"Never make a defense or an apology until you are accused." - King Charles I

Not exactly Xmassy!

I scored in the 96th percentile for the GameFAQs battle challenge and in the 59th for the bracket challenge (for both, 0th percentile is bottom and 100th percentile is top). Not bad. I'd have done better with less loyalty to Cloud Strife.

"We are all of us failures, at least, the best of us are." - James M Barrie.

I feel I'd like to know more about when this was said.

Just finished watching Nomads. I have mixed feelings about it as a film. It wasn't bad, but the build-up promised rather more than it delivered and a lot of the questions it posed remained unanswered.

If you really have to cross the road in front of a line of cars as the lights turn to green, it's probably not a good idea to be wearing black from head to foot with your hood up.

I don't know how they managed to miss you either.

A nice new rum in the evening (Bacardi Oakheart). Tired now.

Over the weekend I have:

• Taken Ryan for a haircut - There was a surprising amount of hair on the floor afterwards.
• Played Candlewick Manor - I now have an ally, which appears to be a big winged creature. Assuming it survived the fight with the car. I (and half the party) also got swallowed by a giant frog, while the other half were kidnapped by a giant jelly fish and then found a pirate ship complete with ghost captain.
• Herman - triskellian gave me my very own friendship cake, which I'm hoping will survive my care.
• Tree - I put up the tree(s) and other decorations, with some help from the duo.
• Cooking with Ryan - This week was Easy Speedy Pizza which is large and yummy. (Pepperoni and olive).

I've also played some Lego Rock Band with Ryan and watched Bea playing Lego: Raiders of the Lost Ark which is incredibly like the film (and I now miss that film).

I doubt I'll manage a complete review because of how long it has been. But I'll give it a try:

• Evie - al_fruitbat and _alanna came over for lunch and we got to meet Evie. She was lovely, didn't object to me holding her (until she became hungry) and very peaceful. She sat quietly through a game of Elder Sign (which I enjoyed even though we lost).
• Fireworks - We did our usual trip to Kempton Park and floralaetifica came along to watch, listen (a mixture of tracks) and get to wear a glow stick. She also got to hear Edward Bear being bolshy.
• Hounslow Dance Competition - Just as I'd reached the point of dreading these because Bea, despite much practice, never placed, she came third. It was well deserved, she gave a slick performance, and she was delighted.
• Blood - After just squeaking through on the back-up iron test, I gave blood a few weeks ago. Ryan came along for the sticker and the Club bar.
• Jeeves 11 - shadowjon's mini-campaign is a lot of fun - 1930s Agatha Christie-style (only it's a theft and not a murder). It is also the first tabletop game I've played with neither a fantasy or a sci-fi element (...yet).
• Meteor - This is still going (mostly) according to plan. Despite being in the same world and using the same system the two groups are having satisfyingly different games. Although everyone hates the Goddess Myron (the Lawbringer).

I've mostly been re-reading books as it's got to the point in the annual work cycle where I'm doing long hours and my brain is melting. However, I've read a couple of new things:

• Hard-Boiled Wonderland And The End Of The World by Haruki Murakami - There was a lot of press coverage of Murakami at the time I was reading this and I wanted to like it. However, I more sort of didn't. It's got some interesting themes in it and the overall concept was nice, but I found it depressing and had difficulty identifying with the characters.
• The Street Lawyer by John Grisham - Well, it's a Grisham. Easy to read and pretty easy to forget afterwards. I enjoyed it, but it's very much light entertainment.

I've also seen three new films:

• Tron Legacy - I saw the original in the cinema, enjoyed it and was keen to see this. I liked it, but didn't find it as enjoyable. I liked the revisiting of the characters and ideas, but would have preferred a different ending.
• Sanjuro - A 1962 black-and-white Japanese samurai film which, much to my surprise, I enjoyed hugely. I think it helps that it's the right length for the story it's telling.
• I ❤ Huckabees - Quirky, odd, famous cast and funny. I liked this a great deal more than I liked The Big Lebowski (which it reminded me of) even if it's just a bit weird on the side for me.

All-in-all a busy couple of months.

Turns out that our solve-a-theft Agatha Christie (1930s) mystery on a cruise ship involves a submarine. Or something else large, underwater and with lights.

RIP Jayden.

(Meteor game)