Visit and spring potluck

Boston-area gamers gather for a barbeque — Some of the barbeque attendees

Damon F.P. arrived by Megabus from New York on Friday, 13 May 2011. He and I have been friends since high school, for almost 30 years. I’ve been Damon’s best man three times, and he created some of the first Player Characters for my “Vanished Lands” fantasy campaign setting.

We watched the Smallville series finale (review on that and recently canceled genre TV shows to come), and on Saturday, Janice, Damon, and I went to the Blue Hills Reservation south of Boston. After finding the main visitor area closed for renovations, we met role-players Josh C. & Sara F. and their friend Adam/”Llama.”

Soon, more people from Josh’s gaming groups arrived, including Bob & Ginger and Robin. My groups were represented by Beruk A., Brian W., and Brian’s wife Beth. Despite overcast weather, the potluck barbeque was a success, with some Nerf sparring and badminton. The cookout included roast chicken, pork, and sausages, as well as good conversations about politics, religion, pets, and of course, games.

Josh & Sara’s friends are a bit younger than mine and are typical of role-players who came of age in the 1990s in their interest in White Wolf’s “Storyteller: World of Darkness” and related systems. We’ve all recently played FATE 3e, with Brian and Josh running Legends of Anglerre for their fantasy campaigns and me using Starblazer Adventures for “Vortex.”

Everyone got along well, and I hope that this nongaming social gathering (the first in a few years among our groups) is just the beginning! Damon was drowsy from some medication, but Janice and I later watched the gnostic episode of Doctor Who written by Neil Gaiman.

On Sunday, after Janice made a pancake brunch, I took Damon to Central Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Unfortunately, our toilet stopped functioning properly. It’s the third time where we’ve had problems during visits — no heat during David I.S.‘s January visit, a leaky washer during my brother’s trip, and now this. Damon and I had lunch at Four Burgers before he returned to New York. Now I’m just waiting for our landlord to send a plumber….

Steampunk festival

On Mother’s Day, Janice and I went to the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation. Waltham, Massachusetts, which was rechristened “International Steampunk City,” hosted numerous events focusing on the subgenre. Steampunk blends 19th century speculative fiction with modern sensibilities and has been growing in popularity.

We liked the museum, which contains artifacts from the real Industrial Revolution. The festival also included historical re-enactors, arts and crafts exhibits, vendors, and of course, fans of all ages in semi-period costumes.

Although the venues were spread out around the museum, Waltham Common, and Moody Street, I was glad to see strong attendance. I hope that the steampunk event brings business to the area and leads to an event that draws more performers and participants.

We also went to the Outer Limits comic shop and had lunch at Margarita’s, whose namesake drink was good, but the service was slow. This coming weekend, the festivities continue with high school chum Damon F.P.’s visit and a cookout!

Food and games

Fabulous foursome — At Ken G.'s Cinco de Mayo party

Around Easter a few weeks ago, Janice and I visited her extended family in Pennsylvania. We had a pleasant time, and spring greenery had arrived there a few weeks ahead of New England (my allergies have since caught up).

In addition to seeing Janice’s grandmother, we went to Zern’s flea market and Talarico’s sandwich shop. On the way back, we stopped at Cracker Barrel, which reminded me of the Ninety Nine and the Black-Eyed Pea, a homestyle Southern restaurant near where we once lived in Virginia. I’m a big fan of family eateries, even it’s not healthy to visit them too often.

I’ve recently started reading and contributing reviews on Zagat and Yelp, as well as coupon e-mailing lists Groupon and Living Social. Just over a week ago, we used a Groupon at Pomodoro, a nice Italian restaurant in downtown Needham, Massachusetts.

On Tuesday, 3 May 2011, Janice and I went to the Needham Public Library for a presentation on the Phantom Gourmet, a local television show that focuses on New England restaurants. Mike Andelman, part of the family behind the show and its events, was approachable and informative. Even with the economic recession, Boston has become a “foodie town,” with numerous cuisines and options.

Although I was disappointed at the Phantom Gourmet‘s defense of the Upper Crust’s exploitation of illegal immigrants, I appreciate that the show has focused on affordable eateries and not just fancy ones.

During the Boston Comic Con, I had lunch at Café Jaffa, a Middle Eastern restaurant in the Back Bay. Like a few friends, I’ve been on a falafel kick lately, and if I had to become a vegetarian, it would be a staple of my diet. Speaking of vegetarian friends, Janice and I attended Ken G.‘s annual Cinco de Mayo party at Jillian’s in Worcester, Mass.

We enjoyed the food, drink, and company, including former co-workers Michele L.D. and Bob R. and fellow blogger Thomas K.Y. While I get along well with my current co-workers and gamers, it takes years of common experiences to build a strong rapport. We also played pool, air hockey, and assorted carnival and video games.

Unfortunately, on the way home that night, my car started making a lot of noise. The next morning, I took it to Boch Honda, where pipe repairs and a fluid flush totaled $800.

Coming soon: Thor, steampunk festival, and more!

Holiday week walkabouts

The Justice League of America — Wonder Woman and the JLA

I hope that each of you has had a good Passover/Easter week. I’ve been busy with work, especially after the departure of former associate editor and fellow blogger Bianca S. (who had been my strong right hand on two sites) and subsequent departmental reorganization. We’ve also moved cubicles within TT’s offices in Newton, Massachusetts.

My brother, his wife, and their daughters visited recently. We went to the New England Aquarium and Boston Children’s Museum and enjoyed lunches at the crowded but diverse Faneuil Hall. We also got a snack of Belgian frites at Saus near Quincy Market and had sushi at the Fuji Japanese Steakhouse in Needham. We also cooked “barbecue” (sloppy Joes) and spaghetti and meatballs.

In addition, I was pleased to find that my nieces liked Wonder Woman and the Teen Titans‘ Starfire, and we played Wii Sports Resort and other games. The grownups enjoyed Uno and Marvel Ultimate Alliance. My role-playing games are on hiatus for the holiday week.

Janice and I will be visiting her family in Pennsylvania, but I don’t yet know when I’ll see my parents in Virginia again. In the meantime, I’m helping to plan a cookout coinciding with Damon F.P. and hopefully Dexter V.H.‘s visit in mid-May, a trip to Corbin A.Y. and friends in Manhattan in June, and a visit to David I.S. in Upstate New York and business trip to Chicago in July!

That’s not even counting local steampunk festivals, summer movies, or comic book conventions. Beyond all that is my 25th anniversary high school reunion in October. So much to do, so little time!

Spring cleaning 2011

For the past few weekends, Janice and I have been busy with spring cleaning. We started going through our books, videos, and appliances partly because our annual lease-renewal letter was late, and we feared that we might have to scramble to move. Although Janice’s commute by train is long, we didn’t relish the idea of looking for another affordable, spacious, and conveniently located apartment closer to Boston on relatively short notice.

Fortunately, we were able to renew our duplex‘s lease for another year in Needham, Mass., despite some nagging problems such overflowing gutters, needed repainting, and poor insulation. At least we finally have hot water! We then shifted our attention to cleaning for an upcoming visit by my brother.

So far, we’ve recycled or donated our desktop computer and an obsolete printer, old bicycles, a vacuum cleaner, VHS tapes, and numerous books and DVD cases. I’ve also been selling some of my role-playing games, including much of my Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 and Fourth Edition collections. I’ve been running Pathfinder and FATE 3e Starblazer Adventures anyway, and am even considering the rules-light FATE 3e Legends of Anglerre for my “Vanished Lands” fantasy campaign.

Of course, nature abhors a vacuum, so I have to restrain myself when visiting comic and game shops. I’ve also been trading HeroClix miniatures with people in the local groups, so I have a lot of cataloging to do. Even after thinning out our shelves and the much-heralded advent of gaming PDFs and e-readers, I’m still attached to bookcases full of science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, science, history, and classic literature.

If I had to move, I’d want space equivalent to the full basement that I’ve used for hosting sessions and storing boxes of comics and magazines. Janice isn’t a pack rat like me, balancing my obsessive-compulsiveness with asceticism. We still have to deal with our CRT television and bulky entertainment unit, a computer desk, and other odds and ends. My department at work is also shifting cubicles.

The belated arrival of spring weather has allowed us to clear up the yard and try restaurants such as Jake & Joe’s, a new sports bar in Norwood, and Crazy Dough’s, a pizzeria in Harvard Square’s Garage. I also had a home-cooked Chinese dinner with Thomas K.Y. and Kai Yin last week, and we watched the Sita Sings the Blues, a fun combination of Hindu mythology, 1920s music, Flash animation, and modern feminism.

Coming soon: More about retro-clone games, comics and genre TV reassessment, movies, and houseguests!