Worgen/Human Models, or "I Make Do"

My brother did send me screenies of hair but I think he was a bit rushed.  He's out of town at the moment or I'd bug him for more details.  Since I can't, I'm making do with available third-party media.

Please note that we cannot build our Worgen and human forms separately.  You choose one option, you're stuck with the corresponding form.  However, you can see your human counterpart as you create your Worgen so that you don't get anything too icky.  :)

I'm looking into whether or not we'll be able to get Barbershop-only human hairstyles through the Barbershop.  Formerly bloodelf-only hairstyles are not available in the creation screen.

I only apologize that I didn't have time to put Model Viewer human forms by the Worgen models to make the comparisons easier.  :/  You'll need to click on images to see the human version clearly in the bottom left corner.

Credits go to this video.

Direbrew Lost, or "Instance Not Found"

Neither my Zuluhed nor my Moon Guard characters can get into Direbrew this morning.  My groupmates are equally unable.  Perhaps this will be fixed later today?

Alchemy Mount, or "They Found It!"

^ From MMO-Champion

Vial of the Sands - Transform into a dragon mount and carry an ally on your back.

"According to the spell and reagents it looks like it will be an alchemy recipe available through Discoveries" (Boubouille)

This harks back to the oddness with the Twilight Phoenix. Will we really be able to transform into a phoenix mount and carry a passenger?

Brewfest 2010, or "Yay! No Fighting Over Mounts!"

Not much new to tell this year.  Peruse 2009 for the quests, or 2008/2007 for previous versions of this holiday.

The Keg-Shaped Treasure Chest reportedly drops the following:

• Ram Mount
• Kodo Mount
• Direbrew's Remote
• Bloody Shanker
• Tankard O' Terror

The boss only drops trinkets now.

Also, the boss is pretty easy.  For example, the tank was afk the entire time on Birdfall's run.  The mage died and the hunter tanked.  Just stay away from his disarm (a sort of whirlwind) and you'll take minimal damage.

Beta Updates, or "Horde Guild Mount and Worgen News"

1. Worgens have no racial mount.  They drop to all fours and run.  I imagine Blizz will try to even the numbers of Alliance vs Horde mounts for the achievements in a way other than Worgen mounts, but for now we should just try not to stress about it.  They've gone to extreme lengths to even out mounts in the past and there's no reason for them not to do the same now.

2. Female Worgens are now live on the Beta.  I already petitioned my brother to send me screenies, so expect that later today.  Meantime, here's a video to whet your appetite.

3. Horde guild mount is a scorpion and has both an image and video.

4. Worgen male dance is Justin Timberlake.  I imagine this will renew the clamor for dance studios.

Pirate Day

In case you forgot, get your pirate achievement today only.

Give Me Kids, or "Another Pet Request for the Pile"

I want to see children as pets.

Boy and girl of each race.

We know it's possible with the Argent Squire, who can even mount his own little pony if you get him one.

I imagine children of X race mounting a little gryphon or windrider and following you around while airborn.

We could "adopt" them from the orphanages of each city or something.  Maybe as a quest chain or even an extended part of Children's Week.  (Because you have to wonder: what is Blizz going to add to Children's Week this year after returning to Azeroth?  If anything.)

Dusty would use hers for slave labor, but Windwhistler is really good with kids and would totally teach them how to play rock-paper-scissors.

Blizz could also let us have posses.  I miss my troll posse.  *pout*

Updated Mounts/Pets Lists, or "I've Stopped Actually Reading These"

Mounts

• Ultramarine Qiraji Battle Tank
• Sandstone Drake
• Mottled Drake
• Kron'Kar Annihilator

Companion Pets

• Deathy
• Guild Herald (5 min summon)
• Guild Page (5 min summon)
• Gold Mini Jouster
• Blue Mini Jouster
• Tiny Shale Spider
• Pebble
• Landro's Lil' XT
• Enchanted Lantern
• Magic Lamp
• Elementium Geode
• Mr. Grubbs 
• Brazie's Sunflower

[Edit] Added guild rewards below.

Notice: Holidays

Harvest Festival has begun, but it's not terribly important.

Pirate's Day Sunday the 19th.

Brewfest starts this coming Monday the 20th.

Fight the Machine, or "How Work Affects Play"

The changes I've seen in my play style are the following:

• I don't play during the week, only on the weekends.
• I don't do dailies anymore.  I make money through cross-faction pet sales listed in the few spare minutes I have before and after work.
• I'm less concerned with gear than I am with getting my characters to max level for Cata.
• I'm more interested in how my professions can net me a profit than I've ever been before.
• I'm much more intense about making and stockpiling gold, because having enough gold will make time management easier later.
• I'm much more focused on the major goals I still hold -- such as making sure certain characters are 85 by Valentines for a shot at the rocket, or sacrificing part of my days during Brewfest for Plum to try for her pretty little ram.

I told my brother-in-law-in-law that I want to try for the Pink Rocket on multiple characters.  He said "I was going to tell you how insane you are, but then I remembered 'Oh right, she has the phoenix.'"

New Pets/Mounts, or "This Title is Getting Really Old, Huh?"

But I don't have time to be creative with my water shut off at 5am.

Currently, it's a duplicate of the Qiraji Blue Mount.

Check the rest of the Archaeology stuff here while I go to my brother's house to get ready for work.

Troll and Gnome Takeover!, or "Ohmygoodness, It's About Time"

Horde:

• Go to Orgrimmar.  Travel south out of the city to the very southern tip of Durotar.  The quest giver is on the eastern side of Sen'jin Village.

Alliance:

• Go to Ironforge and head to Tinkertown.  Talk to Mekkatorque for the quest.

Past the break are the specific questline walkthroughs.  Don't continue if you don't want spoilers.

Squee, or "New Stuff"

Cat on lap, must... type... slowly....

New mounts and pets and titles.

Birdfall Has a Job, or "No Really, It's An Actual Job"

I file papers for eye doctors in a massive bunch of filing cabinets, and I pull files that they need and send them to the doctors using people called "runners."  If I were a runner, I'd pretend I was actually running for my life.  It would be awesome.

It keeps me busy and my first day went by pretty fast, though I had to stand for hours on end because there was only one chair and the lady teaching me did the computer stuff.

What this means for the blog is that you'll see posts not-in-the-middle-of-the-day unless I do some on the weekend and schedule them.  Still plan on keeping up with things, though.  I'm doing this so we can buy one of these next September:

Wish me luck.