Thought it was about time for some updates:

1) I finally upgraded to Vue 6 Infinite, which means (as far as I can tell so far) that I can now render quicker and include more complex effects (such as displacement bump mapping) without automatically crashing my machine
I also get the nifty dark interface instead of the pale blue one I've been using until now.
Can't wait to explore the new features more fully.
My first Vue 6 I render is now posted, and I've used that to.......

2) Update my avatar
Yes, dont be scared - the old eye was from back in my Bryce rendering days, so it's days were numbered.

3) Much to my surprise, I've parked my WoW account for the time being, and am trying out LoTRO
Now this is one immersive game!!! It's the closest thing I've played to the (now sadly defunct) Gods and Heroes that I played in beta.
So far I've got 4 characters (one from each race) and they're all still in the early stages, but I love the graphics - even the basic quest reward gear at the start of the game fills me with glee LOL - those cloaks have to be seen to be believed! My dwarf will pick his up tomorrow.
I'm actually avoiding finding out much about the game at high level, just so I can enjoy what I have so far without wanting the better stuff that is sure to come.

All in all not a bad month leisure-wise