Geeky boardgame heaven

Castle Panic

For a little while now, Aidan has been watching Will Wheaton play boardgames on Youtube, which he claims is much more amusing than it sounds. An interstate friend of ours, Terry, has also been watching. The show has inspired us each to buy certain games that Will Wheaton demonstrates, and now between us all we have an accumulation of awesome games, but very few people to play with.

So this weekend, Terry came down from Sydney, and our friend Andrew came over too, and we had a boardgame extravaganza! Four people make for a much better gaming experience than two, and I believe much fun was had by all.

We played Castle Panic, Discworld Ankh Morpork, Ticket to Ride, Trivial Pursuit, and Munchkin.

I couldn’t tell you who won and who lost; I play for the entertainment, not for the competition. But I’m pretty sure I didn’t lose everything, so that’s fine!

Hopefully we’ll be able to do it again soon, and maybe even send the kids off somewhere – or get a babysitter in – to minimise distractions and interruptions. Although honestly, they weren’t too bad. More games, please!

Lacking creativity

In weeks, months, and years gone by, I’ve tried my hand at various crafty or creative things. I’ve scrapbooked, I’ve photographed, I’ve done NaNoWriMo (several times), I’ve even tried needlepoint – which I found rather boring, to be honest! I’m a creator on the Discworld MUD (my only current creative project). And obviously I’ve blogged.

But as time goes by, and children enter the equation, creative energy has become limited. I want to do more scrapbooking and writing, I would really love that. I want to do NaNoWriMo again this year. I want Evelyn to grow up and see her own life celebrated in scrapbooks as well as her older sister’s! But I feel that these things require more time and effort than I can really spare to invest. They require the re-engagement of my imagination, which is currently limited to thinking up new ways to get my family fed!

I begin to wonder about my priorities. It is clear that my family, my children, must come first… but where do I draw the line, when is enough simply enough? When do I get to follow my own interests, free from distraction or guilt? And how important does something have to be before I feel justified in trying?

Ultimately responsibility lies with myself. If I feel the need, I must put aside the time and make the effort to create something. I think, right now, I shall organise to have some digital photos printed out nicely to scrapbook! Wish me luck.