Whew! What a busy couple weeks! Just as deadline time was approaching for The Herald, a host of other projects or events were pounding at the door of my apartment. Earlier, I had decided to slide the deadline back a week so we could get reports from Advance the Colors '99. So, inside, you will read Convention

Director Ray Garbee's account, along with words from the Treasurer and Membership Secretary. There is even an article by Dennis Frank about the DBA tourney he ran (in which your editor played -- giving a decent showing with my newly-painted Sassanid Persians).

This year, I could attend only Saturday of the con. I got to play a few games, check out the dealers, and basically wish I could have made an entire weekend of it. Ray, the Board, and Event Director Brian O'Leary did a heck of a job, I think. However, Sunday, my plans were to fly to Hungary for a few days. Friday, I spent with my girlfriend (had I not, the wrath of Boudicca would have been nothing ... )

Plus, at this time I was trying to process another turn of Bretwalda. My players were getting mutinous -- I had unintentionally placed it on the backburner while getting another DBA campaign underway (at The Soldiery). Of course, the player who controls the Picts claimed he couldn't get his move to me because a hurricane forced him to evacuate Charleston, SC! Pahl The excuses some players will come up with...

Anyway, while doing all of this I was trying to get as much of The Herald ready as I could. For those of you who haven't tried something like this, it takes a LOT of man hours. My girlfriend calls deadline time "Snippy Time." I'm sure I would never snap at anyone while preoccupied doing this, though. I can't imagine what she means!

Speaking of that new campaign, it is going quite well. It is called "Justinian's Wars," and is set in the time period of the Byzantine attempt to reconquer the West. I've got 10 players, and we've played four turns so far. So far, the big winners are the Vandal kingdom in Africa and the Visigoths in Spain. The Byzantines (two players) have taken in on the chin a little.

By the way, Elections for Great Lakes are coming up. If you'd like to run for the board, inform Ray Garbee and get me a short bio. I'd like to see someone from Michigan or Indiana run, we've got a chunk of members from those states. Great Lakes is growing, so help shape its growth!