Memories of youth - D&D, FASA, etc.

I am obviously not a prolific blogger. Pretty sad for a guy who has always wanted to be a writer. I've had a copy of how to write and sell your first novel for a few years and haven't gotten around to doing anything yet.
I was literally surfing the web tonight looking up some of the things that used to be huge parts of my life - Dungeons and Dragons, Battletech from FASA days. I was suprised for I think the second time that FASA shut its doors in 2001, selling Battletech to Wizkids LLC! I actually got a tight knot in my stomach thinking about the journeys I'd made to the Great Exchange bookstore in San Antonio, digging around for FASA Battletech manuals. The thrill of having the few dollars needed to get a new technical readout or whatever they were called.
That FASA symbol emblazoned on the books had a real impact on me. If it was FASA produced I knew I'd be pouring over the book, looking at mechs and equipment imagining the hours of fun I planned on spending trying out the new mechs.
I don't think I ever really ended up spending as many hours playing Battletech as I did preparing to play, but that game (The board game for anyone wondering) was amazing.
Unless you played the game I don't think I can explain the thrill. I do remember hearing about the stand up battletech game pods in Dallas that me and some friends wanted to go see, but that never materialized.
My playing buddies in colleger were great. Henry and Mike I believe were the main two. I remember having thrown some pretty bad rolls on the dice and sayin "God Bless America" to which they started singing the next piece "Land that I love."
Oh the memories.
Tied to those memories, and spurred on by some D&D related postings, more memories popped into my head. A picture showed a halfling telling stories to a hovel full of halfing kids. They hair on their feet and legs a giveaway for their race. I was a Basic/Expert/Advanced player. I never got into V2 and while I bought the 3.0 books, only read and never used them.
But that game too is near to my heart. I can't play it today. Heck most of the people I know either never heard of it or, like many adults today, gave it up and don't plan on ever going back. The memories it stirs, though! Friends from Middle to High school and even college, playing together at night and the weekends, though note excesively. Giving it up myself when I got a girlfriend and college was taking too much time.
I don't think I'll ever get those feelings back. Perhaps, but not like in my youth. I do remember discussions with friends that had to do with our (or my) dedication to the game at one time that I told people we'd need to keep playing even up into our 90's to show support.
That of course didn't last.
Now I'm just blogging. Let me go find my vorpal key tapper with a heatsink...