New Year's Update

It has been a month and a half since I last wrote an update here, so I thought I should take a few moments and write up what's been going on.

First off, around the Thanksgiving holiday here in the US, my parents came out to visit us and see the house. It was a good week, we watched our now traditional Mystery Science Theater 3000 marathon on Thanksgiving, to a spread of various snacks and appetizer style foods. We also tried fondue as a main dish. It's only the second time I've made fondue, but it tasted very good. Aproustian and I went with my parents up to Griffith observatory. Some really good views up there, and the observatory was full of very interesting exhibits. The stand out was the Tesla coil, for which we were just in time for the demonstration. Finally we found a miniature golf course. Mini golf with my parents is a more recent tradition, but we used to go to the one course in Iowa that we liked when they'd visit, so I thought it would be nice to continue that here. Also, mini golf makes for a great date location when Aproustian and I want to get out and do something together. Ironically my parents came all the way from Ohio just to experience one of the few rainy weeks we get here in southern California. We had to do the indoor mini golf course because it was a bit drizzly that day.

The weeks flew by and soon enough Aproustian and I were flying out to Ohio to visit my parents for Xmas. My brother flew back as well from Taiwan, where he has been working at a law firm. We were able to meet up with our college friends for a zoo trip and board games, since we came back before our traditional New Year's Eve board game night.

And then I came down with something that turned into flu on the flight home. Or something, it was a miserable flight of coughing and aching joints, and then I had chills and sweats for two days. The doctor gave me Tamaflu, which seems to have solved it, although I then dealt with a secondary sinus infection for the past week.

We then adopted a new cat for Hatstand and Bigg Nife, a very mellow boy they have named Tuvoc. He comes from the shelters I've been volunteering for, though by the time we got him he was at the new cat cafe. He's been warming up to Hatstand very fast. Kain and Saavik are not sure about this new cat, but Cecil seems mostly curious, and Valefor and Aeris are at worst resigned, and at best relieved that Tuvok doesn't seem the type to chase them around like Kain and Cecil do.

And to top it all off I've received my first ever Jury summons. I get to check in for the week of January 20. I'm a bit nervous about it, because it's the first time I've done something like this, but also a bit excited, because I value being able to take part in this kind of civics.

So where does this leave the blog? I have four D&D sessions I'd like to write up. Three GC sessions, of which I was present at one. I've got an idea of the angle I want to take for that, some sort of journal or letter or something, rather than a narrative play by play. There is also an AD session from just before our trip to Ohio, which involved a surfing elf. I'll probably try the narrative again for that one.

Going forward I would like to try to get on some sort of schedule for updates. I know, this is a dangerous phrase for bloggers coming back from an unannounced hiatus, but a schedule would be good for me. I do like doing the creative writing, although it is exhausting and time consuming so I need to find ways to keep it fun and engaging for me to do. As always, motivation is hard sometimes. It is really rewarding to get feedback though. Mostly I get that at my Wednesday D&D group, who frequently tell me how much they look forward to my posts about our sessions. I'd like to finish the Fire Emblem play though, and continue XCOM, though I've been distracted recently playing Battletech and Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omni, which I'm not writing about so I don't feel that pressure. It's a different kind of enjoyment. But I don't know what my audience is really interested in. So if you have any ideas, please let me know. Hopefully the comments are working.

And that is where I am. I hope you continue to join me for this strange foray into public writing I've ventured into.

Here's looking forward to a new year!