I’ve been so knackered this past six days. Work has been especially tiring.

So tired in fact I’ve been napping in the afternoon after getting home.

I suppose that’s the drawback of getting older.

Being so tired has meant I haven’t finished writing my thoughts on the Twin Suns deck I built. But being on two days of rest now I should get that post done now.

There have been one or two new arrivals that I’m eager to get to the table such as the new Stonemaier release Stamp Swap, the expansion for Apiary, plus the Rolling Realms expansions. Also Tribes of the Wind arrived. Hopefully I’ll get one of those to the table Friday at club night.

Once these two days of r&r are over it’s into a seven day tour of duty. What makes this worse is that there is no two day break at the end. I get just a single day to recover.

As I type this little update I ordered a McDelivery of a McD breakfast using up some of my loyalty points to get most of the order free. It’s a lazy way to start the two days but I feel I’ve earned it.

Catch you later.

Whilst I gather my thoughts about Tuesday’s games of Star Wars Unlimited using the Twin Suns multiplayer rules. I thought I’d share the photo I was messaged this morning.

A few weeks ago I messaged an artist I follow on Twitter/X. I really liked her art style and her previous art she’d shared. I asked her for a quote to turn the photo of Strider I took on Holkham beach at dawn way back in 2010 (iirc) into a painting.

Strider and I had spent the night sleeping on Holkham beach sand dunes on a hot balmy Summer’s night. We’d done about three quarters of a nine mile circular walk the previous afternoon, stopping on the dunes for the evening.

It was so warm I didn’t even bother setting up a shelter of any kind. I wasn’t expecting any rain.

Strider and I just chilled out in the dying embers of the evening as the sun set.

We woke early to the most amazing dawn I’ve ever witnessed. It truly was a magical scene that photos I took barely capture or do justice to.

After a brief discussion about what could be done and obviously trying to capture the photo on a different aspect ratio to my original stitched together image. I was quoted a price and gave the go ahead.

This morning the artist shared with me a photo of the finished water colour.

I’m speechless. I think she has done an amazing job capturing Strider, and that moment.

My eyes can’t stop leaking every time I look at this photo of the painting. I miss not only Strider but the other two members of my wolf pack Bud and Barney.

If you had asked me if a piece of art could move me so much before this I’d have said no.

I’ve looked at the original photo so many times and not had such a strong emotional reaction.

But today the waterworks have not stopped flowing.

I’m going to need a lot of snuggles from the two little monsters today.

I’ve given permission for the artist to sell prints of this if anyone is interested. You can contact them here on Twitter/X if interested in getting a copy. For the record I will get nothing from the sales. I want the artist to get all the proceeds. I have (or will have) the original and I’m happy with that. You can also visit the artists Etsy store here.

PS I am now planning to get paintings of Bud and Barney also done. I have an idea for the one of Bud. But not decided on Barney picture to use.

Wow I don’t think I’ve had this long between posts for like ever.

I’m most definitely still alive.

Gaming has taken place but I’ve been so tired from a six day tour of duty at work.

I’ve been getting home and barely getting the will power to do anything.

The times I have played something I’ve been limited to how late I could stay out. My curfew being earlier than Cinderella’s.

The having to get up about 4:30am each work day does take its toll if I’m not out like a light by 21:30 the latest.

Usually I get Tuesday and Saturday off. But holidays at work meant this week I had no Saturday off.

Six days without a day off is taxing. It drains you.

So that’s why I’ve not written anything for a few days. I wanted to. But the energy just wasn’t there.

Normal service will resume asap.

Here we are with yet another I’m still alive post.

I have partial posts about recent gaming sitting in the draft folder of the blogging app that I use.

But tiredness and apathy stop me finishing them off.

I get home and just want to shutdown.

Guilt hits me as I try to switch off.

I know there is stuff I could or should be doing.

But motivation is lacking.

I’m not going to go into the reasons why on here. But last Friday after finishing my shift I walked into the instore barbershop and had them shave off not only my hair but also my beard.

It’s been something like 15 years or more since I last was clean shaven.

I’m still not used to the face that looks back at me in the mirror. It’s taking sometime to get used to.

At work my friends and colleagues have been positive, agreed it’s a major change and I look younger.

For one or two I had to speak first before they realised it was me. Which was kinda funny.

The car is going to cost me more money because it needs new brakes. An expense I could do without with the purchase of the house going on.

I did have a good long chat with an old friend who I hadn’t spoken to for a long time the other night. It was good to catch up. There will not be such a long gap before our next time.

I am trying to work it so I can get out and spend a night under canvas (or should that be silnilon?). But not having consecutive days off makes the logistics and being able to go somewhere somewhat challenging.

Think I’ll call it a day there and catch you in the next post.

Just a short proof of life update because you know life and stuff.

Since last Sunday when I returned to work it’s been all go at work.

Four nights doing a major move within the store I work left my body aching, and tired. I’ve definitely been feeling my age.

I went into survival mode. Each shift after the first (the most gruelling of the four shifts) left me the bare minimum time to rest and recover before having to repeat it all again.

I was definitely looking forward to the three days off before making the jump to morning shifts.

Naturally yesterday, the first day off, I slept and did nothing.

There had been an attempt to get some gaming sorted for last night and Saturday but there was no interest shown.

Which meant more just letting the body recover, and a Chinese take away for tea.

Tonight is a club night which I can attend for once. But then again with the move to mornings I can attend future ones too.

However first more recovering.

The cold I had a few weeks ago never really went away and has flared up as a chest infection. Which has really taken it out of me.

I was kinda glad that on my day off on Saturday that no-one was free to play games. I was really feeling bad. There was also plans to try out a recipe or two for the impending return to the hills. But that day was just bed rest.

Somehow I made it through a 10 hour shift last night. With two 9 hour shifts ahead of me today and tomorrow. Wednesday is a day off but I’ll need that as recovery time.

Work and illness is so draining.

Luckily the last three shifts before a week off are normal ones. Which I’m thankful for. Changes at work haven’t been finalised so that’s still an unknown hanging around like a bad smell.

But the holiday should be starting off in a good way with some gaming with Diego. Which I’m really looking forward to.

That’s where things are at the moment. Hope that this chest infection clears up in time for the holiday and the hills.

In my previous “still alive” post I hinted at an offer I had to ponder.

Well it looks like with a fair wind I could be back on the property ladder.

Yeah I know at my age too.

So long story short I should be buying the house I’m currently renting.

I’m excited and nervous about the whole thing. It’s something I never thought would happen again.

There are also changes at work happening that should make it possible for me to get to club nights again.

At the start of the week the first Expeditions expansion Gears of Corruption (Ironclad edition) did indeed arrive.

After seeing one or two posts on the Expedition’s Facebook page of the metal mechs being broken, with a little apprehension I opened my copy yesterday. Luckily the two in my copy are fine. I was pretty relieved.

I don’t think I’ve mentioned in any post but last week I did pick up a copy of Marvel: Remix. The decision was based on a Dice Tower top ten list on games for MtG players. Marvel: Remix like Red Rising from Stonemaier Games is based on Fantasy Realms. I’ve not played Fantasy Realms but I do like Red Rising. Add in I’m a comic book fan, that does include Marvel stuff (despite the attempt by Disney to destroy that). Then this ticked all the boxes for me to get it. Added bonus it’s not that expensive and a smallish box that makes it easier to carry around for game nights.

Catch you in the next post when I might have something interesting to say!

After the flurry of gaming that happened at the expo it looks like the Summer gaming drought is now upon me.

Sunday gaming has dried up. So I’m planning to cancel those. No point leaving them on the discord server and having to face the disappointment each week of them not happening.

With the first Expeditions expansion Gears of Corruption (Ironclad edition) dropping through my letter box tomorrow. Who knows when I will be able to get this to the table.

On life and all the stuff that that covers. I’ve really missed Nan in the last week or so. I’ve missed talking to her, and her counsel. It’s really hit me hard her not being here.

I think it’s moments like this when I feel the most alone.

Normally I’m happy with my solitude. The attack chihuahuas are happy. I look after mum next door.

But there are times when I really do miss her. Like now.

My aunt and uncle are over from New Zealand and I will be getting to see them in the next couple of days. There will be more visits during their stay in Blighty but for now this first one is brief.

Yes I’d love to visit them in New Zealand but like returning to the TGOC the circumstances that this would be possible are not ones I want to contemplate. Basically it’d mean I’m no longer needed as mums carer.

They’ve been very supportive over the years and done a lot for me. Which I really appreciate and am very very thankful for.

There is an amazing offer been made by them to me which I’d love to be able to take it up. If Nan was around and not ill I’d be discussing it with her. I’m trying to work out how I can get into a position in which I can take up the generous offer.

If things work out I’ll share with you what is happening.

In the meantime life goes on.