Monday, March 28, 2011

Next Of Kin Vs. Live & Let Die!


* = It was everything we all dreamed it could be...

Friday night was MAGICAL! Swayze-A-Thon ’11 was a glorious success. We ate, we drank, we made new friends, and we basked in the power and the glory that was Road House (**** out of 5 Swayze’s), Point Break (**** out of 5 Swayze’s), & Red Dawn (**** out of 5 Swayze’s, but only *** out of 5 Sheen’s). The chatter was intelligent, the riffs really top notch, the company superb, and the mood outrageous. We WILL be having another SWAYZE-A-THON in 2012, let it be written so it will be done. Now we just have to figure out what the next Movie-A-Thon will be in April. I’m thinking either an All Day Planet Of The Apes thing with BBQing, and maybe a fire pit at the end of the night, maybe Russell/Carpenter-A-Thon, or who knows maybe it is finally time for a Arnie-A-Thon. The sky is the limit, and after Friday night I have a renewed sense of wonder as to just how fun Movie-A-Thon can be.

Oh and I pounded a case of Natural Light. That is more beer in one setting than the last six plus months combined. I expected to be dying the next day. I wasn’t however, in fact I felt excellent, which was good, because I watched my niece and nephew for eight hours solo. Contrary to popular belief I won’t turn to stone or into a pumpkin if left alone with kids for a day. They don’t scare me, I don’t get rattled, I don’t get frustrated with them, and I’m fun. We danced, we raced, we watched Toy Story 3 (***** out of 5), we made pictures, we built LEGO’s, we jumped on beds, we sang, we ate, and we napped well they napped. It went perfectly. They really are two amazing kids, easy to manage, they listen well, and while I did have to let them know that if they pushed they would be going to Time Out, I never had to actually put them in it. Is it my ideal post-Natty Light night follow-up, I’d have to say no. Was it a good Saturday, it was spectacular.

KU shat the bed Sunday, and then UNC got took by ‘The Swinder’ and his Wildcats.

I would be able to take this a lot better if Calipari had beaten us since it’ll just be ‘vacated’ in two years or so when he’s caught cheating AGAIN. Seriously, two other Final Four appearances with two other teams both of which were vacated and both universities ended up on probation. And yet this slime of a human being continues to not only get work but to fail upwards. Enjoy it while it lasts UK, because he’ll F’ you in the A’ just like Memphis & UMASS. As for KU, they played like ass in the first half and in the end just couldn’t overcome their horrid shooting from both the field and the free throw line. Good for VCU, they deserved the win. I’m rooting for Butler over VCU and UCONN over UK. Then I’d love to see Butler, who was within a rimmed out shot of beating Duke last year in the final, win it all. Especially since Jim Calhoun got pinched for cheating this year as well. As for my beloved Jayhawks, they need to toughen up. Coach Self is falling into the ‘Roy Trap’, where you get a TON of High School All-Americans, but you don’t have one guy who can get his own shot, who can take over a game, and absolutely, positively REFUSES to be beat. We need a tough guy to rally around. Next weekend is the culmination and then we fall deep into the dark recesses of the Sport’s Abyss.

D&D is Saturday. I think I’m ready. I have a few last minute things on my end to hammer out, mainly printing out sheets, picking miniatures, and tiles/maps. The adventure is in place, now I’m just waiting on four of the players to hammer out their characters so I can start to weave in some details. I’m cautiously excited. If I can channel some of that same energy that runs rampant in the Marvel SAGA games, with speeding up 4E combat, and maybe couple that with vivid description then I think it’ll be a blast. I’ll get to show off some of the newly painted minis as well. I desperately want it to be amazing as I have Heidi & Char taking their first foray into the beauty that is D&D. I’ve never gamed with Bob or Zack, but their ‘old hands’, Mike is one of my favorite guys to run for, and I’ve only really run for Anthony once, but it was a really good time. I like to be an ambassador for the game, it’s important to me. For all the hate slung its way 4E is a great introductory system for new players, I need to capitalize on what it does well, and fill in the gaps where it stumbles. The 5X5 Method has really helped me to crystallize plot, encounters, and scope, which is somewhere I usually really struggle. I just get to big to quickly, I want to tell some epic tale in the style of a grand spectacle. This time I’m going the other route, smaller, nastier, and I’m going to try and make it have a tad bit of horror to it. I’m going to save the real grand stuff for the Epic Tier if we ever get there. Like I said I’m cautiously optimistic.

RANDOM CRAP!

- I finished 14 minis on Sunday, 8 of which look absolutely spectacular. Cassandra is hopefully going to take some photos of the minis that have turned out exceptional and I’ll post ‘em. I finished painting 9 more minis last night. I have a crap ton more on the table, if I finish 18 to 20 by Thursday that would be fantastic. That way I could ‘DIP’ them on Friday and they would be ‘playable’ on Saturday. Maybe I can finally rope my wife into helping me this week. I might have to do some good old-fashioned begging. Oh I did find two fantastic things at Michaels; two clear plastic cubes for a buck apiece. With a little glue, two bases, and a diabolical laugh later I have two Gelatinous Cubes! Being that a Gelatinous Cube mini usually runs a guy about thirty bucks I’m quiet excited. I also found a giant frog that I will eventually pick up and convert into a Froghemoth!

OR

Which do you prefer?
Seriously, Michaels is BADASS!
- There might not be a pizza finer than a Papa Murphy’s Family size De-light white sauce with Canadian bacon & pepperoni. NOTHING!
- I finished Swords In The Mist (**** ½ out of 5) Saturday. It’s the third of the six Fafhrd & the Grey Mouser books by Fritz Leiber. While a lot of the stories in the book deal with the relationship between Fafhrd and ‘The Mouser’ nothing in my opinion shows just how amazing the dynamic can be between the two protagonists like the last tale ‘The Adept’s Gambit’. You see them both at their most desperate, most lusty, brain addled, and in the end their most brave. The story itself moves briskly and entices you to turn every page. I love the ending, I love the idea that they’ve spent their time on Midgard and it’s time to get back to business in Lankhmar, except this time they aren’t alone. I can’t wait to dive into the next volume.
- I think it might be time to thaw a turkey and attempt a Grilling of Titanic Proportions!
- Batman The Brave & The Bold returned on Friday with a World’s Finest, which is Superman & Batman for those that don’t know, episode. It was sublime. It captured all the glory of the Silver Age including a montage of moments lifted directly from Silver Age Superman & the fantastic website Superdickery dot com. It was a great episode with Jimmy, Krypto, Lois, Lex Luthor, some flashes of Mr. Mxyzptlk, Metallo, and even Braniac! But I’d have to say the thing that made me most giddy was the use of Red Kryptonite to turn Superman into a Dick so he could fight Batman. Again the folks who make this show hit it out of the park as it was part Silver Age goodness and part Frank Miller Dark Knight Returns. If this show goes away it will be a Sad Panda Day indeed.
- New Doctor Who is just weeks away, as is the kick of to A Game Of Thrones. I’m excited for both.
- Speaking of books we had a fat coupon for Half-Priced Books, the most wonderful store in the world, and I used it up Sunday. I picked up four books; the Warhammer Witch Hunter Omnibus, two $1.00 D&D books, and The King In Yellow, which is something I’ve often referenced but never actually read. Suffice to say I will most likely NEVER run out of things to read, and that makes life fantastic.
- I’ve been promised Chinese food next weekend, if I don’t get it there will be HELL TO PAY!

And with that ominous threat to my beloved I’m out…

“I don't mean to make obscene
But even the mob, know what the hell i mean
The knot is tight, on my blindfold
I got my flesh full of blood, I hate rock n roll
Some think too much, then come too soon
I just curse the sun, so I can howl at the moon

Don't wanna love you no more
Don't wanna love you less
I wanna be crushed by your sweet caress
What's the fuckin' difference, we all gonna die
You gonna do something killer?
C'mon give it a try

Got no good plans but a good idea
Let's put this town in my rearview mirror
Yeah, I got enemies, but they don't know
They won't get no glory on that side of the hole

Were are united, by drifting alone
This is the army of none, got no flag, got no home
Just witches & scabs, an awful mess, I confess...
Let's do it again…”



* = We like to call it inspirado...

6 comments:

  1. We'll have time to go as long as you complete your homework before Saturday morning. If you don't have time it won't be on my head. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. So does that mean I'm going to get some 'painting assistance'?
    And as for home work I need YOU to get you D&D homework done ASAP.

    ReplyDelete
  3. We'll see how long my D&D homework, laminating and pictures take me. If I help you, does that mean I get something in return? ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Pictures = DONE!
    D&D Homework = DONE tonight!
    Duh, you get WINNING!

    ReplyDelete