Like many of my fellow writers for Skirmisher, this past week has seen me working on the preparations for the game I will be demonstrating at Comicpalooza next week.

I have mixed feelings about this year. I sort of want to have a lot of the time for myself to look around, take photos and enjoy it. However, I won’t be able to do so. I made a commitment and I will be following through on it.

Sure, I will take a little time to meet Jonathan Maberry and get all his Joe Ledger novels autographed, and I will be meeting Roddy Piper as well, but those will be fairly quick. Well, I do want to take an hour and sit in on Jonathan’s panel on Friday. I’m sure Michael O. Varhola will not object.

My prep-work consists of making up a number of pre-generated characters for the Mutant Future game I will be demonstrating. I also have to roll up a number of random encounters and make sure that I create a table to roll from.

I need to write up a schedule of topics I want to cover when it comes to character creation as well, and make sure I have a sign-up sheet ready so that after the con, I can send the participants the ‘beta’ copies of the mutation and alternate character creation rules.

Tonight, after posting this blog, I will also be getting my gear packed together. Pointless me waiting until next Wednesday to do that, as I need to make a list and check everything I am planning on bringing.

I wanted to travel light, but considering I will be participating in the LARP (god above, how did I ever get talked into that!), I need to bring my Mako and Amon costumes (from Avatar: The legend of Korra). I also need to bring part of my Colonial Marine uniform, as I will be wearing that while I demonstrate the Mutant Future game.

And I also have to pack some extra clothing. After all, who the hell wants to wear the same socks and underwear for six days… not I.

I’m really trying to decide if I will print out extra blank sheets for the attendee’s to use. We shall see if I do or not. I probably will, as that will be integral to the character creation Michael wants me to run.

I’m also very tempted to print out the mutation rules… maybe not multiple copies, but at least a single copy for myself. I have a lot of work to make the damned game playable. It’s old school, for sure but there is just so much missing from it.

Amazingly enough, I finished chapter 19 of Buck Who? Despite all the work I’ve been putting into preparation. I have even managed to write nearly half of chapter 20 this weekend. Tomorrow is another day off, and I will continue to work on it and see if there is any chance I can finish it before Tuesday.

Of course Chapter 17 was posted on Friday. It was later than usual, but I still managed to get it online. I’m not sure if I can do the same this week. I might have to post  chapter 18 before I leave on Thursday, as my laptop does not have a working modem.

That pisses me off!

Starting either this week or after Comicpalooza, I will posting two mutants every Monday. I want to reach at least fifty mutant monstrosities before the end of the year. It means more work for me, but more fun for my readers.

This week I posted the Chance Deer and even posted a bonus mutation as well. Tomorrow I will be posting another humanoid, possibly two.

Nothing new this week from Skirmisher, and probably not for the next few weeks as well. Hey, cut them some slack, they have a lot on their plate at the moment!

On a personal note, this week was quite exciting for me. As most of you know, I train Shaolin Kung Fu. I have been doing so for nearly 7 years now. I should have been tested for my Brown Belt  over a year and a half ago, but what kept me from the test was three factors. First, I did not know how badly my knee had been injured in sparring almost three years ago. I know now the pain I feel is nothing more than a build-up of scar tissue. So I can train hard, without fear of causing further injury.

The other two factors is I need to re-learn a form called 18 Temple Motions. It is a very easy form, despite the name, and I figure in the next two weeks I will re-learn it. If you don’t continue to practice a form at least a few times a week, it is very easy to forget it!

And of course, another form we call ‘Staff 1’. Due to circumstances I have never had a chance to learn that form, other than a few basic moves, over the past two years.

This week I finally finished the form. This means I will be getting my next belt test in the very near future. I am very eager for this, believe me!  And if things go well, I will learn staff three by the end of the year, which means I can also get my black belt.

Terry, my instructor and friend, said I have the skill and knowledge, I just need my forms. I have more than enough time when it comes to teaching the students, I just need to practice. That’s damn good to know.

I managed to finish reading ‘Deadly Shores’ By Taylor Anderson. It is book 9 in his most excellent Destroyermen series and I loved it. The novel was bitter-sweet in some aspects, but it left me wanting more. As is the case with his entire series. At least the latest book was just released so I can purchase it.

And on that note, I will close this week’s blog. As always, please feel free to follow me on Facebook (I’m up to 143 now!) as well as on Twitter (53 there!). The more followers I gain, the better it is.

I don’t know if I will be able to post a blog next week, as I will still be in Houston. I will do what I can to do so. It comes down to having access to a computer where I can use the internet. So if there is nothing from me next week, I will post in two.

Until next time, peace!

PS this week's blog image comes from Swshbuckle Studio, and shows various scenes from the Destroyermen series.