Rhunyen

Ha, I checked out Atomic Highway and really it dig it (downloaded the free PDF version). I'm always a fan of original game systems. Congrats on the awards... way cool. I've been running my own system RizerGS for about a decade now along with several other GMs in various games/settings — and anything post-apocalpytic, especially with a sense of humor, is always fiction/games a blast. I grew up running the original Gamma World and in more recent times EarthAD 2 and All Flesh Must Be Eaten at a couple of cons. I've been pondering running a new post-apoc game, so I may try out AtomHi.

Gaming aside, it sounds like life is going swimmingly for ya with the kids (and presumably the woman in your life). I'm definitely envious about your NZ relocation which sounds AWESOME. It's on my top places to visit (along with Iceland). Being a total nature junkie (hiking, photography, kayaking, mtn biking, camping, snorkeling, etc.), loving a good pint, and well wanting to live in the Shire and all means NZ sounds pretty awesome. I've never known anyone who visited to have anything bad to say. What grabbed you enough to want to relocate to NZ? I'm assuming you're going to teach there (the universal career). Kudos to ya on the move. What out for orcs in the hills.

On my side of the pond life hasn't been great the last two years (prior it was pretty sweet). U.S. economy, helping out friends and family (most in the same financial boat), too much debt (didn't plan for that rainy day like a fool of a Took) and some bad luck mean me and wife have been struggling with jobs/income for nearly 2 years. Still, she did get her degree just in time for NO JOBS, but finally landing a good job a few months back, so things are better and 2013 looks promising. Graphic design work is for crap these days, and I'm finding most web design too code-centric to enjoy lately — can do it, but it's not my cup-o-tea. I've been trying to break into the iOS gaming business with some colleagues, but like all new ventures, egos and money always can make it hard to pull it together.

On a side note, I'm not sure what happened, but I lost my drawing/art mojo a few years back. I think I was doing so much vector computer design and had a massive workload I just purged those skills from my widdle bwain. Luckily, in a exchange of design services during a iPad app development project, I got an iPad 1 out of the deal. It was exactly the right inspiration; I've been drawing again. Not great drawings mind you, as I seem have devolved my sketching skills over too many years of design work. Not Gaming much the last 6 months — me and friends have all be struggling to make ends meet and getting our lives back on track (California's economy is epically bad still) — but I've been doing more motorcycling. Mind you, it's not New Zealand, but a good ride around California and Oregon always brings a smile when your riding a 140hp sportbike, or before I had to sell it, my old adventure bike.

Alas, we have no kids (and not from a lack of trying) — but I've since discovered a long lost sister (as in I never knew she existed) and she has two little ones we spoil, and I have to other godchildren, so I'm plenty kidded up, but without the real parenting duties. We have lots of family stuff too and my wife's brother has moved in with us, so we're plenty busy with family.

Anyhow, enough babbling. It was great hearing from you mate. Stay in touch and good luck in NZ!