Last place, by far, is not unusual for me at Richard’s for a new-to-me heavy Euro game. Richard, Laura, and Kathleen (in that order) were no more than 9 points apart; I was far away from that. The game we played, Odin’s Feast, is a highly rated 2016 game (here) that is a resource management game with worker placement, selling for about $90, with two add-ons for $50 and other small mini-expansions. I found it a confusing mess of choices and strange iconography, so I decided to try out various options, not think too much about the points (which sent me to last place), and finish my board. Something I never get done in one of these games. But while I always find last place a bit of a letdown, this time I was sampling the game and could see why this one is popular; there’s a lot to do.
The game has you place workers (Vikings) on the board to do work, with more workers needed for more interesting options. Forging, animal husbandry, raiding, hunting, fishing, homebuilding, boatbuilding, and some special point-slinging options are available. All having different rules and iconography! Being Viking-themed, the most points were in building and using boats, and like other twenty-teens, made Euros, animals are worth lots of points, and engines are available. I am not sure I would buy it (especially now with all the add-ons), but I would play it again (and try harder to win).
It was a late night with us ending just before 11, and I was soon talking to Dondrea about the Brazil trip. Airflight options are still being discovered. I also got a call back that Senator Graham, a long-term player and ally of President Trump, had unexpectedly passed away. And while I will not be singing and dancing, “Thank you very much, Mr. Graham,” from the musical Scrooge (though I think he is a good fit), I did not care for him in the least.
My trip home was uneventful, and I spent the time on the phone talking about flights and things. I was soon in bed and reading. It was hard to wind down after the game, and I finally fell asleep closer to 1 than midnight.
Moving the story, briefly, as this is less interesting for Friday, I rose closer to 7 than 8 today. I reheated coffee, saw that the ants were back in the kitchen, and had the last banana. I headed to the office and found the focus to write a long-ish blog post.
I was there for a while, talked to Deborah, and we reconnected all through Friday until I wished her good night in the early evening (Oregon time). I did my usual tasks while sipping reheated Fair Trade coffee. The bitterness (and the news I read) reminded me how far we liberals have to go before the USA is known as a land of Justice with Compassion. It still, despite years of effort to correct the mistakes and sins of the past, appears that special interests, the privileged, and racism (historical and blatant) still have a thumb on the scales of justice and government. But it is another day to be liberal and remember…
Time disappeared, and I was rushing to reach Richard’s with a Burger King (it was not that good! What happened to the flame-broiled flavor), a stop. I was five minutes late.
Alohawild (Michael Wild's) Website 