A Serious House On Serious Girth
...possibly this is the most tired I have felt overall in a few weeks. Truth be told, I have been exhausted for a while now. Physically, mentally, emotionally...the drill. It is as if life has become one giant hall of mirrors. The insanity I see here is playing out over there and on television and in the store and on and on. All of today, I have been feeling like I have been pulled into Grant Morrison's Arkham Asylum. If I stop for gasoline tonight, how likely am I to see The Joker skipping through the parking lot in stiletto heels? I am actively trying to be little more than a quiet observer. Five minutes spent on Facebook alone shatters the smallest twinge of serenity. At this point in life, I suppose avoiding becoming a victim of actual cannibalism is considered a victory.
...it was this time last year that I essentially slapped together a 4,500 word short story for the Chicago Tribune annual writing competition. Even in those moments, I knew that what I was crafting was not really my best work. In a sense, I only know if something has potential to be good work based on the objective input of others. To be blunt, I simply wanted to get my name in the hat.
Having gone through the process, I had a year to prepare something more intriguing. As is my usual level of ambition, I waited until about a month ago to even start writing anything. Only this year, I ended up being really satisfied with the outcome. It needs some touch up, but my submission entitled Lyle is completed for entry. Time will tell if it nets me anything, but I'm fairly proud of this attempt of mine for once. Perhaps more on this at a later date...
...gaming in our overall group generally tops out around three people at a time. While a few people have expressed general interest in joining us here and there, it usually turns out to be my brother and I in a pinch. The downside is the lack of deeper strategy that comes with multiple opponents. The upside lies in our collective pairing being able to whip through game after game of certain titles. Carcasonne has been the flagship game for such evenings where time is short and desire runs high.
Carcasonne has been a game bandied about as a good introductory title for newcomers to non-traditional Euro/strategy games. Others mentioned are usually Settlers Of Catan, Dominion and Ticket To Ride. Both Settlers and Dominion have been played a few times amongst our friends, but Carcasonne has become a growing favorite.
Pretty much anyone heavily into these types of games has likely already played Carcasonne years before I even gave purchasing it serious consideration. The only reason I even bought it when I did was because I found it at Half Price Books in the shrink wrap. I initially bought it as just another alternate for broaden our options. Instead, Carcasonne has quickly become one of my favorite games ever concocted by human hands.
There is a simple elegance to the general play style of Carcasonne. Each player need only match all sides of land tiles with corresponding tiles already on the table. The mechanics are simple enough to teach a 6-year old, but the depth of strategy is ocean deep. The manner in which scoring takes place is crafted where no current lead is safe. A 30-point in-game can evaporate in an instant at the end.
There are many other games I will recommend and many more I am dying to get my hands on, but I cannot stress how much I truly love the game Carcasonne. If you read this and have any passing interest in finding a new board game, seek this one out immediately.
Read: Blood On The Mink by Robert Silverberg
Listen: Kiss It Goodbye Choke EP
Watch: Eastbound & Down
...it was this time last year that I essentially slapped together a 4,500 word short story for the Chicago Tribune annual writing competition. Even in those moments, I knew that what I was crafting was not really my best work. In a sense, I only know if something has potential to be good work based on the objective input of others. To be blunt, I simply wanted to get my name in the hat.
Having gone through the process, I had a year to prepare something more intriguing. As is my usual level of ambition, I waited until about a month ago to even start writing anything. Only this year, I ended up being really satisfied with the outcome. It needs some touch up, but my submission entitled Lyle is completed for entry. Time will tell if it nets me anything, but I'm fairly proud of this attempt of mine for once. Perhaps more on this at a later date...
Carcasonne has been a game bandied about as a good introductory title for newcomers to non-traditional Euro/strategy games. Others mentioned are usually Settlers Of Catan, Dominion and Ticket To Ride. Both Settlers and Dominion have been played a few times amongst our friends, but Carcasonne has become a growing favorite.
Pretty much anyone heavily into these types of games has likely already played Carcasonne years before I even gave purchasing it serious consideration. The only reason I even bought it when I did was because I found it at Half Price Books in the shrink wrap. I initially bought it as just another alternate for broaden our options. Instead, Carcasonne has quickly become one of my favorite games ever concocted by human hands.
There is a simple elegance to the general play style of Carcasonne. Each player need only match all sides of land tiles with corresponding tiles already on the table. The mechanics are simple enough to teach a 6-year old, but the depth of strategy is ocean deep. The manner in which scoring takes place is crafted where no current lead is safe. A 30-point in-game can evaporate in an instant at the end.
There are many other games I will recommend and many more I am dying to get my hands on, but I cannot stress how much I truly love the game Carcasonne. If you read this and have any passing interest in finding a new board game, seek this one out immediately.
Read: Blood On The Mink by Robert Silverberg
Listen: Kiss It Goodbye Choke EP
Watch: Eastbound & Down
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