Excuse Me, But Have You Seen My Pants?

Tazha made an adorable and oh-so-true post about the serious lack of pants on the chicks in WoW. A couple of people made comments about what their favorite pairs of pants are. I wanted to comment too, but the problem is... I don't know what my favorite pair of pants is called!!!

How could you not love these pants??? I must have been wearing them in the 40's-ish and they must have been pretty good for a resto druid, because I was wearing them a long time. Obviously they must have been cloth or leather. I have no idea if they were a drop, from an instance, or a quest reward. I also don't know if Blizz changed the model for them... I was young and dumb and blew them up for enchanting mats when I out grew them.

And now I wish I had them back!

Any idea what my pants are???

You Have Been Warned!

Bring it, Penguins!

Also, I would not recommend trying to invade Dreambound. I hear Kae is well guarded too!

Can you tell how old this picture is? I was still leveling with my priest on a stick.

"I think you read too many blogs."

"I think you read too many blogs." - Yakra

Blogs.

Blogs.
Blogs.
Oh my God.
Blogs.
Let's read some blogs.
Let's write some blogs.
Let's link some blogs.
Let's flame some blogs.^†
Blogs.
Blogs.

Oh, my God, blogs.

Blogs.
Blogs.
This blog rules.
This blog sucked.^‡
This blog rules.
This blog sucks!
Blogs.
Blogs.
Blogs.
Oh, my God, blogs.
This blog rules.
This blog sucks.^￥
This blog's new.
This blog's gone!
I think you read too many blogs.
Shut up!
I think you read too many blogs.
Shut up!
I think you read too many blogs.
Shut up!
I think you read too many blogs.
Shut up!
Stupid feed.
Stupid feed.
Let's read some blogs.

Let's tweet.
This blog is over three years old.
This blog has over three hundred subscribers.
This blog has over three thousand 'ucking subscribers.
Let's link 'em!
Um... this topic is kinda old. I don't think anyone's gonna read it.
I mean, no one runs Kara anymore.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Click, by the way Blizz,
*UCK YOU
*UCK YOU
*UCK YOU
*UCK YOU

This blog is mine, click.

Give me that list of blogs, click.

This feed is mine, click.

Click.

† This is not an invitation to flame Keeva's blog, but rather a reference to the comments posted on that article.

‡ I had to link to Averna's juicy post about Paladin Shmaladin!

￥No, I don't really think my husband's blog sucks, but I had his permission to pretend I did.

After much deliberation over the past month or so, I have decided to seriously cut back my blog reading list. At one point I was subscribed to over 45 blogs by resto druids; that doesn't include the non-resto druids. Sometimes, I would come home from work and spend over an hour reading/skimming blog posts. It was becoming more of a job than a hobby, but I kept it up because I wanted to be supportive of new blogs. I remember how hard it was to be starting out and how much readers and commenters meant. However, despite my attempts, I don't feel I have been that successful at being supportive. Here is what sealed the deal for me though: I was skipping reading my husband's blog to read blogs I felt I SHOULD read, even if I felt they weren't relevant to me. Not only was I taking time away that could be spent with Yakra PLAYING WoW, but I wasn't even giving him the time to read what he wrote.

I have a new plan: Quality over Quantity. The less blogs I read, the more closely I read the one's I DO read, and the more comments I make on those blogs. I am also more likely to follow their links to other blogs, because I don't feel like there are blogs I should be reading back in my feedreader. I'm trying to think of this not as "not being supportive" but as "being more supportive of some" and hoping that will branch out to other blogs.

The motivation and justification was the easy part. The means I am finding a little heart breaking. Every time I log into my feed reader I try to find one blog to unsubscribe to. This was easy at first: people who haven't posted in a while, people posting about other games. Then I moved on to blogs that weren't as relevant to me: blogs that never were about WoW but I thought I might like, blogs where they used to play a druid but now are posting technical articles about another class, blogs with lots of gold making guides. Now its starting to get really hard. My goal is to keep unsubscribing until everything is "read". That, I am hoping, will put me at a healthy balance where I can really read what is posted, make comments on posts, but still have room to add new blogs that really interest me.

How many blogs do you REALLY read? How many do you PRETEND to read? Do you ever feel overwhelmed by all the quality WoW blogs out there? How do you chose?

WoW Backwards is Still WoW

After I left LOKI I decided to flip my WoW experience on its head. The night after /gquitting I returned to the night elf starting areas to work on quests towards Loremaster. It reminded me of the reasons I fell in love with my druid in the first place: the sereneness, the artwork, the feeling that good would always conquer evil. It also felt very backwards. There was no endgame, next boss, better loot, harder achievement I was used to striving for. Instead of progress I was completing. Backwards, but still WoW and still enjoyable. Maybe I was backwards the whole time I was raiding and didn't even know it???

Thanks for you faith in me... Priestess of MY OWN RACE

Yakra joined me for Azuremyst quests. We had a blast making fun of all the nonsensical things the NPCs said, since they thought they were talking to Draenei but they were talking to an elf and a dwarf... We were reading every word of the quests (at least I was!) Very backwards from plowing through pieces of Northrend content for rep or rewards, since they were needed for raiding. Maybe questing backwards, but still WoW.

I started a guild! Mostly for me and Yakra and for the few lowbies who signed my charter who I don't have the heart to kick. Its called Low Key. Get it... 'cause I left LOKI... Okay, I think its kind of witty, but, yes, you are allowed to lol at me all you want. It is supposed to be funny, but it is also supposed to be pseudosymbolic of that backwards thing again. Its still "loh-kee", but instead of meaning Lords of Killing Innocents it means... Low Key. The tabard is the same icon as LOKI's, but the colors are backwards.

Hey Yak, Shouldn't we have killed this dude before raiding Ulduar?

I used to try to fit a little of the Real World in my Warcraft. Now I plan on putting Warcraft only where it comfortably fits into my World. Backwards? I don't think either of them are. However you play, as long as it makes you happy and you are enjoying yourself, that's WoW forward to you.

I want to thank you all for the support you showed when I wrote my last post practically pouring my heart out. I was really going out on a limb writing it. I am overwhelmed by the loving comments and this post by Beruthiel (who is going to give me a big head!) Even for those of you who didn't comment, 95% of you are still reading - so says Feedburner. Allison at WoW.com wrote about this recently, way down at the bottom of the first page:

"If you've been writing long enough that people get curious about who you are as a person, then stuff like [why your guild sucks, why your raid leader sucks, why your server sucks, why your life sucks] isn't actually going to send them elsewhere; it's a sort of privilege conferred on bloggers who have already earned an audience."

I don't know if I like the word 'earn' there, but the 'curious about who you are' and a 'privilege conferred' describes exactly how honored I feel to have you stick around.

Tell me again why I needed the leaves...

Many of you realized that I posted after 'things' between Yakra and I were on their way back up. I made my last post on Wednesday. The Tuesday before was when Yakra took me out to dinner. We talked a lot and decided he would leave LOKI too. I couldn't put that in my last post. For obvious reasons that was something he needed to announce to LOKI in his own time. But since then things have just been getting better and better. I know we made the right choice for us for right now. Here are some of the awesome moments of my last week:

• Yakra took me out on a Tuesday night. OMG thats a RAID night!
• Questing on our mains in noobie zones and in Icecrown. Yup, Icecrown still isn't done.
• Going for walks. Probably 4 or 5 in the last week.
• Going on a NINE MILE HIKE yesterday! It was so beautiful. There were pretty trees. I thought of all of you!!!
• Talking about buying a piece of land or starting a business instead of recruiting DPS.
• Yakra picked me up and spun me around while we were on this one walk and pretended he was going to throw me down a hill. I know its cheesy, but those moments had been missing.
• Watching anime.
• Doing some projects around the house we had been procrastinating on.
• Really good s... um... intimate moments. Yeah, lets call it that.
• Just talking and listening and loving.

I Less Than Three You

This Just In...

ALL PETS LOOK EXACTLY THE SAME.

Figure Prints?! Totally worth it for your toon. Yakra and I both bought one at the end of BC and we have no regrets. We put them in our favorite gear, in our favorite poses. We will probably get them again some time in Wrath. They came quickly and really are gorgeous. In fact, I think they look LESS grainy and MORE smooth than some of the pictures on the website. I also had a problem with mine when it first arrived, wrote an e-mail, and had a brand new one (same outfit and pose) in a little over a week - no second questions asked, no shipping back, and very polite service.

BUT FOR YOU VANITY PET??? You could just sell high quality, but less costly ($30 !?!), plastic models of pets for those who like to collect them in-game and want them out-of-game too. I don't know Blizz... I don't know...

A Few Finds for a Monday

First Find: PUG Checker

Yakra showed this to me, but WoW.com had a little thing about it here. It shows you in a more visually recognisable way if your PUG group member might be complete fail. (I still wish Blizz would implement some way of allowing people to flag toons as alts of their mains if they wish...) The average item level for gear is nice as well. It also seems to save the server you last searched.

PUG Checker says my gear is fail.... (or very sexy for hanging in Dala)

And that I have yet to kill Yoggy on 25-Man

Second Find: Baron-Geddon - Redneck Style

Hilarious! A guildie posted this in our forums. We have a bunch of players who used to be in Inspire. They are a great bunch of players and people and LOKI is lucky to have them. This is back from their MC days. You can see why we are lucky to have them!

Now go forth and light yourself on fire!

When the Servers Go Down, the Down Raiders Get Creative

Some of us get weepy at the thought of missing a good night of raiding, dailies, or leveling. Some of us get ARG angry. That includes my husband. Okay, maybe I used the "f" word a few times to describe my feelings too.

Lots of us roll alts. My husband made me roll a Death Knight. Killing the peasants was a little too dark for me: "I got a sick grandma back home!" Then I found out we were killing the wrong mobs and it was WAY too dark for me...

But no one dealt with the down time in as fascinating and entertaining a way as one of our hunters, MoneyX, last night in vent. (ps The X stands for 'Sex')

• Money: There is only one thing to do. Launching my Ulduar simulator. 
• Money: Send tells to Moonkin R for on time invites.
• Aert: Slash tell MR Invite!
• Yak: Slash tell MR Invite!
  
• Shaman U: Slash whisper MR Invite!
• MR: Invite Yak. 
• Aert: Slash tell MR Invite please!
• MR: Invite SU.
• Aert: Slash whisper MR Invite PLEASE!
• MR: Invite Aert.
• Yak: Okay everyone in your vehicles!
• Shaman Y: Aert gets the top of mine.
• Money: I call a chopper. 
• Aert: Slash tell SY How was your day?
  
• SU: Lokihealer Could you spam healing assignments again?
• Yak: Aert, why is your vehicle falling way behind? 
  
• Aert: Don't look at me! SY likes it when I'm on top! 
  
• Yak: There is a spider bot over to the left! Focus it down!!!
• Aert: Slash tell Money What are you wearing?  
• Money: Nothing at all!
  
• Yak: Money, Why is your vehicle way over there too? Oh, okay, your talking about important DPS stuff in DPS chat? Carry on. Carry on. 

Ulduar Simulator is cheap and easy,

unlike this expensive driving simulator.

It went on like this for fifteen minutes. And no, Darkspear is NOT a role-playing server. So next time the servers are down, just hop on vent and pretend you are having a raid! Its almost the same   : P   (No I'm not really pretending it is almost the same, but I can think of no other way I would have wanted to spend last night, other than in Ulduar.)

Were your servers down for an eternity? If so, what did you do with the down time?

This is Not a Post About New Druid Forms

These are:

Tauren

Tauren

Tauren

Tauren

Tauren

Elf

Elf

If you are looking for alternative reading may I suggest:

How To Blog 13 Points

How To Blog 10 Counter Points

Nom-tastic Flow Chart to Druid Spells

Intro to Druid Stats for Raiding Restos

Dear Blizz, Please Don't Do It To Nourish Too!

I just have nothing to add to the conversation and apparently don't really care about feral forms... I think I will care if they update tree form. I love you all and I will keep reading! Me and my feed reader are just feeling a little spammed by that same picture of 6 bears right now...

Aertimus wants to take you to a Bar! (a Buff Bar that is...)

The bar I want to take you to doesn't have any flying viking kittens. Instead it has... orgres. Lots and lots of ogres. And my drink of choice Kreeg's Stout Beatdown.

Kreeg's Stout Beatdown gives you +25 Spirit and -10 Int. Fully raid buffed as a resto druid, (including replenishment and the 2% meta gem) I get about +9 MP5 and +4 Spellpower. These numbers will vary slightly depending on your spirit, int, and raid buffs. If replenishment ISN'T available to you, this buff is even better. 

Here are the best 3 things about it:

1) It only costs 15 silver each, so its hella cheep.

2) You can drink it in combat, so you can rebuff if you are rezzed.

3) It stacks with EVERYTHING. Yes, everything - food buffs, improved divine spirit - everything. 

Here is how to get it: 

1) Its soulbound, so empty as much bag space as you can. I make a run for it about once every 3 months and come back with as much as I can carry. It only stacks in 10s, so that means the last time I made a Beatdown run I came out with about 70 stacks of it... This also forces me to clean out my bank of non-soulbound items a few times a year...

2) Run Dire Maul North! (Maybe find some poor sap who is trying to get Insane in the Membrane to go with you.) For those of you new as of Wrath or even Burning Crusade... Dire Maul is in Feralas. Its a big arching wall in the middle of your map - you can't miss it. You run into the area outside the 3 Dire Maul instances, north up a hall way. At the "T" go either left or right and enter the first doorway on the far wall. You will round a corner to another bigger doorway that will drop you in a big courtyard with an arena. Run north past the arena into the only doorway on the north wall, turn right and the instance portal will be in front of you. Map Here.

2) DO NOT kill Stomper Kreeg in the northwest corner of the first courtyard. He is asleep on the floor. 

3) Kill King Gordok at the end of the instance (north Dire Maul). DO NOT kill Cho'Rush the Observer who is next to the king. It doesn't matter if you do a tribute run or not. (You get better loot if you leave bosses alive before you kill the king, but we aren't there for loot, so who cares.)

4) Talk to Cho'Rush the Observer who will declare you King of the Gordok, giving you a buff of the same name. All the ogres in the instance are now friendly to you. Run back to Stomper Kreeg, wake him up, and stock up on your Kreeg's Stout Beatdown!

Aertimus is...

...of the Nightfall!!!!

...hoping this isn't a type-o.

...hoping this name is for serious.

...really looking forward to the upcoming extended weekend!!!

You Don't Want No Drama

What you gonn’a do with all that time

All that free time spent on-line?

I’ma gonna, gonna, gonna, bitch and whine, 

Bitch and whine ‘bout WoW’s design. 

Design, design – tier seven raid design.   

My guildies going crazy, 

Their running out of dailies. 

They got all the best armor, 

So they’re startin’ rumors.  

Sick of doin’ achievements. 

Tired of Vault of Ancients. 

Puggin’? They be loggin’ 

Share their feelings on their blog n’   

Look at other guilds, guilds. 

Like they’ll make you fulfilled, filled. 

You can look but you can’t app, 

If you app you’ll start some drama, 

And you don’t want no drama, 

No, no drama, no, no, no, no drama.   

We say stop, but they keep bitchin’ 

Soon we’ll start gkickin’ 

It’s gettin’ kinda sickenin’ 

But we will keep on raiding, 

We’ll keep on demonstrating

Our guild. Our guild will not be killed. 

If you leave we’ll just be thrilled,

Won’t need to stop an’ rebuild, 

You know we’re way too skilled, 

Our guild. Our guild. Our guild.

I don't particularly want to blog about the boredom and drama I know every guild is experiencing, but there isn't a whole lot else going on to blog about. I know most of use are just twiddling our thumbs, waiting, and hoping our guilds stay strong enough to hit the ground running come Ulduar. Hopefully that gave you a giggle while you wait. 

I couldn't embed the original, but if you haven't heard in in a while, search You Tube for Black Eyed Peas - My Hump. There are at least two videos of it. But here is my preferred version (parody) of the song anyway!!!

Reflection on Hybrids: Disadvantaging the Purists

(hī'brĭd) Something of mixed origin or composition 

I was listening to NPR this week and there was a piece called Say it Loud: I’m Hybrid and I’m Proud. This piece is directed at Americans (like myself) who have a hybrid black-white president, with origins from Kenya and Kansas, for the first time. However, most of what was said is applicable to anyone. America is not the only place with citizens of mixed origins (Italian-Americans), we are not ever close to the only county driving hybrid cars, nor are we the sole birthplace of hybrid art made of two or more mediums. If you are not American (and many of the best blogs I read are not) I hope you find a kernel or truth in this article if you chose to read it. But now on to what this piece got me thinking about… 

When I hear the word ‘hybrid’, sometimes I think car, but more times I think atomic orbital, base-ship jumping cylon (Battlestar Galactica), or … role in WoW. Since this is a WoW blog, it is likely you thought of the later when you chose to read this post. The piece from NPR focused on how a hybrid anything is stronger, more enduring, and even better than a non-hybrid. 

Druids, the most hybridized class, can fall into thinking this of themselves. Why not, when we are treated that way? Need a good off-tank? Bring a feral druid who can also put out competitive physical DPS. Too many tanks but not enough healers tonight? The same bear can respect resto. Fight not friendly to melee? Lolkitty can turn into a Critchicken for a few gold. Say it Loud exalted the hybrid. In real life, this may be a worthy thing to do, since anyone can go out and get a piece of hybridization for their life – whether it’s a car or a foreign significant other. Those who do are better off than the ones who try to be purest, Say it Loud describes, and I tend to agree. 

Well, why don’t we do it in WoW too? Let’s exalt the druid as the best class to play because of its hybrid flexibility alone! Sure, on a druid blog that’s okay too, even if some would disagree. But that’s not what I’m here to write about. Instead, I’m here to caution you against some things I’ve heard and this sinking feeling I have: Being a hybrid class could give us druids very unfair advantages over other people in raids when dual specs come out. This is not good things coming to us because we are awesome players – but good things coming to us at the expense of other, purer classes. 

When dual specs were announced, Yakra went right to the drawing board to figure out how dual specs would affect our DKP system. Right now everyone declares one main role (Tank, Heal, Magic DPS, or Physical DPS), this role is required to be in top shape for every raid and you can bid as much DKP on loot for this role. All other roles are off-spec and you can not bid more than 30 DKP. Yakra wants to create an incentive for hybrid classes to have two raid worthy specs and be fully ready to fill two different roles in the raid. Yakra wants to do this by raising the maximum off-spec bid for secondary roles. 

This idea made me very very scared. Yakra thought (thinks) it will be healthy for a guild. I think it could be painfully unfair to those classes who cannot chose to fill a second role. No, purists probably wouldn’t be competing for raid spots against hybrids very often, since the ‘toon with the needed primary role would be taken over someone who had the role as their secondary spec. But what if… what if the experience and gear of the person with the secondary spec was just a little higher than the primary spec’ed player? Or what if it is easier to have lower DPS from a ‘healer’ than it is to teach a new-to-the-guild mage not to stand in fire? Now the hybrids are taking raid time directly from the purists. 

‘But our guild is above that!’ you say. You would never take away a new member’s chance to learn something new and give their raid slot to someone who isn’t primarily spec’ed that way. Okay, let’s say I believe you. The duel role spec’ed hybrid will still get more raid time then the purist. No more healers on right now? My opinion is that means you need to recruit more healers for your guild, but secondary spec’ing would allow you to grab a DPS-to-healer instead. Hurray for the shadow/holy priest who gets more raid time. Sucks for the hunter who doesn’t have that option. The hybrid isn’t taking a slot directly from another player, but they are still getting more raid time than another player and that can still hurt… a lot. 

Then to add insult to injury we are thinking about raising the DKP max bid? The same hybrid who is getting more chances to raid and more chances to see loot drop will also be inflating the DKP purists are forced to spend on their gear. It may only be by a little bit, but when tier pieces drop, that little bit can make all the difference. The pure classes could be triply screwed over by the hybrids. 

Every guild is going to handle duel spec’ing differently. I would love to hear your guild’s plan. I’m not saying don’t duel spec’. My plan is to duel spec two healing spec’s: either tank healing and raid healing or throughput and efficiency. I know many people will have one raid spec’ and one PvP/grinding spec. All I am asking is that you be very sensitive to how your choices and your guild’s choices may affect the non-hybrids in your guild. Non-hybrids are people too!

Blue Dragon Nerfed by 57% in 3.1*

Friends, bloggers, druids - lend me your ears; 

I come to bury my Blue Dragon Card, not to praise it.

The evil that OP gear does lives after it; 

The good is oft interred with its nexus crystals. 

So let it be with Blue Dragon. 

The noble Ghostcrawler 

Hath told you time spent OO5SR was ambitious; 

If it were so, it was a grievous fault, 

And grievously hath Blue Dragon answered it.

Here, under leave of Ghostcrawler and the rest of Blizz - 

For Ghostcrawler is an honorable man; 

So are they all, all honorable developers - 

Come I to speak in Blue Dragon's funeral. 

It was my favorite trinket, faithful and just to me; 

But Ghostcrawler says PvE regen was ambitious; 

And Ghostcrawler is an honorable man. 

Blue Dragon hath brought many 15 seconds of OOC regens to my raids

Whose manas did my mana bar fill:

Did this in regen seem ambitious?

When that the OOM have cried, Blue Dragon hath wept:

Ambition should be made of sterner stuff. 

Yet Ghostcrawler says he was ambitious; 

And Ghostcrawler is an honorable man. 

You all did see that on spell cast

Two percent we received its Aura, 

And 98 percent we were refused: Was this ambition?

Yet Ghostcrawler says Spirit and Int regen was ambitious; 

And, sure, he is an honorable man. 

I speak not to disprove what Ghostcrawler spoke, 

But here I am to speak what I do know.

You all did love Blue Dragon one, not without cause:

What cause do you have now to say much mana regen makes raiding too easy?

O judgment! Thou art fled to under geared noobs, 

And hard core raiders have lost their reason. Bear with me; 

My heart is in the nexus crystals with Blue Dragon, 

And I must pause till it come back to me. 

*For me and my gear. Your pain from the nerf bat may vary.

Here you will find my original post on Blue Dragon, including a spreadsheet to see how wonderful it is right now. Here is that same spreadsheet, updated for 3.1's healing coefficient: Excel, Open Office

Much credit given to William Shakespeare of course!!!

Sixith Screenshot!

I got tagged by Keeva, so here is mine! Convenient that all my early folder screenshots are "Aertimus something or other"...

Aertimus  2007 Valentine's Day (aka "My Stripper Outfit")

The most awesome thing about it, is that was the gear I was actually wearing, NOT a sexy set. I would KILL for those pants back. If anyone knows pants that are also that model, let me know and I will love and praise you for the rest of my days!

Niniel at Swiftmend

Yakra at Mirror Shield

Maer at Treebound Cat

Jezi at Screen Shots By Jezi

... I CHOOSE YOU!

I Issue Thee a Challenge

Just for fun... My fellow druid and priest healers...

We have outfits for mana regen, we have outfits for high spellpower output, we have outfits for trash, we have outfits for PvP, we have sexy outfits for around town, and we have cutesy outfits for fishing. 

But, my healers, do you have an outfit for mourning?

If you do not, now is the time to prepare! The end is near! We all know the nerf bat is coming to take away our much loved AOE Healing. While many may recommend actively 'coping' with these changes by practicing pausing 6 seconds in between casts, speccing out of AOE healing, or re-rolling a shaman, I recommend robing yourself in burlap and sticking your head in the ground like an ostrich!

The Challenge

I challenge you to come up with the best mourning garb for that dreaded and oh so near day. Tell me what you will be wearing and I will compile the best QQ outfit we can come up with.

The Only Requirement

The gear needs to be usable by priests or druids. 

What We Are Looking For

Maybe it is a depressing name, maybe it is some sad flavor text, maybe it is a piece of loot with heart wrenching lore behind it. I will favor gear that is among the current best gear for our healers or once was considered among the best gear. 

Remember, its just for fun! So go ahead and wallow in self pity with the rest of us!

Why We Do the Thing We Do

There have been a few posts recently (Casual WoW; Matticus) explaining the motivation behind healing and also asking  what makes a good healer. I thought I would add my 2 copper. 

Why I Heal: 

1. Playing God

In a perfect world we would be able to keep everyone alive. Alas and alack WoW is not a perfect world. Sometimes the melee insist on standing right next to each other on Kel'Thuzad so that when one gets frost blasted, they all do. Then we healers must chose who is most worthy of our life saving heals. We must quickly figure out who is tanking phase 3, or who puts out the most DPS and let the less worthy melee die. This is a powerful powerful feeling. There are players on the other side of the interwebz, one going "Yes, I made it!" and the other going "*uck, I'm useless now." We can assign those emotions.

2. Playing Wack-a-Mole

Every healer knows exactly what I'm talking about. And the guest post at Matticus described it really well. Mini game within the bigger game. I also like it because it gives me one more thing to think about. I like thinking about LOTS of stuff as once when I am playing anything. (Major reason I LARP). The more you are thinking about gamewise, the less you are thinking about RL. High wack-a-mole fights don't give your brain a second to wander elsewhere. 

3. I'm Married to a Tank Purist

Yakra like NEVER specs DPS. He is SO tank focused. Always. I'm talking like dinner conversations too. So it only makes sense that I'm SO healing focused. Finding groups is SO easy for us that its hilarious. While I love the DPS, sometimes I giggle a little inside when they are looking for a group for 30 minutes, Yak and I come on, ask once, and our group is full. We are also IMPOSSIBLE to gank. We just don't die. And normally we can put out enough DPS between the two of us to kill them. It takes FOREVER, but we just outlive. 

4. Being Needed

I need to be needed. It does things for my self-esteem. Its probably saying something about me IRL. Some people say DPS is more fun than healing. I need to be needed

more than I need to have fun. Healers being in low demand isn't about getting groups for me. Its simply about all the tells of "We NEED another healer."

5. Mothering

Healing is about caring for other people. Remember my perfect world when we can keep everyone alive? Then everyone can have a good time. I want my guildmates to have a good time. I care for my guildmates, my husband, my students. Wife, teacher, and healer makes far more sense than wife, teacher, and DPS KILLING MACHINE.

What Makes a Good Healer:

1. Obsession

Causual WoW said a good healer must enjoy healing, I would like to take that one step farther and say they should be obsessed with it. Wishy-washy healers arn't going to get the job done. Obsessed healers will research their class, dissect fight reports (recount, WWS, etc.), will install healing mods, will QQ when someone dies, and think think think about how they can keep them alive the next time. 

2. Knows They are Part of a Team

They know if they don't top the meter, its okay. They will focus on their targets first and foremost, and only heal other targets when they KNOW theirs is fine or there is a desperate need. They will communicate with other healers, especially about battle rezzes, innervates, or assignment switches. They will congratulate the team. They will defend other healers against the non-understanding DPS and tanks: "Why's that healer so low on meters?"

3. They are Aware

Of their surrounds mostly. Not everyone can play Grid Wack-a-Mole and GTFO of fire. Enough said. 

4. Let the DPS do their Job

If they keep the DPS up, the boss will go down. On many many fights I have NO idea what the boss's health % is. I'm too busy keeping people alive. If I tab to the boss, someone will die. Healers also shouldn't get involved with the DPS, I think. Even if you spec DPS alot, don't put in your two copper. Just like you don't want DPS commenting on your healing output, your shouldn't comment on their damage output. 

5. Know When to Fold-um

If its progression and its a wipe - YOU STOP HEALING. Healing to pad the meters is wasting precious time and motivation. Good healers stop healing, kill themselves as fast as they can, and get rezzing.