I spent last weekend effectively out of town at a game convention. Yes, I totally was that geek playing Eurogames for three days with hundreds of other geeks at a hotel near LAX. It was great, except for the whole no sleeping thing. I ran my first game of Werewolf (of course I've played before, first time modding) with a truly excessive 26 participants. If there's a great big HUH on your face right now, I'm just saying, you need to play. This game is much fun.


Daniel vanquishes a foe in the swordfighting pit at Gateway2007

I've spent the last week recovering from the long weekend, which for me means passing out long before midnight every night, no matter how loud the rap/video games/stand-up comedy is blaring next door.

Last night a few friends and I saw The Jungle at the El Capitan! They're just showing it for a month to publicize celebrate the 40th anniversary special edition DVD coming out soon. Richard Sherman wandered out of the theatre before the show and stood around outside for a moment but I was way too shy to go up and introduce myself. Oh well. If the DVD transfer is what we saw last night, it's gorgeous and I can't recommend it highly enough. ( Far more information than anyone wants back here. )

Flying up to SF tonight for my cousin's wedding tomorrow. Giants game with my parents Sunday (YAY!) then back Monday morning just in time for work. Next weekend is the only weekend this month I'm really in town-- and all I've got going is Avenue Q Saturday afternoon, games Saturday night, film festial screenings Sunday afternoon and Pink Martini at the Bowl Sunday night. The weekend after that Kevin's in town! The weekend after that I'm in Houston for my 10 year high school reunion. The weekend after that is October. Good grief. Where has the year gone?

PS-- One more video from The Jungle Book screening (mostly for my parents:) a pencil test of Baloo & Mowgli animated entirely by Frank Thomas according to Don Hahn. Apparently he and Ollie animated over half of the finished film themselves. Wow.

Seeing a baseball game in LA can be interesting. Dodger Stadium is one big semantic argument people can actually sit in. It can be called decrepit or distinguished, out-dated or old-fashioned, uncomfortable or historic. I just call it enemy territory and refuse to set foot in it unless a decent team is playing, such as the Giants, Astros, Cubbies or Padres.

As long I can get Gordon Biersch garlic fries and my traditional third inning malted, all will be well. And LA's got a few unique additions to the baseball fun that I like. Watching movie trailers between almost every inning on the jumboscreen is a plus.

Then there's the music. LA's got a great classic organ and a lady who's been playing during the games for years. She's a real treat. I was lucky enough to see the Cubbies play on Sunday. I couldn't quite believe it when "L'Chaim" started playing. What did they follow it up with? Not "Hava Nagila," not right away, at least. No, next up was "Far From the Home I Love." Really? Is it showtunes day? Nope, just Jewish Community League Day. I didn't know it, but a bunch of the temples and synagogues all over LA have softball teams and play in a league. Representatives threw out the first pitch, sang "God Bless America," and a cantor sang the most beautiful rendition of the national anthem I think I've ever heard at a ballgame. And for the rest of the day the organ piped "Matchmaker, Matchmaker," "Tradition," and "Wonder of Wonders."

I love this town.






*To everyone and everything except the Dodger post-season, that is. May their season end in August and their boys never know what it is to play in an American league park!