Who's Stealing Historicon's Thunder? The Illuminati, of Course.... and They're Hungry

 I'm finally recovered from Historicon. I was powering pretty hard from Thurday, well into Sunday morning, closing bars, waking up early, working off little sleep, and only needing a 20-minute power nap one day to keep going.  Outside of my heels killing me each day (with special orthotics in them that usually work), I was cruising right along.    

Even with a fully licensed driver as my co-pilot, I drove home... the circuitous route, visiting my Mom in Easton, my daughter keeping Grandma company as I knocked out the yard work and some errands for her, before hoping in the car and getting back to my place by 3:30, so she could go home to Albany and meet up with friends for ice cream.  

It was about the time she was getting home that I sat on my couch with the a revelation ringing through my body:  

Hydrate. 

And I heeded my body's pleadings, including holding of on finishing my Historicon 2026 AAR.  I did finish it up early Monday morning for the masses to enjoy, but the time I got to work at 9am, I had a feeling I rarely had as a moderating youth. 

Probably the closest feeling to being hungover since January 1998.  Assuming it was not alcohol related, it might have been an odd con crud, or perhaps my body just couldn't handle a good time anymore. 

For 17 years, HMGS convention reports are usually a big draw, and if I made it to a Historicon, the write-ups still remain in the Top 5 of each year's posts. To be honest, if might be my only post in the quarter that cracks the top 25.  

Regardless, I came home after work on Monday, scarfed some grub, and edited the AAR post and promoted it.  

It's a positive response thus far, even saving most of the gnome pics to it's one separate post yesterday.  

As usual, I expect Historicon to shine in my weekly top 10 at the top spot for a week or three. 

It didn't get a day.  

Because my fear is coming true.  

I didn't mind the influx of bot posts.  I only slightly lamented me quickly accelerating through million mark posts like a hot knife through butter.  But those hits were at the landing/home page, not individual post usually.  

But this past week, Historicon was overshadowed by the Texas Roadhouse Massacre for Illuminati University (IOU) .  A few other random posts emerged from the rubble with a few dozen hits apiece.   Texas Roadhouse Massacre was getting direct hits in the thousands.  

I've got too many #RPGaDay2026 posts to write up, and too many new minis to paint, but I lament the private activity of watching posts grow (and die) naturally....