Lathany

Yesterday was an important day - I drove up to Nottingham and back to collect Bea. This means that birthday dinner will be tonight.



However, Dom had arranged for a awesome cake which we started on yesterday.

Things over the last few days:
- Bea and I visited the new coffee shop which turns out to do great smoothies and excellent milkshakes (I wasn't in the mood for a coffee).
- We played the second scenario of the Detective game. Still good, and more complicated than the first scenario. It's really halfway to being a roleplaying game/story.
- I'm putting together bits for a possible job application.
- I'm back playing Secret World Legends.

Window 22 was a toy boat.

Today we wrapped presents and I finished the Christmas cake. Dom braved Tescos for the Last Shop Before Christmas (we hope). Reeve slept (mostly).

I generally enjoyed my forties. They started well (The Fat Duck) and included plenty of roleplaying, writing, gaming (Secret Worlders!) and cake. Plus an angry cat.

My fifties have started in rather different circumstances, but I'm still promised cake. My presents from Dom were an emerald ring, a book drawn by him, an owl necklace, champagne, fudge, a CD and a multicoloured top. I've also got a copy of Monster Hunter World from Mr Fox. Oh, and I still have the angry cat. Some things don't change.

The last, double window opened to show a fireplace with stockings. Overall, it's been a pretty, wildlife calendar. Not all that seasonal, but nice enough in its way.

Here's a picture of the finished Xmas cake.



I've finally finished all the wrapping and all the pre-Xmas preparations, I think. Martin was over for a present exchange.

Today was Dom's birthday. I baked a cake - the chocolate cake recipe in the book I was given as a kid. It uses egg whites, ground almonds and lots of plain chocolate. It went down very well.

It's otherwise been pretty quiet. Working from home and not much going on.

Yesterday was my birthday. It began with cards and presents. I received seven cards, of which three were cats. I also had a bird card and a Batman card. Presents included a range of books, a ginger rum, a CD (Beth Rowley - Little Dreamer), a black silky coat and a deep pink silk shirt (from Martin) and a dragon mat from venta.



After breakfast, I played some Final Fantasy XIV, for the first time dungeoning with only one of my usual party (ao_lai).

In the afternoon, we did some glitter tattoos.



The butterflies are still fairly intact.



The lizard is now looking a little sorry for itself.

The evening meal included seafood pasta and birthday cake.



As you can see, there's a bit of a dragon theme to my day. We also had some of the ginger rum - which turned out to be very nice. I was a bit ill across the day - a cold I've picked up - but luckily, it didn't ruin it.

Looking back, I realise I haven't posted a general catch-up/review type post for a month. So I'll do some updates on the bits and pieces that happened in March altogether here.

Becoming 46
To start with, I became 46. Because this landed during my work stint in Private Office, I divided this into several celebrations - a meal the Sunday before (it being Easter Sunday, so Monday was a bank holiday and I could lie in), cake and presents on the day itself plus two celebrations to come - a meal with my parents and me taking sweet things into work. The cake bateleur made for me was rather yummy banana and chocolate and my presents included an excellent rum plus the Imperial symbol (WH40K).

Private Office
The remainder of Private Office was recess and consequently very quiet (in fact, impressively quiet given the Steel Issues). Therefore I don't propose to write up those days. I did get a Thank You card from them which is now in the dining room (with the birthday cards).

Roleplaying
A couple of games took place over the month.

Warhammer 40K
Events went like this:

• The party said goodbye to Mephiston Thorn and household and then travelled to Secundus, the uneventful part of their session. Atlanor briefed the Governor on events and the party met Kitheria (an untouchable). Afterwards there was a museum (history of Mathetarl) and shopping. At the space port they met Magdala, the captain of the Silver Dancer who told them about the planet they were heading to, Wezael.
• On route to Wezael, Teneu cracked the residence data crystal (but not the other one). Eli worked with the weapons master and discovered some interesting weapons (Magdala has a power blade). Marcus visited the Chapel and met Taurus Baxnir who had been on the Gwenilan.
• In orbit around Wazael, the Silver Dancer docked at orbital station Ash. Controller Amato Sirianus filled them in on the details of events: that Colin Marazen went exploring and found the ship, was sent back out with a party of eight two weeks ago, but didn’t come back.
• The group went down to the planet and met Isolde Jigitri who ran the base. She told them more about the expedition site's likely co-ordinates and conditions.
• On arrival at the site, the party found bodies (two lots of Imperial Guard). Then, when backup arrived, they explored the ship carefully and obtained its navigation data. Also, the party noted that none of its cargo were missing.
• Then the space battle began. Some of the Guard returned to orbit, the Inquisitor's party travelled to the mini-shelter. There they formed a plan to destroy the ship.
• The group stormed back to the site and entered the ship again. At this point they were down to themselves, Captain Corthin and Isolde. The party succeeded - through overloading the Warp Drive (which may result in later issues...)
• Finally, the party returned to the mini-shelter to receive a message from Gabriel - the wanted criminal who might be able to help them.

100 Secrets
Unfortunately, I have fewer notes on this, but let's give it a go.

• We investigated up and down the shore from Pharenis and found the site where the lighthouse had stood. Nearby, we found a cave of eggs which were very large (beachball) and seemed to belong to something poisonous (Carlos dissected one). We began to kill these when the knight arrived.
• One of the (two?) remaining Knights of Pharenis had found one of the three collars (from the NE Kingdom) and was wearing it. She (Malijay) seemed confused about what we were doing with the eggs and attacked us. This involved mind-warp magic that altered vision. After a long fight we eventually won and took her prisoner. The Warden warned us not to let the population know as the Knights were popular.
• We informed the other Knight and took him to see her. Without the collar, she could no longer see. He was upset and asked us to look after her.
• We also found the priests - or rather Rat did. They used hair-dye and had disappeared into the general population. Neddra talked to them and discovered that they were trying to get rid of the worms who had started a cave network. Neddra said that we would deal with the worms.
• We travelled back West over the sea. Neddra went back to Lewingarde taking the Knight to the care of her father. There he told her that Sarenland was still in trouble and he was worried about succession. Carlos and Aeryn went to Eyestone Hill to speak with the Ruvack. Carlos learned about the Stories (he was granted a wish) and Aeryn explained about the strange land she had seen.

Films
We saw three films in March, all of which being on the "critics darling" end of the spectrum.

• Nightcrawler - This was about how the media follow stories at the expense of people and their feelings. The lead went around filming accidents and murders. Clever in places, but very cynical and it stopped before we felt it was finished.
• Gone Girl - This was about a wife who disappeared and the husband who it seemed might have killed her. Which is an awful description, but fairly spoiler-free. Essentially it's a rather dark thriller. Some excellent performances though.
• Birdman - An Oscar-winner about a former actor who played a superhero (Birdman) trying to put a play on Broadway. Also about the various relationships between the people at the theatre. Interesting, watchable, but I'd have liked more Birdman.

I've posted about Ethan Carter elsewhere, so that's the lot.

It was bateleur's birthday today. We spent the day at Kew and wandered Holly Walk and the Tree-top Walkway. One odd thing - Palm House made me feel very ill, we thought I might have a reaction to some plant or pollen.

I made a coffee birthday cake when we got back. OK, we've plenty of cake in the house already, but it wasn't birthday cake.

Today I baked the Christmas Cake. This was phase two, having soaked the fruit in whiskey for a week. So far, so good.

This afternoon bateleur and Bea went to see jezzidue and C while I stayed home with Ryan. He played Terriaria (we failed at launching our joint game) and I did a bit of housework.