My Life.

It was eleven years ago to the day today that my life started unravelling. (Actually, it had been that way for some time, but I'd been oblivious to it.) That, too, was a Monday. Now that I feel that after a long, long decline, things may be starting to look up consistently, maybe it's time to put some of this stuff down here. It will cast a little light on why this blog has been slightly short on updates in the past two years or so.

I spent more than seventeen years with my first girlfriend. We were deliriously in love for a long time, and mostly happy all the way through, and desperately tried to make it work to the bitter end. Had we been willing to face it, it could have ended on that June evening in 2002. She came in and told me she'd been having an affair for nearly a year. It certainly explained the odd behaviour, the unexplained absences, the times when she'd come home crying without giving a reason. I was shocked, but in my shock I resolved to tough it out and not make hasty decisions. Neither of us were willing to throw away the good we'd had.

Monsters Under the Bed

I'll post soonish about the reason for my extended absence from blogging. In the meantime, I'm posting my favourite Calvin & Hobbes strip (one of them, at any rate), if for no other reason then so that I'll always know where I can find it.

Various Secret Continents

I have a number of artistically inclined friends, and occasionally they allow me the opportunity to lend assistance with some project or another of theirs. Some time ago, Aleksi Eeben, a musician got inspired to produce a theme album of songs about salamanders. He asked me to supply vocals for one of the songs. (I suppose you can call them that, even though I don't - indeed can't - sing.) Now that the album, Various Secret Continents (you have to speak Finnish to appreciate the pun), is finished, the end result can be heard here.
The Snow Salamander (Feat. Antti Hukkanen) by aleksieeben

If it sounds "gamey", that's no coincidence: the artist cites DoDonPachi as an influence. ^_^

The songs are licensed under a Creative Commons licence, but if you like what you hear, why not buy the whole album? At a dollar a track, it's an inexpensive way to show your appreciation, and the artist is donating all proceeds to the animal welfare association (they care for salamanders too).

In the Beginning...

The indefatigable Johnn Four recounted the tale of how he discovered RPGs in this week's Roleplaying Tips issue. That got me thinking about a gaming blog of my own, again, and I decided that there are few ways more natural to start one than the story of how it all began!

In a World Where Blogging Is Expected...

Hello.

You're probably thinking, "What, another blog? Weren't there enough already?" (If you weren't, now you are.) Truth be told, I debated starting my own blog for several years, pro and con. Judging by the home page I used to have once upon a time, I'm not the hottest updater in the world. Also, for a long time, I was not at all convinced that I have anything to say that could in any way be relevant to anyone else. And what's the point of having a blog if you're not speaking words of great wisdom at regular intervals?

But then I realised that's not what I believe. I believe it's not necessary to be best, as long as you're honest. I believe that you can seldom tell in advance what will come in useful later. And I believe in doing what you can, in the hope that it will help someone, somewhere. After all, this is the Internet, and it's theoretically possible to reach anyone.

This past year has been one of great learning and personal growth for me. I won't be talking about that, here. ^_^ (Not much, at any rate.) Most lessons I only figured out long after the fact. I've come to terms with the fact that there are people who have benefitted from knowing me. I hope the next year will bring more.

So, hello. Nice of you to drop by. Please come again - and leave a note if you feel like it.