Katrina has caused many of our former members to move out of town.  A few members have not relocated but are too busy rebuilding their houses and lives to have time for gaming.  We don't even have a host for regular gaming.  If we don't get a host to volunteer soon I will bite the bullet and open my home in Metairie for bi-weekely gaming.  I will be moving back to my downtown office in late February so should be able to host game night sometime after Mardi Gras.  I am also putting out a notice inviting new blood into our group.  If there are no objections from our current members I will be posting this message on Boardgamegeek and other gaming sites.  Thursday nights are the best time for me to host a game at my Metairie Mansion.

Let me hear from you about my ideas,

Michael

The 20th and final Crescent City Con Was held on August 5-7, 2005.  Members Rick Doskey and myself attended.  I have been to several of these conventions over the years.  While board gaming was not a major part of the convension I did use the con as a platform to promote our hobby.  Please visit the link below to see some of the games I played at the convention.

http://aucoin.bravehost.com/CCCon.htm

Michael Aucoin

The International Gamers Awards have announced the finalists in the General Strategy category for the 2003 IGA.  These games have been judged to be the "best of the best" in both the multi-player and 2-player categories. 

THE DEFINITION OF “MOTHER”

A Tribute to my Mom

If you look in the dictionary, you will find the following definitions of the word “mother”:

1)     A female that has borne an offspring; or

2)     A female who has adopted a child or otherwise established a maternal relationship with another person.

These technically correct, but rather bland explanations of “mother” don’t even come close to reality.  I could list dozens of words and phrases that describe a “mother” and what she is supposed to be:  Loving, nurturing, caring, self-less, doting, compassionate, forgiving, understanding … the list could go on and on.  I never did have to wonder about these, however, or contemplate just what a mother is supposed to be.  All I had to do was simply look at my mom and I had a complete and total picture of what God intended a mother to be. 

You cannot turn on the television today or read a newspaper or journal without seeing something about troubled or “dysfunctional” families.  It seems that everyone has had some problem with their parents and uses their past as an excuse for personal failures or shortcomings.  I can’t do that.  I had the wonderful blessing of being raised in a family with incredibly loving parents.  It was the traditional American family, with a working father and a mother who stayed home and raised the children – three of us.  But “raised” is such a poor word to describe what my mom did for Diane, Peggy and I.  Sure, she clothed, bathed and fed us … and did it well with what is today considered a “lower” income.  We may have been relatively poor in terms of money, but we were rich in love.  But my mom did much, much more than simply clothe and feed us.  She played with us; she laughed with us; she read to us; she taught us.  She was our mom and she was our friend.  Her entire world revolved around us.

But my mom wasn’t only “mom” for my sisters and I.  She was the neighborhood mom.  My first 11 years of life were spent growing-up on Cambronne Street in the heart of old New Orleans.  Two of my mom’s sisters and their families lived directly across the street.  My cousins were my playmates, as were nearly a dozen other neighborhood kids.  Our small, “shotgun” house was headquarters for kids from seemingly miles around.  Nary a day would pass when the house wasn’t overrun by loud, rambunctious kids.  I never, ever remember my mom complaining about it.  Indeed, she relished in it.  She would feed us, make ice-pops for us, and even play games with us.  It was my mom who first fostered my love of board games.  She was known as “Aunt Tete” or “Miss Mary” to every kid for miles around.  My mom loved kids … and the kids knew it.  It was no wonder our house was “kid central”. 

And this didn’t stop as we grew up.  Even after we moved from New Orleans to the Westbank, my house remained the focal point.  My friends were always over the house, playing games and socializing.  And my mom would always welcome us, feed us and take care of us.  And she’d wash our cars!  My good friend Joe Smith -- my old wargame buddy – would frequently spend the night at our house.  We’d stay up until the crack of dawn playing games and then sleep till noon.  When we’d awake, we’d find our cars washed and cleaned.  Joe had a habit of tossing his spare change and fast-food trash on the floor of his Monte Carlo.  While cleaning, my mom would take everything out and stack it all on the kitchen counter.  Joe would often have enough change to grab a burger or two during the week!

After my dad died, my mom got into the habit of falling asleep in her easy chair while watching television.  I was in my late teens then, and would often stay out a bit later … well, sometimes a LOT later … than I should have.  Since my mom was sleeping in her easy chair, I’d be able to tip-toe into my room, change into my sleeping shirt and shorts, and wander back into the den.  I’d sleepily tell my mom that she’d better get to bed that it was very late.  I think she believed that I’d been home for hours!  Not that it would have mattered, though, as my mom never had the heart to get angry with me! 

I could tell stories about my mom for days on end.  Those memories are precious and will live forever.  But there is something even more precious that will live on within me thanks to my mom – a deep faith and love in Jesus.  My mom loved Jesus.  She loved her faith.  She made sure that Dee, Peggy and I were raised with Christian values and morals.  We could never miss church.  Had Hurricane Betsy or Camille hit the city on a Sunday morning, I think my mom would still have made us all walk to church in the middle of the storm … although she might have put some of my dad’s carpenter’s nails in our pockets to weigh us down a bit so the wind wouldn't blow us away! 

A week after my mom’s surgery, we learned that the cancer had spread and there wasn’t anything that could be done to stop it.  My mom really didn’t want to talk about it, so we didn’t.  On Thursday of last week, she took a turn for the worse and was rushed into intensive care.  The doctors informed us that all they could do was keep her comfortable and that the end of her life here on earth was approaching.  On Friday, a steady stream of family and friends visited her in the hospital.  Although under medication, my mom was able to talk with each of them.  She smiled a lot.  She was happy. 

She spent much of Saturday in a deep sleep and not being able to converse.  We felt that we may never be able to really speak with her again.  However, on three separate occasions, she awoke and spoke to us with such clarity, purpose and intelligence, that we were all astonished and amazed.  She informed us that two days earlier, she had seen Jesus and he had given her the choice to come with Him then, or come back to us for a few days.  She came back because she had more to tell us.  She gave us clear instructions as to what she wanted and informed us that she was ready to go home to the Lord.  She was at peace and wanted all of us to know that although she might not be able to speak with us, she would always be looking over us and we would be able to speak to her anytime we wished.  In all of my 41 years, I have never, ever seen my mom speak with such intelligence and sense of purpose.  It was an incredibly emotional, inspiring and spiritual occurrence and it will live with me until the day I meet her again at the gates of heaven.  My mom knew where she was going.  Although I will always miss her and undoubtedly continue to grieve, there is no doubt in my mind that she is with Jesus and will continue to look over us with the boundless love of a mother.  That is a tremendous source of comfort.

After visiting my mom in the hospital on Friday, my cousin Jerry Maus made the comment that either my dad had gotten tired of waiting for her, or that God needed some help cleaning up heaven!  That may well be true.  And, I’d venture a guess that my mom is probably right now helping take care of the children in heaven.  It is what a good mother is supposed to do.  And my mom was the best.

The International Gamers Awards has unveiled their new logo, which was professionally designed by artist Karin Duggan. 

After having served as the Gamers’ Choice Awards committees for the past three years, the members of those committees have gone independent and have launched the International Gamers Awards.  The committees will continue presenting awards recognizing outstanding games in both the Historical Simulations and General Strategy Games categories.