Things to do, things to see.

I took a bit of a break this month to work on some personal things. I've been working on superhero stuff for almost 3 years at this point and  the rpg I picked up for my birthday provided a good excuse. I didn't realize how much I actually needed it until I did it. It felt good. I feel like  I'm going to be able to come back to Welcome to Reedsboro feeling refreshed and invigorated.

I only have half of the last chapter left anyways. Then it's off to editing and layout. This book is almost done on my end.

But what does that mean for you?
-You get more content updates about what is in the book despite me having slowed down.
-Later, I can show some of my personal homebrew notes. A new type of content.

I figure I can let you get a peak at some of what I do at my personal table. How  I explore new games and mechanics. Types of stories even. It'll be rougher stuff than anything I'd want to put into a book. Not as polished and thought through with as much care. But it might show you the seeds of future projects. I'd love to see what you guys react to. I want to try being more active about trying new games and expanding my toolbox of experiences and mechanics. Within my means of course.

But first, let me show you some of chapter 2
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 2
There are plenty of things to do in Reedsboro!

Come explore and discover a quiet beachfront wonder to call your own. There is always something to do in Reedsboro!

-Enjoy Soft Sand Beaches...
At Calhoun Beach where you can swim, surf, and fish our stunning emerald waters. Sail the day away or feed your need for adrenaline with wakeboarding, kite surfing, and jet skis. Or head nearby to one of the many miniature gold courses and arcades for a family memory you’ll never forget.

----
Some terms and conditions may apply. The beach might be mostly free, but parking isn’t. Neither are most of these activities. At least surfing is something you can just do after you save up for a board. Some of the locals prefer to surf at an “unofficial” beach because the waves are bigger, it’s called “The Rocks” because of the very large stones you can end up smashing into. It tends to be the ones teens party at when they don’t want adults bothering them.

We do have about 4 mini-golf courses though of various quality. I think just about every local has spent a birthday at Pirate Cove. Either their own as a kid, or attending one for family, friends, a boss. Probably just as many of them have worked at it over the summer. I like the batting cages personally.
---
-Discover History...
And learn about our shared roots and where our country took shape. Explore colonial estates, enchanting plantations, and the grand confederate navel base Fort Clementine. Watch the past come alive with reenactments and educational museums.

---
Fuck off. “Our”. Nothing “ours” about it. There are very specific parties responsible for those crimes. What sort of monster would describe a plantation as “Enchanting?”. It should be a place of mourning. I can not describe to you how incredibly grim it is to find Jeff Foxworthy books and Drystan’s Brook dvd sets for sales in the gift shop of that place. Revolting.

Most of these museums are just old shit too big or too unwanted for a rich person’s house. Or just a rich person’s house. You get dragged to one of them every school year as a kid.

There is a kernel of something of worth or story to be told in most of these places. But the framing of them are all wrong and often coddle the white fragility of the tourist dollar it attracts. It’s a disservice to the people they are telling stories about. Fairytales about good slave owners and cooperation with the indigenous peoples of this land.

---

-Shopping til you drop...
Is easy to do in our historic downtown. No matter what you’re looking for there is a treasure to find in the over 30 venues and store fronts. Enjoy waterfront dining at 16 different restaurants from fresh seafood to handcrafted ice cream. Yum!

---
Most of these places are too expensive and none of the locals really shop here and you have to be richer to own a shop. There is no place to park and it’s all novelties and gifts for tourist for the most part. Some of the restaurants are decent, but they have lines that will stretch three doors down during the busy season.

I will kill a man for that strawberry cheesecake ice cream though and there is no place like the Cairo.
---

We have events all year round!

-Star Tours!
(Year Round)
See the places your favorite TV shows like Drystan’s Brook, Two Bush Valley, F Club 7 and Youthful Patriots were filmed. Learn about behind the scenes and live out your Coastdale fantasies!

---
Like I know it’s a very tourist town thing to say “fuck tourist” but fuck these guys. They act like the town is a toy and everyone in it is an actor for their pleasure. It’s entitled. I haven’t even seen the show. It’s been off the air for 16 years. But recently we got a new surge of folk because it ended up on streaming.
---

-Pirate Days
(2nd weekend in July)
Yaar! History comes to life in this pirate themed festival! Learn about how pirates really lived in this 3-day extravaganza! Enjoy live music, games, arts and crafts, and more! Enjoy a fireworks show from over the water!

---
It’s goofy fun. It’s basically just a big pirate themed renaissance fair. Very little actual history, but there is some storytelling. It’s mostly an excuse to dress up, do a silly accent, and look at some man trying to sell swords and wizard staffs. Some of the locals get rowdy because it’s one of the few town events that serves alcohol. The island they shot the fireworks from caught on fire once.
---

-Shrimp Festival
(3rd weekend in May)
Celebrate the bounty of the sea with shrimp fest! Check out the delicious offerings from food professionals from all over the region. Enjoy the best arts the coast can offer. Play games and enjoy rides!
---

Okay, but I love shrimp fest. I like the good guilty pleasure food. I like the rides and games. It’s all you want out of a classic country fair experience to be honest. The claim on arts is a bit dubious unless you like dried up old crabs with googly eyes on them. Sometime you just want a seashell hotglued to something else.

Lately some of the chefs in the area have been trying to elevate it to be this sort of hypercompetative bougie food competition. Some weird idea that it’s their path to some cooking reality show gig or something. They’ve been getting really cruel lately about who gets to be a part of it.
---

-Wake! Film Festival
(first weekend in September)
Come see the finest film offerings of rising diverse voices in the Outer Banks! Take part in panels about all parts of the film industry and for every skill level. See performances and exhibitions from artist, musicians, and authors.
---
This is the one you go to if you actually want art. This was a matter of being in the right place at the right time. The Cairo started this at the beginning of the Indie boom of the 90’s when film gear got a lot more accessible and so a lot more people could make movies. At about the same time the show Drystan’s Brook was starting. What started as a way to give marginalized folk of all stripes a platform to actually say something grew into a legitimate film festival. And more importantly it gave the Cairo leverage.

With the money and influence it brought, the fest allowed them to push the town to do other things. The Cairo was in a safer place financially and could start to help others by giving back. It allowed them to force the town to have Pride and eventually a Thrive.
---

-Maritime Christmas Festival
(December 11-25)
For two weeks, downtown Reedsboro is turned into a winter wonderland! Experience our dazzling light parade! Shop for a gift downtown. Find out the traditions of an Outer Banks Christmas from farm to the harbor.
---
Maybe I’d like this more if I didn’t hate Christmas. They slap some lights up and have a couple of booth or events. The local coffee place goes all out.

---
-Pride Fest
(The second weekend in June)
Celebrate diversity in the Outer Banks with an all-ages LGBTQIA+ festival! Reedsboro welcomes all with vendors, performances, and crafts!
---
Kink definitely belongs at pride, but it being an all-ages event was a concession to the town. Pride in the South can still be dangerous. There were and still are a lot of incidents. Attempted sabotages, people trying to pick fights, political stonewalling, and ‘concerned citizens”.

But, at the end of the day it’s nice. Everyone involved does everything in their power to make this just a safe space where you can just have fun for a day or two. Get your face painted, pick up a political flier, and eat a burger. It’s interesting to see which stores are open and which are not.
---

-Thrive Day
(February 19th or nearest Saturday)
Celebrate and learn about our genodivergent neighbors in this day long celebration! Learn with panel and talks, see what our genodiverse locals are doing and making in our communities and beyond with exhibitions and performances!
---
Another thing the Film Festival allowed the Cairo to do. The wording here is atrocious, but if you’ve never been to a Thrive Day celebration they tend to be an invitation to be your whole self as a Geno. It’s a big tradition to use this as a chance to make or contribute to something outside of yourself. Committing to community work (even if you drop it like a new years resolution) is normal. Some folk make something or show off what they’ve been toiling away at. Some folk work away in private even if it’s kind of goes against the spirit of the thing. It’s this whole idea about giving back to the community and showing others that we’re not alone. It’s never about proving you’re worthy which is what a lot of Basics don’t seem to get.

The other half of Thrive is a sort of memorial day. A bittersweet recollection of those we lost. The missing parts of our community and what they brought with them, good and bad, as long as it makes you remember and smile.