Wayhey after two weeks of feeling miserable, down and as if everything is about to collapse around my head and suffering with an achey-nearly-cold (I never come down with full colds these days), the sun is out both externally and internally.

I feel grreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeatt!!!!!!!!

Hurrah 🙂

The rest of my week off was good. Visit to mum’s went well (slightly guilty that I’m so busy at the moment), Blue Planet was awesome (see picture left) although slightly too packed with ankle bitters. The rest of the week was spent pottering around the house.

Went to Lyme Park near Stockport last weekend and it was certainly the WIN! Had a lovely day out with my ladies, although didn’t spend as much time inside the house due to Eve being a bit cranky. Had a great slice of cake and coffee in the Timber yard cafe after walking round the gardens on a lovely sunny day. We were going to join the National Trust, and lucky us they were doing a 3months free offer that day!! Woohoo!! On the way home I also spotted a Farm/Petting Zoo which will keep Rach happy when I’m off next week.

Work continues to be a poisoned chalice. Got notice that Central HR have turned down everyones EVRS, but there’s also a strong rumour going round that the President’s office is overturning these decisions. So watch this space. On a more possitive note finally finishing off some longstanding projects (student/staff intranets). Its always good to get things finished after seeing them draggggg on for so long, plus once I’ve cleared my current work load I’ve got space for some personal development whooohoo!! I’m definatly getting on with moving into Freelancing/Self-employment.

In RPG news, Furnace fast approaches (20-21 Oct), work on SimpleQuest draft one is nearly done as is Monkey (end of next week) and I’ve managed to get my paws on a playtest copy of a certain much anticpated RPG coming out early next year!

Next week I’m off, Mum’s Birthday, Mine and Rach’s Anniversy, trip to see paint_repaint in Sheffield (bro+beer=Good) and meet up with the rest of the Furnace commitee (darransims, gspearing, tzunder)

eee life is grand!

And I feel no shame about making that statement. None whatsoever! Its long overdue, and while my job is no way taxing or stressful summer is always somewhat of a poisoned chalice working in IT. Everyone else is away, and your working in a sweatbox of an office finishing off a project – with your principal contacts on holiday. Bastards.

Well now I’m one of them. HA HA

Saturday: Caught up with TV watching (Heroes, The Wire) in the morning while looking after Eve. When Rach got up, whizzed arround cleaning up the house in preparation for….

Sunday was the day of Newtcon, which I’ll whitter on in more detail over on

d101games

, but suffice to say we had a room full of rpgers, two fantastic games, beer, german wheat beer, strange Belgian fruit beers, and more sugary and carbohydrate  foodstuffs than it was safe to eat. Was fine will be doing it again.

Monday, was a day left sculking around Castle Von Newport, with what roughly equates as a hangover. Rach had her little cohort of Midwifes with babies round, so I got to do lots of game playing and sitting out in the garden, which I realised that I’ve never properly done in the year and a half we’ve been here.

Today have had a lovely day with my lovely daughter. Lots of laughing and playing. A walk with the pram over to Tandle Hill Park a trip to Asda, during which Eve giggled her head off non-stop.

Plans for the rest of the week. Go visit my mum and spend some time with her tomorrow. Thursday, Eve gets her 3rd batch of kiddie vaccinations. Friday Blue Planet aquarium near Chester.

To everyone who met up with me, Rach and Eve last Saturday lunch. It was really nice to see you, apologies if I didn’t talk to everyone as much as I should have done. It was all a bit of a joyful whorl!!

Won’t be leaving it so long to visit again 🙂

Just a quick reminder, me , Rach and Eve will be visting Leeds this Saturday.

Venue: The Lounge on Merion Lane
Date: Saturday 18th August
Time: 12pm to roughly 2-3pm (dependant on small child’s temperament)

Look forward to seeing you.

Last year me and some mates (

gspearing

 ,

tzunder

 ,

darransims

 )  set out to run a small Roleplaying Games convention for RPGers by RPGers in Sheffield. It was such a rollicking success we are doing it again.  Last year we ran for 40 gamers, this year we are aiming for 70 over the weekend of October 20th-21st in Sheffield. Since we are running at the Garrison Hotel in Hillsborough there’s lots of accomodation at the venue as well as some alternative B&Bs and Hotels nearby.

UPDATE: More Pimpage, inc some photos, has been added by

darransims

in the comments below.

Thats right folks after a year and half since our departure we will be visiting Leeds, bringing the Newtlet along with us.

Venue: The Lounge on Merion Lane
Date: Saturday 18th August
Time: 12pm to roughly 2-3pm (dependant on small child’s temperament)

Look forward to seeing you.

EDIT: Please let me know if you are coming along, since theres no point us turning up if no one else can make it.

Me and Rach are thinking about coming over on Saturday 18th August (thats not this Sat coming but the next) to visit you all. The original plan was to meet folk at the Palace, but they only allow children in the beer garden. Unfortuntaly since we can’t guarrantee the weather, this means I need to find an alternative child friendly venue, preferably a pub in the city centre that serves food and is near to car parking.

Any suggestions folks?

Spent the last month or so getting the balance of my life right. Definatly a case of trying to do too much and getting stressed about things. Lots of little ‘projects’ and niggles have been axed so I can concentrate on what is really important.

The garden has taken a hammering. It was getting far too overgrown, due to my laziness and being busy elsewhere. Initially got a local gardener, a move initiated by Rach that I was never too happy with (male ego), but he seems to have given up on us during the recent wet spell. So when the sun has shined recently out I’ve gone to clear the jungle. Nearly there, just the big shrubs/trees at the back too do. Chuffed at this but somewhat unhealthly obsessed by the quality of my back lawn. So in short: Gardening is the New Metal and Alan Tichmarsh RAWWK!

Rach and Eve are doing well. Rach is enjoying being a mum overall, but sometimes the tiredness and boredom does get to her. Eve is growing at an amazing rate. I was aware children do this, but to see it happen! She has well and truely got the hang of smiling, and also does this cute snuggling thing too.

Work has been a bit strange and stressful of late to say the least. Not going to go into specifics but we are going through a departmental reorganisation, although disorganisation is closer to the mark. Its all a cost cutting exercise, since the geniuses who run Manchester University (my work) delieratly went £20m into debit two years ago when UMIST merged with them to recruit more researchers/academic staff and build new shiney buildings, on the basis that they could sell the old UMIST buildings (which they can’t since no one wants prime city centre real estate riddled with ASBESTOS!!!) and make cuts in Academic support (us plebs) later. So now we are having to shoulder a 20% cut! Most of this meant to be coming out of staff savings, but since the Unions have tied the Uni’s hands behind their back by saying there should be no manadatory redunancies they are doing this by letting us all apply for Voluntary severance. Which I have since I’m fed up with the nonsense this place comes out with. Should be a giggle if I get it, but any way I’m on my way out. Definatly out of University type employment or any other public sector (been there done that, got hacked off), possibliy into private industry or possibly freelance/self employed. Uncertain times, watch this space [/rant over]

Steadily getting on with my various RPG writing projects. First draft of Monkey preview edition will be done by the end of the month. Just bought 2nd Ed warhammer Fantasy Roleplay for a bit of fun after my current HQ campaign winds up and I’ll be entering Black Industies 2007 Scenario competition. Also been playing with Ancient world lifepaths (ala RQ3 ) for Burning Wheel and must really finish off Enemy at the Burning Gates for inclusion in the Furnace Con book. Talking of which Furnace is exactly 3 months away!!

So despite work being a bit funny and the weather being a bit crap, I’m having a fun summer so far!