Slacker Summer

We've been a bit busy for the last 2 months. With JJMIV up at NY Stage & Film again and me producing the upcoming web series Skip Trace there's been little time for blogging & what-not.

To make up for it, here are some silly pictures from this weekend. We each got new cameras; Nikon COOLPIX, mine plum and JJMIV's black. While I was off taking pictures of parties JJMIV was helping Hanners build a computer and snapping pics of her new toy... I'll leave it to him to share them if he sees fit.

One of our close friends here in NYC is moving away - so in her honor, here's two silly pics of B:

We're gana miss her.

What's Past and What's Future?

An unfortunately reality of our move to NYC is that every time I sit down to blog my first inclination is to apologize for the long absences between posts. I'll do what I can to resist the urge.

I'm heading up to SmAlbany on the God Ole Amtrak this morning, and this is relevant for two reasons:

First, a dear, sweet member of our family passed away this week. A man who was a shining example one of my core beliefs in life: that family is not about biology but the people who love and care for you. My step-father Jak's dad Duke died on Tuesday; a month ago he was complaining of a sore throat which turned out to be advanced esophageal cancer. He was diagnosed March 25th, about 2.5 weeks ago. Just a strong reminder to love those around you while you can and let those who try to love you do so.

Duke will be sorely missed.

The second reason my travel state is relevant: Amtrak doesn't have wifi available... I'm using my phone as a router!

If you are of sufficiently questionable intelligence to follow me on Twitter than you know JJMIV & I got Droid phones about two weeks ago. Using the PDANet Free app I have USB tethered my phone to my laptop so I can use that connection as a router. It's going well, the connections only slightly slower than my home; though I will say the phone in my lap is running a bit hot.

There's been a lot of chatter lately about how awesome it is to live in the future. That all the cool gidgets from futuristic sci-fi are now in our hot-little-hands. Yes, JJMIV's got the Tricorder App and has been taking base scans of our apartment and comparing the magnetic fields to when he's riding the subway. I've been using it for more practical nerd-applications: such as using Hoccer to throw inappropriate pictures across the dinner table to my best friend (who, strangely, got a Droid the same day...).

But I have found annoying down sides to all this access; and they're nothing new to those who've had smartphones forever: I'm more impatient, annoyed when I don't get an instant response, and find myself unintentionally IMing before I've even gotten up to go pee in the morning. Those are all things I expected, and that I also believe will diminish as the 'newness' of my toy wears off.

What I didn't expect was how much relief I would feel when removed from that high level of connection. I had anticipated it so much that it never occurred to me that the hour I spend on the subway would be a respite from the green blinking light that tells me I have a notification. That the 5 days we spent off the grid on our vacation would force me to meditate and connect with and think about myself.

As awful and selfish as that sounds, we're becoming disconnected from self-connection. I think our level of connection via technology is making us completely reactive; and we're coming to expect that from those around us. To text, and reply, and IM, and confirm, and send, and send, and send. And so, slipping underground on the N train home in the evening, I feel the cord temporarily cut. Though I am surrounded by noise and annoyance, at least I'm living in a moment around me instead of reacting to a virtual moment.

This has been a week of reaction; to illness, to IMs, to texts and loss. To crying and drinking and trying to sooth a weary family as much as can be done. Ironically; having the connection via my phone has allowed me the opportunity to write this. To connect with myself for a moment, and through my writing with you. Maybe this 'Living in the Future' thing isn't so bad after all.

~DMcC

Sliding into 2010

I've been meaning to blog for awhile - it's been weeks since the last post and it's a habit that must be inforced or it will shrivel and die - but good excuses kept coming up. Christmas travel, New Years, nothing good to say, and then I didn't want to jump over John's last post. Then, this morning, Wil Wheaton wrote a great nostalgia post and it got me fired up to get back into the blog.

When I say the last month has been hectic I don't mean your annual Dec. 25th until the New Year Blitz. I mean all out social warfare - pegging one holiday party against the next for who will recieve our energy and time. Scheduling in naps to ensure that we can meet our militaristic-like celebration obligations.

I wont bore you with the itinerary - but I can tell you that we ended up in Hartford for the New Year to celebrate the nuptials of Ben and Jen Steinhurts; long time friends and a long time couple. I probably spent over 100 hours crafting Jen's wedding dress in 2009 and so was so happy and beautiful. I believe the final count was Dar: 5, Jen 7 (times we cried that day).



We ended 2009 with a champagne toast and entered 2010 watching fireworks peak over the industrial park on the eastern side of I-91; John holding me up I was so exhausted. We decided to stay an extra night in Hartford to get some more sleep and have the happy couple to ourselves.

But the fun doesn't stop just because it's January. On the 5th I celebrated the successful funding of my Kickstarter campaign and announced the name of my novel: Venture Book 1 in the Orla Series.

Yup. It's a series. Because I enjoy the feeling of overwhelming myself with the need to produce.

John's headed back to school to plan his 2nd semester as Professor McCullough (duh duh duh!).

I think later this week we'll take a look back at 2009 and gaze forward into the fog of the future... 2010! (I realize that everyone else did this last week... but we had some unexpected events that prevented it.)

Late Bloomer

I'm a late bloomer. Not in the when-I-got-hair-down-there sense, but as a geek.

Not in the greater-world sense. I was always socially awkward and had a Hermione-like need to answer every question a teacher threw at a class. When I was five I gave my 20-something aunt a lecture on the proper pronunciation of counting is Spanish because "I've seen it on Sesame Street!" (which means I know everything. Duh).

But in the nerd-world sense. Unlike my husband, I didn't grow up in a pocket of well-defined nerds with super-humanly-smart parents who watched Star Wars daily (yes, one of our friends did that as a child) who all played D&D together as they grew up. I just wasn't exposed to it. I didn't know what D&D was in high school, and I grew up in a family that still questions its relationship to my Christian upbringing and ties to Satanic worship.

I didn't know Magic or WoW and probably would've thought GURPS was an STD.

I remember very clearly my first D&D game. We played in the penthouse in one of the dorm towers at our college, and with the city sprawled below us I ventured out as the halfling rogue Elizabaum Roseleaf (she'll always be my favorite). JJMIV's friends had stopped in for a few hours during a road trip and in the chatter before the game they were talking about various girlfriends' refusals to play D&D. At all. Ever. I was already the only girl, it was the first time meeting any of JJMIV's friends from high school, and I'd never played before.

I was more nervious than a prize piggy in a bacon factory. And this wasn't helping What if I sucked!? Does it diminish my nerd-cred if I don't know how to play? What if I'm reinforcing the stereotypes of girl gamers and bla, bla, bla...

We've all seen the movie-magic stereotype of what gamers are. The Comic Book Guys of the world. Ready to sass you to prove their Epic Nerd Superiority (or compensate for something, perhaps?).

And I would argue that there's some truth to the myth. If you run in nerdy circles long enough it eventually happens ~ you invite your cute new lady-pal along to a gathering. Your inescapable, socially inept Sheldon-line pal comes too. And he rips her up for confusing Star Wars and Star Trek, even though she has a legit science/math/cool-other-shit degree. But why does his opinion matter in the first place?

Well, because being a nerd isn't just about the gaming. Or the science. Or knowing a lot of cool things that no one else understands. Nerds who found a group as kids grew up in a pocket of like-minded fellows. Sure, they went through all the other crap we all go through, but they had Saturday morning gaming sessions to help them cope.

But Late Bloomers; we had our own set of challanges. Trying to find other people who liked science as much as we did. An outlet to rally around. Doing a ton of activities, but not really feeling like we had a place where it all came together.

I think Jim from American Pie 2 says it really well: "Nadia. I am a band geek. I just never joined band."

Being a nerd is partially about inclusion. I played that first D&D game when I was 20. That winter JJMIV also taught me how to play Magic and Risk. I built my first decks and got my ass handed to me by a bunch of 13 year olds at a few Booster Draft tournaments. You know what? It was awesome. Sure, those 13 year olds looked at me like I was a jerk and I had no clue what I was doing. But I loved it. We bought Carcasson and it seemed like there was always something to do or play or someone to hang out with.

And that first D&D game was awesome too. The guys we played with are now my friends and they didn't mind pausing to show me where to look on my character sheet to tally my bonuses. They liked teaching the game. Though some are Sheldon-esque at times I've realized that SO AM I. Now I'm DMing my own adventures.

Late Bloomers are an important part of our community. They're refreshing, and it's wonderful to see the faces of people who've never gamed before realize how much they love it. Being in theatre it's bonus-exciting because there are so many natural story tellers. People who really get into the background of their characters. (I just wish one of us could DRAW! It makes me jealous of Gabe & Tyko all the time).

This year we've taught 2 more people D&D who never played before. My friend Hannah (whose SWEET Dragon-born Paladin saves my Shaman Human's butt every week) said to me last week "I can't believe I never played D&D in high school. You guys must thing I'm so behind."

Nope. You know why? Because I'm a Late Bloomer too. And being a geek takes all kinds. Welcome to the fold.

DMing for Dummies

First, to answer your obvious question: Yes, there is such a thing. No, I don't have it nor did I consult it for DMing.

From the last few posts you can gather that I DMed for the first time a few weekends ago and John's thoughts on the subject. I haven't given it much reflection; though I'm about to begin my next campaign. It's about time I paid it a little thought.

It was a LOT of fun. Honestly. I really enjoyed watching them try to work their way through my puzzles or manipulate the NPCs and chase down leads that weren't really there. It held the game up a little and also taught me a lot about thinking like my players do.

You know what else they did? Tested my ability to think on my feet. No matter how much you read about Use what your players give you! Don't negate them! it's really hard that first time not to get defensive of the hours of work you've put into your campaign the first time it happens.

"Amanda, why is Gnell going to Nenlast?"
"To visit his uncle Gniven who runs the inn."

Internal monologue: But I've already made someone who runs the inn. His name is Will and he's going to tell you all about why you should help them. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

This is luckly the moment when the years of hearing "Yes, And" from my improv coach at No Laugh Track Required kicked in and I said "Great!" and decided that Will ran the pub instead. No problem! This trend continued as they decided to try and be sneaky with the locals and then talk to/berate/insult the head of the local "militia" (which is really just a bunch of farmers). When John's character Brevan nearly had a screaming match with this NPC, it was obvious that maybe it was time to move on... (Side note: it was a choice that this NPC was a jerk. It was also a choice for John that his PC be a jerk and insegate him. Hehehe)

I dont want to go too much farther into the encounter as I dont want to potentially spoil a few things that John and Amanda haven't figured out yet. What I will say is that I mis-read some of the rules and the combat was too easy! I'd been so concerned that I would kill them if only two people were playing and they totally plowed through most of the combat. By the end I was adding extra guys so they weren't yawning. I was a little disappointed in the puzzle I'd made, because instead of solving it they just tried every combination until it was completed. Next time I'll be sure to provide some negative consiquences (hee hee).

It may be awile before Gnell is able to join us again so John has asked me to run a different campaign with the local peeps. That's what I'm starting to brainstorm now.

More to come...

Do you have suggestions on how you DM that you think would help?! Take a page out of Ben's book and send them to me. I'll post them up for all to enjoy! (This means you Adam & Eric)

After Action Report - Barbarians of Nenlast

Last weekend, Darlene took up the mantle of the DM for the first time. Since a DM needs players, I obliged and played the role of Brevan, eladrin fighter and scion of the House of the Autumn Leaves. Gnell the gnome bard was played by Amanda, our dear and true friend.

What follows is an excerpt from Brevan's fieldbook:
Having met on business in Hammerfast, Gnell and I came to travel together to Nenlast, a small fishing village on the eastern shore of Lake Nen. I was questing after an ancient magical spear, rumored to have been lost on the field of battle near modern-day Nenlast. Gnell was making an annual visit to her uncle Gniven, delivering metal goods from Hammerfast for use at his inn.

The people of Nenlast were ill at ease, and with good reason. The Tigerclaw barbarians, who usually trade furs for salted meat and metalwork, had taken up the habit of raiding for their goods. The fishers and farmers of Nenlast were no match for these brutal and experienced warriors, and had been totally unable to repel them. Needless to say, we took it upon ourselves to confront the barbarians. We gathered what information we could from the villagers about the whereabouts and habits of the barbarians, then set off into the wilderness in search of our quarry.

It was our intention to reason with the Tigerclaws, who had been honest trading partners in the past, but the Tigerclaws would have none of it. We were ambushed by an archer and a beastmaster with trained dogs. The barbarians attacked immediately, without warning and without asking any questions. We bested them swiftly and took the archer as a prisoner. Through a mixture of interrogation and tracking, the entrance to the lair of the brigands was soon found.

The camp was located inside an ancient ruin. Though the wall was crumbling, and had lost much of its former glory, it was still high enough to keep out intruders and boasted a magically sealed gate. Gnell, being as skilled in the ways of magic as she is at playing the mandolin, quickly deciphered the magical lock and opened the way.

Inside the camp, we found not barbarian warriors, but city-dwellers from the south. They had in their tents furs and facepaints like the Tigerclaws wear, but they used them only as costumes for scaring the villagers. Their leader, Regdis, was an accomplished warrior and was assisted by a woman mage with mastery over lightning. They were formidable opponents, but were ultimately defeated. Regdis had a letter from an unknown third party named Korin. They were appartently quarreling, but there were no clues about why these people were so far from home, or why they were impersonating the Tigerclaws.

Nenlast appears now to be safe, but for how long? And what has become of the true Tigerclaw clanspeople? I have some further inquiries to make in town about the old battlefield. Perhaps I will also dig deeper into this mystery.

Dungeon Mastery

One thing about New York: because we were apart all summer we've been spending a lot of time together. It's also the first time since we've been together that neither of us is going to school. The trick is finding something to do with that time. So? We've been playing a bunch of D&D.

And it got me thinking about what goes into a game. I've watched John pull together dozens of games since we've been together, but I've never helped; I always felt like I didn't know enough. Well, a person has to start somewhere, right?

So I'm taking on the mantle. I'm slipping behind the screen. I'm going to DM my very first adventure.

Obviously, JJMIV is going to help (how could he not?). We've been listening a lot to the D&D podcasts of the gents from Penny Arcade, Scott from PVP, and (sigh) Wil Wheaton. John and I thought it would be fun for me to blog my DM journey.

(For those playing, I'll warn you when there's a spoiler coming)

I've read the Monster Manual and DMG to start with, though it seems my first major road block is not what I expected: I can't find where to start! The thing I'm having most trouble with is inspiration for a story, a plot. Just that drop that starts the creative juices a-flowin'. Nothing. I've tried having JJMIV tell me about a character he wants to play. I've looked at fan fiction and artwork on-line. I've even tried Wiki-How.

Nada.

I think I'm going to have to bite the bullet and force it. (Insert "last night" joke about your mom here)

-D Mc C

Our New Home

We've done it.

We live in NYC.

I've spent the last few days looking around our box filled apartment thinking "we're actually here!"




For anyone whose thinking "huh?" (maybe you've been under a rock?), John & I moved to Brooklyn this past Sunday. As of right now we've only really unpacked the kitchen and most of the bedroom. We're painting the bedroom and office (bedroom is DONE!) before unpacking anything into them.

The 2nd picture is the main room on Sunday afternoon after all our things were brought in - intense to say the least. We've both been fighting the urge to feel overwhelmed ~ but with some time and some elbow grease this is going to be home. Our home. :)

Pack it up, Pack it in.

We're almost there - in 3 days all our belongings will be on a truck winding its way down I-95 South. Back to my favorite state; on to new and exciting things.

It's been a great summer at the beach house. We've had parties and sunsets; and I'm reasonably sad at the good-byes.

People here have been joking with me about the stops on my "Farewell Tour". Almost every night for the last week I've had somewhere to go or something to do. It's been intense; and John's had his own version of it in Poughkeepsie.

So this afternoon I have lunch with two of my favorite people at Miya's and tonight I have a dinner party to go to; John's playing pool after his final day of notes in the shop.

Tomorrow is lunch with my former boss and happy hour at Sage (mmm...); John's climbing with our friend Amanda and saying bye to his close proximity to the Gunks.

Saturday John will be home. The moving fan shows up Sunday morning... 3 days from right now.

Today is my final packing push. My hope is that I can finish it all and spend tomorrow on the beach one last time. Here's hoping...


NYC... here we come...