In my defense, rambling is in the name

*warning: very long one, it's good though*

Okay, so I've stated before that I don't pug. I find it far to stressful as a rule and just refrain from doing it, even when I really want an instance done. Now you might say that's silly, I mean, if you want something, why not go ahead and do it? It might not be the way you wanted to do it, but the end result is the same, right?

Wrong! The best way I can relate this is with a parable, Jesus used them so they're obviously good stuff.
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Imagine three young men from a poor family. All three desperately want to go to college, but none of them have the money. After all they're from a poor family, and colleges are expensive!

After discussing their options between them they decide that they have no idea how to do it, but they know their father has a degree and came from an even poorer family! Together they go and ask him what they should do. Their father offers to find them positions at his job, because although he's poor he's very well thought of, and within a few years they would be able to afford to go.
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The first son scoffs this advice. Why should he wait for what he desires now? So he goes and seeks advice from his friends. They also mock his father's advice, there's a much easier way they tell him! Join the army they say, after a short time they will pay for all your education! So he goes and joins the army, where he quickly finds out he does not fit well.

After a few miserable years they tell him he can leave and they'll pay for his college. But having spent so much time being miserable his entire outlook as changed, he hates the thought of anything organized and goes on to lead a miserable life regretting his choices.
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The second son hears the advice, but also decides it's not right for him. So he goes to his friends and asks for their advice. They quickly tell him that waiting is not the way to go! Get loans they say, enjoy school and pay them off after you graduate, after all, you'll be doing what you love? What does it matter if you have a little less money a month. He decides to take his friends advice and off to the loan office he goes.

He thoroughly enjoys his college years, not having to pay for a thing. But after he graduates he discovers he's unable to do any of the things he had planned on doing. After all, college isn't free and those loans have piled up. He's so busy working and paying off loans that he fails to enjoy life and quickly becomes embittered.
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The third son listens to his father and goes to work with him, after a few years of diligent work he manages to pay for his education. Because he wasn't tied down by the legal requirements of the military he's free to change jobs when a better offer came up. As a result when he has the money he joyfully heads off to college.

While his college experience isn't as carefree as the second son, he still enjoys the fruits of his labor as he studies. But the best is yet to come! When he graduated he did it without the burdensome debt of the second son. His boss happily rehires him into a new position, know from experience that he'll do a good job. In his time off he does very nearly as he pleases with his free time and money, not being forced to work overtime.
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At long last we get to the moral of the story! 1st son: Pugged all his gear but hated the experience so much he quit WoW. 2nd son: Joined a heavy raid guild to get all his gear but in the end felt to guilty to leave and plays wow but hates it. 3rd son: Played mainly with friends, took his time, made sure to enjoy the time along the way, and as a result has gear and still enjoys WoW.
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There was one, count it 1, PuG I went into that I really enjoyed. Shallah (a resto druid LW I had used once) invited me to do a heroic with his wife (warlock) and one of his employees (shadow priest), because Shallah had always come across as a very pleasant person I decided to give it a shot, we merely needed to find one more dps. Lacking any Sidhe Devils that could go at the time we turned to PuG, managed to pick up a fury war that claimed to be geared.

So everyone showed up at Setthek Halls and I get a look at peoples gear, and decide that I want an option to make it so that others can't look at mine. I was the only one that wasn't in mainly epic gear. Spriz (the fury war) was in PURE purple, the first char I've ever seen that on.

We romped our way through the dungeon. Not only did we finish the dungeon and enjoy ourselves, we made such good friends that I regularly do heroics with three of them and the second invited me to main tank Kara last night. Which brings us to our feature story!

After getting back I really noticed that Onyxia was scheduled for this Sat, and seemingly had replaced Kara for our Guild Raid Romp for the week. While being VERY excited about getting to see Onyxia I was somewhat sad not to get to try fun stuff in Kara.

This is where the keen stuff comes into play. Remember the pug? Spriz, who I've been chatting with for the last few weeks, very nice guy, asks me if I'd like to main tank Kara for him and some friends. Double checking to make sure there wasn't a Kara schedule to Sidhe Devils I accept, I figured I'd prolly end up feeling bad and hiding my gear before it was over, but what the heck?

So we all show up at Kara and yeah, while my gear has improved, I was in with nine other people in Black Temple gear just doing a kara run for kicks, giggles, and some badges. The raid leader gives me a heads up that I don't really have an off tank, just a kitty druid capable of taking some hits on Moroes and changing gear to help tank Netherspite. At this point I start shaking with a mixture of fear, excitement, and nervousness. After all, I don't wanna be the tank that got talked up and then kept wiping because the healers just couldn't keep him alive and never gets invited to anything again, and I hadn't really thought about actually TANKING Prince, I mean, that's for the big boys right?

We burn through Attunmen with ease as I hold agro on both of them, well mostly. Mages in full Black Temple gear deal an unholy amount of threat, didn't have to much trouble right of the bat, but on later bosses it was hard.

As we head towards Moroes I shake off the last of my nervousness as we all joke around and pull each others legs. We clean up the room for Moroes and they start announcing the kill order for the adds. I ask where they want me to stand so CC and me don't end up doing the Scary Sheep Dance where I keep breaking their spells. Their response? Oh just stand at the bottom and tank them all. I'm pumped, we down them without losing a peep, AND I remembered to bubble the priest out of their garrote.

We go on to take on EVERYTHING with me as MT and no wipes. Except for that one time where I accidentally pulled curator and three of his buddy groups, not much to do there but die and joke about whose fault it is. One shotted everything else without a problem. And according to the healer afterwards, the only really scary moment was when I took a crushing blow on Prince. But now I can happily rest in the knowledge that I've seen (and know I can tank) almost all of Kara, and I don't care about the beast bosses.

~joe/ishvi