*Gold*, Jerry! *gold*!

In another week or so, probably during the 5 week break before my fall classes start, I'm going to finish unpacking and setting up my bonus room. Finally, after approximately 2½ years in this house, I'll get everything unpacked and in its place. And for some of this stuff, it may be the first time out of a box through several apartments and a few houses since I moved away to pursue my bachelors degree in 1992.

I'll be posting pictures here and showing it off. Let me say though, that most of the memorabilia setting about; Star Trek stuff, Alabama stuff, toys, etc., was bought by me, or more than likely by my mother (love you, Mom!), since I graduated college in '96. You see, almost everything I had that pertained to my childhood burned in my parent's house somewhere around '93 or '94? I don't know, I'm not good with dates. But it was all there; Darth Vader's Tie Fighter, my Snow Speeder, the 1st run Boba Fett action figure with the rocket pack on his back so that he didn't fit in either of the previous mentions (along with the awesome carrying case full of other action figures), a ton of vinyl records including Twisted Sister's Stay Hungry (and some that were handed down from my parents, like Kenny Rogers and The First Edition), cool Bear Bryant posters and knick-knacks, and sadly (it seems as I am running out of boxes) my bag full of miscellaneous dice.

However, a few moments ago I opened a box and struck gold! Well, as good as gold. A few momentos preserved from my childhood. Just a couple of things that I felt I couldn't live without as I packed my things for Tuscaloosa. A lot of that stuff has been lost to roommates or rummage sales over the years, but not these ...precious... sorry, I Golemed out there for a sec. I'll let you peek at the picture before continuing on.

(click to embiggen)

Ok, see that one right there, the one facing you? That is my Dungeon Masters Guide! (AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide - Revised Edition, December 1979) Bought when I was ten. That next one moving left is the AD&D Players Handbook - 6th Printing, January 1980. Continuing on is the AD&D Deities & Demigods - 1st Printing (as far as I can tell), no date, copyright 1980 with the forward written by Gary Gygax dated 1 May, 1980 followed by the AD&D Monster Manual - 4th Edition, August 1979. Hot diggety!

And the best one of all?! See that non-descript looking little white folder on the far left next to the Monster Manual? No, just to the right of the breadboard... That thing holds the red D&D Player's Handbook from the red box! along with the blue D&D Expert Rulebook and the orange D&D Expert Game Adventure "The Isle of Dread"! YEAH! It does!

I'll even one up that. Do you know what else it contains? It contains my first. character. EVARR! According to the character sheet, a 150 year old elf named, Olion. Wow. How cool is that?! I won't give his stats here because I can tell just by looking that I may have fudged the rolls a bit. *cough* Also there are some awesome monsters that I created complete with stats and descriptions, and a few dungeons drawn on graph paper.

Along for the ride in that box were some Calvin & Hobbes, The Far Side, and Garfield books that I managed to hold onto also. I know I used to have umpteen more Garfield, but their numbers have dwindled over the years. [sadface]