Nana Nana Nana Nana Nana Nana Nana Nana Batman!!

Planning is part of a success, but it is also fun to be spontaneous! So, while the kids were doing their chores, we get a text from an unexpected source. The unexpected source was going to give us a surprise visit. So that usually means a great time will follow, and it did! It was decided that we didn't want to play Warhammer Underworlds or something common like Poker. We decided on Batman: Gotham City Chronicles.

If you are a Batman fan or unfamiliar with this game, I'll give you a brief summary. The game is a board game with highly detailed miniatures usually involving a mission with the good guys against the bad guys. The game mechanics involve dice and resource management, both of which you have to consider carefully for each turn. And it is fun to play, especially with a group (We have had both teenage boys/girls and grown women/men enjoy the game)! Whatever happens, don't let the bad/good guys win!!

This game was created by Monolith (a company I fell in love with on their first collaborated Kickstarter Mythic Battles: Pantheon with Mythic). I have a special love of Greek myths and heroes. You can see what I mean below:

So in the game I played Batman, along with my husband playing Robin, and my son playing the Detective Bullock. We had to play a mission against our daughter, where we needed to keep Joker, Harley Quinn, and their thugs from dropping a victim into a large vat of simmering green radioactive material!!

In order to stop them, we needed to confiscate 3 of 4 computers. THEN, we had to keep the bad guys away from information consoles to keep them from resuming their dastardly deed!! And it all needed to be done before the end of the 7th round. It was a tall order, but we tried our best!

The dice rolling was not on our side though...

Lots of blanks lead to a rough start for both sides.

Despite our bad rolls as the good guys, we did manage to get rid of two computers. Batman below (my character) sacrificed himself for the 2nd computer and then got trapped by Harley and the gang. She says, "Heeeey Baaaatsy.....I know you're in there Batman. I can wait all day!"

There is a special rule called Menace that applies to us from the bad guys. It means, a menacing, scary, tough looking dude makes it hard to do things by 1. So where we only needed a 6 to take the 3rd computer offline, we instead needed a 7. Needless to say...we were unsuccessful.

Alas, the bad guys won... But we managed to at least knock quite a few of them out of the game! As a note, 2 more guys were knocked out, but due to a special play the bad guys can use called "Reinforcements", they were able to put those 2 guys back into the game.

To see how the scenario plays out, I have included the scenario pages. The game is really a lot of fun to play and easier, than it looks. It also comes in multiple languages, with the common denominator being that the symbols are universal. Basically, to understand the special rules, you need to learn to understand the symbols. When you remember the symbols, the rest falls easily into place.



I have also included some shots of the game consoles that we each used to determine our good guy/bad guy abilities.

The bad guy board carries all the characters that they need for the game, so it looks a little different then the good guy boards. However it houses the same information, just in a more efficient way.

Bad Guy Board.

So do you think the family had a good time?

(Hint: I think so, judging from the smiles)

What are some of your favorite family games to play? Have you played Batman Gotham City Chronicles? What did you think of the game?

And Keto was his name Oh!

I have decided to jump on the bandwagon! And the bandwagon is called Keto.

This actually was an idea that evolved from a mere suggestion, nearly 1 year ago. Like many people, I have struggled with weight issues for a long time. So last year, I was determined to lose weight again with the New Year on the horizon. My SIL told me about a coworker who had seen success while on Keto. She lost 25 lbs in two months and had not changed her routine in any other way, as in no exercise. Now before you judge, I love to be active!! However my work schedule is not conducive to getting my workouts in daily. I need to chunk them. But that is a story for another day.

Back to the Keto suggestion. So my dear friend says it's not hard, but you do have to give up breads and sugar. Agh! Hold the phone! I just don't know if I can do that. I bake as a hobby so ruling out sweets just isn't going to happen. I move on with the conversation, but it ignited a spark.

Fast forward 2 months and another good friend of mine brings it up on a work trip. She didn't push it on me or anything, but I mentioned my goals for the new year. She encouraged trying Keto too! Moreover, she actually lives a Keto lifestyle!! So now I'm thinking, she has a family and manages to do this Keto thing, maybe there is some merit to this thing. Moreover, she has shed some weight changing her habits.

Okay, okay, so it's not unrealistic now, it has just moved to 'hard' in my mind. I return from my trip and maybe a week later, find out a close friend of my husband's is on Keto too! Moreover, his DOCTOR ordered him onto the diet. Damn! This can't be that hard and it is clearly not so bad for you if a doctor is recommending this. It might be time to give this Keto thing a chance.

The New Year zips past and I have grand plans of how to lose the weight, but the momentum does  not last for long. I am easily as disappointed as ever when I cannot achieve the results I desire. Once March gets here (in what feels like two weeks), I decide this is it! I need to take this weight loss thing seriously. I have been my heaviest for the last 3 years and not even close to my weight goal for 7 years. I'm ready to make some drastic changes!

So I begin my own Keto research on the following topics (as revealed by my browser history):

• What is Keto? How does it work? How do you calculate the macros on the keto diet? What nutrients do you need to monitor closely on Keto? Is there a caloric intake required on Keto? Is it different for women and men? What is the Keto flu? Can you exercise on Keto? How will that impact your diet?
• What can you eat on keto? What salad dressings are acceptable? What are some good breakfast/lunch/family/snack recipes that are Keto friendly? Can I eat bread? No milk-are you sure? How do I sate that sweet tooth? What about a craving for salt?
• How do you manage Keto in your day-to-day life? How to meal prep in 3 hours? How does going into Ketosis feel? How many more Keto blogs can I find? Can I do this? Are you sure I can?

Then here, in the 3rd week of April, I made up my mind. I'm doing Keto. I'm doing Keto!

 

So I drew up the grocery list, realizing it's going to be a little more expensive at first. I have to stock up on certain things like sugar substitutes (Swerve is my recommendation) that do not take me out of Ketosis. I have to add a lot more meat to the menu, since carbs can't be the 'filler' anymore. And I make sure to have more vegetables than usual to replace rice and pasta. There are still high-fat delights such as cream cheese and butter, but they have to be used in different ways.

Now as I draw up this grocery list, explaining to the kids all the changes I have to make, my husband overhears this. He has also heard me talk about the benefits of Keto and the changes I will have to make too. He knows what I'm in for. So two days before I begin, he looks at me and offers to do this Keto thing with me. Say what?

Of all the things that have surprised me in life, this is among the top 10! Wow, so after I get over the initial shock, I start preparing him mentally for the changes. Wouldn't you know, just that last little umph was all I needed! 

So it's on. April 22nd was the day I started. We will see where it goes from here!

Are you doing Keto? What are your thoughts about the process? Don't be surprised as I add recipes and my experiences with it in coming posts. I look forward to sharing the successes and failures (like fake bread, there is no Keto bread that I have found that is really worth a darn! lol)

Family, Work, Games, and the rest..

A great woman once said..

The words ring true because otherwise this blog would not exist. And really, nothing would happen or advance in society today. We wouldn't see the advancement of the car or the ability to take a photo with your phone. We certainly wouldn't have had a Justin Bieber (though not everyone is happy about that). The fact is, life is enriched by the sharing of ideas, experiences, and getting to know one another beyond just a sea of endless faces in person or on the internet.

So let me introduce myself.. I go by Jen and want to share with you my hobbies, experiences, and a couple of the crazy parts of my life. I hope you find something you can relate to here, along with a chuckle or two. I am not geared towards attracting one sex or another or another or-well you get the point. I am interested in showing you that you aren't alone in a world that can be harsh to judge. And I am definitely interested in showing you are capable of many things in your life and do not have to be limited by traditional thinking. In fact, do like I do, think outside the box! You'll be amazed as you add pages to the story of your life!!

As the blog suggests, I do have a family-a couple of teenagers in fact. So surely, I will be sharing a little of the things that we go through together. My daughter is an overachiever with a knack for creative and thoughtful ideas. My son, the ultimate gamer (and I don't just mean video games). Games included are Warhammer 40K, Munchkin, Exploding Kittens, Batman (the kickstarter version). He has a wide array of interests. Mom couldn't be more proud!

Then you have my husband, of Jay's Workshop. He is a miniature war game fanatic! You can read more about his blogs here (just in case you need that masculine perspective). 

To be fair, any painter would disagree. And in hobbies, like ours, this is not entirely true. 

Then there is the "the rest". My interests span a wide array of topics. Just to give you an idea of a few, to make sure this is a blog you would be interested in following, I'll list them below:

Age of Sigmar, Dr. Who, Cosplay, MUSIC, The Orville, Warhammer 40K, Keto, Photography, Texas, Necromunda, Zombies (the game), Mythic Battles Pantheon, Baking, Canvas Painting, Batman (Kickstarter Version), Escape Rooms, Traveling, Trucking

So this is just a little introduction to what you will find here. For a preview of blogs to come, I have added a couple of photos to get you thinking about the possibilities!!

What kind of projects are you working on? Let me know in the comments below. Have a great day!!