A Real-Life Game of Mousetrap
And some fun game aids I enjoyed!
Despite my best efforts, I have done zero gaming this week, unless you count me finally downloading a Cake Sort app to my phone, lol. What’s been taking up most of my time instead is a seemingly endless real-life game of Mousetrap, as my kids and I catch and release the mice who’ve decided to keep warm this winter in our home. We’ve already released over ten mice in the woods about a mile from our home now, and are counting the days till our preferred specialist can close up all the tiny mouse entrances and help us stop this problem for good, or at least for another few years.
I did find a writing partner for Kay Marlow Allen’s epistolary game Your Friend In Witchcraft tho! After discussing our shared world, my correspondent and I decided that I would play the more experienced witch, who’s something of a dandy trying to be taken seriously as both a writer and a spellcaster. As such, I created the following graphic as a prompt for our shared story, the ad that’s basically the impetus for our correspondence:
I did finally finish Martin Bennedik’s Beginner Chess Puzzles, which I suppose is a gaming aid, too! I personally found it a challenging but fun collection of puzzles that not only taught me a bunch of basic chess strategies but also taught me notation, history and chess culture. My eldest and I did some of the puzzles together, and the book and its sequel Intermediate Chess Puzzles are all his now that I’ve finished reviewing them for work. Maybe I’ve learned enough to actually win a game or two going forward!
I also really enjoyed reading Joshua Corin’s 90s-era thriller Assume Nothing this week. I originally said yes to reviewing it when I heard that it was written by a guy who’s penned several Deadpool comics. Even so, I was completely unprepared for the staggering twist that hits at the 33% or so mark. The book is audacious and evokes an excellent sense of nostalgia. I really enjoyed it.
Honestly, I don’t even remember what I’ve been doing this week, everything is such a blur of work and cello and mice and (not enough) sleep! There was a definitely a little football in there. It’s weird how much I’m enjoying this new Champions League format now that Arsenal is doing so well in it, lol. Oh, my co-parent came back from Japan and got me the Little Twin Star Happy Meal toys I asked for! Here’s the quick video I made:
Gosh, it’s only 8:30pm but I’m already exhausted and need to go practice cello before rehearsal tomorrow. Hopefully, I will have far more interesting news to share with you next week than this one. See you in seven, friends!
Currently Playing (Music): Mozart’s Prague Symphony; my Declan Rice and 2025 Energy playlists; Bad Bunny’s DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS; Rosalia’s El Mal Querer; Megan Moroney’s Am I Okay? (I’ll Be Fine)
Currently Playing (Games): The Light In The Mist puzzletale, The Wild Beyond The Witchlight, Metazooa by Trainwreck Labs, Learned League trivia, NYT Connections, Pokemon TCG, Your Friend In Witchcraft by Kay Marlow Allen.
Currently Reading/Writing (Games): Ghosts Of Saltmarsh.
Currently Reading or Just Read (Books): Imposter Syndrome by Joseph Knox; Beginner Chess Puzzles by Martin Bennedik; Assume Nothing by Joshua Corin; Lost In The Future Vol 1: The Storm by Damian & Alex Fuentes; Star-Crossed Egg Tarts by Jennifer J Chow; Revony Rhinoceros Starts To Smile by Patricia Bardina, Joanne Burgess & Paul Sharp.