Happy Mario Day everyone! And to all the mums out there happy Mother’s Day.

This year Mario Day and Mother’s Day in the UK coincide.

A double celebration.

That’s why as I write this post I’m watching the Super Mario Bros movie.

Mum has got the perfunctory card. But I did get her a cake (photo to be shared on social media later) and a bunch of tulips.

Plus from mum and me some daffodils to put next to nans ashes. They were her favourites.

Oh and mum gets to spend even more time with her favourite two little masters of mayhem as I’m working this evening until 2am. So I’m going to get stories of how they kept her awake all night tomorrow.

Happy Mario and Mother’s Day…

It would appear once more I am leaving the booking of accommodation for UKGE to the last minute.

I can’t book the days off until the start of April!

At which point I need to sort something out booking wise. But any affordable rooms will be long gone. Even if it was earlier there seems to be less and less affordable rooms each year. Are the hotels etc finally catching on to the popularity of the expo, and exploiting that new knowledge?

I am toying with the idea of camping instead of a hotel. It’s been years now since I’ve spent a night under canvas.

I know in previous years some attendees of the expo have used a camp site. And it does just fall into the affordable price range.

Camping at UKGE was added to my bucket list for the expo of things to do years ago when I first heard of this being a thing.

Plus it would give me an excuse to update some of my equipment. I am tempted by the Kelly Kettle for instance. There are three versions! Even though my initial use would be for camping I’d want to be able to use it on backpacking trips also. So out of the three available “models” I’d go with the Trek version.

I already have an army surplus 100% wool blanket in the car, along with a poncho liner. Yes to be totally honest these have been recent additions. Which is the start of a sleep system idea I have. I think these would work well with the backpacking quilt I have. Obviously not the lightest of systems but definitely warmer and more flexible. Plus as a car camping system as it initially would be used the weight side would not matter. Nor would the fact it is more bulky.

But this conversation should be for another post if I decide to go this route for UKGE.

Having raised the topic of camping and backpacking on what is now essentially a boardgaming blog. I have given mum notice that later in the year I will be returning to the hills for one or two trips. Which means on one or two of future posts this blog will return back to its roots.

Yes although the posts are no longer on this blog (they are archived on a backup) this blog started life back in 2008 as an outdoors/backpacking blog!

But life events meant I have had to take an extended break from doing that sort of thing. Over a decade now. I really do love backpacking and hiking in the remote areas of the UK. And I think it’s about time I rekindled that love of being outdoors.

The aim is to get a couple of weekend trips to the hills in over the summer. It will be a while before I’m back to applying for the TGOC. Which I really do want to take part in again. But being a carer puts restrictions on how long I can be away. Three days is the limit at the moment. Two weeks is out of the question.

As some of you know I have reached an age where in the UK if I have a personal pension I can start taking it. I’m at least a decade away from being able to take the state pension. Well currently. The UK Government like to keep moving the goal posts so it gets further and further away.

But what this means is that I have as an option the possibility of taking a short career break of about 5 months.

Which is an idea I’m mulling over.

It would allow me to get some stuff sorted for mum. Do the afore mentioned backpacking trips and spend a bit more time with Nathan. Maybe even volunteer sometime to a charity.

I never thought I’d be able to do something like this. So now I know it’s an option I think it needs exploring and looking into the feasibility.