Origins

By Jonathan

(Please note the links to some terms that might be new to readers)

So this weekend was busy but fun-filled! It started with a trip up to Columbus to attend Origins, a conference of gamers that was created by Gary Gygax, the creator of D&D. We got there early in the morning as we had only one day and there was a lot to see. This was Michal’s first RPG conference and she didn’t know what to expect. In talking to her afterwards, she told me she enjoyed it more than she thought she would. There was a huge room of vendors, another room for tabletop games, one for showcasing art, another for card games, and more. It filled the whole convention center, and we only saw a small part of it.

Xander had a blast. He laughed excitedly when he got to play with foam swords and dice, and he fell in love with a pink plush dragon he named Gerlal (he was very specific on its pronunciation, correcting us repeatedly when we tried repeating his name).

My friend Tim went with us and the two of us had a great time together. He is something of a miniature addict and I lost him around halfway through the day as he sifted through a tub containing over a thousand 1” monster miniatures. Michal was off nursing somewhere and I picked out special sparkle dice for Xander.

I’d like to make a special note here. Two year-olds are exceptionally good at racing through crowds of people. I had Xander at my side when he decided that running through the convention hall was a brilliant idea (that or he really wanted to find those foam swords again) and before I could finish my sentence “Xander, come back here,” he had weaved through 50 feet of people. I tried to keep up, but he left no wake in the crowds for me to follow and he was gaining yards every second. Fortunately my gaming skills taught me how to flank, and I plotted a course though some gaps that placed me in an intersecting course to catch up with him. He was laughing hysterically, thinking it was the funniest game while my heart was beating like I had just pulled him from a chasm. Suddenly those child leashes seemed like a brilliant idea. Gerlal was later purchased with the explicit condition that he had to stay within 2 feet of me at all times. He kept his bargain, bless his heart.

We had lunch at North Market, a Columbus, Ohio version of the shuk. I had Indian, Michal had Mediterranean, Xander had pizza, and Tim barbeque. Michal then took the kids to the park with my sister Natasha, who also lives in Columbus, while Tim and I went back to Origins. After the dealer’s room closed they picked us up and we went to dinner (Mexican), with frozen yogurt for dessert. It was nice to catch up with her and she rarely let Ari out of her arms. By the time we finished our yogurt it was time to head back down to Cinci. Everyone was exhausted. The two boys went out like a light in the back while Tim kept nodding off in the passenger seat. Michal couldn’t sleep because she was so tightly crammed in between the baby seats and I, of course, was driving.

The next day I surprised Xander with his pink sparkle dice and a “dice boot” for rolling them. He was in heaven. I got a pair of real bone dice and a full set of gaming dice cut from quartz crystal.

Michal and her Hebrew dice.

Star Wars, Battle at Hoth. Rebels on the left, Republicans...er.. the Empire to the right.

Close up of the Imperial forces. You can almost see Cheney in the cockpit.

A wheelchair Steampunk style. Steampunk was the theme this year.

Since Steampunk was the theme, there was lots of Victorian fashions for sale as well.

After dinner, we changed Xander into PJs for the ride home before letting him have some frozen yogurt for dessert. He so has that European "cool" look in his eyes.

Sunday we went swimming with Maura and Liad, and tuckered out both boys thoroughly.It was Ari’s first time in the pool and he was overwhelmed.The bathtub just went on forever!

Our weekend did end on a bittersweet note, as we said our final farewell to Aaron and Lauren, who are moving to Washington D.C. in their new life as rabbi and rebbetizin/Georgetown student. Xander, however, did sing them a farewell song. See below.

Here are some videos of Xander getting the special dice I had got him at the conference.