Not really a game, but my friends, the Dead Gentlemen (the guys behind "The Gamers" and "The Gamers: Dorkness Rising") will be at Gen Con this year, mostly promoting their Kickstarter for the third Gamers movie they want to make--"The Gamers: Hands of Fate". (Yes, that's a MST3K reference.) They have a booth in the Exhibit Hall, and on Friday night, they're going to have a huge "Gamers Live" improv event and will be shooting a scene for the movie there. They'll be shooting throughout the con, as well, since part of the story exists at Gen Con. :) Anyway, if you have some time on Friday or any time during the con, you might want to check the Dead Gentlemen/Zombie Orpheus Entertainment out. Also, besides you being there, Brandon Sanderson will be there. I'm all amounts of squee here right now. And, 7 Wonders is the best game to try, if you haven't already...although I think I read somewhere that you played it at one of your game nights.

That Nyan Cat cosplay is awesome! It reminds me of the Nyan Cat running around Gen Con last year. It took about five or six people: one at the head was holding the cat (a cardboard box, I think) and the others streaming behind him with the rainbow fabric on both sides. They literally ran around the con that way for a day, I think.

Thank you for this lovely bit of words. I need to keep my writing up, and you continue to inspire me (as does my monthly writing group). It's good to remember that we need to write even the silly stuff about our cats, so we get on to writing the other stories rattling around in our brains. And, I miss my cat. (She's living in a better home with a new feline friend, because she couldn't figure out how to be in a house with a new baby.)

We had game night last evening at our house. Just as our friends arrived, our 4-year-old was about to begin dying his eggs. Our friends have 10 and 11-year-old boys. I invited them to join our son. While they dyed eggs, my husband and I fixed dinner, and the adults played a board game afterward while the kids did their own thing. It was only today after my son began decorating his eggs a little more that I noticed a particularly amusing one amidst the group. It was bright green, and in the "magic invisible crayon" the words "Mmmmmm...Bunny Brains..." were written across it. I had to laugh. Only the awesomely nerdy son of my awesomely nerdy friends would think to combine Easter eggs with zombies. Then again, another friend of mine likes to refer to Easter as Zombie Day. ;)

I would definitely buy one of your DVDs if they become available. Since I live in the Midwest, my only opportunity of every meeting you in person is if you come to Gen Con, which I know is too far in the future for you to give a definite "yes" to, yet. (And, technically, I met you at w00tstock Chicago and NOT Gen Con, last year, because I was too pregnant too stand in your autograph line in August. Which is why I really do hope you're able to make it to Gen Con, this year.) :)

Nice and subtle. It really allows the imagination to work hard and come up with the rest of the story. I like that. For me, it was never smokestacks. It was (and still is) a massive, pinkish wooden or fiberglass hippo with its mouth wide open that sits out in the middle of a field with the words "For Crying Out Loud" in large wooden letters sitting at the hippo's feet facing the road. There were always animals grazing in that field around the hippo when I was younger--sheep, goats, maybe even a llama or two (I live in Indiana, by the way). I always thought it was strange and only recently found out that the land is or was owned by an auctioneer. Even now, whenever we pass that hippo I know that my old hometown is only five miles away. There's a story in there somewhere...

Maybe it's different for most cars now, but I bought my Saturn over ten years ago, and they guy told me that if I used the remote to lock the car, the steering column would freeze up if I tried to unlock it with the key--probably an anti-theft safety mechanism. I'm planning on getting a new car soon--bigger, with electric windows and cruise control! Yeah, and I'm waaaaaayyyyy behind technology in the car department.

Yours was the second blog post I read this morning about cell phone technology (and tech, in general) and how it affects our lives. Well done, sir! Actually, you make a good point. I just received my first smart phone last summer. I made the leap into the 21st century, and although I admit to absolutely loving my Droid, I realized very early on that I really didn't need it to be constantly alerting me to new Twitter statuses (statusi? Math IS hard.), FB updates, and new e-mails. That was a very freeing experience. I still use it to check those things, occasionally, but when I'm out and about, it's more a cell phone for calls (and texting) than for anything else.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Not only for expressing the same fears I'm currently having about diving into the revision process of my latest NaNoWriMo story, but also for mustering up the courage to allow the world to read your work. It's very scary, but now that you've done it, I hope it'll be easier the next time around. I shall be ordering a paperback copy in the hopes that I'll be able to get the author's autograph (maybe at GenCon Indy 2011?).

Would it seem greedy if I'm one of the original "Wheaton 300" (was that the number? Mommy brain doesn't function well at this time of night.), and I would still like to partake in this "contest"? It would make a nice Christmas present for some great friends who are super fans of yours (and who helped a pregnant lady out back at GenCon by getting my "Stand By Me" DVD signed for me, because I couldn't stand in line that long!).

Thank you for putting into words the feeling I get every time I find myself looking up at the sky, especially when I'm at my in-laws' house in a rural town far from the lights of big cities. When the night sky is clear, the stars are truly numberless. I sometimes wonder while looking if I'm just seeing things, or if one of those stars is actually moving. And, then I imagine it's a friendly (or, sometimes, not-so-friendly) non-human passing us by. Then, I kind of freak out. :) The universe is so vast and still so unknown to us.

Wil, I read your reply about wondering if more than 100 people actually read your blog because of the number of comments you get, and I think you should know that there are A LOT of people who are inspired by you. I, personally, love your little updates on everyday life with Anne, your dogs, and your two boys--especially now that I have two boys of my own. I just wanted to share with you a couple of pics, by the way. The first one is of me an my husband at GenCon this past August, when I was "incubating my human behind Cthulhu" (your words; we ran into you in the exhibition hall on Thursday). I was about eight months pregnant then: http://twitpic.com/2bz55s. Well, here's my little Starfleet officer now: http://twitpic.com/3cv5c9. He's two months old, and he'll grow into it, hopefully in time for GenCon Indy 2011. (And he's a medical officer, BTW, because his daddy's a doctor.) Anyway, just wanted to let you know that you continue to inspire your readers, daily! Thank you for your words!

Do thirty-something geeks dream of stuffed 80's nostalgia?

I saw this (and immediately shared it) on Facebook, last week. When the unspeakable horror turned out to be Hello Kitty, I truly lol'ed. Also, I love the fact that he makes us take a sanity roll right off the bat! Also, I tried to wear my "Tweet of Tweethulhu" maternity shirt earlier in the week, but I had washed it, and now, I'm too big to wear it (due on Friday). I still laugh at the idea of incubating a human behind Cthulhu (quoting you at GenCon when my husband and I ran into you on Thursday afternoon in the exhibit hall. Thanks for that!).

That was just as fun and funny as when you read it at GenCon, last month. I think it was one of my favorite stories you read, not just because it shows your great relationship with your wife, but also because my husband sat in the audience with me when you read it. He came along with me to your panel with some reluctance, since he wasn't as familiar with your writing as much as I (and, also, because he usually puts up with my admiration and slight crush on you as a writer and actor with a slight bit of eye-rolling). However, he truly enjoyed himself at your GenCon panel, which made me very happy, and I think this particular story helped with its basis being about a loving couple, which is totally us.

That IS an epic photo. I think I remember demoing "Revolution" with Will Schoonover at the Steve Jackson Games booth last year. Totally nice guy and great demoer--if there's such a word!

I'm so glad you had a good time, Wil. GenCon is one of my favorite times of the year (I think this was my husband and my fifth or sixth con). It was such a happy coincidence that we ran into you on the exhibit hall floor on Thursday, especially since I didn't know you were there, yet. Thanks so much for taking the quick few minutes to receive my blue and red d6 with the "D'Oh!" for the 1 and chat. I was the 8 month pregnant girl with the "Tweethulhu" shirt. I think your comment about me incubating my human behind Cthulhu was the best, and running into you made my day! Your talk on Friday was awesome and inspiring (especially for a gamer parent), and I really wish I could have stood in line to get my "Stand by Me" DVD signed, but I just couldn't stand that long. Thanks for letting my friends bring it to you to get it signed. I slipped an event staff member a blue d3 (yes, it's good for Paper, Rock, Scissors) into your mug as a token of my appreciation. Hope you're able to come back next year and get your game on even more!

I'll be there starting Wednesday evening with my 8 month pregnant belly leading me on! I'll definitely have a die for you, and I'll bring along my "How I Roll" shirt for one of the photos at your panel, although it's too small for me to wear at the moment. I'll have my w00tstock shirt on from Chicago, though, so maybe they'll cancel each other out. Looking forward to seeing you and The Guild there! And, playing all the wonderful games, of course! :)

Yes, I would totally buy a print copy. I look forward to reading your fiction and getting inspired for my own possible future writing.

That was a great interview, and I'm totally getting that shirt for Gen Con. I may even have to secretly get one for my husband, so we can share our love of boardgames and Easter candy together. :)

Gen Con has been my and my husband's "true vacation" for the past several years (at least, since it moved to Indy). We get four days to be kids while our son spends time with grandparents. AND, that Wednesday will be our 9th wedding anniversary! Anywhoo, we did True Dungeon (one of the mini-quests) for the first time last year, and really enjoyed it until one of the guys in the group ruined the last puzzle for us because he'd volunteered before and knew it all. Oh, well. I'm slightly disappointed this year that I can't do it because I'll be around 8 months pregnant by then, and there's talk of a life-size dragon somewhere in the rooms! So, enjoy yourself! (Oh, and I'd like to attend the "How I Roll" shirt Tweetup, but I doubt I'll be able to wear mine, because...well, I'll be 8 months pregnant by then.)

I flew up to Chicago from Indy (after my husband drove me to the airport--we live an hour south of there) to meet some friends who were already there. We stayed for the entire 5 hours of Chistock, plus the signing afterward. I'm about six months pregnant, and despite being exhausted from the day and the adrenaline rush of w00tstock, I was still glad we stuck around for the signing afterward. I know how tired you all must have been, Wil, but it really made my night (and the rest of my week) to be able to shake your hand! My friends and I ended up driving the 4.5 hour trip home afterward, and I walked through the door at 8 am (EST) just as my husband was about to leave for work. I didn't mind being a zombie mom that Monday. It was the best time I'd had in a long time!

I had THE best time with my friends at w00tstock Chicago, last night. Despite the late hour and the exhaustion you all must have been feeling after that epic "Captain Wife's Lament" (and four hours of truly geeking it hard), you were all amazingly generous with your time afterward, signing our posters and whatnot and speaking with each of us who stayed behind. I now consider it an "achievement unlocked" on my bucket list that I finally saw you perform live, met you in person, and shook your hand! Hope the picture I gave you (the one from my vacation two years ago that you posted on your blog) didn't throw things into weird-fandom realm. I really wanted you to know how much your books and blog have touched me in many ways, but mostly as a parent. I made it home at 8 am EST after riding in the back of my friends' car all night after the show. Suffice it to say, we all had an awesome time, and it was nice to be a big kid (and share my geeky experience) one more time before I have my baby and become a mommy X2. Thanks, again!

I've already commented in a couple of posts about how excited I am about seeing all of you at w00tstock on Sunday! I'm really only able to go because of my awesome, patient husband. We live about 4 1/2 hours south of Chicago in Indiana, and a couple of friends asked if we wanted to go with them. My husband has to work on Monday, but he is okay with driving me to the airport in Indy, so I can fly up to Chicago, meet our friends who will already be there for the weekend, and drive back home with them after the concert! This is one of those bucket list things for me, since I probably won't ever be able to get to the West Coast events, especially since in about 16 weeks I'm going to be a mommy of two (a 4-year-old and one on the way due in Sept). I've convinced myself that this is an early birthday present to me from my husband. Thanks so much for bringing w00tstock to the Midwest! :)

Wil, I love your posts, and although I can relate to your many gaming references, I think I relate to these little moments of "normal" life more. It's these quiet, everyday scenes that touch most of us because they're a part of us, too. Thanks for sharing your walk with us! I'm so looking forward to seeing you perform with everyone else at w00tstock Chicago on Sunday!