Chris "Laserlight" DeBoe:

Back safe from ECC.  Mileage for the round trip was slightly over 665.9 
miles, which seems all too appropriate.

Friday night was Mike Hudak's Pod Racing, on a huge 8x16 foot 
layout--mostly a figure eight, but the top of the eight was flattened, 
so you had to make a 90 degree turn ... at a speed of at least 44mu, if 
you wanted to survive the jump immediately afterwards (there was 
another, longer route for less daring drivers, but we weren't there to 
survive -- we were there to race).  Through brilliant strategy (ie 
"follow JP and Jim Bell and do what they do") and tactics ("roll for 
seven successive emergency maneuvers -- total 13 dice -- without ever 
getting a 5 or 6"), I limped in with one Hull box remaining. 
Astonishingly enough, I turn out to have been in first place.  Special 
thanks to the Tusken Raiders for shooting my competitors!

Saturday morning was the Mysterious Island of Dr Carter.  My Prussians 
marched back and forth and made lots of noise, hoping to attract British 
attention, while the Brits, natives and Americans tangled with each 
other and a few rampaging dinosaurs.  Dinosaurs ate scientists, a Great 
White Hunter shot Dr. Challenger, the Native Chief kidnapped Victoria 
Challenger and offered her to the God of the Volcano (no, he didn't 
throw her in, unfortunately--the god was a Charming American Colonel in 
a white suit, who arrrived in a submarine).  Eventually the Brits sent a 
Special Aether Service flyer in to capture German technology, but 
superior German marksmanship quickly turned the tables and we captured 
the Aether Flyer.  Meanwhile the American Colonel (who was not played by 
Adrian) was inveigled into proposing to Victoria Challenger (who was in 
no way affiliated with me), after which he took her, her parents, the 
submarine, and a giant ruby, and escaped.  Hm... I see I've simplified 
things a lot.

Saturday afternoon was Carnage con Queso, ably run by Tony Finan and 
John Crimmins.  Just about the first thing I did resulted in my getting 
hit by a stream of molten Limburger from the heavens.  After that I 
wandered around pickig up points and instigating chaos for the others 
while trying to avoid it myself.  Adrian won and thus will enjoy the 
privilege of hosting next year's "con Queso" game.

Saturday evening would have been FMA Sheep 2.  I was prepared to admit 
the existence of this event, and I felt confident about being able to 
explain about Delilah Fulton wearing a Giant Bug disguise and some of 
the other silliness that I was expecting.  I did not, however, 
anticipate that JonT would bring an "Anime Japanese Schoolgirl" figure 
for Eddie ("Edie"?) Kochte.  I did not anticipate that Miskatony Finan 
would buy a copy of the Necronomicon from Honest Abudul ("for everything 
I have, plus a red candle and a guitar string"), and then read it 
(although I did have a figure for Sponge-Bob Squidlips, who did appear 
when invoked).  After that, things got really silly....
   I should point out that Tom Barclay was NOT involved in this event 
but was nonetheless a casualty (he came over to look, made a pun, and 
JonT played "Narn Baa Squad"--all players surround the offender and 
"baa" menancingly).  As Tom remarked, he wasn't in the game and still 
took a bleating.  And Adrian sold his (TomB's) soul to Honest Abdul (in 
exchange for a nuke), who swapped it to Nick Cauldwell (who offered Cr2 
for it but I got him up to Cr 225), who gave it to David Raynes in 
exchange for Microsheeps (and Extra RAM) to upgrade the computer so 
Adrian and JonT could set off the aforementioned nuke.
   At least two people have claimed to be psychologically scarred for 
life, so from my point of view, the event was a success.  There is 
probably absolutely no truth to the rumor that next year's event will be 
run by me and Adrian as "Zombie Sheep con Queso".

Sunday morning was a Narn vs Centauri game run by Aaron Newman.  I think 
the most telling quote to come from that game was from Lorenzo, who was 
at his first ECC, something to the effect of "I've heard a lot about you 
  and had a lot of respect for you, but now that I've read our briefing 
sheet, I realize you're just sadistic."  A good game, which the Centauri 
  managed to win by way of a boarding action in hyperspace ...

Good seeing all the regulars, and some new faces, including St Jon!