Gary Con Day 4: Weasel Disguises, Daylight Savings Confusion, And Bumper Crunchin'

Ah, the last day of a convention is always bitter-sweet. Trying to squeeze in a few more precious hours of gaming while also packing up everything you brought (and purchased) for the long sojourn home. The final report for the final day of Gary Con will be short, as I only ran one game, and I don't think you want to read about my 7-hour trip home. So, one last time for the event, these are my thoughts and "random encounters" as the day happens. Here we go:

• This morning's mental arithmetic: "Let's see, I forgot to reset my car's clock before I drove to Wisconsin which is in the Central Time Zone. I'm in Eastern so I...drop back an hour? My phone reset to the correct time, but now it's Daylight Savings, so that's another hour I lost? Or did I gain it? What time will it be when I get home later tonight? Hell, is it Saturday or Sunday?" So I go up at 4:30 a.m. just to be safe, because I'm still not truly sure what time it is.
• The wind was howling and blowing all night. I was hesitant to look out the window for fear of seeing 8 inches of snow or something. But it looks like all is clear, just windy and cold. I'm from Ohio. I can do "cold" no problem. I just don't want to make a 7-hour roadtrip this afternoon in snow.
• My pal Justin asked me to pick up the newest DCC adventure for him, so I need to hit the vendor's hall when they first open at 10 a.m. However, my game begins at 10 a.m. right down the hall. I'll need to ask my group's indulgence to start 5 minutes late as I dash up the hall and back to complete my geas. (Now THERE'S a D&D term you don't get to use in everyday conversation!) 
• Speaking of fantasy tropes, my final playtest game of FORSOOTH! was a rollicking rousing success as we laughed so hard, three players had headaches. (Need to add a warning to the book: Playing FORSOOTH! could lead to brain damage. Play with caution.) Some events of note: The thief disguised himself as a weasel (long story), startling the fighter, who decked him so hard he flew across the room and left his impression on the far wall; while trying to control the mind of a chicken, the magic user failed the roll and found himself body-swapped with afore-mentioned poultry. Sadly, his chicken-minded body tried to take flight and plummeted off the side of a very tall bridge; cleric smites the Big Bad Villain who yells out "Who ARE you people?", followed by the fighter's blows to his face: "What did I do to any of you?", followed by another round of beatings, "DID MY EX-WIFE SEND YOU!?". Every five minutes the game paused while we all caught our breath from laughing so hard. Damn, this was fun both times I ran it, which is what I wanted from this parody RPG. Thanks to all my playtesters!

• Gary Con's dates for next year have already been announced: March 26-29, 2020. SAVE THE DATE!
• ARGH. On my way home last night, I got hit by a truck. At a toll booth, the truck (hauling a flat bed trailer) must've pulled too far forward. He tossed it in reverse and backed into me. He paid his toll and pulled forward and (I thought) looked like he was pulling over to deal with this. I paid my toll (very flustered at the time), pulled through...and he was GONE. I drove like hell to catch up, but he must've taken an exit or something before I could find him. Only damage though was to my license plate frame and a small scuff on my front bumper. I got lucky, but I'm still seething over the event. Not exactly a good way to end my weekend...
• Complaints about my personal bumper car event aside, Gary Con reminds me once again of what I love about this hobby -- the people. All of my players and GMs were top-notch folks. The folks who organize this con do a fantastic job, going far above and beyond to ensure everyone is comfortable and welcomed. Gary Con feels like a family reunion -- with lots more gaming than you get at Gramma's house. I cannot praise the convention enough, and I'll be back in 2020!

Here are a few pix to round out my last report...

Today's Gary Con shirt is one of my own design. Available at my Zazzle page! 

A hush falls over the empty hallways. In the distance, you heard the approach of bleary-eyed gamers. Roll for initiative.

Gary Con just swallowed up the Grand Geneva for four days.

 Upon arriving home, my new Gary Con cap now joins my other gaming caps.