Quiet Saturday

[gurdonark]

Today I read a book of poetry, watched a Mandatory Continuing Legal Education video, bought a tiny aquarium with a crack in the back at a rummage sale, which I'll use as a terrarium, walked in the drizzle on the Chisholm Trail, in 40something degree weather, and made plans to put up a post for my bird feeders, so the birds can chow down.

I stopped by the new Homewood suites to see if they had a meeting room for another chess tournament, which I'll hold in February or March. I must work on finding even more inexpensive venues, as I'd ideally like to have nearly no entry fee. I got a great postcard for next week's national Game in 10 minutes and Game in 15 minutes championships, to be held in Houston. They looked great--but entry fees for each was 45 dollars. That's probably fair, but I like to keep my hobbies inexpensive, and that would make a chess weekend cost over 125 dollars after costs of travel and lodging.

We're going to watch the video of Finding Nemo tonight. Tomorrow I'll go play my 11 year old nephew at chess in "tournament like" conditions. His chess teacher was featured in the local paper, after he defeated 30 schoolkids in a simultaneous exhibition.
When I was in college, I held a draw against master William Martz, a pleasant fellow who barnstormed from mall to mall playing huge simultaneous exhibitions against all comers.

My on line chess is now fairly tactically playable,but my clock management skills need improvement. I am beginning to believe I'd like to get good at chess, and positing in my mind easy ways to accomplish that goal.

I am sheepish over something I said recently. I do not enjoy that feeling. I should be more circumspect.

Comments

[deriasys.livejournal.com]

We watched Finding Nemo as well today. I found it entertaining.

Also, you would be the person to ask about an inexpensive way to learn chess. I'd like to learn the basic rules and strategy so I can play with Derek sometime. Do you have any suggestions?

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Happy to help. Take a gander at:http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/chess/chess.html, the soyouwanna.com presentation.

If this one doesn't work for you, try the
www.uschess.org simple rules description.

If I can help with any questions, please let me know. If you can't figure it out from these on-line sources, then get "how to play chess" by Reinfeld or some such from the library.

If all these don't work, e mail me, and we'll go on freechess.org at the same time (it costs nothing) and I'll show you how to play.

PS, I have not forgotten that other matter, and will attend to that reading soon.

[skygypsy.livejournal.com]

oooh terrarium!! nifty!!!

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Yes, I love terraria, and I haven't set up one in over a year. When I saw the hairline fracture I'd missed before I bought it, suddenly this tiny plastic hexagon turned instantly from "tank for guppy babies" to "terrarium with an aquarium pump to eBay away.

Maybe some nice miniature tropicals :)

[kelquestor.livejournal.com]

and of course I want to know what it is you're sheepish over. Most days, I could find something I've said to be sheepish over, if I was feeling sensitive.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Oh, that :). It was referring to a journal post as a "sermon" instead of as "a feeble, preachy thing that reads like a sermon".