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Puzzles and games
Jan. 4th, 2012 08:14 pmFor New Year's Eve, I went to a friend's 24th annual (!) puzzle and game party up in Seattle. I wasn't sure it would be worth the trip, but I had a ride and a place to stay, so I decided to go for it.
I hadn't attended lately because I've had a Balkan dance party at my house the last four years. Attendance had gotten discouragingly light (I guess people either go out drinking or stay home?) so I gave that up.
I had a fabulous time at the party! I lost all the games I played, because they were new to me and I've never been much for strategy games. It was still fun to try them out and chat with people inbetween. I stayed up until 5am, which... I can't remember the last time I did that. College? I normally stop being functional at midnight or so, but then there was Auld Lang Syne to sing, and a great conversation with a new friend, and then another puzzle to solve, and further puzzles to discuss, and then someone *read me a story* :-) :-) :-) and then I finally went to bed.
I didn't sleep very well, but I was still functional and having a good time the next day. There were a couple of jigsaw puzzles out for group solving at the party, and this one was barely begun. So I worked on it with the others who were still around, and won a game of Scrabble (with all 4 S's and both blanks, it would have been embarrassing to lose, but still), and took a walk to admire the sunlit mountains all around, and went out for Indian food, and then came home.
I was the one most interested in finishing the puzzle, so I brought it home with me in its barely-started state. It took me three days to finish, but I finally did. That is a hard puzzle. I didn't realize I missed doing jigsaws, although now I think I'm done again for a while.
My new friend liked the idea of a Year of Connection, and decided to adopt it for herself too. That seems like a good sign, to connect around connection. There are a lot of connections to be made in completing a jigsaw puzzle, too. My health seems a lot better, to be functional on so little sleep. I am encouraged.
I hadn't attended lately because I've had a Balkan dance party at my house the last four years. Attendance had gotten discouragingly light (I guess people either go out drinking or stay home?) so I gave that up.
I had a fabulous time at the party! I lost all the games I played, because they were new to me and I've never been much for strategy games. It was still fun to try them out and chat with people inbetween. I stayed up until 5am, which... I can't remember the last time I did that. College? I normally stop being functional at midnight or so, but then there was Auld Lang Syne to sing, and a great conversation with a new friend, and then another puzzle to solve, and further puzzles to discuss, and then someone *read me a story* :-) :-) :-) and then I finally went to bed.
I didn't sleep very well, but I was still functional and having a good time the next day. There were a couple of jigsaw puzzles out for group solving at the party, and this one was barely begun. So I worked on it with the others who were still around, and won a game of Scrabble (with all 4 S's and both blanks, it would have been embarrassing to lose, but still), and took a walk to admire the sunlit mountains all around, and went out for Indian food, and then came home.I was the one most interested in finishing the puzzle, so I brought it home with me in its barely-started state. It took me three days to finish, but I finally did. That is a hard puzzle. I didn't realize I missed doing jigsaws, although now I think I'm done again for a while.
My new friend liked the idea of a Year of Connection, and decided to adopt it for herself too. That seems like a good sign, to connect around connection. There are a lot of connections to be made in completing a jigsaw puzzle, too. My health seems a lot better, to be functional on so little sleep. I am encouraged.
