Gamer delight

Current mood: cue the nostalgia

When I first started playing board games with this group, I thought it would be kind of lame. I really liked the people and wanted to spend more time with them, but boards games seemed like such a geeky, indoor, homey (and possible hokey) way to spend a weekend night - pretty much the kind of entertainment I was running away from (my past, my childhood, what have you). At first, I pushed for Sundays and afternoon, but was mostly vetoed by the majority. In the beginning, I didn't really like these games of "strategerie" and got easily confused (selective memory for detail is NOT a good thing in this context) and frustrated. I did, however, always enjoy the gathering of collegial spirits, the FOOD!, and the general camraderie.

And yet, last night marked the passing of a bona fide era in my life. I've been hanging out with these people, playing new and old games, chatting and chomping the night away, and loving just about every minute for nearly 4 years. First off, HOLY CR*P! does time fly by, and secondly, I'm really going to miss some of my closest friends. Folks have come, gone (well, mostly gone), and been born, guests have dropped in, but the core of our little group has stayed intact for far longer than usual D.C. probability (people only live here for 2-year stints, right?!). Thirdly, I guess my inner slight nerdiness was neither so "inner," nor so slight. I love games!!!! Of course, my liking grew in direct proportion to how well I understood the game. (I'm still, um, unhappy when I play badly or when I lose, ahem, tantrums.) Now that we are no longer a minimum of three, random games of Settlers, Puerto Rico, Risk, Trains, and Allahambra are far less likely to happen, and definitely not in our usual configuration for a long, long time. And that is an unqualified sad thing. Either I've come a long way, or haven't gone anywhere at all, and I don't really care which it is. I'll really miss you guys!!!!!!!