Notes from Hades

T
his last month has been an extraordinarily eventful one. In the early part of the month, I went on another one of my trips – this time to Mexico City. Some of my colleagues and I went a day early and took a side trip to the pyramids at Teotihuacan. They were quite stunning. They let you ascend to the top of the tallest pyramid, the Pyramid of the Sun, and the view from there is incredible. The whole complex is quite large, but we walked the length of it. Later in the week, our hosts threw us a gala dinner at Chapultepec Castle, which is where they have state dinners. The first part of the castle was build by some of the early viceroys, and was later turned into the military academy. The second part, which is where we were, was built by Emperor Maximillian. Definitely a worthwhile trip, although I could definitely tell I were at a much higher altitude than I was used to. By the end of the week, I was no longer getting winded climbing a flight of stairs, but I could still feel the thinner air.

The week after I returned, I had to fly out to Washington D.C. for a briefing at the Pentagon. This was my first trip to the Pentagon, and it was both impressive and mundane at the same time. From the outside, it is quite large, and there is some significant security to go through to get inside. Once inside, however, many areas appear to be pretty much like many other office buildings. The nature of the place becomes more apparent when you reach one of the corners, and you see the next corridor coming off at a strange angle. After our meeting, we went into the central courtyard, which is quite nice. During the summer, there is a small cafe at the center called Ground Zero.

That was a short trip – out there on Wednesday, back on Thursday. I was home that Thursday for no more than 10 or 15 minutes, when we got the call that my grandfather had died. This was not unexpected. He had been diagnosed with terminal cancer last November, and had been receiving home hospice care since then. My parents had come down on Tuesday because we knew at this point that the end was near.

He was a remarkable man. The son of Italian immigrants, his father was a share cropper in Mississippi and Arkansas. They were so poor that they didn't notice anything different during the Great Depression. When he was 18, he joined the Marines. Boot camp was a breeze for him, since compared to what he knew, he got to sleep in and get fed better. He actually gained weight during boot camp! Afterwards, he was assigned to the USS California. He was reassigned off the ship to San Diego in November of 1942, so (thankfully) he missed it when the ship was sank in Pearl Harbor the following month. In San Diego is where he met and married my grandmother. He served in the South Pacific during World War II, and when the war ended, he left the Marines to go to the University of Southern California on the G.I. Bill. He got a degree in accounting, and worked for the IRS for 30 years, mainly auditing banks. I always knew him as a kind person with a rather impish sense of humor. The world is a poorer place in his absence.

The next deadline is Tuesday, June 10 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Please do not call or fax orders after 10:00 p.m. Pacific time. My wife and I tend to retire early. Also, if you want to fax in orders, call first. We hang up on unannounced faxes.

Game Openings

Frontier Dog. Gunslinger .Scenario to be determined. Have Paul Bolduc, Chris Geggus, Mike Scott, and Andy Lewis, will take up to 3 more.

Pateel. Kremlin. Will start after Flea Collar ends. Have Ward Narhi, Mike Scott, Bill Scharf, Bob Robles, Pasquale Giovine, and Gina Teh. This game is full.

Hunter. Silverton. Will start after Terrier ends. Have Dave Partridge, Michael Longdin, Ward Narhi, Cary Nichols, Bill Scharf, and Dave Hooton. This game is full.

Procyon. Merchant of Venus. This game will start when Sirius ends. Have Dave Partridge, Bob Robles, Chris Geggus, Gina the, and Dennis Cain. Will take up to 1 more.

Robover. Robo Rally. Have Dave Partridge, Bill Scharf, Chris Geggus, Dave Hooton, Gina the, Ward Narhi, Michael Longdin, and Chris Geggus. This game is full.

Husky. Power Grid. Have Andy York, Michael Longdin, Dave Partridge, and Dave Hooton, will take up to 2 more.

Wish List

History of the World. Have Chris Geggus, Dave Partridge, and Gina Teh, will take up to 4 more.

Industrial Waste. Have Andy York and Dave Partridge, will take up to 2 more.

Outpost. Will start after Hound ends. Have Andy York, Cary Nighols, Dave Partridge, Dave Hooton, take up to 6 more.

Machiavelli. This game will start after the next Machiavelli game ends. Have Ward Narhi, Bob Robles, and Pasquale Giovine, will take up to 5 more.

Machiavelli. Gunboat. This game will start after the second Machiavelli game ends. Have 4, will take up to 4 more.

In general, game ownership is recommended, but not required.

Note that a subscription to S.O.B. is not required to play in a game run by flier, but that a game fee will be charged to non-subbers.

S.O.B. is a zine of unusual postal games, and anything else I feel like including. Your publisher is:

Chris Hassler a.k.a. Cerberus

2000 S. Armour Court

La Habra, CA 90631

Phone: (562) 690-7827

Fax: (562) 690-7827

chassler@roadrunner.com

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