Post Gencon

As I sit here on this quiet Sunday morning I realize that this last week has been a blur... Knowing that blogging helps to stir the creative juices, my goal was to blog more often. This didn't happen this week, but I definitely have SEVERAL posts worth of things to talk about. :-)

First, Gencon. Or is it Gen Con? This was my first, but will not be my last! Kyle had invited us up to stay with him during the con, which saved us a TON of money on hotels! For those that are not aware, Gen Con is a gaming convention. No, not video games - board games, RPG's, miniatures, card games, dice games, etc. It's something I've known about for a long time but just something I never figured I would be able to make it to. Well 2014 was "the year." :-)

There are so many things I could touch on here, but for now I'll talk about the standout stuff. Day One we hit the vendor hall and walk around a little bit. Kyle decides he wants to brave the FFG line, so me, him, Vanessa and Devin stand in line for over an hour just to get in. The first thing I grab is one of their new Star Wars dice bags -

They have four different styles, but this is the one I liked the most. And I was shocked at how BIG it was after I got it out of the package! (TWSS) My Star Wars dice went into this bag immediately...

We looked at all the new X-Wing Miniatures ships as well and gravitated to the YT-2400. Yes, that's Dash Rendar's ship. This was a character from the old N64 game Shadows of the Empire which was a part of both Kyle and Colton's youth, so just the name has sentimental value. I had not planned to buy the latest batch of minis mainly because there's very VERY few chances locally to play it. The Z-95 Headhunter is one I would like "just because." :-)

Anyway, Kyle had asked me to bring all my minis so we could play and we both wanted to see Dash Rendar hit the table, so I bought it.

We then picked up a copy of Age of Rebellion for each of us. This is the Core Book for the next "chapter" in the RPG we play. We still call it Edge of the Empire, but this book opens up some new Force talents (Kyle plays a Force Sensitive Wookie - Shorkazza) as well as some VERY detailed information about the Rebellion and getting existing characters into that role. It's no secret that the crew I've been GM'ing via roll20.net have been interested in joining the rebellion, so this helps that out as well. Of course, like the famous Han Solo, their past is not completely left behind, so they still have Obligation to contend with...

Well that's it for today... I still need to show the pics of Car Wars as well as talk about Hutt Ball... But that will come later...

Thanks for reading! And Kyle - thanks for having us as guests!

Guitar Restoration Kit

While getting stuff ready for our trip to Gen Con, we listed the clothes we need to take... The games to box up... What toiletries we need... I offered to bring new guitar strings to Kyle for his Fender acoustic and/or his Kustom electric. I also offered to do a full "polish and restore" on them. He said sure.

So, in case you're wondering, here's what I packed...

The pic above shows the Car Wax for polishing, the paint brush for cleaning off steel wool, my Ernie Ball string winder (battery powered) that Vanessa and the kids gave me for fathers day a couple of years ago (wow - what a time saver!), 0000 steel wool, blue painters tape and boiled linseed oil.

The pic above shows some various small tools I use - flashlight, mirror on a stick, 10mm ratchet (for tightening nuts around the tuning pegs), extra socket for larger bass tuning nuts and two small screwdrivers for the screws on the pegs themselves. I threw in some business cards so I'd have more with me and of course Fender 9's for the electric guitar and Martin SP's for the acoustic. (yes - these are the same strings I put on my Gretch and Takamine last week.

After snapping the first two pics, I realized I left out three things... First, an old white T-Shirt for applying the car wax. Second, a string winder on the left. This particular one has a snipper built into it. The last thing, on the right, is a tripod of sorts that holds the neck at a good position.

I have taken other people's guitars and "renew" them too! Contact me if you'd like me to do this for you... I'll supply the strings and of course the polish and so forth.

Wish us Godspeed on our travels!

August 2014 Catch Up post...

Yes, gentle reader, it's been a while. How have you been? What's new in your life?

Me? Well I guess I could fill you in...

First of all, two posts ago I mentioned going into the studio. Well that was a VERY successful venture! I now have my first ever CD and it was done in a studio. It's called Homegrown and you can order it via iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and CD Baby. I can also mail you a copy. And you can hear it on Spotify. Full details are on my website - http://www.jimmyandersonmusic.com

I have been playing at the Farmers Market in Dyersburg the last few Saturdays.

More recently, my band The Bare Basics played in Cayce, KY last night. We had a GREAT time! The crowd was small, but lively. I think they had almost as much fun as I did. :-)

My last post was talking about Dice Masters. Since I wrote that post I have driven to Memphis twice to play in two tournaments, one in Ripley and several in Dyersburg. It's a small investment compared to Magic and I'm enjoying it. I have even had a couple of guest posts published on a site called Dice Masters Rules. They have made me a full contributor and I plan to do at least one post a week... I already have an idea for my next three posts...

Speaking of gaming, I introduced my buddy Mark to X-Wing Miniatures and we spent about 9 hours playing a few weekends ago. Needless to say he is hooked. :-) As I've said, it's the new, faster Car Wars only Star Wars themed.

And speaking of Car Wars, Kyle has shown an interest now that Steve Jackson is bringing it back... We are going to be spending a few days with him later this week and attending Gen Con for the FIRST time ever! If you are going, PLEASE find me and give me a fist bump, a high five, a handshake - something. :-) I've known too many people via the Internet only and it would be great to meet you in person.

Speaking of Kyle, he's playing a force sensitive Jedi in our campaign of Edge of the Empire. I'm GM'ing this little thing over on roll20.net for him and my three gaming buddies from high school - Craig, Chris & Brent (and Brent's son). We are having a blast and Kyle and I are hoping to get in a face to face game at the con (yes, Phil (@darthgm on twitter) and Sam Witwer - I'm specifically talking to you...).

And lastly I've been listening to more and more gaming podcasts and making plans to meet some of the podcasters at Gen Con. With Car Wars coming back, my PBEM games still going strong and with the listening to more and more, maybe it's time I bring the Car Wars Podcast out of retirement?

Thoughts?

And thanks for reading... I know it's a ramble but that's what happens when I go too long without posting... Gotta get back in the habit. :-)

My Friday Night (two new games)

Typing this offline to upload later...

Vanessa had a little "going away party" for a co-worker tonight. Since it was all girls, she suggested I go to the local gaming store to hang out. "D" had brought "Shadows Over Camelot" - a nice board game - to play. There were seven of us and it was my first time to play it. It was great! Had a lot of "bits" and pieces and good interaction with the other players. It's a Co-Op game, except for the hidden "traitor" that is randomly assigned...

Well, the traitor came out and we lost as a group, but I was somewhat impressed with the game!

Kat said, "want to see Dice Masters?" I knew I had a little time, so I let her demo it for me. It was a pretty cool game! Pros - dice. Lots of dice. :-) I like randomness in my games along with strategy (see Car Wars and X-Wing) and I like rolling dice, so this seemed like a natural fit.

Another Pro - the game mechanics are simple to learn while still allowing for a good depth of play and stragy.

Cons - it's another CCG type of game. :-( You buy a starter set for about $15, then 2 card boosters are $1.99. I have grown tired of games with "chase rares" and such. That's another reason I like X-Wing and have grown VERY disenchanted with Magic. Kat (and the two guys playing next to us) said that even the commons can be great cards, so just because it's rare doesn't mean it is a game winner. And the fact that you still have to roll the dice in the game and get the right results means it's not just "whoever spends the most money is going to win." Yes, it's a Con overall, but one that's offset by the randomness factor.

I don't know that this is necessarily a Con, but it's Marvel. That's not a "bad" thing, but I'm a DC guy myself. My team had Green Goblin, Captain America, Professor X and another one that I can't remember now. I was playing against Gambit, Magneto and two others that I forget. I did win, and not just because of it being a demo, but because I started aggressively and Kat said she's more of a defensive player. This, coupled with my good rolls while she was "building her army," let to my victory.

All in all a good game, and a good two player game that takes a minimum of space. If you like rolling dice, you'll probably like this game!

Studio Bound

I know it's been a while since I posted a blog post. I've been busy. :-)

Hopefully you know that I had a successful Kickstarter and I am going into the studio day after tomorrow (Saturday May 31). Well, tonight was "maintenance" night at The Picking Porch...

I changed the strings on my Takamine. They weren't that old, but I wanted them to be their best for the studio so I put on new ones. My little travel guitar had strings that were VERY worn, so I put the Tak strings on it. :-)

Then I changed the strings on Vanessa's bass, and I dressed the neck as well. WOW! Made a HUGE difference!

I also need to change strings on my Alvarez, but that will come later... I have an idea for the strings that are on it now - a little something special for Katie...

I've been busy since my last post in other things too! I'm still playing bass and singing with Pure Country, and we have our next gig Saturday night. I have also started my own band - we are using the name Bare Basics. It's a three piece country band and we had our world premier this month at Cayce, Kentucky. It was a great time!

Last Saturday I played a solo gig at Coffee in the Attic in Covington. A GREAT place to play and sing and I had a WONDERFUL time!

Well, that's it for now. Say a prayer for me this Saturday as I try to do my best on this CD. And if you're a backer and reading this - THANK YOU! If you're not a backer and you'd like to get a CD, you can pre-order for $10. Heck I'll even cover the shipping. :-)

Feeling Blessed

I don't usually "slap out a quick" blogpost, but this morning as I get ready for work I realize how blessed I truly am! I started my Kickstarter project for my first CD just two nights ago. In just over 24 hours my goal of $500 was reached. This morning it has been surpassed - and still has 25 days to go! If that doesn't make you feel blessed nothing will!

Add to that the bluegrass picking last night... My, James and Steve met and picked for a few hours, told jokes, etc. I played the banjo the whole time and though I didn't technically learn any "new songs" I did actually PICK a couple of the songs I've only been able to "play" before. That felt good.

While we're picking I get a Facebook message of another booking in May. Then I got word that Vanessa passed a big EMT exam! Another blessing!

Tonight I get to game with my oldest son online (Star Wars RPG). Tomorrow night Bare Basics has its first official practice. We have our setlist for May 17 - now we polish and shine. :-)

Again - I'm feeling blessed. :-)

Here's the link to my Kickstarter if you'd like to help out and get a copy of the CD mailed to you (plus a chance at other goodies... No one has taken me up on the house concert yet - that's something unique for sure!) -

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1353564012/home-grown-all-original-cd

Two Upcoming Shows

I have two upcoming shows to announce, and a quick gig report...

I mentioned before that I was asked to play bass this past Saturday. It was really a great gig! The people there in the nursing & rehab home REALLY enjoyed it! I enjoyed the opportunity to pick with James, of course, and with some others that I had not picked with since the old jamming days at Halls. Of special note was the chance to pick with my dobro friend Gene Leggett.

Now - on to the shows...

Bryan Hayes is a singer/songwriter from Moscow, Tennessee. He hosts a house concert series there called Farmhouse Studios. He is playing a free show at Java Cafe in Dyersburg on Valentines Day and he asked me to open for him. I'll be taking the stage at 7:30 and will do several original songs. If you're in the Dyersburg area and have been missing the local shows I used to do, now is your chance to get caught up on some old favorites as well as some new songs.

Again, it's a free show, and Bryan will have CD's to sell. (no - I don't have a finished product yet... still in the pipe for a future date - been busy writing and performing instead) You can check him out at http://www.bryanhayesmusic.com

On the 21st, I will performing in a songwriters round in Monteagle, Tennessee. Yes, it's a long way off, but I know I have friends in the Nashville and Chattanooga area that might be looking for something to do that night. This will be an "extended" round - more than just a couple of songs per person. I'm booked with my friend Steve Rempis and a gentleman named David Watson.

I've put both of these events on my ReverbNation page.

One last thing... I've talked to a few people locally about having a house concert of their own. So far, no one wants to be the first to do this, so I want to make you a special offer... Email me at jimmylogan0916@gmail.com or call/text 731-345-9229 and I'll share the details with you. I have a way you can do it for ZERO cost and you'll not only have an unforgettable evening but you'll also be a trendsetter...

If you're out of town and would like this, please let me know. Travel is not a problem at all...

Till next time!