Prepare for the likely as well as the unlikely
While my zombie apocalypse plans are fully developed, I was not adequately prepared for a puncture while cycling home last night ...
I had covered 15km when I went over a pothole, causing what is known as a snakebite puncture, where the impact of the rim on the tube makes two neat incisions like a little snakebite. It was 19h00, the nearest bike shops were 4km behind or 5km ahead (and closed) and I did not have a puncture repair kit or a replacement inner tube (although I had both at home). I ended up walking the remaining 7km home.
So, today, I am going to the bike shop and buying two replacement inner tube (cheap!) and carrying both with me, along with my usual tyre levers and pump. Then punctures will mean a 20-minute delay at most, not an extra hour of walking.
Monday saw the start of what will hopefully be an ongoing game - a Pathfinder (ie DnD 3.5+) game set in Song Dynasty China. The period is really interesting, and sees my favourite historical antagonists arrive - the Mongols! Really, the Mongols and the effect they had on world history are completely under-appreciated. I try to use them in every historical game I run - unfortunately none of my Ars Magica games ever got far enough for The Mongol Invasion.
I really liked DnD 3rd ed when it came out, ooh, twelve years ago? DnD 3.5 mostly passed me by, since I didn't see the need for the changes. I missed the release of DnD 4th Ed, and the surrounding controversy and flamewars. Wow. 4th Ed is ... not very good. In fact, the whole logic behind it is rather poor. The end result is a system which loses most verisimilitude, and the supposedly better combat rules are in fact worse for complexity and time.
So, Pathfinder. Pathfinder fixes a lot of the worst problems with 3/3.5. It's a very familiar system to anyone who has played 3rd ed, and has a lot of good fresh approaches to some things. A good example is Pathfinder goblins - a nice development of a very vanilla DnD monster, with excellent artwork to match the theme.
The reorganisation at work is still going on. It started on my 34th birthday, in 2010. Since it started I've done a tour of Afghanistan and had a child, who is now a year old. I'm not sure what else can be said about that.
Little V had a fever from her vaccinations a couple of weeks ago, but she is such an angel. She walked around looking a little flushed, and wanted lots of hugs. Poor little thing! She is now all better, and ready to conquer the world once more.
I had covered 15km when I went over a pothole, causing what is known as a snakebite puncture, where the impact of the rim on the tube makes two neat incisions like a little snakebite. It was 19h00, the nearest bike shops were 4km behind or 5km ahead (and closed) and I did not have a puncture repair kit or a replacement inner tube (although I had both at home). I ended up walking the remaining 7km home.
So, today, I am going to the bike shop and buying two replacement inner tube (cheap!) and carrying both with me, along with my usual tyre levers and pump. Then punctures will mean a 20-minute delay at most, not an extra hour of walking.
Monday saw the start of what will hopefully be an ongoing game - a Pathfinder (ie DnD 3.5+) game set in Song Dynasty China. The period is really interesting, and sees my favourite historical antagonists arrive - the Mongols! Really, the Mongols and the effect they had on world history are completely under-appreciated. I try to use them in every historical game I run - unfortunately none of my Ars Magica games ever got far enough for The Mongol Invasion.
I really liked DnD 3rd ed when it came out, ooh, twelve years ago? DnD 3.5 mostly passed me by, since I didn't see the need for the changes. I missed the release of DnD 4th Ed, and the surrounding controversy and flamewars. Wow. 4th Ed is ... not very good. In fact, the whole logic behind it is rather poor. The end result is a system which loses most verisimilitude, and the supposedly better combat rules are in fact worse for complexity and time.
So, Pathfinder. Pathfinder fixes a lot of the worst problems with 3/3.5. It's a very familiar system to anyone who has played 3rd ed, and has a lot of good fresh approaches to some things. A good example is Pathfinder goblins - a nice development of a very vanilla DnD monster, with excellent artwork to match the theme.
The reorganisation at work is still going on. It started on my 34th birthday, in 2010. Since it started I've done a tour of Afghanistan and had a child, who is now a year old. I'm not sure what else can be said about that.
Little V had a fever from her vaccinations a couple of weeks ago, but she is such an angel. She walked around looking a little flushed, and wanted lots of hugs. Poor little thing! She is now all better, and ready to conquer the world once more.