Now that my new home within my home is more or less completed, it’s time to actually have some fun in here. But as you might have noticed, I don’t confine my hobbies to just one or two interests. So, instead of making things up as I go, I’ve decided to put together a little “to-do” list as far as projects I’d like to get done in the near and not-so-near future.
Resurrect my AD&D campaign
I’m planning on introducing my kids to role-playing games in about two or three years when they’ll be 8 & 11. With that goal in mind, I’ve started working on a new campaign setting (the old one is no longer with us). Right now, it only consists of a few pages of scribbled notes. I’m hoping to sit down this Fall and start fleshing things out. By the time my kids are ready to play, I should have things nailed down to the the the tiniest detail. And I promise that my world will NOT be named “Aerth.”
One thing I’m going to be looking at soon is mapping software. While there’ll always be a soft spot in my heart for my old paper & colored pencil maps, I’m ready to enter the 21st Century when it comes to this aspect of gaming.
Another AD&D related project I plan to work on is a new DM screen. I’m thinking of constructing a really pimped out version with video screens facing the players and a built-in dice tower. More on that when I get started.
Launch some model rockets
When I was in 6th Grade, a friend who lived in my neighborhood invited me down to a cotton field near our subdivision one Saturday afternoon. He didn’t tell me what we’d be doing, only that it’d be really cool. As I pulled up on my bike, I found my friend, his big brother, and his dad setting up a model rocket launch pad. We spent the afternoon launching various rockets and I was hooked.
For my birthday that year, I asked for my own model rockets and was psyched to get a nice little starter set from Estes. A few days later I was launching rockets of my own in a field near my house and was soon designing my own rockets and experiments. I launched my fair share of grasshoppers into low Earth orbit.
While I haven’t played around with model rocketry since then, I’ve always know that once my son reached a certain age, I’d be diving back in. Well, that time has come and I’ve already purchased some simple Estes kits to assemble with Max. All that’s left is to procure a launch pad and launch system, and we’ll be blasting off in no time.
Modeling projects
As I’ve talked about recently, I’m ready to build some models. I’m probably going to tackle a couple relatively easy kits before starting on the U.S.S. Cygnus from the 1979 Disney movie, The Black Hole. The kit, from MPC, looks like it has good potential and I’m hoping to add a bit of extra detailing when I do tackle it.
Besides spacecraft to suspend from the ceiling, I’m also thinking about starting a Warhammer and Warhammer 40K army. Luckily, most of my Games Workshop kits survived the fire (even if the boxes are worse for wear). I had about 1/2 of a Vampire Counts army assembled and ready for painting. All that survived from that army were about 25 zombie models. I’d also like to get started on Imperial Guard, Tyranids, and Space Marines armies. Sounds like a lot I know but I’ll just have to pace myself.
Hunt for treasure
Here’s one I know virtually nothing about, but I’ve always wanted to try. So this Summer, we’re taking a family vacation to the Alabama & Florida Gulf Coast and we’re bringing a metal detector. I’m not expecting to find a pirate chest or anything. Just a few coins and I’ll be happy.
I’ve got a couple months til the trip, so I’ve got time to read up and learn some tips and techniques. I’ll be posting on my successes (or massive failure) after the trip.
Organize my comic book collection
This is one of those projects that I’m dreading. The good news is that I’ve already cataloged them in Word, so all I have to do is put them in alphabetical order and label the boxes. But still, the thought of spending the day flopping around on the floor with my bad back just doesn’t sound like fun.
Of course, on top of that, I’m vacillating on whether I should put them in straight alphabetical order (like I had my old collection), or should I divide them by Silver, Bronze, and Modern Age? I’m always reminded of that scene in the movie High Fidelity where John Cusack tackles reorganizing his record collection. His friend tries to guess his method and is dumbstruck when Cusack announces that it’s not alphabetical…it’s “autobiographical.”
However I decide to do it, it’s a huge monkey on my back and I need to get it done. I’ve got a good many of DC’s New 52 in various boxes and I’m ready to get caught up. Now if I can just get a day to set aside and a Sam’s Club sized tube of Ben-Gay for the old Lumbar spine.
Well, that’s about it for now. Just these projects alone should keep me busy for awhile, and I didn’t even make it to get a telescope, build a Warhammer/40K table, re-read The Lord of the Rings, have a “10 Best Sci-Fi Flicks” film festival and break open the shrinkwrap on Space Marine for my PS3…
Copyright 2012 It Came From The Nerd Cave