Alex's even longer post thread.

[Alex]

I was listening to some Midnight Oil today. They were singing a song about white men coming and taking everything from the natives.

The irony of a bunch of white guys singing from the perspective of the natives about white guys taking everything from people of a different skin tone was not lost on me. You'd think they'd have some sort of representation on the band from the minority they are supporting.

Maybe it's just me and I don't understand the modern world.

[Alex]

Got this week off work, because well every year this particular week brings up bad memories. It helps being home to support Kristi and to be supported by her.

It has also given me the chance to take Ash to nursery and pick him up. He's been doing well there, so I've been picking us up ice-creams as a reward to eat as we walk home. I am convinced he isn't enjoying nursery. When we are walking to it, he goes much slower than he normally does and when I've picked him up, he runs over to get picked up by me, normally hanging onto my side which isn't how he normally likes me to pick him up. He won't let me put him down until the building is out of sight and he has a big scowl on his face.

Well, he might be moving to a different one next month anyway. We shall have to see how that goes and if it happens, if he enjoys it more than his current place. The teachers keep giving me good reports on him and his development. He does need to work on sharing, but that is something he hasn't had much chance to engage in, being an only child and not being able to socialise as much with all the Covid restrictions.

Since it is the middle of the Battle of Britain anniversary, I thought I'd post these up.





Shame these never mention the ground crew that were lost during the battle, but there you go.

Started rebuilding the Lego figures wall. I started this when Kristi first found out she was having a baby girl. I collected all the figures I could of women in different jobs as I wanted her to see every day that she could be any of these things if she wanted, or more. It's been updated for Ash and had quite a few more random figures added over time, and knocked down a couple of times in accidents and I need to get more figures for it, but it is there.



My wallet was missing for a week or so. Tried everywhere I would normally put it, then anywhere it might occasionally be, searched all through the house and at work, asked at the local shops and whatnot. No sign of it anywhere. By a process of elimination (and a bit of luck), I found myself checking through our outside bin, where I found it lying.

I am going to put that one down to my child's habit of cleaning up. It is great when he finishes a sweet or bottle of blackcurrant juice and bins it. Not so good when he puts his dinner plate in the bin or one of his cups, or just decides to tidy up other random stuff.

Like my wallet. Figuring he put it in the bin in the mancave and when that got emptied, it wasn't noticed.

I'll be scrubbing my hands a lot tonight before they feel really clean, but at least I no longer have to go out to the bank tomorrow and report my cards missing, and pay for a new drivers license etc.

We are going to a concert in December, so I figured I'd pick up some tee shirts for the pair of us. Having a big chest, I figured I'd order myself a large mans, while I got Kristi and extra-large female one. The shirts arrived yesterday. The large man's is way too big for me (it does fit Kristi though), while the extra-large female cut would perhaps fit a skinny supermodel type, although it might be a bit too small for them.

Gave Kristi my tee-shirt. I figure my little sister who is fairly petite might fit the female one and I'll just order a medium-sized one.

Ah the joys of trying to give bands you like a little extra financial support.

[Alex]

Just finished my Friday night D&D session. The group split themselves up to investigate different buildings. Two of the party were attacked by a swarm of ghostly rats which drained their strength rather than doing normal damage. It was also an opponent meant to be an easy fight for an entire party. Two members of the party however is a much tougher battle. It was the parties two front-rank fighters, but the magical attack of the rats crippled their fighting ability and where we left off, one had run off while the other is down to 2 points of strength left. The rats automatically hit and do d6 points of damage, so unless they roll a one on their next attack, they will kill him.

It was nice to finish on a cliffhanger.

I have said to the player to grab me for a bit before the next game and we can roll up a backup character just in case.

[Alex]

Played a (board) game of Space Hulk tonight. I doubt I've played it since the late '80s but it was a decent enough game. It is basically Aliens. You have heavily armoured and armed humans (but slow), up against lightning-fast aliens who have no ranged weapons, but generally, tear the humans to pieces if they make it into melee. We played the quick introductory mission. Really thought for a couple of turns, Kristi was going to win, but once her flamer ran out of fuel I was able to overrun her position.

Anyway, she said she'd enjoyed the game and could see us playing it again.

Going to try and finish out xmas shopping this weekend (less than three months to go folks!). We'll jump on a train to Inverness and see what we can get. Of course, I'll have to go through my secret stash of presents I've already bought so I ensure I don't go buying multiple presents for the same people.

[Trevor]

I was listening to some Midnight Oil today. They were singing a song about white men coming and taking everything from the natives.

The irony of a bunch of white guys singing from the perspective of the natives about white guys taking everything from people of a different skin tone was not lost on me. You'd think they'd have some sort of representation on the band from the minority they are supporting.

Maybe it's just me and I don't understand the modern world.

They were very controversial in their views on apartheid South Africa too: they were supposedly against this country and its' policies but they - like many others - still allowed their music to be sold here. 

[Alex]

Kristi had a rough night with Ash last night. As soon as I got home, I suggested she go off to bed and I took over looking after the little guy. After getting rid of one virus, he picked up another so it has just been endless fun and much washing of snot covered clothes.

I think Kristi has accepted me quitting my job in 2023. No doubt she is worried about it. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have concerns myself. I'd like to be out before I am 50 though. I'd like to be out before we get caught up in a war with China and quite frankly, with the way the US ended Afghanistan, I would not feel happy going to war on their behalf again knowing that they might again make a peace with the enemy without consulting any of their allies that had joined them, or discussed the drawdown options with. That isn't to say I am happy with my own government's performance (far from it), but when someone else asks you to go to war on their behalf, you should not announce you are abandoning the field and leave them.

One of my aunts died on Sunday. She'd been ill for a long time and the doctors wanted to move her into a hospice when her current stay in hospital was over. She was refusing to go to one, but it was not a good sign when I heard that. Still, I was thinking of things happening in terms of months and her departing after a few days was a shock. Out of all my aunts, I'd say she was the kindest one. I used to torment her because as a young girl she'd snuck in to see The Tingler and been terrified by it, so of course, I used to suggest we watch it.

The last time I saw her was two years ago when my mum was in the hospital. She was very fond of Ash, so we'd sent her some copies of the pictures we got taken professionally of Ash recently, and two days ago she'd commented on Facebook about a picture of Ash going everywhere with his guitar. She died at 02:30 this morning, her husband and youngest son by her side. I guess that isn't a bad way to leave. With all the Covid restrictions I am not sure I'll be able to get down for the funeral, but I am hoping to. Kristi doesn't want us to take Ash. I doubt he'd know what was going on if we do, but I am also not a fan of hiding these things from children. My younger brother does that with his son thinking he is protecting him from the cruel side of life until he is ready. I don't think you prepare people to deal with life by hiding them from it myself and what happens when you have a situation you can't hide from them? Life decides when they are ready to deal with these things, not us.

[Alex]

Ever thought U2 should have just packed up and stayed home after doing The Joshua Tree? They made some decent music afterwards, but nothing (to my mind anyway) anywhere near as good. No the only bad that said all they really had to say in one album, but kept on churning music out afterwards (looking at you here Saxon).

It has been something of a struggle, but summer has finally given way to full-on autumn. Crispy leaves lie on the ground and much wetter weather has arrived. I like this time of year. With all the shortages going on (combination of brexit (cheers f**kwits), and Covid) have meant that full supplies are not getting to the shops. We also have something of a manufactured fuel shortage and higher gas (as in the gas that is used to heat homes, and not the liquid that you use to fuel cars which they refer to as gas in the states) prices meaning it is going to be a hard winter for many. We are in a good position ourselves to weather it. We'd just locked our energy price down for the next two years (this is driving a lot of the smaller suppliers out of business due to people on fixed prices and the sudden increase in gas prices. We are with one of the bigger companies (I think the biggest)), but if they went under, we'd have to accept another company at a much higher price. The government has said they are not going to step in to save companies with bad business plans.

Bloody well didn't stop them when the banks were at risk.

[Alex]

Went out and picked up my new glasses today. Combine that with a quick hospital appointment for my regular check-up and that is a whole afternoon off work.

I felt like being mean and cruel to someone, so I told them that under no circumstances should they ever watch the Dungeons & Dragons movie. He downloaded it last night.

Someone once asked me how I manage to keep my friends for so long. I told him keeping the bodies cool and well-salted is essential.

We picked up some presents for Ash today. A guitar stand and a piano stand. He won't let him take him into a toy shop, but just walk near a music store and oh boy! Thinking I am not going to be wrapping the piano stand though.

[Trevor]

I felt like being mean and cruel to someone, so I told them that under no circumstances should they ever watch the Dungeons & Dragons movie. He downloaded it last night.

Someone once asked me how I manage to keep my friends for so long. I told him keeping the bodies cool and well-salted is essential.

+ 

[Alex]

I think that is all of Kristi's Christmas presents bought in, although I am still waiting on one arriving that is being shipped from a woman in the Ukraine. We've ordered a bike for Ash well in advance since there have already been warnings of shortages of presents in the shops come Yule-time, so I am glad we've had a bit of forward planning going on and started buying quite early on in the year. I still need to buy him some toys, but the problem is that he already has more than he can play with.

I guess it is a sign of consumerism that I feel a need to still buy him stuff regardless.

We will do our usual thing of buying a couple of presents for needy families, put some food in the food banks and so forth. I really need to get better about remembering to do that more. Normally the donation bins are as you leaving the shop and I forget about it most of the time until I see them.

In the D&D campaign, I am running, one of the characters was captured by some ghouls. The group had a certain amount of time to rescue him with three different possible fates. Alas, the party managed to find him quite quickly, so I didn't get to use my prewritten 'death' scene.

"Opening the door, you find yourself entering a room seemingly designed with some sort of ritual in mind. Arcane symbols cover the walls, and a large circle has been drawn on the floor. Blood and gore are splashed all over the floor and walls. In the middle of the room, you can see what was once a living creature. It lies in a pool of its own blood and vital fluids. Much of the lower chest has been eaten away below the ribs. Guts spill out of the holes and lie strewn over the ground. The lower jaw has been ripped off and only a stub of the tongue remains. One of the eyes has been ripped out of the socket and the left arm has been chewed down to the bone. With a shock, you recognise Xora's robes. Then a greater shock hits you as the terrible remains cough, bubbles of blood erupting from the ruined throat. He lifts one hand shakily, reaching for you. The one good eye flicks open, staring at you, pleading for something he can no longer use words to articulate."

Shame, I thought the imagery would be rather effective in a part of the game designed to have a horror atmosphere.

[RCMerchant]

Someone once asked me how I manage to keep my friends for so long. I told him keeping the bodies cool and well-salted is essential.

Vinegar is more fun because it makes the bones rubbery!

[Alex]

Someone once asked me how I manage to keep my friends for so long. I told him keeping the bodies cool and well-salted is essential.

Vinegar is more fun because it makes the bones rubbery!

Lol, I have not heard that one before.

[RCMerchant]

 ^ Take a turkey wishbone and soak it in vinegar for a week. It will not break. It turns to rubber.
I've tried it.

http://youtu.be/vTL-C4vc0XY

[Alex]

Feels odd that it will be 2022 soon. Still trying to adjust to 2020 here.

It is a slow week at work, but we have the pre-knowledge that next week is going to be a pain. It is our busy week of the month and things always go wrong with it.

[Alex]

Getting a babysitter in tonight so me and Kristi can go have a night out.

It has been so long since we had one of them with just the pair of us I've almost forgotten what it is like. Originally it was to be an '80's themed night, but they've changed it to a movie night. Either way, my outfit works for both.

Being an introvert by nature part of me wants to just stay at home, but Kristi is a much more sociable creature than I so I'll force myself to go. I know if I do make the effort and leave the house then we'll have a good time. It is just getting over the initial inertia that is the issue.

The weather outside is very wet and autumnal. Some very minor flooding in a few places, so I'll make sure Kristi's feet stay dry. Last night in D&D I was getting unimpressed looks at the way I described her feet sinking into deep mud and filling her boots (wet feet are a pet hate of hers). I can't say I am a big fan of them myself, but from my days working out doors, not to mention when I used to go hillwalking, canoeing and sailing I am more or less used to it.

Can't say it is something I'd ever learn to enjoy though. If the internet has taught us nothing else though, it is that everything has his own kink and doubtless somewhere out there, there is a website devoted to it. 

For anyone familiar with Hawkwind, Stacia has been popping up a lot in conversation. Nothing deliberate, just several different chats have had her mentioned. Last month for some reason it was Israel that kept popping up, although not in conversation with the one person I know who'd I'd expect to bring that up.

Oh well, best go get my glad rags and dancing shoes on.

Have a good Saturday night all.