Things I Didn't Lose In The Fire
Jim Anderson
United States
Gloucester
Virginia
-
This is my first geeklist, but I felt this was an event worth making a geeklist about. Pardon any rough spots.
This past Saturday night, a massive fire burned my apartment building and I lost almost everything and every game I own. This is the list of the games I did not lose to the fire.
-
Jim Anderson
United States
Gloucester
Virginia
-
It was 10:45 Saturday night and I was watching tv. My wife and I were watching tv together when she had fallen asleep. I heard some shouting coming from our courtyard. I normally would ignore such noises but these were many and rising in intensity. Still not clued into what was going on, I wandered out to my living room to investigate through the window. I was slightly worried that my 11 month old daughter would wake up.
***
I'm glad this game survived. It is a fun game that I don't get to play too often as there are normally too many people around to justify this quite fun two player. Two interesting facts: 1. I have always played the Soviets, and 2. I have never won, or even come close.
-
-
Jim Anderson
United States
Gloucester
Virginia
-
As I walked out into the living room, I saw a strange red light coming through the closed blinds. I could hear the shouting more clearly now and I could hear the sound of fire. For some reason, I thought maybe someone is grilling. I had been grilling earlier in the evening, so I peeked out onto my patio to make sure I had secured my grill and had properly disposed of the coals, as I always do. Indeed, after looking through the blinds, my worries about my grill were quenched. As I was looking out, it occurred to me that the red light was coming from slightly out of view. I went to the front door to get a better view.
***
A fun light dice game. Glad it survived, but I'm not sure I would replace it if I lost it.
-
-
Jim Anderson
United States
Gloucester
Virginia
-
I opened my front door and looked out into the courtyard. The apartment building about 30 yards from my door was engulfed in flames from the ground floor to the third (top). I stood there for a moment, not really registering what I was looking at. It was quite surreal. It was something you see on television, not in real life. I quickly snapped out of it and turned back inside to wake my wife.
***
I'm very glad this survived for two reasons: 1. I like the game, and 2. I just got it. It is weird how the stuff I got is among the things I am most happy about.
-
-
Jim Anderson
United States
Gloucester
Virginia
-
I shouted to my wife as I came back in the apartment. Let's get the most important things. We quickly got dressed and I grabbed our laptop (from which I am writing this) and an accordion file with important documents (like insurance papers) in it. We got a few more things for my daughter and then we ran out the door. As we were leaving, we saw lots of people in the parking lot. One guy had told us the fire had spread to another building. The second building was between my building and the initial building. My in-laws live about 5 minutes away, so I got my family in the car and drove over to their house. As we were leaving, the fire trucks were pulling in.
***
Another one that I am very thankful survived. I like this game a lot.
-
-
Jim Anderson
United States
Gloucester
Virginia
-
As we left, we saw the fire trucks coming in. We were slightly concerned that the fire might get to our building, but thought now that the firemen were there, it most likely would not. I got my family safely over to my in-laws place where by the time we arrived, they were all awake and watching the news for possible tv coverage. I decided to drive back over to the apartment complex to see what was going on. I parked at a nearby strip mall and walked to the complex. There were hundreds of people out in the streets and we could watch the firemen work. By now, the fire seemed largely out, in that there were not large licks of fire coming from the first building. The firefighters were still working to put small fires in specific locations of the first and second building. I asked if my building had caught fire and I was told it had. I walked around to a point where I could see my building but I could not see my apartment as it was on the interior of the courtyard and my view was from the parking lot. There indeed was fire damage on the roof of the third floor but the rest of my building looked ok. As I live on the ground floor, I figured that the fire had been stopped before it took my apartment.
***
The one game that has lost a lot of appeal for me over time. Oh well, can't win...er..lose (?) them all.
-
-
6.
Board Game: Le Havre
[Average Rating:8.09 Overall Rank:7]
Jim Anderson
United States
Gloucester
Virginia
-
I went back over to my in-laws and finally got to sleep. My wife informed me at about 5 in the morning that we had forgot to put diapers in the bag we grabbed for our daughter. So I made an early morning Wal-mart run to pick up some diapers and some milk for her. After I got back, my wife got my mother-in-law to watch our daughter and we made the trip back to the apartment. It was now about 6:45 am. When we arrived, the place seemed deserted. We saw that the first two buildings were heavily damaged, but still couldn't see our apartment. We approached the one cop that seemed to be there just to make sure nobody else was there and asked about our apartment. When the cop heard which apartment, she told us that it was damaged, not by the fire directly, but from the water. We asked if we could get in at all to get anything out and her response was to ask one of the two firefighters who were still there. They told us that they were not completely comfortable with us going in, but we told him we had a infant daughter and if we could get in we would appreciate it ever so much.
***
I'm so very glad this game survived. I like it quite a bit.
-
-
Jim Anderson
United States
Gloucester
Virginia
-
We walked into the apartment and it was a nightmare. The ceiling tiles were exposed and bowed. Water was coming from cracks in the ceiling. Water was an inch deep on the floor. My wife and I grabbed some plastic trash bags to put stuff in. She went into our bedroom, I went into our daughter's. It was like a shopping spree from hell. I grabbed whatever I could instantly see that we would need: baby clothes and a few toys. My wife did the same thing from our room, only grabbing our clothes instead. On the way back out, I glanced lovingly at my ruined pile of over 200 games and knew we were parting ways.
***
A fun game, but maybe a little too chaotic for me. Still I've only played once.
-
-
Jim Anderson
United States
Gloucester
Virginia
-
As we left the apartment, I realized that I had left some of my games in my car from the last game day event I had attended over a week prior. I knew then that a small portion of the games I owned had indeed escaped destruction. Procrastination paid off for once. We were later told that our apartment was condemned and that we were fortunate to have been there when we were to even get in when we did.
***
Fun little light game that you don't have to use your brain when it isn't your turn.
-
-
Jim Anderson
United States
Gloucester
Virginia
-
We had renter's insurance. So Monday we were cut a check to cover living expenses for the near future while we tally up everything we lost. Of course we also have received tremendous support from people in our church as well as from other gamers. As it stands now, we are doing well financially.
***
Yup. Love the cop in the mafia variant. Always a crowd pleaser with the non-gaming types.
-
-
Jim Anderson
United States
Gloucester
Virginia
-
Monday night some good friends of ours offered to watch our daughter so we could go out to dinner and relax. The idea being that we just went through (and are still going through) a very stressful period and we needed to unwind and relieve some of that stress. For me, this came in the form of a local Japanese steakhouse. We ate well.
***
Fun little medium-light game. Another one I am glad survived.
-
-
Jim Anderson
United States
Gloucester
Virginia
-
While we were at dinner, we saw an outdoor ad for a brand new apartment complex right next to the Japanese steakhouse. The next day we went in to see if they would accommodate us and do anything to help us out. Indeed they were not only able but very willing. We then got a great apartment that we will be moving into next week. For now, we are living with my in-laws. I can deal with that for the week. Ultimately, it looks like we are going to be fine and have weathered the most difficult part of this particular storm.
***
Holy cow am I glad I still have this one. One of my all time favorites. So very glad it didn't perish.
-
-
|
|
Gloucester
Virginia
A Touch of Evil, The Supernatural Game
Acquire
Age of Empires III: The Age of Discovery
Agricola
Aladdin's Dragons
Alhambra
Amun-Re
Android
Aquaretto
Ark
Ark Extra Mix
Arkadia
Arkham Horror
Balloon Cup
Bang!
Basari
Bean Trader
Betrayal at House on the Hill
Blurt
Boggle
Bohnanza
Bohnaparte
Brass
Captain Park's Imaginary Polar Expedition
Carcassonne: Hunters and Gatherers
Carcassonne: The Castle
Careers
Catan: Cities & Knights
Catan: Seafarers
Category 5
Caylus Magna Carta
Chrononauts
Citadels
The Cities and Knights of Catan - 5-6 Player Expansion
Clans
Cleopatra and the Society of Architects
Cloud 9
Clue - The Card Game
Clue - The Simpsons
Colossal Arena
Colosseum
Cowpoker
Deadwood
Deadwood: Another Day, Another Dollar: Horror
Deadwood: Another Day, Another Dollar: Kung Fu
Deadwood: Another Day, Another Dollar: Musicals
Deadwood: On Location
Die Dracheninsel
Die Macher
Dracula
Dragonmaster
El Grande
The El Grande Expansions
Elfenland
Executive Decision
Fairy Tale
Familienbande
Family Business
Fightball
Filthy Rich
Finish Lines
Fire and Axe: A Viking Saga
Fish Eat Fish
For Sale
Frank's Zoo
Fury of Dracula
Galactic Emperor
Galaxy Trucker
The Game of Life
Give Me the Brain!
Gold Digger
Guillotine
Hamburgum
Hamsterrolle
Hera and Zeus
HeroScape Master Set: Rise of the Valkyries
Hoity Toity
Hollywood Blockbuster
I'm the Boss
Imperial
In the Shadow of the Emperor
Jambo
Kill Doctor Lucky
Kingsburg
Last Night on Earth: The Zombie Game
Liar's Dice
Light Speed
Loco!
Loot
Lord of the Fries
Lord of the Rings
Lord of the Rings - Friends & Foes
Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game
Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation
Mad Gab
Mare Nostrum
Marvel Heroes
Medici vs Strozzi
Mille Bornes
Mission: Red Planet
Mystery Rummy: Al Capone and the Chicago Underworld
Mystery Rummy: Jack the Ripper
Mystery Rummy: Jekyll & Hyde
Mystery Rummy: Murders in the Rue Morgue
Navia Dratp
Neuroshima Hex!
Nexus Ops
Niagara
Nottingham
Nuclear War
One False Step for Mankind
Pandemic
Paris Paris
Perikles
Pirate's Cove
Pitch Six
Priceless
The Princes of Florence
The Princes of Machu Picchu
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico Expansion
Qwirkle
Race for the Galaxy
Race for the Galaxy: The Gathering Storm
Railroad Tycoon
Rat Hot
Right Turn, Left Turn
Risk
Risk - Star Wars: The Clone Wars Edition
Risk - The Lord of the Rings
Risk 2210 A.D.
Rum & Pirates
Rumis
Rush Hour
Saboteur
San Juan
Save Doctor Lucky
Scene It? - Disney
Scene It? - Movie
The Scepter of Zavandor
Scrabble
Scream Machine
The Seafarers of Catan - 5-6 Player Expansion
The Settlers of Catan
The Settlers of Catan - 5-6 Player Extension
The Settlers of Catan Card Game
The Settlers of Catan Card Game Expansions
Shipwrecked
Shogun
Sole Mio!
The Spirits of Niagara
StarCraft: The Board Game
Super Munchkin
Tempus
The Thief of Baghdad
Things...
Through the Ages: A Story of Civilization
Ticket to Ride
Ticket to Ride: Europe
Ticket to Ride: Märklin Edition
Ticket to Ride: Mystery Train Expansion
Ticket to Ride: Switzerland
Ticket to Ride: The Card Game
Ticket to Ride: USA 1910
Time's Up!
Time's Up! Title Recall!
Tongiaki
Too Many Cooks
The Traders of Genoa
TransAmerica
Turn The Tide
Vampire
Vegas Showdown
Villa Paletti
War of the Ring
Werewolf
WildLife
Wiz-War
Wonderful World of Disney Trivia Game
Word Thief
World of Warcraft: the Adventure Game
World of Warcraft: The Boardgame
Wyatt Earp
You Must Be an Idiot!
You're Bluffing!
Zombies!!!
Zooloretto
Zooloretto XXL
Melbourne
Victoria
Some games such as Battlelore have really sturdy boxes, wondering how much water you'd need to kill them off.
I accidentally put two Monopoly sets (Wales and Yorkshire - collector's items) in a box under my house and a couple of years later I took them out and they looked fine. But everything just fell away in my hands. Just wondering if you took one look at the games and thought - they're gone - or was anything salvageable?
Gloucester
Virginia
Some games such as Battlelore have really sturdy boxes, wondering how much water you'd need to kill them off.
I accidentally put two Monopoly sets (Wales and Yorkshire - collector's items) in a box under my house and a couple of years later I took them out and they looked fine. But everything just fell away in my hands. Just wondering if you took one look at the games and thought - they're gone - or was anything salvageable?
I didn't really get a very good look. My apartment building was condemned and everything in it is lost. The one opportunity I had to go back in was very brief as we were allowed in to get essentials (like clothes for my 1 year old daughter). From what I did see, the boxes were very wet. At this point, the building has started to be demolished, and my games are somewhere at the bottom of the rubble.
Heroscape - rise of the Valkries - just Gm a not and in Aug. when I am state side I can ship you one no problem. If I could afford to ship it from Costa Rica I would, but I would pay way more for shipping then seems affordable to me ( I don't want to pay more for shipping then the game cost kinda thing )
people here at the BGG rock - when I lost games to a fire I was overwhelmed with the generosity of others here, so I figure it is my turn to repay the love!
Singapore
Hope everything is back on track!