jeffreyab: (Default)
Jeff Beeler ([personal profile] jeffreyab) wrote2005-07-07 01:50 pm
Entry tags:

Vacation how did I get away?

With much unneeded angst as is turned out.

Firstly Douglas Adams would not be proud I forgot my towel but luckily cottages usually have surplus towels.

Thursday I got away with out a time cushion which was too bad because someone dropped his boat on the 401 and I had to wait 30 minutes while they cleared it.

Picked up someone I had never met In Mississauga and we talked about that city, teaching at university until we picked up our other travelling companion at the Wilson subway station in Toronto. We found out this pickup site lacks both escalator and an elevator sorry wheelchair folk.

So for the first time in a while I was going somewhere not alone. Indicator was that the radio stayed off all the way to Ottawa. Dropped off one person and the other and I had Chinese for dinner and headed for the cottage. Navigation went well until about the last 20 feet. Seven hours of travel left me a bit loopy so I parked the car and walked ahead to confirm we were on the right road and not some abandoned logging trail.

Friday we had breakfast and played a short game of India Rails that lasted seven hours.

Saturday was more gaming and swimming followed by pasta and more gaming.

Sunday we had breakfast gamed, went swimming and then after dinner headed into town towing a branch with the undercarriage. We had brief stops to unhook the branch and get a splash of fuel.
My housemate for the night had just sat down to game when the door bell rang. Our other travelling companion had left her purse in my car and walked over to get it. She was easily talked into a game and then I dropped her off.

Monday was spent at the new Canadian War Museum. It is an upgrade but is still a work in progress. Highlights are the free reference library attached to it, a display of music videos inspired by the Cold War; a simulation of a Third World War, we lose by the way;, helpful volunteers who can tell you how to steer a Bren gun carrier, a small tracked vehicle; and a basement full of military vehicles including several of the afore mentioned Bren gun carrier and on example of Canada's own Ram tank. Dinner was a fine Indian buffet followed by a walking tour of the Ottawa market and a late night Chinese snack.

Tuesday was a trip to a T-Rex of gaming stores Fandom II in continuous business since 1977 and with a line up of stock I have not seen since the early 90's. I had to restrain myself but did buy a few things. The rest of the day had visits to the Ottawa Public Library old at 30 and in need of replacement and a return to the War Museum library to do a little research. The evening was a return home via downtown Kingston and an overnight in Mississauga.

Wednesday I spent in London buying clothes, books, DVDs and an air conditioner.

So I ate of lot of good food, played a lot of games with fun people and generally relaxed.

I also read "The Kindness of Women" by J.G. Ballard our next book club book. Nicely written it covers his life from the Chinese attack on the Japanese in Shanghai in 1937 it will be interesting the see how the group deals with the detailed sex scenes which my mother neglected to tell me about after she read it.

Overall I am more relaxed and less angsty but still wistful about the lack of a life partner.

[identity profile] dagibbs.livejournal.com 2005-07-07 06:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Glad you're home safely, and glad you had a good time.

Twisting [livejournal.com profile] leolac's arm for a game isn't hard, is it?

What did you play?

[identity profile] ragnhildr.livejournal.com 2005-07-07 06:55 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't know that "brief stop to unhook the branch" quite captures your passenger sprawled across the road in order to be able to reach under the car to grasp it! Those of us in the car behind you were glad to see that no cars came around the bend from the other direction.

I'm glad to hear that the museum was open on Monday.

Gaming, swimming and food is a good combination. Total absence of connection to the outside world for a few days isn't half bad either, every now and then!
thebitterguy: (Default)

[personal profile] thebitterguy 2005-07-07 07:10 pm (UTC)(link)
Fandom II. I love that place. I used to be there a couple times a week while I lived in O-Town. Everytime I walked in, they'd go "Hey, it's Justin Time!" And I'd smile and note their sins on the list.

Good store, though. Is it still as fine a game shop as a decade past?

[identity profile] jeffreyab.livejournal.com 2005-07-07 08:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Samurai which is thankfully shorter than India Rails.

[identity profile] jeffreyab.livejournal.com 2005-07-07 08:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes we were very focused on the problem to the exclusion of other factors.

[identity profile] jeffreyab.livejournal.com 2005-07-07 08:23 pm (UTC)(link)
I cannot compare it to ten years ago since I was last there in 1981 but I was impressed the breadth, depth and prices of their stock.

[identity profile] dagibbs.livejournal.com 2005-07-07 08:27 pm (UTC)(link)
I've been buying there since the late 70s. It is, still, a fine game store. Hard to compare directly, the world of gaming has changed over time, but they do still seem to maintain a good balance and selection of games, and it is still run by people who game and can generally talk reasonably knowledgably about many of the games they have.

[identity profile] dagibbs.livejournal.com 2005-07-07 08:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Which passenger did he have sprawled accross the road?

Gaming, swimming, food, and no outside connection is a really winning combo!

[identity profile] dagibbs.livejournal.com 2005-07-07 08:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Samurai is a good game, and most games are gonna be shorter than India Rails. Gah, that took a long time. It was supposed to be the SHORT crayon-rail game.

[identity profile] dagibbs.livejournal.com 2005-07-07 08:30 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm thinking the recommended "fast trains" variant for 6 people would be a very good idea. Might apply it to the other games, too, actually.

[identity profile] jeffreyab.livejournal.com 2005-07-07 08:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Dominick volunteering as always although just beating out leolac for the honour.

[identity profile] dagibbs.livejournal.com 2005-07-07 08:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, you did have a car of ready volunteers, didn't you?

P.S. Assuming it's not a typo, he spells it without the c -- Dominik.

[identity profile] jeffreyab.livejournal.com 2005-07-07 08:38 pm (UTC)(link)
I would short games are more fun for the losers.

[identity profile] jeffreyab.livejournal.com 2005-07-07 08:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Typo

[identity profile] jeffreyab.livejournal.com 2005-07-07 08:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Yes the ongoing conversation while I was there was quite detailed and very military geeky.

[identity profile] dagibbs.livejournal.com 2005-07-07 08:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Good point. Harder to do with Iron Dragon, and it's three speed levels (rather than just two), but should work for Euro-rails.

[identity profile] drama-freak.livejournal.com 2005-07-10 05:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Hello there, I realize this is late, but I've been busy with work lately, and I suddenly remembered the book club on monday. When I finally got a chance to get to the library on friday, no copies of the Jules Vern book were there (even though it said one was, the liars!) So, I was wondering if I could either just come anyway or possibly get a copy from you a nd read what I can for tomorrow night.

Anywho, sorry for the short notice, and I don't have your e-mail either I think...ah well, we'll see how it goes.

Manda

[identity profile] jeffreyab.livejournal.com 2005-07-10 11:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Sure just come anyway if you come early we can check for the wayward book.

[identity profile] drama-freak.livejournal.com 2005-07-10 11:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Wheeee...what time is it again? HEh...

[identity profile] jeffreyab.livejournal.com 2005-07-11 04:45 am (UTC)(link)
7 PM in the West Room and its possible some people might be going to Ups and Downs afterwords.