Recently one of my game sites introduced Tablut to their lineup & I've become obsessed with it. Easy to learn, with white having only 12 rooks(castles) and black having  8 rooks & a king, who must make it to one of the dark corner squares to win. White must block it and take all black pieces to win. But there's a myriad of strategies employed. This game predates chess, but is less complicated, so I may be able to improve. If you'd like to play it, just sign up for free at www.itsyourturn.com & look for my user name(same as here) if you'd like me for an opponent.

   Tuesday was my local book discussion group and several members had lunch at IHOP before the meeting. Despite the restaraunt not being busy, it took a half hour for them to make pancakes & a couple omelettes for us. We had to rush through our meals(I brought half of mine home) and were still late for our meeting. Setting the luncheon time an hour & a half before the meeting should've given us enough time. Sloppy service, is what it was.

   Though about half the group disliked the book, Zadie Smith's "On Beauty", it still led to a lively discussion. I thought it was a good book, some of the characters I really liked & I was pleased to hear others also mention which were their favorite people in it. The book had been my suggestion, after seeing the author interviewed on Charlie Rose & reading good reviews.

    It's been really cold & snowy this week in Cleveland. Temperatures a little below freezing & lots of wind. Today it was picking up the snow & swirling it around like mini tornadoes. Lake effect snow has been plentiful too, a type that is created when moisture passes over Lake Erie & falls in a certain pattern on land. Mainly big flakes falling thickly.

   Because of that, I keep avoiding going out into such weather, delaying my trip to the library, though I've only 1 book left. But Rufus needs lettuce & I need a prescription, so I'll have to gather my courage & venture out, bundled up like a short snowperson.