Ah. . . but my story is far too sad.  I am well past the point of realizing that it has been over 12 years since I have played an RPG. . .  and it looks increasingly unlikely I ever will again. . .

I buy and sell a lot on eBay. . . not only do I make much needed cash, but large amount of items have passed through my hands in the last couple of years.  Sometimes I siphon off something here and there and keep it on the shelves. . . sometimes I read some "low grade" books (ones I am not in danger of damaging any further).  I don't even have time to create campaigns and modules that I will never get a chance to play. . . I know not one single person (who is not a member of these forums) who plays RPG's and it wouldn't matter if I did.

So, you see, I am left to the truly pathetic recourse of imagining how a particular game might play out.  The barebones mechanics are what strike me most - creative campaign worlds. . . .well, I have always created my own, so I usually envision a game in the context of a setting that I would make.  Unfortunately, this creates quite a gap between how I imagine something would play out and how it actually does.  

The Campaign Setting?  I am just assuming that any long-term game is safely nested in a playable and intriguing world.  What is of particular interest to me is how the mechanics of a game work after years of play?  I know how D&D works. . .  we all know how D&D works. . . but I have very little insight into how Space Opera (for instance) functions after many gaming sessions.

Perhaps someday, when my kids are grown up more, I can entice them into gathering together some friends and DM once more. . . too bad I only have one child right now and she is only 6 months old. . .   that's a lot of years to wait