I should be trying to get to sleep. After all I’ve been working all night.

It was during my break at work that I found out my friend Ben had died.

I took the news pretty badly. My eyes did leak.

Ben was a good friend. Some-one that understood and relate to my personal situation in the last few years. It’s a connection we had and he’d lend a sympathetic ear during our conversations. Not many understand what it’s like to be a carer. Ben did having done it for so many years for his mother.

Ben and I had been battling it out in Star Realms for a few years now. As you can see he’d won one or two more of the games than me.

Sometimes we’d have three or four games on the go. After a particular good run of wins there would usually be a victory phone call to gloat. Often Ben would answer the call with some humorous comment such as “Star Realms helpline”. He indeed was my Nemesis at the game.

I felt in recent games I’d been getting the upper hand and a comeback was on the cards. Now we’ll never know.

Ben will also be credited forever with renaming Takenoko as Bastard Panda. Which he rocked at playing. I believe he had played quite a few games of it.

Ben had health issues. And had recently completed a course of chemo. There had been issues afterwards. Which as you know meant Ben couldn’t make some of our Scythe Rise of Fenris episodes.

We had been planning to get his Kickstarter edition of The Great Wall to the table. Something he’d been wanting to do. Maybe I can find some one with a copy and play it in his memory.

I think all that knew Ben are still trying to come to terms with the loss.

He will be missed at the gaming table and as a friend.

Rest in peace my friend.