Raven Oak's Blog, page 51
September 28, 2015
Monday Night Gaming: Mice & Mystics
Publisher: Plaid Hat Games
# of Players: 1-4
Best with: 4
Playing Time: 60-90 minutes, though the first time, it’ll probably take you an hour just to read the rules & set up the board.
# of Expansions: 8
We were looking for a more complex game this time and stumbled upon Mice & Mystics. A friend of ours called it D&D in a box, and while it certainly has RPG elements, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that. Right out of the box, we knew it was goi...
September 24, 2015
Book Cover Throwback: Harry Potter
Kind of frightening to think this was first published 18 years ago in 1997. I feel old!
What I Love about This Cover: Harry Potter looks like most clumsy, geeky 6th graders. It was a great way of hooking that demographic. Plus, the idea that he’s on a broom is an instant, “Wha?? to make readers pick up the book.
What I Don’t Love about This Cover: I really wish they’d left the original title with t...
September 21, 2015
Monday Night Gaming: Splendor
Publisher: Space Cowboys
# of Players: 2-4
Best with: 3
Playing Time: 30-40 minutes
# of Expansions: 0
We needed a quick game to fill a gap of gaming time, and Mox Boarding House recommended Splendor.
General Mechanics: Like many card drafting/resource managing games,Splendor is all about gathering the gems needed to purchase resource cards and entice nobles to visit your market. Players are merchants trying to purchase gem mines and shops. The cards...
September 18, 2015
Flashforward Friday: Titanium Bones
This week I read about a cancer patient receiving a titanium rib cage, which amazed the hell out of me. Basically, this man in Spain had to have his rib cage removed to get rid of a tumor. You can’t really function without a rib cage, so they 3D printed him a new one from lightweight titanium.
It was customized to fit his chest, which is a freaking cool use of a 3D printer. And unlike our more commonly used plasti...
September 17, 2015
Awesomesauce Review
Reviews are (almost) always good, but sometimes you get a 5-star review that reminds you of why you write. Days like today when my to-do list is too long and The Bloggess makes me cry, these are the days I struggle to write.
Then I read a review like the one Scott at Open Book Society posts and it makes it easier to cut through the stress and put down another word.
This is an awesomesauce review that goes quite in depth. In it, he says:
Oak hurls you thousands of years into the future and hits y...
Book Cover Throwback: The Sword of Shannara
What I Love about This Cover: It’s definitely an old school fantasy cover. I mean, just look at that sword.
What I Don’t Love about This Cover: It’s a bit cheesy. A bit over the top.
Click here to view other Book Cover Throwbacks.The post Book Cover Throwback: The Sword of Shannara appeared first on Raven Oak.
September 16, 2015
Dear Irving ISD
Dear Irving ISD,
(No, scratch that.)
Dear Every School in America (but mostly Texas),
I grew up in Texas. I graduated high school and married my husband in Texas. And after that, I taught middle school for 12 years in the state before we moved to Washington. I split my time 50/50 between teaching 7th grade English & reading and 7th/8th grade computer classes for high school credit. I also sponsored robotics club, computer club, and yearbook for a stretch. So when I say that I understand the mal...
September 12, 2015
I Hate Moving, Except When It’s Pretty
I figured it was time for a moving update…
We spent two days moving into our temporary housing, which is longer than it should ever take someone to move into a furnished place. We’d load up as much as would fit in my Honda Fit (which is more than you think!) and then drive an hour in traffic from Magnolia (Seattle neighborhood) to Kirkland. Traffic is partially responsible for the long drive, but we also had to go from a Seattle neighborhood as west coast as it gets, all the way across Seattle...
I Hate Moving, Except When Its Pretty
I figured it was time for a moving update…
We spent two days moving into our temporary housing, which is longer than it should ever take someone to move into a furnished place. We’d load up as much as would fit in my Honda Fit (which is more than you think!) and then drive an hour in traffic from Magnolia (Seattle neighborhood) to Kirkland. Traffic is partially responsible for the long drive, but we also had to go from a Seattle neighborhood as west coast as it gets, all the way across Seattle...
September 11, 2015
Giving is Greater
I’ll probably avoid Facebook today, if for no other reason than I’m insanely busy having just moved, but I will also avoid it because of the profound grief and anger that lives online on 9/11.
Everyone has their opinions and thoughts about that day and the days that followed, and while everyone could spend today rehashing what has already been said and thought and felt, I’d rather spend today helping folks who need my help now, because giving is greater than any evil people are capable of doin...
