Since I've been up here in the grand land of Fayetteville (Northwest Arkansas), I have made some contacts and friends up at the hobby/gaming store Castlehouse Games. While gaming and buying board games, books, and dice (always need more dice), I have spoken off and on and even gamed with the owner Chris. He's a great guy and truly has a passion for games of any flavor. On top of that, he knows his stuff and can answer most questions or find the answer (suprising how many store owners don't care enough to do that). Anyway, Chris is not without his faults, but he's new to retail and is learning along the way a very steep learning curve.
I mention him only to say that I have recently approached him about Free RPG day and I am excited that he has ordered supplies and we are all set for Free RPG Day 2010 at Castlehouse! If you're reading this and are going to be in the Fayetteville area on June 19, 2010, then stop by the store and get something free!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Free RPG Game Day 2010!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Who Are You To Say You Will Be Victorious Over the Saints?
Or, Who Dat?! Who Dat, say they gonna beat them Saints?!
(The above statement is purportedly owned by the NFL)
Having spent almost two years living in the greater New Orleans area, seeing this brings back some great memories of the oddities and great people which comprise that great city. It was a great place to live and the people made the city and my experiences even better. So, enjoy! This many men in dresses can't be wrong!
Buddy D Parade from Cottage Films on Vimeo.
Leia Mais…Sunday, November 1, 2009
Post-Halloween Photo Scavenger Hunt
Halloween...one of my favorite holidays! What, with ghouls and goblins running around, tasty eats, and great parties, almost everyone's bound to find some fun! Over the weekend, I had some fun of my own with friends at a Halloween party Saturday night. The best part of the party was the photo scavenger hunt. We split into two teams and took off around town trying to best find situations which fit the prompts. The prompts came from the game Apples to Apples where one of the judges took 14 green adjective cards and paired them into seven pairs. Then from those seven, the two teams narrowed it down to five pairs of adjectives and we were off. Here was our list:
So, where is the most logical place to go to find the best options for these prompts? Dickson Street in Fayetteville, of course!
Before going on, I should say that our team won in four out of the five categories...we didn't quite get "Gaudy and Lopsided." Oh well, it was a lot of fun!
So, here are our entries! What do you think?
Gaudy and Lopsided
Savage and Effervescent (this was the toughest - Baptists are effervescent, right?)
Offbeat and Foolish (the guy's wearing nothing but a suit coat and a thong!)
And, lastly we have Abrasive and Lethal (my personal favorite!)
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
We have Pythons in the Water!
It will cost around 125, 000 British pounds, and some say it may be the fastest amphibious vehicle developed to date. It's called the Python, and while it won't pry every car enthusiast away from his or her Rolls Royce or Lamborghini, this car/boat hybrid has caught my eye (regardless of the fact I'll never own one).
"The Python is powered on land by a V8 engine from a Chevorlet Corvette, which produces 640 horsepower and enables the 3,800 pound machine to reach 100 mph. On water, thrust is provided by its Dominator Jet, which gives around 500 horsepower. [Daily Mail Online]"
The Python, made by the California-based company WaterCar, has reached speeds up to 60 mph on water. That's faster than many speedboats, and the best part of the entire vehicle may be that switching from road to the waves is done by one push of a button to raise or lower the wheels.
How does the Python, weighing nearly 2 tons, reach such speeds on the water? It utilizes propulsion to raise the craft up onto a plane which allows the boat to skim across the surface of the water rather than trying to push all of that mass through the water. Out of the water, this awkward looking vehicle has the front end of a truck, the rear end of a corvette, and the interior is similar to what you would expect from a speedboat.
I really enjoy the look of the Python, despite being awkward, but then again, I tend to enjoy strange designs and odd aesthetics. Either way, it would be great to have more options in amphibious vehicles. You know, something that's fun for the whole family!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Because I'm a Sappy Kind of Guy!
Wow, so I enjoy hearing tales from various couples about their wedding day. I think that marriage really is a great institution and it does wonders for both man and woman if done in the spirit of love. Yep, I'm a realistic romantic...meaning I know there are things that have to happen and will happen no matter what, but one can always keep an optimistic outlook on life. With that being said, this is a very creative and fun wedding party entrance (i.e. groom and groomsmen with bridesmaids and bride). Watch it. You'll enjoy it even if it wouldn't be your cup of tea at your wedding.
Monday, July 6, 2009
The One-Minute Writer (Monday)
The prompt:
"Imagine you will be sitting down a week from today to describe how your week
went. What do you hope you'll be writing?"
My response:
Hmmm...that is indeed a great question. Well, I hope that my entry would go something like this: I woke up Monday morning to find myself blindfolded and gagged as my captors drag me out the doors tied up in a blanket. They drug me to a vehicle, most likely a pickup truck, where the four of them threw me into the truck bed where I promptly whacked my head and was knocked out. I woke to a hard slap the next day in a small airplane hanger outside of Fayetteville as a tall fellow wearing a Marilyn Monroe mask faced me. He then picked up a small electronic device to mask his voice. He showed me a picture of my wife and said if I ever wanted to see her again, I would have to complete a couple of jobs. Then, all the men and women in the room piled into three pickup trucks and sped away.
Shortly thereafter, two police cars pulled in and the officers, saying nothing, cut me lose, handed me a manilla envelope, and then left just as quick as they arrived. I opened the envelope dispursing its contents onto a small metal desk. There was a photo, a small slip of paper which read 02 - 24 - 35, a Ford car key, and a hotel keycard for a Marriott hotel. Taped to the keycard was another small slip of paper which read 428.
A phone rang. It was the University of Arkansas fight song. My cell phone, so I reached into my pocket and answered. It was my wife although she sounded mechanical and a bit frightened. She said, "you have four days to complete the tasks they have for you or I will never see you again," and then a male spoke, "four days. Call the police, and we'll know. Do what we need and you and your pretty Mrs. B---- will be together and free again."
"Why me?" I asked.
"You're nobody, and you love her enough to do it," he answered and then the phone went dead.
Right, so four days to do what exactly? I looked at the photo and laughed. It was Kevin Smith, you know, Silent Bob? So, what did this have to do with my wife and me? I decided to call the Marriott hotels in the area. I eventually found two that had more than three floors and visited the first. Room 428 was vacant. Twenty minutes later, I was at the other. Room 428? Rented to a Mr. Johnson. I thanked the front desk clerk, and took an elevator up. The keycard fit, and I entered half expecting someone to either shriek or club me. Nothing. The television was on Fox News. "Hello?" I asked. No answer.
After shutting the door and quickly checking the room, I found myself alone. There was a mini-fridge on the squatty dresser and a small safe in the closet. I tried the safe: locked. I fumbled for the slip of paper and entered the combination. It worked, and upon opening the safe, I found another manilla envelope with my name across the front. I spilled it out onto a bed and found a plane ticket, a car rental reservation, and $500. The ticket and reservation were to New York and for a silver Ford Taurus at the Hertz counter. That must be what the key was for. Maybe?
On the back of the envelope were a few instructions:
Get on the plane leaving Little Rock tomorrow morning, fly to New York, get the car and drive to 12269 N. Johnson Ave in Trenton, NJ. Knock twice on the door and wait for Miles to answer. Tell him your there about Mr. Smith's appointment. He'll detail your assignment from there. Burn this envelope.
Halfway to New York, after a brief stop in Chicago, it had dawned on me that I had not once thought to call the police or FBI. How stupid? Who knows, but as the plane touched down, I began to sweat. I pulled out the carry-on and exited. I went to the rental desk and showed the bleach-blonde twiggy woman my reservation. She handed me a key, and pointed to a door as she simply said, "thank you for choosing Hertz. Enjoy the city!"
I stopped at an information desk to pick up a map of the area so I could get to Trenton. The traffic wasn't nearly as horrible as one might think, and except for a couple of stops, it was smooth driving the major part of the way. I pulled up in front of the address: a small deli that seemed closed. I thought twice about it before knocking, but upon ending the second tap, a squatty, plump and balding man answered. "Miles? I'm here about Mr. Smith," I told the man, half whispering.
"Come in," he grumbled as he yanked on my collar.
I entered and smiled as I took in the savory-sweet aroma of what smelled like spaghetti. I tried to open a conversation: "Cooking something?"
He didn't answer but pointed toward a table and chairs, motioning me to sit. As I did so, he ventured off into another room behind the large glass counters which were dark and empty.
A few minutes later, he returned with two large plates of fettucine with chicken covered in a red sauce. "Might as well eat while we're waiting," he huffed before he began inhaling his own pasta.
Twenty minutes later, three men entered the front door carrying briefcases. No, not those metal "spy" cases, just regular briefcases of fake leather. They joined us at the table and one of them spoke, saying with a small chuckle, "no dinner for us Miles? For shame, you don't have any manners do you, old buddy?"
Miles just smiled, exited to the kitchen, and returned with three more heaping plates.
--I can't mention any more of these three. Just suffice it to say that I received a generous compensation from them along with some documents which aided in my task which was to kidnap Kevin Smith. Yes, I know, this is the stuff of movies, but it did happen. Perhaps you heard of the car which flew from the 42nd level of a parking deck in New York into a hotel? Yes, that was part of the scheme. It allowed me to "escort" Mr. Smith from the Hilton where he was doing an interview about a new movie.
Don't worry, he's not hurt nor dead. Just "borrowed" as they put it. The wife and I are back in Fayetteville, and we never take for granted the time we have together. Other than that, we still go out; we still plan on traveling although it may be in a car or train instead of by air, but we enjoy ourselves. Overall, it was a bit gruelling and definitely not something I wish to do again. Either way, I was able to fly a helicopter, steal loads of cash, and kidnap Kevin Smith. Not bad for one week!
And then I woke. The cat was licking my toes again. Yep, all a dream, but what a dream it was! Leia Mais…
