January 2003 - Happy NEW Year!      

• A winter-filled greeting to you all from me and my little family. As I am writing this now, the long-waited film of Two Towers hasn't reached here yet. But still I got some fun details with you to share:
• Axel, who went to see TT with 20 of his other friends, also saw a kind of a marathon: first they watched the Fellowship of the Ring, and after that the Two Towers. Many Tolkien fans went to the premiere, dressed up like races from Middle Earth. The most there were ofcourse human warriors, with shields and capes; with hobbits as well. But Axel's group of friends was the most notable. They had 17 orcs, one wizard and three warriors. As for Axel, he was the wizard - because he claimed he looks like an orc in real life, he had to disguise himself somehow. There were fun pictures about that crowd but unfortunately the picture-containing camera was either lost or stolen during that six hour marathon. *sniff* And I hereby propose: if any of you did the same thing, going to see the movie in a larger dressed-up group, I bet it would be nice for us to see and hear the outcome!
• Rumour goes that this now past Christmas the Santa found the One ring, and tossed away all presents, leaving the good behaving kids without the presents, as well as the rascals without a punishment! But luckily deeds were noted on Arda: depending on how the people had behaved the previous year, they got either a Christmas cookie with sprinkles, or a lump of coal (Imagine the piles of coal on the trolls!).
• After almost three months of looking for a job, I (Liliah) have found even two of them. And until the deadline and the training, I'll probably be jumping back and forth like a goat between two haystacks, unable to decide.
• Gonfor has become a daddy for the second time. The newborn was a boy of 8 lbs 12 ounces, and 21 inches tall. Born on the 15th of December, he looks a lot like his bigger sister Madelaine, who just turned 2 years old on the 1st of January. Congratulations!
• Harad recenlty annouced he got his driver's license. Norwegians beware.
• Smooth has retired and is trying to rid himself of his MUME addiction or at least free himself from it somewhat. Best of luck to Smooth!
• Calmacil was promoted to Mb status for his notable and quick work on the Fangorn project.
• In-game rumours include the fact that something strange has been lurking around in Mirkwood. Judging on the storytellers' and other adventures' stories, the grim shadow of evil is always hanging upon that cursed forest. Seems that only a few braver travellers have dared to venture as far as to meet that evil, and even fewer come back untouched.
• Level updates: Reno reached level 71, Elestir level 89 and Zaber level 77.
• Birthdays:  Gonfor's daughter Madelaine- 1st January, Ren 3rd January, Shriek 6th January, Rza 16th January, Saeth and Crazack 22nd January, Durmegil and Relim 28th January,