In a month, I'll begin another year-long government-sponsored trip to the Middle East. And by "begin," I mean "sit around stateside for 2+ months getting shots, standing in line, filling out forms, and getting rained on, before actually going to the desert to bake for the remainder of the year." This weekend I packed the preliminary part of my baggage and loaded it for transport, and I think I just about the only person in the unit who filled his footlocker with actual stuff, instead of random crap intended to just take up space.

Gaming has been a hobby of mine for over twenty years. I received the red D&D box as a gift when I was about ten, and my dad bought Axis & Allies right around the same time, thus sinking the twin hooks of role playing and board gaming into me at a young age. In my teens I did my best to buy my parents out of house and home by devouring every RPG and miniature game product in sight, spending hours at the FLGS playing, plotting, and idolizing the proprietor (John - who was godlike in my eyes, by simultaneously going to college, working at a game store, AND having an attractive wife who played games!).