Gonzai Gallery

After a hellish time trying to get out of the house (which included smashing my head into a kitchen cabinet), I managed to go to the wrong hotel. Then I discovered, after I was there, that there were no concessions at said hotel. You bring you own (which I hadn't) or go to Chili's. Not a big Chili's fan. But at least I got a big, caffeine laden soda out of it.

Also failed to play much, with most folks opting for the 3+ hour mega games and/or preoccupied with the silent auction. I had a list of things I wanted to bid on; 2 didn't make it to the auction, and all but one of the others were also targeted by BSFS, so I didn't want to bid against them. Since I play their game sets at Alphabet Soup, it is to an extent bidding against myself. And I was sniped on the one non-Hal Haag game, a Star Wars game I thought the nephews would love. Final tally? Qwirkle. That was it. Did snag some GCOM swag, pretty purple dice and assorted accessories, and I'm picking up the original Settlers of Cataan tomorrow, but in the end I didn't spend nearly what I expected and my hands are much emptier than I thought.

Did at least get to wrap up the evening by finally playing some games I like (Ticket to Ride & Stone Age) with people I knew. I think that one day of Game Days may well be plenty for me, but we'll see how I feel next year.

Specifically, the last weekend?

Every year, Maryland's biggest dog show is at the Fairgrounds that weekend.
Every year, Frederick, Bowie & Delmarva are all home that weekend.
There are usually 3 conventions I'd like to go to that weekend (2 this year).
Plaza's 'Celebration of Color' (aka free art stuff!) is always that weekend.
And Jeff's birthday is that weekend.

So, no baseball that weekend, and once I finally work out the balance between art, games & dogs, the whole cart may be upset by a birthday event. Spiffy.

The disaster that was Mike's Wii game (and me buying him the Flaming Lips' version of 'Dark Side of the Moon', which it turns out he already had) aside, we did pretty well this Christmas, esp from a fan standpoint. I landed the complete Farscape series, and season 2 of both 'Life' and 'Pushing Daisies'. Plus, of course, Dominion: Intrigue and Dominion: Seaside. Seaside arrived rather beat up, and that's how my poor little brain feels after reviewing the cards. Some of them are almost bizarrely complicated and I don't understand them at all at this point. I'll probably have to pick brains at Alphabet Soup or Farpoint to figure them out. Jack wanted to play them last night, but it was late so I've put him off until today, when we go to their house. There will be much Dominion today...

Mom also pulled in a haul. I got her an under-cabinet radio/CD player, which also has an MP3 input and a cooking timer. Mike installed it last night. He also installed the TV/DVD player he got her for the kitchen, which has a digital tuner so we finally have TV in the kitchen again. And the DVD player is built-in, so hopefully she only has to navigate the open/close button. I also got her a portable CD/cassette/radio box, which also has an MP3 input, so she can listen to anything anywhere. Last but not least, I got her the first 3 seasons of the Mary Tyler Moore Show and the first season of The Rockford Files, so she's in her own version of geek heaven now.

Back to sleep, so I can survive Christmas-crazed nephews...

Every year, my brother and his wife host a crab feast at their place. usually for 30-40 folks. Until this year, it was on Labor Day Sunday, but this year they're giving Saturday a try. And, well, yikes. Almost no one has turned them down. The attendance as of this morning: 72 people. Seventy. Two. With another 30+ maybe attendees. Where the heck will everyone park? Sit? One bathroom for all these people? More than half of them are kids, and over 30 of those are aged 6 or less. I'm packing earplugs. May need a suit of armor. I hear rumors that their cat has already fled the county in anticpation. For myself...I bought little chocolate crabs for those who don't eat crabs. I thought 18 would be plenty. Back to the candy shoppe with me, it appears. Meep.

I lived. I think. I'm exhausted.

The good thing is, CJ got along just fine with the boys, which is a first. Part of the problem is the boys shriek, squeal, yell and move sharply and randomly when CJ is around them, which isn't good with a dog that's highstrung with strangers to start with. But they were a little better last night, and CJ was a lot better. Lots of licks and sniffs, no jumping or barking. She did a lot of tricks on command for me, which is also rare. We may yet get her and the boys to be friends.

( Freaky Friday )
Anyone want/need an entertainment center?

...is finally sitting down to wrap the presents, and discovering I can't find several of them. This time, they're all for my brother. As of press time, his pickings are slim until I find the DVDs and the board game I know I got for him. And the elder nephew's stocking is also AWOL. *face palm*

Showtime again tomorrow. Means frantic work tonight, getting up at an ungodly hour tomorrow, 8 hours of hard, physical work and cheerful selling, often at the same time, before dragging myself home. I was looking forward to a quiet evening at home with takeout and football, then sleeping all Sunday morning, something I desperately need.

Nope. I knew Mom was babysitting the nephews Saturday night; I just found out, she's doing it at home, overnight. I have to entertain the boys all night Saturday, and likely in the morning; even if I don't have to watch them in the morning, they'll be too noisy for me to sleep. I love them, really I do, but I really needed the rest this weekend.