[D&D] By popular demand….
So a few weeks back Ursula did some guest art for A Girl and Her Fed[1] of Dire Koala. Being the geek that I am, I was inspired to build stat blocks for it, as well as for the the Dire Eucalyptus and Dire Fire Ant included in the description. Hope you enjoy them, and if you think they need tuning, comment! As a bonus, you can click the images to get the .monster files for the D&D Monster Creator. Then you can unleash them against your players[2].
And, an update to the Dire Wombat :
[1] Are you reading AGAHF? Go! Do so now! I’ll still be here when you’re done. Yes, start at the beginning. DO IT! DO IT NOW!
[2] And for *MY* players, no you probably won’t see these in-game. Any time soon, anyway…
Book news (and *NOT* about Amazon)
While the twitter-verse and blog-o-sphere have been going nuts about the Amazon/Macmillon disagreement, I thought, perhaps, I should give out some GOOD news in books.
Speaking of signings! To celebrate the release of Ninja Frogs, I’m pleased to announce Ursula’s first official book signing in support of the release! It will be Feb 27 from 1-3pm at Chapel Hill Comics! Andy and his team run one of the best comic shops I’ve been in, and we’re always excited to have an event there. And as a bonus, he even made up this AMAZING banner for the event :
This coming weekend, we’re off to WTHCon 2010 – expect to see Ursula on panels, me in the Dealer’s Room, and both of us at the Geek Auction. But more on that later…
FC2010 Con report
So I’ve had about 15 things to write about, but none of them have gelled yet, so I will regale you with a con report.
Ursula and I headed to San Jose, CA last Thursday so she could be Guest of Honor at Further Confusion 2010. After getting the usual review from the TSA, we had a VERY bumpy flight to Dallas, where we caught ANOTHER bumpy flight into San Jose. The con had sent a Limo for us[1], which was hella cool. When we got there, the GoH liaison showed to our suite[2], and we got settled in. And then it was time to get badges, find dinner, be at Opening Ceremonies, arrange con-kit pickup/delivery with Tugrik, and eventually pass out.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were just as busy. *grin*
High Points :
- Meeting the Fans. You guys are great. And being able to be at the Q&A session was a lot of fun. You guys are why we go to cons.
- Getting a chance to hang out with Tugrik for a bit, and see the work he and his friends are doing in their home techshop. Laser Engraved lucite? They can do that. Laser cut wood? He gave us a Mayan Calendar with Ursula’s Red Wombat in the center. It’s under 6 inches across, and the detail is AMAZING. Leather? Metal? Castings? They do that. AMAZING work. I was bummed I didn’t get to see their pannel on fabrication, and doubly bummed that I couldn’t get his crew and the EuroFurance crew together, since I think the EF guys would have loved the work.
- Meeting EmoBurd, one of the better characters I’ve read in a while.
- Being able to host artists[3] in the front room of the suite while they did their homework. Ursula had the idea that the space should be used for SOMETHING, since we weren’t going to use it, and I like to entertain. And I have this thing where I like to take care of artists, so…Plus I got a chance to get to know Waarhorse a little better (VERY cool guy), and hang out with LizardBeth [4]
- Dinner with Carlota, Alex, and Carl Saturday, Dinner with SofaWolf and BLOTCH on Sunday.
…And some things that will be told over drinks, or in the privacy of future artist rooms…
And then the flights home, including sharing a plane to Dallas & dinner in the airport with LizardBeth [5], who got the full Ursula and Kevin “I wonder what’s this way…” experience.
All in all, FC was a lot of fun, and we need to get back out to San Jose to hang out without the Con Madness.
[1] A Limo? Really? For Us? What the hell?
[2] A SUITE? FOR US? ARE THEY INSANE?
[3] Who dropped by Sunday to Violate my sketchbook. Again.
[4] Have I told you to go read her comic yet? GO READ HER COMIC!
[5] Have you read her comic yet?
2010 Schedule to date
For those who want to know, the 2010 appearance list for Ursula, as of today :
Jan 22-24 : Further ConFusion, San Jose CA
Feb 5-7 : WTHCon, Greensboro NC
Jun 4-6 : A-Kon, Dallas TX
Jun 25-27 : AnthroCon, Pittsburgh PA
More may be added at the year progresses, but that’s the schedule so far.
Arizona Impressions
We’re home fromArizona, and I must say, Ursula’s Dad & Step-mom were exceptional hosts. They took a mini-vacation with us, up to Jerome, Sedona, and to see the Grand Canyon, and put up with us – well, me – the entire time.
So, impressions :
Phoenix, AZ looks, from the air, like a demented SimCity player planned it. On the ground, it’s like most any other big city I’ve been in, only they expanded out instead of UP. Which probably isn’t so bad, really. And the desert is everywhere. Cactus, Scrub brush, small trees and sand, sand, sand. And I’m not used to just looking off into the distance and seeing mountains. They just sort of APPEAR on the horizon, unlike back home where there’s a lead in of small hills. Flat, flat, flat, Mountain. Takes some getting used to.
On Tuesday we drove up to Sedona, with an extended stop in Jerome. This was my first view of a real desert, and let me say – it isn’t real until you see it. I can watch all the nature shows and read the books and look at photos, but it’s not the same. Ursula had to talk me down at least three times after I just kinda lost it looking at the sheer…desert-ness of it. Cactus! More Cactus! OMG, a real tumbeweed!
Seriously, I was a little kid, seeing it all for the first time.
Jerome is AWESOME. A small artist community stuck on the side of the mountains. We stopped in because I wanted to visit Puscifer and Caduceus, and found history and art and all kinds of good stuff. Plus it was more like the mountains I know. And there’s a different KIND of history there – sure, I live in a town about twice as old as Jerome, but we didn’t have copper mines, or mountain car races.
Sedona – I can’t say anything new about Sedona. Again, I had to be talked down about twice an hour. We’d be walking from one gallery to the other and whoa! Mesa! Rocks! It’s just spectacular. And on our second morning in Sedona, we stopped at the Chapel of the Holy Cross, which is holy ground like none I’ve ever walked.
Finally, the Southern end of the Grand Canyon. Talk about humbling! We are tiny, tiny creatures on this planet, and we have accomplished so much – but NOTHING at all like what water has done to rock there. I need to get in shape so I can walk the canyon, top to bottom and then back to the top…
In the end, Arizona was both what I expected, and not what I expected. I didn’t expect to fall in love with Jerome, and could easily live there if there was work for me.
And now, we’re safely home, dealing with home stuff. I miss vacations, and intend to go back to Arizona again and again.
End of the year
Unlike last New Year’s Eve, we’re spending this one where we intended. (For those of you who missed it, we spent last year stranded in Minneapolis/St. Paul, but it turned out amazingly well) In this case, that’s Sedona, AZ.
We flew in to Phoenix on Monday, spent Tuesday recovering, and drove up here yesterday. The drive was AMAZING – saw Montezuma Castle, stopped in Jerome, and then made it into Sedona after dark.
Jerome, so far, is my favorite. We went so that I could visit the Puscifer store and the Caduceus Tasting Room. Which I did, and left with some signed stuff from Maynard, and a bottle of the 2006 Naguel del le Naga and a bottle of the 2007 Anubis. While I’m not usually one for Cabernet Sauvignon (usually a Cab is a Cab is a Cab to me), the Anubis is a Cab with some real flavor to it. They are shipping now, btw (http://www.caduceus.org/) – go order now.
Today was an art crawl through Sedona. If I never see another bronze cowboy or bronze horse sculture again as long as I live, it may be too soon – otherwise there’s a lot of cool stuff here.
Tomorrow we go up to the Canyon, and hopefully can visit the Chapel of the Hoy Cross. And I’ll write up my impressions of the natural wonder of Arizona after I’ve seen that bit. And found the words. Because every time I try, it gets trite, and I can’t have that.
The “break even” week
Another week of ups and downs, I’m afraid. Let’s start with the downs :
- The oil leak in my car is getting worse and the check engine light is on
- I was diagnosed with Adult-Onset Type-2 Diabetes on Wednesday
- Still Job Hunting
The Ups are :
- The oil leak is still not bad enough to warent fixing
- The diabetes can be controlled with diet, exercise, and a simple, proven, low-dose med
- I had a great set of interviews
- I have an amazing group of supportive friends
So we’re gonna call this one a break even, leaning towards the positive. Next week is Christmas, so we’re going shopping. Sure, I need a thing or three for my home office, but the focus is on my kids today. And I still have a winter break to look forward to – the holidays, a week in AZ visiting Ursula’s family, and a little time off while we work out my next gig. Maybe I can get myself back into the habit of blogging regularly over the break.
Who knows? Stranger things have happened….
All good things…
As many of you know from twitter, facebook, and Ursula’s blog, I got word on Wednesday that my contract was closing on Dec 23. While the timing looks pretty bad, there are some positives :
- We accomplished everything the contract was supposed to accomplish
- We did it in 18 months, vs. the original 24 specified
- The customer is happy
And in the end, those three things are what matters.
So now I’m in the unenviable position of job hunting. For those of you who’ve been out of work, you’re probably thinking “you poor bastard, in this economy?” but the truth is, there is work out there, it just takes some effort to find it.
So let the effort begin!
…first thing Monday morning. Right now, it’s the weekend, and it’s been a rough week…
Convention and Holiday
So we survived Midwest FurFest 2009, as you might have heard. I must say it was great fun. It’s always good to hang out with our friends (the SHORT list is Mel, Tango, Dave, Diana, SF, Natasha, Heather, SofaWolf, Jen, Duncan, Takaza, Fiawol, the ENTIRE security staff…) and make new ones (dwalker, Gan, foxfeather and her beau, and then some…). Also a blast to meet and greet the FANS. Ursula’s Fans are amazing people, and I was very glad to meet each one of you. I had fun, Ursula had fun, and I cannot wait for Further Confusion 2010 – and our chance to meet her west coast fans.
So what’s up next? Thanksgiving around here. And as with prior years, I’m opening up my house for a Stray’s Thanksgiving. It’s a tradition many people do/have done, and I learned it from my friend Michelle in Raleigh MANY years ago when I was without a place to go on a very family oriented holiday. This is how I pay her (and many others, over the years) back for her hospitality.
For all you local people who need/want a place to go – mi casa su casa. Open to any and all who need it, just ask and tell me what side dish you can bring. A lot of you have invites, and if you know someone who can use one as well, share, or send ‘em my way. And if you need one don’t be afraid to ask.
And for the rest of you out there, have a wonderful holiday!
Tuesday Ramblings
First things first : I hate coder’s block[1]. And I have it. So instead of sitting and staring at reams of source, I’m writing here. If for no other reason than to feel productive.
A lesson I’m learning from UrsulaV I suppose.
So what else is kicking around in my head tonight?
On being the Dungeon Master
I touched off a minor tempest in a teapot in the comments over here. I’m not going to argue wether what I did as a DM was a dick move or not[2] – what I am going to mention is that running an adventure is just as difficult, challenging, and FUN as I remembered it to be. And play-testing this particular module for a friend is going to get him some interesting feedback on certain challenges and encounters when I have the chance to write them up, because it seems that the whole group are those players – you know the kind, the ones that, despite the best efforts of the DM, are going to find the solution that just throws everything off track[3]. And I’m re-learning how to be flexible in the face of adversity, and sometimes the on-the-spot solution isn’t always the best way to handle things, but it is the course that keeps the game on-track, from a story perspective. Which is, sadly, one of the constraints of running someone else’s story – the options, you see, are somewhat limited. But I’ll adapt, and adjust, and get better at it, and tweak out the story so that maybe the next DM to run this one can learn from my mistakes and fumbles.
But hey, they survived, I made sure it was worth their while (both in XP and swag), and next session will be even more fun. Promise.
The new office rocks
My “man cave” – that is, new office – is just the space I want it to be. Needs more bookshelves, and more art, but it’s comfy, the cats like it, and I’m VERY happy with how it’s coming together. Plus it’s nice to have a networked printer again, and a low-end machine[4] to do nothing but stream internet radio and iTunes.
Convention prep!
Midwest Furfest approaches, and Ursula and I will be flying up to Chicago day after tomorrow. I’m excited, because I love meeting her fans, hanging with the other artists & artists’ keepers[5], and in generally being the outgoing person I turn into when I’m doing a public appearance of any sort. So, if you’re going to be there, stop by and say “Hi!”
So that’s it for tonight. I’m going back to staring uselessly at VBScript and banging my head against the wall[6]
Also, I realize it’s a bit of a shock, getting two updates in a week, instead of two updates every few months. Hopefully I can get back into the habit of blogging. Hopefully.
<i>Edit : Fixed a numbering issue with the footnotes…</i>
Notes :
[1] That’s the thing like writer’s block, except for programming.
[2] Oh hell, even I knew it was a dick move when I made it but I did my damnedest to adjust to the situation, and the combat was going to happen at some point ANYWAY, and damn if she didn’t miss that roll by ONE POINT…
[3] And I was warned – oh yes! Warned Strongly! – by Ursula’s former GMs and old gaming groups that she WILL take all your plans, and do just the thing that will make you throw them to the four winds with a “ah well, that’s four hours of prep in the shitter…” and you’ll be laughing the whole way.
[4] read : G3 iMac with OSX 10.4.11 – I need to clone my library to the network storage so it can stream EVERYTHING, and not just internet radio.
[5] She calls me her “sherpa” which isn’t too inaccurate, since I lift the heavy stuff and make sure she gets from point A to point B on time (sorta). Which is the job of the artist’s keeper. So is making sure she remembers to EAT, and gets SOME rest, and doesn’t kill herself doing commissions.
[6] It’s like having the right word JUST THERE in your brain and not being able to find it. Drives me nuts until the damn breaks, and code starts to pour out of me in a flurry and fury of typing…
