Okay, so it's been almost a year since I posted last.  Pretty bad, I know.  But today I wanted to eulogize Gary Gygax.  He's had many more eulogizers, but I wanted to write this.

I never met him.  I never attended any cons, so I never had the opportunity.  But that's okay.  He knew the impact he had on the world. I don't really play D&D any more, which is a game that spun off of what he invented, but I see the influence everywhere.  Every video game that has a fantasy element lives in his shadow: they either connect directly to tropes he introduced or consciously sway from them.  The first Final Fantasy game for the NES almost rips him off in several ways, and today WoW still uses the class/race system he introduced. Just as modern fantasy lives in the shadow of Tolkien, it lives too in the shadow of Gygax, and will never in my lifetime escape it.

And boy, was the AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide fantastic.  The encounter tables alone!

RIP

My life so far:

I've been tinkering around with two story ideas.  It's been like five years since I thought about writing fiction, so this is a big thing for me.  One's sci fi and the other's paranormal.  That's what I think about when I wait between movie times.

I've also gotten back into reading Purgatory, and it's really good.  Mr. Aligheri knows how to describe stuff, I'll tell you.

I plugged my iPod into my computer to update it yesterday and iTunes erased all my podcasts.  Here's my setup:  Computer at home with all my music, laptop at my in-laws' place down the road with all my podcasts.  Both are set to automatically update, but only their respective parts of my iPod.  In other news, computers remain stupid.

I would really like to play in Spike's (forever) upcoming D&D game, even if it is in a PBEM-style way.  I think I might make a character this weekend when I'm home with my stuff.  I might just use the Book of Exalted Deeds to make a thoroughly non-combat character, because combat is just annoying to do long-distance.

I work 3:30 to 10:30 today.  Tomorrow we ain't leavin' till six in the mo'nin' (six in the mo'nin') and I can't wait to meet my brother Will's girlfriend Lauren.  She's apparently very cool, so says my parents.  Leah and I might also do our married couple-ly duty and try to set up her little brother with a girl at church.  Couples are like viruses, you know?  But happy viruses, don't get me wrong.  With dinner parties and movies nights and games and such.

Okay, I'm going home.  My iPod is finally finished updating all 500-something podcast files on the stupid USB 1.0 connection, and I think I'm going to go wash dishes and do laundry and pack until I have to work.  Or play Final Fantasy Tactics Advance.  One or the other.  I mean I just got "Steal: Ability" here, and just unlocked the Fifth Totema.  I'm on fire.

Note to Tim:  Can we link up our games sometime this weekend?  I want to see if I can get new trade goods.

I am so addicted to that game.