Last Night

2006-09-01 - 11:14 a.m.

Well, I kept my promise to myself.

I spend an awful lot of time behind this keyboard, doing this and that. Last night, as I mentioned yesterday, I wanted to go somewhere other than my job or the living room.

I wanted OUT.

So I went to the local El Torito, had dinner, and read for awhile. The change of scene was nice.

Then I took a trip down the freeway to a game store called GameMaster. I had heard about it from my boardgaming group, and wanted to make a pre-emptive run to find out what they had.

Anyone who goes to an unfamiliar mall alone looking for a small store knows that there is one inviolable rule: you will always park at the end farthest from your target. I knew it would happen, and I was right. I got to walk the length of the mall to get to GameMaster. But I found it.

Oh. My. God.

First off, this store is easily three times the size of my local store. There are entire wall sections devoted to chess sets, to puzzles, to darts, to different types of dice, to "family" board games...and literally tens of special editions of Monopoly. I kid you not: Star Wars Monopoly. Garfield Monopoly. New York Mets Monopoly. US Army Monopoly. Great US Cities Monopoly. Muppet Show (and Sesame Street) Monopoly. And on and on and on.

There were a few long tables set up in the middle of the store; evidently each Thursday night is chess night. I watched but did not participate, since I'm a lousy chess player. But a couple guys played at least four games while I was there.

And of course there were islands spread out with different genres of games on them. One display had at least ten different special editions of UNO, including one for the Angels!

The guys behind the counter (yes, they worked and didn't play CCGs) were very nice, even before I mentioned my gaming group. I was directed to an island of the games we tend to play, and told that the section had been set up BECAUSE WE'D BEEN COMING IN. And I was told that, if the store didn't have it and their distributors carried it, they would get it within a week.

I spent about an hour, just wander and drooling. I even found something Ai Vy could use: actual Bicycle brand playing cards with Braille markings in the corners (she's legally blind, you see - and no comments about her marrying Charlie just because she couldn't see what he looks like). And I later found out from Charlie that the price GameMaster was charging for such a deck was HALF of what the Braille Institute was asking.

I didn't get anything, but I promised I would be back within a week or so. I got a handshake and an invitation to come back any time.

Oh, I will. Count on that.

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When I got home, I was tired but still didn't quite want to sit at the keyboard again...and I didn't feel like turning on the TV.

So I moved a whole bunch of stuff from the living room to the storage cabinets, and moved the table and chairs into a new position. Then I called Charlie to let him know, so that Ai Vy didn't stub her toes when she came in.

THEN I sat behind the keyboard, found out Brin was on Yahoo, and we chatted for awhile before I found the Game Shows Go Bananas shows.

I finally sacked out around 3am.

I still stay up too late.

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Oh, and today's title comes from The Traveling Wilburys...one of the last "supergroups".

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If you think you spend a lot of time at the computer, get out amongst the 3D people. Go play a game. Have dinner at a nice restaurant.

Who knows? We may meet in person someday.

Till then...be seeing you.

John - 2006-09-01 14:26:57 -
They REALLY need to re-release all the Traveling Wilburys CDs! I've heard a rumor that Dhani Harrison plans to release remastered versions with extra tracks some time in 2006 or 2007. Sigh. Long wait, I think.

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Chel - 2006-09-01 21:27:02 - http://aberrations.diaryland.com/
3D people can be scary. Hi! I'm Chel (short for Michelle). I was updating and your banner popped up. Looked cool, saw you were in my age range and I checked you out. :)

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