More in fun
Sabering Champagne
The party had just begun, and our hosts Chris and Krissie produced a frigid bottle of Bollinger and a gleaming steel sword. “What’s that for?” I asked, while nodding at the …
Model Ships
You were 11 years old, and the cover of the box featured a battleship churning upon a raging sea, guns firing with fury. You opened the package, revealing hundreds of plastic …
Flight Simulation
I'm banking over Boston Harbor on final approach to Logan Airport, piloting my Boeing 737 out of Toronto. Visibility is so clear I can see New Hampshire's Mount Monadnock 90 miles …
The Joy of Bocce
With respect to croquet fanciers, bocce is the real king of leisure lawn games. Simple to understand—participants bowl larger balls toward a smaller target ball to see who can get …
The Royal Scotsman
The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express may be the world's most famous train, but its Scottish sibling, The Royal Scotsman, is the most luxurious. It holds the title even though—and …
Keeping Score
Recently, I was digging through my closet and found my scorecard from a game at Shea Stadium on Oct. 11th, 1986. As soon as I opened it, I heard the ball cracking off Lenny …
Backgammon
On a cold winter night at home, with the fire roaring, fine cigars clipped and single-malt Scotch making the rounds, backgammon provides a snazzy diversion. The game, typically …
Platform Tennis
Imagine tennis remade by the minds behind mixed martial arts. The surface is as rough and gritty as sandpaper. The court, shrunk to about a third the size, is enclosed in a …
Pinball Wizardry
Walking from work in Manhattan one dark, cold night, I peer to my right and stop in my tracks. The sight is unexpected, and brings me back to my youth—rows and rows of pinball …
