In which we miscount

In a word, I let way too many people into the Gem. I was going by a vague memory of the numbers from last year, which was a bad idea, given that my memories are usually way to vague to act on these days. This means finagling on my part with the schedule, but I pretty much just adapted the Tigger plan (2 hours up, 2 hours off), and suddenly doubled most of my room availability. The plus side of this is that about 60 more PF teams get into the tournament, and, given that nowadays PFers are multiplying faster than tsetse flies in a sleep laboratory, that has to make for a lot of happy people. The down side is limiting LD to 5 rounds, but there will be a runoff, so everyone will get their shot. We’ll also have judge calls again, which worked like a charm at the Tigs. And if things all go to hell in a handbasket, there’s plenty of bars nearby where we can hide and drown our sorrows.

TBAs are swooped off to Neverland tomorrow, and that should clear out the last of the riffraff. I’ll be able to sweep in the real people, and there we will be.

Meanwhile, I was looking at Bigle X and realizing that this whole judge obligation thing (2 rounds? Why bother coming?) is going to require some larnin’ on my part. Since most people seem fully obligated, it mostly won’t be a problem, but I want to understand the ins and outs of it. CP claims it’s the best way to do things, and I tend to believe him on this sort of arcana, even when it’s counterintuitive (i.e., in my little mind, making everyone available for every round > than making less than everyone available, but what do I know). In any case, it’s Lex’s tournament and we’ll do what Lex wants. That’s the Way of the Cowboy. (Or is it Ninja? The Way of the Ninja. I always get those two mixed up. If you look it up on Google you get a link to a book, How to Yodel the Cowboy Way. Seriously. I should pick that one up. Come to think of it, I doubt if there’s any books, How to Yodel the Ninja Way. I’d really pick that one up.)

While all the lokes are over at Newark this weekend, I’ll be chezzing it up royally. I’ll get to go to our winter farm market and buy pea sprouts and homemade pasta and exotic mushrooms and bizarre cheeses, which I don’t normally get to do during the season. Then two crazy weekends—Bigle and the Gem—and then off again, and then helping out at Baby Bump. I found yet another box of old trophies in the chez dungeon. More crap wonderful stuff to clear out once and for all.

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