It's A Baby Bungle!
Mar. 1st, 2026 04:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lupestripeAfter three weeks of travelling, it has been good to stay in the same place this week, although all of the usual issues with day-to-day living have returned too. I'm still no further ahead on the job front, I still have all of the same doubts as before, and I'm still wondering what the future will bring. One thing we have done this week is to cut alcohol out completely. Twenty-two pints at Scotiacon (plus a beer tasting session) and sixteen at NFC was definitely too much. I've wanted to lose weight for a long time and I've decided the only way I can do this is to ban alcohol in the house completely. I'll still drink in social settings, but there aren't too many of those over the coming weeks. We have also decided to eat only healthy snacks (carrots and hummus this weekend) and reduce bread consumption too. What hasn't helped has been the con crud we picked up after NFC too. It has been more low level and annoying, but again I'm not sleeping, and have not felt my best.
It has been a little difficult swerving alcohol, but tonight's Jackbox session wasn't too bad in this regard. I have been drinking carbonated water with cordial and it went quite well. Unlike the January event, which ended abruptly, tonight we were on for six hours. Most of the games we played were from the most recent, eleventh, iteration of Jackbox. Doominate was probably my favourite as it had similar vibes to Quiplash, plus it had a unicorn. Suspectives I was unsure about until the very end, when the clues and answers somehow came together, making deducing the criminal much easier and fun. You could also be dogs in that one. Cookie Haus was okay, although the cow character was a little annoying, while Legends of Trivia was absolutely fantastic. This is a three-part RPG game where you have to answer trivia questions to beat monsters. I got to be a dragon in a yellow flowing dress and although most of the questions were frustratingly too geeky for me, the fact we had to work as a team rather than against each other, meant we completed the game. Ultimately, though, it's just been great to get all of our friends back together again - this was the highlight of the lock down years - and it's cementing my view that we should probably move back to the UK (even if nearly everyone we know inconveniently lives in Manchester these days).
On Friday, Brewdog announced the immediate liquidation of their brewery and shop in Germany. This wasn't too surprising, but it is disappointing. I suppose it will make the no drinking thing easier, but we've lost about half of the decent craft beers in Berlin in the last two years, and the place was hardly replete with them in the first place. I'm more pissed off than I thought I would be about this, but with the final Leeds bar having closed in January, the whole brand is now dead to me. They'll likely be bought out by a macro brewery, with their UK operations surviving (although I think the bars will close), but I doubt I'll patronise them again. They will become everything they railed against, while the owners cashed out nicely.
It has felt very Spring-like today, with temperatures approaching 19C, so I've been enjoying the sun. It was great getting out and about, and with it now being March, it does feel the worst of the Winter is behind us. The weather tomorrow is cloudier and cooler though. I was tempted to go to the post-NFC anti-PCD fursuit walk around the city centre, but this was moved from Saturday to Sunday due to a BVG strike and I like to keep Sundays free. Instead, I am hoping to do some more writing tomorrow - having made some requested revisions to another story midweek - while I'd like to relax a little more ahead of another full working week next week. I am hoping for more luck on the job front too, but it's been two years since I started applying for jobs seriously, and still there is little. I'll keep going, but it is affecting my confidence.
What else? World events are also starting to intrude again - it's a shame we couldn't have one month without the threat of global war hanging over us - but the situation in Iran is desperately worrying. I have no idea how it will go from here. At least Reform lost the Gorton and Denton by-election in midweek and I hope Labour will pivot to the left after the Greens' convincing victory there. I doubt they will, but they really need to, as their Blue Labour tripe is clearly convincing no one. Aside from that, we have the usual right-wing threats from the usual right-wing people, which has me feeling riled and irritable. I don't like being like this, but it's hard not be at times. Certainly, I have become more cynical and bitter of late, and I do need to rein that in. I have no idea how, but it's something I should try and work out.
It has been a little difficult swerving alcohol, but tonight's Jackbox session wasn't too bad in this regard. I have been drinking carbonated water with cordial and it went quite well. Unlike the January event, which ended abruptly, tonight we were on for six hours. Most of the games we played were from the most recent, eleventh, iteration of Jackbox. Doominate was probably my favourite as it had similar vibes to Quiplash, plus it had a unicorn. Suspectives I was unsure about until the very end, when the clues and answers somehow came together, making deducing the criminal much easier and fun. You could also be dogs in that one. Cookie Haus was okay, although the cow character was a little annoying, while Legends of Trivia was absolutely fantastic. This is a three-part RPG game where you have to answer trivia questions to beat monsters. I got to be a dragon in a yellow flowing dress and although most of the questions were frustratingly too geeky for me, the fact we had to work as a team rather than against each other, meant we completed the game. Ultimately, though, it's just been great to get all of our friends back together again - this was the highlight of the lock down years - and it's cementing my view that we should probably move back to the UK (even if nearly everyone we know inconveniently lives in Manchester these days).
On Friday, Brewdog announced the immediate liquidation of their brewery and shop in Germany. This wasn't too surprising, but it is disappointing. I suppose it will make the no drinking thing easier, but we've lost about half of the decent craft beers in Berlin in the last two years, and the place was hardly replete with them in the first place. I'm more pissed off than I thought I would be about this, but with the final Leeds bar having closed in January, the whole brand is now dead to me. They'll likely be bought out by a macro brewery, with their UK operations surviving (although I think the bars will close), but I doubt I'll patronise them again. They will become everything they railed against, while the owners cashed out nicely.
It has felt very Spring-like today, with temperatures approaching 19C, so I've been enjoying the sun. It was great getting out and about, and with it now being March, it does feel the worst of the Winter is behind us. The weather tomorrow is cloudier and cooler though. I was tempted to go to the post-NFC anti-PCD fursuit walk around the city centre, but this was moved from Saturday to Sunday due to a BVG strike and I like to keep Sundays free. Instead, I am hoping to do some more writing tomorrow - having made some requested revisions to another story midweek - while I'd like to relax a little more ahead of another full working week next week. I am hoping for more luck on the job front too, but it's been two years since I started applying for jobs seriously, and still there is little. I'll keep going, but it is affecting my confidence.
What else? World events are also starting to intrude again - it's a shame we couldn't have one month without the threat of global war hanging over us - but the situation in Iran is desperately worrying. I have no idea how it will go from here. At least Reform lost the Gorton and Denton by-election in midweek and I hope Labour will pivot to the left after the Greens' convincing victory there. I doubt they will, but they really need to, as their Blue Labour tripe is clearly convincing no one. Aside from that, we have the usual right-wing threats from the usual right-wing people, which has me feeling riled and irritable. I don't like being like this, but it's hard not be at times. Certainly, I have become more cynical and bitter of late, and I do need to rein that in. I have no idea how, but it's something I should try and work out.
