10(s)

No need for a lengthy write-up of last night’s game. Instead, just take a moment to watch this video clip on YouTube and picture Matt Sundstrom as Dudley Moore and me as Bo Derek. (Or the other way ’round; whatever strikes your fancy. Either way, the clip sums up the game.)

Our second Red Wednesday, fifth game of the season, and 256th in club history, was another fun one at the Red Lion. It ended by time limit after the Fall 1906 turn in the following center counts: 

Austria (Don Glass): 0; 0.000 points.
England (Sam Bassett): 3; 3.488 points.
France (John Konwinski): 2; 1.550 points.
Germany (Jim O’Kelley): 10; 38.760 points.
Italy (Hunter Koerner): 3; 3.488 points.
Russia (Geoff Serednesky): 6; 13.953 points.
Turkey (Matt Sundstrom): 10; 38.760 points.

Let’s count the ways this game was a fun and memorable one:

1. Two more new players came out, Hunter Koerner and Geoff Serednesky. Geoff actually was playing for the second time. His first game was last week. With State Department folks. In Ethiopia. Both seemed to have fun, and Hunter has already signed up for December’s Red Wednesday.
2. John Konwinski, one of our Opening Night recruits, returned for his third game with us.
3. Sam Bassett made his annual migration to the Diplomacy breeding ground.
4. Don Glass plucked Austria, again. He didn’t have to contend with a F Venice build, but the Italians did build F Rome and moved Ionian to the Adriatic in Spring 1902, so, karma?
5. Too far apart to clash tactically, Matt and I sparred in the other two elements of the game: strategically and diplomatically. Despite our best efforts (or, as the supply center chart indicates, because of them in Matt’s case), we tied for the board-top.
6. Several observers watched, and added to, the fun. Chris Kelly came out for a second straight Red Wednesday just to do some work, eat dinner, and keep tabs on the game. Mike Esposito, last month’s board-topper, also dropped by to watch the last couple of years of the game. And Sara Waggle came out specifically to audit the game. Finally, Dan Burgess showed up with a ride-share friend, just as the game was ending.
7. And speaking of Dan, the most surreal moment of the evening came much later when a couple of guys approached him with a smart phone extended. I thought they were going to ask him to take a picture of them, but it turns out they knew Dan from trivia and wanted a photo with "Trivia Dan" to show off to their friends.
8. Oh, wait. Check that. Even more surreal was the late-night film playing in the background: The Terror of Tiny Town. I watched it once before in college, back when anything on TV was better than studying. If you haven’t seen it, you owe it to yourself to correct that.

You also owe it to yourself to come out for a Red Wednesday. You never know who’s going to show up, what’s going to happen, which one of us will be the Bo Derek character, and who’s just dreaming.

Two things, though, are certain: You’ll have a good time, and Don will play Austria.

Next up for the Weasels: The Black Friday game at Matt Sundstrom’s home in Glenview is nearly full. Act fast. And make your plans to join us December 10 for our next Red Wednesday at the Red Lion.