Leaving for vacation in a few hours. I won't be posting or responding to emails for the next week (probably).
Happy Easter to all!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Good Friday
Well, another day, another battle with the "gunk." Not the best day, but I am feeling ever so slightly better so I am hoping a good night's sleep will help throw this off. At least my throat isn't as sore. Of course, tomorrow DD has a 3v3 soccer tournament and will be playing 4 games throughout the day. I guess I'll probably lose my voice during the first game at this rate. Beyond that, we need to pack for our trip to visit my parents in Colorado. I had heard that the "local" schools had their Spring Break next week too, but I guess they had it last week. Not sure about the Denver area though. If the Spring Breaks are indeed over that will make skiing MUCH easier (and cheaper-local discounts my folks can get are generally not good during Spring Break).
Turned the tax paperwork over to the accountant, he asked for a few more things so I'll send those off to him via email. He is VERY good and I like that. I COULD spend hours with the software and poring over the various little rules that apply to self-employed workers (aka: SUCKERS) but he knows everything already and easily tells me what I need to do.
Got a little editing done (on paper) today, but not much. Still pretty much feeling like death warmed over. I went to bed last night at about 9:30 and "slept like a baby." In other words, the severe congestion woke me up about 45 minutes to an hour after each time I feel asleep. I am hoping tonight will go a bit better.
I need to make a list, rather long list, of things to do tomorrow. The list needs to include little things like the stuff to pack (for each of the 6 family members), oh, cancel the newspaper, oops, forgot to put a hold on the mail, crud, hmm, email auto-responder for GU that I am out of town, and I suppose some sort of short note on the website mentioning the "out of town" bit. Oh well, off to do that then.
Turned the tax paperwork over to the accountant, he asked for a few more things so I'll send those off to him via email. He is VERY good and I like that. I COULD spend hours with the software and poring over the various little rules that apply to self-employed workers (aka: SUCKERS) but he knows everything already and easily tells me what I need to do.
Got a little editing done (on paper) today, but not much. Still pretty much feeling like death warmed over. I went to bed last night at about 9:30 and "slept like a baby." In other words, the severe congestion woke me up about 45 minutes to an hour after each time I feel asleep. I am hoping tonight will go a bit better.
I need to make a list, rather long list, of things to do tomorrow. The list needs to include little things like the stuff to pack (for each of the 6 family members), oh, cancel the newspaper, oops, forgot to put a hold on the mail, crud, hmm, email auto-responder for GU that I am out of town, and I suppose some sort of short note on the website mentioning the "out of town" bit. Oh well, off to do that then.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Gunk and Taxes
Okay, still fighting the gunk today. Can't say it is a winning battle. DS#3 is fighting the same battle, fortunately my wife has been home today (comp day for 24 hour call last Saturday).
I am getting all the Tax paperwork today. We are both considered self-employed so our taxes are particularly fun. I am actually getting the paperwork organized and put together for the accountant. I could probably do the taxes myself but this way we are absolutely certain our deductions are "real" and legal. When you are self-employed there are lots of things that are deductible that normally aren't. Don't worry, this does NOT make up for paying both halves of the Social Security and Medicare.
Anyway, this normally takes me only an hour or two but today it has taken a very long time. Each break sets me back a bit as I have to remember where I was and what I was doing. Almost finished now though.
I have a number of goals for GU this week and being sick has set me back a lot farther than I'd like. We leave for Easter vacation on Sunday and I really wanted to have some things finished off before going on vacation. I am hoping I'll be feeling MUCH better tomorrow.
I am getting all the Tax paperwork today. We are both considered self-employed so our taxes are particularly fun. I am actually getting the paperwork organized and put together for the accountant. I could probably do the taxes myself but this way we are absolutely certain our deductions are "real" and legal. When you are self-employed there are lots of things that are deductible that normally aren't. Don't worry, this does NOT make up for paying both halves of the Social Security and Medicare.
Anyway, this normally takes me only an hour or two but today it has taken a very long time. Each break sets me back a bit as I have to remember where I was and what I was doing. Almost finished now though.
I have a number of goals for GU this week and being sick has set me back a lot farther than I'd like. We leave for Easter vacation on Sunday and I really wanted to have some things finished off before going on vacation. I am hoping I'll be feeling MUCH better tomorrow.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Gunk
Okay, fighting off "gunk" today and it has been a bit rough. Went to DD's soccer practice anyway and I am presently suffering for it.
Latest News:
Arther C. Clarke died at 90 years old today. Damn shame. I remember being thrilled by some of his stories and novels when I was a kid. This is a man that not only understood technology advances throughout his lifetime, but also helped drive them.
Paizo Publishing is going to release the "Pathfinder RPG." Basically, it sounds like their market info said that they could support their company (and, therefore, their employees) with sales of a new 3.5 (DnD/OGL) based system and adventures and other support to go with it. I would say it is a risky move that is partly driven by WotC's slow release of info to 3rd party publishers. I honestly don't know how well this will go for them. The local game store, one of the best FLGS's I have ever experienced, knows of their stuff and orders it, but last time I was there the manager said that sales were suffering and he was probably not going to get anything else after 4e. Basically, you need to special order to get the latest Paizo adventure material. Now, I guess the decks of magic item cards, map packs, and such are selling fine.
I have to wonder if Paizo is doing this partly based on rumored market data that almost a third of people are going to either a) not buy 4e or b) delay buying 4e until they see it, see what their group will do, etc. Like I said in the last post, that is a RUMOR. I have no proof of it whatsoever.
I think Paizo is cutting a niche of a niche here. It is a risky move that I personally think is going to have difficulty supporting the staff they presently have for the long term. I think short-term it'll work out okay, but long-term I have serious doubts. Then again, that is partly dependent on 4e itself isn't it?
Oh well, head is throbbing, time for bed.
Latest News:
Arther C. Clarke died at 90 years old today. Damn shame. I remember being thrilled by some of his stories and novels when I was a kid. This is a man that not only understood technology advances throughout his lifetime, but also helped drive them.
Paizo Publishing is going to release the "Pathfinder RPG." Basically, it sounds like their market info said that they could support their company (and, therefore, their employees) with sales of a new 3.5 (DnD/OGL) based system and adventures and other support to go with it. I would say it is a risky move that is partly driven by WotC's slow release of info to 3rd party publishers. I honestly don't know how well this will go for them. The local game store, one of the best FLGS's I have ever experienced, knows of their stuff and orders it, but last time I was there the manager said that sales were suffering and he was probably not going to get anything else after 4e. Basically, you need to special order to get the latest Paizo adventure material. Now, I guess the decks of magic item cards, map packs, and such are selling fine.
I have to wonder if Paizo is doing this partly based on rumored market data that almost a third of people are going to either a) not buy 4e or b) delay buying 4e until they see it, see what their group will do, etc. Like I said in the last post, that is a RUMOR. I have no proof of it whatsoever.
I think Paizo is cutting a niche of a niche here. It is a risky move that I personally think is going to have difficulty supporting the staff they presently have for the long term. I think short-term it'll work out okay, but long-term I have serious doubts. Then again, that is partly dependent on 4e itself isn't it?
Oh well, head is throbbing, time for bed.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
4e Rumors??
Okay, why not post a few rumors, not enough of folks read this to make a big deal about it so it should be okay.
First, rumor has it that several people inside WotC aren't happy with the way 4e is going and are deathly afraid they have a dud on their hands. hmmm. This rumor COULD be based on another rumor I have heard about some polling done after the 4e demos at DnD Experience. RUMOR has it that over 30% of the people that TRIED the game said they would either a) not change or b) wait for a while to see how many of their friends change before buying the new edition of the game. When something like 1/3rd of the people that play your game say they are either not going to change to the new edition or are going to wait for a while first, well, that isn't a good sign.
Now, something that isn't a rumor is the replacement of the WotC CEO (link). The question is, why the sudden "resignation" and was it a resignation?? It is rather strange that nothing else was said about it. There could be issues unrelated to the game and company, but a change like this several months before the release of a major product is suspicious.
Yes, it is awful to say these things isn't it? Let me say it again, RUMORS. Let's be honest there are enough people on the internet that hate 4e before it is out that easily some of these rumors could be quite "bad." Then again, perhaps I heard a few things from some fairly reliable sources, so ... I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.
I'll be buying a copy of the first three books so WotC has those sales. Can't say whether or not I'll buy more 4e material after that, but I probably will. I am sure that sales of 4e will "rock and roll" the question is, will they "rock and roll" as much as WotC is planning/hoping for or will it "rock and roll" more like a couple of kids playing Guitar Hero? Remember, for WotC PHB sales that are only 10 times as good as the next best selling game system would be terrible news (as far as they are concerned).
I have to admit that I haven't really looked over the 4e information released at the convention. I downloaded the bits that people put up on the internet, I just haven't gone through them yet. I was thinking about printing some of it out and maybe trying it out a bit with my boys this afternoon. If we get to it, maybe I'll post my own "playtest report." If we get a chance to do it, well, I don't expect the results to alter the fact that I WILL be buying the 4e core books when they come out.
Oh, one last thing, apparently the GSL STILL isn't out. Much longer and companies won't be able to get anything out for GenCon making the $5,000 expense for the "developer's kit" hardly worth it. The deadline to submit products to distributors for early fall is already past. Some of the more well-known publishers might still be able to push things into distribution for early fall, but who knows. Without distribution, the $5,000 is unlikely to be "worth it."
First, rumor has it that several people inside WotC aren't happy with the way 4e is going and are deathly afraid they have a dud on their hands. hmmm. This rumor COULD be based on another rumor I have heard about some polling done after the 4e demos at DnD Experience. RUMOR has it that over 30% of the people that TRIED the game said they would either a) not change or b) wait for a while to see how many of their friends change before buying the new edition of the game. When something like 1/3rd of the people that play your game say they are either not going to change to the new edition or are going to wait for a while first, well, that isn't a good sign.
Now, something that isn't a rumor is the replacement of the WotC CEO (link). The question is, why the sudden "resignation" and was it a resignation?? It is rather strange that nothing else was said about it. There could be issues unrelated to the game and company, but a change like this several months before the release of a major product is suspicious.
Yes, it is awful to say these things isn't it? Let me say it again, RUMORS. Let's be honest there are enough people on the internet that hate 4e before it is out that easily some of these rumors could be quite "bad." Then again, perhaps I heard a few things from some fairly reliable sources, so ... I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.
I'll be buying a copy of the first three books so WotC has those sales. Can't say whether or not I'll buy more 4e material after that, but I probably will. I am sure that sales of 4e will "rock and roll" the question is, will they "rock and roll" as much as WotC is planning/hoping for or will it "rock and roll" more like a couple of kids playing Guitar Hero? Remember, for WotC PHB sales that are only 10 times as good as the next best selling game system would be terrible news (as far as they are concerned).
I have to admit that I haven't really looked over the 4e information released at the convention. I downloaded the bits that people put up on the internet, I just haven't gone through them yet. I was thinking about printing some of it out and maybe trying it out a bit with my boys this afternoon. If we get to it, maybe I'll post my own "playtest report." If we get a chance to do it, well, I don't expect the results to alter the fact that I WILL be buying the 4e core books when they come out.
Oh, one last thing, apparently the GSL STILL isn't out. Much longer and companies won't be able to get anything out for GenCon making the $5,000 expense for the "developer's kit" hardly worth it. The deadline to submit products to distributors for early fall is already past. Some of the more well-known publishers might still be able to push things into distribution for early fall, but who knows. Without distribution, the $5,000 is unlikely to be "worth it."
Saturday, March 15, 2008
More Soccer
Okay, I should have posted sooner. Thursday I did do a small update to the GU website adding a picture of the cover that will be used for the City Streets product line. I neglected to post here however. Oops.
Today has been hectic, my wife is on-call which, for her, means she is at work until 7 AM tomorrow. DD and DS#2 had soccer games scheduled at 9:00 and DS#1 had a game at 10:00. Basically, I dropped DD off with a friend who took her to her game and will take her to a birthday party where I will pick her up. She is having a blast playing in their pool right now. Then I ran DS#2 over to his soccer game and left him with the team manager there so I could run DS#1 out to his game. DS#3 began to get very unimpressed with all of the driving. an hour and a half in the car is rough on a baby that refuses to sleep during the trip. He is sleeping now though, and that is a good thing. After he wakes up I'll feed him and we'll go to the birthday party to pick up DD (oh yeah, we picked up DS#2 before lunch). THEN we plan to try to go to have dinner with my wife (depending on how busy they are and whether I feel like driving there).
Soccer results? Well, DS#2 was in a "club friendly" and they won 6–1. DS#1's team dominated the other team most of the game but managed to lose 2–1 due to a penalty kick in the last 3 minutes. I have never seen his coach complain about officials because it is a "rough job man." Today, he was NOT happy with the official and made it abundantly clear. Let's just say there should not have been a PK called in that game. Worse yet, two PKs that give the team a win.
Oh well, enough complaining, DS#3 is awake so it is almost time to get "on the road again."
Today has been hectic, my wife is on-call which, for her, means she is at work until 7 AM tomorrow. DD and DS#2 had soccer games scheduled at 9:00 and DS#1 had a game at 10:00. Basically, I dropped DD off with a friend who took her to her game and will take her to a birthday party where I will pick her up. She is having a blast playing in their pool right now. Then I ran DS#2 over to his soccer game and left him with the team manager there so I could run DS#1 out to his game. DS#3 began to get very unimpressed with all of the driving. an hour and a half in the car is rough on a baby that refuses to sleep during the trip. He is sleeping now though, and that is a good thing. After he wakes up I'll feed him and we'll go to the birthday party to pick up DD (oh yeah, we picked up DS#2 before lunch). THEN we plan to try to go to have dinner with my wife (depending on how busy they are and whether I feel like driving there).
Soccer results? Well, DS#2 was in a "club friendly" and they won 6–1. DS#1's team dominated the other team most of the game but managed to lose 2–1 due to a penalty kick in the last 3 minutes. I have never seen his coach complain about officials because it is a "rough job man." Today, he was NOT happy with the official and made it abundantly clear. Let's just say there should not have been a PK called in that game. Worse yet, two PKs that give the team a win.
Oh well, enough complaining, DS#3 is awake so it is almost time to get "on the road again."
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Daisies
DD is in Daisy Girl Scouts (I think that is what it is called). They had a "pinning" ceremony today so the whole family went to it. Basically, this means that DS#1 and #2 played outside at the playground, DS#3 fussed so he played outside on the ground, and DD had a great time. My wife, of course, took pictures.
Yes, the only day of the week without something soccer related and we had to find something else for the whole family to do.
It has been a good day and I am looking forward to a bit of reading before going to sleep. I might just go to sleep, I need it, but that probably won't happen.
I have a lot of plans for tomorrow, the list of "things to do" is, well, impressively long. Okay, it is clearly so long that there is no way on earth I can get through all of it. I do hope to knock as many things off the list as possible. Unfortunately, the reason it is so long is that I didn't get some of today's list done. Not upset about it though. Today's list was rather long too.
Anyway, I hope to have an update to the website posted tomorrow. I was waiting for a few bios from some authors but I guess if I'll just post them when they come in. We'll see what else I am able to add in.
Yes, the only day of the week without something soccer related and we had to find something else for the whole family to do.
It has been a good day and I am looking forward to a bit of reading before going to sleep. I might just go to sleep, I need it, but that probably won't happen.
I have a lot of plans for tomorrow, the list of "things to do" is, well, impressively long. Okay, it is clearly so long that there is no way on earth I can get through all of it. I do hope to knock as many things off the list as possible. Unfortunately, the reason it is so long is that I didn't get some of today's list done. Not upset about it though. Today's list was rather long too.
Anyway, I hope to have an update to the website posted tomorrow. I was waiting for a few bios from some authors but I guess if I'll just post them when they come in. We'll see what else I am able to add in.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)