PAX 2023

 Hello all!

I'm back from PAX and dreading going back to the real world :). The convention was back to full capacity (and then some) for the first time since COVID. This put a strain on some of the events, but as with every board game convention I have attended, the attendees are all super well-behaved. This is what you get when you build a gathering around people that have chosen a hobby which relies heavily on rule following.

This was the first convention for my oldest child and they had a blast! We left at 3am and filled the 8-hr drive there with D&D podcasts and chatting, getting settled into our hotel room about noon. Two friends met us there and we snaked through the aisles and admired all the wares, ending up on the game library end of the hall and claiming a table. From there it was game after game after game. We played some co-op and some 'take that' games, mixing in a light card game or a snack break to keep mental and physical energy up. A quick walk across the street to the brewery for dinner and then we were back to the table, where we stayed until they kicked us out at midnight.

We started day two with cheese boats from The Marketplace. I had never experienced this dish before, but it's a Georgian dish and it was a wonderful, buttery start to the day.

We decided to paint miniatures as our first stop of the day. This involved more waiting in line than actual painting, but we made the most of it getting to know our line neighbors and joking around with each other. I wasn't a fan of the paints we used (speed paints (aka contrast paints)), but now I know to stick with my acrylics and oils! I got it to mostly turn out the way I wanted in my allotted time.

From there, I had to run back to the room to get the Tak supplies and set up for the tournament. We had a great turnout this year - selling out in 5 minutes!!! Next year we will explore adding more events to this growing convention. 

The tournament was Swiss format and everyone got 4 rounds in before our time slot expired. Everyone walked away with something (besides some great games of Tak), including copies of my Level I book, USTA coins, Playtak.com stickers, and the PAX medal. 

After the tournament, I booked it to the hotel room to put away my things and we were back out onto the streets of Philly to walk to our dinner reservations. We had Little Nona's and it was the best meal of the trip. Little Nona's is a back-alley Italian joint. And I literally mean we ate in their extension which is an alley with a roof on it. The food and service were spectacular.

From there it was back to the convention center and back to board games! We had a couple hours to play games from the library and filled them with a replay of one of the games from Friday as well as some Princess Bride themed games and the first few rounds of a Viking-themed exploration game. We had to cut that one short so we could get to our escape room appointment...

...which we solved! Barely beating the buzzer (3 minutes left on the clock), we solved the Game of Stones themed room. This was also my oldest child's first escape room, so I'm really bringing them into the fold of board game (and adjacent) nerd-dom.

It was too late to go back to the hall after that, so we went to the room and played card games until our eyes crossed.

Sunday is always the worst day because it means leaving, but we made the most of our few hours there. Breakfast at Schmear It and then a run through the expo hall to pick up the things on our list. Then some sad hugs goodbye to our friends and a long car ride home, where my oldest refused to nap...right up until they fell asleep :)

Yesterday was my recovery day, which basically means laundry and house chores and worrying about what all I missed at work. But, I did find time to play my Tak Open match against Abyss and do some crafting. Nothing I can share at the moment since I'm making Christmas gifts, but I will post after the holidays.

I did install my quick swap kit from Snapmaker so that I can go from laser to CNC to 3D printing in a couple minutes instead of 15 minutes of removing and reinstalling tiny screws. I look forward to getting my shop fully operational next year, once I have fulfilled my non-Tak promises.

If you are interested in getting your project on the waiting list, please see my site and fill out the contact form. https://www.beautiful-upgrades.com/

That's all for this episode. Stay tuned and thanks for stopping by!