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Went to Marcon this weekend. I was gaming on Thursday night so I didn't pack. I did, however, make a list so that I would be sure not to forget anything. Euphorbia didn't set her alarm so I didn't either, waking up at 8am. Checked my email. Read my webcomics. Got some things ready, waiting for her to get up. When she did get up an hour later I started really packing.

I broke my steampunk…

From: Mr. Zebulon Pike, Deadwood, Dakota Territory

To: Mrs. Hannelore West, Kingsport, Mass.

August 1878



Beloved Sister,



I know that you are fond of both reading and writing fantastical fiction and the tale I am about to tell seems taken from the pages of Sheridan's ghost stories, though with a distinctly less gothic bent and certainly nowhere near as literary as your creations.



In celebration of the grand opening of Messrs. Tobin, Pace and…

I went to the Tekkoshocon anime convention this weekend. Lots of little bits to note, in no particular order:

I got to go for free! Because I went to the Tekko 1/2 mini con and was promoting Confluence, I was contacted by the staff and offered space to promote our con. Well, I'm not prepared to sit at a table all day to promote our con and the con is not in…

I won the costume contest at Marcon, but not for lack of trying.

Dressed in my "steampunk" costume and wandering the dealer's room, I was cornered by the costume contest judges who insisted that I participate. I did my best to decline the honor, even pointing out that Rule Number 5 should have disqualified me because I had been wearing said costume all day and, in fact, also the day before. As judges, however, they ruled the restriction invalid.



There was apparently…

I'm a published author.



Well, not really.



Ms. Canolli Capalini of New Babbage's R.F.Burton Library sponsored a flash fiction contest of under 600 words for the theme of Steampunk Time Travel and I won. Two thousand dollars and my piece became the title of the published anthology.



Of course, this is in Second Life where the exchange rate makes my prize about $7.50. Not enough to count towards SFWA…

The original concept for my steampunk sword cane was as if Nicola Tesla built a steampunk lightsaber. I started with a cheap Executive Combo sword cane which had three sections.

First, I attempted to remove the smaller blade in the handle…

To go with my steampunk costume, I took my great-grandmother's pocketwatch off the shelf and, because it didn't work, decided that I would take it to a watchmaker. I found Alvin's downtown and was told that it would be ready in a week and cost me $45. A week later I was told it would take another week. A week after that I was told it wasn't ready so I came back a month later. I was told it wasn't ready and would take another week.

Today, after nearly 2 months, I was told that…

It's been a very long time since I'd been to Allegheny Observatory but last night I finally had a chance to go back when _starlady_ arranged for a tour. Some comments in no particular order:

I got dressed up in my steampunk…

There was a part of me that wanted to participate in the bike riding festivities at the Pittsbugh 250 celebrations but another part of me despises large crowds so instead I went to Tekko 1/2, an anime mini-con designed to garner enthusiasm for next spring's Tekkoshocon.

I don't have any anime related costumes so I went in my steampunk regalia and received many…

I have worn pretty much the same style of glasses since I got glasses. I don't even know how long that's been. Thirty years? I've been toying with the idea of getting something different but last year when it turned out that my 5 year old prescription hadn't changed, the incentive to replace what I already had somewhat evaporated. Besides, I didn't see anything that I particularly liked that was substantially different.

But the idea that had been germinating in my head was…

From: Mr. Zebulon Pike, Deadwood, Dakota Territory

To: Mrs. Hannelore West, Kingsport, Mass.

August 1878



Dearest Sister,



The plans of my comrades have finally become clear. They have, with their collected funds and the Confederate gold filed into flakes to disguise its origins, purchased the neighboring structure. They have commissioned me to construct a machine as the centerpiece of their hotel and restaurant, a task I enthusiastically embarked upon even…

From: Mr. Zebulon Pike, Deadwood, Dakota Territory

To: Mrs. Hannelore West, Kingsport, Mass.

July 1878



Dearest Sister,



Several days without drama have allowed me to complete my project! From the drawings I've included, you should see that I began with the foundation of a shotgun barrel that, with some hardwood accents and brass fittings, appears to be little more than an elaborate gentleman's cane. Inside, however, I have concealed a cartridge with a chemical…

I didn't like the grips on my Tanaka/Colt Single Action Army airsoft pistol and have been looking for wood grips to replace them. Searching on line and a few gun shows did not turn up anything. Today, I went to Braverman's in Wilkinsburg and spoke with Buddy Savage. He looked through some boxes and…

I've been thinking further about materials for my steampunk spacesuit. Most steampunk spacesuits have really been just adapted diving suits. The film "The First Men in the Moon" is a primary example. Diving helmets are as thick and heavy as they are to keep the buoyancy of the air inside from lifting the helmet off your shoulders. You don't really need that…

I tried to order a holster for my airsoft Colt Peacemaker but, even though the website said they were in stock, they were out and have no expectation of being in stock again. Damn. I've been window shopping for my Steampunk costume but haven't decided to put down any money for that…

As a regular visitor to the Mustaches of the Nineteenth Century blog, I am disturbed at the venom heaped by the blogger on men who have beards. Sure, he extols the finest of mustaches but has nothing but fear and hatred for those who alow their follicle adornment to extend beyond the upper lip. Well, his posting of the first of April…

Two months ago when my friend Matt was in Japan, he ordered (or rather, he got his fiancée to order) a pair of Colt Single Action Army airsoft replicas from Tanaka. He just dropped mine off.



Cool! I have a Peacemaker!



It's the 5 1/2 inch barrel version, known as the "artillery" model (the middle size of the three available). It's the so-called "heavyweight" gun which means it's…

From: Mr. Zebulon Pike, Deadwood, Dakota Territory

To: Mrs. Hannelore West, Kingsport, Mass.

July 1878



Dearest Sister,



My daring escape from marauding savages was distinctly less daring that I expected. In fact, it consisted of little more than a hard day of riding into the town of Deadwood. Which is not to say that there was no excitement for the day. On arriving in Deadwood, we immediately found what passed for a municipal authority, in this case a calvary…

Out of game comment: When the game started, it was unclear where in the West we actually were. Now we know that we are in the Black Hills heading to Deadwood. Thus adventures we had in Eastwood Ridge would have actually been occurring in Eastmont, South Dakota.





From: Mr. Zebulon Pike, Custer, Dakota Territory

To: Mrs. Hannelore West, Kingsport, Mass.

July 1878



Dearest Sister,



With all the weirdness going on in Eastmont, it was decided…

From: Mr. Zebulon Pike, Eastwood Ridge, Dakota Territory

To: Mrs. Hannelore West, Kingsport, Mass.

July 1878



Dearest Sister



After the “Dread Tree Incident”, it had been decided by our somewhat haphazard assemblage that we would wait the day or two until the expected arrival of the area's marshal. There had been a series of gruesome murders that would need to be explained to authorities. Since the truth would most assuredly not be believed, it was also agreed…