It was a really good weekend
Jul. 2nd, 2007 10:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dagibbsI hosted my usual July 1st long-weekend party this weekend. There was a bit more toing and froing than usual, and the weather was cooler and more rainy than usual, but that just meant more gaming and less swimming.
Actually, I think it managed to rain a couple times a day every day, but this alternated with brilliant clear sunny periods, giving some nice times to be out of doors, and even some good opportunities for swimming. And, with the rapidly changing weather, we had a good breeze much of the time. This meant, at least for me and most of the not-super-bug-delicious people that the insect issue was minimal -- I never bothered or even thought of bothering with bug repellent, and I think I might have one bite from the weekend.
Also, the moon was full or near-full the whole weekend, and with some very clear nights, I had some of the most brilliant moonlight I've ever seen. Bright enough to not just see the other side of the lake, but to be able to distinguish rock sections from tree sections on the other side of the lake. Bright enough to do shadow puppets using moonlight.
Food seemed to go quite well. Especial thanks to gabriel_le for the help in planning, and for the baking of several wonderful desserts in advance of the weekend, to foms for the handling of the burritos for Saturday dinner, and to raynedayze for the doing Saturday and Sunday breakfasts.
Gaming started right off on Friday evening, with two playings of Dead Man's Treasure, a game I had been thank-you gifted a while ago, but had not yet got around to playing. It plays very quickly, I think in the 15-minute time frame, but is a fun little game. We followed this with another quick game - TransEuropa.
On Saturday, I started with a game of Caylus in the morning, then after lunch pulled out Brittania, which I knew would be long, but wanted to play since I had bought it at Cangames and had not played it since and didn't get a complete game done then. Both were 4 player games, and other gaming ran in parallel (including, I think, St Petersburg twice and Mexica which is another new game which I've played once elsewhere but not yet on my copy, and possibly other stuff, but I don't know for sure.) We wrapped up Saturday night with a game of St Petersburg, but really it was played on Sunday since it was started after midnight.
On Sunday, we sat down to Rail Baron at gabriel_le's request. She'd played and enjoyed it at Cangames, and wanted to play again. It is an old game (1977), ancient compared to the rest of what we played. It ended up being the second mega-game of the weekend, running close to 6 hours before we agreed to resign the game to the player who was doing a lot better than the rest of us. Early Rail Baron has a bit of decisions -- what rail network to buy, should I buy now or later -- but once all the rail has gone, and once every has a superchief it detiorates to a pure luck, roll-and-move type game -- yet such a type of game that can take quite an extended period of time. I think it will take much arm-twisting to get me to play Rail Baron again -- but I'm glad I did give it an honest try. During dinner prep, I got in a quick game of Aquadukt, a new game that con_girl had brought up with her when she arrived on Sunday. It was quite fun and I'd like to give it another try. I won (33 to 32 and 32), but I'm not entirely sure why nor do I have any clear idea of correct strategy. For the evening, we played two games of Apples to Apples, in which everyone played, and much laughter and fun was had by all. I really do enjoy A-2-A from time to time, but I also feel it could quickly get old, and it also needs a goodly sized group (at least 5 or 6, I'd say [we had 7] to be really much fun). And, like so many games involving (essentially) improvisational humour/comedy, it also really depends on the crowd. (ansfrid does great pro-wrestler.)
We didn't have nearly so much gaming time Monday, with clean up and pack out needing to be done. But, we pulled out another game I've had for a while but not played: Relationship Tightrope. This was a Tanga purchase, based on the reviews suggesting a good game hidden under painful theme. And, lo, this was true -- it actually is a pretty good little game under the relationship issues and pink stick theme. Then we finished the weekend with another playing of Caylus.
Thank you everyone that came, it was a pleasure to have you there, you're all wonderful guests.
I'm sorry, those of you who couldn't make it, got delayed, or had to leave early due to last-minute chaos and trouble. I hope that next year is less troublesome.
Actually, I think it managed to rain a couple times a day every day, but this alternated with brilliant clear sunny periods, giving some nice times to be out of doors, and even some good opportunities for swimming. And, with the rapidly changing weather, we had a good breeze much of the time. This meant, at least for me and most of the not-super-bug-delicious people that the insect issue was minimal -- I never bothered or even thought of bothering with bug repellent, and I think I might have one bite from the weekend.
Also, the moon was full or near-full the whole weekend, and with some very clear nights, I had some of the most brilliant moonlight I've ever seen. Bright enough to not just see the other side of the lake, but to be able to distinguish rock sections from tree sections on the other side of the lake. Bright enough to do shadow puppets using moonlight.
Food seemed to go quite well. Especial thanks to gabriel_le for the help in planning, and for the baking of several wonderful desserts in advance of the weekend, to foms for the handling of the burritos for Saturday dinner, and to raynedayze for the doing Saturday and Sunday breakfasts.
Gaming started right off on Friday evening, with two playings of Dead Man's Treasure, a game I had been thank-you gifted a while ago, but had not yet got around to playing. It plays very quickly, I think in the 15-minute time frame, but is a fun little game. We followed this with another quick game - TransEuropa.
On Saturday, I started with a game of Caylus in the morning, then after lunch pulled out Brittania, which I knew would be long, but wanted to play since I had bought it at Cangames and had not played it since and didn't get a complete game done then. Both were 4 player games, and other gaming ran in parallel (including, I think, St Petersburg twice and Mexica which is another new game which I've played once elsewhere but not yet on my copy, and possibly other stuff, but I don't know for sure.) We wrapped up Saturday night with a game of St Petersburg, but really it was played on Sunday since it was started after midnight.
On Sunday, we sat down to Rail Baron at gabriel_le's request. She'd played and enjoyed it at Cangames, and wanted to play again. It is an old game (1977), ancient compared to the rest of what we played. It ended up being the second mega-game of the weekend, running close to 6 hours before we agreed to resign the game to the player who was doing a lot better than the rest of us. Early Rail Baron has a bit of decisions -- what rail network to buy, should I buy now or later -- but once all the rail has gone, and once every has a superchief it detiorates to a pure luck, roll-and-move type game -- yet such a type of game that can take quite an extended period of time. I think it will take much arm-twisting to get me to play Rail Baron again -- but I'm glad I did give it an honest try. During dinner prep, I got in a quick game of Aquadukt, a new game that con_girl had brought up with her when she arrived on Sunday. It was quite fun and I'd like to give it another try. I won (33 to 32 and 32), but I'm not entirely sure why nor do I have any clear idea of correct strategy. For the evening, we played two games of Apples to Apples, in which everyone played, and much laughter and fun was had by all. I really do enjoy A-2-A from time to time, but I also feel it could quickly get old, and it also needs a goodly sized group (at least 5 or 6, I'd say [we had 7] to be really much fun). And, like so many games involving (essentially) improvisational humour/comedy, it also really depends on the crowd. (ansfrid does great pro-wrestler.)
We didn't have nearly so much gaming time Monday, with clean up and pack out needing to be done. But, we pulled out another game I've had for a while but not played: Relationship Tightrope. This was a Tanga purchase, based on the reviews suggesting a good game hidden under painful theme. And, lo, this was true -- it actually is a pretty good little game under the relationship issues and pink stick theme. Then we finished the weekend with another playing of Caylus.
Thank you everyone that came, it was a pleasure to have you there, you're all wonderful guests.
I'm sorry, those of you who couldn't make it, got delayed, or had to leave early due to last-minute chaos and trouble. I hope that next year is less troublesome.
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Insects
Date: 2007-07-03 03:31 pm (UTC)I am tasty for mosquitoes and I got bug bit, but I didn't really register just how badly until Sunday (I was just absentmindedly itchy on Saturday).
I got somewhere between a dozen bites, including a cluster of 6-7 down my arm to the elbow. One of the bites on my leg seems to have been from something meaner than a mosquito, the skin is all red around the bite and the bump is bigger than my mosquito bites.
I'm a little surprised since I don't remember noticing getting bit by anything during the weekend, in fact I remember noticing how unmosquito-y it was.
Re: Insects
Date: 2007-07-03 05:08 pm (UTC)Meaner than a mosquito might be a black fly -- they take a chunk out, instead of sucking blood, but injecting an anti-coagulant. It is the anti-coagulant that is the problem with mosquitos, most people react to it, to some degree or other.
Re: Insects
Date: 2007-07-03 09:01 pm (UTC)Black fly was my theory. And slightly more comforting than my other theory which was spider.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-03 03:48 pm (UTC)Caylus was fun, although I got too tired by the end of it to be a proper player.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-03 05:04 pm (UTC)