The Fun Zone

Hello there.

I feel like I've been neglecting The Fun Zone as of late. It's not that I haven't had stuff to talk about. I've read some neat books in the last month or so, Stef gave me some frikkin' sweet DVDs for Valentine's Day (including some Old School Sesame Street), and we just rented Little Miss Sunshine. I'd love to discuss all of these things, but I haven't felt like I could step away from work long enough to do the subjects justice. I've been busy. This isn't a bad thing.

First off, my industrial/corporate recording schedule has increased in 2007. This stuff is pretty time-intensive, but it's not too taxing and the money is good. More exciting, though, is the word I got last week that I will be narrating my first audiobook.

Now, I haven't signed anything yet, so I don't want to discuss too much. Let's just say that this isn't some simple "starter" book. It's a 600-page classic. This author could be considered one of the Great American Authors, and though you may not recognize this particular book title, you will most certainly recognize the book he wrote right before this one. They even made it into a movie with some major stars. This is a big deal.

This is when the panic sets in. This isn't just a pick up and read project. I need to do some serious research here. As I read through the book the first time, I have to make note of characters, regionalisms, hard-to-pronounce words, theme and tone. Then, I have to research the book and author, as well as the regional accent for the book's setting (rural Oregon). Reviews of the book that I've read talk about how unconventional the narration style is, and how tough it can be to "work through" the book. My job, as storyteller, will be to make the book easier to understand, so that the listener can follow along with ease. I'm not sure yet how I'm going to make that happen.

Don't get me wrong. I have confidence that I can do this. I'm just a bit frozen at the moment with the size of the task that I face. It didn't help that my contact at the publisher essentially said that if I don't do a good job, they'll hire George Clooney (okay, they didn't say George Clooney specifically, just the dreaded celebrity term).

Really, I should just stop griping and get to work. I have a lot of reading to do.

Wish me luck.

Success is fleeting.

Just as you start to believe that the good times are a-comin', the Great Pendulum of Life swings back and smacks you in the rump.

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I'll be away for the next few days, leading my curling team (also known as my "rink") to the Francis Dykes Memorial Bonspiel in Rochester, NY. This will be my first time curling outside the Norfolk Curling Club, as well as my first time in a while that I'll have an audience (seems that my family has stopped coming to my games since I stopped falling down a lot. Coincidence? I think not).

On one hand, I'm not expecting to do very well. Despite the fact that this is a 5-year and under bonspiel, we'll still be running into top-caliber teams who have been curling together since starting the sport and who have been to curling camp in Canada three summers running. I've got two first-years and a third-year who curls with a stick.

On the other hand, though, we've been curling well together in the past few weeks. Of the four times I've curled with my bonspiel squad, we've won three games. So, we're either really fired up for this weekend, or we're about to see our false sense of security evaporate like curling ice in August.

Still, I'm looking forward to having a great time. These things are great social events, and I'm told that the organizers will have all sorts of stuff to do when we're not on the ice. Plus, it doesn't matter if we don't win, 'cause in curling, losers drink free.

Good Curling!

Tom and Sam over at The Dice Tower asked me, as part of the upcoming episode, to contribute my Top Ten favorite games. Time will tell whether this is the beginning of a series of Top Tens from the various contributors, or if it's just Tom and Sam passing the buck for a week.

After the excitement of being selected wore off, though, panic set in. How will I whittle down all of the games that I love into a mere list of ten? What makes a game my "favorite," anyway? This had me going back to my ratings on The 'Geek, adjusting and re-adjusting my ratings for the top-tier games, and ultimately deciding which ones I would choose to play over others. I'm sure that in six months, my feeling on some of these will be different, or that some newcomer will usurp a game that I thought would never leave the list, but as of now, these are the games I am most excited to play.

First, the handful that didn't quite make the cut, but were soooo close:
Carcassonne - The City
Bridges of Shangri-la
Cartagena
Tigris and Euphrates

Now, on to the list...

10. TransAmerica - Not only does this have the distinction of being the game that got me and Stef into designer games, I truly believe this is the Ultimate Gateway Game. Ticket to Ride and Carc are good too, but you can’t beat simplicity of this one. Plus, because you're doing the same thing for 3-5 rounds, everybody can grasp the game in one sitting.

9. Familienbande (Family Ties) - I really enjoy playing The Card Game of Genetic Manipulation, not because it's a perfect game (luck can play a big factor, especially in the endgame), but because the art design invites such humorous commentary. What other game allows you to announce that "Lord Herbert von Lippington and Lady McSchnoz have had a baby that looks like Pee Wee Herman?"

8. Zendo - Zendo fascinates me, as a unique gaming experience. Too bad Stef (and half the people I've introduced it to) hate it.

7. Indonesia - This is the only game on my list that I don't own. $100 is just a bit too much for me to pay for a game that I probably would never play with the family. The Boston Buddies would love it, though.

6. Bus - This is an underrated game, probably because of the steep learning curve. It's also a lot deeper than the cute graphics and meeples would have you believe. Now that I snagged Joe's old copy of this one, I hope I'll be able to teach it to as many people as I can.

5. RoboRally - Twonky + Lasers = Chaos. Love it.

4. Logistico - People complain that it's too much like a puzzle, but that's what I love about it. Can I deliver my white cube before you get there with yours, or should I spend a whole lot of cash to get there faster? Good fun.

3. Attika - It plays quickly, but there are different paths you can take to win. It's great to wait for the most optimal building sequence, but the guy to your left may connect temples while you're waiting. Lots of interaction and "take that" factors.

2. Entdecker - Exploration is cool. I love the gambling aspect of the tile draws. Will that question mark tile save you, or cause you to lose a turn? Can you close of the 20-point island before the other players swoop in and steal your majority? Plus, the board just looks neat when it's complete.

1. Power Grid - My perfect game. All of the elements work so well: the supply and demand resource market, the power plant auctions, the turn order change-up (where last place player gets several advantages in the next round). It all comes together, firing on all cylinders, into a thoughtful, strategic, interactive game. With the expansion boards, I’ll be playing this for a long time to come.