household

Quiet Day

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We were going to run the usual DDC game this evening but illness struck among the players so I’ve instead been playing various games on the XBox and chatting with various people online, as you do.

I’d like to say I was productive on the creative front, but housework and prepping for myr s and cub’s visit next week was the priority of the day. The cub has specifically asked for Lady M’s fabled chocolate mousse as a treat when they’re here, so getting the ingredients was reason enough to do a semi-weekly shop.

So yes, nothing exciting today, but a gentle recharge of batteries in our respective ways.

A Small Box Mountain

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I got home today after an over-enthusiastic 40 minute walk back from work in the blazing sun to find a full mailbox and a stack of deliveries outside our door, all addressed to Lady M.

I may have quietly made some uncharitable noises while carting them all indoors before stripping off for a shower, even though they weren’t particularly heavy.

When Lady M got home, and we’d compared stories of wilting in the heat, and showered, she started opening them to find that they were rewards from an online conference that she had attended a while back – so there were some nice little things like new pillows, a favourite fragrance, some sunglasses, things like that.

All on all, a nice surprise at the end of a day of feeling grimy. Oh, and our XBox had finally given up the ghost in playing physical discs – not bad for a Day One XBox – so we managed to find a second hand replacement in an XBox One X. Favoured games are now being reinstalled…

Back To It

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I dove back into working today to get my brain focused on anything other than spinning in circles – though it was mostly meetings and training sessions. That said it did allow me to get all my branch managers together in one place for the first time and congratulate them on surviving their first week.

There’s a lot of changes happening very quickly, and a lot of juggling of priorities, and they’re rising to the challenges with aplomb and no more quiet cursing than you might hope for – especially the ones who haven’t been a manager before. They’re a good bunch.

This evening Lady M had a migraine, so I’ve mostly unwound by playing Destiny2 and trying some different loadouts and activities in the game. Not a bad end to the day.

Moving Day

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The Charleesi and her partner got the keys to their flat yesterday, but only set up their kitchen. This afternoon I helped her move another car-load after her mum had helped her move bedding in the morning. J is visiting his family this weekend, so we’ve enjoyed pitching in.

I’m so proud of her, she’s worked hard to find and secure this flat. There’s a quietly confident glow to her, but it hasn’t been smooth going.

We spent a good few hours unpacking and putting things in various temporary places while she planned their final placements. It’s their first flat so for now it’s all pretty bare, but tomorrow sees her waking for the first time in her own place. I remember doing the same in my first place when I left home, and hope she cherishes the memory.

Sus Bin Delivery

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I couldn’t resist. When myr s mentioned they were needing to have a crackdown on tidying, and our conversations had turned to how we could motivate that, I suggested a rewards chart – and agreed to buy a big bin, which was duly delivered today.

And it looks more than a little like a spaceman from Among Us.

Definitely sus…

Maps and Chattering

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We didn’t have a game this evening as myr s isn’t feeling well. Instead we sat in our Discord server and nattered away while doing our own things. In essence a quiet polycule evening being both together and in our own spaces.

Being a fiendish DM I spent a good portion of time downloading and editing map elements for the next few weeks most likely set piece battles, and making up a few random maps that I can turn to multiple uses “just in case”.

It’s one of the key behaviours I’ve adopted while running sessions in a virtual space – to have things relatively generic set aside that can be pressed into service. Contingency planning is a large part of running a more ad hoc series of adventures – with skills gleaned from years of project management, copy writing, and managing staff in general. Transferable skills work in all directions.

Oh, we may also have spent some considerable time looking up properties that we could buy up between us as well. Many interesting decorating decisions in many properties on estate agent websites have been critiqued this evening.

How Pleasant

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I’ve actually enjoyed today. It’s been one of my regular days off, but instead of flashing by it has lasted. If working you might say it dragged, but this was more the joy of being able to spend significant time on different things and find there was still time to then go and do other things.

How pleasant.

I even had a message saying I could wander in to Walton and have my second Covid jab, but as I’m already booked in for it next week I decided to stick to the original plan.

Hopefully work in the morning will also go largely to plan – said plan being to enjoy being front of house at one of my libraries and encourage the creation of some new displays by the Saturday staff.

Odif Has Arrived

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I couldn’t resist, I went looking on Etsy for some kind of plush kobold to stand in for Odif for the game, and found someone in Chester who crochets very cute and geeky things.

So cut to a week later and Odif has already disrupted several of Lady M’s Teams meetings, and enchanted the DDC group chat – so time to share the cuteness

Oh dear

I think we may have found a strong rival to Grogu…

More Dice Play

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It’s a bit of a busy week, so I’ve been finding it quite relaxing to arrange and shift around the various dice – especially as I may have succumbed to temptation and bought another couple of sets via Wish a couple of weeks ago.

Clicky-clacky math rocks, again…

They just happened to arrive this afternoon, so of course this prompted another rethink about how to store and display them. I’d been talking to a colleague this morning about all the dice and she suggested a glass bowl might be a nice way to do so.

Quite by chance we do have some glassware that doesn’t really get used – and one is a decorated mason jar style container that is just big enough to contain all the partial sets and single dice that I’ve accumulated. Well, it would be rude not to use it, wouldn’t it?

So, making the most of still not being able to get everyone around a physical table, I can at least do something aesthetically pleasing with the tools of my trade.

Happy Memory

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I was having a brief online chat with my daughter this evening, where she was recounting a work drama with her usual dry wit – and she mentioned how her hope for the summer is to be able to drag her boyfriend to Thorpe Park.

Long-time readers and family friends will of course recall our many visits there over the years, supported by Merlin Passes and a love of being flung around complex rollercoasters. She then ruminate that now she’s earning full-time she has every intention of finishing the day loaded down with merchandise.

Pretty much simultaneously we then opined that a return to Alton Towers should happen again, and with that came memories of our staying there for the weekend of her 16th birthday – which still ranks as one of our favourite memories ever

We hadn’t told her we were going there, and it was late on a Friday when we got there, and I’ll never forget the look on her face as we arrived, or when we got to our room to find a cake and a Teddy bear waiting for her.

It was me, Lady M, and the Charleesi, staying on-site and just making the absolute most of absolutely everything. From food to early access on each day I think we hit nearly every ride several times and had glorious sunshine the whole weekend.

Even just writing these words has put a smile on my face – a wonderful antidote to the discomfort of the last 24 hours or so