Its been no one thing. More like a perfict storm of little things.
As you all may know, I've got a son who's now a year and a month old. Well, he caught his first little cold at the start of the month as a little bug swept through our families. Near as we can tell, he got it first (though how is a mistery, since he dosen't go out) and I got it from him and gave it to my wife, who caught it right at a low ebb in her immune cycle and got hit like a hurricane. The resualt was a lot of time taking care of people and my self, some missed work, and that sort of thing. Wouldn't have been so bad, except that coencided with a computer falure, and right before a big family vacation. The resualt was that we were low on usable funds and desperate to get better quickly, and the computer, and so this game, simply got put off. Eventualy, I got first the system and then the internet working and was able to pop on to check in, but the main reason was to get the internet airline check in up, and we've spent the last week in the sun on a very much needed (and wonderful) vacation.
So, now I'm back. At least in the sense I'll be on line. I've still got 120 or so PMs to look through (most I can probably pass over, but we'll see), along with the month's posting.
I've also seen first hand how it is to be away from the game for a month. Sure, some of it I was misrable with dissese, but much of the time it was just fine. Nice not to worry, to be able to spend time with my son. And I think that as a resualt over the next turn or two I'm going to really try and back off from this. I still want to be around, don't get me wrong. I love the story, I love the people (most of them, most of the time
) and I want to keep up with that. But I also remember why I steped down from faction leadership in the first place, and I'd like to do that again.
I'll freely admit here that I bit off more than I could chew. I longed in some ways for the old days, though I could have my old life and my new one at the same time, and I was wrong, and I let people and the game as a whole down in some ways. My grand plans to RP out Randis feel by the way side, even as the awaited and planned for oppertunity for a last stand came and went. My triumphant return to the Mandrills to try and save them and the cherictors and the faction I'd worked for over so many years did come off, but with little transpariancy, with little RP, and with the crash of my computer still no fully updated orders (sorry Dave, I've got some half done ones I pulled from emails, but that's it). I though it would be better for the game to have someone, anyone, running this factions than no one, and maybe I was right. But maybe I was not.
That said, if anyone wants a share of anything I have going on, let me know. I'll probably say in the Adders, since there's almost no work for me to do there (Dis and Grae handle it on their own quite nicely, so I can just RP when I feel like it), but I'd love to see the Camels find a good home with someone who wants them, and Randis in exile could certanly offer some fun oppertunities (I've got ten great stories in my head and no time or energy to tell them). I'll even speak with the GMs about the latest role I've taken on at some point.
In the intrest of full disclosure, I should note that some of this will serve to free time for the long awated sixth edition of the FGC over on the other boards. I don't want any supprises. But, at the same time, I hope to apply the lessons I've learned from this game about the value of my time there as well. The days of a very active IM, one who can run several factions and generate pages of RP, are likely gone for good, or at least for the next few years untill the kids are all in school and I've got more free moments. But this game is new and offers some exciting elements, and it too is something that I want to try and be a part of.
PM me if you have anything to say, though don't be supprised if it takes a while for a responce. Or just post here or the sign up thread if you want one of my jobs.
