5 Things I Think, July 11

And here we are at another Monday. I hope your weekend was fantastic, whatever you did. Here's my five things today...

1) I think I had fun auditioning for the dream role. Sadly, I didn't get it. I was called back, but lost out to a hellaciously talented dude that will do an excellent job. At least, he'd better, or I'm shanking him in the parking lot. The show is the musical Jekyll and Hyde, and I'm still going to be in it. I'll be playing the part of Simon Stride, a role I've played once before. He's an absolute prick, the very antithesis of Dangerboy. Villains are fun. Some of my favorite roles have been bad boys. It'll be nice to be on stage again.


2) I think it was a fantastic weekend. We invited some dear close friends to spend it with us on the houseboat at the lake. As it was also Little Danger's first birthday, it was filled to the brim with smiles and laughter.
Watching him take some of his first steps (he started Thursday) on a rolling deck was a special treat. Enjoying his giggling applesauce frenzy was a thing of beauty, despite the apple shrapnel.

A special thanks to the friends who shared it with us...you are a treasure to this pirate. (Which believe me, is a better turn of phrase than "cheese to this river rat.")
Eating cake is serious business, folks.

3) I think my to-do list has launched some conspiracy with the house to overwhelm me. The mundane tasks and minor repairs have stacked up, demanding time and money as they always do. I am suffering a shortage of both at the moment, and not doing myself any favors in either category. This is admittedly a minor gripe, a blister or a splinter that is certainly annoying, but easy to live with.

4) I think it was a moment filled with contradictions, holding my son on his 1st birthday, watching the last shuttle launch. I certainly teared up a bit, as I watched Atlantis hurtle off its pad to slip the surly bonds of earth. Something ended. Someone is beginning.
I wonder if he will be able to look at the stars and dream, if the age of American space exploration is winding down as is feared. Or will it be easier for him, as private industry rushes to fill the gap NASA has left? Or will he even care to reach a star...will he be intrigued by fossils instead, or fuel injection, or computer coding, or marine biology, or something far different? I will not fill him with my dreams, but will help him to achieve his own. Dream big, Little Danger. Wifefish and I have got your back.

5) I think it's important not to get too attached to the way things are supposed to be. As a frivolous example, I lost the notes to the Rogue Trader game I'm running, in the middle of a cliffhanger. I had to reinvent most of what the villains, rivals, and allies of the players were motivated by and planning. It turned out better by far than the original plan, and I pulled a great deal of it out of my imagination at the table. True, it's just a game...but the lesson is still sound. Remain flexible and fast on your feet, and you can make calamity into something far better.
But I'm still saving it in an easier place to remember this time.


Here's what I did last week when I wasn't here, over at Sprocket Ink.

I talked about the end of Star Wars Galaxies.

I talked about a guy who blew his head off...with fireworks.


Have a great Monday, gang!