Preparing to Make the Jump
January's Pugsteady update!
This month is going to be nuts. I’m preparing to make a couple of huge jumps, both at the same time.
On the one hand, as I mentioned last month, I’m in the process of moving overseas. A big piece fell into place, and I’m now officially a British citizen (or British subject, depending on your point of view). That’s a huge weight off my shoulders. Further, due to a couple of things, I’m now definitely getting on a plane at the end of this month to fly to London, England. I’m naturally excited, but also intensely nervous. There’s still a lot to do (as I type this, we have people going through our house and pricing everything in preparation for an estate sale, and we should have people packing our stuff soon after), but the balance has tipped from “probably” to “definitely.”
On the other hand, as I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I’m putting the finishing touches on a new edition of Pugmire!
It’s something my team and I have been working on throughout 2022 in secret, and I’m glad I can finally talk about it! Right now we’re looking at having a crowdfunding campaign near the end of January… you know, when I’m getting ready to fly out. It’s one of those things where both the dates for crowdfunding and the dates for moving made sense, and neither can really move.
Don’t worry — if you’re subscribed to this newsletter, I’ll let you know when it’s going live as soon as it’s locked in. Watch this space, and if you or any Pugmire-curious friends want to stay informed, make sure you’re subscribed.
Anyhow, I played a D&D game with some friends of mine on New Year’s Day — our last in-person game for quite a while — and it was pointed out to me that I’m going through four life-changing events all at once: changing my nationality, moving overseas, selling my house, and starting a crowdfunding campaign. So I suppose it’s no surprise that I’m a little frazzled!
News Roundup
Even though my brain feels like it’s leaking, I still have a few things to talk about.
I’ve been blogging about my move to the UK, which you can find on my cohost account under the tag #UKAdventure. If I find I enjoy doing that, I may keep updating once in a while with my learning experience adapting to British life as a 48-year-old recovering American.
Just because there’s a new edition coming out doesn’t mean there still isn’t exciting stuff for the classic edition! The Squeaks in the Deep Jumpstart is now available for sale! It’s a great way to get a taste of rodent life and the underground nature of their existence (both figuratively and literally). And remember, it’s all compatible with the upcoming edition, so there’s no reason not to snatch it up.
Speaking of the rodents, Squeaks in the Deep was a top seller on DriveThruRPG in 2022! Considering most of the entries above Squeaks are core rulebooks, while Squeaks is a supplement, that’s high praise. Thanks to everyone who continues to believe in Pugmire!
My Media
I now have so many audiobooks that I’ve actually uninstalled my podcast app so I can focus on working my way through my backlog. Here are a few high spots in what I’ve listened to recently:
Doctor Who: The Legacy of Time. This was a big eight-disc box set celebrating twenty years of Big Finish, and as a big anniversary event it was a lot of fun. May not be for everyone, but as a long-time I’m really glad I listened to it.
Cicero, Series 1. It starts off as a historical legal drama, as the Cicero brothers start to establish their legal careers in ancient Rome. Over time, however, it evolves into a political thriller, and then again into a family drama. An amazing, well-acted series that went by too quickly.
Tangent Knights: Caprice of Fate. This is probably the closest I’ll ever get to an English-language audio drama of Super Sentai or Kamen Rider. It definitely skews to a young adult audience, but it’s an interesting blend of Japanese-flavored superheroes and near-future sci-fi intrigue.
Outside of that, I’ve been playing a fair bit of Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One on my Steam Deck, because of course I am. In fact, it seems like the acquisition of the Steam Deck has really increased my gaming this year. I’ll leave you with some statistics from 2022.
Here’s to a great 2023, and next time we’ll talk, I’ll be in a different time zone!
