Fun and Games

If anyone ever asks me, "Alex, do you want to play Bananagrams?" , the answer is both simple and obvious:

Because I love word games, and especially board games. Bananagrams doesn't technically have a board but it's basically a more fun version of Scrabble, so I count it as one. I love board games. I don't care if that makes me sound like a complete granny.

These are my three favourites.  Articulate generally results in extreme fits of laughter, Echelon isn't very well known but it's about BOOKS and therefore awesome and 221b Baker Street is like Cluedo but with added Sherlock Holmes.  If I'm in close proximity to one of these games I can generally be found making pleading faces at people until they give in and play with me.

I kinda gave up on board games for a while in my youth, probably because of the trauma caused by my mum throwing away Hungry Hippos because we played it so much it gave her a migraine.  Not that I still hold a grudge or anything... 

Card games took over. My Grandad Jim, who was in the Merchant Navy, tried to teach me cribbage but all I remember is moving matchsticks around the board and him saying bizarre things like "Fifteen-two, fifteen-three, fifteen-four, one's a jack and two for his nibs" (I may not recall this entirely correctly).  I was a veritable whiz at Rummy and Spit (sort of a cross between Solitaire and Snap) in my early teens but I haven't opened a pack of cards for ages now. Poker games of all varieties were the in thing when I was at uni but I don't really have a gambling temperament.

Neither do I have the temperament for proper computer games.  I get too tense when it comes to jumping ledges and killing baddies.  Honestly, you'll understand how limited my abilities are when I tell you that the four games I've been best at are Valhalla, Mad Professor Mariarti, Simon the Sorceror and Theme Hospital.

And this may tell you something about how old Valhalla is.

I can't cope with hacky slashy killing games, unless they happen to be cartoony and fun and more strategy than murder-based. I was jammy enough to get an iPad for Christmas and rapidly became obsessed with Kingdom Rush. So. Much. Fun. Except I've nearly completed it now and I need something new to play.  Any suggestions?

Shopping

I am poorly.  So as not to inflict my general deathlike pallor and bright red nose on you (sound like a clown, don't I?), I am holding off on outfit photos for a few days.  Instead, I shall share with you some of the aforementioned stuff that I've picked up recently.

Pretty new bedding from Ikea.  I do love a good bit of toile print fabric, so I was v. pleased to discover this.  It's not green but then we can't have everything, can we?

Knee high socks from Primark.  I muchly enjoy knee high socks but decent ones are not that easy to find.  Either they fall down, or they're secretly over-the-knee socks with misleading packaging, or they make my legs look super stumpy.  These are cute and vaguely sporty, and at £2 a pair, I'm definitely going back for the black ones.

 

Also from Primark, some fab little boots.  These are a nightmare to photograph - does anyone else find that with red stuff?  They're a gorgeous deep, dark berry colour in real life but it isn't quite showing up here, no matter how much I faff around in PicMonkey.  It's not a colour I wear much of, but in the world of footwear, anything goes.

A swanky bra and pants set from the Rosie for Autograph collection from M&S.  I don't normally do fancy underwear, or even matching underwear.  But it was payday and this was pretty (and green), so I bought it.  And it wasn't that expensive - more than I usually spend but not exactly Agent Provocateur prices or anything.

Also Bananagrams, which is indeed awesome.  If you haven't played it, you really need to.  It's like Scrabble on crack.  Or a crossword race.  Either way, it's brilliant and I love it and I will happily have a game with anyone that asks.

 

 

Definitely NOT being included in the list above are the Primark tights that I bought at the same time as the boots and socks.  The fleecy lined pair felt amazing and cosy at first but seeing as they spent most of the day descending down to knee level, I didn't exactly get much benefit from them.  The nice green non-fleecy lined pair were even worse, despite being a size L/XL.  I am 5'2.  I am not that fat.  There's no way in hell that a size L/XL should be that small/badly made that they need to be clutched at the waist all day to keep them from falling down. 

 

If you ever see me even vaguely tempted to buy tights from there ever again, slap my hand and point me in the other direction.  Preferably to M&S or Dotty P because their tights might be pricier but at least they fit and last well. 

 

And on that deeply grannyish note, I am off to buy a new box of tissues.