Category Archives: life, the universe, and everything

Road to UKGE 2026 #4 – It’s alive!

May 10, 2026#baking, #RoadToUKGE, life, the universe, and everything, UKGEDarren

As I write this post I’m four days in on creating a sourdough starter using rye flour. Naturally once the starter is fully active I’ll be making loaves of rye bread.

I’ve not done any baking since Nan left us in 2021. At the time she was the reason I baked.

Yes I had a sourdough starter back then, and I’d make a sourdough loaf regularly. After taking the loaf out of the oven, and once cooled a little. I’d take the loaf round for Nan to see. She’d put both hands on the warm loaf. She used to love doing that. I think it was the warmth of the bread, and the sensation it gave her. At the time Nan was well and truly bedridden, her dementia slowly stealing her away.

Nan would eat the tiniest of bits of the fresh loaf. She had trouble eating solid food, and literally no appetite. So to get her to eat a piece that wouldn’t even feed a sparrow was a major achievement. Nan definitely got great enjoyment from just holding her hands on the warm loaf.

But my baking didn’t stop there for Nan.

I made cookies, shortbread, muffins, poundcake, lemon drizzle cake, lemon meringue, cheese cakes, chocolate mousse, you get the idea.

Nan would eat just the tiniest of pieces of all of them. But even if they required a lot of effort, technical skill, or took time to make. It was all worth it. They were for my Nan.

Once Nan had left us I no longer felt like baking. I didn’t have the heart or desire. My reason had gone.

But now the desire to bake has returned.

I think it was initially sparked into life with my cousins daughter who has got into baking. I sent her a couple of books to do with baking (Ratio, and Dessert Course: Lessons in the Whys and Hows of Baking). Nan would have done the same. She would have wanted to encourage her.

It was helped along making bread and butter pudding for mum. She really likes my bread and butter pudding (I use brioche, and a mixture of dried fruit, nutmeg, and double cream).

Then recently I’ve had a hankering for rye bread. I love it toasted. However when I can find it in my local supermarkets it’s not cheap. So I thought you know what? why don’t I make my own? It’d be cheaper.

Obviously depending on the weather while UKGE is on instead of noodles there might be rye bread sandwiches, or just a chunk of rye bread to have with cheese. Although these might be my preference.

Plus I think each day there might also be a slice or two of pound cake to be washed down by some damn fine coffee.

I definitely will have biscuits as well to go with the coffee, which might just be home made now instead of the individual packets you can get.

So at the moment my food plans have completely changed.

Another first for me is I’ve come up with a list of stands, games and expansions I want to visit/get at the expo! That’s very organised. Especially for me. I blame my friend Duncan. He messaged me on BlueSky giving me a stand at the expo where a game I might be interested in is. So a note was created on my iPhone so I didn’t forget. Before I knew it a single entry had grown into a full blown list!

May the 4th Be With You 2026 Edition!

May 4, 2026life, the universe, and everythingDarren

Happy Star Wars Day folks.

I think in the past I’ve talked about seeing Star Wars A New Hope for the first time. How my memories of the time seem to be mainly the Olivia Newton John and John Travolta You’re The One That I Want music video from Grease and the Star Wars clip of Han saying “don’t get cocky kid” to Luke during the escape from the Death Star scene in the Falcon shooting Tie Fighters.

However we are jumping ahead to 1983, possibly 1984 and the first time I played a Star Wars game.

Back then during the start of peak 80’s home computer boom in the UK, my first time playing a Star Wars game was the C64 port of the Star Wars arcade game.

In the fenland market town I lived in the main places you got to play arcade games were the odd cabinet sitting in a corner of an establishment like the roller skating rink, or maybe a pub. Otherwise you had to travel to the coast and visit the arcades there (not a great option for a teenager) or wait for the fair to come to town.

So the home computer boom and the many ports of arcade games to home computers were often the only opportunity for a fenland teenager to play them.

It was this way that I got to play the C64 port of the Star Wars arcade game. This was played with a joystick.

I wasn’t clocking up world record scores (not even close). But I was able to run through the three levels three or four times in a single play.

It was as far as I knew a pretty good port. It certainly was fun to play.

I loved the first person, 3D. Shooting tie fighters, avoiding their shots or shooting them too. Survive long enough and you were then flying across the surface of the Death Star shooting up towers and gun turrets. Survive that and you were in on the Death Stars trench making a run on that one weak spot in its design, the exhaust hole.

There weren’t many 3D games around at the time. Star Wars used wireframes just like the classic Battlezone.

At the time for a Star Wars fan this was a great game.

Happy Star Wars day.

Hotter than hell

May 3, 2026#littlemonsters, #livefromperu, #SuicideSquad, life, the universe, and everythingDarren

That damn hot weather.

Once again we’ve had a few days of unseasonable hot weather. So much for those April showers.

The contents of the removed shed hasn’t gone yet. I’m waiting for the guy that did the shed to give me a date. Once it has the vision can start taking shape.

In the meantime I’m still outside with the dogs allowing them to enjoy being outdoors.

Obviously our routine has changed during this weather. Their first walk of the day is the only one. However it is a much longer walk. So it’s done and dusted before it gets too hot for them.

Using some bungees I put up a DD Hammocks magic carpet to give the Suicide Squad some shade. I almost look on this as a proof of concept for the summer.

It would come as no surprise that my coffee consumption has gone up. Being able to brew up without leaving my seat is fun. Plus it allows me to get familiar and comfortable using various stove and pot combinations.

Luckily as I write this post the weather has cooled a bit. Just in time for Diogo’s second paddock session this evening. He’s going to be tired this evening.

Alien Day 2026

April 26, 2026#AlienDay, life, the universe, and everythingDarren

Happy Alien day everyone.

I’ve only recently (in the last week) found out there is an Alien 3 Assembly cut of the movie. Up until now I had always thought there was the Alien 3 theatrical release, and the Audible original dramatisation of the William Gibson Alien 3 screen play.

But now I find out that there is an edit of the film that attempts to recreate the director David Finchers work print for the movie. Fincher wasn’t involved with this, hence why it’s called the assembly cut and not a directors cut.

What makes this revelation shocking is I’ve had this new version of the movie for years! Since 2003 to be precise. It is on the Alien Quadrilogy.

So you know what I’m going to be watching today. Along with starting Alien Earth.

Yes I’ve still not got round to watching it yet. Like most tv series I watch I hate with streaming the drip, drip, drip of episodes. It’s so old school. Remember when streaming services were new we got whole seasons that they funded/created in one drop. I get why they switched. But for me that defeats the reason for streaming services. I’m more than happy to wait for all the episodes to drop. Then it relies on me remembering to go back and binge the episodes, or more likely not be bothered any more about the series. So in my case the weekly drop of episodes has had a detrimental effect, and I’m less likely to watch. Maybe not a massive or even a noticeable hit on their viewing numbers. But still I can’t be the only one.

Alien Rogue Incursion Part One Evolved Edition was released digitally on the Nintendo Switch 2 last week. A surprise drop. And I’m looking forward to firing up the Switch to play it. I just wish there was a physical copy I could purchase instead of it being digital only.

However I’m pretty clueless about what this Alien game is about, style, etc. I know it started life as a VR game. So I’m guessing they might be going for that horror, jump scare, enclosed claustrophobic feel. But that’s just an educated guess. There is no reason why it can’t be a run and gun style game. But if I was doing a VR Alien game I’d be doubling down on that immersive horror jump scare angle.

But I look forward to finding out if my guesses are right.

How are you spending your Alien Day?

Two New Books

April 23, 2026life, the universe, and everythingDarren

If you want to see what’s possible with just regular d6 dice, or a regular pack of 52 cards then the two Knizia books Dice Games Properly Explained, and New Tactical Games with Dice and Cards are a must.

I particularly like Dice Games Properly Explained. Scattered between the many explanations of games are some interesting chapters explaining probability and stuff. The game descriptions not only describe the rules but also give advice on tactics. I think my favourite game so far from this book is Ship, Captain, Crew, a Yahtzee style push your luck game.

According to Amazon I was missing two Knizia books, Poker Plain and Simple, and Blazing Aces! A Fistfull of Family Card Games.

So naturally I had to order them. And they arrived yesterday.

I don’t play poker. However I’m familiar with Texas Hold’em. Mainly from YouTube videos and tv. Plus whatever version of poker I’ve seen played in westerns.

I certainly know poker hands from numerous board games where they are used as a mechanic such as Dice Town, or The Gang.

One thing that has confused me about Texas Hold’em is the bidding, especially the checking. But not enough to google it. So I’m looking forward to Knizia explaining it.

When you throw in the likes of Regicide what you can play with a regular pack of cards is incredible. So I’m looking forward to seeing what Knizia has come up with in his western themed book of card games.

Anyways more for the reading pile for while the little monsters are enjoying the warmth of the spring sun.

Missing photos from yesterday

April 20, 2026#littlemonsters, life, the universe, and everythingDarren

Yesterday I mentioned I was outside with the little monsters letting them enjoy the spring sun.

However I forgot or was too lazy to include photos.

So below are the photos I could have included.

The Cat and the Tower

April 19, 2026life, the universe, and everythingDarren

My best friend Duncan asked me if I’d be interested in a copy of the board game the Cat and the Tower.

I hadn’t heard of it before so I clicked on the YouTube video that Duncan shared with me about the game.

The theme instantly grabbed me. I didn’t make it to the part of the video where it went into the actual game play.

I’m not a big dexterity player. I think I have just the one dexterity game in the collection. That being the amazing Tokyo Highway.

It’s not to say I haven’t played dexterity games. I’ve played Rhino Hero which is the first one that came to mind after Tokyo Highway.

However as a genre it’s not one that has grabbed me, say like trick taking games have.

The YouTuber basically summed up the following in his opening introduction to the game.

“”Hang on Mama, I’m on my way!” Toto the black cat said, skittering towards the lopsided tower looming before him. Having been told that his mother left the world of the living to become a star in the sky, Toto and the rest of his feline friends bound unwaveringly for the top of the tower in the hopes to meet her again.” Taken from the Cat and the Tower bgg page

I was welling up just at that part.

So many questions started to enter my head.

Such as how this comes through in the game play, if at all?

Is this a game like Alice is Missing that provokes a strong emotional response?

I could have looked at the rest of the video and try and get answers from the reviewer’s comments.

I have a rough idea of the game play after skim reading a review on bgg.

But that reviewer wasn’t looking at the game with the lenses I would be approaching it with.

I’m curious, intrigued about this game.

I have a lot of emotional baggage that as you can tell even just hearing about the theme caused an emotional response.

Yes I have a lot of issues that are not buried that deep.

As I type this post in my garden, Dolly and Loki on my lap, and Diogo lying at my feet. I look up and there is Nico’s grave. I talk to him a lot.

We are enjoying the spring sun. Well the little monsters are. I’m suffering the warmth of the sun for them.

I’m one of those people that believe games whether cardboard or video can deal with very serious and deep subject matters. Not only that but create an emotional experience.

Whether that’s a game like Brenda Romero’s Train (I really want to play this now infamous game) or Alice is Missing. Both games known for the subject matter they deal with and the emotional responses they create.

It’s from this angle I want to look at Cat and the Tower.

So I can’t wait for it to drop through my letter box and it hitting the table.

Getting all young and trendy!

April 3, 2026life, the universe, and everythingDarren

In the past I’ve never really been one to stick stickers on things like water bottles.

Since I’ve been watching the “modern” outdoors YouTubers, mainly American ones like Miranda Goes Outdoors, I’ve noticed they plaster stickers all over things.

So I thought since I have the MGO water bottle that Miranda designed (it’s a pretty good design) that I’d follow her lead and sticker up my water bottle.

The photo below shows the stickers it has on it so far. Plus nicely shows the two stickers I had made for this blog and Fenland Gamers.

Oh the top sticker is the one I got with the Parks second edition kickstarter.

Do you plaster stickers over your gear?

Operation A Dog Named Sue! #9

March 25, 2026#littlemonsters, life, the universe, and everythingDarren

Yesterday we got some photos of Ace being non too fussed about a care package for him.

To be fair from his point of view it’s not the most exciting thing to receive. I think we all know the sort of things that would make Ace happy. There will be plenty of time once he gets over here for him to enjoy that sort of stuff.

The photos also came with the following update.

“Hello Kate. Yesterday we picked up the things that was sent for Ace. I’m happy to see Aces progress in his recovery. Friday he was in therapy and the doctor said he looks better as well. And he must return to therapy in 15days.”

I’m going to finish the post with a photo of Loki on my lap.