My newest board game: Gloria Mundi

I resonantly bought a new board game, called Gloria Mundi. I had been saving change for a few months to by it. This is the best way for me to save money. I love play board games and love getting new ones. I think collecting board games is now my new hobby.

Gloria Mundi is a board game for 2-6 players set during the fall of Rome. You're a Roman statesman struggling to survive in this era of cultural decline and political chaos. While foreign invaders and domestic incompetents devour the last resources of the Empire, you'll try to build your career out of the rubble. You start in Rome, and the Visigoth starts on the outskirts of a spiral board. Each turn, you play and purchase cards that produce resources and give you special effects, as well as allowing you to move further out from the doomed Eternal City. Then the Visigoth moves toward Rome, destroying your cards... unless you spend your precious resources to bribe him. When the Visigoth reaches Rome, or a player reaches the outskirts of the empire, the game is over and the player who has fled the furthest from Rome wins.

I play board games with a group of guys every Monday night (we also have a beer or two). We played my new game tonight. We had to play the game a few times to get the mechanics. We had mixed revues of the game. Most of us really liked it and others didn’t. I have mix felling about the game. I would like to play it a few more times with the same number of people or less.

Trader Joe's

About a year ago Trader Joe’s opened up near us. They are a grocery chain that is opening up all over the country. There are five things that make Trader Joe’s stand out form the rest. We really love them

One: their stores are small, and don’t have every thing under the sun. I go to Kroger or Meijer to get groceries and I end up spending and arm and a leg on food I don’t need.

Two they carry lots of unique and hard to find food. Some of it is vegetarian, organic, or just plane good for you. I really like a lot of their Trader Joe’s brands. We all love their pot stickers and Pierogis. They have a good cheese selection as well.

Three: their prices are very good. I can get milk and OJ (not from concentrate) for 2.99. Every time I shop there I spend less money on a fuller cart. All of their food cost less than else ware at a lower cost.

Four: their philosophy. They are good to the environment, with out the high prices (like at Whole Foods). They work well as a team, all the staff there are happy. I love the fact that the have things to help you be more aware of ways you can help the environment, they sell reusable bags at a low cost (see above). We use them for every thing even going on trip. I even take them in to other stores when I can.

Five: their fine wine and Beer selection. They have lots of good wines and beers to chose form. Now I’m not much of a wine drinker but their prices are good and they have people on staff that can help you find the right wine for you. The thing I really like is their selection of beer. The price is good and you can by a 6 pack of cans for around $3. The best part is you can mix and match your 6 packs of bottled beer and try them out. I have done this a few time and found some really great beer.

Signs of Spring in Michigan

There are many signs that spring has come to Michigan once again; I could be the robins have returned, the buds on trees, to the maple sap being tapped. However the biggest sign that spring has come is the return of Bell's Oberon beer

Oberon is an American wheat ale brewed with Saaz hops. It is spicy and fruity, and is the color and scent of a summer afternoon. This is by far my favorite beer. Bell's Brewery is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan and sold its first beer in 1985. Bell's has become very much a main stay of many beer lovers in southern Michigan Hooray for Oberon for Spring is truly here.