A Gnome Birthday
Just for the record—I was asked to post this article, I am not one for ringing my own bell.
This weekend was my birthday. I won’t say which one, but let’s just say that I was in 4th grade when I started playing the Moldvay version of D&D. When I was young, my mother started a tradition of making a cake decorated with my current hobby for each birthday. Around age 12 she made me a Red Dragon cake, based on the drawing in the 1e Monster Manual. Through the years there was a newspaper cake, when I became editor of the school newspaper, a car cake when I turned 16, and a guitar cake when I went though my hair-metal stage.
After high school the cakes stopped. I suppose making a keg shaped cake is not the kind of thing that mothers aspire to. This year, my wife conspired with my mother and as a surprise this birthday, I was presented with the following cake.
Believe me, it tasted just as good as the stew….
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12 Comments, Comment or Ping
John Arcadian
A very happy birthday phil! I would like you to shrinkwrap a piece of that cake and send it to me. I doubt this will happen, but it looks delicious. We need to get one made for Gencon!
Mar 22nd, 2009 - Link
Scott Martin
Another happy birthday. According to the PHB (of whatever edition), how many more birthdays until you hit Adolescent or Young Adult as a gnome?
Mar 22nd, 2009 - Link
Patrick Benson
Happy birthday Phil! Does Gnome Stew, like fine scotch, get better with age?
Mar 22nd, 2009 - Link
Kurt "Telas" Schneider
Congrats on surviving another year, and on having a cool wife and a cool mom.
Mar 22nd, 2009 - Link
spenser
Happy Birthday! Any chance you brought some of that cake home with you?
Mar 23rd, 2009 - Link
Martin Ralya
Happy birthday, Phil! Your cake is the rockingest.
And I LOVE that you had a hair metal phase.
Mar 23rd, 2009 - Link
Walt Ciechanowski
Ah, the good old days, when gnomes could mate with trolls to create gnolls (and who could forget the thoul?).
Happy Birthday, Phil! The cake looks mighty tasty!
Mar 23rd, 2009 - Link
Matthew J. Neagley
Happy Birthday Phil. That cake is fantastic! If you didn’t already, have an extra piece for us.
Mar 23rd, 2009 - Link
BryanB
Happy Birthday! You started gaming at a younger age than I did. I started with the ’81 red and blue boxed sets when I was in the 7th grade, before quickly moving into AD&D (that’s first edition for you Padawans).
Mar 23rd, 2009 - Link
drow
happy birthday!
Mar 23rd, 2009 - Link
frostryder
Happy birthday, Phil!
Mar 23rd, 2009 - Link
MattyinAK
Happy Birthday! I recently turned 40 and realized that one of the coolest things about it was the fact that I was still gaming and had been now for 29 years.
Thanks for sharing it with us.
Mar 24th, 2009 - Link
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