I got together tonight with an old high school buddy who I regularly role played with back in the day. On a whim we decided to hit up another friend who was planning to run a 4th edition D&D game but we hadn't heard from him in a while. Well we ambushed him as he was walking home from work and had a productive night brainstorming the game. We planned our group composition and discussed some of the character choices while our DM gave us an idea of what the setting would be like. We also sharpened our wit and practicing mocking our future DM who will no doubt seek his revenge in game. Particularly fun was comparing everything to World of Warcraft. "You mean the defenders can produce aggro??!?? Shamans have totems right? Does the Warden turn into a bear?". Our first game is set for two weeks from now and I'm stoked! This is the first RPG I will have played in since living in Toronto three years ago. Now if we could only convince my wife, billysoup, to play. The allure of Druid class was not enough apparently. Maybe if it had a large bird form that shot lasers.

I'm thinking of playing the group's defender. But really I want to see what other folks want to be because I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by my choices in 4th edition. There's lots there and I don't mind being flexible. And apparently there's some sort of magical robot class. I think that would be pretty interesting as a Paladin :P

Tags: dungeons and dragons, roleplay
Current Mood: excited

This was my first Fan Expo and was incredibly overwhelming. I must start by saying that I was sick coming to this con and thus infected con crud rather then received it. Still I can understand how folks feel.

I got to meet a ton of folks who are much heavier into gaming then I am currently. Finally I got to meet pyat who commanderteddog has raved about for sometime (for good reason). I also met normanrafferty , kores_rabbit , thebitterguy and many wonderful other geeks.

Friday's definitely seem to be the days to be productive. I basically found all the stuff I wanted. I intended to get some signatures for some of my Comics by Ethan Van Sciver, Ivan Reis, JMS and Oliver Copiel but I didn't realize this would mean specific signing times and long lines. So I figure I'd just meet and hang out with folks and drop some serious coin.

And coins were dropped! Whoa! Hopefully my better half doesn't find out exactly how much. 0_0

Singles
New Avengers #53
Halo Uprising #1
Star Trek Nero #1 - Fan Expo edition

Hardcovers
Thor Vol 2
Saga of the Swamp Thing Vol 1

Trades
Green Lantern Rebirth
Secret Invasion
Batman: Dark Knight Returns
Fables Vol 2: Animal Farm
Kingdom Come

T-shirts
Agent Orange
Yellow Star Trek uniform

Toys
VF-1S Veri-Tech/Valkyrie. Very possible.

I regret not having checking out the gaming stuff more and not played any games. I so rarely get the chance these days. I'm hoping with weekends off this fall I'll be able to get a RPG in.

Big Thanks for commanderteddog  in escorting me through for my first Fan Expo. I didn't even end up in First Aid.

Happy Birthday moonygirl

I went the Ex yesterday with the family. I also had to work that night. For the most part I just felt like complaining how overpriced everything is. But Emily chasing a sheep in the petting zoo made it all better. Until I started working. And then I started feeling my head becoming congested. My throat start to scratch. My sinuses started to inflame. It dawned on me...

I'm getting sick with less then two days to Fan Expo. WHAT THE HECK!?!??!?11

I figure its in part the busy nature of work, exposure to lots of people combined with lack of sleep. But with a baby in the house its really hard to sleep. Even now I feel like a zombie despite sleeping eight hours. I feel like I need a couple of days, but I don't have it. I work overtime today which I need to help pay for vacation coming up in the fall. But I'm doing the best I can to help stave it off. Cold Fx is in use as is Chloraseptic. I'll continue to drink lots of water. Emily is really sick too. She had a fever this morning. Thank you virus for such impeccable timing.

Anyways I shall not be deterred. I don't have to work as late tonight and will get a good nights rest again for tomorrow. Technically it doesn't start till 4pm so I have time to get ready then.

Things I'm looking forward too...

-Meeting J.M.S. and having him sign Thor HC 1 and maybe my Babylon 5 seasons
-Meeting Ethan Van Sciver and having him sign my Flash Rebirth issues
-Meeting Rick Green and trying not to be a tool "Hey do you remember when I looked up your iRewards # at the Chapters in Burlington"
-Getting stekches done by Ty Templeton and maybe Uncle Sal

Not to mention getting more books, games, comics and some art for the Man Cave.

Well I need to post this and run. Wish me luck and hope I don't... *BLARGH*

So last night listen to a podcast I heard that J. Michael Straczynski is confirmed for at Fan Expo.  I nearly shrieked on my streetcar.  To this day I still love Babylon 5 and now I'm wondering what I should get signed by him.  A Season of B5?  One of his B5 comics if I can find them?  What about his Spider-man or Thor stuff?  Now I need to do some hunting.

I have no clue why I'm so giddy about Fan Expo this year.  Its like I've completely caved to all my wanton desires of nerdiness.  I want to pick up a sketch book and get a couple of sketches from artists (Mr Ty Tempton,  can I get James T. Kirk and Commander Rick riding in a 1967 Camero with a rocket booster?).  They can be expensive though.  I'm also hoping to pick up some signed prints to get framed and hang in the man cave.  I'll be looking for back issues, cheap trades and hardcovers.  And maybe some deals on gaming stuff too.  This means I have to work some overtime leading up to it.  Working an off day stinks though.

I have to work the Saturday night of the con and I'm still debating trying to get it off.  My sick days are gone so my only option is exchange of off days (hard to get someone to give their Saturday up) or I call in an emergency off day and hope they don't call me in to find out why.  I don't think I will do the later.  I should be able to get and see everything I want Friday  Saturday morning/afternoon.  I start work at 5:52pm.  I'm also deliberating over the tickets.  Do I just get the Deluxe since I'll be there two days?  Or do I go with premium to get the swag because I've discovered I like Green Lantern.

Oh and I mentioned to commanderteddog  in an IM I need a shirt for the con.  I've thinking Agent Orange.  MINE!

So I have a litany of things to determine before the con hits.  Another thing I've been really want to do is completely redo this journal.  Basically I have a stupid theme already determined in my mind based around my occupation.  I just need some help with a photoshop banner.  With this reboot my intention is to regularly post, probably once a week with little posts in between.  I need pay commanderteddog  to teach me some of her elite digital art skillz.

As posted on WoWinsider there is now a site counting down the release of Gamer fuel.  Sounds like a count down to a trip to Buffalo too.  Since it seems to land on my next day off. Huzzah!

And just in case you missed it, Bombardier got the contract for new streetcars.  European style Streetcars are on the way.  Question now is where is the TTC getting the money.  Admittedly though Ontario's and the Federal government were applauding TTC's choice of Canadian based Bombardier over Germany's Siemens.  Jobs for Thunder Bay and money to the Montreal company.  I suppose that means they'll be a little more willing to help out?  Time will tell.

As a Streetcar Operator I am absolutely buzzed with the idea of new streetcars.  I can tell you from my experience that our aging fleet is basically held together with duct tape and coat hangers.  This sounds like a deal could actually be made before the end of April.  An actual deal!  Here's a video I found on a Star article.  Its the future of Toronto's transit... Today!  In Brussells...  *cough*  The comments pissed me off.  People seem to think that Streetcars that carry 130-240 people each could easily be replaced by buses that carry 40 people.  Ummmmm there's a reason why King has 2-3 minute service during rush hour.  Its because every streetcar is PACKED!  In One day 60,000 people ride the King car, the bulk of that from 7-9am and 4-6pm.  Folks who complain about it blocking traffic should try to imagine how many more cars would be on King street if there was no transit.  Or how many more TTC Drivers they would have to pay to do that by bus.

So enough of that ranting.  I've taken up to listen to podcasts when I can't read or play video games.  Something that peaked my interest was apparently a very engaging remake of an old point and click adventure called Broken Sword.  Its apparently being strongly watched by multiple to parties to see whether bringing back old point and click adventures might be viable for the DS.  Its seems to make sense.  They would really fit the system.  Can you see Lucas Arts bringing back all those old adventures?  That would be cool.

Time for bed.

We had been planing this for a while.  My Dad and myself really wanting to go but my Mom and my wife not wanting to be left behind either.  So we rented a large Sedan (as our little Yaris is incredible tight for 4 adults and a baby) packed our things and got some American cash and was ready to hit the road.   But we had road bumps before we even left.

See it was the getting the American money that was the issue.  Right now with the pure exchange rate, it should cost you $1.21 Canadian for every American dollar.  But the banks put on a fee in there.  A year ago when the exchange rate was almost par, the fee was about $0.04-0.05 for every dollar.  So basically you were paying something like $1.04 for every American dollar.  Well the exchange rate is worst now and that's fine, its still better then the old $1.50 days of the late 90s early 2000s.  But I don't know if it has something to do with the recession or protectionism but that bank fee has doubled!  The absolute cheapest we could get an American dollar was $1.31.  That's 10 cents more then the exchange rate.  So basically $200 American cost $260 Canadian!  Well this put a dour spirit on spending to begin with.

Generally Buffalo is pretty dead town but the Mall still have mallrats and such and the shopping was always busy when we were there.  Not this time.  Its was like a ghost town.  Tumble weeds and everything.  Vast numbers of clerks and customer service folks would come to see us as we were the only customers in sight.  I guess the recession really has hit them hard over there.  Maybe it was that Tuesday afternoon.  But its the only time we ever go.  And it was by far the quietest I've ever seen it.

So one of the goals of this trip was to collect some of that sweet WoW loot of Mountain Dew fame.  But apparently it comes out this summer.  Should have read the small print!   So I found some stuff and made up my own...


 

Shaman's Lightning Bolt "Voltage" flavoured Mountain Dew and Orc Double Stuf filled Oreos.  Yum!  Maybe it was an Orc Shaman.  Once his mana was spent producing Mountain Dew it was off to become filling.  Orcs!  Its made of Orcs!

I think tomorrow with new Comic day I'll have to hit B Big Comics and check out whats new.

Purely on a whim I picked up World War Z tonight.  Its by Maxx Brooks, son of Mel Brooks and apparently one of the best Zombie books ever.  This is new territory for me.

I just finished another book today.  I try to get in as much reading when I'm working as I can.  A rule of Thumb, if I'm ready to go and have two or more minutes I'll crack the book open. I will have it ready on the console for such breaks.  Because of this I've read some 12-14 books since I've started working for the TTC....  All at 5 minute reading chucks at a time.

But lately its been what I call "Trashy" novels.  Not the erotic type though!  I'm talking the cheap thrills of serial Sci-Fi and Fantasy!  Yep I've been reading the Dark Elf Trilogy by Salvatore and the Horus Heresy series set in the Warhammer 40K univerise!

The Dark Trilogy was from way off in left field.  First off I've only read the first two books so my next reading should be Sojourn. I had a sudden craving because of the combination of the several things.  The recent revival of Tabletop RPGs, in fact some old high school buddies are organizing a D&D 4th Edition game.  My WoW raid leader once mentioned something cool about Drizzt and seems like there's always some sort of mispelling of his name for Night Elf hunters with a cat (fear "Drrrizzztttzz"!).  And Penny Arcade's Mike Krahulik started reading Dragonlance stuff so if he can get away with it why not me?

My other guility reading pleasure is the Horus Heresy series.  I just finished up Fulgrim which is the third and biggest book of the series to date. They really seem to be milking this for all its worth.  The story could probably be well told in like three to five books but it looks like its going to be 12.  Every grizzly detail of each of the Traitor Legions fall from grace will apparently be played out.  Now unless you play Warhammer 40K (or Dawn of War) this really won't interest you.  But this occurance which takes place 10,000 years before the game's setting in probably the most significant occurance in the games lore.  And since I play Chaos Space Marines it basically dominates our entire motivation of why were Chaotic (but not really, more just evil).  It just feels like its going to take forever for final showdown between Horus and the Emperor to happen at this rate.  I don't even know if the next 3 being released over the year will actually be wraping it up.  Maybe there's another three next year!

After watching some PoG I'm feeling like going back and re-reading though Lord of the Rings.  I need to get this all out of my system before the fall because I'm planning on doing a University course and that will require reading something a little more heavy.

I really liked what commanderteddog  was doing with Week of Toronto and decided to take my camera to work and sneak some photos as I went.  Tragically the day went overcast and I was never really given the time to set up nice shots so these are all from the hip, gritty photos.

Day 4!



Roncesvalles Streetcar Yard Part 1.  This is looking north across the Queensway just west of Roncesvalles and Queen Street West.  Here you can see the Carhouse.  In a another hour the only Street cars that will be sitting there are the broken down ones.  At night the yard is packed and there's hardly room to fit any more.



Roncie Yard Part 2.  This photo is just to the right of the previous.  You can see the beginning of the platform to catch the Queen car running into the downtown.  The brown building is our division.  Its where I report everyday, chat with the other drivers, get lectured by the management and sign my work every six weeks.  As you can see parking is precarious and basically you park where ever the streetcars don't go.  There's little dotted lines to let you know if your car will be crushed or if it will be safe!




Humber Loop!  Not very photogenic.  My Monday work is only Humber to Neville Park and back again three times.  You can see people waiting for the Long Branch car which goes further west along the Lakeshore.  You can see the tail end of my Streetcar to the right!  No time to stand around I got to move!



Neville Park - This is looking West down Queen out in the The Beach.  The Beach!  Bah I like the name The Beaches more.  Look at any historical map of Toronto and that huge beach strip use to be multiple beaches each with their own name.  So historically is The Beaches. But a neighbourhood referendum several years ago decided that it would just be the Beach.  There's my streetcar.  It was a good car.



When I turned around from the previous photo I see the back of the famous R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant!  This guy was nuts.  He was head of Public Works back in the 30s and 40s and comissioned this Art Deco Cathedral to water treatment!  Featured in the novel "In the Skin of a Lion" by Michael Odaatje which is where I first learned about it!  I read it for a course at UoT.




Driver's View, looking Westbound over the Don Valley towards downtown.  My streetcar is stopped waiting for the cars to turn left onto King.  I took it quick and poorly and it blurred.  I wanted to get the skyline.  You can see the big red button on the bottom right which is my Emergency Propulsion Shutoff.  To be only used in Emergencies!




Queen and Spadina.  Facing west.  I'm waiting for the light.  I took this so you can switches and all the changes of directions you can do at this intersection.  This is one of the few intersections where you can come from and go in any direction as a streetcar.  Very few of these. King and Bathurst is another one like that.

And that's all I could get!  Since I start in the afternoon I don't have that much light in my shift.  Hope you enjoyed this Streetcar edition!