I have been role playing gaming (paper and dice type) since 1979 or so.
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I have played and gm'd/dm'd most gaming systems in a lot of genres, but prefer fantasy/Tolkien settings the most for long term campaigns, but will play just about anything if it's a decent group.
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I'm detailing my background in the [read more] section of this article in case you're interested.
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I'm planning to move to Spokane in 1-3 months and am hoping to either join or create a new gaming group for gaming in Middle-earth using "whatever" system. Click [read more] for details...

I first started my introduction to the RPG world around 1979, I was only 9 years old, when a cousin DM'd (Dungeon Master) througha Dungeons & Dragons adventure, using an NPC character sheet.
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Later on I hooked up with an older kid who started Gming me, and soon were doing Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. By 1984 I was GMing D&D, AD&D, MERP, Rolemaster, and others.
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I started to feed my "habit" by figuring out ways to make money gaming so I could keep buying more dice, lead figures, modules, and rule books. I became and RPGA member around then.
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I started GMing 3 groups on the weekends around 1985, onward.
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Two Saturday groups around 4-8 players, and one Sunday group anywhere from 8-12 (And for about 2months up to 20 players).
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I posted at all the hobby stores and libraries about the games available, and people would call and join.
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I charged $1 per game session per player.
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This added up fast, to around 20-40 bucks a weekend. That was good for enough "supplies".
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Games would sometimes be at my house, or at a local library using their free "quiet rooms".
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So, I arranged at a library to have about 50 games, with "subGMs" gming about 4-8 players each.
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I then setup a local "con" (Convention)
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Each player paid $1 per player per session.
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Every GM was given the same aventures, that I created from scratch, I GM'd as well.
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AS groups slowly had players die off throughout the day, those who succeeded/survived, would hang around to join the "main" group I was Gming, after going through a few other subGms.
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Eventually after the library's closing time (we started at 8 am, and they let us stay late until midnight, the final group survived and achieved the final goals of the final module. It was a blast!
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A lot of those eliminated just hung around to watch, and it was fun having the energy of an involved audience. It was a LOT of work preparing. I didn't have any prizes or anything arranged for make it to the final group, the fun and challenge itself was the reward.
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I used to game insance amounts from 8 to 16 to 24 hours a day, for a whole weekend, or even longer when school was out, between whatever jobs I had (working since 9 years old).
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Gaming has slowly taken a back seat to "real life" over the years, but it is always there.
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I prefer gaming most in  J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth setting, I don't really care "That much" about which system. I've used ICE's MERP, Rolemaster (various), Harnmaster, and have the Decipher rules, but haven't hooked up with any Decipher gamers yet to really play test it.
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I created back in 1998, merp.com and took over the mailing list from Mario shortly thereafter that he had been hosting for years via silent-tower.org. He still hosts the rolemaster and many other lists.
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Several years ago I handed the reigns of the merp.com to an international team of volunteers. They have now run for years the mailing list, website, forums, servers, and more.
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I have created various software programs and sites over the years to hepl assist GMs and players in RPGing.
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Suitegm - www.suitegm.com
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MerpMaker
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GamerFinder
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and various little utilities.
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I also successfully setup and used audio/video conferencing over the Internet to game with players all over the world simultaneously.
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I hope when I have better bandwidth again, I will do so again.
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Meanwhile I'm looking for players to hook up with in the Spokane, Washington area.
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Please email me at hawke[at}hawkes-haven.com if interested.
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I have all my materials still for ICE MERP, RM, and many, many, many, many other game systems.
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Here's a not quite complete list of the game systems I have and have played/gm'd:
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D&D/AD&D
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MERPS/RM2/RMSS/RMFRP
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Harnmaster
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Call of Cthulu
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Paranoia
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Star Wars
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Elric/Stormbringer
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Mechwarrior
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Battletech
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Robotech
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Car Wars (modifed to be more RPG style)
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Robin Hood
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Top Secret SI
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Thieves' World
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Elfquest (played, don't have)
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I'll be moving to the Spokane area around December/January 2003/2004.