Pittsburgh Game-A-Palooza

January 18, 19 and 20th!

Fun times ahead! Lots of planning wiggle room for you out of towners. Friday, Saturday and Sunday with Monday being MLK Jr day. Start thinking about those travel plans! I know I can't wait. :-3

January 13-15 2012

Same as the last one, come in a day or so early and leave Monday if you like. I'm hoping to do food here, or go offsite to feed your faces. I don't care.

All I ask is that you give me a heads up if you plan to stay here. Gotta make sure to prep for you.

Also, there are cats.

Meet Pooka.

She's a brown, tabby. Chunky kitty. Sweet, loves any pettings. Not a mean bone in her fat, furry body. Warning: She steals food. Guard carefully.

Meet Dusty.

Dusty is a silver tabby, bottle raised by Wayne's sister. She's very sweet but a little skittish. She may take a little while to warm to you, but when she does she usually loves you for life. Don't be offended if you have pets and she hisses at you. She likely smells them.

Meet Fygarr.

This little darling is our smallest calibie (calico tabby). She's an ex-feral cat but friendly. She doesn't like strangers touching her back and sides, but she LOVES head scratchings and chin rubbies.

Meet Tas.

Here's Tas. She's one of the larger calibies and Pooka's litter sister. (Pooka actually has some marmalade and cream spots on her in a few secret places) Like Pooka she loves petting, any kind of petting. Without restriction. Also, Tas is short for Tasselhoff. She's like her Kender namesake, curious and unafraid.

Meet Neko.

I bottle raised this holy terror. She's not a bad kitty, she's just a little aggressive and not afraid to violently tell you she doesn't like something you're doing. You can know this little calibie by the dirty spots on her muzzle. If you pet her, do it carefully and stick to the back of her neck. If she flops onto her back and presents her belly, it is tempting. It's a TRAP!

Meet Zoe.

This puffball is the last of our housecats. She's a darling but a little fearful. If you're staying in the guestroom then you'll be sharing quarters with her. The other cats don't like her much, but we love her. She's affectionate and loves nighttime snuggles. Scritchies to the chin and cheeks are her favourites!

With some out-of-towners arriving as early as Wednesday we were planning a Mixer Meet-N-Greet on Thursday. If you're of mind, feel free to stop by after eight. Hang out. Have a cocktail. Meet people you don't know yet. Poke each other with sticks. I don't care, just let me know if you plan on coming so I can make sure there's enough snacks. Maybe I'll make one of my infamous party balls.

If you plan to drink you need to be sure you're safe. I would rather you couch surf then drive.

Also, if you're not sure if you will be able to make it, please do feel free to still come if you find yourself able. Just give me a heads up that you can.

Or anything.

That's right, monkeys, only twenty-five days to go!

A few updates:

I've created a links page with You Tube videos for some of the games and how to play them. Useful if you're interested in some of the games on our game list but haven't played them yet.

There are still no expressions of interest in the Street Fighter tournament. Please let me know if you are interested and just haven't said so yet.

Wayne's had no bites on the table top TBD RPG one shot game. He created a thread in the forum. Please do let us know if you did want to play.

In other news

Out-of-towners: Please touch base with me and/our reconfirm if you are planning to stay here. I would like to make sure we're all set in terms of sleeping arrangements and where you can stow your things.

Profiles

For some unknown reason the site does not show a member on the page until you fill out your profile. Don't ask me. Even when the questions are set to not required. So.. Go put something on your profile.... Because then you'll be on the members page. This doesn't affect your ACTUAL site membership, it just affects your visibility on the site.

Meals/Nutrition

While at Sam's Club I did some pricing on food. I just wanted to see what cost how much etc etc before making a decision:

I will be planning to FEED people. This will, hopefully, make things much easier for you. I'm planning on dinner Thursday for early arrivals, breakfast/lunch/dinner on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and breakfasty stuff for people who depart Monday.

Breakfast: Probably an assorment of muffins, cereal, fruit. Your standard, continental breakfast fare. We have a single cup coffee maker that makes the perfect temperature water for tea; also for which we have ample coffee packs.

Lunch: Sandwich/hoagie buns, lunchmeat, cheese, chips etc.

Dinner: Varied from burgers and dogs one night to chicken fingers another to probably some sort of pasta another and a casserole yet another. Nothing vegetarian, sorry guys! The majority being omniverous just sort of wins. HOWEVER, if you ARE vegetarian there is nothing to stop you from cooking up your own meals. I'm planning to premake a lot of things and thaw them during the day then bake off at night. This means that dinner will have an estimated time, will be buffet style and will be tasty. Always a veggie and Mama Jane will worry if you don't eat something green. I'll probably just stick a piece of paper to the fridge in the kitchen with hoped for dinner time and what it'll be.

There'll be snacks handy during the day and sweet type stuff if you're so inclined.

There's a 'Beer Store' near-by for those with the desire. This is a Pennsylvania thing. We sell beer two ways: By the case at a state government authorized store (a 'Beer Store') or by the six pack at very few grocery stores and with a small selection. 

Liquor. I have some, but all you lushes better not finish it. >:-P There are 'State Stores,' see 'Beer Store' but apply it to liquor and ONLY in those stores (wine as well). There's several not to far from here. You cannot go in with anybody under 21 and expect them to sell you anything.

If you have specific dietary restrictions please make me aware of them. I can try to accomodate some issues but things like Celiac/Gluten Free or dairy free will be difficult to do. With my lack of experience cooking that way I would be really worried that I'd accidently poison somebody. There are grocery stores near-by, and we will make sure that anybody who can't/doesn't want to have whatever is being served to the common population does get someplace, somehow to eat something. Even if it means finding and killing a deer from the backyard. I wouldn't suggest it, but hey.... PA does have the highest rate for hunters.

Out-Of-Towners

I am hoping to get 'welcome' packets sent out. I'll be including a sheet with a list of near-by groceries/restaurants and their addresses for those of you who are inclined to go off in search of food items. Mapquest works JUST fine in the 'Burgh. We are actually located in the boro of Baldwin, just to the south of Pittsburgh 'proper' and inside an area known as the South Hills.

Attendees

Right now I have two PAXites who are definitely planning to attend. One who is maybe leaning toward yes. Two who would like to but aren't sure yet. In additon, we have, including myself and Wayne, about nine people certain to be drifting in and out during the week. There are

Additional Attendees

If there is somebody you know that would like to attend please, please, please do let me know, but please do make sure that they drop me a line, somewhere, some how. While this is a really open event, it is still our home, and I'd be awfully keen to know who folks are! ^.^ I know, I know.. I'm OCD that way! Additionally, odds are good that the person invited is from out of town, if I don't know they're coming/know who they are then I cannot account for space for them. A final count will become more important closer to the weekend in terms of grocery shopping.

That is all I can think of right now. Soonish I hope to be posting a page with links to 'how to play' videos, rules and other useful tidbits regarding games that we have available to play. If you plan to bring a game, let me know and I'll be THRILLED to add it to the list! Sort of like a library catalog for what we can all try out.

That's all. Congratulations on reading this far!

I've filled out the GAP Games page with our complete game list. Please remember to check it out! I'm not planning to write in all the video games available. If you would like to bring your own for group play (no FPS or similar games please, two or more players only) please remember to make sure to keep track of them. Tuck a slip of paper into the cover with your name for instance.

Please, by all means, register for the site! It'll be easier to keep track of information that way. Shortly I'll likely begin updating here only, to make it easier. 

We've already got several PAXers planning to come, some who hope to come and some who are thinking about it still. Add that to the people who will be coming locally and other out of towners not familiar to PAX, and you'll be able to find somebody to play something with for sure!

Don't forget to 'register' for the two 'organized' events: Super Street Fighter II Turbo Challenge (prize from my own hands <3) and the One-Shot, Table Top Game (Setting TBD).

With the pool and hot tub planned to be open and lots to do locally even non-gamers will have something to tide their time. If you're a gamer coming with a non-gamer significant other or a gamer couple please make sure to let me know that when you inform me of your plans to come! If you're all right with flopping on the floor, let me know that too. We have available: full sized pull-out; queen sized pull-out; king sized guest room (with guaranteed kitty love) and a full sized blow up mattress. There's carpeted floorspace, and if you REALLY want to you can pitch a damn tent in the back yard.

It's like Woodstock, but with more acid and less games... Wait.. That's backward... Nevermind!

I'm making small changes here and there. Most recently I've changed the calendar view to be a list inside of by month. Got rid of all those pesky months BEFORE June. Stupid April and May!

A forums page has been added for chatting. Go, little monkeys, go and play!!! FLY!! FLY MONKEYS!!!!!