Went to a job fair for community colleges that are hiring for Fall... Schmoozed... Some people liked my goofy hair (it will Speak to the Youth) and chatter of writing and teh Internets; some didn't; some tried to hire me on the spot to be their bilingual program administrator, and I'm not fully bilingual.
I shudder to think what my hair would speak, if it could.
The yosemite/modesto people were super cool. They have a program called "BEYOND TOLERANCE" with posters and litle pins. Every month they have beyond tolerance discussions and speakers. Hmmm! I liked them best, and they liked me.
Ran into J. Ramos, a poety playwriting guy... he is after me to join his monthly writing group. He heard me read once I guess. A nice guy! I was thinking, his group should come to an open mike, by invitation, all at once... and all read! slam east bay and peninsula together at high speed! He wears a beret and talks very fast...and said "you can bring your HUSBAND" ... ahhahah, funny! my god, white woman alone not GOING to any oakland writer-guy group. without bodyguard! Jeeeeeeeeez. As if.
So, Joe was sweet, I'm curious to see his work, I remember his happy reading at the 20th anniversary thing, the big event at the unitarian church downtown, off in a corner room with salsa.
Off to games day at a strangers' house. Will remain a stranger. How rude Crawla was , all round voted most likely to be rude ... Mean, surly, unhelpful, cold, and vile. To me, to Rook, to Moomin, and to Eliz, which sent me berserk. Crawla, I'm glad I corrected your misunderstandings of the rules and Crawla I'm glad I kicked your ASS in a complex game I'd never played before. If I ever come to your house again I'll stick gum under the table and to the gum I'll stick a card that says "boo yah, i kicked your child-hating, ocd houseproud, condescending ass at Puerto Rico and I'll do it again."
Ah, Puerto Rico!
I've been dying to play that for ages ever since I got it.
Very complex or easily teachable?
Fun or not so fun? It's been said it's the best boardgame of all time, whatever that means.
(I'm eagerly bringing it to BGHD.)
Posted by: bri | January 30, 2006 at 09:35 AM
I wouldn't call it the best boardgame of all time.
It was fun, and it had strategy and some cutthroat competition, and I love an economic development/resource management game, but I prefer a game with somewhat less randomness factor. It has a lot of ticky complicated little bits to it, slightly intimidating for people to see at first, but really not hard at all. It requires a bit of focus on turn phase procedure. If I were teaching it to people I would teach by having a couple of practice rounds. And then start over for real.
Posted by: badgerbag | January 30, 2006 at 10:08 AM
Economic/resource management game with less randomness and fewer complications:
Power Grid.
Connect cities (either in the US or Germany) by supplying them with power with power plants bought at auction. (I suppose there are various tradeoffs to be made as far as having plants running on various resources: coal, oil, trash(?), nuclear, renewables.)
(also will be eagerly brought to BGHD, because I am a huge nerd. I am also quietly building up spousal points to I can go to the 3/4 Gathering of Nerds in Los Altos.)
Posted by: bri | January 30, 2006 at 11:14 AM