April 2016

[Theylan]

Okay, I'd love to get together and I can do that on the 15th. I'd be a little late but that is the best time. who can play?

[Just Rob]

I think that evening is free on my calendar. I'll try to keep the date clear.

[Just Rob]

II was thinking - we need to get a more reliable method of contacting the group somehow. I noticed that this message thread only has 2 views - me and Jared - in the time since Jared posted it. It doesn't seem to be working. I'm wondering - are we getting so busy with outside activities that we can't get together anymore? I check this board every day or so to see if anyone else has posted an answer to Jared's scheduling question. I think I'm the only one who does this. What do you guys think? Is our time for gaming and just getting together or even talking to each other on Lorin's board or texts or emails going away slowly due to life? Can you guys who see this help me understand? I don't want to judge . . . I just want to get the practical and psychological benefit that I get from being with my brothers from time to time and don't want to see that go away permanently. I get more out of being with you guys than you probably imagine - I am a bipolar individual and being with you guys helps keep my illness from being too hard to deal with on a monthly basis. So I ask - help?

[Boric Glanduum]

My problem is a trumped-up wanna-be boss who's 10 years younger than I am. I'm putting in 14-16 hour days and still not keeping up with the caseload. NOT what I planned on doing when I was nearly 50. Add to that the indignity of not only NOT having an office, but sharing a space with the firm's paralegal and the fact that all my filing, caseload, casework, etc. is stored ON MY DESK.... yeah.

So, I watch the RSS feed, but frankly have no time during the day to jump online and, when I'm home, don't have the energy to get online even if I had the will to do so.

I absolutely NEED this to keep going (as seen above). I think the scheduling issues just come in ebbs and flows. (I have friends who run a weekly game; I frankly don't understand how (1) they're still married and (b) they accomplish scheduling.) In point of fact, I have a den full of support materials and campaign stuff that, if I could stop practicing law, would love to run for us. The key phrase is "get the #$*( out of practicing law" and finding something that I can do to support my family otherwise.

Add to that the drama that's ensuing trying to administer my parents' estate, and fielding assaults from a greedy sister-in-law that can't stand the fact that baby brother is in charge... Yeah.

And Guilder to frame for it.

[Just Rob]

Jaren,

Your reply almost brings me to tears - literally. I feel so bad for you. I know how hard you work and have worked and how much time and effort you pour into everything you do and wish I could do something to relieve your stress that would tear me to shreds if we were to trade places. I don't want to add to your stress or make you feel guilty or bad in any way for not having the time to commit to what we are talking about here. I just want to find a way to allow us to all share the burden of communication in a way that works - not one that makes things worse or causes bad feelings. Please know that my heart and soul is all in your court, Jaren, and how much I feel for you and want for your efforts to succeed in your providing for your family and dealing with your extended family's needs with estate stuff going on in addition to everything else.

Is there anything I can do to help? I would really like to do something to help take some of the pressure off in any way I can - if there is a way, I'm in for it. All in. Not having had a brother (i.e. siblings) when growing up has made all of you my brothers in every way but biologically. And family comes first. So, brother, if I can help, PLEASE let me know. Ok?

[Zanther]

Rob (and everyone in general)

I know I am not one to get on the board very often, unless it is the week before a game night. Mostly because I don't see much action on the board. But I really like the board as it does provide a safe place to communicate, away from the world (family, church and work included). As we all know, I am not much of a writer and have never been very good at the whole posting things up just for fun thing. But I do at times like to respond to other peoples stuff.

But I am busy, lord knows I don't want to be but I am. I have given up most of my hobbies(fishing, fly-fishing, fly tying, rock hunting, barely do any hunting, four-wheeling, camping, hiking, and general exploration). most of my time is given up to work, family and church. I watch no TV (some Netflicks).I get on the computer, for fun and entertainment, about 1 to 2 times a week,for 1 to 2 hours. I get 6 hrs a night sleep if I am doing good. (have for years now). When I'm not at work I am helping the wife with meals, helping kids with homework and doing all the crap jobs no one will do, plus everythigs else that comes up. Even the dogs has demands on my time (every night 9:30 to 10pm). I'm struggling to keep the house and cars going, keep kids clothed, and all the other things I have to provide. And to top it all off, a nice conference talk that reminds me as a father I suck.

I have a couple of things I hold on to. I read and study (Old Testament, first temple period stuff, deep in the weeds stuff, lots of fun),a little genealogy (taken over from my father), a little wood working, and a monthly (mostly) night of DnD / guys night out. I don't what to hear any crap about taking that last one away from me just because sometimes my life done not allow me to meet every month or I don't post up every week. Sometimes it is all I can do just to make it on a Friday night.

Well that's all I got to say about that...

[Just Rob]

Man, do I feel guilty.

[Boric Glanduum]

Rob:
My comments weren't meant to make you or anyone else feel guilty or to elicit any particular feeling. For years I have had my Yahoo page as my home page on every browser, on every computer. The RSS feed for this Board is the first thing on the page.

I realized just now as I turned on my browser that not a single browser on any computer goes to my Yahoo page as a default. On my work computer, I have to have two different browsers open, each with at least one main window and one private browsing window just to access my necessary GMail accounts.

Other than mail, I have very little reason or opportunity to access the Yahoo home page, thus I rarely see the RSS feed. My bad. I'll try and rectify that.

Again: please don't feel guilt about anything I said. It was written in a flurry, stream of consciousness, and was meant to be an exercise in venting first and explanation second. Scotty can tell you how bad I get when I really get going about my current situation. Jared could too, for that matter. Suffice it to say it gets awfully close to "Why me?"

We all have our issues. We all have our varying demands on our time. But I think I can speak for us all when I say that our game night is vitally important to our sanity and to our lives, both for the distraction, the entertainment, but most of all the brotherhood.

We've just hit a rough patch, with some unusual life changes hitting several of us. This will pass. Hell, believe it or not, I've countered—on occasion—the dark thoughts with the promise of sitting in the rest home rolling dice with my adopted brothers.

Keep your chin up, Rob. And I'm sorry for any added stress (or distress) I may have caused.

[Boric Glanduum]

And the 15th should work for me. I know I'll need it, as I have to deal with estate issues on the 16th.

[Greylen]

Hey Guys, Sorry for not posting sooner. We just got back Sunday night from a full week vacation in California and yesterday was all catch-up from work...

I don't think anyone doubts how much I enjoy our Monthly 'meeting', how much we ALL enjoy it. That's what makes it so much fun. If we were normal guys, it's be poker we played and the jokes and hilarity would still abound. I probably have more time than anyone, Rob excepted, but when I am not answering here on the board, it's usually just my eyes that are having issues. When my eyes have issues, reading/writing text on a computer screen is out. I get my work I need done for the day and then I'm done for a while.

We all have our issues.(Lord only know why they haven't committed us by now... ) So until that time, let's just keep getting together and enjoy.

I just cleared it with the boss, so the house is open for business on the 15th. Anytime after 5:30 PM, you're all welcome. See you then.

(probably better send a text too... lol)

[Theylan]

okay I just got back into town and oddly enough my company sent a bunch of us to a "conference" where we spent 4 days basically disconnected. Kumbayah and bonfires and all that stuff. Leadership roles have their price . Just catching up now. Counting my blessings for all people like you all I think I can echo everybody's sentiment. Need Bro time, DND time, and Fun Time,

Concretely all I can say is when the board goes quiet and we feel a little disconnected. Let's just post the "Bat" signal via text and email. Just to make sure we stay connected Like all good things it takes some effort and I think we do pretty well, the occasional slip excepting.

See you all tomorrow. I'll be a little late. So start without me.

[Just Rob]

I just wanted to take a second and thank everyone for showing up on Friday night under less-than-ideal circumstances. It was a great time - and enough to shut me up for a while!!!

Troy, if you are able to read this, it was great to have you drop by and share your great sense-of-humor with all of us. We loved to have your company and thank you for renewing the great gift of friendship we have all come to appreciate over the years. Hope to see you again soon.

Scott, thank you for providing a great session for us to use to play around with and have fun with. You do a great job DM'ing and we appreciate the time you put into having an adventure ready for us to use when we get together in spite of all that you have on your plate at home, work, church, etc. Just want you to know how much we appreciate your efforts.

Jared, Jaren, and Lorin, it is wonderful to be with you and just hang out for a while. I hope that all that is going on in your personal lives is manageable and that we are able to keep "the bat signal" going in keeping up with each other. You guys really are brothers to me.

So, until next time (whenever that works out), thanks for the blast from the past and the fun from the present and I'll be keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers, such as they are.