Impenetrable Barriers, Low Orbit, and Obligatory Thugs

Tonight was my Tuesday D+D game. Luis was at least audible all night, although we never got the camera working. The players managed to avoid the only bit of content I actually had planned, even though I'd placed it 'anywhere they go', by not actually getting anywhere. Eventually, when they looked about to spend the ENTIRE rest of the session shopping, I gave in and jumped them with obligatory thugs.

( game summary )

Next week Luis is supposed to be actually here in person... so I probably shouldn't reschedule the game yet. We still need more players, though, so after that game the plan is to move it to a different day if that would let us get someone else for it.

I need more hands.

I got a letter from Social Security a few days ago, telling me that I had 32 of the 40 points I needed to retire and get Social Security, and that in another two years (assuming I keep my current job and avoid a drastic pay cut) I'll have all 40...

So, on the one hand, it's sort of tempting to retire and collect Social Security while it's still around, then go back to work after it dries up. That seems like the way to get as much money as possible out of it.

On the other hand, that sort of attitude is kind of antisocial -- it's like participating in a run on the bank, only worse because I only ever thought of SocSec taxes as taxes, even if officially they're some sort of savings account that I'm supposed to expect to get my money back out of (ha).

On the other other hand, from what I hear it's kind of impossible to save it at this point anyway, and from other people I hear that it would be a bad idea anyway since the whole idea is stupid. I'm not *sure* that's the truth, but it seems to be the conventional wisdom. And it'd be awfully nice to get paid to do nothing -- that's my only ambition in life, really.

But on the other other other hand, I can't do anything about it for two years anyway, so it's all moot (but not, unfortunately, mute).