You Know Not!

I have a Bunco game here for which I have lost the instructions. It’s got a huge set of fuzzy dice, almost like the ones you find in auto accessories stores. I thought that we’d have fun with it, if we only knew how to play. So, I went looking online for the instructions (gotta love the internet, yes?).

I found the Bunco Rules, or should I say, I found some Bunco Rules, because there are evidently many different ways to play. Unfortunately, it looks way more complicated that I am prepared to get involved with, and so I am afraid we’ll pass. Perhaps we’ll just hang the dice in the van instead, LOL!

I am not a big card player. I play with the kids, but not with adults. I do enjoy cards, but my priorities just don’t include weekly poker nights. When I do go out with groups of adults, you’ll find me at shows or knitting group or church socials. Therefore, I have no need for fancy furniture to play games on, since the kids and I just sprawl out on the floor in a big circle.

Not needing something is, however, a far cry from not appreciating something, so while I was at first amused when I looked at this link for poker tables, I quickly realized that some of you might need one. They are certainly handsome, and if you have a separate game room, one of these would make a handsome addition to it. I particularly like the ones with dining tops, so you can use them for snacks without worrying about the playing surface being dirtied or damaged.

I’ve been interested in visiting Salt Lake City since I got stranded there overnight in a blizzard over a decade ago. I only saw a bit of snowy interstate and the inside of a swank hotel, but I know there is a lot more there. Given my interest in genealogy, I’m particularly interested in the Family History Library. And while the city is best known as home to the Mormon church, there are several famous churches that were built in the early 1900s, not long after the first Trans-Continental Railroad was completed. SLC is also home to the famous Mormon Tabernacle choir, and a host of the Sundance Film Festival.

The Sundance Film Festival is held each January, and for 2008 will be held the 17th through the 27th of January. The festival was started in 1981 by Robert Redford, and it has grown into the largest international event for independent film artists of all types. You’ve got about a month to get your film submitted by the early deadline, although submissions do not totally close until September 28, 2007.

Now, if you enter, and then you get all nervous and lock your keys in your car, don’t panic. Here’s the number to locate a Salt Lake City Locksmith just in case. It’s 1-866-670-5852. See, now you are ready for anything!

Yesterday when I posted about booksfree, I had made my list, but wasn’t sure which books they would be sending first. I got my shipping confirmation email last night, and they shipped Insomnia (how appropriate-haha) and Hearts in Atlantis. I’m looking forward to curling up by the fireplace and reading late into the night.

Oh, wait a minute! It’s summer. And also, I don’t have a ventless gas fireplace. Or any fireplace at all, actually. But if I did, and it was winter, that’s where I would be: just chillaxin’ with a book and a blanket. When I was ready to go to bed, I’d put the book on the fireplace mantel, and doze off right there.

I just signed up today at Booksfree.com. They offer rental audiobooks and paperbacks. The system works similar to Blockbuster Online and Netflix: you rent books, read them or liten to them, and when you return them, they send you more. I signed up for the 2 books at a time deal for $9.99 per month. They have several levels; 2, 4, 6, 9 and 12 at a time, with prices ranging from $9.99 to 37.99. Those levels are not books per month, but how many you can have out at a time. You can borrow unlimited books, as they ship the new ones out when you return the old ones. This would be an awesome savings compared to buying new books. If you are into audiobooks, they can hook you up as well. You can get 1,2,3 or 4 at a time for $22.49 to 42.49, and again the total books per month is unlimited. Shipping is free with either plan, and you can cancel at anytime.

So, why did this computer-ated gal sign up for paperbacks instead of audio books? I still believe that books are a multi-sensory experience. I want to feel the paper and smell the ink. I want the voices of the characters to be the ones I hear internally. I’ve tried reading on the computer before, and it wasn’t as much fun to me. I do enjoy audiobooks when my hands are busy, but not as much as I enjoy sitting down and holding a book.