Time heals apparently. But five years on and it’s still raw.
I miss Nan so much. I miss her love and wisdom.
I spent this mornings walk telling Dolly all about Nan. Diogo was on his first pick up and train walk with Heidi the dog trainer.
I know Nan would love the monster squad, especially Dolly. Everyone loves Dolly!
Miss you Nan.
This anniversary always seems to sneak up on me.
As I walked Dolly and Diego this morning instead of my usual thoughts I spent the time telling them about Dad.
Even now decades since his passing his words of “wisdom” live on and come to mind regularly. Such as “shit happens” or “size means nothing when they are on the ground”.
And despite what Stone Cold Steve Austin thinks Dad was and still is the toughest SOB I’ve ever known.
Luckily I still have slightly more hair than he had.
“How I wish, how I wish you were here
We’re just two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl
Year after year
Running over the same old ground, what have we found?
The same old fears, wish you were here” Wish You Were Here, Pink Floyd
Apparently today is World Suicide Prevention Day. I never knew that.
It’s also very appropriate considering the anniversary from my life it shares the day with.
On this day in 1988 my Dad took his own life.
If life seems too dark and you are struggling please speak to someone, reach out. You are not alone. You are important.
https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/
It’s been a week and bit since my last post. So you knew this post was coming at some point.
Life has been happening. Gaming has been happening (as the little widget on the right shows).
Obviously the gaming will be written about in another post, including Jeff’s birthday gaming day.
I’ve nearly built a new Twin Suns deck based around mandolorians. Looking forward to playing it.
I have a Halo Flashpoint event I’m running next weekend to prepare for.
I’ve been watching The West Wing for the first time ever. Wow what a show. The writing, the cast and their performances, the directing and editing. I can see how this became so popular, and is so praised.
Tomorrow instead of Star Wars Unlimited I’m finally seeing The Odyssey at The Luxe. The new Spiderman movie stopped them getting it in earlier (drawback of an independent single screen cinema and film studio showing restrictions). Yeah I could have seen it earlier at another cinema. But that would have cost more and wouldn’t be supporting my local cinema.
I’ve signed Dolly and Diogo up for a couple more socialisation walks.
It’s getting cooler again so the monster squad are happier, or at least more comfortable during the day. I can think about taking them out to the countryside again.
Well hopefully the above has reassured you I’m alive and at least surviving from one day to the next. Until the next post.
There were more photos shared of Ace in Peru yesterday.
There was no further updates on Ace.
This latest video came in the later part of last week.
I shared it on the socials in preparation for posting here. But I waited hoping that there would be some news on his progress and some photos.
However neither appeared.
Which is a little disappointing.
I do love receiving photos of Ace.
Anyway here is the latest short video of Ace being happy.
Last Wednesday Stonemaier Games launched two new games and an expansion on their website.
The games went live whilst I was at a family meal called the cousins meal. This was the first one I’d been invited to.
So obviously come the magic launch time I was on my phone and logged into the EU webstore.
I selected 3 copies of Duel of Meloch, 3 copies or so I thought of Wingspan Pocket, a copy of the Original Story expansion Heroes and Villians, a set of the metal mechs for Duel, and a plastic airship.
About forty minutes later in my car I checked my email and discovered in the order confirmation email I had only put 2 copies of Wingspan Pocket. I’d also forgotten to order a copy of the Viticulture Bordeaux expansion.
So I quickly went back on line and ordered them. Paying postage this time.
I should not it’s always worth buying at launch from Stonemaier because for the initial 5 days of sale it is discounted, and then discounted again if you are a champion.
I thought this will be interesting which order will arrive first? Will it be at the same time?
Well I got the answer Friday afternoon.
Spiral Galaxy had shipped the single Wingspan Pocket and Bordeaux expansion. Not a whiff of my “big” order.
As expected the “small” order turned up this morning. Which is great because I’ll be able to show Wingspan Pocket at The Angle this evening.
But I can’t help feeling a tad disappointed that the big order wasn’t sent at the same time.
I know Jamey says when you place your order makes no difference to when it gets sent. I think this kind of proves it.
But I’m thinking maybe the size of the order does. Do small orders get sent first by Spiral Galaxy?
Being a Stonemaier Champion is meant to have an impact. Champion orders are meant to ship first. I’d love to know how Stonemaier checks that the third party distributors are doing this.
So that was my unintentional little experiment with Stonemaier shipping. I just got to wait for the “big” order now.
… since the last post.
Naturally life has been happening. The respite between heatwaves seems nonexistent.
However having the basha setup, plenty of water available, and a cold tile floor, the dogs are able to cope with the heat.
I did get a 1977 printing of the Scout Handbook. I had one of these in the late seventies when I was a Boy Scout.
I’m trying a new coffee supplier who had a deal on some Brazilian beans, and I threw a packet of coffee from Peru in as well. Because Diogo.
Games have been played. But they will be covered in the round up post.
I got a new folding mug, a Dutch Army Surplus Folding Cup.
I’d seen these used in various YouTuber videos. So was curious about it.
A Dutch Army surplus model can be picked up cheap enough. As can the Wildo civilian version. The only difference I can tell is that the civilian one is available in a variety of colours.
It’s smaller than I thought it’d be. But folded up it’s tiny. I can see the attraction. In fact I like this form factor a lot.
However with liquid in it seems flimsy.
Having a cup of coffee for me is an experience. I like my coffee. It’s not just about using a great coffee. It’s how you brew it, and for me the drinking.
I didn’t find drinking from this cup a great experience. That flimsy feeling of the cup with the coffee in. The handle was just too small, and felt even flimsier! In contrast I love drinking from both my Kupilka cups. I find the experience of using them fun, they invoke almost a pioneer/explorer/viking feeling.
I really want to love this cup. But if that drinking experience isn’t pleasant, it doesn’t matter how great the coffee is the enjoyment will be diminished.
A brief post with a short video of Ace playing.
At time of posting it’s an estimated 116 days until he joins us.
We are currently in the middle of another heatwave. What’s that the fourth or fifth this year?
Having the tarp up has been a genius idea. With the picnic rug, and about 4 litres of water also out, the garden is dog hot weather friendly.
I can confidently let the dogs decide how much time they want to spend outside, and whether it’s under cover or not. The back door is open. They are in control.
It’s the only way to handle this heat with them.
The old sheds contents is still in the garden.
I thought I’d found a reliable person to take it to the landfill. But like the previous guy, a time and date gets set, and then it becomes a no show. The only positive is no cash had been handed over.
Looks like I have several trips to the local council dump in my immediate future.
I don’t play poker, especially Texas Hold ‘Em.
I’ve never really been attracted to it. Even when much younger.
My card game of choice growing up was knock out whist. I played it at secondary school during tutorial time. I played it a lot with my dad’s aunt (she really was a card shark).
However recently I’ve become more interested in it. Or to be more accurate some of the theory behind the game.
Apparently, and I read this somewhere a while back but I don’t recall where, that top MtG players have done really well in poker tournaments because they are MtG players. It appears that although totally different games. MtG players are used to making decisions based on incomplete information, reading the board state, etc. The skills are transferable so to speak.
I follow the chess content creators the Botez sisters on YouTube, and the elder sister Alex (?) in the past has taken part in poker tournaments.
I think because I watched those poker videos YouTube throws up from time to time a poker video in my feed.
Add in that to complete my Knizia books I got his book “Poker Plain and Simple: A Brief Guide for Beginners, Spectators, and the Curious” which also peaked my interest.
So I’ve started down the rabbit hole and bought a couple more books on poker, “Essential Poker Math, Expanded Edition: Fundamental No-Limit Hold’em Mathematics You Need to Know” by Alton Hardin and newly arrived “Modern Poker Theory: Building an Unbeatable Strategy Based on GTO Principles” by Michael Acevedo.
Obviously I’m not claiming that I’m going to become a master poker player over night.
However I think just like MtG has transferable skills to poker. I’m proposing that some of the poker/MtG skills are transferable to other games. It’s a bit like the Discovering Chess Openings book that clearly has ideas/theory that transfer to other games, particularly war/skirmish games. Really.
I’m particularly curious about the game theory side. I can see that side being a big rabbit hole to dive into.
My progress might be slow through these books because I tend to read them whilst sitting outside, getting shade under the tarp as the monster squad chill out.
So bare with me as I start this side quest, which might even see me play a game of poker.