Gonzai Gallery

Home now from Euroquest, four days of games and serious humbling and social graces or not, as the case sometimes was. Besides the Can't Stop and Lost Cities wins Friday, I won exactly one game - a Stone Age match Friday afternoon. That was it for me and winning. After Thursday, I couldn't win a Wild Card game for anything and after Friday I couldn't win, period. I somehow squeaked into the Stone Age semi-final (I was ranked 16th and they took 16 players) and finished 3rd in that, for a 12th place finish overall. I didn't beat 25th or so in anything else, and that finish was in Ra, which I played solely to kill time. I was absolutely destroyed in Ticket to Ride & Dominion. Good thing there were no crows around and my ego isn't invested in winning.

Meanwhile, I met up with old friends and made many new friends, including one who came to EQ from Romania. Yes, Romania. Of course, she also wiped the walls with me at every game, but we had fun. (There was also an attendee who came from Israel to play. I'm not sure but they're crazy...) Taught a few games to people, including some of the younger set, and hopefully convinced some folks to join in with the GCOM fun. Of course, had to deal with one obnoxious yo-yo all weekend including consecutive games on Friday, which left me unsuccessfully begging the GameMaster to please put this jerk at another table, I already spent two hours trying not to strangle him. Apparently there was a lot of 'please don't make me play with Jason' going around the whole room. I behaved financially, eating economically (Subway/McDs/7-11) and buying a whopping two items, a Christmas present for Jack and one item for myself. Shouldn't have done that, but darn it, I need some level of treat.

Tomorrow I get to work on the expensive requirements the class just dropped on me (background check I have to pay them for, a tetanus shot and a copy of my high school diploma) plus an MRI on the much-pained shoulder and the class itself. But tonight, yes, it is: Sunday Night Football, Ravens at Steeler. Oh yes.

LET'S GO RAVENS!!!!!!

Yes, I did decide to get up bizarrely early today, but not as much as I might have. I passed on Target's sale in favor of sleeping another hour and going to less insane stores (I've had poor experiences at Target on BF). Kmart was a breeze, except that most of the clothes I hoped to get for my mother weren't there or weren't in her size. Got a couple though, and sailed through the cash-only line. When I got back in the car, the DJ was playing Root Boy Slim's 'Christmas At K-Mart'. Snerk. No luck for Mom at Modell's either, I'd like to get her something of Ray Rice but she doesn't wear t-shirts and jerseys are way out of my price range. In range, however, was a Ravens windbreaker, and I've been needing a light jacket as I don't have one. Then to Office Depot, where I got the last of the hard drives I was eying - cost more than Target's, but still way cheaper than usual and without the drama of Target. Picked up an assortment of stocking stuffers while there, then went home, picked up Mom and we went to Michael's in search of more stuffers. I actually managed to find some ornaments, which makes me happy. Then to breakfast, which was nearly disaster when we found out 2 of the restaurant's 3 cooks didn't bother showing up for work. Didn't take as long as they said to get our order though, and that may have been the best bacon I've ever had.

Hung around the house for a while hoping UPS would come for the Amazon return, but they didn't. So off to Elkridge for an extended gaming day, normally they start at 7 but this time it was noon and I was there by 3. Full house, as it turned out. Learned Metro (and nearly won it), got my first look at Dominion: Prosperity (and almost won that), taught Can't Stop and 10 Days in the Americas, and ate a lot of pie before giving a ride home to someone I never met before today. Turned out she lives less than a mile from me so I insisted I drive her instead of the host (it would be an hour round-trip for him, 3 minutes for me. He saw the logic :) ) And now winding down.

Yesterday was a weird day at work - our California counsel was in town and working in the cube across from me most of the day, so I actually had to do busy work all day. My hands did not like this. Then all the attorneys wanted to go out drinking after work. I didn't. However, I had found out earlier in the week that Mom had once again told Mike & Janine I'd babysit for them without asking me, or even mentioning it until two days beforehand. So I was able to get out of the pub crawling, as I had been, in the words of one attorney, 'nephewed'. We took the little guys to Applebee's, then came home and played Dominion until Clone Wars came on. The boys really like that, apparently.

The boys had us up early this morning, wanting to play more Dominion, then wanting to try 'Killer Bunnies'. But Mike had said they'd come back for the boys 8:30-9, so I didn't want to start another game. They showed up for the kids at 10:30. Then Mike decided to pick a fight with me over next week's crab feast - it's been on Sundays for 10 years, but this year it's on a Saturday and I made the mistake of asking why the change. He went off on me. Now...probably won't bother going. Mike has made it very clear over the past year that he doesn't like me and doesn't want me at his house, so gaming sounds much better to me than a day of abuse.

After they left, we went shopping - I went for shoes & slippers, wound up with several tops of various weights from July to January. Seem to have a lavender thing going. Then grocery shopping, a trip to the gym, catching up on TV (only Haven left) and now watching the Ravens pre-season game. (Just a very nice touchdown scored on 4th down by the Men In Purple. Awesome.) Eureka had another great line - James Callis' character was asked if he was hallucinating, he said yes, I see a tall blonde in a slinky red dress. Nearly put me on the floor LOL.

Tomorrow, back to the usual. I should go to the Keys game, as I haven't gone all year. But I'll probably talk myself out of it again.

Home from Farpoint, and kind of wishing I hadn't left the con. I'll get back to that.

( The gist of things )

Finally made it back to Alphabet Soup (a gaming group affiliated with the Baltimore Sci-Fi Society) as their schedule and mine were finally amenable. Learned a couple more Seaside cards, and learned two new games, Cloud 9 (eh) and Ticket to Ride (excellent; new obsession?) Played some more Ticket to Ride online when I got home, but that one you have to pay for. I'll probably do it.

I played a few games of Dominion online earlier today. Nothing unusual. Came back to play again and...there's Seaside cards in it! I was under the impression the online version wasn't going to get any more Intrigue cards (they have 5 of the 25) and none at all of Seaside. Wowees!

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go learn to use Haven & Island. Woo-hoo!


ETA - Schmugglers!

...but Mom finally seems to be understanding Dominion. Mostly, anyway, playing additional cards on a hand is still past her but she's gotten the hang of buying and drawing. Now we need fresh meat to come play with us and complete her learning curve.

Mwahaha, another victim claimed!

Okay, finally getting around to this.

Sunday morning I was in early to the art show, which is only open for pickup (both artists and buyers) and until noon. Plenty of people, both artists and not, really took their time coming to get their stuff, and a couple of artists were bound and determined to just grab it and run. The staff, of course, would prefer they turned in the paperwork showing what didn't sell and sign a confirmation that what was left was returned to them. More interesting, however, were the six pieces of art that were sold, but no one ever came back for them. Three were Sarah Clemens pieces; including the two that the family who practically yanked the things out of my hands Friday night had bought! They paid for the pieces Friday, and never came back for them. Another person did the same thing, paying for a piece and never coming back. The other three pieces? All mine. Three different buyers bid on three different pieces of mine, and none of them paid for them or came back for them. Dammit. My sales this year were half of last year's to start with, and those 3 pieces knocked another 25% off what I made this year. Double dammit. Arseholes. They won't be allowed to bid on art next year but that doesn't help me now.

Anyhoo, once the show actually closed, I did another pass at the dealer's room and picked up a small stuffed ferret. Very cute. Put him in my backpack with just the head peeking out of a pocket. Very adorable, if I dare say so myself. With many recommendations, I decided to get a Christopher Heyerdahl autograph after all. He was very amiable indeed and we discussed Dr Who for a bit. I told him there was a Supernatural panel later, he said he might drop in. Then I went to the Terminator panel, where we had to suffer through what I thought may have been the dumbest person ever to come to a panel. (Panel moderator Lorenzo said later the dummy wasn't the dumbest...but was definitely a top three finalist.) Apparently, nothing this guy saw in the show or the movie registered, but he considered himself an expert on the show. Oy. Then jslinder and I went up to the game room to play Dominion and taught a newbie the game. The game ran into the Supernatural timeslot, so I started playing to end the game instead of win. You got it - I won anyway. I was late to the panel, but in plenty of time to catch Heyerdahl's appearance at the panel. He did the Alistair voice for us :) Much fun. Then it was back to the game room and multiple games of Dominion with a variety of folk, including one guy who was just waiting in the hallway for his wife. We got him playing and he nearly won his first game. I blew out at 7pm, needing dinner and wanting to watch CoE.

And that was Shore Leave weekend.