What's up with James?

The #1 factor preventing me from posting blog entries (anywhere): Uncertainty about this whole digital downgrade idea. I've had aquela.com as my web site since 1998, when having your own web site was not exactly commonplace. Various names @ that domain have been my email address almost since I left AOL. It feels like a big plunge. But a friend this evening commented that he keeps checking my blog weekly and finding no updates, and that's not an acceptable state of things. So here it is on the new blog, along with a notice on the old site telling folks to come here. I guess I'm really doing this.

So here's the ninety second James update:

• I finished the first draft of Dragon War on New Year's Eve. I've been working through my editor's comments and marks, but rather slowly. Not sure when I'll get the darned book done, but at least the pressure to write tens of thousands more words is gone.
• I got Wrath of the Lich King for Christmas, played a death knight on Christmas day, and then put it aside until my draft was done. At this point my main character is only just level 73 (and I think still in need of visiting a trainer and spending a talent point). I have not been playing very much, and I think folks in my guild are disappointed. 
• Work has been very, very busy. As I mentioned in September, I was promoted to Design Manager for D&D, and my life since then has been much more complicated—mostly in good ways, mind you, but wow. I have a much better understanding of how Andy Collins and Chris Perkins spend their time as my fellow managers in the department, and still deeper respect for my boss, Bill Slavicsek. In general, I think I'm a good manager. I'm also still doing a lot of writing to fill gaps and smooth text over, with this week's big project . . . well, I won't talk about that.
• My son got Guitar Hero III for Christmas, and that has turned out to be way more fun for the whole family than I would have expected. All three of us have had such a blast with it that we're seriously considering the investment in either a second guitar controller or the whole shebang of Rock Band 2.
• I finally started running the campaign I've been writing about for months in my Dungeoncraft column in Dungeon magazine. My players are Bill Slavicsek, Chris Perkins, Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Rich Baker, and Chris Youngs. We've had two sessions so far (with two players missing from the second one), and it's been a blast. I might have miscalculated by planning the game for Friday lunchtime, though, because my natural time to prepare would be Thursday evening—when I'm playing in Bill's game. Oh, well, I'll figure it out eventually.

That took longer than ninety seconds to write. But to read? Hm.