We've been playing a lot lately -- although one of my two campaigns hasn't managed to have a session in a while. 

My "serious" group has a core of 5 guys who are going to Gencon and we're going to be playing in both the D&D Championship and the Goodman Games tournament.  We've been doing a lot of practicing  with our championship characters -- playing extra evening sessions, in addition to my home campaign for that group. 

That group's home game seems to have turned a corner for me, at least emotionally.  For some reason, this round in the big chair started out really rocky for me -- very stressed out, very insecure about my game, etc.  Now . . . well ... I still finish each session with a sense of the many, many things I want to try to do better in future games, but at least I feel like the guys are having a good time.

We are playing at paragon levels now -- just hit level 14.  I find, with out group at this level I need to really be on top of my game (and I'm frequently not) to challenge the party.  One or two mistakes in the design of an encounter and it just isn't as challenging as I had hoped.  And in the 6 sessiosn we've played in paragon levels, I don't think I've knocked a PC out once -- there's good healing in the party, a still broken battlerager (I'm letting him play his broken rules until the character builder is updated) and it's just hard to put the party back on their heels.  But, they're having a good time, and that's the important thing.

I'm really started to get tingly about gencon.  I want to check out gaming paper in person . . . . and look for other game aids in the vendor hall.  And then, the games.  Very excited.

-john