I’ve had kind of a hard week. Just real life stuff kicking my butt. I don’t know if there will be Roman on Friday or not. We’ll give it another go today, but some weeks are great and some weeks are not, and this hasn’t been such a good week. I’d rather skip a week than give you something half-baked.
The good news is that we found our audio Roman. He does voices, he has great comedic timing, and his encounter with his mother is much awesome. Mod R also informed me that he met with her seal of approval when it comes to audio smolder, so we are good to go. We will reveal more once the contracts are signed.
This past couple of months generally kind of sucked, with the exception of Coastal Con which was a bright moment. I really enjoyed meeting all of you and spending time with Jeaniene Frost and her wonderful sisters. But other than that, meh.
The cardigan I’m making is meh. The show is am watching is meh. I was so excited to play Enshrouded, but you guessed it, meh. The world feels kind of empty and depressing. I don’t get it – it’s fantasy, light survival, lots of building… I should be gobbling this up, but there is just something about it. I don’t know. I might have to go back to Satisfactory and continue my convoluted factory instead. Although I did find some flint, so I might finish building a small castle with it.
Maybe it’s the color palette or the absence of NPCs. Yes, I know that you can go and gather survivors, but somehow that’s not enough. There wasn’t another human being on the planet in Subnautica and yet it felt more alive and vibrant than Enshrouded.
I need a game to sink into. Grrr.
I need a brain transplant so I can figure out how to write my way out of this hole. We are behind schedule now, and it’s my fault. Argh.
Well, onward and outward. Or something.
“Audio Smolder” is my new favourite phrase.
So sorry about the “meh”. BTDT, many times. Last few months have been hard here too. I come to your blog and re-read your books, which are never meh. Because you care about what you write and release. I hope some Orro-worthy, delicious cookies come your way, with tea and sympathy.
BIG hugs. I think this week has felt like that for everybody, including me.
+1
Do what you need to do, the BDH will still be here.
+1000
“Audio smolder” – wonderful description.
Sometimes life just flatlines. You can’t force the juicy back into life but have to ride it out. My advice:
don’t struggle against the tide. You’ll come back online when your brain (both the emotional and the
logical side) is rested.
I love that you shared this with us. Thank you for your trust.
+lots
Sending hugs and support for you finding your way out of the hole.
As far as Roman this week goes, you give us so many treats that if you need to skip this week, do it. The BDH will always be here for you! 🥰
I’m excited that the perfect audio Roman was found – can’t wait to hear the smoldering!
+1
What AP said!
Yuck, I hate when it when life keeps throwing curves instead of fun stuff!
Winter seems to be over in Texas and the sun is shining, maybe try sitting outside in the sun with a delicious pot of tea and soak in the birds singing and maybe bees buzzing.
Sending hugs and good vibes and hopefully a new game to sink your teeth into –
Big hugs.
The BDH is always hungry, AND we adore you, our creator of delicious feasts.
It sounds like you need a week off and some revitalizing time— in nature, at a spa, with a friend… whatever replenishes you.
We will be fine for a week or two without Roman. Hungry, as always, but fine.
Take care of yourself!
Not gonna lie – will miss Roman update, if not there tomorrow. But…you are suffering over-stimulation withdrawal. Being open and interactive with tons of new faces and old friends takes energy and effort! It is both a blessing and exhausting 😉 so…
Cut. Yourselves. Some Slack. (please and thank you) Settling back into “normal” has its own flow, and your energy is on ebb right now.
Relax, we love yous guys – and adulting is easier with “audio smolder” in the offing! (wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more)Monty Python reference
Totally happy dance wiggle butt about audio Roman 😀 He’s funny, and sexy, he *gets it*, he’s Eeyore in Dior!
The only cure for mehitude is rest. The Horde can be fluffy for one Friday 😉
“Eeyore in Dior” – a most excellent phrase!!!
Thanks, Mod R!
OMG!
I nearly snorted my beverage in a public cafe, reading “Eeyore in Dior”!
THAT … so much! I have no words, but thank you for brining joy (and a bit of embarrassment) to my day!
Bringing not brining…. :-/
I am to bring chaos 😁, I’ll more than happily settle for snorts!
“Eeyore in Dior”?! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
That is a visual. Eeyore should have an umbrella if he’s wearing Dior. 😉😁
Well, I did google “Eeyore in Dior” and then imagine Roman in that sweatshirt and suddenly it gets absolutely different context:)
Oh, I didn’t realise it was a thing outside my head lol. I just meant the narrator is a Dior level vibe for our beloved Eeyore- it rhymed and made sense in my head for a while :D. I make 6′ jokes and I’m only 5’2 hehe.
Aaand she just keeps bringing it! Thanks ModR for the 6’ / 5’2 joke! Will need to borrow that
We CAN be fluffy for a week — especially since we have the joy of knowing that a smolder-worthy Roman audio has been found and is in our future.
Plus there’s ModR happy dance to imagine. (Not to be confused with other BDH Happy Dances. We have many dances of joy.)
Ahhahaha!! Eeyore in Dior!!! Audio smolder!! Oh da fluffing!!
I think it may be the season for “meh”. My backup game for mindless playing is a simple one I think is called called Yoshi”s Wooly World. I have an old wii system. I hope everything gets better soon. Make some tea or your favorite beverage and eat a cream bun made by splitting a Kings Hawaiian roll and spreading it with seedless raspberry jam and real whipped cream from a can or some pudding!
That sounds like a combination between a British scone with jam and clotted cream and an ichigo sando ( Japanese strawberry sandwich https://drivemehungry.com/japanese-fruit-sandwich/) and I want it, I want it NOW!
I am going to Japan in September, and fruit sandwiches are on my must-try list!
My niece and nephew were eating the leftover Hawaiian rolls in the kitchen with whipped cream last Christmas. Then I saw cream buns on the Great British Baking Show. They were a yeasted milk bread bun with jam and cream! If you make them with the hot dog buns you can cut them into bite sized bits for doll tea parties! Cut first then assemble.
If abandoning Roman to our imaginations for a week will help your peace of mind, then please do so. Everybody needs a few days off once in a while. We will reread and get by.
👍👍
make popcorn, you don’t have to actually eat it, but why wouldn’t you? anyway the smell of popcorn drives away the MEH. i couldn’t believe it until chocolate didn’t work, but the smell of popcorn did. Good luck!
Wish there was a way to exchange the irritated cookies for some orrotastic Donuts and send them your way.
Hope the meh is ending and something exciting waits around the corner for you.
Re-reading Romans adventure so far is a perfect way to pass time, so no worries from our side.
House Andrews wellness is way more important than a missed week of Roman. Hope the “mehs” pass soon. Take care.
Sounds like the pre-Spring doldrums. You’ve given the BDH a Roman gift by announcing the Roman smolder and we will wait (if not so “p*tiently). Go take a Roman holiday!
Hehehe 🙂
All jobs are slogs at one point or another and I think it’s even harder when the job requires creativity. It’s hard to creatively slog your way through the job.
It might be time to do something you really detest. Taxes (although I assume you end up doing those quarterly). Spring cleaning. Tearing out that flower bed. Remodel that guest bath. Nothing like grouting to make you remember that you could be doing something else.
Although, honestly, I think it has something to do with the health issues it sounds like you feel you don’t have under control. It’s hard to get out from under the heavy feeling of that. Maybe time to take a new approach? I had to go outside my insurance-covered doctors before I got a handle on mine. The whole “approach from an insurance-approved checklist; take this med and fail it first before we try this other one” thing did not work for me.
There’s something to this. I’m trying to do taxes right now, and so far I’ve gotten a lot of laundry and some weeding done.
Sorry to hear about your mental and creative roadblock. I hope you feel better soon. I am can manage a week with a Roman break as the sister and the client are coming up so it will be fun to speculate what may happen. If you are up to it maybe you can post some photos or videos of your four footed dependents. Or better yet sub contract it out as your daughters to send footage of their pets – its been a while since I have seen what Quincey and Camille are doing and I would love to hear how the recent addition that needs sunscreen is living his best life. Have a great day.
I’ve been playing Grim Dawn alot recently to deal with the feeling of ‘meh’. There is something soothing in destroying hordes of enemies with magic and my familiar pets. It’s a great diablo style arpg, made by the same guys who made Titanquest which is another favourite of mine.
My husband bought me Baldurs Gate 3 for christmas which I should love but I just keep gravitating back to Grim Dawn for more therapeutic mass murder. 😀
currently playing BG3 with all the extras (nudity and sex etc ) turned off. At the point one writer talked about one characters ‘electric sausage’ . I decided I was too old to have the nudity etc as I knew I would just find it too funny. The visual in my head still makes me smile. Saying that I am enjoying the game.
My go-to for the mehs is the Innkeeper Chronicles, so I don’t have any advice except maybe remember to breathe.
You left us with a truly fun cliffhanger on the Roman front last week. Take what time you need to live up to it.
I do not know if you like or play the Final Fantasy games, but I have been adoring playing Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth since it released last week.
It has a nice balance of storyline, open world, side quests, and character/ team development. I truly have enjoyed it especially given how limited my time to game is. Granted there is a nostalgia factor for me as the original FF7 game was an intrinsic part of my teenage years, so mileage may vary.
Many hugs. Please take care of yourself.
FFXIV 😀
FemRoe forever!
I’m a couple years in & still addicted. Rather enjoying the pre expansion lull as it’s letting me try to catch up on some of the side stuff.
This is a case where “perspiration” is no substitute for “inspiration”.
Don’t worry, the BDH loves the Roman story, but will wait for inspiration to make its way to HA again. (It will be soon, especially if you *forbid* yourself from even thinking about writing. There’s just something so irritating about not being allowed to do something you do often…)
Hopefully, “meh” will find someone else to bother.
Oops – I should have typed “w*it”!
My mother died in March when I was twenty (many years ago), my oldest brother died in March last year, far too young. My father died in April. My mother-in-law died in May. I do love the spring flowers we get in the UK, but the season? It’s when people I love die, and my body remembers that. I am with you on the meh.
So sorry for your losses, I hope there’s comfort in your memories of them *hugs*
I’m exactly the same, March, April and May, my grieving months. I love to see the daffs and hyacinth but they recall me to the time of year. My heartfelt sympathies.
I feel you. I had to take a mental health day on Tuesday just to decompress from life. But, like you said, everything is just ‘meh’. I am just kinda hoping this is a thing with the planet alignments or something, and that next week it will be over.
I know that feel of meh. Sending big hugs and all the best vibes so that you can recharge and find things that brighten your mood!
I got my recommendation for Stardew Valley from your blog ages ago. There’s a new update coming out this month, so I’m going to start a new save file after that comes out. I’ve also enjoyed playing My Time at Sandrock, Sun Haven, and Graveyard Keeper if you’re looking for new games to try. I hope real life things improve!
Anyone who liked Stardew will likely love My Time at Sandrock. Same elements & the characters are hilarious.
We all have weeks like that. Hang in there. It will change.
So sorry everything is meh. My hubby started Palworld and is having fun even with all the glitches. Its like Pokemon and GTA had a baby, so he only plays at night when the youngest is asleep.
Hopefully things start looking up soon.
I’m sorry your week has been meh. Let me tell you something funny to hopefully cheer you up.
I was rereading Ruby Fever for the fourth time, as one does, and I noticed that both of Arabellas potential love interests technically have the same name. ( in different forms/languages but essentially the same – correct me if I’m wrong)
When I noticed this I burst out laughing and I wasn’t sure if the reason was ‘why did house Andrews decide this?’ Or ‘why did it take me FOUR rereads to notice it?!’ 😂
I hope this gives you a chuckle at least.
Hehe. It was intentional, yes, I can divulge that much 😁
OMG that’s a glorious detail to know!😂🤣 I love it even more now!
Wait. What? I’m drawing a blank on the names at the moment. All I can remember is Michael. Are you talking him and the Russian? Or the Chinese guy she liked until he started patronizing her?
There is Michael of the Record Keeper office (isn’t he, Michael?) and there were complaints that he shared a first name with Michael Latimer, the Prime Animator who offers to save Nevada if she’s in an abusive situation when she goes to Baranovsky’s ball with bruising on display. To clarify, only Record Keeper Michael is a potential love interest, not Latimer.
So House Andrews added Mihail Berezin, the Russian Metamorphosis mage, tongue in cheekly.
Stephen Jiang is also not a love interest for Arabella, his brother Henri might be…and he was also considered for a 4th Michael 😁.
Ok, yeah, the Russian guy. Couldn’t think of his name. Michael vs Mihail.
Audio smolder for the win!
Do you like board games? http://www.boardgamearena.com lets you play online board games from people around the world for free. A lot of the games also have tutorials, so if you always wanted to learn a board game but needed someone to explain it to you, this is a game changer. I’m addicted to Azul, which is a really pretty tile/strategy game.
Do they allow you to send invites or game codes so you can control who comes in on your game? The family occasionally gets together to play Euchre on an app that sounds similar. You can send email invites to friends or send a code that allows them to enter the same game as you.
If it does something similar then I’ll have to see if the family wants to try Monopoly or Clue or something.
Absolutely! A great way to play with friends from other places. You can join games with random players and they run tournaments, but I’ve only played with friends.
I have been considering Nightingale. Have you seen it? It reminds me of the game the wolves play in Patty’s Mercy-verse.
Everyone is entitled to feelings of meh, and we can all relate. Been a big fan of your Kate Daniels world for many years and love the new Roman story, but treat yourself to some kindness and self care. Roman and your schedule will keep! My best advice would be to find something that makes you laugh. Thank you for all the great stories!
~huggles~
It’s “meh” season. The weather doesn’t help.
At least you got someone to take on Roman’s voice, with Mod R’s approval.
To help with my “meh” days, I’m watching the remake of Shogun on FX. It’s streaming on Hulu if you can’t or don’t want to watch it on FX Tuesday nights. It’s really good. What I like is the English subtitles when they speak Japanese. ⚔️🗡
If you have to cut back on writing Roman’s story tomorrow, do it. The Horde can be fluffy when we need to be. 😊
Have you tried Palword? I find it a little like Ark survival with notes of Pokémon, and while you can play with other people, you can also play solo.
Slime Rancher is a good game to also shut your brain off and play.
The last 2 months have been really meh for me (unemployed, have some family/kid stuff going on, some weird health things cropping up), and even books I’ve been really excited about reading I’m just meh on. I picked up my kid’s Nintendo switch and started playing animal crossing and now I’m hooked. It’s joyful and cute and low stakes.
There are very few things more frustrating than a bad case of the “mehs”.
Your favorite tea doesn’t taste quite right, your favorite books don’t hit the spot, even that quaint little coffee shop with the amazing muffins doesn’t tickle your fancy…
As a faithful member of the BDH (Innkeeper Faction) I hereby solemnly swear to be p**tiantly fluffy for as long as it takes for the “mehs” to dissipate.
As far as gaming goes, I highly recommend taking a look at Wildmender. It’s beautifully made, incredibly satisfying, highly underrated, AND a portion of the proceeds go towards supporting nature conservation. (Only caveat, make sure your PC is at the recommended specs.)
Hope you find something that lifts your spirits and makes those “mehs” get the heck out of town. But until they do, just remember, you have an entire horde at your disposal – we’ve got your back!
But…did you like the room cookies? Enquiring minds want to know.
It sometimes be like that. I hope the clouds lift soon.
Sorry for the meh. Have tea and cookies for me, PET scan tomorrow so no fun edibles or drinkables until after. Good news test is in a predominantly Dutch town so two bakeries, homemade candy store, and an unbelievable cupcake shop. I may hit them all!
I am sorry things are hard to handle right now, I hope it will get better soon!
Please try Littlewood. Or Kynseed. Beware of tiny pixels totally stealing your time.
…Hugs…
Audio smolder, a major component not only in recording, but in life. Team Smolder!
Hey, Ilona….give yourself some grace ❤️. Go do something fun and frivolous. We will still be here when you come back 😊
I’ve always contended that Jan-March is the meh-bleh time of year and every year it holds true. The weather is hard, there’s not many holidays to look forward to, it’s a difficult time for my family financially. I really wish I could just skip it every year
Dear Ilona, please take care of yourself and rest! If that means a week without Roman, so be it! Your wellbeing is more important than our ”Roman” greed.
I have escaped briefly from trying to get all my tax documentation together for tomorrow’s deadline. Totally get where your are coming from. Don’t worry about tomorrow’s installment; we will survive if you need longer to recuperate. The sun is shining here; spring is on the way. I’m putting a spoonful of jam in my tea on a regular basis, because it’s comforting. So thank you for that! I raise a mug to you.
I am playing Baldur’s Gate 3 and really enjoying it.
1st thought was ‘wine & no-bake cookies’, but the Better 2nd was Bake some Apples, no sugar, with skin-on, using only some butter & Ceylon cinnamon. The smell may help brighten the mood, the fiber & good stuff will be OK for you. Cuddle some fur, relax the Obligation-weight away, as it seems everyone is providing you all the grace to let Roman have a brief hiatus. Get some sun, and know that we’d all come hug you, to help, were operational portals available.
I have bought Enshrouded, but haven’t played it yet. I’ve very much been on a Valheim kick again. I love that game. Some folks dislike it for its art style, but I love it. Valheim is best enjoyed with more than one person, but it can be played solo. They have settings now to dial in to your own play style. It’s all about managing your deaths. Funniest naked corpse runs ever – if you planned well ;). Highly recommend.
Sounds like you need just a day to pamper yourself. Books can wait. Hope you can rest and self-care.
Second.
I’m not a big gamer so I don’t have any recommendations there but have you watched Blue Eye Samurai? I found it beautiful and the main character reminded me a lot of your protagonists. I’m also watching Shogun and I love the politics and attention to detail.
I hope this cheers you up – today was World Book Day – and certainly in our school it was only the Teachers & Sixth formers (16-18 yr olds) who were allowed to dress up – the lower years were all in normal uniform… amongst the many vampires and students of a certain magical school there was one student I teach who wore a long robe (admittedly I think it was originally one for that magical school, but they’d unpicked the badge on the chest), and was carrying a BROOM!!!
I made a point of asking them which character they were portraying, and they straight up said ‘Innkeeper from some great books by Ilona Andrews!’ – I quipped that the black robe made me think more of an Ad-Hal, but I was told off quite sharply that the broom clearly made them an Innkeeper.
Needless to say, if that student’s reading this on Thursday night….you should be revising for your mock exam tomorrow morning! But great costume!
That’s so cool!
***BIG HUGS*** My family calls that the “Mully Grubbles” and I hate the little buggers. They suck the joy out of everything. I wish I had some sage advice to help, but I don’t. Those little beasts latch on and stay until they get bored and wander off. Just eat good food, drink lovely tea, take naps and tell the world to stuff a sock in it until you feel better. xoxo
What if you ask The Incredible Mod R to please post some furbaby pics this Friday and next and the you two run away from home for 10 days. Maybe go visit the kid/s or Alaska or the nearest big amusement park .
We may be a spoiled and demanding hoard, but we do also want you and yours to be happy.
I feel you! I have a run of mediocre books and have decided to start another Stardew Valley file for the good feelings I need 🙂
Recently finished Dave the Diver, that was a fun one to distract myself from work. You get to run a sushi shop on the side.
6 month blahs, and typically around time change – which surprisingly is harder for me in the spring – time to get a new tattoo, something pierced or travel and shock your system (those are usually my go tos). good luck w breaking through the “meh”. I wish you well and it will likely be something so innocuous as planting bulbs and gardening, I actually did an herb garden in my kitchen one year that helped – the care and nurturing of something became so upper most!!!
Welcome to my every spring doldrums. I don’t know why, but every year about this time I want to chuck my whole life because it isn’t shiny enough and go be somewhere/someone else.
At least I can recognize this personal kolovershi, pat it on the head, and make it go sit in another room until I have time to deal with it.
It is very fond of chocolate. Lots of chocolate.
Sounds like you’re running on empty. That’s a tough row to hoe. When I’m empty I video chat with a friend who never fails to crack me up. We both have Mom challeges so we trade crazy Mom stories. I die laughing and then go take a nap. Maybe you should call Jeanine. Just chat. ATake a nap. Take a day with no expectations. Anyways. Running on empty sucks. Hope you get to feeling better.
I’m currently replaying “The Room: Old Sins” on iPad. It’s a puzzle game that’s beautifully drawn with interesting puzzles (and a good hint system for when you get stuck). The story is a bit dark/creepy, but the game is fun, not depressing.
Good luck finding some joy!
Luuurve the Room game series!
Definitely love all of the The Room games. Old Sins is my fav. Also the House of Da Vinci are very good too. Just wish the last Room game wasn’t on VR. Don’t have the equipment for that and won’t spend the money for just that game.
Yes ditto. Would have absolutely bought the new one if released for iPad, but I don’t have time/space/money for VR with a toddler in the house.
We all know that the artist are their biggest critics of their own work. To your BDH, even half-baked from you is marvelous!! You are so much better than you believe of yourself when you’re in a funk. And we also know that Roman is a work-in-progress. Edits will change scenes in the end. I understand just feeling ‘meh’ can be a drag when you don’t know what is weighing you down. Let’s blame it on the season change, Mama Nature can sometimes be a b*t*h with us lowly humans. 🙂
I come home and hug the surprise Potato Litter(pure dandelion fluff). Helps some 😁. Love from Spud-nik, Aligot and Tater Tot. wish I could attach photos to help!
I too have been in a meh spiral, and actually poking through this website and finding all the tidbits to read has been a bright spot in my day/week/month. So thanks for bringing some sunshine to my gray days.
I feel that longing for a world to sink into very much and hope you’ll find sth satisfactory. I have had two book series that caught my attention (quite well known and not new, so won’t mention them). The last TV series I had was weird but still caught my attention: Pit Babe, a Thai series. I still yearn for Word of Honor or The Untamed. Those are unmatched.
I don’t game, so can’t give any tips there (does Pokemon count?).
fingers crossed!
Roman could always call Kate for advice lol
Hey,
Sounds like a frustrating week. When I was stuck in a game rut I played Strange Horticulture. Nothing like the epic survival fantasies I usually go for and only a couple hours long but there was something about it I absolutely adored. Murder. Mystery. And plants.
I’ve also just discovered the dramatised version of the audios and I’m ridiculously excited about the graphic novel of Clean Sweep.
Take a rest, switch off. Come back swinging.
Best of luck with the blehs. And if you don’t manage an acceptable episode, so be it. We can wait.
And peeps; if that happens, it happens. We aren’t owed it; each and every episode is a gift & if we wait for one, we wait.
But I fear for the worst.
I’m sorry to hear your MOJO is missing and you are struggling right now. I have no doubt it will return but probably not on your preferred timetable. Maybe a total change of pace? I started doing Sashiko again last month. A simple patterned running stitch that let’s my brain relax after work and still produce
an attractive product. Using only white thread takes even more stress out of the equation. Best Wishes.
Lots of hugs and wishes that you come out of the doldrums. May you find your joy, the spark, in all the little things.
We can be patient. I am very aware that the Roman Serial is such a great for the BDH. I can wait. <3 .
Try Palia – lots of NPCs and some go old fashion grinding. Plus it’s free to play!
Hope your world brightens up! Spring is right around the corner!
Oh yes. Love Palia. Easy to sink into, but also easy to take a break from!!!
I’m playing a simple merge game called Long Leaf Valley. A ranger and a naturalist are trying to restore a park that Chemsys has been using as a dumping ground. So far I have restored two areas of the park and managed to help plant 25 RL trees in a deforested area of the world.
You don’t have to buy anything, there are no time limits in the base game (they do have special events with usually 3-5 days to do all the tasks). It is free to play, though there are ads.
It seems we are having a never ending cold/rain/mud season which gets depressing. The loquat tree I planted for my (now deceased) mother came down in the last big storms. I did some research and found out the wood is like pear or plum and is used for the fret boards on violins and guitars. It can also be used for making rulers (straight grained hardwood), writing implements, and utensils.
The leaves have enough tanin in them to not require mordant, (though alum will brighten things up), and can give some pinks, oranges, and lavenders for natural dying fibers.
There is also a Japanese folk belief that if you are hit with a weapon that has loquat wood in its construction, the wound won’t heal well. I think it’s supposed to be like a Morgul blade–you will always feel the wound.
I’m coming slowly out the past 3 months of meh.
The time change always help me
I highly suggest Stardew as a game to sink into for hours on end. Especially if you mod it.
Sunhaven is also good but can feel overwhelming if you’re already frazzle-brained and riding the Stress Train of Anxiety.
Oh and No Man’s Sky. NMS is lovely.
I highly recommend adding the extended mod. So much extra content. . .
There must be some cosmic funny-doo-da this week. It was horrible. I m so drained and full of meh-ness, too. Totally sympathise. Hope it will get better soon – I love your books, most awesome reading all round. You produce magic. Will pick one up now to chase my meh away. Have a wonderful rest week
I’ve really enjoyed Palworld for it’s silly cuteness. Sons of the Forest has some janky features but I really adore it’s storytelling method. You find all sorts of environmental clues to build an interesting story. For the King 2 is a fun game that kind of mimics playing a ttrpg. it can be played solo or coop
If you like puzzles, Escape Simulator, with player made rooms being the best.
it’s not a game but you might consider Dungeon Alchemist. You can make really pretty naps with detailed buildings and environments with relative ease.
There’s definitely a lot of bleh around. Hope you can find that not bleh too help out.
I call those the BLAH times. Most things feel feel kind of off and not inspired to do a whole lot. Sometimes I shake them off by doing something totally random. An unexpected action, a day drive to someplace I have never been or a experience I would not normally do. I am grateful to my partner in crime that is up for most anything when this comes about. I hope it passes quickly.
I know you were previously hesitant to try Baulders Gate 3 but please! It has kicked me out of a toxic cycle I had with Civs 6 (love it, just played too much and only it).
If you are looking for less commitment but a feeling of life(?): Unpacking. Very simple and satisfying but the treat is the unspoken storytelling.
I’ve heard good things of Last Epoch, if y’all want something else.
New and buggy (but I’m an elder scrolls lifer, and an ESO PvPer, so bugs, yay)
Shogun
hi you need a break… cooking that’s it what is your favourite food item? maybe a slow cooked something so you can order and marinate,set to cook, smell all day then eat. and have leftovers. or invite friends to eat it with. like a summer Christmas or just a get together. plan and enjoy
Hugs. Take tomorrow off and make it a fun long weekend. Maybe that will help a tiny bit. I know all the rain in the northeast is making me fell meh the whole week too. Happy international women’s day – March 8!
Juvenile me: No Roman tomorrow?!? THE WORLD IS ENDING!!!
Evil me: You should care for yourself so you don’t burn out and will write MANY MOAR BOOKS MWAH HA HA HA
Adult me: I’m sorry you’re feeling meh and don’t want to stress you by demanding more Roman. Because, er, you are a fellow human being with feelings and … things. (OK, I’m not so good at adulting.)
I just received v. 1 of the Clean sweep graphic novel so cheers.
There is not another brain like yours. A transplant is a no-go. Will wish you an overnight reboot and a profusion of spring flowers!
Palia is a lot of fun and the NPCs are an important part of the game. It’s free.
Meh days are sucky ! GO AWAY MEH ! 😀
I feel you so hard on this “meh”. It is one day to spring break and I can’t even get excited. Instead I feel low level dread thinking about dealing with spring break.
Take a walk and look at things. Don’t think. Just take a long walk until you feel better. It is the most effective and natural antidepressants there is and if you do it every day you will feel better. Promise.
I wish that worked in all weathers, but the chilly oily rain and grey fluorescent sky combo just brings me down more.
And after two solid days in a row of rain, almost everyone starts getting depressed. That’s from a peer-reviewed scientific study. The “no bad weather, only poor clothing choices” thing only gets you so far.
Hugs.
Children of Morta is a hack’n’slash I played with my partner. You can play as one of a family of characters that each has a different power/skill set. The art is a fairly pixelated style, but the characters are fun to play if you just want to release some aggression.
I hope this week turns around for you!
January was like your meh for me. I just could not get past myself. A serious of bad news and a family conflict, just it was seriously meh. I started walking again. I had fallen off the walk wagon. So I was surprised how much I liked it and needed it. Now daylight savings happens this weekend and more time to walk…
I blame daylight savings time😝Why? Why mess with the clocks, it drives me mad🤪.
Many happy wishes to you and yours.
We will always wait for you. Take all the time you need. I’m sitting here drinking my decaf chai because sleep. Meh. It’s been a week here too. My latest re- read of all things Kate Daniels got me through. Hoping you find your gaming happy place soon, thanks for giving us ours in your wonderful books.
The bad and meh days make the good days brighter. If everything was wonderful all the time, it would actually feel meh. This world needs shadows to bring out the light.
I hope that your tomorrow is full of highlights.
we’re having a very weird winter here in Lake Superior. It feels like early May rather than March and I feel like I’m way behind in my planting because this weather means I should have tomatoes nearly a foot tall and I have to keep reminding myself that it’s MARCH even if it feels like May.
I’ve had a week of fighting and mostly losing to Fortune 50 companies. While 2 of the early week losses have turned around (amazing what a complaint filed with the State Attorney General will do) I’m pretty meh myself.
and the sweater I’m knitting is round and round and round in sky blue. I’m sorely tempted to add rainbow stripes to it. instead I started a shawl out of a very soft, pretty, alpaca blend. I’m still meh but the yarn is so pretty. It helps.
Maybe start another knitting project?
Take a deep breath and a week off! We get it, we REALLY do.
I’ve gone past meh and into bleh this past couple of weeks, so have not felt like reading or gaming.
Instead I have been on my phone watching animal videos and playing bitlife. I’ve been working on my Hollywood career, my Yakuza family and my Cult Leader, interspersed with timed train robberies and cats being cats.
Maybe we should all try some sort of organised international ritual to purify the ‘meh’ness from ourselves? 😉
Take extra good care of you. *makes more tea*
Good luck getting through the meh! It’s so frustrating feeling rotten when there isn’t an obvious cause. I had a bad ‘meh’ over the holidays and I only coincidentally discovered that it was a side effect from an OTC medication that I’d been taking for years with no prior issues.
And thank you (all) so much for the blog – it’s one of my anti-meh things. Not intended as pressure, btw, because just knowing that there *will be* content coming soon is a happy thought. You are 100% winning on content frequency out of authors I follow – second place goes to someone who posts every month or two, and some haven’t provided an update in years. Even if we have to w*it a little bit longer for content occasionally, because life, you will still be winning by a lot 🙂
You need a mental reset, brain vacation 🙂 For me that can come from taking a walk/light hike in nature, going for a drive in an unfamiliar part of town or country side, going to a town over or a few towns over. Small adventures help me reset that take me outside of my head. Books, tv, and video games take up mental space and it needs some spring cleaning. Your daughters live out of town, right? Can you visit one of them and do some mini adventures in their city? Or a friend? Drive or fly out and just have a creative cleanse so when you get back you are refreshed? Start with a day trip and see if it helps.
Can totally empathize with the meh period. Work has been meh. And in turn life has been meh.
Work keeps downsizing now that we’re wrapping up a big project, and it’s making me more and more apprehensive, thinking I might be the next one on the chopping block.
And for the first time since I can remember, we didn’t really even have a ‘real’ winter where I live. I don’t know if that’s affected my mood (usually spring is this thing to really look forward to after cold winters and one too many days of snow, but this year it barely feels like a change).
I keep doom refreshing my web pages as if anything new or interesting is going to magically appear two minutes after I just checked.
Anyways, I hope things look up soon for you and me both, and for everyone else who’s due for it.
Forgot to add: if you’re in the market for a game, I hear Baldur’s Gate is very good (DnD but the game does all the semantics for you). Might be worth checking out whenever it goes on sale.
Coals to Newcastle and everything but I am sure your gut is telling you to just let everything go for now and let whatever is percolating in your brain build up its own head of steam.
You guys are great authors and sometimes you get stuck.
You’ve gone through it before.
Gotten out of it.
And written great stuff when it felt right.
I know I suck at the advice thing.
But, if you have to skip a week or so for Roman’s serial, I’m sure we can wait.
We would rather you stay in your own special groove rather than force yourself and burn out unnecessarily.
As Hicks would say ” …stay frosty…”
A change in landscape seemed to have been joyous for you.
Do it again. Take a walk, where you have never walked before. 5 minutes. An hour. Whatever.
Do the same with food. Eat somewhere (dine in, take away) you never have before.
Repeat in 30 days.
sending a virtual hug and want to say what a relatable post this was. life is just tough sometimes with a general feeling of “meh”.
the bdh can of course wait for a Roman post!
I hope you get some recuperative r&r.
What I do when I have a meh day: I read some KD. Thank you. You will find that spark. PURPOSE
The Hidden Legacy series has come to an end. No sequels are planned or guaranteed for now, although they might happen at some point in the future and we will get to see an expansion on some of the other talents.
I will pass on the suggestion about the extra and deleted scenes 🙂
Ilona, you make my day! Reading your blog to find the factors that resonate with my world, either to commiserate with your experincees or take heart in how you manage to rise above disaster and make the best of it. Reading everything you and Gordon have written, re-reading my favourites when my world seems blah, waiting for new episodes on the blog as patiently as I can, hearing about your pets, your crafts and love of tea makes me feel like you are my Long Distance Buddy and I am glad you are willing to shar your writing and talents with the world.
Thank you, you make my world a better place
I get the ‘meh’. I feel as if we’re all regurgaitating the same past few years. The lack of anything fresh and optimistic in the news, movies, politics, gaming… is depleating. I’m personally over the dystopic world view and casual hate. I’ve immersed my family in Yoyoma’s music, growing a garden, and gentle acts of kindness. It’s not the whole answer, but it helps. I hope you find something that elevates your spirit too.
Pppst: Final Fantasy XIV MMORPG is currently Free To Play up to the second expansion (lvl 60 iirc). 🙂
Big bright colors. NPCS galore. Good storylines that get better as the expansions come. BRAND NEW EXPANSION COMING THIS SUMMER — Dawn Trail. Also now coming to Xbox soon.
I’ve been ‘meh’ and feeling down so many times, but playing a little FF14 brings me out of it.
My partner has been very into Helldivers lately. Not really my jam personally, but I do watch him and it looks pretty fun. The satire is hilarious, just the trailers are incredibly amusing. He’s also been playing a lot of Warframe but that game has a crazy amount of investment time, haha. It reminds me of Destiny 2 too much which is why I haven’t played it. (Had to quit because of the seasonal grind.)
The City of Heroes private server “Homecoming” actually got licensed by NCSoft which.. is frankly ridiculous yet awesome. Been playing that myself and honestly it’s so much fun. Incredibly busy for a “private server MMO” with player counts easily over 1k per server daily. So much customization in terms of power set options, playstyle, and costume ideas. The graphics and UI are definitely dated but definitely not horrible.
And of course most people I know are obsessed with FF7 remake; some calling it one of the best games they’ve ever played. I don’t have a PlayStation though so not something I can really comment on.
LOL you could be talking about my husband with all the games you just mentioned 😂 he plays them all!!!
team skip!!!
take a break, we all need it
We BDH can wait for Roman for another week or two or even three if necessary. After all, “every Friday” is just a completely arbitrary schedule that HA set in the first place for feeding us completely free treats….
In the meantime, I have been where everything is “Meh”. Not sure my story of trying to overcome it will be very helpful though:
The last time I felt that way, a depressingly enthusiastic, optimistic and bubbly friend told me I should cheer up because “Things could always be worse.”
I decided she had a good point and made an effort to achieve a more positive state of mind.
And you know something? She was right! Because as soon as I cheered up, things did get worse!!!
I guess sometimes the light at the end of that long, dark, depressing tunnel is really the headlight of an oncoming freight train…
I’ve had a bad few weeks too (been at the hospital with my mom). so in the spirit of sharing bright spots in a cloudy mood, the drama I watched was awesome with a happy ending. it’s called Marry My Husband. the game I am playing is much more fun than I expected it’s one of the best chill out games I’ve found. Disney’s Dreamlight Valley. if you’re bored give them a shot.
Hi Ilona have you check the game Grounded? It has a very “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” vibe with lots of humor and a 90’s references. It’s fun to play, you can build really nice base (with a hot tub, yesss yesss!). Definitly not a “Meh” game – have fun!
I know what you mean. I just took a 5 day staycation and spent most of it on 30 second YouTube videos because I didn’t feel like playing any games or reading any books. I’m sure you’ve tried Factorio, but another sorta survival sorta factory game is Riftbreakers where you pilot a mech on an alien world as you try to open a portal back to earth by finding resources and building up advanced technology. It’s an isometric twin stick shooter where you occasionally fight hordes of wildlife as they try to destroy your outposts.
I’ve also been liking Pacific Drive, a driving survival extraction game. You drive a supernatural car in the Olympia Exclusion Zone the government closed off 30 years ago due to weird supernatural things happening. You get pulled into the zone and find this car which binds to you and protects you. When you go out on runs you have to collect resources to upgrade and repair the car. It’s got a great athletic.
May the God of Small Happiness bless you.
Gosh, I know that feeling. Yuck.I’m truly sorry to hear life is a bit grey for you at the moment. Any chance you can take a spontaneous break? You work so hard, we will buy your books if they come out a few weeks later. 😉
Take your time. I just had a great time reading the comments.
I smoldered this week with the Iron Magic audiblebook. Steve West’s voice is worth a smolder, snort, butt wiggle and a few face fans. My, my, MY!
When I get blocked, I go for a walk and start my record app on my phone. Then I talk until something falls out of my mouth that solves the problem.
Forgive me for unsolicited advice. I just get blocked on every single book, and walking is the only thing that fixes it.
If you want an awesome game that will make you totally ignore your adult tasks I recommend Baldur’s Gate 3. So SO amazing. The world building, the story, the characters, the yummy broody vampire, the graphics…..everything is top notch.
As a side note, if you are into survival/building have you tried Valheim?
Hope you start feeling better soon! Sending tons of hugs 🙂
I highly recommend Baldur’s Gate 3, which is absolutely rich with story and plot! I hope you’ll give it a go <3
I feel your meh. I’m having a hard time reading something new. So I started by re-listening to your audiobooks in the Innkeeper and Hidden Legacy series and I’ve just gone to another series (by a different author) for the three audiobooks in that series that I’ve listened to before. Maybe this weekend I’ll go back to reading new books. But there is new growth in the flower beds and I’m watching green tips coming up and I’m starting to feel better. Hopefully you’ll get back in the groove and leave the meh behind for a bit and find more inspiration to write.
Play helldivers 2 since it is so far out of the comfy(meh) zone that it might help to alleviate the feeling of mehness.
Real life is hard so don’t be to hard on yourself. You will find the spark again and it will be better than ever 🙂
Thank you for giving so generously of yourselves to us all.
On those days when we have only 30% of our internal ressources available, and we expend that 30% on our chosen tasks, then we’re giving 100%.
I’d be willing to bet that 100% (maybe more like 115%) of your available energy is what you give every, single day.
So, please be as generous toward yourselves as you are to others – you deserve it. 🙂
You are not alone in having a the “meh”. Not only am I dealing with the same issue, many others I know are complaining of the same. It started about a month/6 weeks ago and is purely annoying. I believe it is the low energy due to the waning of the winter season. We are in the pause where everything is dull or grey, just before the burst of spring. It was no coincidence that Roman’s story is in the time of the winter goddess, you have been feeling her actions by instinct. So do not despair, sit back and have a cup of tea, and know your creative self is only acting like the lean winter wolf awaiting the fat fawns of spring.
Sending positive vibes your way. Go enjoy some fresh air and Mother Nature. That always helps me.
I am going to second that Valheim recommendation. The landscape graphics are pretty awesone for a low graphics game. I’m struggling through Enshrouded now and the world feels so much less interactive than Valheim. The Enshrouded loot system as well as building mechanics suck and are pretty repetitive and blah(and I’m going through Nomas Highlands now), regardless of how gorgeous it is! There are some cool things, weapons etc that you loot, but in general mobs at all levels give you the same normal loot – really! :(.
Both games are early access but I think the content and interactiveness of Valheim really keep the player engaged.
I play both games solo and with my husband. For mindless strategy,my go to nowadays is Catan. I also go back to Dark Souls 3 every now and then. I want to try Baldurs Gate 3, but I don’t have the bandwidth. I’m a PC gamer but work is really cutting into my addiction this year.
Hope the mehs get better! I love every single one of your books and recommend them to my friends and random strangers
whenever I get the opportunity … lol!
edit for typos: meant I want to try Baldurs Gate. … not suffering 🤓
Fixed 🙂
Thank you!! 🤓 /TIL
I would prescribe rosemary golden raisin quick bread and a cup of Irish breakfast tea. OR: hot popcorn with minced snickers on top.
we have all had bad days/weeks, so give yourself a break. I’m enjoying Roman but I can also be patient.
It must be something with the energy this week, been hard here too. the crazy weather shifts have both our sinuses going on the fritz, which has made us tired and whiny and achy, plus a potentially good job interview doesn’t look promising. Still spring is in the air and a favorite clam shack/ snack place in Connecticut ( mere 2.5 hour drive for us *lol*) opens for the season.
Rainy days and Mondays…
I hope you feel better soon.
Hi there! This won’t clear out your clouds but I hope it let’s you know that you have often cleared out my clouds – by sharing your time and energy writing books that I can fall into for even a short while.
Thank you so much for giving us times, people and places that are interesting and lets us include ourselves in the events in our imaginations.
May your days bring new mud puddles to splash in, new puffy clouds to turn into flying whales or funny shaped turtles and the sunsets give you blasts of sky blue pink, reds and great stripes of oranges.
Hang in there.
You’ve found an Audio Roman, that’s cool!
Late winter doldrums just suck. I know I’m looking forward to Spring.
Take care of yourself. We’re not going anywhere!
Yeah, it’s been about a month of distress over here too. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself. Some things you can’t fix and some things fix themselves in their own time. You gotta wait until you feel the heartbeat, the spirit, the words.
Give yourself time and space. Read a good book! (hehe). Remember the sky is a wonderful blue and it’s not too hot in Texas yet! (It’s 27 here this morning. A tad cool to be too celebratory). But it’s not 18! Just keep looking for the silver lining. It’ll drop onto your head eventually!
I get into the same moods. My husband will usually look at me and say I need a good game to play, book to read, or show to watch. That is normally when he starts sending me texts about games he finds or shows that look interesting. Good luck, I hope you find something that catches your interest so your brain can relax. 🙂
I hate ennui. It sucks the savor out of everything. Sometimes I think of Eleanor of Aquitaine, imprisoned by her husband for fifteen years, and the ennui she battled. Such a vital person, it must have been sheer torture to be so confined.
Re games, I started playing Early Access Immortal Life based on your review and fell on love with it. Played it madly, got distracted by life, went back to it recently and they finished the game! It’s so shiny! Maybe growing some impossibly large fruits and vegetables would lift the “mehs” for a bit.
Wishing you all the brightest best — you give us so much and I really appreciate that.
My goto game when I feel like this is Dragon Age: Origins on PC. There are cool mods that add characters and more dialog out there as well.
try Pacific Drive.
Audio Smolder- band name.
I hope the sunshine and warmer temps here in Texas help. Maybe a walk to clear the brain? Try something new? Sometimes when I am blah about my old comforts I try a new comfort to see if it shakes the endorphins loose in my brain pan.
Either way, the Horde is not a *atient Horde but we are a sympathetic Horde.
It’s been a tough week. Everyone needs a breather sometimes. Take some me time without feeling guilty. Sending love and hugs.
Thank you for being human. We all need an off button sometimes.
I didn’t realize Roman meets Kate until book 7. Their friendship grew instantly
Roman meets Kate in book 5, not book 7 🙂 . They have an established relationship by book 7, as he also aids Andrea in her adventures in Gunmetal Magic.
Hugs.
Hope you find a good game.
Sometimes life just is. So hang on with both hands and hopefully this ride gets better soon.
Good voice news 😁
I’d recommend Fe, Journey, or Sky: Children of Light for interesting, relaxing games. Sky is also free to play!
Sending you hugs. Sometimes we just need a good hug.
Hopefully, spring arriving will help with the mehs. We have crocuses and forsythia blooming already in Maryland.
Please take as much time as you need! Didn’t we use to call this “Spring Fever” ?
Try Pansies, violas and get outside and grub around in the dirt….or since it’s raining (at least in KY) try watching the Crufts 2024 dog show/trials on you tube – can’t help but smile 😊
I hope your week improves! Ditto the comment about a batch of Orro cookies coming your way. I’m a 56 years old woman, and have been on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for a few years, and just finished reading “Estrogen Matters” by Bluming & Travis. I wish all women over 30 would read the book. Our brains and bodies are happier and healthier on hormones!
Best wishes, thank you for all your blog and book writings!
If you decide not to publish this post. I understand 🙂
The cookies look fabulous. are they home made or can they be purchased? I would be willing to suffer the pain of eating a sugar product for those cookies.
It’s a stock photo, I’m afraid. The cookies are a lie 😉
BDH have weighed in with great suggestions so I just want to encourage you to give Roman a week off and go play with your fur family. Look at your serial again when you leave the doldrums behind. I offer Dallas Season 9 (it was all just a dream) as a cautionary tale. You can’t unwrite it once it’s published. We can get our Roman fix by rereading the serial posts or searching for Kate and Roman’s first encounter, both very satisfying options.
Go play hooky 😉
I enjoy your posts, even if it’s about feeling meh. I think we can all relate to that. Reading this and having a glance at the comments feels like a nice little visit with you and the BDH.
Could it be any new medication you are on? I’m just thinking of what happened to a friend, & the medication made her meh. The flip side of that being is there a vitamin or a food that could help? Vitamin D? The expression bananas are shaped like a smile for a reason comes to mind too. I don’t play computer games but I do find jigsaw’s relaxing. I’ve been doing shaped jigsaws ad they’re a little different, a certain brand in particular, the pieces are easy to deal with. Mod R am I allowed to say the brand here?
Yes, jigsaw puzzle brands are fine 🙂
Try the demo of Planet Crafter. Admittedly, I played it a while ago and I found it surprisingly engaging – it pulled me in better than a lot of games. It has maintained its Overwhelmingly Positive review on Steam, though, so it gives me hope. I try not to do Early Access games anymore so that’s why I haven’t picked it up.
I was going to suggest that too! I love Planet Crafter and it’s on sale since this is the last update before release which will happen in the next few months
Sometimes you have to change something externally to feel different internally. Maybe go for a walk in nature or go somewhere you can people-watch. Try a different kind of game the new Mario Wonder is very simple but he turns into an elephant which is frikking adorable or Just Dance can be fun. Take your time we will await your return with bated breath.
How long has it been since you had a vacation? Go!! We’ll all still be here when you get back.
Well, of course everything is “meh”. Here we are coming out of a miserable winter. It’s grey, its damp, and either chill or outright freezing. It always feels like this by the end of winter. Unless maybe if you’re living someplace with palm trees. But I think you have the right idea. Heat up the tea, hit the cookie jar and maybe find some new yarn.
Is it immoral to profit from someone else’s meh? Because that blog title gave me enough of a giggle to get through my own whiny/irritated and finish the pile of things I was just about to starting whining my way through. I hope you find a giggle to help you with yours.
Try Against the Storm – there’s a free demo on GOG.com, and a good review on Ars Technica.
I asked for it for Christmas on a whim and it has eaten every spare minute since.
It’s like the devs played and loved WarCraft II and Pharaoh and SimCity and Banished. But they wanted more so they made this beautiful unique new thing.
It’s worth a couple of hours to let it draw you in and see if it will drive off the meh. Hope things get better!
Sorry y’all are having a crummy time. I hope things perk up for you soon.
Please give yourself a break (and a hug). You spent a huge chunk of February preparing for, traveling to, and being awesome at Coastal Con, on top of whatever other real life things you’ve got going on. If you’re anything like me, your mental and emotional batteries may need more time to recharge. The horde will wait 🙂
I hope you find a good game!
Watch the new Shogun. it is quite good.
Hah! You put into words exactly what I’m feeling with Enshrouded!
I thought it would be the same feel as Valheim which I loved but no, it’s very meh. I keep trying harder to like it. I want to.
Same with other books and anime mostly, all meh. I am enjoying Solo Levelling anime but it’s once a week and not enough to fill the time.
I’ve been meh about all the things lately too. Trying to figure my way out of it. Maybe some self care is in order. Massage, spa, girls outing? Hope you find your way out of it soon.
The Planet Crafter is early access right now. They want to release 1.0 later this year. Kind of a Satisfactory lite with survival elements. No combat, but the planet can kill your character. Up to frogs with mammals scheduled for full release.
Almost forgot, a terraforming game without a lot of science. But it can be fun and engrossing.
The horrible irony here is that when I feel meh or I’m having a hard time for some reason, I reach for an Ilona Andrews series and do yet another complete re-read It really always makes everything at least a bit better.
I am supposed to be keeping my feet elevated as much as possible. Laying in my bed (which adjusts to raise the head and foot as any angle you want) with feet up is SO much easier and more pleasant with a truly great book in my hands. ALL of House Andrews’ works are great books. I love some more than others, but I love them all.
Here’s hoping that you find a really fun escape and distraction— it isn’t fair for you to be without one when the BDH all have your work for that purpose!
Roman audio! I am so damn excited at this news. Thank you!
Sorry for the meh! Do nice long walks help any? Whenever I’m depressed or generally dissatisfied, I head out the door. Five miles later I’m tired and feeling so much better.
Just south of you is a magical awakening. Like swallows returning, the Round Top Antique Shows dealers are, day by day, arriving. Numbers are starting to swell in the spring wildflowers. The locals will nod and tell each other, “the circus is back in town”.
I’m sorry nothing is particularly fun at the moment.
I solidly recommend Slime Rancher. My daughter loves it and she got me sucked in. I played the switch version which is a mix of one and two. It’s cheery and fun. You’re on an alien planet with adorable bouncing slime critters. You collect their, er… plorts.
There’s a bit of plot but it’s not a downer.
Thank you so much for your blogs – even the grumpy ones like this cheer me up. Given I’ve just been told I have ovarian cancer, that is saying something.
Stardew Valley is sometimes fun to relax and unwind with!
You are amazing! It will be great and right on time!
I hear you on Enshrouded.
If you haven’t try Grounded you should give it a whirl. Really cut survival/crafting game. Here’s to hoping your “meh’s” are short lived.
I recommend
Cozy Grove
and
FaeFarm
for the meh’s.
I highly recommend Farthest Frontier if you like building! It’s a phenomenal game that is still in beta testing I think it’s called, but the creators release wonderful updates pretty frequently. I have been playing it for well over a year and am still obsessed!
A bit late and out of the blue, but just to share that these days i am listening for a bit of good mood to “The Stupendium” youtube channel. It’s kinda of a niche nerdcore music about many games and fun stuff with very veeery clever lyrics and catchy toons.
It works for me between mehs and i strongly suggest “WHAT A PLUNDERFUL WORLD | Satisfactory Rap!” and “The Fine Print/The Outer Worlds”videos in hope that it will be fun for other factory bosses. 🙂
I know it’s a bit late, but if you’re looking for a new game that has base building and survival, I’ve been obsessed with one called Saleblazers lately. It’s survival, base/shop building, and shop simulator with exploration and side quests as well. It’s on Steam, on sale for the Spring sale right now. Is it a bit buggy? Yes. Is it being actively developed and bugs being fixed constantly? Also yes. 🙂