As far as I know, it is functionally impossible for me to fall asleep anywhere but lying on my  back. So, it’s been suboptimal that I’ve spent a solid chunk of the last few nights for some reason lying on my front attempting to quiet my brain so I can finally crash out. Alas, a lot of that time has been spent drafting blurbs for updates that I immediately forget as soon as I fall asleep. *sigh* So, I’m trying to reconstruct some of them here, or at the very least talk/write through stuff. Once again, here we go…

I have survived another year, somehow managed the Christmas season without resorting to fire and slaughter and passed New Years with barely a drop of misery. Hearing my in-laws had gone off-list for a Christmas gift had me concerned, but when said gift turned out to be a (beautiful) drinking horn, any fears were swiftly calmed. Playing Cards Against Humanity with a housemate’s mother being among the players was awkward, though no more awkward than drawing the question card “What makes me wet?” I get that it’s based on what cards people have in their hands, but based on the answers I got some of my friends have an odd idea of my kinks. And no, I’m not telling you what those are.

That has passed though. There’s been medicinal fuck-ups (Forgetting or sleeping past the allotted time, not over indulging, to be clear), far too late nights and more than the the odd bout of emptiness, both in the forgetting to eat and wondering what the fuck am I doing today definitions. I don’t fall to pieces every time my wife goes away, but it’s a bad time of year for it to happen. So yeah… Loathe as I am to Google diagnose seasonal affective disorder, Christmas does bring stress, rage and anxiety in large amounts. Good times!

In further bad news, Path of the Warden has been put back to 2025 and the news felt like running into a wall. Don’t get me wrong, I’m completely on-board with the admin team’s reasons and have zero ill will towards them for it, it just brings back memories of Covid days when the calendar kept getting emptier and the days blurred together. Yes, there are other events running this year, and I’ve started tentative efforts towards putting together groups to go to them, but as previously stated I was really looking forward to that event. *sighs*

Only bright sides are I have more time for costume prep (Or more accurately, being incredibly indecisive about what I’m going to wear for longer) and there’s a chance I’ll be able to drag Niece, then to be aged 17, to it. She’s said convention freeforms aren’t really her thing and I respect that, but I’d love to get her to a foam weapon game for her to try it. This hobby makes me so damn happy, I want to share it with people, and if that means dragging a family member interstate so they can play dress up and try to thwack people with rubber swords then I’ll do that. A provisional agreement between us to do so has been reached about it, though she’s indicated she’ll require naps during the game. I don’t blame her. I’m still surprised I made it through the event without crashing, physically or emotionally. After the game though…

Turning to better news, I chose to take time and grabbed a Paramount +* trial to finally catch Star Trek: Lower Decks, and it is glorious. Star Trek workplace comedy may have been the idea, but it doesn’t shy away from the more terrifying parts of that universe, even while it’s cracking gags at a speed rarely seen since Airplane. Ask me, it’s a more than worthy successor to Galaxy Quest (Still the *best* Star Trek film, and I will DIE ON THAT HILL), in that loving tribute/merciless parody mix. It’s been 3 days, I’ve burned through all 4 seasons and am hankering for more. It’s the first Trek, bar the movies, that I’ve seen all of, and I love it. They’re a shipful of player characters and that’s a Star Trek game that I could run. Sure, I won’t, as the rules system is above my preferred crunch level as a GM and I’m still keener on the Klingon version of the book. Yes, they’re my favourite Trek race, mostly because I never lost the feeling of power they gave a young and scrawny me, and that feeling continues as an older and more pudgy adult. (Also, the songs) This may also explain why I’ve spent so much time admiring the tales of a certain northern barbarian…  

The sheer amount of Easter Eggs and historical gags is stunning, whether it’s taking the piss at the stranger parts of Voyager, familiar voices from other parts of the franchise (Recognising them is kind of a thing of mine), dealing with Q, or calling the TOS era ‘those old scientists.’ And the crossover with Strange New Worlds was beautiful. Also, GORN WEDDING. The line “I suppose, by the transitive property, I too must be Vulcan as a motherfucker.” And I can’t help but cackle at the bleeping – that makes everything funnier. I can’t decide what was the biggest punch the air moment for me, between the Titan’s arrival and Shaxs finally getting to eject a warp core. Also, “Moopsy” has taken it’s place in the list of things that will immediately induce sheer terror in me, alongside “Are you my Mummy?” and “Hmmmmmm.” 

Continuing the TV talk, the Doctor Who anniversary and Christmas specials were a delight. I wasn’t sure about the return of [SPOILERS, AS MY WIFE READS THIS AND HASN’T SEEN THEM], but I was happily surprised. Getting to see [REDACTED] again, even if only briefly, was incredibly emotional, to say nothing of seeing [DELETED FOR SECURITY REASONS] and the whole [THIS CONTENT IS NOT AVAILABLE IN YOUR REGION]. Large sections of them has seemed to really piss off certain toxic sections of fandom, even if I did spend a couple of days of being on the same side as Ian Levine and I still feel unclean from that. The new Doctor is amazing, and oh gods, his costumes are wonderful. I’m really looking forward to the new season, but I’m like that with all Who. I love it at it’s best, and at it’s worst.

So, yeah. Bit up, bit down. My best to you and yours for the new year. Be seeing you…