STRAT PLANET
The Casual Fan
by Rodney Polston

Oh, the struggle I am enduring right now!  As my advancement exam date rests
just one week from now, I am torn between studying and between baseball.
It's just not fair.  If only the days were as long as you would like.  I'd
have all the time I needed to study and play SOM.  Not only that, but I
could follow the spring training notes various websites offer.

I honestly don't know where to begin once this test is over.  For the better
part of four months (with time off due to surgery), I have been studying for
an exam that will take an hour to complete.  It seems like such a waste.
After all, I could have played countless SOM games with that time.

I don't know where I'll begin.  I honestly still haven't upgraded to 6.0.  I
kind of didn't want to until after this test.  Now that it will be over
soon, what will stop me?  Nothing, really.  I'll soon be knee deep in the
division winning Cardinals!

One interesting thing happened this past week.  My wife had a friend of hers
spend about a week with us.  I was able to get him into SOM fairly easy.
I'll have to admit teaching is a lot easier on a computer than with the
board game.  It kind of reminded me of my experiences with the game early
on.  I used to try and teach every one of my friends in the neighborhood how
to play.  I even got into a fight once over it!

It'll be interesting to see what I will do with all my free time now.  I
hate to say it, but I probably still won't be joining a SOM league.  With
new orders in the horizon, another ship will be calling for me.  Until I
leave the military, I will have to live with the game on my own.  Now that
is a struggle...

Rodney Polston
rodneypolston@stratplanet.com

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