The End of a Great Year, the Start of a Great Party December concluded a year of tremendous growth and positive change here at Phoenix Games. 2004 brought the beginning of the group that came to be known as the Collective. It was the year that the regulars really came together as a group. It was the year in which many great relationships started, and it was a year of some great events. Although it ended well, 2004 started with peril. In January, Phoenix Games was weeks away from bankrupcy. A very timely inheritance kept the Store afloat. Had the money not come when it did, Phoenix Games would have given up the ghost mere weeks before the business caught its stride and the community came together in May. It is amazing how things come together just so. December left Phoenix Games in an excellent position to enter the new year. The community was strong and vibrant, and business was fantastic. The future was bright, and the month ended with one of the best events we have ever had.
I don't remember what happened, but I do know that April-Lyn had asked me to box Kiernan's ear for something...so I did...and I took a picture so April-Lyn would know I carried out her instructions.	Thin Ice is a game that combines Ice House and Jenga. The idea is to stack the Ice House Pyramids without having more than three touching the table and without having any pieces nested. This is a picture of an entire stash being used at once in this game.
Chris' daughter Kim helps him prepare for a formal Air Force function.	Ride: Texan is kind of like Ride: Automobile, right?
Look Ma! No hands!	Look Ma! No hands, no head!
.... There goes Santa Rose, delivering soul consuming elder gods to the little girls and boys.
April-Lyn wanted a nice outfit for Christmas/New Years, but she could not afford it. We convinced her to set up a Paypal collection. Sure enough, various people pitched in for most of the cost of the outfit, and here is the result of our contributions.	When I went home with Erin and met some of her friends, I was introduced to a fantastic game called Dutch Blitz. I decided that I must have the game in the Store. I discovered that I had to buy at least 48 copies at a time, but I was not detered (for comparision, we have sold 53 copies of Munchkin since we opened, and that is the top seller). I bought the case, and here is one of the first games of Dutch Blitz in the Store. Needless to say, we will not need to restock Dutch Blitz anytime soon.
It's Bill and little Bill, more correctly known as Liam. I have been told that Bill was once that size, but I don't believe it.	Hacker is a fine game. I first played it about 15 years ago, and it remains one of my favorite games.
More Hacker.	Same game. It was a good one.
Jadam demonstrating the proper way to wear that hat.	Consider the pictures a gift, and do not complain about the empty space here.
Holiday Potluck In talking to some of the regulars, I discovered that there were some who did not look forward to going home for the holidays. In fact, they dreaded it. It was not a time of relaxation, it was a time of stress and strife. I feel that the Holidays should be a time of joy spent with friends and family. Many people here felt closer to the people here than they did to their own families, so I arranged a pot-luck dinner. The selections were a bit random since we didn't know who was coming and could not arrange who would bring what, but we all had a good time together, and that is what really matters.
L5R still alive and kicking...or swinging as the case may be.	While I was preparing one of the previous galleries, Kiernan comes along and accidently knocks over the whole display of Penguin mints. First he complains that I am not making galleries fast enough, then he distracts me by trashing the place. Sheesh!
The Genesis of the Dragon Cooper decided that he wanted to make a dragon piniata for the New Years Eve party. He had no idea how to make a piniata, but that did not curb his enthusiasm. When Erin heard about the idea, she jumped right in to help.
.... Every piniata starts with paper mache. Tradtionally, this paper mache is not built onto a cardboard box, but you work with what you have, and what we had was a box from a case of Magic cards.
.... Once the body was assembled, it was time to give the dragon its friendly green shading. This was achieved with a bit of spray paint on the front walk way.
Cooper carefully carries the dragon back into the Store.	Frills and consumate V's are painstakingly applied to the wings. This part really impressed me. They put about 40-50 strips of tissue paper on the wings, each of which had cuts every inch or so. It took them quite a few hours just to do this part.
By the time they were done, all of their hard work really paid off. The dragon looked amazing.	But dragons are not just for looking at...
They are also for terrorizing the countryside and burninating the peasants!!!!	Some of you may have been disturbed by the preceding graphic violence. Enhance your calm by looking at this lovely giftbox again.
The New Year's Eve Party The New Year's Eve party was not technically a Store event. Technically, it was a private function at the Store, but it was in the Store and thus pictures were taken. This was one of the best events we have had at the Store. We had a whole lot of people that I did not expect but was very glad to see there including some friends of mine from high school. It should be noted that the previous year, Jason had a small gathering here, and I was not in attendance. According to Jason, this is just the extremely successful follow-up to his party the previous year.
There were balloons, food, and even a dragon piniata. What more could you need at a New Year's Eve party?	The dragon waits patiently to strike.
Erin arranges some of the refreshments that various guests have brought.	By the time this picture was taken, quite a few balloons had falled and popped. They were very poppy balloons.
Even the ladder was festive.	It was late. There were ropes.
Ashley does not like going anywhere without getting dressed up for the occasion.	Dutch Blitz was still pretty hot at this time, so it was no surprise when a game started up. The Store was so crowded that this table had to be set up in the front of the Store near the purple shelves.
You might notice that the dragon has not yet been slain. We waited until after midnight to do brave battler. After midnight is January, and thus not for the December Gallery. So, I leave you with a little suspense. Will the party-goers slay the mighty beast or will they all be roasted and eaten? To find out, you must view the January 2005 Gallery!