Wordplay

I had a really good discussion last night on Skype with Graham Spearing about his forthcoming RPG Wordplay. As a game, it's best described as the bastard love-child of HeroQuest and Burning Wheel, a great blend of traditional and narrative styles. I'm privileged that Graham would like me to lay out the project, which is giving me a great excuse to properly learn how to use the copy of InDesign CS2 that I have on the computer.

We had a really good natter about how the game will look and feel, and before I knew it an hour and a half had passed. It left me feeling really energised about gaming and writing again, and perhaps will be the motivation for me to start back on the Traveller scenario, Power Projection and other projects that have been sitting on the backburner!

Currently feeling: Relaxed
Currently listening to: My mum, dad and Jill.
Currently reading: The Complete Chronicles of Conan (Robert E Howard).

Wales Weekend

We had a lovely weekend in the wilds of Wales, with no modern communications, staying at one of my University friends' cottage. Ceri and Nick kindly looked after us for the weekend, and Jon and Becky also came along. We celebrated Jon's birthday, and had a great time relaxing.

Ceri, Nick and Nathan
Ceri, Nick & Nathan.

Jon, Becky and Nathan
Jon, Becky and Nathan.

Ghost Baby
Ghost Baby - I loved the reflection here.

Jill and Nathan
Jill and Nathan, on a train. Can you spot the tired one?

Things that make it all worthwhile.

I got home from work on Wednesday, after one of those days when you're really happy to be away from the place, and was greeted by Nathan who managed to put a smile back on my face pretty quickly. As I got to the door, I was surprised to find him wearing his cardigan and looking very excited. Apparently, he'd demanded that Jill put it on him a few minutes before I got home!

Anyway, on seeing me, he squealed in excitement, and rushed to the side of the room where his reins had been put. Now, we'd had these less than two weeks, but already he associates them with going for a walk. He demanded – vociferously, saying 'Da' – that I put them on him and then took him out for a walk in the close. We were out for 40 minutes and ranged a fair distance. He was determined that
he was going to walk, and that he was not going to be picked up.

One of the highlights was Nathan yelling 'hiya' and waving at the next door neighbours when they arrived home from their walk, and the look of surprise on their face as they waved back. It still brings a big grin to my face now!
Happy