Can't Stop/Can Stop

I (Sam) was late to GNN last night, and had the unique experience of listening to the end of a game of Can't Stop where the only available numbers left were 2,3,4 and 5. Ian, Katy, Martin and Adam H were all going repeatedly bust and the swear-meter was up at eleven. Eventually Katy won - not sure what the other positions were.

Katy - can stop!

8pm was nearly upon us and duly Adam T, Anja and Steve appeared. Joe remained, for now, mysteriously absent. We embarked on a game of Codenames with Ian clueing for Steve, Anja and Adam T. I was spymaster for Martin, Katy, and the enigmatic Adam H. Both teams began with a solid 2 correct guesses each, then we (Blue) pulled slightly into the lead when Ian's clue of Mount Rushmore led to an incorrect guess of Washington.

Both Ian and I were slightly bamboozled by the amount of water-related words on the grid with me trying to clue sink/pirate/stream and Ian well. Fortunately we ticked off horn and swing thanks to jazz - it's not often I say thanks to jazz - and then Ian's clue of shaft gave us a single word to finish the game off:

Martin/Katy/Adam H/Sam - Masters of Cold War

Around this point Joe materialised, but barely had time to say hello before he was led off for a game of Tichu with Ian, Katy and Martin. No idea what happened there - the rest of us, after another bout of elusiveness from Adam H, went off to play Taluva. This hasn't been seen on a GNN Tuesday night since the olden days, before so many things that happened, that I needed a refresher that amounted to a first-teach.

Fortunately Adam T, Steve and Anja had all played recently, and the only person who'd never played before was Adam H, who - inevitably? - won anyway. I'm blaming distractions of two roaming children, and the moon out the window.

I have to apologise because I struggled to get what any kind of strategy was and halfway through the game began to fall asleep, to the point where I asked if it was feasible to bail, and put enough social pressure on Steve as a result that he rushed his final few turns. Who knows what might have been had I kept my mouth shut? Sorry Steve. I remembered Taluva as a fairly dainty game but I now suspect I only ever played it 2-player with Joe. Five was a different beast.

Adam H - wins
Everyone else - loses, thanks to Sam

At this point I fell into bed and therefore missed whatever drama was about to unfold... I hope the comments will tell a better story than mine, which was Sally waking me at 3am because I was snoring so loudly.