Annnnnd...I'm here in glorious Madison, Wisconsin, for my first Gamehole Con! Those who've read previous posts from The Savage AfterWorld know I'm an old hand at game conventions, but this is the first year I'll be attending GHC. (I missed last year's GHC due to a death in the family. The GHC folks were kind enough to credit my account for next year's event -- which is this one!)
With every game convention I've ever attended, I have filed a daily travelogue so folks who couldn't make it would be able to game vicariously through my thoughts, photos, and amusing anecdotes. As usual with these little travelogues, I'll share what I've seen and done to give you a feel for what's going on each day. The con starts tomorrow, but the adventures have already begun! Here we go:
- The drive out to Wisconsin was appropriately spooky for the Halloween season. When I left Ohio, it was mysteriously foggy out. And to put myself in the mood, Radio Classics on Sirius XM was playing nothing but horror radio shows like Lights Out, The Inner Sanctum, The Hermit's Cave, etc. I really wish I had scheduled a game of Cryptworld for Halloween while there.
- While passing through Indiana, I passed a semi-truck from Beech Bend Amusement Park. This little amusement park in Kentucky was a HUGE part of my childhood. We used to go there all the time when I was around 6 or 7 years old. Here it is, 50 years later, and seeing this truck brought back a TON of nostalgia. Need to try to get back there as an adult.
- My wife has had a really bad "cold" for the last 72 hours, and I've been gargling Clorox bleach to try to keep it at bay. Got a text on the road that it was actually a sinus infection, which isn't contagious. So, bad for her, but YAY, I won't come down with something while I'm at GHC!
- There was a fly buzzing around the interior of my car since leaving Ohio. As I passed into Wisconsin, it landed on the window, so I rolled it down and sucked him out. Sorry Wisconsin for introducing an Ohioan insect into your biosphere.
- I learned that a roadsign that says "WARNING: STANDING WATER AHEAD" can be rephrased "YOU'RE ABOUT TO HIT A LAKE DOING 55 MPH".
- I had no idea I would be passing within spitting distance of Lake Geneva on my way here. The directions to Gamehole Con could be paraphrased as "Go to Gary Con, then hang a right."
- Had my first salt truck sighting of the season. I'm from Ohio, so these are common -- but not for another couple of weeks. 'Tis the season...
- Stopped by the Center and got all of my pre-gen stuff. Seems like folks are milling about and getting prepped for tomorrow. I also dropped off my new MCC RPG adventure "Dead In The Water", which will be on sale in the Goodman Games booth tomorrow...and elsewhere online! (Announcement coming up in just a couple of hours!)
- Argh, I was planning on running a pick-up Cryptworld game here at my hotel for some folks. But the front desk tells me the open gaming room isn't available until Thursday. Instead, I ahd one person show up, so Christian and I headed up to my room where I ran him through a 1-on-1 adventure versus the horrors in Vinton Hills Metropolitan Hospital in "Condition Critical". I also gifted him with a armload of swag. Hope you enjoyed the game, Christian!
- Tomorrow I have nothing scheduled until the afternoon when I'm running folks through several games of Horrified: the Universal Monsters Boardgame by Ravensburger. Thought this would be a fun low-key way to start my convention (and get in some gaming of my own that day!)
And, as always, here are some photos from today's sojourn and adventures:
Beech Bend Park! Good lord, did this bring back memories!
View from my room at the Sheraton. Gamehole Con is in the building across the street. Hold on, I'll zoom in...
There you go. That's clearer, isn't it?
Swung by the Alliance Energy Center and grabbed my badge and swag, so I'm all set for the games to begin!
Holy crow. Snow. Here we go.
And my badge, shirt, and schedule lie in wait for tomorrow's events to begin in earnest.
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