On the return to productivity(?) and the classics.

I had to go back to work today, if you call what I do work.  Quite a few people must consider it to be work as I continue to earn a paycheck for doing it.  As for what I do, the best description I have heard recently is that of post-sales support engineer.  My employer has sold the client a series of products, and it is my job to hang around on site with the client operations teams and assist/teach them how to use their new software.  In practice on most days I really don't feel like I do much at all, and believe me, that is exhausting.

Because I acquired much of my game collection by haunting thrift stores, many of the games that I own are lightweight filler games.  For the purposes of completing my game-a-day goal that is helpful, as things like job and children often interfere in the scheduling of longer, more involved games during the week.  For those people who do enjoy games, and for those who do not reside in the game thrifting mecca of the world (being the Pacific NW), there are still ways to learn and play a great variety of interesting and fulfilling games.

Basically what I am getting at here is there are is a basic list of game implements that every gamer worth their salt should own.  Fortunately most of these things are also available for a dollar or two at even the lamest thrift store.

You should have:

• 1-2 complete decks of standard playing cards
• checker/chess board with associated pieces
• a copy of the Complete Book of Hoyle

The third is potentially the difficult one.  If you have internet access (which you do, you are reading this) then all of the information is there.  That said, I encourage you to get your hands on a hard copy of the book.  The older editions are better.  If you inquire in the direction of your grandparents they will likely know what you are talking about, and if you are lucky, have one on a shelf somewhere.

As with any discipline, the art of games and game playing has its category of classics.  These are games whose origins lie in time immemorial.  These are games that many of today's hobby gamers roll their eyes at.  These are games that, in my opinion, you should know how to play.  You may not know how to play well.  Personally, I am a terrible chess player.  I do however myself to be better than average at backgammon.

Aside from playing these games for their own sake, as hobby gamers it is important to recognize the nuances of these classic games and traits that they have passed down to the present in, what many consider to be the Golden Age of Board Games.

Game report Day 4 - Cribbage

Like I said, the classics.  This is one of the great elders of the card game world.  With my wife and I, even after not playing in many months, we picked up the scoring like it was riding a bicycle.  For the uninitiated, learning this one will take a little time, but learn you will and you patience will not go unrewarded.

Update -
At a reader's request, I am adding a note about who won the cribbage game.  Final score was 121-93 in my favor.  This was not necessarily an oversight.  I generally like to keep my thoughts focused on the playing of the game, rather than the winning or losing.  That is not to say I will not mention it from time to time.  It is, in part, to avoid monotony as I do win the grand majority of games played in the household.