2011's Fourth Quarter Exalted Crayon - VEX!!

I think I met Vex back in 2001 when we were in Scarlet Horizon together on EQ's Solusek Ro (represent yo!). She was barely 19 years old and I was a 27 year old know-it-all (some say bitch, but really...semantics). She sent me a couple tells because she was friends with a guy in SH (who turned out to be a fucking psycho, long story short) and I remember her being so giggly and girly.

We ended up hating each other. I mean, fire on the side of my face, breathing...breathless...fire - we could not stand each other, seriously.

Skip ahead a couple years to the early days of The Angry Crayon and I run into her again on Norrath Studio - an art board where a lot of us here met and became friends. She surprised me by helping me with something in photoshop, which she said later was out of extreme pity because it was horrible. I mean seriously, it was lol. We got to talking, kinda, again and even though her boyfriend at the time swore up and down that I would stab her in the back, became really good, close friends via AIM.

(I call this back stabbing part of my 20 year plan - I remind her constantly that I'm halfway there!)

I actually didn't meet Vex face to face until about 2009 when she moved to the North West, but she's been my best friend for as long as I can remember. If it wasn't for her, TAC would not be standing still. Nor would www.sanguineaffliction.com, Rozbeans.com, www.theangrycrayon.com/chronicles, the too numerous to count kick ass scripts (like on SA.com's account switch) or any of the amazing art or admin time she contributes to the board.

Vex did all these things, and more, just cuz she's cool like that. And for her help, I sent as much work (hobby and professional) as I could. I think I've become something of a personal assistant/bouncer because people seem to come to me first to get to Vex. I played linebacker during Powder Puff football in school - I got skillz, yo.

For all these things, Vex is usually our silent admin who makes sure everything is running properly and maintaining a level of excellence here at TAC that when I opened it back in 2005, would have never even realized it could be. TAC isn't just mine, not anymore; I told her if I die, should could have it, hehe. It's very much her baby as much as it is mine and I'm thrilled and proud she cares about it as much as I do.

I can't say enough about the good person Vex is - on a professional level a well as personal. She is a constant boot to the ass for me, encouraging me to write beyond SA.com, and if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be on the verge of e-publishing my first book. She even said she'd do the cover art. Her criticism, although rough around the edges, is honest and to the point - being helpful and whip cracking encouraging whether or not you want it. Vex is a good person and I'm very fortunate to call her a friend to the board as well as in my life.

So please, join me in congratulating Vex as 2011's Fourth Quarter Exalted Crayon - an accolade that is most certainly deserved and long over due. We love ya. Oh yeah, Happy birthday!!!!