Awkward orchid, tingly bunny

Played "Gloomhaven" with the lads. The scenario was an escort mission, featuring a plant-man NPC designed to run into trouble. If he'd died, we'd have instantly failed. That almost happened at the very start, then we healed the foolhardy bugger up and kept him safe until the boss monster in the final room of the "dungeon" (actually a series of forest groves) was slain. A fun challenge.

Digital sport declined

A mate was telling me how he used to compete against his father at "Tetris". It made me envious - even the part about his dad's masterful trash talk.

The only videogame I ever got my own father to play was golf title "Leader Board" on the Commodore 64. Thanks to a lifelong passion for the real game, his club selection and shot direction/strength were spot on, to the point where his involvement felt like a cheat code.

Alas, after a single spirited session, he declared, "Nah, I'll get too addicted to this," walked away and never played it - or any other videogame - again.

--

Viewing: "Wheeler Dealers - World Tour" S2, "Ancient Justice" (history), "Truthseekers" (also history).

Stay in your space lane

After enjoying the audiobook of Matt Dinniman's "Dungeon Crawler Carl" novel so much, I had to buy TTRPG "Xcrawl Classics", which is thematically v. similar. I had to buy it all.

While we're on the topic, here's a list of things that sprang to mind while I was listening to "D/C/Carl". Why? Because I like making lists. One or two inclusions may surprise you.

* "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy"

* "Solo Leveling"

* The Denis Leary song "Asshole" (mainly due to the narrator's delivery of the darkly humorous portions)

* "Mad" magazine (or perhaps downmarket imitator "Cracked" would be more appropriate)

* Something with sassy talking animals in a swords'n'sorcery milieu - "Spellsinger"?

* "Beavis & Butthead", AND

* Fan fiction.