Eagerly Awaiting Winter

Just can't seem to play many games during the summer months. Everybody is either working overtime, fishing or taking kids to soccer practice. My stack of recently acquired unplayed games is rather large. Alexander, Antiquity, Britania, Citadels, Il Principe, La Citta, Masons, Medici, PUNCT, Rommel in the Desert, Siena, Silverton, Torres, Warrior Knights, World of Warcraft, Ys, 2038.

These games are in addition to my perpetual list of unplayed games. A Line in the Sand, Anno 1503, Attack and Expansion, Bobby Lee, Borderlands, Cafe International, Chariot Lords, Clash of Gladiators, Conquest of Empire, Die Macher, Divine Right, Doge, Freedom in the Galaxy, Gemquest, Junta, Keythedral, Kings and Things, Mall World, Mare Nostrum Expansion, Medieval, Motley Fool, Mu, Mystery Rummy: Jack the Ripper, Mystic Wood, Taj Mahal, Quest for the Dragon Lords, Terra, Tichu, Tongiaki, Tyrus, Victory and probably a few others.

I have set one small boardgame goal. I've pretty much made up my mind that I'm playing Die Macher at BGG.con. I've owned the game for 3 years. I've studied the rules on several occasions but cannot find the right moment to break it out. Die Macher definitely seems like a game that would be much easier to learn from an experienced player.

On the bright side, we are coming right up on Independence Day, July 4. We've been ironing out some of the final details for the second annual DenaliCon, June 30 - July 4 in Denali Park, Alaska (aka Mount McKinley Park). I hope to get a couple of these games to the table during that event. Since I will be bringing most of the games I don't foresee a problem. (Wanna play my copy of Settlers? Sure, right after we've played a couple rounds of Antiquity.)

Ahhhhh. Antiquity under the midnight sun. I can hardly wait.

Speaking of which:

To those who missed it, the summer solstice occurred a couple days ago, at least in this hemisphere. Fairbanks puts on a big wing-ding during the solstice, right on Main street.

We are a degree or two south of the Arctic Circle. Contrary to popular belief the sun does set this far north on the solstice, but it does not get dark. Not even a little bit dark. This time of year the sun is up for slightly more than 21 hours and 45 minutes.

The two big highlights of the solstice festival, for a lard butt like me, are kettle corn and elephant ears. Unfortunately Blogger won't let me add pictures of either, had a couple good pictures too, better than either of the pictures it would let me post. The line for elephant ears wrapped around the block, and was only slightly longer than the line for kettle corn. Had to choose one or the other, I deferred to the kids and went without my yearly elephant ear.



The weather was bee-you-tee-full, cloudy but plenty warm. The kind of weather that makes it easy to tell the tourists from the locals at a glance.


You always run into people you haven't seen for a long time at the solstice festival. Unfortunately, this year it was a girl who was my neighbor several years ago. I remember her as an ambitious high school student. She is now carrying an infant on her hip and sporting meth teeth (here also). How sad. She was a nice kid.

Prior to experimenting with methamphetamine, everyone (especially women) should consider the ramifications of meth teeth (also referred to as meth mouth). Meth teeth are gross. If meth teeth aren't a deterrent for you to use methamphetamine, get yourself fixed. Men and women alike. Children should not be subjected to meth households. I say that as a nurse who has worked with drug and alcohol addicts in multiple settings, as a cab driver who is familiar with some of the more notorious drug houses in this area, and as a former resident of Moose Creek, Alaska, which is often referred to as Meth Creek, the community where the two main industries are cooking meth and stealing Sudafed.

Sorry for the rant, but it broke my heart to see a good kid get mixed up with meth. Made it 10 times worse because she has an infant. Spoiled an otherwise good festival.

Now that I got that out of my system: Check back for bona fide boardgame content next week, and genuine, authentic DenaliCon pictures the week after.

And remember: Meth teeth are for real.