Christmas is Coming!

 Well. it's about three days to Christmas and I am feeling quite festive despite the lack of evidence. The living room looks very nice and I have bundles of Playmobile to bestow upon
Gracie. I did quite well. Last year we got her the doll's house and all the different rooms. To be honest she hasn't touched it.

She is really into My Little Pony, fairies, unicorns, princesses etc. So I got her a range of all that and two knights and a dragon to boot. So I am fairly certain these toys should verily catapult her into a fantasy world of fun. Whether that is healthy or not, I am unclear.



(How is it that when I click to watch a song on Utube by oh-so cool and indie band, Hefner, I am forced to sit through an agonizing Thai advert for Oil of Ulan in loud, shrilly voices, for fuck's sake?)

Initially, I was jubilant at the start of this present leisure break. I fear, I overindulged heavily, and felt like fucking shit for about 4 days; fat, dying, useless. Then last night I got out to a secret game night at Jonny's which was a blast. Today, I got up and did a bunch of exercise and seem to have my mojo back. It's great! I had a peaceful day of feeling good about myself. I know it's the 30 minute bike ride at the start of every day that can keep me feeling good.


So, there is a Christmas dinner at Pete's restaurant booked and I am sure a game night soon. Actually, I have a new Imperial ship, The Decimator which I am dying to try out. The Imperials normally get whacked (only once have they won, with Harry and Jonny in command), so I am keen to balance the game.


Merry Christmas, one and all.

Gaming!

 It's the lead-up to Christmas and I didn't need much encouragement. Today, I looked to Toys4Thai on the Net and ordered a bunch of Playmobil for Gracie. I got unicorns, princesses, knights, dragons, fairies and Santa and a snowman. It's a nice bundle of everything,

It's Saturday and I had a peaceful time at home. I do a lot of stretching right now pretty much throughout the day. and I continually drink water.

However, with every quaff of beer, my girth doth groweth.

I did 10 mins on the exercise bike today.

Coming into a pleasure storm of days off, what with English camps, exams and New Year coming up.

I am in much need of rest.

Today, I laminated a ton of LOTR cards and could for the first time build my fabulous Silvan Elf deck and play the first set of adventure packs, The Hunt for Gollum" for the first time. The decks are rad, and the process of learning a deck is a weird experience. "Hey! I know this card. It does this!"

Pete's last night and lasagne and chips with a bunch of imported ales; German light and dark and a couple of Aussie Cooper's Stout. Good night and great to see the friends I have here. They are an excellent lot, up for laughs and merry making. Jon, Pete, Brian, Harry, Arun are all top notch people abd we've had some right laughs already.

The game nights are surreal and awesome. Sometimes I wonder about myself, living in a tropical paradise, hosting cutting edge board games, as they are released, to a wonderful crowd of enthusiastic friends. It's quite a sight.

Descent. Dungeons and Dragons.

Star Wars X-Wing. Tense gaming.

Happy people enjoying fun company time friendship together,

Navigating through the asteroids was never his strong point.

'Sisco friends so cool. Hippy happy hap wipe days of leisure with the dreamy soperific Carcassonne.

The Crew.

Zombies

 Everything is zombies right now.

I just finished watching all of The Walking Dead. It took me about three weeks and was a lot of fun.

Added to this is my latest game, which was recommended by someone at Battlefield Bangkok, the game shop in Bangers. We played our first proper game last night. Well, almost. I overdid it on the wine and fell asleep about halfway through the game, but what we played of it was epic fun. I think I was so overjoyed at not being the evil overlord that I play every fortnight in Descent, that I got a bit carried away. A damn shame because it was great fun. I can see this coming back to the table very soon. Arun, Harry, Brian and Jon all come over for the game.

The gaming area is now on the balcony at the front of the house. I got a light put in so we can play into the night. It works well so far.

 I definitely need to cut back on the booze, as I really feel my age now and I want to live as long as I can. I have been using the exercise bike and I did a mean green juice two days ago. I mean to continue and get healthy. I have managed to get to the local market on my way to pick up Grace from school. It gives me just enough time to get there, buy the veggies and get to the school. It's the way to go.

School is winding down a bit now with exams approaching and we will get a much needed few days off. I need a break and to do nothing for a while.

I am onto The Two Towers now and the bit with Pippin and Merry with Treebeard. It's great stuff.

Grace and Oi are both fine and we exist happily in our little bubble in Sunnyview.

Let's hope it continues.

Hills and Sheep

A week before a fall off of work as we are due for some days off from school.

It's quite welcome, as I need a rest.

Life has been quite good though. Got a game of Star Wars X-Wing in last Saturday which was great, and D&D style Descent is still in full swing and all of us are getting better at it.

Carcassonne Hills and Sheep arrived yesterday. Apparently it's spiffy, so I'm looking forward to trying it out. In fact, a game is scheduled for this Friday with San Fran pal Karen and some lucky other people.

Grace is great but still very full-on.

Both Oi and I have been wonderfully engrossed in The Walking Dead TV show. I'm nearing the new episodes having ploughed through 4 seasons in about 2 weeks. But, what a trip! It's a great story.

I'll be looking for something new. Harry recommended WD.

I bit to busy to play LOTR after work. Too tired really, and would rather rest. When holidays come I shall get going with it.

Listening a lot to David Bowie.

Chicken Kebab

 

School in full swing and going well.

I bought an exercise bike so I don't have to go out on the bike and get bitten by a dog. I have been furiously cycling but the girth is yet to diminish. Sweat pours off in buckets however.

Talking of dogs, I rode into one the other morning on the way to school. Dumb fuck sitting in the road licking its arse when two other dogs started chasing it. It span around and went straight into me with a welp. I couldn't have given a shit, such is my conditioning here.

Gaming is steaming along and occupies a lot of my time. LOTR card game is just awesome and regular games with the fellas here are great, but life often gets in the way.

Grace is at a new school now - the catholic joint in town. Our daily patterns have had to change and I have to pick her up every day and Oi now works private class 3 nights a week. She does it because she wants to and enjoys it. Fair enough.

So we are pretty busy and trying to stay on top of things. Thanks the Lord I have my hobby room to chillax in.

I'm seriously into The Walking Dead right now thanks to Harry, and listening to a lot of Bowie - "The sun machine is coming down". Walking Dead is amazing. Best I have seen in ages. Actually the only ones I like is this and Vikings. Game of Thrones is okay but drags on a bit with endless conversations about nothing.

Friday nights everyone heads to Peter's restaurant. He's from Portsmouth, a teacher in my school, 3 kids and a restaurant. I don't know how he does it. Great food and beer though on a Friday. He does import beers so that's what I drink for my treat. Nice chicken kebab too.

Term 2

Here we are. Back at school.

It's good for me. To work. Stops me from killing myself with over indulgence.

Monday was hit and miss, but I came home and revised my lesson plans and had an easier time of it today, and that should set me up for the rest of the week.

Game nights have been on a back burner and has been playing on my mind. I have prepared my next quest in Lord of the Rings Card Game, Into the Pit. I took it into work today and had a quick play through. I got the gist and will go at it until I defeat it. These quests are a great challenge, and are no mean feat. This is all solo play, you understand. Anyway, it concerns traveling through the mines of Moria, if anyone can remember what that is. I did myself a great service by reading Fellowship of the Ring to enrich the experience. I am now onto The Two Towers, but it is the first book that I truly love, though Lesley and an Internet commentator spoke of the Hobbit war at the end of the story, of which I was completely unaware and was devoid in the movies.

I have about 7 games now, yet 3 remain unplayed. It is difficult to make the time, effort and gather people together. It's a slow process and I am in no rush, only to experience it.

It was good to meet up with my assistant, Port, who is a fine Thai fellow. I have injected a lot of humour into this weeks classes, with plenty of references to beautiful, handsome and clever students and making everyone suitably embarrassed. But I always pacify and reward, unless there is a cocky asshole who will subsequently take the full front of my verbal assault to the amusement of the class. No mercy to disruptive cocksuckers I'm afraid. Zero tolerance.

My first two subjects this term (self-chosen) were the Space Exploration Timeline and Water. Quite fun and fact driven. Perfect for exams.

Today, I got offered a 3 day job on an island! 1200 Baht an hour, 6 hours a day for 3 days. I can take Oi and Grace too working for the Thai government teaching local fishermen who operate a Homestay set up. Awesome, and even I can see this is a bit special. It's a tiny island in the Gulf of Thailand inhabited only by local folk. I said to Oi if she came along I would give her all the loot.

TV. Watching The Walking Dead and Transparent which are both great fun, but I deeply love Transparent. It's wicked.American Jewish Californian humour at its twisted best.

The End of the Holidays

It is the final week before going back to school and the start of the second term of the academic year in Thailand.

It has been a most pleasant time, and I have given enough time to idle pursuits.

Tonight, I'm listening to Lou Reed and a splash of Bowie from the early 80's.

Watch Human Universe with Brian Cox for awesome science.

Grace started at her new school today; Niramon. It's a catholic school and one of the best in town. It looks fine and she took full control of her first day. She's been great.

We had three days in Hua Hin 3 hours North of Chumpon. It's a tourist destination and suitably horrid. Expensive, people asking for money every five paces and rip offs galore. Still, we had an okay time and Grace got to ride on a horse a couple of times.  I think Thailand has lost the plot when it comes to tourism.

Lots of board gaming going on. Normally we will play twice a week. Either Star Wars or Descent, though Carcassonne has been creeping in lately. Several games lie waiting to be introduced; Dominant Species, Pathfinder and Blue Moon Legends. All of which are apparently fantastic. I take my time to learn the rules and watch multiple videos on Utube before I think about bringing it onto the table. Good fun.

It's been glorious and I have spent a fair time quite loaded this hols. I like to indulge and wander about the house, deciding if I should have a coffee, and then what movie to watch.

I finished The Fellowship of the Ring and have just started The Two Towers. I have never been so blown away by something like this before. I highly recommend a read. The movie missed all the best bits in the Bleak Lands, the Old Forest and Tom Bombadil.

Heigh Ho!