Tuesday, Tuesday...

Great Sabres game Friday night -- a 5-2 victory. Afterward, Bob and I went out for wings, and then I drove home, quite pooped, but entirely worth it. I really enjoy the Sabres, and getting to hang with a friend for a night while watching them live makes it even more fun.


At Millennium, it turned into a Rob vs. Jeff Burdett day. We started with Twilight Struggle, a game I hadn't played for ages (and don't really like, due to the sharks and the card combos). Having been away for a year or more, though, I approached it with fresh eyes, and had fun. I was the Soviets, and Jeff's Americans had the lead (a small one -- 1 to 5 points) for most of the game. The last 2 turns did it for me, however, as Africa scored 20 VPs for me over that span, and I was able to pull out a 20+ point victory. Great fun. We then turned to For the People, another game I used to like, but have tired of (too gamey). I was the South, and decided that I wouldn't play a gamey game (no weird Lee-led invasions of Ohio, for instance). I had to leave 1/2 way through (minor emergency at the house), and my position was real good. No states had fallen, no resource centers had been destroyed, and I held Kentucky and West Virginia. I was up by about 20 in SW. Bill Peeck took over, and he says he was on his way to winning when they got kicked out at 9:45. Two nice games that have been wrecked by "gaminess." Too bad -- I guess I'll pull them out once every year or so and have some fun vs. "non-sharks."

Probably more gaming later this week, have to get things organized...

Back to the Salt Mines...

Rather an unexciting weekend, though the Sabres won (twice!) and I got some solo plays in of Hold the Line. Most of the weekend I was growing more and more concerned with the growing lump on Cheyenne's head. It got to the size of a golf ball, and was quite worrisome. Gypsy, my "dog of a lifetime," died last year from effin' lumps -- mast cell tumors. So, seeing something like this grow on Cheyenne wasn't good for me.

Went to the vet's Monday morning, and she'd noticed it had grown since Friday -- not good. Decided to aspirate with a needle to check what was going on inside there via a biopsy. So she took a reluctant Cheyenne into the treatment room, and came back about 5 minutes later with...

...NO LUMP! Evidently, Cheyenne must have really whacked her head, as this was a huge hematoma. But it didn't even hurt her! Anyway, it collapsed when blood was drawn, and I got a call later in the day that all the vet found was "stagnant" red blood cells and a few white cells, all what one would normally find in a 5 day old bruise.

Whew...

A huge relief, I don't think I could have gone through all that crap again, especially with a seemingly healthy, happy, young dog.

In other news, the Sabres are 2-0, beating Montreal in a shootout Friday night and then crushing the Islanders on Long Island, 7-1 yesterday. I will be going to the Vancouver game this coming Friday, looking forward to it. I think this team has the skill and attitude needed to win in the NHL, and last year might have been the kick in the butt they needed to just get going. Let us hope...


In between bouts of moving, boxing, and cleaning up my "new" gameroom, I had Hold the Line out. I played one game of Hobkirk's Hill (American victory) and two games of Eutaw Springs (both British victories). Of course, solo play is, at best, something to do to relieve boredom (or take one's mind off dog issues), and this game definitely suffers when there aren't 2 playing -- plans take a while to unfold, ad it's very hard to be the attacker when the defender (also you!) knows exactly where the main attack is headed! But fun, all the same, as the game's quick and easy.

Class for "hematoma-less" Cheyenne tonight. I need a nap...

Ile-de-France Rocks!

Mike and I played through 5 turns of Warriors of God last evening, and my French were up to 28 VPs (30 is a victory), so we decided to call it. A brutal game that was close early, then I got some lucky area control rolls which built up the "empire." Bertrand, the 4-3 leader, led an invasion of England, which gloriously succeeded. He promptly died, but there was enough strength in England to keep it French for a while, while 3 English noblemen rotted in French prison. Since the French were winning the battles and had the areas, we both saw the writing on the wall...

Damn fun game, and we plan to play again, switching sides. Finally, I'll get to be the "good guys!"

Cheyenne's head lump is still there -- she looks like a conehead from the old Saturday Night Live. But it doesn't seem to be bothering her at all, so that's good. I have a vet appointment for 3:00 PM today, and I'm hoping a quick cortisone shot (or something) will get her back to normal. Poor girl...

My friend at work informed me this morning that she can't go to the Sabres/Canuks game next Friday (the 17th), so she offered me the tix for 1/2 price. Too cool, I couldn't say no! I'm looking forward to the NHL season getting started for Buffalo tonight vs. the Canadiens, as I'll hang out and watch it on the tube tonight. Deanna's going out with the 2 other English teachers on her team tonight, so I can have "manland" kick in. Go Sabres!

Funny thing about the NHL -- I really love watching the Sabres, but I wouldn't say I'm an NHL fan. When the Sabres aren't playing, I can't get really interested in the games. I enjoy the international game (bigger rinks, no fighting, penalties consistently enforced) much more, and hope the NHL keeps heading in this direction. But for now, I can't get real excited about an Anaheim/Philadelphia game. Oh well...

A 3-day weekend coming. I will continue to move/clean up my game room, as I've got a lot of cataloging to do. I'd also like to sell a bunch of stuff, gotta get moving on that...