The Thanksgiving Standard
Posted: November 28, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Standard Leave a comment
One year, I created a Thanksgiving Dinner standard. That is to say, I made a little brochure with all of our standard recipes and also a table to figure out the cooking times. Primarily, this is an aid in making dinner so we don’t get lost in all of the work. Additionally, I have had a few requests for “How do you make turkey dinner because I never did it before?”
The Game
So, every year, we follow the standard. And, every year, I update the standard for the little things that we forgot to put on the list. This year, we also tried a new recipe for green bean casserole – it is made in a slow cooker. This makes it a little easier to manage all the stuff that has to go into the oven.
Win Condition
So far, the perfect turkey day continues to elude us. There is always something that we could have done better. Every year, we forget one little thing that we just “never forget.” From a standard perspective that remains a win, not quite a total victory.
Rulebook
Thanksgiving Dinner – the Brochure
The Game Within the Game
Posted: November 16, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentI think I forgot to explain the Game within “What’s the Game.” I make see games all around, and I make up rules to explain why people react the way they do in the environment they are in. Games are a way to “try new ideas” in a way that I can check the result by “trying the idea again under the same rules.”
There is an initial realization that I created codified rules for a game and that I have been play-testing them. I write a lot of this stuff down for future reference. Sometimes, those notes tell a story good enough to post. Writing about how a game is played is a way to deconstruct what I have been thinking about.
The Game
I usually begin a post with the above background. Generally, it is a compelling reflection on how I got to the point of making up rules to test.
The second section “The Game” explains those rules. I give a brief summary of how to play and what the rules really mean.
The closing section “Win Condition” talks about what I learned from the game. Why I would play it again, and what makes this particular post interesting.
Win Condition
Making up rules is an unconscious activity. However, sticking to the rules is somewhat difficult. Many rules I find ridiculous and I wonder why I created something so complicated or inane.
When the rules make a lot of sense for the situation, I feel like a winner. For me, playing is more important than winning.
What's the Game? 