The operation was a complete success...

...Unfortunately the patient died.

As is so true with just about everything in life there is an up and a down. Currently I am more up than normal and though this is good, it also places me on the "waiting for the other shoe to drop" list. What am I talking about you wonder. Why D&D of course. Last week we played two game sessions (count them, 1...2). It was amazing. Poni and Kyle each made 2 4th level characters using a 28 point buy. The party consists of a Monk/Cleric (Humar); a Spellthief (Loche); a Ranger (Kaywyn); and a Bard (Tong). The lower point buy is highly recommended by this DM. The characters have been forced to rely on creativity not simply bashing through a problem. There even being a bit cautious and thinking about their actions.

The plot is simple so far: A couple of Noble brats have gone missing; find them. The party has been required to navigate a nasty political situation and tread lightly while doing their investigation. They have managed to loosen a few tongues (one by an exceptional use of the intimidate skill) and get the information they needed. They have so far discovered that the kids decided they were wanna be adventurers and hooked up with an experienced adventurer and headed into parts unknown. The trouble is it seems they have done this from time to time, but they are always back with in 36 to 48 hours. Now it has been 6 days since anyone has seen them.

The heroes have got an idea of were they went, so it seems that they will be following their trail into parts unknown to discover what happened to them, and bring them back (forcibly if needed) if they are even still alive....bum...bum...bum...

So what do I fear from another shoe? I don't know exactly but I have this nagging that my group will implode once again. How is this possible, seeing I have only 2 players and I'm married to one of them. Well...poni is very busy, and if she adds anything to her plate I fear that gaming will not survive the cut. I would love to add two more players, but that just means a greater chance that someone will not make their commitment. How frustrating this is.

Segway >

Last night Kid 1 celebrated here 8th birthday. She invited 12 of her friends over (yes twelve, count them 1...2...3... you get the idea). It was chaos from the beginning, thank god it only lasted 2 hours. The girls for the most part were well behaved (could you imagine thirteen 8 year old boys) but just a few were surprisingly loud. Small humans with the vocal cord of ogres. Well they had an all around good time. They beat a pinnate to death, then rushed in and scooped up its precious innards into baggies, then began to gorge themselves on the entirely.

Who came up with the idea of the pinnate (don't say the Spanish), I'm looking for a smoking gun here. Was it some kind of effigy ceremony or a cry out by enlightened children against paper mache art. I was surprised (but should not have been) to find that is pinnate was not made of paper mache, but cardboard. What has this world come to. I can't imagine that flour, water and old news print could be more expensive than carport. The thing was already constructed in some south Asian country, it could not be a labor cost issue. The truth is that the creators just did not care for tradition.

After the pinnate we did presents. By far the scariest part of the night. All these girls sat around kid 1 and as she opened the presents asks the giver where they had purchased it and if they had gotten it on sale. And of course many of them had. Target and walmart seem to be the new gap! At least most of the gifts were not toys. Girls give more thoughtful gifts. I never once gave Dean a set of stationary, though I'm sure he would have appreciated it. In truth the only practical gift I ever gave Dean was after I was married. We gave him toilet paper, a shit load. Sorry but you can't pass that pun up. And he liked it and used it. For over a year he was reminded of me every time he wiped his ass. Kinda touching isn't it.

The whole party ended with cake. Good cake. Triple chocolate fudge cake, with powdered sugar on top. It is a moist gooey cake. Any of you who have been to my birthday parties back when I lived with mother might remember that cake. Delicious! The kids even thought so. We hardly have any left.

Kid 1 then had a small sleep over, 3 of her friends stayed on late and may even still be there. I was blessed and had to go to an early meeting this morning then to work.