuck around are amazing. Except for the elitists, never liked those.
Liquipedia – You all know who you are. I never really got involved in the LP community, I always feel welcome when I stop by the IRC channel once a month.
Anyone I might have forgotten – I'm sorry, my memory sucks. I can't even blame that shit on my disease.
I don't see myself ever reaching 20k. Or even 15k. Which is why this one is so long. So, uh, yeah. Thanks for a couple good years. Here's my favorite song ever to end the post.
