Count Thalim

I successfully made my 8th blood donation today. Then was politely asked not to come back. 😆 It turns out a history of feeling faint after giving blood and then finally passing out during the recovery phase makes the nurses very leery of letting you continue.

The situation in my office has become critical. There is debate over the correct pronunciation of 'Scone' and whether the jam or cream goes on first... 😱

New Year, New Mugs. Or how to make commentary about your guests. 😉

K-Pop Demon Hunters cosplay for Halloween. Complete with backing track as we followed them round with Bluetooth speakers...

I came back to my daughter having done baking. It is still unfinished, apparently, but I am getting strong Bronze age hill fort vibes...

Time for a Dune Part I & II marathon at the Bradford Imax. 🤩

Today's rabbit hole to go down: Colonial Economics in interplanetary societies...

It is that time of the year that I lose my kitchen to cake, jam & bread making as my eldest attempts to win the Pudsey show home produce cup again. The bottom of my fridge is full of jams, marmalades & curds. The freezer has cakes, and the kitchen fairy (me) is magically making the mess disappear.

I'm recruiting a new staff position for my department and having to argue with senior directors that £18k is not an acceptable salary. "But I was on £16k when I started" That was over 20 years ago! 😤

I was first given the Stone canal by an aunt back in the 90s. As a sheltered teen who hadn't known steet level politics could be in my sci-fi (and what most politics was tbh) it was an eye opener. Ken MacLeod is always a read that makes you think. socialecologies.wordpress.com/2025/08/23/k...

My new Renault R5 is so French it comes with a baguette holder... 🤣

Dune Parts 1 & 2 are coming to the Bradford IMAX in a double bill next month. 😍 Already booked to see it (again) with my eldest. Thanks to @duneinfo.com for the heads up. Dune: Part One (12) | National Science and Media Museum share.google/nWAL0R0Shrs9...

My eldest made a cake for my birthday. 😋

For all the 7th Sea fans out there, Studio Agate has an open feedback form for what you want to see in a new 7th Sea in regards to Setting & System. Essentially, do they go for iteration or rebuild of either or both. www.chaosium.com/blogchaosium...

It is so hot today that my house is full of puddles of cat...

I would say my elsest has surpassed me, but to be honest, that happened several years ago. A few quick buns she whipped up for a school fair...

20 years ago, we got married. Amazingly, we are still together and still madly in love... ❤️ Despite the commentary of our friends who were apparently sure it would end in a Cluedo murder mystery. 🤣 Here's to the next 20.🥂

My Eldest has introduced my youngest to K-pop. Whilst an improvement over the saccharine stuff she currently listens to, I am uncertain if this is good in the long run...

It's too early in the morning to be working out HMRC tax calculations. 😭 But your staffs wages are the one thing you never mess with.

The kids in my group are too young. One of them came out with the line "The village people are corrupted" without any understanding of how that could be interpreted. 😱

I unpack everything for running my game at the club... and I have forgotten my notes. 😖 Looks like I am doing an improv session today. 😬

Long day at work. First to open up the office and last to leave. 😵‍💫 Could have done without the late in the day Teams call regarding an arbitration someone is trying on us. Almost no chance of success but still annoying to defend.

Got back home after Expo to find the road blocked off. Apparently, they chose to give 2 days notice before they started resurfacing it this weekend...

Almost finished with #UKGamesExpo for 2025. Got a few games & bits, caught up with people, and acquired info on some game lines (mainly Dune) Highlight to @cubyria.bsky.social for their Kickstarter: Architect of a lost city. This was excellent for both me and the kids! Will back it when it's out.

Weirdly UKGamesExpo was quieter first thing Saturday than it was Friday. Beginning to build up but still not as bad. Maybe everyone tried to avoid the chaos that is Saturday normally.

So who else is at #UKGamesExpo this weekend?

Having watched Eurovision (and gotten steadily drunk as the only way to watch it) I have the following analysis: Fallout Concert Creation of the Eye of Terror Predator on PERN Brujah Nightclub Temu Rambo

Planning the final session of my gaming club TORG campaign. One of the players has the most TORG character yet. Ex-special forces, transformed to Corporate Samurai riding a baby t-rex...

I'm providing parental support for my local scout goup at the parish church. They've all gone out to look at local landmarks, so I am all alone in the church, and it feels seriously weird with the silence and echoes.

Today Artemis has graduated from killing inanimate mouses to biological mice. This does not bode well...

I'm liking today's worldle. 🤣 "But what did they ever do for us?"

Some of the baking boxed and ready to transport. There is still the Swiss roll and cherry pie to go, plus I have boxes of offcuts and spares for my Roleplaying groups...

My eldest is currently on a sugar/caffeine/tiredness high and going manic finishing the list of baking required to win our local cottage garden and allotment society spring show. I have a lot of kitchen fairying to do now...

We have 3 hours child free time, what do we do? Quick, tip run and get the lounge tidied! 🤣🤣🤣... 😭

Our kitten has killed his first mouse... Which is annoying as it was a nice one.

Nothing good ever occurs when all the planets are in alignment...

Ran my Conspiracy X one-shot at the games club today. They were successful at stopping the frozen nazi zombies. I only lost one character. Though he did attack the group of MIB agents on his own so even he admitted that it was fair. The after action reports are going to make interesting reading..

I had some spare time in London yesterday, so I popped into the London Mithraeum. I highly recommend going if you have half an hour to spare. The staging is beautiful, and it is like an oasis of contemplation in the heart of the city. #londonmithraeum www.londonmithraeum.com

My players wanted more 'dark' games from me. So I am going to run Conspiracy X for them, and this time, they aren't Santa's little helpers... 🤣

The latest one shot at the game club resulted in 1 infected & dead, 1 infected & buried under a building, 1 infected & held by the evil corporation, and the last one also held by the evil corporation. But she isn't infected, so that is something, right? Apparently, they want more dark games? 🤔

My eldest made me a bento box for lunch.😍 Complete with artistic hot dog squids.

I've been to the dentist this afternoon. So while my eldest is enjoying a nice gammon steak, I'm eating porridge. 😭

Just finished making characters for the Council of 5 that my players will be targeting in my current @modiphius.bsky.social Dune RPG campaign. Part of a convoluted plan to take over a Minor House to use against a different House. Will see if they still remember why they are doing this at the end.

Putting together a Dune RPG scenario for Pudsey Owlbears and thought I would check if I could steal anything from Masters of Dune. It turns out I have written the Spacing Guild chapter, just from the bad guys perspective... Either fluke or my subconscious has a better memory than me.