For Sara ... because she reads this

I've got several things on my mind today -- the movie "High Tension" which almost led to Cheeks being renamed Diaper Dandy, Ryan Adams berating the crowd in the midst of a great show last night at the House of Blues, and the events of Friday, June 10. Of all these things, Friday, June 10 gets the attention for today.

For the first time in my life, I watched (and I emphasize the word "watched") some friends play the "Lord of the Rings" board game. If you've never seen this done before, consider this a primer. Through the rolling of a 19-sided dice, you and however many of your friends not busy spending their night trying to hack into the National Halo LAN computer terminal, can re-enact Frodo's journey to return the Ring to the fires of Mordor.

Sounds interesting, right?

Well for ambiance, let's add the soundtrack at full blast, enhancing the flip of each action card and signalling the impending doom of running out of cardboard shields.

What does one eat at a time like this? Lamus bread? Actually, anything covered in nacho cheese will suffice. And I mean anything. You want to dip some of those extra buttons that come with slacks in there, do it, cause it's gonna taste good.

What about rules? Well, there are two novellas to guide you through the game, so you're covered there.

What happens if I get two things on the dice that look like hurricane symbols? Oops, you've rolled double ankh symbols, that means Orcs are attacking from your left flank, but luckily, you've got five cool points, so advance to the Gumdrop Gardens.

When will I know if I've finished the game? Are you too old to get married? If the answer is yes, then you're done.

And Happy Birthday to my sis who turned 24, but through the miracles of tanning beds, looks 138.

I'm kidding. Not a day over 93.