first impressions

So today is the first day off i've had since Mists went live and so far i have mixed feelings.  Right now i can't even log in to the game because of some glitch with their log in servers, so that's frustrating.  I've been playing the game more than i should (i.e. staying up until 4 a.m. even though i have places to be at noon the next day) and so far i can't tell that i'm making much progress.

The first thing i wanted to do was level one of my 85s to 90.  Luinel has the best gear, and though i keep telling myself that hunters aren't my friend anymore...she is who i chose.  I am more excited about engineering than leatherworking or alchemy,   She's my highest level cook.  She's just the instinctive choice for me.  And she is proving to be easy to play...i love fervor, have considered trying out BM (probably won't happen), want to tame some new pets maybe...but there's a couple of things that are bothering me.

1. I can't tame the battle pets when i'm getting off the zeppelin.  So i get on an alt and start working on that for a while, because it's driving me bonkers that i can't tame this raccoon one in particular.  I don't understand why we didn't get a chance to play this early (i feel it would have made up for the lack of world event, in a way), and now it's really pissing me off.  I just want to lvl, and my most played character should be able to experience all of the content in a zone while she's lvling through it.
2. I feel like it's taking forever to ding 86.  This might be because i keep getting distracted by shiny, but so far i am not feeling immersed in Pandaria so much as claustrophobic.  When you get off the zeppelin you can't even go down to the beach, you're trapped on a cliff.  Then you're surrounded by mountains that you can't fly around, and paths never go straight, so you're running in circles on a mount that's slow as molasses after being used to flying everywhere.  I have to save Nazgrim's green butt AGAIN?!?  I was fine with it in Vashj'ir but now it's getting old.  I don't want him to be following me around forever and be treated like i'm the one following him around.  These quest chains...they seem easy, straightforward, i'm blowing through them, and i only get half a percent for turning one in.  WHY?!?  So i can do a twenty-quest chain and get 10% xp.  I notice that they changed the achievements to not reflect how many quests you've done in a zone but to reflect which chains/achievements are in the zone.  There's like 12 for the Jade Forest and i've only done two and i feel like blowing my brains out.  I feel like i've played eight hours there, that might not be accurate, but eight hours in a Stranglethorn Vale/Sholozar Basin hybrid is just horrific.  I finally got out from behind the mountain and found a temple hub that is mildly more interesting and allows me to finally interact with someone that isn't in a village with an uptight mayor that seems hostile to my presence.  Maybe that will help.
3. I don't even like Hellscream, why am i even on Pandaria?  Without a world event and no Theramore lore in game the cutscene was very jarring.  I know intellectually of course, but there's no explanation in game why we're suddenly attacking Theramore and Alliance ships.  Luinel apparently is too much of a peon to be let in on the plan.  If i were RPing this would be totally bogus.  Why is Luinel still doing his dirty work?  So the entire premise of this expansion is that we should be fighting against the other faction more (who gives a care) but that, oh no, we need to have more inner peace and fight less but it is good to fight if we have something worthwhile to fight for.  What?  Sure, but how does that apply to anything that's going on in game?  Why should i even want to be recruiting the Pandas when i don't even like the faction i'm fighting for anymore?  I mean i do, i love being a member of the Horde, but the Horde has already been fractured and needs to be healed or broken apart for good.  To me, the story should be getting rid of Hellscream already, because Sylvanas and Vol'Jin have both obviously been plotting as of the beginning of the last xpac (wrote a post on that a year ago).  So now they're just going to ignore that?  No payoff???  The entire premise for this expansion should be to get rid of Hellscream.  I want him to be the final xpac boss.  There, i said it. xD
4. We have come to an understanding with TPTB that most of the quests that we don't feel comfortable completing will eventually prove that our character is doing the right thing despite instructions.  I learned this very early (case in point, i disciplined Ralen and Melador, and they're still hanging out in Eversong Woods while i have explored two worlds).  But this is taking that really far and i'm starting to get worried.
5. There is any heirloom gear for 85-90?!?  I guess this is probably pretty normal, but right now it stinks.

So today the plan is to actually get on my Panda Monk for the first time.  The first thing i did when MoP went live was to make her and a Panda Mage but i haven't played either.  I've captured a lot of battle pets and gotten the core of my team to lvl 5-6.  Other than that continue to wade towards 86.  I'm 2/3 of the way through the level i think, and cannot wait to actually get into the lore and the game some more.  Hoping it's there...will write more in the near future.