Tagged by Toast.
1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
Played a G+ Hangout RPG. It was a great experience and I’ll run a few in the coming month. RPGers around the world, you’re welcome to join (Toast, this means you!)
2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Get back on NHE, and I kept it.
2012 is get back to the gym. I will keep it.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, our nanny. Also, one of my best local friends had their first child Monday, which is technically 2012.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.
5. What places did you visit?
India, Holland, Japan, Germany. Layover in London, if that counts.
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
High fantasy. I’ve been playing Pendragon, a low fantasy setting, pretty exclusively for about 20 months. Its time for some high fantasy. It will be through Google+ Hangouts as well, so can include a wide variety of time zone people (generally East Coast US to Hawaii, down to South America.)
7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Sept 28, when Squire Arthur pulled Excalibur from the stone outside St. Paul’s Cathedral. Baron Hitchen (Chris’ player character) was the first nobleman on the scene and the first knight to bow to Arthur. It was a daunting moment for game mastering an RPG; but, my players were suitably impressed so I think it went pretty well.
8. What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year?
Pulling off the sword from the stone scene. See above.
9. What was your biggest failure?
A strange malaise at work.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Minor colds.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Windows laptop. I’ve branched out into all kinds of side projects, learned four new computer languages and dabbled in online databases. Its led me to an interesting new mission in my spare time.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
The Occupy Wall Street movement.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The GOP debate audiences.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Mortgage. Day care.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My daughters getting out of diapers. Both of them. And there’re very few accidents now.
16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
“Ballerina Girl”, by Lionel Ritchie. Its totally a Daddy thing.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) Happier or sadder?
Happier
b) thinner or fatter?
About the same.
c) richer or poorer?
Poorer. Its the long slide, man.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Sleeping. Scratch that, playing music. I started up on the bass again last week and the girls now play in front of my while I practice, sometimes picking up a guitar or recorder or sitting down at the piano.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Wasted daydreams.
20. How did you spend Christmas this year?
Embroiled in a chaotic maelstrom of paper, ribbons, cards and children.
21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
Every time I read a nighttime story.
22. How was work?
Interesting...
23. What was your favorite TV program?
What’s TV?
24. What did you do for your birthday in 2011?
Dinner at a new restaurant in town, Nachtmarkt. Its Austrian cuisine and the chef is a task master. The food was impeccable.
25. What was the best book you read?
The 1981 edition rules for Stormbringer.
I fell in love with its magic and character generation systems. It is definitely my next game system.
There is virtually no player choice in the character you’re allotted. Everything is determined by the dice. It can be a challenge when you get a loser. And the odds are better that you play an uneducated farmer than that you play a magic wielding character of any form. Still, every character seems to end up with an interesting personality and role in the story.
The magic system is all through intermediaries. Those who can cast magic do so by summoning and binding demons or elementals. This leaves for a very interesting dynamic for the sorcerer and a whole host of interesting plots. There’s also a tremendous amount of power inequality possible, with the same party containing weak Red Shirts and super powered mages. It takes a sophisticated group to play it; but, its fun as all get out.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Pandora. Its been a sad year musically.
27. What did you want and get?
iPad
28. What did you want and not get?
Sleep.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
What’s a film?
30. Did you make some new friends this year?
Yes, though all online.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
The demise of the Fox News empire.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Top of the pile.
33. What kept you sane?
Long walks.
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
The Arab Spring.
35. What political issue stirred you the least?
Most anything domestic.
36. Best sports moment?
Forward flip off the double stroller into a fake snow bank on the street corner.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
ChrisK, of Hill Cantons. He’s the dude who got me into G+ RPG games.
38. Burn any bridges?
I hope not. I’ve been pretty rough edged at work lately.
39. Best new restaurant you went to?
NachtMarkt.
40. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
Unchain the colors before my eyes,
Yesterday's sorrows, tomorrow's white lies.
Scan the horizon, the clouds take me higher,
I shall return from out of the fire.
- from “Strange World” by Steve Harris, Paul Di’anno
1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
Played a G+ Hangout RPG. It was a great experience and I’ll run a few in the coming month. RPGers around the world, you’re welcome to join (Toast, this means you!)
2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Get back on NHE, and I kept it.
2012 is get back to the gym. I will keep it.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, our nanny. Also, one of my best local friends had their first child Monday, which is technically 2012.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No.
5. What places did you visit?
India, Holland, Japan, Germany. Layover in London, if that counts.
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
High fantasy. I’ve been playing Pendragon, a low fantasy setting, pretty exclusively for about 20 months. Its time for some high fantasy. It will be through Google+ Hangouts as well, so can include a wide variety of time zone people (generally East Coast US to Hawaii, down to South America.)
7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Sept 28, when Squire Arthur pulled Excalibur from the stone outside St. Paul’s Cathedral. Baron Hitchen (Chris’ player character) was the first nobleman on the scene and the first knight to bow to Arthur. It was a daunting moment for game mastering an RPG; but, my players were suitably impressed so I think it went pretty well.
8. What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year?
Pulling off the sword from the stone scene. See above.
9. What was your biggest failure?
A strange malaise at work.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Minor colds.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Windows laptop. I’ve branched out into all kinds of side projects, learned four new computer languages and dabbled in online databases. Its led me to an interesting new mission in my spare time.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
The Occupy Wall Street movement.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The GOP debate audiences.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Mortgage. Day care.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My daughters getting out of diapers. Both of them. And there’re very few accidents now.
16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
“Ballerina Girl”, by Lionel Ritchie. Its totally a Daddy thing.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) Happier or sadder?
Happier
b) thinner or fatter?
About the same.
c) richer or poorer?
Poorer. Its the long slide, man.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Sleeping. Scratch that, playing music. I started up on the bass again last week and the girls now play in front of my while I practice, sometimes picking up a guitar or recorder or sitting down at the piano.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Wasted daydreams.
20. How did you spend Christmas this year?
Embroiled in a chaotic maelstrom of paper, ribbons, cards and children.
21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
Every time I read a nighttime story.
22. How was work?
Interesting...
23. What was your favorite TV program?
What’s TV?
24. What did you do for your birthday in 2011?
Dinner at a new restaurant in town, Nachtmarkt. Its Austrian cuisine and the chef is a task master. The food was impeccable.
25. What was the best book you read?
The 1981 edition rules for Stormbringer.
I fell in love with its magic and character generation systems. It is definitely my next game system.
There is virtually no player choice in the character you’re allotted. Everything is determined by the dice. It can be a challenge when you get a loser. And the odds are better that you play an uneducated farmer than that you play a magic wielding character of any form. Still, every character seems to end up with an interesting personality and role in the story.
The magic system is all through intermediaries. Those who can cast magic do so by summoning and binding demons or elementals. This leaves for a very interesting dynamic for the sorcerer and a whole host of interesting plots. There’s also a tremendous amount of power inequality possible, with the same party containing weak Red Shirts and super powered mages. It takes a sophisticated group to play it; but, its fun as all get out.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Pandora. Its been a sad year musically.
27. What did you want and get?
iPad
28. What did you want and not get?
Sleep.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
What’s a film?
30. Did you make some new friends this year?
Yes, though all online.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
The demise of the Fox News empire.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Top of the pile.
33. What kept you sane?
Long walks.
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
The Arab Spring.
35. What political issue stirred you the least?
Most anything domestic.
36. Best sports moment?
Forward flip off the double stroller into a fake snow bank on the street corner.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
ChrisK, of Hill Cantons. He’s the dude who got me into G+ RPG games.
38. Burn any bridges?
I hope not. I’ve been pretty rough edged at work lately.
39. Best new restaurant you went to?
NachtMarkt.
40. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
Unchain the colors before my eyes,
Yesterday's sorrows, tomorrow's white lies.
Scan the horizon, the clouds take me higher,
I shall return from out of the fire.
- from “Strange World” by Steve Harris, Paul Di’anno
2 comments:
You faked me out on #36. I totally expected you to say "What's sports?"
:^)
Alisa learned the hard way that she should sit still in her stroller. There was a Christmas celebration here in town and she found herself flat on her back in the snow after said flip.
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