Various Whatsits

Since last:

• Ran in a 5k with Carrie, taking turns pushing the twins in the stroller. Did a lot better than I figured I would.
• Went to Miami and Key West for work. Miami was ok, Key West a lot cooler. Wish it had been three days there, and one in Miami instead of the other way around. Ate some good Cuban food though and plenty of seafood.
• Mom came back from her trip to Mississippi with Aunt Nette in tow.  Kind of crazy since it was last minute, but it's cool she's finally come out for a visit. It's meant a lot more trips to mom's house. Which is good since we need to get the kids over there more often anyway.
• Took the kids to the State Fair (Southern NM that is). Their highlight would likely be the funnel cake, but walking them around through the show animals was pretty sweet. Never did find the petting zoo, which was disappointing.
• Allergies have been hammering me since I got back from Miami. Every day all day, and most days I wake up around 4am and have to take medicine.
• Annual switch from light to darker beers is right on schedule. Seems to happen every year right around now, independent of what the weather is actually doing.
• We bought a tree yesterday; a 15-20 foot Modesto Ash, for the back yard. Should get it in the ground Wednesday.
• We're slowly working with a contractor on getting the small side patio turned into a room. Got a bid we like, just need to get some final details nailed down.
• Friday game is a D&D4e game where we're leveling every week, planning on heading from 1-30.
• Next weekend I head out to hike the Grand Canyon with Jon. Kind of a birthday present for his 40th last year. Somewhat nervous given my general lack of exercise of late.
• Went out with Alex, Tony, and Alicia for an early birthday dinner for Carrie. Good company and conversation.
• And in three weeks Owen and Paige will turn two. Crazy.

Legacy of a Sorts

Every time we bring the kids over to mom's house I find toys or books I haven't seen in years. This car is from one of my first memories. I can vaguely remember playing with it once in Vicksburg, when I was probably 3 years old. I definitely remember being told by Jon sometime later, in Germany probably, so likely 4 or 5 years old, that it was, in fact, not the Batmobile. The copyright reads 1970.

Blather

Just got over five days (3 of which were weekend) of being sick. Very un-strep-like symptoms with a positive strep culture. Who knows, could be I'm a strep carrier. Long and the short is I spent a long week feeling miserable and worthless, sick and not contributing to the family. Oh, I helped out to some small degree, but man did I feel like a layabout. Carrie may have a licensing exam coming up so hopefully I can make it up to her with some quiet study time soon. That is when I'm not traveling to Miami for work, like I am on Monday.

GenCon Day Four

More exhibit hall, mostly to pick up gifts. Sunday is family fun day at GenCon and the abundance of kids and strollers was apparent. After shopping I played in another Regiment game with Paul, Ben, and Amy before we hit up an early dinner. Then it was back to the Embassy for happy hour, a game of Cthulhu Dark, and conversations and Cards Against Humanity. I can see why folks like that game so much, but much like Apples to Apples (unsurprisingly), it has a time limit before the humor becomes repetitive and less interesting. Got to bed later than I should have but earlier than past years. All in all another great GenCon. Can't wait to get home.

GenCon Day Three

Mostly skipped breakfast and hit the exhibit hall just after opening. Perused for a bit, ran into Epidiah for a brief chat, the headed up to Games on Demand. Ben, Amy, and I played in a Mortal Coil game set in a jazz and voodoo-heavy '20s Louisiana full of ghosts and skinchangers. Pretty good stuff. After, we brought Thai tofu burritos back to the room and knocked out a Burrito Quest episode. Tried for a quick nap, failed, then back to the exhibit hall where I succeeded in finding a gift for Carrie, and made some other small purchases. Just about closed the hall out then made our way back to happy hour. Tried to meet up with the Riddles for dinner with a bunch of folks, but the wait times for a table, even for just a few people, was way too long. Instead we did take out from Weber's and brought it hack to the room. Rounded out the night by running a World of Dungeons game for Ben, Amy, Paul, Shannon, and Gregor. It was a blast and we were probably at it for four or five hours.

GenCon Day Two

Much more refreshed having called it an earlier and less boozy evening, I spent the first bit of the morning watching Amy dye Ben's newly bleached hair blue. We then bagle-d over to the convention center, assembled some very cute paper D&D monsters for a free die, discovered the lines need to get other similarly free dice and bailed on them, wandered the exhibit hall purchasing various gaming whatsits, demo'd some Fantasy Flight Games games, hit up the Ram for lunch, popped into the Rio Grande Games room for a Dan-winning game of Dominion, discovered the huge line for Games on Demand and bailed on it, exhibit hall-ed again with more demo'ing, cruised back to the hotel for free happy hour, then rounded out the night with a play test of Paul's game Undying, more drinks, and general gamey conversation. Purchases: two LotFP modules - The Grinding Gear and Hammers of the Gods, Story Cards, Twenty Four Game Poems, Building an Elder God game, The Monster Alphabet.

GenCon Day One

Had one too many Guinness at the Diana Jones Awards Wednesday night and spent a bit if the morning trying to figure out if feeling mildly hungover while wandering the exhibit hall had positive or negative nostalgia value. Ate noodles twice, the Japanese Pan Noodles being superior to the Truffle Mac. Bought a copy of D&D Expert in awesome condition. Played a brief Red Dawn-inspired game of the Regiment. Much more fun than the longer game of ACKS I played later. I mostly blame the group size and the loudness of the Embassy lobby for that one. Old man Lofton even made it to bed at a reasonable hour.