“Hit me, D-Man!”
“Uh… hi.”
“Unnnbelievable!”
So, after various fits and starts, I’ve finally reached the point where I want to do some “real” blogging, if not for other people to read, then to capture my thoughts and interests for posterity.
My name is Mike. I am married, with a son and daughter. I work in IT as a systems administrator, though my degree is in electrical engineering.
My real interest is in gaming, particularly board and card games. A slogan I use on other sites is “Games – Play, Discuss, Design.” My earliest memories of gaming are playing Avalon Hill wargames that my Dad purchased and, being his likeliest potential opponent, taught me, starting with Gettysburg and Battle of the Bulge. I later discovered Dungeons & Dragons, Risk and BattleTech. Lots of card games – I took it as a sign of growing up as I was allowed to play more and more cards with my parents and aunts & uncles – Cribbage, Smear (what some call Pitch), Rummy, Pinochle. The dawn of the Commodore 64 era brought computer gaming into the household, and The Bard’s Tale launched the CRPG scene for me.
Along the way, I also did what many like me have done: make up my own games. Rules tweaks on existing games, adventure games drawn on big pieces of paper, ad hoc roleplaying systems in college. This all lie dormant for quite a while, though, until a little something called Magic: The Gathering whisked me away, not just to the realm of five-color magic, but into the world of deck building. A succession of CCGs, some good and some justifiably forgettable, ate away at my disposable income until I finally burned out on them for the most part.
Enter The Settlers of Catan in (for me) late 2003. Wow, we were blown away. My game collection grew rapidly, and with it, a rekindling of the creative spirit. Fortunately, a couple friends are likewise inclined and the itch gets scratched.
Anyhoo. Other interests include movies (get the quote up top?), books when I’m in the mood, travel, music, and technology in general. Let’s see how that all translates into a blog…
(Last updated: 2009.04.05)