Countdown to Origins 2013

[Black Jack Rackham]

HOLY CRAP ON A STICK!!!

Origins event registration is open!!! Ok ok, calm down, don't panic. I'll get the events all in this week. To my GMs I'm planning on putting you in the system with enough hours to get your free badges, but don't fret if when the time comes you can't be at a certain game you're supposed to be running. I will run them in your stead (my plan in case you're curious, is to give Me 5, 6, PA, and DOMINGO GIGANTE!; Dave 3, 4, and PA; and Laura (if she's willing) 1-2 and DOMINGO GIGANTE! as a backup) .

I will be adding DOMINGO GIGANTE! into the system this year as a Zero max players (so no one can sign up early). But first I'll give a call over to GAMA to make sure that's the right way to handle it.

[salamanca]

Don't overload yourself, Mark. I don't mind picking up all the slack at Origins. You get the heavy workload at gencon so feel free to let me handle some extra and schedule yourself an event (or 3) to play.

[Black Jack Rackham]

My workload at GenCon just got bigger too as the You Too Can Cthulhu folks want me to pinch-hit for them with my new adventure Lower 9. So it looks like I'm going to be running my usual 6 for HoA and another 2 for YTCC.

Update for Origins: I've finished up the spreadsheet for our events, but am waiting on Origins staff to get back to me with instructions for how to add DOMINGO GIGANTE! into the mix (they apparently have a problem with a 'generics only' event). If I don't hear back from them by monday, I'll be sending the stuff in as is and we can go from there.

[Black Jack Rackham]

Spreadsheet sent in. If it all goes according to plan, Events should look like this:

Wed
Ep 1 - The Road to Altamira (1-5)
Ep 5 - Evil Intent (7-11)

Thurs
Ep 6 - The Balance of Profit (9-1)
Ep 3 - Gentleman's Wager (1-5)
PLAYTEST (either Ep 7 - Scientific Method or Ep 8 - Acts of Desperation)

Fri
Ep 4 - A Small Favor (9-1)
Ep 5 - Evil Intent (9-1)
Personal Agendas (two tables) (1-5)

Sat
Ep 2 - Fear and Surprise (9-1)
Ep 3 - Gentleman's Wager (9-1)
Ep 4 - A Small Favor (1-5)
Ep 6 - The Balance of Profit (1-5)

Sun
DOMINGO GIGANTE! (10-2)

[Black Jack Rackham]

With it's usual fanfare (with the usual intelligence ascribed to poo flinging monkeys) Origins early bird event registration is now open (though I cannot seem to pay for my badge).

[cpugs]

REgistered!!!!!

[Black Jack Rackham]

According to Joby, HoA has done enough business that they can trust us with giving GM badges before the con (rather than reimbursing us later) so I didn't pay for my badge. We'll see how that works out...

[Black Jack Rackham]

REgistered!!!!!

So is now the point where we start discussing the infamous "New England to Origins Cross-Country Trek with a Stop-Over at Denny's?"

(and since I mentioned it...)
Eric will not be able to make it this year (so I asked him to send me an MP3 of "Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota" I already have all of Black Jack Justice and The Red Panda on my iPhone) But Laura and I will both be returning

[cpugs]

Mark, if all goes according to plan, my oldest graduates from 8th grade the week before Origins. If snow days do not change her graduation date, all is good. However, in the last couple of years, on average that date has moved 3 times. So put me down for a tentative yes.

[Lady Grace]

*cough*

Myself and crimsonjoe...HAVE REGISTERED FOR ORIGINS~!!!

[Black Jack Rackham]

*cough*

Myself and crimsonjoe...HAVE REGISTERED FOR ORIGINS~!!!

Yay!

[Black Jack Rackham]

Just over 3 months until ORIGINS!

[Black Jack Rackham]

So just to keep abreast of what Origins is doing (or in this case, not doing), I checked in to see if I'd been issued a GM badge yet. Obviously, there is no movement and my original attempt to register for a regular badge is still sitting in the system waiting for me to pay for it. Not too worried about it yet since they always do things haphazardly and at the very last minute. So I'll only start to worry if we're just a week out.

[Rebecca Iavelli]

Just to be official, I'm all set for Origins now. Got my badge and got the room in the Hyatt as usual.

Though I do wonder if the people who run Origins are working at the hotel at the moment.
First you have to talk to a computer to have it direct you to the "right" person, then when you finally get the person, they can't find the rooms on their computer, maked me wait while they had to go look at another computer, then they couldn't get a full "block" of rooms, but had to give me one day in one room, and 4 days in another. Stupid "blocking" system they have.
So I'm going to have to pay $199 for one night, and then I get the rate for the con for the rest of the days.

[salamanca]

The event may not be scheduled to include tuesday night. Just wed - sat night. Hence your issue with that. Jeremy was looking to confirm last weekend and the Drury had nothing listed to explain what the discount block was for.

[Lady Grace]

Mike & I are still determining which nights to stay in a hotel and which nights/days we want to suck it up and do the Cleveland to Columbus and back again drive. We have two cats at home to consider in terms of getting them fed.

[Black Jack Rackham]

Mike & I are still determining which nights to stay in a hotel and which nights/days we want to suck it up and do the Cleveland to Columbus and back again drive. We have two cats at home to consider in terms of getting them fed.

What's that 4-5 hours of commute time per day (there and back)? Do-able but unpleasant (especially when you consider leaving (say) Thurs at 11 after your game finishes then needing to be back Fri morning for your 8 (or even 9) am game...

[salamanca]

Big bowl of water, big bowl of dry food. And you should be fine. Two big bowls of water and you will be fine.

[Lady Grace]

Can't do that anymore with the eldest cat, alas. She's on meds.

[Black Jack Rackham]

80 days left!

[Black Jack Rackham]

Ok I was just over on the Origins FB page and learned that on Tues before Origins, Wierd Al will be playing in Colombus. Ok now first, that's an awesome convergence of geekism (and especially cool since I'm pretty sure I could make the show). But more importantly, do I send him an invitation to play HoA? And if so how many of you are willing to come down and fill in seats for the table?

[Rebecca Iavelli]

Well to me the big question is: Is he a gamer, and will he know what your inviting him too. LOL

[Black Jack Rackham]

While this is just a rumor I've heard (so take that for what it is), it's my understanding that Al and his bandmates play RPGs on the tour bus. So, while he might not have heard of 7th Sea specifically, I think he'd know of what I speak.

That, and have you read the lyrics to White and Nerdy?
(well if you haven't, here they are)

They see me mowin'
My front lawn
I know they're all thinking
I'm so White N' nerdy

Think I'm just too white n' nerdy
Think I'm just too white n' nerdy
Can't you see I'm white n' nerdy
Look at me I'm white n' nerdy!
I wanna roll with-
The gangsters
But so far they all think
I'm too white n' nerdy
Think I'm just too white n' nerdy
Think I'm just too white n' nerdy
I'm just too white n' nerdy
Really, really white n' nerdy

First in my class here at M.I.T.
Got skills, I'm a Champion of D&D
MC Escher that's my favorite MC
Keep your 40
I'll just have an Earl Grey tea
My rims never spin to the contrary
You'll find they're quite stationary
All of my action figures are cherry
Steven Hawking's in my library
My MySpace page is all totally pimped out
I got people begging for my top 8 spaces
Yo I know Pi to a thousand places
Ain't got no grills but I still wear braces
I order all of my sandwiches with mayonnaise
I'm a whiz at minesweeper I can play for days
Once you see my sweet moves you're gonna stay amazed,
my fingers movin' so fast I'll set the place ablaze
There's no killer app I haven't run
At Pascal, well, I'm number 1
Do vector calculus just for fun
I ain't got a gat but I got a soldering gun
"Happy Days" is my favourite theme song
I can sure kick your butt in a game of ping pong
I'll ace any trivia quiz you bring on
I'm fluent in JavaScript as well as Klingon
Here's the part I sing on

They see me roll on, my Segway!
I know in my heart they think I'm
white n' nerdy!
Think I'm just too white n' nerdy
Think I'm just too white n' nerdy
Can't you see I'm white n' nerdy
Look at me I'm white n' nerdy
I'd like to roll with-
The gangsters
Although it's apparent I'm too
White n' nerdy
Think I'm just too white n' nerdy
I'm just too white n' nerdy
How'd I get so white n' nerdy?

I've been browsing, inspectin'
X-men comics you know I collect 'em
The pens in my pocket
I must protect 'em
my ergonomic keyboard never leaves me bored
Shopping online for deals on some writable media
I edit Wikipedia
I memorized "Holy Grail" really well
I can recite it right now and have you ROTFLOL
I got a business doing web sites
When my friends need some code who do they call?
I do HTML for them all
Even made a homepage for my dog!
Yo! Got myself a fanny pack
they were having a sale down at the GAP
Spend my nights with a roll of bubble wrap
POP POP! Hope no one sees me gettin' freaky!

I'm nerdy in the extreme and whiter than sour cream
I was in AV club and Glee club and even the chess team!
Only question I ever thought was hard
Was do I like Kirk or do I like Picard?
I spend every weekend
at the renaissance fair
I got my name on my underwear!

They see me strollin'
They laughin'
And rollin' their eyes 'cause
I'm so white n' nerdy
Just because I'm white n' nerdy
Just because I'm white n' nerdy
All because I'm white n' nerdy
Holy cow I'm white n' nerdy
I wanna bowl with-
the gangsters
but oh well it's obvious I'm
white n' nerdy
Think I'm just too white n' nerdy
Think I'm just too white n' nerdy
I'm just too white n' nerdy
Look at me I'm white n' nerdy!

[Rebecca Iavelli]

I know that should he take you up on your offer, Eric will find a way to get to Origins this year I bet, lol.

Would be pretty cool if he did, but as I am kinda out of the loop of knowing Weird Al songs, I wouldn't be able to sing along. I know who he is, but that's about it.

[Black Jack Rackham]

70 Days Left!