Highmoon's Ponderings

I normally wouldn’t do this, but I was inspired after listening to episode 82 of The Canon Puncture Show to reminisce quickly about 2009 in gaming and make some resolutions for 2010.

2009 Gaming Moments

Strangely enough, in the midst of all the turmoil the year brought, I had some really good gaming moments, and I am very thankful for those because in very real ways they kept me sane when I was dealing with some really heavy stuff.

At the top is the Primetime Adventures Star Wars Sith Triumvirate game I played while in Puerto Rico over the Spring and Summer. Born out of a failed Star Wars d20 session, it took four players who had never done any kind of “indie”/collaborative narration-style gaming and produced a heck of a story that engaged every single one of us and introduced them to a whole new world of roleplaying games. It was a pleasure to play with old friends with whom I had hack-n-slashed my way across the Basic D&D Known World in high school, as well as with new friends with whom I now have a shared history in a galaxy far, far away.

My other game for the year is the Lady Blackbird game played over Skype with my buddies from the Canon Puncture show. It was hard to keep up at times, especially because for a while I was in Puerto Rico, or had just gotten back after Mom passed away and playing was just not in my headspace, but these guys both fought on to keep the game going and kept reaching out to me when I needed friends to do that. The game has been fantastic, full of rich characters and surprising story, and I count myself fortunate for being a part of it.

2010 Gamer Resolutions

I’ll make only a handful so I have a better chance at accomplishing them.

• Play D&D 4e – I’ve owned the core books since they came out in 2008 and I’ve yet to play it. It doesn’t have to be a whole campaign; I’d like to play it for a session or two, so I can see how it plays and how the moving parts fit. A game at a con would be just right.
• Play any of the following games: Burning Wheel, Dogs in the Vineyard, Don’t Rest Your Head, Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies, Colonial Gothic, Ribbon Drive, Savage Worlds – Ideally, play all of them, but I’m being realistic. I’ve owned them all for a while and it’s time to take them out for a spin.
• Run a game for my wife – I’m a bad gamer husband. Except for the Vampire and Changeling games we played in the late 90s, I’ve never been able to run a game for my wife, usually because I flake out in one way or another. I’d like to change that, and run for her a short game that’s a complete story.
• Play with people face-to-face/find a gaming group – I have offers to join gaming groups, but they require me to commute 30-40 minutes into the suburbs on weeknights. As much as I appreciate the offers, I’d like to find/create a group closer to where I live and get back in the groove of face-to-face gaming.
• Go to Gen Con – I missed it in 09 for monumental reasons. G-d willing, I’ll make it to Indy in 10 and enjoy the best four days in gaming with all my friends.
  • Corollary: Game with my Skype group in person and/or continue playing the Star Wars Primetime Adventures game from 2007-08. Both if possible.
• Work on Ierne – What is Ierne? Go back and read the short story I wrote called The Warning. There’s more stories to tell from that land, and some of them may even be yours.
• Not feel guilty when I game – So this is my own hang-up: whenever I game, I feel guilty that I didn’t spend that time with my wife. It’s all me; she’s never been draconian about my gaming, but I can’t help it. I’ve cancelled games preempting the guilt! I wanna get rid of that and be able to enjoy my gaming time without self-impossed psychological shackles.

I’ll go with seven for now as it is a manageable number. Should I get through these, I will then choose some others and update the list, though.

Here’s to a gaming-filled 2010!

Read the Intro, First Session Report, Second Session Report, Kale’s Second Session Report, Third Session Report, Kale’s Third Session Report and Kale’s Fourth Session Report.

Though we had planned to do this the last week of 2009, fate decreed it would be the first week of 2010 that would bring our Lady Blackbird game to a close. And boy, did it bring it to a close! We gathered around the Skype table and soared off into the Blue to find out the destiny of the crew and passengers of The Owl.

Rich, our GM, is going to write up his general recap, which I’ll link to here once it is up. What follows is all from Kale’s point of view.

I would suggest you go back and read the previous report to catch all the strings being tied-up here.

Read more…

Today is El Dia de Reyes or El Dia de los Reyes Magos, Three Kings’ Day in English (also known as Epiphany). In the US this day means squat, it’s just another day as any, but in Puerto Rico today is a holiday, the culmination of the Christmas season, and a big day in our national culture. I’m not entirely sure how big of a deal Three Kings Day is in other Latin countries or in Spain, but I do know it is celebrated, as we get the custom from our Spanish ancestry. In Puerto Rico it has taken on a life of its own, with parties and feasts all over the island, none bigger than the celebration in the town of Juana Diaz.

Thing is, my Mom’s maternal family is from Juana Diaz, so that Fiesta de Reyes is not only a national celebration, it is also a family tradition, one that has gone unbroken for at least the last 50-60 years (and probably longer – I need to find out for sure)[1]. Every year, all of us living in the San Juan area, would jump into our cars early in the morning and trek down the 2 or so hours to the Ortiz household right on the town’s main street to the central plaza, and spend the day there, wandering the plaza, checking out all the artisans and their wares, and the various musical acts as well. Then we’d have tons of food over at the house, and go back at night, tired and stuffed and happy.

Obviously, not being Catholic anymore, Three Kings Day has no meaning for me, at least not religiously. I can honestly say the religious aspect of the day ceased to have any impact on me even before I moved from Puerto Rico, much more so now that I am Jewish, but the family tradition aspect of it, that still has a pull. It’s been about nine years since I last went to Juana Diaz, but every January 6 I would get a call from Mom from Juana Diaz and at least for a few moments I’d be a part of it.

This morning I was the one to make the call, to my Aunt, and at least for a couple of minutes I was a part of it again. I wish I was able to teleport, so I could be with my family for a little bit then return home for dinner. At least my sister is there with my nephews representing our family nucleus.

This is just a constant with which I live: the biggest drawback to having converted to Judaism was the rift it created regarding my family traditions. I mean, it’s not like I can’t ever go to a family celebration, but it is different. I can’t eat with everyone, for example, and food is one of those universal social glues that hold bonds together. Being that Puerto Rico is very much a Catholic country, the difference in religion is a big deal, especially during Christmas, when a huge part of Puerto Rican culture gets displayed (be it in food, holidays, celebrations, art, music, etc). The physical separation between PR and Miami offers a buffer but every so often emotions seep through, like today.

Like I said, it’s just a reality of my choice in life. I accept it and live with it, even if sometimes, for a little bit, I look with a small amount of longing at what was.

[1] I had my sister ask around while she was in Juana Diaz, and as far as anyone can tell, the tradition of our family to get together there for Fiesta de Reyes is about 100 years old. That is powerful, and I need to reflect on that more.

The chariot rolled down the meadow at breakneck speed, threatening to fall apart in pieces with every rock, hole and bump it hit, yet never straying from the imaginary path it was following toward the fort. The charioteer’s arms, thick tree-trunks covered in sinews and swirling blue tattoos, held the reins deftly, guiding the two wild horses as they gave their all at his behest. His face was deep set in concentration, scanning the ground ahead for obstacles to avoid, oblivious to all but the single act of driving the chariot to its destination. Next to him, strapped to his right leg, was the leather-wrapped bundle that absolutely had to be delivered, no matter the cost.

On and on did Cormac ride, pushing the horses to their very limits, ready to jump off and run should the beasts falter and fall. But they did not falter, nor did they fall, and at last, with the last rays of the setting sun shinning behind him, the walls of the dun appeared in the horizon. With no recollection of how he made it into the dun, aware only of the bundle now in his hand, Cormac the Swift (as he was called by those that saw his approach), stumbled into the the thick of people, one word on his parched, dry, cracked lips: Amergin.

The name spread like flames on dry twigs: Amergin, Amergin, Amergin, until it reached the ears of he to whom the name belonged. He jumped to his feet and briskly made his way to the panting charioteer. People moved out of the way as he walked; hushed murmurs followed, marking where he’d been. Trepidation increased as the leather-wrapped bundle was placed on Amergin’s hand by Cormac. “I have done my part,” the charioteer said and then collapsed.

Amergin opened the bundle; took a look inside; closed it – it was all one motion. His heart sank, for he knew what it meant.

“I am Amergin O’Mill, Ard Fili of Ierne, and the same mouth that once calmed the fury of the nature’s wrath when the Milesians arrived at these shores now tells you to summon your fury and courage, to call up your friends and brothers, to take spear and sword and be ready to follow me.” He lifted the bundle high and let it unroll so all could see the severed grotesque finger the size of a grown man’s arm within.

“The Fomori are coming.”

I’ve been in the process of writing this for about three days. It first sprung into my mind on Sunday, and while I wanted to sit down and write it yesterday, it wasn’t until today that the final shape emerged, the words falling into place, the scene becoming clear enough to be more than just a frozen snapshot, a tease.

Don’t ask me what it is beyond what you see before you: a short narrative establishing a situation set in a Celtic/Irish-like place called Ierne.

No, I lie. Don’t ask me what it is beyond what you see before you, because I have an idea of what it could also be but it isn’t the time to reveal it yet. There are Aspects of it that need to solidify more in my head.

The tale of Ierne will continue.

With the start of the new year and my return to university for my Nursing degree, I have decided to make a radical change in my life as it has been for the last (give or take) 9 years: I want to be car-lite, and eventually car-free, in 2010.

Over the past year, I really got into riding my bicycle as a regular form of transportation, increasing little by little the amount and distance of riding I’d do. Along with that, my interest in bicycle advocacy was also ignited, due greatly to the lack of functional bicycle infrastructure in the Greater Miami area, and especially in my home of Miami Beach, a place that by all means should be a paradise for bicyclists. As I stand a couple of days away from starting a new phase in my life, I figured it was the perfect time to put into practice what I have been preaching to the four winds: a bicycle, especially when coupled with other alternative forms of transportation, can be pretty much all you need.

The truth is that for a few months now I have been chewing on the idea of getting rid of my car, a 1996 Toyota Camry. I like my car just fine, but I have fallen out of love with it and with the car-centric lifestyle. As I have used it less and less I have noticed that it hasn’t been that big of a deal, and in fact, it has saved us a nice amount of money. That was all well and good while I was unemployed and thus my car trips were few and far in between, but why not take the plunge?

Read more…

I was gonna do an end-of-year review, but to be honest I can’t, not month by month; it’s still too draining going back to the early part of the year, and I’d rather start looking forward. So here are a few pictures that show events from 2009.

My nephew came to visit and we got him a bike.

At El Yunque in PR in Feb.

At El Yunque with Mom, after her first hospitalization, in Feb.

Riding our bikes at Bike Miami Days.

My grandmother's 80th birthday, G-d bless her and keep her.

With Mom, my sister and nephews at Luquillo Beach, after Mom's third hospitalization, in Jun.

Good bye Mom.

Our new cat, Yoshi.

My new bike.

Our new apartment's living room, almost done.

At Sleepless Night 09, a few days before our 7th anniversary.

I’m ready for 2010 to start, for my Nursing studies to take off, and for life to get better.