Neighbors Vs. The Burbs

With all the insanity at the place that pays me, the ‘Staycation’, the wonder and glory that is the Careers In Evil Podcast (you should be listening, if your not Dave & I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE!), as well as the general pre-Autumn ‘Blahs’ my blogging output has declined significantly.  For those three of you who read this sludge on a weekly basis, I'm sorry.  The reality is I just haven’t had that much to talk about. Nothing of any interest anyway. I mean I could talk about my feelings or about my ideas on relationships but we hit that on the podcast. I could mumble on and on about comics, Doctor Who, miniatures, or other things that hold very little interest to anyone other than me, but most of you have voiced your displeasure at my prediliction for that already.  I could drone on and on about the ideas in my head regarding potential campaigns and games, but the reality is I haven’t had anything pop up in my head of late that I feel will ever get off the ground. So I’ve cut down on the output, and I’m hoping it’ll be quality over quantity.


So in order to sort of refocus myself I decided to knock out a seriously LARGE…

RANDOM CRAP!

- On the latest episode of the Podcast there was a conversation where David made the proclamation that I am judgmental. At the time it really didn’t bother me that much, however the more I think about it the more I start to churn it over in my much maligned mind I realize that I do take umbrage with that statement. I don’t feel I’m judgmental. In fact I feel I try very hard to NOT be judgmental. However I do admit that I have no problem calling others on what I perceive as bullshit. Just like I have NO problem pointing out my own. In fact to re-state my summation on that episode, I am WAY harder on myself than anyone outside of perhaps Cassandra knows. Sure I spout off at the mouth a lot, in fact I talk a LOT of shit about 90% of the time; however I also attempt to be aware of how much of that I actually mean. So in the end I’m not sure where the idea that I’m ‘judgmental’ came from by my erstwhile cohort, I’m just hoping it’s a poor choice of words. What I do know though is that, whether or not I agree with him, his pointing it out should be enough for me to try and be more aware of it.
- I talked to my sister a bit about it last night, and in-between her calling it a ‘Lover’s Spat’ she pointed out that I have a nasty tendency to ‘write people off’, and that I can be quick to be ‘done’ with people. It’s true I can, I do, and most likely always will. I find that this maintains my sanity. I wouldn’t consider this judgmental; I’d consider this prudent caution as well as a desire to maintain my own mental health. If we don’t get along and have issues it does me no good to sit and think on that, to stew over it, and then have to swallow down the bile about it just so we can fake our way through being cordial. So I just cut that person out.
- Before anyone thinks that this indicates my frustration with the ‘Burfday Boy’ or with the Podcast think again. Last Sunday was the BEST Podcast yet. Dave was ‘on fire’ and Dangerous Dan has set the bar when it comes to guests. I just like to ruminate on things. Oh and if you want to tell us about the Podcast; your thoughts, comments, questions, &/or death threats e-mail us here; careersinevil@gmail.com
- Sunday night we had a nice relaxing fire, well Dave and I did. You know after reading the above points and then that last sentence I’m starting to think Dave and I might be married. Anywho, Cassandra rocked out some serious painting in the bedroom during ‘Staycation’. Sure it’s pink, and yes before you judge or ask I AM ok with it, but it’s nice and relaxing. I think once she gets that second darker pink up there as well as the black and white accents it’ll look really cool.
- Can you believe there is a new episode of Doctor Who on our DVR and we haven’t watched it? Neither can I.
- Speaking of things to watch, I did watch the BBC series Bruiser (**** out of 5).

I have to admit Cassandra didn’t enjoy the show after the first two episodes. She felt it was the same joke over and over again. It was. And it was glorious. It is six episodes where they take certain jokes and continually push them until you get some sort of satisfyingly bizarre resolution in the sixth and final episode. While that format can get a little trying at times I felt it worked as all the sketches had laughs and I really felt that by the time they hit their culmination they were perfectly crafted little gems of laughter.  The big thing is it is full, CHOCK FULL, of Matt Holness goodness. In fact he steals every skit he’s in. In particular the ‘Pussy On A Stick’ skits are just about as incredible as those series of words strung together are.  Mitchell and Webb were the head writers on the show but other British heavy weights like Ricky Gervais contributed.  It's got a deludedly fantastic format, a frenetic pace, and I laughed basically the whole time. It may not be the best British sketch show out there, but it’s damn funny and I look forward to showing my other wife, David, just how funny they are.
- I’ve been painting pretty consistently since the advent of the ‘Staycation’ last week. I think I have about 20 miniatures done, and another 20 at least in various degrees of being done, and by done I mean ready for their eyes to be done by my lovely wife and then getting the DIP. I’m hoping tonight to get off my new recliner long enough to finish the Dancing Girl or Crone that are almost done as well as two big ass Reaper Bones Gnolls. I have a third, but I’m going to paint that sucka white since I did some weapon hand modding. I cut off his flail arm hand and replaced it with a GW Ogre hand wielding a big ass stone maul, which looks really cool. He’ll make a nice Gnoll leader. Since there isn’t much, beyond the Vikings game, going on this weekend I’m going to really try and get as much done as I possibly can painting wise.
- Oh I’m getting a new recliner this week. It is pretty tits.
- Last night we had these crazy little muffin hamburger things that Cassandra made. You browned up your ground beef, for future reference I would season them like a burger, then you pour Bisquick in the bottom of each muffin tin. You add cheese to the beef mix, spoon it into the Bisquick bottom and top with the same pancake batter mixture. It sounds strange, but they were really good. We’ve been a few of these little bite sized/muffin tin meals lately, and I’m digging it.
- Where is all our friggin’ rain? I DEMAND Thunderstorm!
- As for my FOOTBALL PICKS BOUND TO BE HORRIBLY INCORRECT, I’m going Houston Texans against the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl, with the Texans taking home the Lombardi trophy. As for my Vikings picks, go listen to the Podcast you lazy sod.
- Dungeon Crawler Miniatures is going to do a Kickstarter!  AND it's Pirates!  YARGH!
- Come October I'm going to be giving Auggies Miniatures some serious cash as I'm finally going to be picking up some of those Rise Of The Runelords minis I was/am so excited about.  I just hope the price continues to slowly fall until then.  Right now they are still a bit too rich for my blood.
- Perhaps I can cajole my lovely better half into trying out Dungeon Command this weekend...
- Speaking of minis, the Reaper Bones Kickstarter has ended and YET I haven't gotten my survey to pick my 'Options'.

 I'm slightly irritated by this.  Look I get it, Gencon and then PAX back to back, trying to get molds off to China, and then dealing with the fact that you just raked in a BOATLOAD of cash, but c'mon.  If I'm not going to get ahold of these things until March next year at least keep my interest by getting the survey out so you can take me 'Order'.  Not to mention you keep spamming me with 'Updates' that mean NOTHING to me.  I know I'm just bitching to bitch here since this deal might possibly be the greatest thing since sliced white bread, but I really just want to know what I've got coming and then be reassured it will be done in the time frame we were 'quoted'.  Reaper has yet to really let me down as a consumer, I just hope this isn't the first time.
- I'd punch babies for a big ole bowl of Beer Cheese Soup right now.
- It’s beginning to look like I might get a monthly Smackdown night off the ground, with Battlin’ Bob & Mighty Mike already showing some interest. I really do think it could be one of those things that could be a hoot. We’d of course have to make each other on the game, there would have to be parameters on that, and I think having one person ‘book’ matches for that ‘Night’ would be a good idea. My plan would be to have a Night consist of a month of game time, meaning if we played once a month then that one night of a few hours of playing we’d get through at least a month in game. I’m going to have to continue to think on this.
- Zack is sorely tempting me with his amazing blog about his upcoming REIGN campaign.
- Tonight I’m going to try and tempt my wife into some serious Gnoll and Hill Giant killing on Baldur’s Gate. We finished the first section of the game, one of three I think, and now we’re in a new area. It’s SCREAMING for us to do some exploring, slaying, and serious looting. I’m pretty sure after cooking Carbonara for her I won’t have to twist her arm to hard.
- We are refinancing the house down to a 3.5% interest rate. I feel like a real adult writing that.
- I finished The Anubis Murders (**** out of 5) by Gary Gygax the other day, and I’m now knee deep in the last book in the series, Death In Deli.

I really dig Magister Setne Inhetep as a character, even with his arrogance and the fact that the reader is never really in on all the information. I think I enjoyed this book more than The Samarkand Solution because of Rachelle, his able assistant. In the second book she wasn’t there leaving an absence in relatable characters, well as relatable as it gets in a fantasy book. I also like and am confused by the appropriateness of their relationship. In the first book they flirt quite a bit, but there is the underlying understanding that he is a father figure to her, in the second book he is obviously pining for her, while now in the third book they are lovers? Setne is so detached a character I’m slightly amazed that they ever got to the point of admitting their feelings for one another, not to mention he raised her from young slave girl to pseudo-daughter figure, and NOW that’s she’s matured into this intelligent, physically deadly, and curious woman he swoops in? It on one hand undermines him as a ‘Hero’, but at the same time gives him a much needed flaw. As far as the tale itself, it’s pretty damn good, as the twist this time isn’t as abundantly obvious and is much more believable. I was however perplexed by the ending. It eluded to a ‘Big Bad’ that seemed as if she was going to be this ongoing threat of incredible proportion, but having already read the second tale, she makes no appearance there, and thus far in the final tale she is also nowhere to be seen. If the last fifteen pages where simply a set up for another book that was never written I’ll find that a damn shame, because it would be a tale worth devouring. I’m immensely enjoying these tales; my only regret is that there are only the three.
- My sister has recommended that I drink a glass of warm lemon water every morning to step up my weight loss. I’m seriously contemplating it. The health benefits seem to be quiet solid.
- There will be no D&D in September. I’m a bit bummed by it, but circumstances and schedules have conspired to make it a ‘no go’. This gives me some time to think and plot out the next adventure pretty intricately. It needs to be combat heavy, have a high body count, and get us to the next big point. I have the loose idea, but now I have some time to develop it. I think I might also go back and make another deck for the D&D Adventure System games, perhaps an NPC Deck, and maybe another Monster Deck. If I’m not going to get D&D ‘Proper’ this month, then I’ll take D&D ‘Light’. Plus who doesn’t dig on Board Games? No one worth knowing that’s who.
- I crave Banana Bread nightly.
- I’ve been having a series of nightmares lately. I talked a bit about one on the Podcast (SHAMELESS PLUG!). I had one last night where I was walking through a park and everywhere I turned I kept seeing people with my father’s face. He’d be talking, but when he would look at me he would silently mouth the words ‘Help Me’. I woke up a bit sweaty and with a startled shout. I think my imagination hates me sometimes.
- ENDLESS SHRIMP with M.C.&M. this Saturday! I’m excited to eat my body weight in ‘tatty’, tiny crustaceans.
- The idea of parenthood has been jostling around in my head a lot lately. I’m really excited by the concept of it, however I’m terrified I’ll be ‘bad’ at it. Let’s face it I like my alone time, I like to sequester myself and my wife away from the world and just ‘be’. I like my Nerdery, honestly I LOVE my Nerdery. When you have another little life that depends on you for his or her continued existence it sort of changes priorities for you. I’m not sure how I feel about that. I want to be sure that it is right and that I’m right and there is nothing and no one that would change my mind, but I’m too damn selfish and honest to say that. Perhaps I’m supposed to be full of self-doubt and trepidation.
- Pickle Roll-Ups and Meatballs, is there anything better at a potluck?
- I think I’m coming to terms that ‘This’ is life. Rather than be constantly questioning it, being either giddy or frustrated about it, I’m beginning to just accept it. It will, with very few exceptions, never be what I want it to be. There is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, not everyone gets what they deserve, and not all deeds, good or bad, go unpunished. I’m beginning to be ok with that. There should never be the expectation that life owes me anything or that the world is against me. It simply is life. We’re born, we live, we love, we lose, & we die. Everything that happens in-between is what I should I concentrate on, those things I can control. I’ve got to remember that life’s a journey and I should enjoy the sights rather than being so concerned with the destinations.
- You should all be reading Zack’s Blog.
- This is going to sound like a ‘Humble Brag’, but financially things are coming together to a point where we might be picking up a message chair! That would be amazing for both of us, just to knock some of the daily aches and pains out. In addition it sounds like we’ll be upgrading our two main televisions in November! I can’t tell you how excited I am at the idea of these things finally happening in our house. It’s all due to Cassandra’s meticulous planning, attention to detail, organization, budgeting, and encouragement. She is amazing.

And with that I’ve babbled enough for a WHOLE week…

“Cracks in the ceiling, crooked pictures in the heart
Countin and breathin, I'm leaving here tomorrow
They don't know, I'd never do you any good
Laughin is easy, I would if I could

Ain't gonna worry
Just live till you die, wanna drown
With nowhere to fall into the arms of someone
There's nothing to save I know
You live till you die

Live till you die, I know

Loosing a feelin', that I couldn't give away
Countin and breathin, disappearin in the fade
They don't know, I'd never do you any good
Stoppin and stayin, I would if I could

Ain't gonna worry
Just live till you die, wanna drown
With nowhere to fall into the arms of someone
There's nothing to save I know
You live till you die”

* = My life would be a far less rich experience without the Best Brains Crew.