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Wednesday, July 07, 2010

A Plentitude of Thankyous

This is Steven Petrick Posting.

Origins 2010 is past, and I would like to use this opportunity to once again thank those individuals whose support make it possible.

For me, this of course starts with Mike Filsinger, Paul Franz, and Roger Rardain who help run the Star Fleet Battles and Federation Commander tournaments, and who also run demos of our products. They also provided me assistance in running the classic scenario projects. And Paul Franz and Roger Rardain do the on-line parts of the Captain's Tournament, which would literally not be possible without them.

More importantly, as much as I try to look after them during Origins, they also look out for me. None of it would be possible without them.

Thanks guys.

I also need to thank Chuck Strong and Mike Curtis who ran the Federation & Empire events. They have done this for several years now, and it always seems to be successful.

Hope to see you guys next year.

I also need to thank Colleen Knipfer and Jean Sexton for helping SVC in the booth, and looking out for him. I cannot be everywhere, and am not as mobile as I once was, so it is a lot harder for me to get down to booth to check on SVC. But they can run the booth without him, and their aid is greatly appreciated.

My thanks to you both.

I need to give a special shout out to the Federation & Empire guys for helping us unload. Even with our never-before-achieved parking on the unloading ramp, we would never have gotten the van unloaded in the hour we were allocated without their help. These guys did almost all of the unloading in a single trip, saving us a lot of time and possible embarrassment by failing to get unloaded and clear of the ramp in our allowed time.

And to Colleen and Daniel Knipfer and Jean Sexton who stayed to help us loadout for the return trip I also owe thanks. We were again allocated just an hour, and with their help we made it, just barely. We started rolling just a minute before our loading time would have run out. (What Origins would have done had we overstayed our window for departure we do not know, but it was the first year they tried to schedule things so we must grant them some leeway for being on a learning curve.) And to Daniel Knipfer and Colleen Knipfer for escorting Jean to her car to start her on the way to her home.

My thanks to you all.

I also have to thank Daniel Knipfer for running the snack and soda situation. Thank you very much Dan, it was much appreciated.

I have to thank Roger Rardain and Jean Sexton (and anyone else involved) in the birthday cake surprise. I honestly cannot remember when I had real cake for my birthday, or the opportunity to share it (see what you all missed by not coming this year . . . GRIN). Thanks again.

I also need to thank our "ground crew", also known as that "damnable black gang below decks", Mike Sparks and Joel who got us deployed and on the road to Origins with everything we needed packed (well . . . okay . . . maybe we could have used a few more Kzinti NCAs, but that was not really their fault) to make the trip to Origins. Better, for helping Leanna keep things running smoothly while we were away.

I have to also thank the Origins people for trying their best to make Origins work. They are always trying new ideas to improve things.

My thanks also to Mike Curtis, Bill Stec, Patrick Doyle, Kentaro Watanabe, and SVC for putting up with my efforts to lead a squad in the Terrorwerks event. I regret that I was not 100 percent (I think by the time we hit it I was operating at somewhere around 75 to 80 percent, maybe lower). I think we would have done better had I been more alert.

And of course my thanks to our customers, whose support over the years has made this all possible.

And, believe it or not, my thanks to SVC's old van, which had to come out of semi-retirement after the rental car agency failed to provide us the van they promised, which successfully carried us to Origins and back.