I thought I could get motivated this weekend and get a few entries ready. However, it's 11:45 pm on Sunday night and I'm scrambling to get something written before four balls wasteland local, UTC -5; midnight for the uninitiated.
Several years ago, and for several years a large group of friends and acquaintances met in a banquet room in one of our local hangouts, The Berg.
It was an unofficial gaming club. Management would open it for us about 6 pm on Monday evenings and we would take full advantage of the 2 for 1 appetizer happy hour(s). I've heard the waitresses fought to first blood for the privilege, we were regulars and notoriously generous tippers. Though the Heart Attack Special was not on the menu, all you had to do was ask, everyone knew what it was. Two for one appetizers: three cheese garlic bread and deep fried chicken tenders. It allowed you to feel your arteries hardening with each bite. It wasn't just the appetizers that we took advantage of, burgers, including the world famous Heidelburger, the butterfly pork loin and the patty melt were pretty darn good as well. Oh, and beer and other fine, adult beverages.
We usually started the evening with cards while we waited for the main events. Pitch, Spades, Hearts and my personal favorite, no, it isn't Go Fish; it's cribbage. I've been counting 15's, pairs and runs for a lot of years, probably 40 or more. Backgammon and Chess also found their way to a table on occasion.
Over the course of the evening there were at least a couple of RPG's in play. The Chapleton Island Campaign, a home-brew, 1st edition AD&D that began circa 1977. I would have gotten involved about 10-12 years later and played until the campaign ended in 2000. A game in which a pitcher of beer has played the part of a giant praying mantis, (Miss you Stan), for 1" tall miniature figurines (toy soldiers), to battle.
One of our younger players was in the habit of asking the time. Bear with me, it's not a really weird tangent. One evening close to 7 he asked me the time. It was close enough to 7 pm, 1900, or midnight GMT/UTC for me to answer quickly and cryptically, four balls Zulu. The confused look on his face told me all I needed to know, my work for the day was done. Midnight, 12:00 am, or for you 24 hour clock types; 0000 UTC time, usually identified as Zulu time. Hence, 4 balls Zulu. See, I told you it wasn't a stretch, and brought us full circle back to where I started.
As always, thanks.
Nine down, one hundred and twenty-nine to go.
Oh, I lied. It's really Saturday afternoon here in the wastelands.
See you tomorrow..
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