Real Life and What's Happening...

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Had a dream last night.

I was at the house I lived at in my childhood. I walked outside. Down the road, there were some people who were in the middle of the process of knocking over an electrical pole. They did so and it crashed to the ground. The fall made the transformer on the pole explode as well as all other poles attached via the wires to fall over. This included the pole near my house. It fell and the tranformer on it started sparking before it caught fire. It had fallen right next to my house, so it caught my home on fire.

I ran inside to save a relative (who has been dead now for nearly 30 years). I got them out, and was about to go back inside, but the fire had already consumed and destroyed my home. People surrounded me, laughed, and generally commented that it was too bad that I was now homeless. That's when we noticed the alien ship in the sky.

The alien ship was roughly spoon shaped. The scoop end of the spoon was some kind of round yellow light with a sort of insectile lens facing downward. The spoon was flat in the sky and was rotating horizontally, as if the light were scanning for something. I realized the aliens were looking for me.

Everyone was fine with this. "Sucks to be you," one person said. Most of the other people were just playing with their phones, taking pictures of the alien ship, taking pictures of me. One person happily showed me the meme he had created, which was a picture of me with the caption, "Soon to be Anally Probed." I wasn't amused.

As the alien scanned around, I realized the aliens were looking for me because for some reason I was getting superpowers. I figured they wanted to find and destroy me, so they could rule the Earth. I tried to tell everyone the aliens were going to make their move soon. No one cared. I kept growing in power, and started to wonder if I could fight the aliens.

Then the spoon light swept over me and the aliens knew where I was. A noise started, seemingly emanating from the alien spoon ship. That was when all Earthly technology went dead. Cars stopped. A plane started falling from the sky. Worse than all that, everyone's phone stopped working! Everyone cried out in terror. At first, everyone started asking me to help them fix their phone. Then they realized the light on the alien spoon was pulsing ominously (like the heat ray on the George Pal War of the Worlds Martian war machines). They asked me to use my superpowers to protect them.

I started to. I flared up with power and lit up the entire area. The alien ship hesitated. Then I realized what was going on. The alien ship hadn't wanted to destroy me. They only wanted to know what I was going to do. They were only interested in all the other people. I could destroy the aliens, but I could just as easily walk away.

I chose to leave. I used my newfound power of flight, and took off into the air. The alien ship pulsed more ominously and the sound changed to be even more frightening. As I left, a person cried out, "What about us?"

"Sucks to be you" was my only reply before the aliens destroyed everything.
I like your attitude!
 
Was supposed to meet an old buddy (also the DM of one of the D&D 3e campaigns I played in) & his wife & kid after work today, but they're all sick :sad: .

The Chicago area has had a nearly-record number of consecutive overcast days lately. Having grown up mostly in the Seattle area, I'm not particularly bothered by it, but it's driving some of my friends and coworkers batty.

My 5e D&D DM, Beatrix, and her boyfriend, Red Ted, invited me to come along to a Super Bowl party with them tomorrow. I don't care about either of the teams in it, but I do like football, and I love parties, so I'll probably go, at least for a while.
 
Was supposed to meet an old buddy (also the DM of one of the D&D 3e campaigns I played in) & his wife & kid after work today, but they're all sick :sad: .

The Chicago area has had a nearly-record number of consecutive overcast days lately. Having grown up mostly in the Seattle area, I'm not particularly bothered by it, but it's driving some of my friends and coworkers batty.

My 5e D&D DM, Beatrix, and her boyfriend, Red Ted, invited me to come along to a Super Bowl party with them tomorrow. I don't care about either of the teams in it, but I do like football, and I love parties, so I'll probably go, at least for a while.
If it helps Seattle is having record breaking number of rainy days. But I have a hard time telling it from a usual winter here. It dark and an old man with weak stream is peeing on my like every January/ February
 
Our washing machine died and was stuck full of laundry and water. Repairman removed the water and declared the engine dead. Since he couldn't repair the machine he didn't charge us any money. Fortunately my wife had some cash in her wallet so we gave him a 10€ tip for the trouble.

Went out and bought a new machine which will be delivered and installed sometime next week. Meanwhile we're stuck with a drying rack full of smelly laundry standing in the living room...

Also, I wrote an email to my shiftleader complaining about the behaviour of one of our operators. Retard is using the microphone and amplifier that were installed last year for bossing people around and constantly shouting stupid commentary across the workplace. Needless to say that was not what the mic was installed for. A lot of people were complaining but they're all scared to say something. It is rude and annoying and I decided to inform our head shiftleader and ask him to put a stop to it. We'll see what happens. If it doesn't stop I may take it to management or HR.
 
Had to visit El Centro to represent my employer in court. Had to cross over Devils Canyon and Coyote Wash, so I made sure to strap on my shootin' irons.
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Devils Canyon was the route of the wagon road from San Diego to Yuma back in the 1860s.
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Coyote Wash used to have a stagecoach station for Butterfield Overland Mail so they could get water and change horses midway through the desert.
coyote_mountains.jpg
 
When I was recently diagnosed with MS, my first thoughts were for my family.

My second thought was “how will this affect my gaming?!?” ;)

Life is good. It’s even better as a gamer.

I'm sad to hear this, I want to note that my sister is doing well---she had been diagnosed about a year and a half ago, and has improved quite a bit (she was using a walker) but medications, diet, and other things have made her a LOT better.

She is also one of the best GM's I know, and frankly wish she ran games I liked more. (She's more into White Wolf stuff. Which is not for me, anymore for the most part.)

So strength and vibes.
 
I'm sad to hear this, I want to note that my sister is doing well---she had been diagnosed about a year and a half ago, and has improved quite a bit (she was using a walker) but medications, diet, and other things have made her a LOT better.

She is also one of the best GM's I know, and frankly wish she ran games I liked more. (She's more into White Wolf stuff. Which is not for me, anymore for the most part.)

So strength and vibes.

Damn, that’s the fucking nicest....Thank you, it’s much appreciated. Unexpected well-wishes are surprisingly powerful.

No need to be sad on my behalf! Got good supports here and a ton of great games to motivate me.

I hope your sister is well. Meds and diet have helped me as well.

Good vibes all around.
 
*Sitting in wait for 20 minutes at busy restuarant*
me: "there's a menu posted on the wall there, did you want to look at it?"
GF: "no, I know what I want"
*finally get seated at table*
Waitress: Do you know what you want or would you like to see a menu?"
me: "We know what we ---"
GF: "I'd like to see a menu please"
 
"what do you want to eat?"
"i don't know"
"how about this?"
"no... not what i want"
"how about this?"
"nope, not that either"
"ok, how about that?"
"nope"
"well, what do you want?"
"I don't know!"

I've heard this happen with more couples than I can count
 
@ Beatrix's prior to last night's D&D session.

Slammy, to T-Bone: "It's weird that we've been playing D&D together for more than a year and we've never hung out outside of this."

T-Bone: "... This is my hanging out."
 
I have embarked on a new hobby. I enjoy the outdoors and really like old style/tradition outdoor equipment and gear. (Backpacks, tents, axes, saws, and etc.) Nowadays there is tons of ultralight weight super strong things. Which is great. But I'm a believer in outdoor gear should be made out of steel, brass, wood, canvas, and leather. To that end I have purchased a hand cranked sewing machine that can sew canvas and leather. I plan on making pouches, packs and, well stuff. I have materials on order. So I've been eyeballing different designs of things for ideas, and inspiration.
 
ITo that end I have purchased a hand cranked sewing machine that can sew canvas and leather. I plan on making pouches, packs and, well stuff. I have materials on order.

If you have the skill and a tough sewing machine, you can find lots of uses. Upholstery, curtains, denim, etc. We have a decent machine but I cannot draw or sew a straight line. Get strong needles that won't snap on tough material.
 
Oh I have. The machine I have specifically is for leather and canvas. Thick needles and all that. As to the skill, we will see :smile: I think thats going to be the hardest part. But I have confidence. Plus a lot of help and tips from my wife and mother both who sew. (If the wife gets another sewing machine we will have to add an additional wing to the house :wink:)
 
I have embarked on a new hobby. I enjoy the outdoors and really like old style/tradition outdoor equipment and gear. (Backpacks, tents, axes, saws, and etc.) Nowadays there is tons of ultralight weight super strong things. Which is great. But I'm a believer in outdoor gear should be made out of steel, brass, wood, canvas, and leather. To that end I have purchased a hand cranked sewing machine that can sew canvas and leather. I plan on making pouches, packs and, well stuff. I have materials on order. So I've been eyeballing different designs of things for ideas, and inspiration.
I had a friend who did this sort of thing at one point. He worked for an outfit that made backpacks and suchlike for a while. At when he was in the TF he had a little side business making bits and pieces for webbing. One thing he did say is that if you're going to do canvas you really want a walking foot sewing machine.
 
I have embarked on a new hobby. I enjoy the outdoors and really like old style/tradition outdoor equipment and gear. (Backpacks, tents, axes, saws, and etc.) Nowadays there is tons of ultralight weight super strong things. Which is great. But I'm a believer in outdoor gear should be made out of steel, brass, wood, canvas, and leather. To that end I have purchased a hand cranked sewing machine that can sew canvas and leather. I plan on making pouches, packs and, well stuff. I have materials on order. So I've been eyeballing different designs of things for ideas, and inspiration.

I like the look, feel, and smell of this stuff, but I can’t imagine backpacking with it. I have grown to quite enjoy my sub-30 weekend packs And my pushing near 10 pound base weight.

on the other hand if I have a vehicle, I would probably bring cast iron!
 
What's in your sub-30 weekend pack?


dad pack was our last over night with my kid. if I didn't have the family, I would swap out for the 3F ul single person and save myself nearly 2 pounds and would alter the food quite a bit.

I did a weekend a couple years back and had a 26 pound pack and enough food for several days. Since then I've dropped 3 pounds of sleeping bag and 2+ pounds of tent and other gear. I added in he hiking poles, coat, and pillow. I suppose my big 4 is actually under 10 and about $400 i think. I can almost fit a weekend into a small 20L pack I have.
 
I had a friend who did this sort of thing at one point. He worked for an outfit that made backpacks and suchlike for a while. At when he was in the TF he had a little side business making bits and pieces for webbing. One thing he did say is that if you're going to do canvas you really want a walking foot sewing machine.
Got that covered. :smile:
 
I like the look, feel, and smell of this stuff, but I can’t imagine backpacking with it. I have grown to quite enjoy my sub-30 weekend packs And my pushing near 10 pound base weight.

on the other hand if I have a vehicle, I would probably bring cast iron!
I can understand and respect that.
 
Hoping some people show up to tonight's library game. It's currently snowing, which tends to keep people away from my library. If I do have an empty room, I'll use it for some dual-purpose prep that I can use for both my library game and my home game.

Eagerly awaiting my games from the SJ Games Pocket Box Games of the '80s Kickstarter, which are supposed to arrive sometime this month.

Looking forward to the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, better known as C2E2, which will occur at the end of this month. My BFF & I always go together. Somewhat bizarrely, C2E2 is the only comicon that takes place inside the Chicago city limits. All the other comicons in the area are in the suburbs.

Overall pretty happy with how 2020 is going for me so far. Knocking on wood that it keeps up.
 
Forgot my phone at home this morning. I'm largely unbothered by it, except that, since I don't wear a watch, I'll have to be careful to not overstay my lunch break.
 
I swear that dice (both digital and physical) hate me.

For the past couple of years, I've been playing StarCluster 4 weekly online. It uses a d20 dice pool system. The lower the die roll, the better. I keep rolling 14+. Ask clash bowley clash bowley .

For the past month, I've also been playing Starfinder weekly online. Like D&D, the higher the d20 die roll, the better. I keep rolling 1 to 5.

If only I could somehow reverse that...
 
I swear that dice (both digital and physical) hate me.

For the past couple of years, I've been playing StarCluster 4 weekly online. It uses a d20 dice pool system. The lower the die roll, the better. I keep rolling 14+. Ask clash bowley clash bowley .

For the past month, I've also been playing Starfinder weekly online. Like D&D, the higher the d20 die roll, the better. I keep rolling 1 to 5.

If only I could somehow reverse that...

I find filling in the 1-5 numbers with lead helps
 
I swear that dice (both digital and physical) hate me.

For the past couple of years, I've been playing StarCluster 4 weekly online. It uses a d20 dice pool system. The lower the die roll, the better. I keep rolling 14+. Ask clash bowley clash bowley .

For the past month, I've also been playing Starfinder weekly online. Like D&D, the higher the d20 die roll, the better. I keep rolling 1 to 5.

If only I could somehow reverse that...
Buy some loaded/cheater dice. Sooo handy. A d20 with two 20's and no 1's makes life so much more enjoyable. Honestly I think I'd write a game around that for the heroes. They can still miss but they never fumble. And the odds of them criticaling double so that's nice. Use a regular d20 for monsters and it sort of evens out the fact individual monsters will roll a lot less dice then individual players.
 
Hey, guess who just sliced themselves on a shard of glass?

*holds up two thumbs, one of which is bandaged and bloody*

This girl!
I have several scars on my hands from doing the dishes. Trying to catch glass before it breaks and just being a second too late.
 
Hey, guess who just sliced themselves on a shard of glass?

*holds up two thumbs, one of which is bandaged and bloody*

This girl!
Hmmmm...so we know you're an Elf assassin from another thread and now you cut yourself on glass. Job gone wrong? Cut while escaping from guards through the victim's window?

I'll be reading the Tunnelers Gazette to see if any high ranking dwarves have been taken out.
 
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So today my #1 spawn brought his kindle to me, wanting it charged. It turns out now that he's wrecked four charging cables and the only one I can find to charge it up is my perennial old one that seems to have survived his tender mercies. He is not pleased that I've taken his kindle off him so I can give it time to charge unmolested - and make sure I have a working cable to charge my phone with afterwards.

#1 spawn is not flavour of the month.
 
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