Playing Games

We've recently begun playing a game that I've been dragging around with me since I was a child. It's a board game called "Agoniz'n" that was made in Bakersfield, CA (c 1962). It's a marble game, similar to Trouble.

Growing up, we always played it whenever we got together with my father's family. They were all in Bakersfield; we were in LA. Visits always involved staying over with my grandmother, eating at a great Chinese restaurant (in Bakersfield?), and playing either Agoniz'n or Contract Rummy.

We haven't been able to play the game for years. It requires colored marbles, and I couldn't find solid color marbles. Chinese checkers seemed to be the obvious place to look, but the newer games all come with plastic marbles and they just don't work for this game. The only glass Chinese checker marbles were always associated with a game that was just too costly, and since I'm cheap, I didn't buy them.

A few weeks ago, I happened upon a game store that carried "replacement Chinese checker marbles" for a reasonable price. So, we can now play Agoniz'n, and I can relive my childhood.

I'm feeling younger already!