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 Post subject: My 2012 GenCon experience
PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2012 2:11 pm 
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Back from GenCon and a few days to recover. I think I'm ready to offer my thoughts and opinions on this year's ultimate Star Wars Minis experience. First of all, I would not have had this experience without Trevor, Ray, and Josh to help make it happen. Thanks, guys... this was by far my favorite GenCon.

It was my intention this year to publicly and personally thank people involved in our game for their varied ways of reaching out to me in those dark hours after finding out my wife Debbie had cancer. I have been able to discuss her cancer almost dispassionately on SHNN, SWMiniverse and Minis Mayham. People talk to me almost daily about it and I've become good at keeping my emotions in check. The plan was to ask for a moment during one of the awards ceremonies. When I was selected to receive the Sportsmanship Award, I tried to seize that opportunity. Unfortunately, I was so surprised and touched to receive it (I had lobbied to Ray earlier for someone else I had observed that I thought deserved it) that I couldn't articulate what I wanted to say to all of you. Sorry about that... but that honor on top of what this community had already done for me was too much for me to hold back the flood of emotions. I can do that now.

When I first found out Debbie had cancer, the first 2 people I called in our community were Dean and Ray. Dean immediately alerted our community and opened a forum for people to express their well wishes and thoughts. I can't tell you all of the ways Dean reached out for me over the subsequent months, but it was a constant comfort. Thank you, Dean. Ray was a constant prayer warrior and was directly involved in the custom vset gift I was to receive from the community later. Our friendship grew greatly during this time. Thank you, Ray. Bill was also responsible for that custom vset and shared with me his personal experience with his father, who passed a year before mine. He truly understands my pain and fears and has reached out many times with comfort. Thank you, Bill. In recent months Trevor Payton has reached out to me like the pastor he is. Sometimes christians like to ascribe reward or judgement to events affecting people. I won't do that, but will instead say that if I couldn't win the championship the one person I wanted to win it was Trevor. Thank you, Trevor. To all of you involved on that vset gift I want to say thank you, even though I've said it before. To all of you who have reached out to me personally or through the forums once again I say thank you. There are those of you whose political, religious, and social views are very different from mine yet you set those aside to speak words of comfort to me. That speaks to your heart and character and I say thank you.

Since this has become such a long post, let me switch gears and give you my top 5 and bottom 5 moments at GenCon this year.

Top 5: Using the whiskey strategy to defeat Graham and Daniel in Citadels Wednesday night.

Top 4: Any conversation with Graham that weekend, whether I was sober or not.

Top 3: Being the first to go to Hooters with Bill and then us also being the last to leave. The whole night, from what I remember of it.

Top 2: Beating Daniel in the Mystery Map tournament and turning all of his power pieces into rakghouls.

Top 1: Playing that young kid in the Bounty Hunter Challenge even though I lost and only got 1 Teddy Graham to eat.

Top Honorable Mention: My team getting 2nd place in the Royal Rumble Team Tournament and me scoring the most points of all of the individual players.

Bottom 5: My disappointment in not being able to see Eric Frost or Jake Schuler at GenCon this year.

Bottom 4: Waking up with a hangover Saturday morning.

Bottom 3: Trying to get ready to assume the role of Bounty Hunter Challenge Protector Saturday morning and watching Bill walk into the exhibition hall like he'd gotten laid and then 8 hours of sleep.

Bottom 2: Once again mis-reading the meta and finishing 2-4 in the championship. I built my squad to handle Mace/Gowk and faced it once. However, I faced the two worst matchups I could instead. Thanks Obama.

Bottom 1: Saying goodbye to all of you.

Well, this is long enough for now. Hit 'Submit', Jim.

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 Post subject: Re: My 2012 GenCon experience
PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2012 2:25 pm 
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Darth_Jim wrote:
Thanks Obama.


This made me actually laugh out loud at work. Atlanta memes are the best memes. :lol:

It was, as always, awesome to see you and hang out with you this year, Jim. You were greatly missed last year (and the fact that you couldn't make it was one of the main reasons we drove up to Maryland for last year's regional), and I can say for a fact that many people were excited that you could be there this year. You're a great member of the community and just always a pleasure to be around.

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 Post subject: Re: My 2012 GenCon experience
PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2012 3:03 pm 
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Jim, you always make me smile and laugh. It was so much fun driving to Gencon and back with you...even if we had to stop every 15 minutes to appease your bladder!

Seriously, we've got a great community and I could tell that everyone was happy when Ray gave you the Epic Sportsmanship Award.

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 Post subject: Re: My 2012 GenCon experience
PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2012 8:02 pm 
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If you are referring to the the rot gut that Weeks brought and tried to pass off as Whiskey on Wednesday might, I am surprised that Daniel and Graham are not blind. :)

It was a pleasure to see you my friend. When ever you are in Indiana, I will leave the light on for ya.

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 Post subject: Re: My 2012 GenCon experience
PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2012 8:11 pm 
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LESHIPPY wrote:
If you are referring to the the rot gut that Weeks brought and tried to pass off as Whiskey on Wednesday might, I am surprised that Daniel and Graham are not blind. :)


I think you misunderstand the "whiskey strategy"; Jim was actually the one drinking. It was kind of embarrasing to lose like that to a drunk man. Unfortunately that was just the beginning of embarrasing losses for both me and Graham.

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 Post subject: Re: My 2012 GenCon experience
PostPosted: Wed Aug 22, 2012 10:34 am 
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Jim cracked me up Wed. when he ended every sentance with "bitches".

MAJOR thanx to Jim for talking to me before my match with Bill on Sun.
I was soo nervous I was literaly shaking.With your help I could face my
genocide(thanx Obama) and still laugh and have fun.

HOPE to see you at Wampa and beyond!

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 Post subject: Re: My 2012 GenCon experience
PostPosted: Wed Aug 22, 2012 11:42 am 
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LESHIPPY wrote:
If you are referring to the the rot gut that Weeks brought and tried to pass off as Whiskey on Wednesday might, I am surprised that Daniel and Graham are not blind. :)

It was a pleasure to see you my friend. When ever you are in Indiana, I will leave the light on for ya.



Wednesday is a blur, I'm not sure what I was drinking but I do recall the liquor store guy saying it was good. All I know is apparently we played werewolf and stone age and Daniel kept me from getting ran over by cars.

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 Post subject: Re: My 2012 GenCon experience
PostPosted: Wed Aug 22, 2012 12:22 pm 
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Weeks wrote:
All I know is apparently we played werewolf and stone age and Daniel kept me from getting ran over by cars.


Barely! You really wanted to walk into the street....

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 Post subject: Re: My 2012 GenCon experience
PostPosted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 8:16 pm 
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I'll just throw this in here,

Jim it's always a pleasure being able to interact with you in our remote way. I wish you the best in the future for you and your family. You are a great man, and a stand up (though perhaps last week it was fall-down) guy.

To all the friends I've made around here and through the game, I'm sorry that I couldn't make it down this year to see you all. I would have loved to share your company again, one more time. Just remember that when your country's economy and political systems collapse, you can some hide with me :D, but really if you're ever visiting the "Hat of 'Merica", you're more the welcome.

I know I haven't been around much lately. You can always catch me hanging about.. on the Jedi Covenant Server in SW:TOR.

Cheers!

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 Post subject: Re: My 2012 GenCon experience
PostPosted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 9:43 pm 
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