As a boy from the Midwest, that is usually how you greet someone. Occasionally, you'd get a response from someone, but more often than not, you'll get a non-committal "fine" and go on with the rest of your conversation.
Over the last two months, it feels like less of a greeting and more of a check-in.
How are you doing?
How are you doing?
As you most likely know, we're in the midst of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. It's a safe bet that anyone reading this, no matter where you are, is going through the same thing. How often does that happen? It might be rainy where you are. It might be sunny. It could be freezing or you could be sweating through a hot day. But no matter who you are, you're dealing with this pandemic in your own way.
Social distancing and self-quarantine are the best weapons we have to combat this globally, but it also means that it can be a very isolating time. Most people I speak to are in "safer-at-home" style directives from their local and/or national governments. That means that whomever you bunked up with at the beginning is who you're most likely stuck with until the end of this.
On the average day, it's pretty easy to be cynical about the current condition of the Internet. Now, however, I'm rather thankful for it. One hundred years ago, we were dealing with the Spanish Flu pandemic and quarantine laws would have meant a complete severing of communication with everyone but your immediate people -- perhaps your neighbors if you broke quarantine nearby. Today, we have each other in some form or another: chat, Facetime, Facebook, Zoom meetings, Discord, Xbox Live, Roll20... it can go on for forever.
With that in mind, this pandemic and its corresponding quarantine can produce an intense amount of stress. For me, it feels like that background hum of electronics when all is quiet: I can drown it out with enough noise and distraction, but it's always there.
So please check in with your friends and family, especially those who live alone. This is a tough time to go it alone, and we're always stronger together. Spend some time talking, emailing, playing a game online, or watching a movie through Netflix Party.
I think I might try to get some online social events together. Stay tuned to PI on Twitter or Facebook for some upcoming events in the next couple of weeks. I hope to see some of you! I'm not doing this to help you, but also for me. I'm a solo self-quarantined person as well.
Also, if you just want to talk about nerdy things, chat with me on Twitter. I’d love to talk.
And now, for the thing that many of you are probably reading this update for:
Misfit Tales Update
While work has been underway on completing Misfit Tales, I failed my Final Confrontation roll on the Danger. A plague broke out.
My original plan was to have a Kickstarter out by the end of this week. The good news is that we're way ahead of schedule on layout. The bad news is that our logo and cover art is about a month behind. Combine that with so many people losing their jobs because of this, it doesn't seem right to launch a Kickstarter right now.
So, we're just going to skip the Kickstarter and release the book ASAP. Once we complete the artwork for the book, it'll be ready for digital release. Our original release timeline was going to be August-September, but with the rest of the book being ahead of schedule, we should be able to release in the May-June range.
Unfortunately, that means no exciting countdowns or extra add-ons. It does mean that the book will be out sooner though. And right now, that seems like what'd be best. I hope that you agree.
I'll be posting an update once we have the logo and cover complete.
Until then, keep going.
-- Jason