1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:05,280 Hey guys, and welcome to episode 117 of Maple to Maple. 2 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:10,040 It is a Midwest Maple mania. What is going on? 3 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:12,640 Well, today I've got a guest in house with me. 4 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:15,120 So if you're not watching, you will only be listening. 5 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:17,400 But if you can, you'll see sitting right next to me. 6 00:00:17,960 --> 00:00:23,480 As always, I remain PJ, and with me today is the incomparable 7 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:25,480 Shelley. Hi guys. 8 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:28,320 Thanks for having. Me. 9 00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:31,440 No, this is great. This is exciting because I've 10 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:35,440 only ever, you asked me just just before we started how many 11 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:39,520 times I've done this with a live audience and or with a live 12 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:41,480 person. And I've only ever done it once 13 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:44,320 with Gareth sitting right next to me. 14 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:47,600 That's episode 75. You should go check it out. 15 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:52,720 It was right after Cajun Con last year, so thanks for being 16 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:54,120 on, yeah. Thanks for having me. 17 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:56,160 So I'm going to figure out how to do this. 18 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:57,480 I have a guest sitting next to me. 19 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:01,320 This is exciting. So you and your husband and your 20 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:03,920 daughter came spend the weekend with us at our house. 21 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:06,800 Yeah, we've only been talking about doing this for two years 22 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:09,520 now, so only we made it happen. Yeah, it's happening. 23 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:15,120 It is it is truly exciting. So Shelley is from you're from 24 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:16,640 Michigan. Yeah, yeah, you're. 25 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:19,800 From Michigan, you're from Michigan you live in Michigan, I 26 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:24,280 live in Illinois and so for our international guests or non 27 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:26,560 American guests, that's the section of the country called 28 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:29,840 the Midwest, hence the Midwest Maple mania. 29 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:33,160 It's it sounds so much more exciting than it really is. 30 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:36,160 Guys, I'm telling you a lot of. Flat countryside. 31 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:38,160 You know a lot of. Fields and. 32 00:01:38,960 --> 00:01:40,560 Exactly. Exactly. 33 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:44,160 So there's nothing else to do but to play board games? 34 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:46,800 Yes, we were. So we were just doing a, a 35 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:48,720 rundown. I figured this is a good place 36 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:50,960 to start. What have we been playing this 37 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:52,480 week? What have we played in the past, 38 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:55,360 what, 48 hours? Yeah, so we had a little bit of 39 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:58,480 a a short list going into the weekend and and we're knocking 40 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:03,320 some of them out mostly playing games from your collection. 41 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:05,760 I well, all of them so far, right So far. 42 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:10,520 So yeah, we, we just played Meal Fiori. 43 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:14,440 Yep. And we've played NAR and what 44 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:16,600 else? I'm terrible at Gutenberg. 45 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:18,280 That's right. That's right. 46 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:20,880 Is one in our collection that we haven't played yet, so I was 47 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:24,320 excited to get a chance to be taught the game right. 48 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:25,000 Not. Having it. 49 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:28,320 Myself so last night we played Men Neffer. 50 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:30,880 Yeah, that. Which I've talked a lot about on 51 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:32,800 the podcast. Love that game. 52 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:34,600 It's amazing. And now you know why it's so 53 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:36,040 cool. It's really good. 54 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:38,320 Right. Yeah, a lot of a lot of theme 55 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:41,520 for for a, you know, going up tracks kind of hero game so. 56 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:46,600 Yeah, and now you know that when I talk about my wife on the 57 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:51,280 podcast, you, you got to experience masterful levels of 58 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:52,960 teaching. Yeah, a game. 59 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:57,040 Yeah, some of the smoothest and most effortless teaching that 60 00:02:57,040 --> 00:02:59,520 I've ever seen. And I've been playing games for 61 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:02,440 a long time, so yeah, that's always really nice to have 62 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:03,560 somebody who's really comfortable. 63 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:06,720 Teaching. So I want to, I'm hoping one of 64 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:10,360 our friends, Kristen Mott, game designer, also a Midwesterner 65 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:13,920 herself, if she's listening to this, she's planning on having 66 00:03:13,920 --> 00:03:16,920 me teach a bunch of games. I'm not the teacher in the 67 00:03:16,920 --> 00:03:19,440 house. Katie is so. 68 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:21,560 I'm not either. My husband's a teacher, high 69 00:03:21,640 --> 00:03:23,960 school math teacher, so yeah, I'm not. 70 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:25,840 Oh yeah, sure. I don't come by it honest. 71 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:31,520 I have learned over time to teach some, but right I don't as 72 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:34,360 a rule. But of course, not to disappoint 73 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:39,040 all of you listeners out there, we did start the weekend. 74 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:46,320 Drum roll please. With obsession, so you got to 75 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:48,680 play a. Mini Cajun con if we hadn't 76 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:49,960 started with. Obsession. 77 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:54,160 No, I think there are two games now that we've actually had a 78 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:57,240 real Cajun con. There are two games that 79 00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:01,480 absolutely have to hit the table to call it a Cajun con. 80 00:04:01,560 --> 00:04:04,560 Whether it's mini, whether it's Midwest, whether it's in 81 00:04:04,560 --> 00:04:06,560 England, it doesn't matter. And I think that that is 82 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:09,720 Obsession and Kavango, which is on the list. 83 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:12,360 Yep, which is on the list. And you could see it on the wall 84 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:14,880 behind me. So hey, thank you to Matt and 85 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:19,640 Zara, who gave us a second copy just so I can hang an empty box 86 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:21,440 on my wall. It's. 87 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:23,960 Really next level for, you know, relationship for. 88 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:27,680 Art Well, they are, They hear me say this all the time. 89 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:31,080 They're just some of the most delightful human beings. 90 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:35,040 And then they make a really great game that hopefully later 91 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:38,040 on you'll get to experience before you leave for the. 92 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:39,760 Weekend, Yeah. That's definitely. 93 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:42,400 I've heard you talk so much about that one so. 94 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:45,280 So we also. Yeah, we did not say that. 95 00:04:45,280 --> 00:04:47,360 We also played Nana. That's the only one from my 96 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:50,320 collection, right, so far, which is just a little memory game 97 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:53,600 that was all the rage in my local group, right, you know, 98 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:55,280 over the last year or two. So. 99 00:04:55,280 --> 00:04:57,440 So explain a little bit more about Nana. 100 00:04:57,440 --> 00:05:02,080 I had never played it before. It's based off the Japanese #7 101 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:04,560 yeah. Nana means 7 in Japanese. 102 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:09,720 So it's basically like like a memory match game, except that 103 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:12,680 you have numbers one through 12 and there are three of each 104 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:15,680 number instead of two. And every player has a number of 105 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:17,800 cards in their hand. And then the rest of the cards 106 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:21,200 that you're playing with are on the table between the people. 107 00:05:21,280 --> 00:05:25,960 You order them the cards in your hand in ascending order, and 108 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:30,040 you're trying to find the cards by asking the other players or 109 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:31,840 looking at the cards in the middle of the table. 110 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:35,440 But you can only ask for the highest or lowest card in 111 00:05:35,440 --> 00:05:38,120 another player's hand or reveal from your hand the highest or 112 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:39,840 lowest cards. So you're kind of working your 113 00:05:39,840 --> 00:05:42,360 way into the middle. And then, yeah, it's just the 114 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:45,520 first person to find three sets of three cards, or if you happen 115 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:49,800 to find 2 sets of cards that are added or subtracted together to 116 00:05:49,800 --> 00:05:51,880 equal 7. So like if I find the ones and 117 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:54,040 the sixes, then I win with only two sets. 118 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:56,680 Or if you find the sevens, which are really difficult because 119 00:05:56,680 --> 00:05:59,720 they're locked in the middle of everybody's hand, then you win 120 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:04,480 right away with the sevens. This game is absolutely insane. 121 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:07,160 I think it broke my brain. I was like, I don't, I don't, I 122 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:12,680 I I understood the words that came out of your mouth when you 123 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:15,440 were explaining the rules. But I'm like, what? 124 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:16,520 I'm not what? Yeah. 125 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:20,120 We were, we were like a few hands in and you still were like 126 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:23,720 not quite, not quite there. You're quite affected the way 127 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:24,440 and. She was. 128 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:26,680 That is because I'm married. Probably the smartest woman 129 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:30,600 ever. And yeah, so because I'm, I'm 130 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:32,480 that much of an idiot, had to marry up. 131 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:35,680 Had to marry up. So yeah, it was, it was. 132 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:39,400 So we played it twice. And you even commented in our 133 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:42,960 first play that no one had made a set. 134 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:45,360 No one. Like I guess typically someone 135 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:49,480 gets a set relatively quickly. Yeah, you'd find a pair pretty 136 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:52,080 early on and then you're able to, yeah, find the third. 137 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:55,360 But no, we I think we saw about one of every number before we 138 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:57,720 made our first set. I think that's because my idiocy 139 00:06:57,720 --> 00:07:00,800 was infectious and I infected everyone at the table. 140 00:07:00,840 --> 00:07:02,880 They were just really shuffled you. 141 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:07,240 Know Oh, that's a good answer. That's a great answer. 142 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:10,640 That game for those of you in the US too. 143 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:13,680 This is a little bit difficult to find the Japanese version of 144 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:16,320 Nana if you haven't heard of it before, but it's easier to find 145 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:19,160 under the name Trio. That is also the same game. 146 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:22,960 It's just, you know, a different, different. 147 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:23,840 Publisher. Yeah. 148 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:26,600 I can't think of who. Don't know off the top of my 149 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:29,040 head, but that is Trio. If you're looking for it. 150 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:30,760 It's worth it. It's a lot of fun. 151 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:32,080 It's silly. Yeah. 152 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:33,720 No, it's it's not meant to be heavy. 153 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:34,960 Yeah. No. 154 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:41,120 So before you arrived, you had sent me a short list of games 155 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:42,640 that you were like it's. A short list, but it's. 156 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:46,400 It was a short, guys. It was a short list, but I want 157 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:51,360 to read this list to you. There were six games that she 158 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:54,120 was hoping we would teach or play. 159 00:07:54,320 --> 00:07:57,120 There's technically 7 because I added obsession and so we had to 160 00:07:57,120 --> 00:07:59,680 play that first. And so we did Men Neffer check, 161 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:01,680 we played that. Emilie Fiore, Check. 162 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:05,160 We played that Vango. Hopefully we'll play that this 163 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:05,600 evening. Yeah. 164 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:07,760 Civilution. Yeah. 165 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:10,520 So that's like the entire day right there. 166 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:12,000 We couldn't afford. The entire maybe not. 167 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:15,040 Going to happen. And then Ninos Dawn of the 168 00:08:15,040 --> 00:08:19,120 Bronze Age, which we have not yet had an opportunity to play 169 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:22,040 that, but hopefully we will. I do promise. 170 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:25,040 I did promise Shelly we will bring out Civil Illusion, at 171 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:29,360 least kind of do a little demo, a meatball to meatball demo of 172 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:32,799 Civil Illusion. So we're 3 for six and it's a 173 00:08:32,799 --> 00:08:35,440 short weekend, so, you know, we'll see what we get to. 174 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:40,840 It's fine. So I wanted to talk about the 175 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:44,200 community. You're how do I want to say this 176 00:08:44,480 --> 00:08:45,920 there? It's very unique. 177 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:50,120 The the situation. Is it like a in my mind, I 178 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:55,600 envision southwestern Michigan, Yeah, to be kind of a board game 179 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,520 desert. Yeah, I mean, when. 180 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:03,080 So I lived in a really small rural town in southwest 181 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:06,440 Michigan, but I had a group of three or four people that I 182 00:09:06,440 --> 00:09:09,800 played with pretty regularly. But we moved, I'm a little 183 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:12,920 closer to Lake, MI and the friends that we played with also 184 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:17,120 moved at the same time. So we didn't really know anybody 185 00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:18,640 in the town that we were moving to. 186 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:22,600 And desert or not, I people have actually kind of come out of the 187 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:25,040 woodwork and there are more people around who play board 188 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:26,920 games than you might think at first glance. 189 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:30,560 But we definitely felt kind of alone when we moved to our 190 00:09:30,560 --> 00:09:33,440 Newtown. So to be clear, board, what I 191 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:35,280 mean by board game desert is this. 192 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:41,880 There's not board game cafes and local game stores in terms of 193 00:09:41,880 --> 00:09:45,720 it's a desert in terms there's a lack of businesses because you 194 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:49,760 kind of created a whole community of board gamers. 195 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:52,160 I did. I did. 196 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:53,720 She did. She did. 197 00:09:53,960 --> 00:09:58,840 I did and I am, yeah. Maybe not the most extroverted 198 00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:02,040 person you'll ever meet. So it was really for a love of 199 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:05,200 board games and really wanting to find some people to play 200 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:07,320 with. So it was kind of a selfish 201 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:10,640 endeavor in the 1st place. But yeah, we don't have, we have 202 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:14,600 one local game store that has a once a month board game night. 203 00:10:14,680 --> 00:10:16,760 OK. And then there's another one 204 00:10:16,760 --> 00:10:20,360 maybe 40 minutes South of us. I mean, there's really not a lot 205 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:22,440 and definitely no board game cafes. 206 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:26,200 And you know, sometimes you'll find a game night at a library 207 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:29,680 or something like that. But was moving to the area and I 208 00:10:29,680 --> 00:10:31,640 wanted to, I wanted to find something. 209 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:33,680 But what? So what's interesting is that 210 00:10:33,680 --> 00:10:39,360 you had you had more grandiose plans initially, didn't you? 211 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:43,240 I did. I was kind of burned out. 212 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:48,200 I worked in healthcare through COVID and I was really kind of 213 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:50,520 burned out and kind of looking for what comes next for me. 214 00:10:50,520 --> 00:10:53,200 And we had just moved. So I had in the back of my head, 215 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:55,040 maybe I'll make this group right? 216 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:58,840 And then what if I turned it into like a game library that we 217 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:02,520 could rent out games? Or what if I eventually turned 218 00:11:02,520 --> 00:11:04,240 it into a board game cafe, Right, Right. 219 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:06,440 That'd be cool. So that was kind of the thought 220 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:09,400 in the back of my head, like maybe I'll start this community 221 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:12,880 right, And then once I have all of this buy in from the 222 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:15,000 community, maybe I'll turn it into something else. 223 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:23,120 And instead you turned it into a a magical, mystical Michigan 224 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:25,560 Kingdom of board gamers. Yeah. 225 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:28,520 And like that alliteration, I kind of liked it. 226 00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:31,240 Yeah, every now and then. Alliteration before we started. 227 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:33,840 So, so you, so now you've got this created. 228 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:36,720 You created this whole community of board gamers and you you 229 00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:39,520 partnered with the local brewery. 230 00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:43,960 Yeah, it started there. So I started like an Instagram 231 00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:46,960 so that I could talk a little bit on there about games I had 232 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:49,720 been playing. And I just basically followed 233 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:52,080 every local business that I could. 234 00:11:53,920 --> 00:11:56,840 I also made a Facebook page, but I just followed different local 235 00:11:56,840 --> 00:12:00,200 businesses and kind of talked about wanting to find somewhere 236 00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:05,160 to get together to play games. And that was the first venue 237 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:07,560 that reached out, was a local brewery a few minutes from our 238 00:12:07,560 --> 00:12:12,360 house and just said, you know, Tuesday nights is our quietest 239 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:14,600 night of the week, so why don't you come in and give us some 240 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:15,800 business. And we've been. 241 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:16,920 Awesome. Yeah, yeah. 242 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:19,840 We've been going there faithfully for like 3 years now 243 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:21,800 so. So we're the owners of this is 244 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:25,280 the, this is the livery. No we no this is not delivery 245 00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:29,920 too, but the first one that we and our longest standing venue 246 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:33,160 is called Watermark Brewing in Stevensville, MI. 247 00:12:33,440 --> 00:12:38,120 And so the owners of of Watermark are they gamers? 248 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:40,440 And that's why they gravitated toward it or. 249 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:43,680 Not necessarily, but they are really involved in the 250 00:12:43,680 --> 00:12:46,280 community. So they do lots of different 251 00:12:46,280 --> 00:12:49,720 things, Like they have a bingo night, they have an event space. 252 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:51,720 We don't actually use their event space. 253 00:12:51,720 --> 00:12:55,160 That's more of a formal space for like weddings and stuff like 254 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:57,480 that. They just opened an indoor golf 255 00:12:57,480 --> 00:12:59,520 center. They do a lot of community 256 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:04,320 projects. They do a big like, oh, a polar 257 00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:07,240 plunge every year to raise a bunch of money. 258 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:10,600 So they just do lots of like fun stuff that that brings out a 259 00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:13,240 really small community. And I think this was just kind 260 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:15,720 of another thing one of the guys does, like games, but he's 261 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:19,400 literally never come out for, you know, like and sat down and 262 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:20,720 played games. Or he hasn't. 263 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:23,360 You know, he's, you know, running a brewery instead. 264 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:27,160 But but yeah, I mean, I think they just like to invite 265 00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:30,640 different kinds of people and and they wanted to make a space 266 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:32,640 for us. So, yeah, that is great. 267 00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:37,120 So what about if anyone who's listening and they live in? 268 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:40,240 I know that there are some of our friends, both the content 269 00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:45,680 creators and just listeners of the podcast who live in really 270 00:13:45,680 --> 00:13:50,000 rural, kind of isolated areas. And we're thinking about doing 271 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:53,600 something similar, partnering with a brewery, partnering with 272 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:56,440 some local business that can support the space. 273 00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:01,520 What are some lessons learned? And follow up question to that 274 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:04,440 is I'm really interested in partnering with a brewery 275 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:08,280 because drinking beer and playing a board game does go 276 00:14:08,280 --> 00:14:11,600 well, but I'm just worried about the board games getting ruined 277 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:16,200 or, you know, losing pieces. Talk a little bit about that. 278 00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:21,280 Yeah, so that part to put your fears aside, we've played, we've 279 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:26,720 had probably close over 100 events, I'm not sure how many, 280 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:30,280 but maybe closer to 150 events in the three years since I 281 00:14:30,280 --> 00:14:32,800 started. And we have literally only 282 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:38,480 spilled 1 beer on a game. We spilled beer on Dixit and we 283 00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:40,880 wipe down all the cards with a wet rag. 284 00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:42,320 They were not sleeved or anything. 285 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:45,520 And we still own the same game of Dixit and it works just fine. 286 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:48,200 After that is great. I know it's not as scary as 287 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:52,840 people try to make it sound. So, you know, not, not as big of 288 00:14:52,840 --> 00:14:55,360 a deal as you think. And it's a really nice kind of 289 00:14:55,520 --> 00:14:58,160 casual environment. Yeah. 290 00:14:58,160 --> 00:15:04,040 So I do like that venue and whether drinkers or non drinkers 291 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:07,680 of alcohol, we I would say our group is about 5050 actually. 292 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:09,520 A lot of them come out and don't drink at all. 293 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:12,440 So it's it hasn't seemed to scare people away in the way 294 00:15:12,440 --> 00:15:14,960 that I was maybe worried about in the first place. 295 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:19,440 So there's not like the the the beer garden or the brewery, 296 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:22,800 wherever the venue is, they don't require like a one drink 297 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:24,800 minimum or anything. No, they haven't. 298 00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:29,840 And actually, we've played in, gosh, 5 or 6 different breweries 299 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:33,560 or restaurants in the area and nobody has ever required 300 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:35,440 anything of us. Well, that's good. 301 00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:37,600 For what it's worth. So yeah. 302 00:15:38,040 --> 00:15:40,600 And we actually have kind of gone through different 303 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:47,800 iterations of requesting that different venues when we are 304 00:15:47,800 --> 00:15:51,120 getting a good kind of group of people coming out, you know, 305 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:55,040 2025 people sometimes for these events asking for a small 306 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:59,200 donation to the group fund. I'm not monetizing for my own 307 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:03,200 pocket necessarily and we're not generating so much money for the 308 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:06,400 business that I feel like we can charge by the hour or something 309 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:12,040 like that. But that was kind of a nice a 310 00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:15,640 little bit of seed money so that we could use it for different 311 00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:17,400 things that we needed for the group. 312 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:20,320 Like I've bought some lights so that we have better lighting for 313 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:22,720 the events or, you know, different things like that. 314 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:24,360 You posted about those lights, right? 315 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:25,480 These are the tables. I did. 316 00:16:25,480 --> 00:16:29,240 I did, yeah. I'm not trying to call you out. 317 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:32,480 I think that's really cool. And someone else might tell me 318 00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:35,040 about those lights because we talked a little bit about them. 319 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:37,480 Was it last night we were playing men Nefer? 320 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:40,720 I think so. And you we somehow it came up 321 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:42,400 about the lighting. Yeah, they're kind. 322 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:45,400 They're kind of life changing. Once you start playing with a, a 323 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:50,240 small task light for a board game, it's it's just better. 324 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:54,800 You just can see so much better. Umm but no, one of the venues 325 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:59,040 that we play at is really dark and just doesn't have adequate 326 00:16:59,040 --> 00:17:00,800 lighting for playing board games so. 327 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:03,040 Because it's not designed for that kind of activity. 328 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:04,040 Exactly. Yeah. 329 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:07,920 So we just kind of improvised and we bought task lights on 330 00:17:08,079 --> 00:17:11,680 Amazon that are kind of weighted at the bottom and they have USB 331 00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:13,520 plug in so you can recharge them. 332 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:16,920 And yeah, they work very well. They've been a real hit. 333 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:22,280 So what are some like? Or were there because there may 334 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:24,760 not have been, it sounds like this was a pretty smooth kind of 335 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:27,319 process, but were there any pitfalls? 336 00:17:27,319 --> 00:17:29,440 Or again, if anyone were thinking about doing, is there 337 00:17:29,440 --> 00:17:32,960 something they should be wary of or don't? 338 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:37,320 Don't assume this or any any lessons that you can take away 339 00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:39,080 from the early stages. Sure. 340 00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:46,440 I would say two things that come to mind are not not going into 341 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:50,560 it expecting to turn it into your job, right? 342 00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:56,160 I, I have not really found a way and maybe my heart is not in it 343 00:17:56,200 --> 00:18:00,600 at this point to find a way to turn it into like a side hustle 344 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:03,240 or anything like that. Different places are not 345 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:07,000 necessarily willing to pay you the kind of money that you would 346 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:10,000 kind of hope if you were doing it as you know it. 347 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:13,880 It needs to be a pet project and it needs to be something that 348 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:19,040 you're OK with doing without any monetary reward. 349 00:18:19,120 --> 00:18:22,160 You know, it needs to be. It needs to be your, you know, 350 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:24,600 your life's work instead. How many people show up on an 351 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:26,680 average night? It varies quite a bit. 352 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:32,800 I would say the minimum is like maybe eight people, but it's not 353 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:35,800 unheard of for us to have 20 or 25 people. 354 00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:36,880 That's pretty. That's pretty. 355 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:38,320 Solid. It's a decent group. 356 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:40,880 I would say like 15 is an average night. 357 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:44,160 So yeah, we usually have, you know, 3 or 4 tables going and. 358 00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:46,360 That's cool. Yeah, that is cool. 359 00:18:46,440 --> 00:18:48,520 I love that. I love that. 360 00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:51,240 So I was thinking about back, circling back to Dixit. 361 00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:57,800 One of our friends, one of our friends over in England, Craig, 362 00:18:57,880 --> 00:19:02,000 I get into games. They do something at New Year's. 363 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:06,240 They play what they call Dirty Dixit with the adults after the 364 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:10,280 kids go to bed or it's unclear, but it's like a New Year's Eve 365 00:19:10,280 --> 00:19:12,440 tradition. I'm thinking he's really going 366 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:16,520 to love the idea that drunken dirty Dixit because. 367 00:19:16,840 --> 00:19:19,880 And he's probably going to want to play with your copy because 368 00:19:19,880 --> 00:19:22,040 your copy has had a few drinks. Yeah, right. 369 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:24,880 So. I can send that long if that's 370 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:28,640 what he's looking. Slightly sticky copy of Dixon. 371 00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:31,680 He's going to love that it's. A great joke, and more than one. 372 00:19:31,800 --> 00:19:34,480 Way that is going to be great. That is amazing. 373 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:36,720 Do you? I was thinking about, you were 374 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:38,960 talking about occasionally you ask for donations. 375 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:41,680 I was thinking about museums. You know, they've got like the 376 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:44,360 little that you can afford a big glass bottle. 377 00:19:44,360 --> 00:19:47,800 Like like a tip jar, Yeah. Is that is it like that and 378 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:49,640 people just drop a few dollars in or? 379 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:54,160 No, no, really what we've asked for is a little bit of cash from 380 00:19:54,160 --> 00:19:57,280 the venue itself. I have never missed our 381 00:19:57,280 --> 00:19:59,560 attendees to pay any money. OK, so there. 382 00:19:59,560 --> 00:20:02,680 I miss that. That is the main tenant of the 383 00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:05,720 group is that I want all of the events to be free and open to 384 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:07,440 the public, right? So yeah. 385 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:12,760 No, no, what if, what if John Doe comes in and he and his wife 386 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:15,200 or he and one of his kids, whatever they come in, it's 387 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:18,120 their first time and they're just really excited. 388 00:20:18,520 --> 00:20:20,960 Either they're avid gamers and they're happy to meet other 389 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:24,040 gamers, or they're new to the hobby as a whole and they're 390 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:25,480 really excited and want to get into the hobby. 391 00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:27,920 Can they make donations? Do you have a? 392 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:31,520 Do you have an apparatus for anything like that? 393 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:34,280 I, I don't and it's never come up. 394 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:38,520 I mean, if, if you're posting that an event is free, I, I 395 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:41,200 don't feel like somebody's ever thought, oh, maybe I'll give her 396 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:43,440 some money, I guess. Yeah. 397 00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:48,120 I mean, you know, in addition to breweries, we also do events in 398 00:20:48,120 --> 00:20:52,080 libraries on a fairly regular basis now too, just because I 399 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:55,320 did want to broaden, you know, not everybody wants to spend an 400 00:20:55,600 --> 00:20:58,440 in evening or an afternoon in a brewery, especially if they 401 00:20:58,440 --> 00:21:02,200 don't drink alcohol. So I wanted to kind of broaden 402 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:05,000 that up a little bit. So especially in a library, you 403 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:07,960 wouldn't think to, you know, offer money or anything like 404 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:09,240 that. What about kids? 405 00:21:09,440 --> 00:21:12,400 Is there are there any, are there are there age restrictions 406 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:14,560 at the beer garden? So someone wanted to bring their 407 00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:16,640 kids to play games with their family. 408 00:21:16,640 --> 00:21:18,000 I know you play games with your daughter. 409 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:20,840 Does that happen? And again, are there any age 410 00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:23,000 restrictions imposed by the venue? 411 00:21:23,160 --> 00:21:27,960 Most of our events are early enough in the day that there's 412 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:32,560 not an age restriction. I think some bars do have age 413 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:34,640 restrictions. Maybe on a late on a Friday 414 00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:38,560 night or something you need to be 18 or 21 or something like 415 00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:41,880 that to go in. But no, ours are mostly 416 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:44,760 afternoon events or early evening. 417 00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:49,560 The Watermark events are at like 5:00 PM so no kids are 418 00:21:49,560 --> 00:21:51,280 definitely allowed at all of the events. 419 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:53,960 It's nice to know ahead of time if kids will be there because I 420 00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:57,240 can, you know, adjust what's in the bag to make sure that we've 421 00:21:57,240 --> 00:22:00,160 got things. But I do try to try to cater to 422 00:22:00,360 --> 00:22:03,000 the widest audience possible. So I always try to make sure to, 423 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:05,600 you know, have a huge variety of stuff in the bag. 424 00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:07,600 Yeah. So do you, do you supply the 425 00:22:07,600 --> 00:22:13,080 games or is it, is it BYOBG or? It's both OK, we always bring 426 00:22:13,240 --> 00:22:17,160 enough games that we feel like if nobody else brought anything 427 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:19,720 I would feel comfortable teaching all of these. 428 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:24,800 I feel like I've got a variety for maybe non gamers newer to 429 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:29,760 the hobby, younger, less experienced or real hobby board 430 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:33,600 gamers too so. So it sounds like this is an 431 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:37,440 open gaming event that we would find in our gaming conventions, 432 00:22:38,120 --> 00:22:41,480 but it just happens to be at a coffee shop, a library, or a 433 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:42,880 brewery or something. Exactly. 434 00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:45,840 Yep, Yep. And we, we keep it to about four 435 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:49,600 times a month, which is, which is no small feat really. 436 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:54,080 It's it's right almost every weekend thing for maybe 3 or 4 437 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:56,680 hours. There's always a post with this 438 00:22:56,680 --> 00:22:58,760 calendar update. Yeah, right. 439 00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:00,840 I don't, I don't know if anyone else feels this way. 440 00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:04,720 And sometimes I do chime in. You will pose like Tuesday night 441 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:08,800 here, Saturday night here. And I'm like, I want to come. 442 00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:14,280 Yeah, yeah. So that, that's really cool. 443 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:16,360 And all I schedule is that's all new, right? 444 00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:19,000 It is all me and that was the other thing that I was thinking. 445 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:21,520 You asked earlier about tips and tricks and I didn't really get 446 00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:22,480 back to that part. OK. 447 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:28,360 I would say once you are kind of establishing relationships with 448 00:23:28,360 --> 00:23:32,080 local venues and you have places, you know, either that 449 00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:34,360 have reached out to you or that you felt comfortable reaching 450 00:23:34,360 --> 00:23:38,280 out to ask about starting events, I would highly recommend 451 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:41,760 kind of systematizing how you are posting about it so that it 452 00:23:41,760 --> 00:23:45,480 doesn't take up as much time as running the event itself, right? 453 00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:49,640 So I have like, you know, when I post on Facebook, I load all of 454 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:52,880 the events as duplicates of the last time that we ran that event 455 00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:55,040 at that venue. You know, it has the same banner 456 00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:57,880 at the top of the page because I was really trying to customize 457 00:23:57,880 --> 00:24:01,440 that from one event to the next. And it got to be kind of too 458 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:04,280 much labor, right? For, you know, I want to spend 459 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:07,200 my time doing the the events themselves and I don't want it 460 00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:10,440 to feel like a burden. So I've really tried to kind of 461 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:14,400 streamline that process so that I'm loading up events with our 462 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:16,800 venues a couple months at least ahead of time. 463 00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:20,640 So we'll line up like, you know, maybe the next quarter worth of 464 00:24:20,640 --> 00:24:24,280 dates at once, or we're doing it on some sort of a regular 465 00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:26,960 schedule so that we're not too worried about getting in touch 466 00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:29,480 with them every month or every few weeks or something. 467 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:31,320 It's just too much communication. 468 00:24:31,360 --> 00:24:33,600 It's too much trying to figure things out, Right. 469 00:24:34,840 --> 00:24:35,840 That's awesome. Yeah. 470 00:24:35,840 --> 00:24:38,960 And just, and just streamlining the social media part of it too, 471 00:24:38,960 --> 00:24:41,560 but making it easy for people to find your events, right? 472 00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:43,320 So that's right. That's a big deal, too. 473 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:46,600 Even for people not in the area, we know how to find like I, I 474 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:49,280 know when you're having an event, like I can just go to 475 00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:52,360 Instagram and be like, oh, hey, they're going to be at Water 476 00:24:52,360 --> 00:24:55,080 Park on Tuesday at 5:00 PM or what? 477 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:56,640 I still expect you to show up sometime. 478 00:24:56,640 --> 00:24:59,360 It's not so far away. Well, you know, I mean, now that 479 00:24:59,360 --> 00:25:02,200 you've come to my home, I feel like it's, it's gonna happen. 480 00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:04,840 Yeah, you don't have the excuse. Anymore absolutely has to 481 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:08,360 happen. So I think so there was a 482 00:25:08,360 --> 00:25:12,560 milestone. There was there was a 483 00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:17,480 significant event where you got some publicity. 484 00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:22,560 I'm guessing it's from the local news outlets there in Michigan. 485 00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:25,800 I remember there was an article published and I was like, we 486 00:25:25,800 --> 00:25:28,000 have to have Shelly on the show. I want to talk about this 487 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:30,600 because this is so cool. Like I don't have any listeners 488 00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:35,800 who were published in newspapers or you know, so remind everyone 489 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:38,160 again where that was published and tell me a little bit about 490 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:40,240 it because I don't know since I'm not familiar with the. 491 00:25:40,720 --> 00:25:44,320 Yeah, I actually there have been two different articles written. 492 00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:50,960 1 was by like a Southwest Michigan online magazine. 493 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:53,440 OK. That I couldn't even tell you 494 00:25:53,440 --> 00:25:55,720 that I could start to research here. 495 00:25:56,080 --> 00:25:58,040 You're catching me off guard, but I didn't. 496 00:25:58,040 --> 00:25:59,760 Mean to I'm. Sorry, no, that's OK. 497 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:04,240 And the other one was a local newspaper. 498 00:26:04,360 --> 00:26:08,360 A reporter reached out to me and just asked if I'd be willing to 499 00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:11,520 be interviewed for an article for the paper, and she came out 500 00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:14,440 and observed one of our events with a photographer and took a 501 00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:17,280 couple of pictures. But that's the Herald. 502 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:19,960 Palladium is the name of the local newspaper. 503 00:26:19,960 --> 00:26:22,000 But that means that people are talking about you. 504 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:25,440 Yeah, I'd like to think so. You know, I mean, people who 505 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:28,640 come out for the first time definitely say, well, I've been 506 00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:31,280 following you for a couple of months and I've really wanted to 507 00:26:31,280 --> 00:26:34,200 try it. So it's it's really kind of neat 508 00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:37,200 the way that it's caught on. And we've definitely found, I 509 00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:39,800 mentioned this at the beginning, but really pulled some some 510 00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:42,240 hardcore gamers out of the woodwork in the area too, who 511 00:26:42,240 --> 00:26:44,920 maybe didn't have a big group to play with before. 512 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:48,680 So that's really cool too. So when you asked if we are the 513 00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:50,320 ones who are supplying the games, we do. 514 00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:52,920 But now it's, you know, there's there's a few bags. 515 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:54,800 Because it's cool. Yeah, because there are 516 00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:58,880 definitely some gamer gamers. Because because gamers have a 517 00:26:58,880 --> 00:27:00,640 tendency when they're going to an event. 518 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:04,760 We talked a little bit about this last night offline as a 519 00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:07,800 family and gaming. We were talking, it's like they 520 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:11,560 they're going to an event that has a games library or they're 521 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:13,760 going to somebody'd house. We were talking about you coming 522 00:27:13,760 --> 00:27:16,440 here and I was like, just bring this one game because, you know, 523 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:19,720 we've got, we've got a collection, you know, so there's 524 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:23,040 no reason for you to bring a whole burden yourself with 525 00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:26,200 hundreds of pounds of games. I know some of our friends did 526 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:29,560 it who went to the Gamers Ranch in Missouri last weekend and 527 00:27:29,560 --> 00:27:32,040 they brought a ton of games. Brought games to the gamers. 528 00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:34,280 Gamers Ranch has this huge library. 529 00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:36,720 It's like you don't have to do that, so. 530 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:40,120 Yeah, that I don't do that. I mean, guilty, yeah, you know, 531 00:27:40,120 --> 00:27:42,520 but but I do, you know, when I said this last night. 532 00:27:42,520 --> 00:27:45,680 But I do think that there's some sort of impulse with people who 533 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:48,720 are really deep in the hobby and they get together with somebody 534 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:50,120 else who's really deep in the hobby. 535 00:27:50,120 --> 00:27:53,440 And you think of the one game that this person hasn't played 536 00:27:53,440 --> 00:27:56,160 before that you're like, I am going to introduce your new 537 00:27:56,160 --> 00:27:58,520 favorite. I can't believe you haven't 538 00:27:58,520 --> 00:28:00,520 played this game that's so dear to my heart. 539 00:28:00,520 --> 00:28:04,240 It's a part of me, Right. So so that just seems really 540 00:28:04,240 --> 00:28:06,400 important. But I love that we came here and 541 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:08,520 you're just teaching me lots of games that I hadn't gotten the 542 00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:11,200 chance to play yet, so. And for the record, I'm not 543 00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:13,720 teaching any of them. My wife's teaching them all. 544 00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:16,280 Your wife is incredible. She is she. 545 00:28:16,280 --> 00:28:18,360 Is she? A smooth. 546 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:20,800 Teacher, she is very smooth teacher. 547 00:28:20,800 --> 00:28:23,840 Yeah. So what I've learned, I think, I 548 00:28:23,840 --> 00:28:25,400 think both Katie and I learned this. 549 00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:29,400 Every time we go to a convention, whether it's as 550 00:28:29,400 --> 00:28:33,160 small as Geek Way in Saint Louis or as big as Gen. 551 00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:36,920 Con in Indianapolis, we always leave. 552 00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:40,680 We come back with games either purchased or won in the Play and 553 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:42,600 Win library or something like that. 554 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:48,280 And I got tired of I would have this huge bag and every gamer 555 00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:52,360 knows what I'm talking about, that it's 30, forty, 50 lbs of 556 00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:57,800 board games that you bring. One of them might, might hit the 557 00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:01,720 table and then you're like, and you're bringing more games back. 558 00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:07,160 So for me, if it's, if it's more than £5, you know, like we don't 559 00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:10,280 bring anything, right? Unless, unless I know right, 560 00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:12,280 we're going to be attending. You have a plan, right? 561 00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:14,320 Right. So and so wants me to bring 562 00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:16,080 this. We're going to play it, Yeah. 563 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:22,400 There's always the expectation that I either teach someone how 564 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:27,440 to play obsession or you get to play obsession because I know 565 00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:32,080 Gareth and I have hundreds of episodes now foggle out 566 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:33,440 obsession. And so I think it's kind of 567 00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:36,120 become a thing that people want to play obsession with. 568 00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:39,400 Either Gareth or myself. He gets it in England all the 569 00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:40,680 time. They're like, you're bringing an 570 00:29:40,680 --> 00:29:44,440 obsession, right? They're at air con this weekend 571 00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:47,160 and I'm pretty sure obsession will hit the table there as 572 00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:48,880 well. Other than that, I typically 573 00:29:48,880 --> 00:29:51,320 don't bring anything. I think a couple years ago I was 574 00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:51,960 like Gen. Con. 575 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:54,120 That's all I brought was obsession. 576 00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:56,320 And then I was like, and we hit the table. 577 00:29:56,320 --> 00:29:57,520 But then it was like, well, not anyway. 578 00:29:57,720 --> 00:29:59,720 Now everybody's got a copy. So I'm good. 579 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:01,760 I'm good. I'm just gonna, I'll put it in 580 00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:05,280 my little backpack and if it fits, then yeah, it's good 581 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:05,880 enough. That's it. 582 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:09,400 Yeah. So now the pressure's off. 583 00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:11,600 Pressure's off. We got through all of it. 584 00:30:11,880 --> 00:30:16,120 OK, put the pressure back on me because it's my understanding 585 00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:18,920 that you have questions for me. Yeah, I mean, my biggest 586 00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:22,560 question, right, is we've been talking about my game community, 587 00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:27,600 my people, my the way that my hobby looks for me, right. 588 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:31,640 You know, I do play to play with my husband a lot in addition to 589 00:30:31,640 --> 00:30:34,440 the game group, game group. A lot of times we'll end up 590 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:39,240 playing maybe the the one to two hour games at the longest. 591 00:30:39,240 --> 00:30:42,000 The heavier, weightier games stay home. 592 00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:47,280 We play two player, right, but not everybody has a a giant 593 00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:51,160 board game group of, you know, lots of people that you play 594 00:30:51,160 --> 00:30:55,520 with every week that you know, you're you're running events and 595 00:30:55,760 --> 00:30:58,400 and all this. So I just, you know, I think to 596 00:30:58,640 --> 00:31:02,040 kind of contrast, I know you have a good game group yourself 597 00:31:02,040 --> 00:31:05,400 and you play lots. So I just wanted to hear about 598 00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:08,080 your community. I don't know that I've really 599 00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:11,080 ever heard you talk too much about beyond, you know, playing 600 00:31:11,080 --> 00:31:13,600 with your wife. And I know that you play with 601 00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:14,640 other people. Yeah. 602 00:31:14,760 --> 00:31:16,520 Tell us a little bit about your community. 603 00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:17,640 I can do that. I did. 604 00:31:17,640 --> 00:31:19,880 Thanks for asking pressures back on me guys. 605 00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:22,480 How about that? So there, there's a pretty 606 00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:26,360 vibrant when we moved to Springfield, and this was 2000 607 00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:32,720 and 1617 because Katie moved here 1st and I came of several 608 00:31:32,720 --> 00:31:36,440 months later from Louisiana. There were, and I guess there 609 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:39,840 still are three local game stores, right? 610 00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:42,760 I mean, you've been here for 48 hours. 611 00:31:42,760 --> 00:31:46,480 This is not a big metropolitan Springfield's not huge, but it 612 00:31:46,480 --> 00:31:50,880 supports 33 hobby game stores. And they're all different in 613 00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:54,160 their own ways. You have, she's been to Titan. 614 00:31:55,080 --> 00:31:57,760 Yeah. So yeah, we made sure to make a 615 00:31:57,760 --> 00:32:03,120 visit there yesterday. And so Titan had a pretty 616 00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:04,760 vibrant. They had it every night. 617 00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:07,560 There was an open game night on Thursdays, right? 618 00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:13,120 Again, this is 2017, right? So Katie and I, we were like, 619 00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:15,600 well, let's go. But we didn't know what it was 620 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:18,880 all about. So we brought Ticket to Ride, 621 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:22,560 which was a game that we played a lot, like at the end of the 622 00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:25,720 day for work. And we're like, but it gets us 623 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:28,440 out of the house or the apartment because we were living 624 00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:31,080 in an apartment back then. And it was like, OK, so we went 625 00:32:31,080 --> 00:32:34,160 and we played. And that's where we met our 626 00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:37,320 friend Vincent. Vincent doesn't listen to the 627 00:32:37,320 --> 00:32:39,960 podcast often, but now I'm going to tell him that I'm talking 628 00:32:39,960 --> 00:32:42,600 about him, so I'm going to force him to listen to this one. 629 00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:45,520 Vincent was kind of like our first friend in Springfield. 630 00:32:45,680 --> 00:32:48,840 He just walked up to table. I think we were playing the 631 00:32:48,840 --> 00:32:50,840 South Africa map for Ticket to Ride. 632 00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:53,000 He knew of Ticket to Ride, but he did not know. 633 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:56,640 There were all the maps that are out and we're still friends with 634 00:32:56,640 --> 00:32:59,640 Vincent today. And then we got to know more and 635 00:32:59,640 --> 00:33:01,800 more people and there were a lot of folks. 636 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:04,360 COVID changed things, right? You don't say. 637 00:33:04,600 --> 00:33:07,120 Yeah, right. COVID changed things. 638 00:33:07,120 --> 00:33:09,480 What? So a couple things happened. 639 00:33:09,480 --> 00:33:13,440 People started, they bought homes or they reconfigured their 640 00:33:13,440 --> 00:33:16,120 homes and had their own play space. 641 00:33:16,480 --> 00:33:19,880 And so they started wanting to play games at their house, which 642 00:33:19,920 --> 00:33:23,960 I think is OK. I think, you know, we don't have 643 00:33:23,960 --> 00:33:28,240 a lot of board game cafes outside of major metropolitan 644 00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:30,640 American cities like New York and Chicago. 645 00:33:31,160 --> 00:33:34,200 We do have a lot of local game stores, Right, Right. 646 00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:37,280 And they usually host an open game night, much like what 647 00:33:37,280 --> 00:33:42,240 you're doing back home. And So what will happen is you 648 00:33:42,280 --> 00:33:44,960 outgrow it, right? Like we'll have our core little 649 00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:47,840 group of players and we'll just come over here. 650 00:33:48,080 --> 00:33:50,200 I don't even have to leave my house, right? 651 00:33:51,160 --> 00:33:53,040 Right. And they can just, it's cheaper. 652 00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:54,600 I can have the snacks that I want. 653 00:33:54,600 --> 00:33:56,120 I can. Wear my pajama pants. 654 00:33:56,360 --> 00:33:58,600 You know you could you. Could if you wanted to, that 655 00:33:58,600 --> 00:34:02,320 would be acceptable. Just, you know, OK, right. 656 00:34:03,920 --> 00:34:05,960 I'm blushing for those who can't see. 657 00:34:07,440 --> 00:34:11,600 So what what ended up happening was we had our little COVID 658 00:34:11,600 --> 00:34:13,280 bubble. There was a core group of us 659 00:34:13,520 --> 00:34:15,320 that were hanging out through COVID. 660 00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:20,199 We were role-playing online using Role 20 or Discord or 661 00:34:20,199 --> 00:34:22,880 whatever it was. And then when COVID ended, we 662 00:34:22,880 --> 00:34:25,520 got back together again. So there's myself and my wife 663 00:34:25,520 --> 00:34:27,719 Katie, and then there's our friend David and Eric. 664 00:34:27,719 --> 00:34:32,760 And then Vincent kind of joined our group and we meet every 665 00:34:32,800 --> 00:34:35,920 other weekend for various schedule, but it's but it's 666 00:34:35,960 --> 00:34:40,040 every other weekend, right? We meet on Friday nights where 667 00:34:40,040 --> 00:34:41,520 we go to our friend Rich's house. 668 00:34:41,520 --> 00:34:43,360 Rich has a rather large basement. 669 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:45,800 He's got one of those beautiful game tables. 670 00:34:46,480 --> 00:34:49,960 So Friday night is that where Katie stays home. 671 00:34:49,960 --> 00:34:53,639 So she gets a break from me and she gets to relax with the cats 672 00:34:53,639 --> 00:34:58,560 and do whatever she likes to do. I game with the guys we don't 673 00:34:58,640 --> 00:34:59,520 know, right? Right. 674 00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:05,640 I don't ask and then I do. Skip our local events once in a 675 00:35:05,640 --> 00:35:10,000 while, put the kiddo to bed, let the husband go and I just, you 676 00:35:10,000 --> 00:35:11,120 know. Do my thing. 677 00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:13,280 You need that, right? It's kind of nice once in a 678 00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:14,560 while. You do need that, yeah. 679 00:35:14,560 --> 00:35:18,120 And I recognize that my wife needs that and so. 680 00:35:18,200 --> 00:35:19,760 OK. And of course, I'm the crazy 681 00:35:19,760 --> 00:35:21,000 instaverter. Can't shut up. 682 00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:26,360 So there's a story that I have to tell you that happened to us 683 00:35:26,360 --> 00:35:28,200 yesterday, but I want to share with everyone. 684 00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:31,840 But I'll get back to that. So then on on the subsequent 685 00:35:32,120 --> 00:35:36,480 every other Saturdays, David, Eric and Vincent come over here 686 00:35:36,480 --> 00:35:40,640 and we are in the middle of A5 player Frost Haven campaign 687 00:35:40,640 --> 00:35:44,560 right now you're. Talking once a week, every week. 688 00:35:44,560 --> 00:35:47,880 No, every other week, every other Saturday. 689 00:35:48,120 --> 00:35:51,320 But then a group gets together. Then every other Friday. 690 00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:52,560 So is it a Friday? Saturday. 691 00:35:52,560 --> 00:35:55,320 Back-to-back it is then. The next week it is correct, 692 00:35:55,560 --> 00:35:57,720 correct. Yes, if I didn't make that clear 693 00:35:57,760 --> 00:35:59,800 that. Every weekend turns into a whole 694 00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:01,920 thing where you are. No. 695 00:36:01,960 --> 00:36:05,800 So it's, so it's this core group of five or six that we get 696 00:36:05,800 --> 00:36:08,040 together on a Friday, Saturday, back-to-back. 697 00:36:08,880 --> 00:36:11,960 And then the rest of the time it's just Katie and I yeah, you 698 00:36:11,960 --> 00:36:17,200 know, now Titan, as you saw, they recently expanded a year or 699 00:36:17,200 --> 00:36:20,640 so ago and they've got beautiful storefront and they've got a 700 00:36:20,880 --> 00:36:25,560 huge open gaming area with two private rooms for like tabletop 701 00:36:25,560 --> 00:36:27,280 role-playing. A lot of DND. 702 00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:31,320 A lot of DND for high school kids, they really do a lot of 703 00:36:31,320 --> 00:36:33,200 that. They have Puzzle Nights, which 704 00:36:33,400 --> 00:36:37,360 has been wildly successful. Yeah, I had never heard of that. 705 00:36:37,360 --> 00:36:41,120 Yeah, it's like competitive speed puzzling. 706 00:36:41,120 --> 00:36:44,840 I mean, I have seen speed puzzling online, but I've never 707 00:36:44,840 --> 00:36:48,040 seen a local place do that. I think that's such a cool draw 708 00:36:48,040 --> 00:36:52,440 for a different group of gamers. It brings gaming to a non gaming 709 00:36:52,440 --> 00:36:54,560 crowd. They they go for puzzles and 710 00:36:54,560 --> 00:36:56,920 then they see the other products and start. 711 00:36:57,680 --> 00:37:00,280 Yeah, exactly. So that's kind of our, that's 712 00:37:00,280 --> 00:37:03,240 kind of our core, our core gaming group. 713 00:37:03,800 --> 00:37:05,320 Yeah. Occasionally there's, you know, 714 00:37:05,320 --> 00:37:07,160 one offs. We have some friends in Saint 715 00:37:07,160 --> 00:37:09,520 Louis, which is like an hour and a half away. 716 00:37:10,880 --> 00:37:14,800 So one of our friends who, you know, she's, she doesn't have 717 00:37:14,800 --> 00:37:15,600 it. She's single. 718 00:37:15,600 --> 00:37:17,520 She doesn't have a family. She lives in an apartment. 719 00:37:17,520 --> 00:37:20,960 So she'll come up here and spend the day and of course, Laura 720 00:37:21,160 --> 00:37:24,080 obsessed with board games and her husband, Ryan, Mr. obsessed 721 00:37:24,080 --> 00:37:25,840 with board games. They live in the Saint Louis 722 00:37:25,840 --> 00:37:28,960 area couple other gamers. And so we'll go and meet them at 723 00:37:29,160 --> 00:37:32,240 we'll meet him for lunch and then miniature market and play 724 00:37:32,240 --> 00:37:34,400 games and things. We've kind of got this. 725 00:37:34,560 --> 00:37:40,720 You know, this Saint Louis for like an A full day every other 726 00:37:40,920 --> 00:37:45,080 Friday, Saturday weekend is our game group core group here in 727 00:37:45,080 --> 00:37:47,760 Springfield. And there's there's so many 728 00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:51,400 others too, right? Like, you know, you've got a lot 729 00:37:51,400 --> 00:37:55,920 of 40K Warhammer, which I don't do, but there's a big group and 730 00:37:55,920 --> 00:37:59,880 they do an event at Titan. So yeah, if I'm not playing with 731 00:37:59,880 --> 00:38:04,040 Katie, I'm playing with Katie, David, Eric, David, Eric and 732 00:38:04,040 --> 00:38:05,960 Vincent, right. It's always every once in a 733 00:38:05,960 --> 00:38:08,360 while somebody can't make it just so you just so then we 734 00:38:08,360 --> 00:38:10,520 don't play Frost statement. We play something else. 735 00:38:11,520 --> 00:38:16,600 Whenever, whenever Kenya and I go to purchase a game, we look 736 00:38:16,600 --> 00:38:18,920 at the game and we're like, David's really going to love 737 00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:21,640 this or David's really going to hate this. 738 00:38:21,640 --> 00:38:25,160 So maybe we don't want to get it or we're like, the guys are 739 00:38:25,160 --> 00:38:27,400 going to absolutely love this game. 740 00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:30,160 And then occasionally there's a surprise. 741 00:38:31,760 --> 00:38:34,280 While I know it's not your favorite, not saying you don't 742 00:38:34,280 --> 00:38:39,160 like it, but not your favorite. Flip 7 by the OP games, I didn't 743 00:38:39,160 --> 00:38:41,400 expect that. I had no expectation. 744 00:38:41,400 --> 00:38:43,880 Sure. They sent it to me so I could do 745 00:38:43,880 --> 00:38:48,640 a little review and post and drop them a hint in the podcast. 746 00:38:48,640 --> 00:38:51,920 I was like, okay, it's straightforward and simple 747 00:38:51,920 --> 00:38:54,360 pressure. Take a card or don't, there's 748 00:38:54,360 --> 00:38:55,960 nothing. There's no skill. 749 00:38:56,040 --> 00:39:00,680 Holy cow. Caught on like wildfires, You're 750 00:39:00,680 --> 00:39:01,320 saying? Your group? 751 00:39:01,320 --> 00:39:03,800 Really. They really, they really like 752 00:39:03,800 --> 00:39:04,880 it. I think what they like does. 753 00:39:04,960 --> 00:39:06,760 Too. To be honest, I think I'm the 754 00:39:06,760 --> 00:39:10,800 odd opinion out, you know? You are the opinion outlet's. 755 00:39:10,800 --> 00:39:12,840 There's just. Maybe not quite enough there for 756 00:39:12,840 --> 00:39:14,680 me. I need a little tiny bit of 757 00:39:14,680 --> 00:39:17,320 like, right autonomy, right? Yeah. 758 00:39:17,320 --> 00:39:20,760 I just don't feel like I have enough of a say in in how things 759 00:39:20,760 --> 00:39:23,840 can alter myself. Maybe this is speaking like I've 760 00:39:23,840 --> 00:39:27,440 played three times and I have lost so bad every time. 761 00:39:27,440 --> 00:39:30,200 Like I mean zero points around. I've lost. 762 00:39:30,200 --> 00:39:34,560 I've lost quite a lot too, yeah. It does have a fun, you know, 763 00:39:34,560 --> 00:39:36,600 draw to. It I think because it's so 764 00:39:36,600 --> 00:39:39,640 accessible, you just, you pick up the deck of cards, you just 765 00:39:39,760 --> 00:39:41,920 you play and that's right. Yeah. 766 00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:45,360 Especially after a long day of Frost Haven. 767 00:39:45,680 --> 00:39:48,800 It's nice. Flip flop is a nice yeah, yeah. 768 00:39:48,800 --> 00:39:52,000 It's just a nice turn the brain off and be like, can I get 7 769 00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:52,760 cards? Yep. 770 00:39:53,000 --> 00:39:56,200 And not repeat any of the cards. Yeah. 771 00:39:56,400 --> 00:39:58,000 So there you go. Right. 772 00:39:58,560 --> 00:40:00,720 OK, so I want to tell the story. I'm gonna, well, I'm gonna tell 773 00:40:00,720 --> 00:40:01,480 I. Don't know what story you're 774 00:40:01,520 --> 00:40:02,920 telling yet. No, but you will. 775 00:40:02,920 --> 00:40:05,440 Like, I think as soon as I start telling the story, you're gonna 776 00:40:05,440 --> 00:40:07,960 know. OK, so this is back to that My 777 00:40:07,960 --> 00:40:11,320 wife, as an introvert, needs and deserves. 778 00:40:11,400 --> 00:40:15,560 My wife deserves time away from me occasionally, Right. 779 00:40:15,840 --> 00:40:21,480 And to prove how extroverted I am And excited, when you first 780 00:40:21,480 --> 00:40:23,280 arrived, we were sitting in my living room. 781 00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:27,320 We were telling a story. And Katie started to tell the 782 00:40:27,320 --> 00:40:30,320 story. And I slid forward in my seat, 783 00:40:30,520 --> 00:40:33,760 interrupted her and just took over the story to what? 784 00:40:33,760 --> 00:40:37,040 You stopped me. You now you remember the story, 785 00:40:37,040 --> 00:40:40,360 right? Because I do that and I try to 786 00:40:40,560 --> 00:40:46,680 be good about that, the podcast helps because I'm trying to 787 00:40:46,680 --> 00:40:49,280 maintain an interviewee without interrupting. 788 00:40:49,280 --> 00:40:51,160 It gives. You an outlet right to just, 789 00:40:51,680 --> 00:40:53,160 Yeah. It really does. 790 00:40:53,240 --> 00:40:54,920 Although I will tell you it's easier. 791 00:40:55,120 --> 00:40:57,960 It's it is easier when the person's sitting right next to 792 00:40:57,960 --> 00:41:00,520 me. Yeah, there's technology things 793 00:41:00,520 --> 00:41:03,880 too. Sometimes I worry that I sound 794 00:41:03,880 --> 00:41:09,200 like right that I am. I'm talking over my Co host or 795 00:41:09,200 --> 00:41:11,680 my guest on the podcast. I worry that that's what it 796 00:41:11,680 --> 00:41:12,800 sounds like. Right. 797 00:41:13,040 --> 00:41:16,120 Well, I think there's an inherent like that tiny bit of 798 00:41:16,120 --> 00:41:18,600 delay, right with with a web kind. 799 00:41:18,640 --> 00:41:22,920 Of absolutely. Mode for your podcast that is 800 00:41:22,920 --> 00:41:25,680 different when you're in person and there's a little bit more of 801 00:41:25,680 --> 00:41:28,680 the non verbal that you might not catch, you know, when the 802 00:41:28,720 --> 00:41:30,160 other person is starting to talk. 803 00:41:30,160 --> 00:41:32,960 And yeah, so there's maybe a little less issue with that. 804 00:41:33,120 --> 00:41:35,480 So this is cool. Thank you for that so much. 805 00:41:35,520 --> 00:41:38,320 Yeah. It's less scary for me when 806 00:41:38,320 --> 00:41:40,560 we're sitting next to each other like we're just talking in real 807 00:41:40,560 --> 00:41:41,880 life, right? Instead of. 808 00:41:41,920 --> 00:41:47,360 Yeah, because you're 1 of you're one of our like most dedicated 809 00:41:47,560 --> 00:41:50,560 listeners and I think you've been with us from the beginning. 810 00:41:50,880 --> 00:41:54,920 Yeah, about the beginning, yeah. I knew you online and in person 811 00:41:54,920 --> 00:41:57,360 a little bit before you started the podcast, right? 812 00:41:57,360 --> 00:41:58,920 So I've been listening since the beginning. 813 00:41:58,920 --> 00:42:03,560 Yeah, and then and then we met in Origins a couple years ago, 814 00:42:04,240 --> 00:42:07,120 and I remember you just you staring at me and you're like, 815 00:42:07,120 --> 00:42:09,880 you're putting a face to the voice for the first time. 816 00:42:09,880 --> 00:42:11,960 And it was this. Really weird, you know, when you 817 00:42:11,960 --> 00:42:16,760 listen to somebody talk a lot in your ears by yourself and then 818 00:42:16,920 --> 00:42:18,360 and yeah. And then they're right there in 819 00:42:18,400 --> 00:42:20,480 front of you. You silence the same, right? 820 00:42:20,880 --> 00:42:22,880 I'm real, guys. It's true. 821 00:42:22,920 --> 00:42:25,600 I'm not a figment of your imagination, though. 822 00:42:26,080 --> 00:42:28,560 Yeah. So Shelly, thank you for doing 823 00:42:28,560 --> 00:42:29,880 this. Yeah, thanks for having. 824 00:42:29,880 --> 00:42:31,520 This was great. It's been a fun weekend. 825 00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:34,680 Yeah, it took me a little while to, you know, talk myself into 826 00:42:34,840 --> 00:42:37,440 doing this. I'm like I mentioned, I'm not as 827 00:42:37,440 --> 00:42:40,680 extroverted as you would think for somebody who started a board 828 00:42:40,680 --> 00:42:44,040 game community in my area. So I completely agree. 829 00:42:44,160 --> 00:42:48,560 I would have expected you to be more extroverted, but yeah, I 830 00:42:48,560 --> 00:42:51,000 struggle with that honestly. My husband's the Charming 1. 831 00:42:51,000 --> 00:42:53,960 I just really like board games. And I've gotten really lucky 832 00:42:53,960 --> 00:42:56,480 that our group is just incredible people. 833 00:42:56,760 --> 00:43:00,560 They're just really wonderful. I mean, they've really turned 834 00:43:00,560 --> 00:43:02,200 into friends, you know, so. Right. 835 00:43:02,360 --> 00:43:04,720 And I've had the opportunity to meet a few of them. 836 00:43:04,720 --> 00:43:08,960 Shout out to Sean and Bill. I know that I met more of you 837 00:43:08,960 --> 00:43:11,360 but that was so many years ago and I'm trying to remember. 838 00:43:11,360 --> 00:43:13,120 But Shawn and Bill? Really. 839 00:43:13,120 --> 00:43:17,600 Two origins ago. It was 2 origins ago and Orange 840 00:43:17,600 --> 00:43:19,920 is about to celebrate his 50th anniversary this year. 841 00:43:19,920 --> 00:43:25,840 So that's, that's huge for them. So yeah, hopefully we'll get 842 00:43:25,840 --> 00:43:29,040 more listeners in Michigan and around the world and that would 843 00:43:29,040 --> 00:43:34,600 be great. And once again, once again I do 844 00:43:34,600 --> 00:43:37,480 this every time and y'all are getting tired of hearing me say 845 00:43:37,480 --> 00:43:40,360 this. Please guys like and subscribe 846 00:43:40,360 --> 00:43:42,880 to the channel and post a comment. 847 00:43:43,000 --> 00:43:44,520 Subscribe button. Thank you. 848 00:43:45,080 --> 00:43:48,160 I'm supposed to do all of this at the beginning of the episode 849 00:43:48,160 --> 00:43:50,080 and I always, it's like I'm sitting here talking. 850 00:43:50,080 --> 00:43:52,280 To you still here, smash that subscribe button. 851 00:43:52,520 --> 00:43:55,120 Smash it. We need more followers and 852 00:43:55,120 --> 00:43:57,480 subscribers and give us comments. 853 00:43:58,080 --> 00:44:01,720 You have questions for Shelley? Tell them where they can find 854 00:44:01,720 --> 00:44:05,320 you if they want to know more about how you created your 855 00:44:05,320 --> 00:44:08,280 community. Yeah, I am Michiana Board 856 00:44:08,280 --> 00:44:10,320 Gamery. So as you can see on my shirt, I 857 00:44:10,320 --> 00:44:14,280 think it's backwards for you guys on YouTube, but Michiana 858 00:44:14,280 --> 00:44:16,560 Board Gamery on Instagram and Facebook. 859 00:44:16,760 --> 00:44:19,480 No dots, no underscores, no spaces, right? 860 00:44:20,040 --> 00:44:23,120 I think it is a dot. Well on Facebook you just 861 00:44:23,280 --> 00:44:25,000 Michiana board Gamery is 2 words. 862 00:44:25,000 --> 00:44:28,320 But on Instagram, I do think there's a dot in between but. 863 00:44:28,320 --> 00:44:30,600 So so yeah, you can find her there. 864 00:44:30,760 --> 00:44:35,760 Michiana is yes, a mash up of Michigan and Indiana if that 865 00:44:35,760 --> 00:44:38,680 helps you with the spelling. Yep, I didn't know that, right? 866 00:44:38,960 --> 00:44:41,920 Because you know. Yeah, we're right at the border 867 00:44:42,080 --> 00:44:44,560 of Michigan and Indiana. I had to do it right. 868 00:44:44,560 --> 00:44:45,200 I had. To do. 869 00:44:45,320 --> 00:44:48,480 Yeah. So for our international 870 00:44:49,040 --> 00:44:53,280 listeners and viewers, I know we picked up some viewers in India 871 00:44:53,280 --> 00:44:57,000 recently after episode 111. Paul, good if you're listening. 872 00:44:57,240 --> 00:44:59,960 Hey man, thanks for supporting. Keep watching the show. 873 00:45:01,200 --> 00:45:04,640 I know you may not be familiar, but the the way that the state 874 00:45:04,640 --> 00:45:08,400 of Michigan is shaped looks like a mitten right? 875 00:45:08,560 --> 00:45:14,280 And so you point on your palm where your where your town is 876 00:45:14,280 --> 00:45:16,400 from to say that this is Michigan. 877 00:45:16,400 --> 00:45:18,800 Is that right? We're both backwards here for 878 00:45:19,080 --> 00:45:21,240 are you just? Yes, yes, that's how we 879 00:45:21,240 --> 00:45:22,840 reference where we're from in. Michigan So. 880 00:45:22,840 --> 00:45:25,520 So that's a thing, right? This is now the the most 881 00:45:25,520 --> 00:45:28,760 Midwestern goodbye sign off. I mean any YouTube. 882 00:45:29,200 --> 00:45:32,320 It's a Midwestern Maple mania, and that's how we're going to do 883 00:45:32,320 --> 00:45:34,160 it, right? They're going to convert me. 884 00:45:34,160 --> 00:45:37,600 Y'all need to pray for me because this Cajun is going to 885 00:45:37,600 --> 00:45:40,840 become Midwestern and I don't know how I feel about that. 886 00:45:41,280 --> 00:45:44,640 Shelley, thank you so much. Thank you for spending time with 887 00:45:44,640 --> 00:45:45,960 me. Thank you for letting me share 888 00:45:45,960 --> 00:45:47,120 my story. Absolutely. 889 00:45:47,120 --> 00:45:49,080 It's a great story and thanks for sharing it with everyone. 890 00:45:49,080 --> 00:45:52,760 Everyone please like, surprise, like and subscribe and we're 891 00:45:52,760 --> 00:45:54,600 looking forward to hearing from you again. 892 00:45:54,600 --> 00:45:55,040 Thanks.