Grand idea Craig - hope you're back to full health soon.  Happy to be first cab off the rank, even though I've got my 40RPs already...

Off to Amble in Northumbria first thing tomorrow with Heather and Finn (wife and two year old Husky/Alsatian Cross respectively). It's a four hour drive from home, which most Brits will think long but, I'm guessing, for some Americans is how long it takes to get to the nearest shops.

We'll be meeting Heather's sister and husband, and their two dogs, for a long weekend of pubs, chips, and long walks on the beach. We'll probably take in Alnwick in just to get a few photos of the castle (Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films).  I'll probably sneak off around 7pm UK time to check how badly Steve has beaten me in U1 (I'm guessing 3-0) and find another excuse around 10pm to see how badly he's beaten me in TMVL (I'm guessing 3-0).

Sometime Saturday or Sunday I'll be sanding filled holes in the living room walls and cleaning woodwork ready for painting. Hoping to get the room decorated by Christmas.

Elaine, my young wife, works in a care home and it's the dreaded late/early this weekend. That means 2.30 till 9.30 Saturday followed by 7.30 to 2.30 Sunday. She wants to go visit her grandma Saturday and when she's not here I find it hard to stay off playing Fortnite. Whether it's solo or duos with my 6 year old son, who is way better than me depends on whether Jacob's 9 year old cousin  (also better than me) wants to play.

Saturday evening it's SESL, United and U2 with TMVL after I've picked Elaine up.

And Sunday I ought to see my mum and cook Sunday dinner - getting the living room done might be a problem.

For me, I'll be attending a swim meet for my kids, Saturday and Sunday morning. Then in the afternoons, I'll have campaign events and doorknocking. hopefully will have time to run the mower to mulch the leaves in my yard. Will probably play a little Minecraft, cry over my TMVL results, and start planning for Season 7!

I used to play a lot of Minecraft, Mike. Started out with Jacob, who was four, finding is way to Unspeakable YouTube videos about it. He seemed hooked do we bought him a Nintendo Switch  with it, I never really got the appeal at first but saw some of the things he could do in Creative so had a go.

Ended up losing my world when I changed phones and never really got back into it. Jacob plays a little but mostly Fortnite on his Switch (thanks ro seeing his older sister play) and Bloons TD6 on my phone, He had a PS5 last Christmas but, for him, it's mostly a means to watch Netflix or Disney+ as he can't get the hang of the controller for Fortnite as much as he's a wiz on the Switch (his decision making sucks at times though).

I've ended up as the main player on the PS5 with Fortnite and Gran Turismo 7.

Saturday's already mostly over here - I'm on a short term contract in Melbourne again so we're way ahead of everyone else time-wise, especially in the states. And it's a boring one - since I'm on a short term contract, things are full on, and ended up resting today.

Last night went to an AFLW match - it's the Aussie rules women's competition - which is probably one of my favourite sporting events to go to, especially when the club I support are playing. That wasn't the case last night as it was a catch-up with an old friend but there was a large comeback and the game was very entertaining.

Tomorrow's another off day thankfully, but I only have brunch plans with a mate and will catch up with family.

Saturday is almost gone here too now when I write this. We are in our vacationhouse in Spain and enjoying the sun. Been working all week at distance and its been okay. Today we visited a fruit and a coffeplantage. Both were not open for tourists without booking which we had not done. So we went back to the house. Will watch icehockey on TV later when my team Västerås IK plays and we finally have internetconnection here.

Sunday I will attend a local footballmatch here in La Herradura, Andalusia. Its early kick-off at 10am. I think they play in division 6 or 7, not quite sure. Later at sunday we fly back home to Sweden to meet the winter again. Will arrive late, arround midnaight and then get to work at the office again on monday.

QPR isn't on U.S. tv this morning, so I'm watching Blyth Spartans v. Wrexham in the FA Cup, and then all three of my sons have soccer games later this morning. I'll be coaching my seven-year-old middle son's team. Also, my parents are in town for a belated celebration of my youngest son's fourth birthday, so we'll have to figure out something to do in the afternoon (in addition to sorting out how to get my oldest son to and from a friend's birthday party). Tomorrow we're taking the kids to the Crayola Factory (which, if you're not familiar, is now a tourist experience where kids can play and learn about crayons, colors, and art). 

It's Sunday morning here and I wake up to this.

I find Minecraft extremely relaxing in creative mode, Steve.There's no pressure, no stakes, and it's just a good distraction to unwind after a long day. I started a world because my son and daughter (6 and 8 at the time) were spending a lot of time playing. They've since moved on to Roblox, but I still putter around my medeival world.

This is great stuff, love it. Thanks chaps...feel free to keep it coming :)

Where did my weekend go?  Well, we moved house on Friday so there were a LOT of boxes to unpack.  We have zillions of books, I have over 250 board games, my wife has wool and clothes in abundance.

Even now (Tuesday) we are far from finishing the unpacking, though most of the rooms are habitable now, and I can at last play the piano.  Over 30 boxes of books still.  It might have been an idea to de-clutter before we moved, but now we are forced into it as we are in a smaller house....

Now THAT is uncanny.....it's like reading my own life of the last 12 months....

 - Moved house

 - Zillions of books

 - Loads of board games (not 250...the missus would lose the plot :) )

 - Wool / crochet stuff

 - Now in a smaller house (so having that same de-clutter issue...although we did get rid of some before we moved

The only thing we're missing is a piano.

This weekend.

Well I'm in work tomorrow, the first time in ages that I've done a Saturday. Then in the late afternoon/early evening we're off to the fair.

Ilkeston fair is a Charter Fair granted by Henry III in 1252 so it's been going for 770 years barring two world wars and Covid. It's one of the oldest and largest street fairs in Europe. The town centre gets closed to traffic Monday evening and by Wednesday its full of fair rides. It closes Saturday and by Sunday lunch time it's gone.

This weekend I'll be attending a homecoming parade, knocking on doors, tapping the ceremonial keg for Octoberfest, and going to dinner and an a capella show with my wife, MaryAnn!

Craig....I get away with the "over 250" board games partly because my wife has so many books and so much wool - and partly because I have an agreement that my collection will not go over 200, after that it's strictly one in, one out.

Don't say anything.....!

Quiet Saturday this weekend - mainly food prep for Sunday's mezze.

Sunday is games day. I'll be running an RPG for a small party of friends and family.  We'll probably throw in a game of Pandemic Legacy Season 1 - we got wiped out last time so I think it's our final attempt at July. We always finish with The Mind. We managed level 8 once, but not got close to that since. Lack of alcohol synergy I think...

I had to count my board game collection after Paul's post. Only around 100, must try harder!

I only have about 10-15 board games. I don't play them any more as the wife and step-daughter aren't into games like that and Jacob is a bit young. I started getting them when my daughter was still living with me but that was over 15 years ago 

As kids we had quite a few games but they were Monopoly type games which I find boring now.

My weekend is very much daughter related - she lives darn sarf but comes home today which is nice :)

Pick her up early afternoon from the railway station then an afternoon chillin' before going to the chippy for a chip butty (cue the questions from our non-England based friends....and some England-based friends depending on what part of the country you're in!!)

Sunday we're off to see my mam and step-dad as well as visiting the local veggie restaurant (amazing food).

Monday evening we're off to watch a film before she goes back Tuesday.

Board games......completely agree Steve and I think we've discussed this before but Monopoly is surely the single worst board game ever and yet people who aren't bothered about about board games will play Monopoly?!?! Madness lol.

Paul, my lips are sealed. I've tried to use yourself and Roger as examples of others with lots of board games and that there is surely room for more for me ;)

I have a lot of board games, but nowhere near the 250 level.  I like a good game of Monopoly now and again, but the elimination aspect and length of time to play mean it doesn't come out very often.

As to the weekend it is the M1 football derby.  Watford vs Luton.  Will be feisty even though kicking off at Midday.  My sons's first taste of this particular fare.

(M1 being the motorway connecting Watford and Luton - 15 miles apart for the non UK friends)

Had a long day of youth soccer yesterday. My oldest son made some nice saves in goal and also scored a penalty in a7-3 win. My middle son had a frustrating game. He played well, but it's "rec" soccer (non-competetive and more about fitness and education). Lots of the kids are unfamiliar with soccer, and our team has more of those kids than others. So Ronan got frustrated that the team was doing poorly, and he lashed out and intentionally took out an opponent's ankles when he was beaten on the dribble. We had to have a chat about that and sportsmanship. 

Today I have some housework to do, as well as some work I need to get done for my local YMCA. I'm on the board and we're finishing up the planning for a Comedy Night fundraiser that I'll be emceeing.

See if you can work in this joke at comedy night:  "How long did it take for the pirate to finish the alphabet?....Not sure yet. He's spent many years at C."

See, that joke I got straight away but back in the late 70s early 80s there were a lot of elephant jokes in rag mags (student magazines sold for charity).  For example

Q. How do you know if an elephant has been in your fridge?

A. Footprints in the butter 

But one I read, and mention on SESL, that I didn't work out until 1999 was

Q. What do you do with an elephant with three balls?

A. Walk him and pitch to the rhino.

However if you do go back to 16 you'll need to recruit 5 when the 5 Freshmen you have leave after their senior year.