Father's Day, Unicorns, and Pandas

Father's Day was never a big day in my home growing up.  Cheesy gift, usually a steak dinner at home, if anything special.

Over the years, I've managed to secure Father's Day as a more intimate occasion than the crass commercialism and familial obligations.

This year, travel basketball and the installation of a new pool has dominated everything, so with my wife working the whole day, I checked the monstrosity in the backyard, took the dogs out, and woke up my girls to go out for breakfast.  Even early in the morning it took us awhile to find a place that wasn't totally bonkers, but Dad's hunger was satiated and we returned home, but not without stopping for supplies for the time-honored tradition:  the annual Father's Day Tea Party.

Keeping close to the original party (the second is shown below), there are four components:

• Grape Juice
• Herr's Barbecue Potato Chips
• Tastycakes
• ... and all of it served on the good china that we never use anymore.  

After the tea party, I left them to their own devices for an hour while I accumulated everything for the next episode of our long-avoided Pulp campaign.

I did have a few more interesting choices to run a game, but I went selfish with "What would Dad want?" and Dad wanted to get another step closer to the 12 "episode" season I want to complete. 

We'll revisit next Father's Day games for 2020 before the Summer's out.  The game was a hoot, and all parties had fun, but the concepts behind Attack of the 50-foot Princess and running Little Wars games on the dining room floor should be reserved for this day.

The wife came home and presented me with the gifts I never asked for.... although this year she knocked it out of the park.

• Beer:  A variety pack of New Belgium and a 4-pack of Troegs' Nimble Giant.  I'm drinking the Nimble Giant right now, and it's probably a fine Double IPA, but somewhere my palette was ruined and all I can taste is a 70's breakfast of over ripened grapefruit and Grape Nuts (no milk).  Hops-wise, it's pretty close to perfect.  
• Unstable Unicorns - a card game that might represent Millie's life.
• Pass the Pandas - a simple dice game that represent's Maja.

No chance to play either, as my wife gently suggested going out for dinner and then told the kids to hit the still-freezing pool once we got home.  

So, what else is going one?

• For the blog, the AAR of episode #3.6 of the Pulp game.  A review of my cruise reading and then, a GAME STORE REVIEW!
• We finally got a session off for the 5e D&D online game.  Lots of rust to knock off, but we might have progress in the future.  Falgor of the Havarii is still reeling from the death the tabaxi mystic that they befriended, but when he renews his purpose, a recent leveling adds extra attacks and more movement.  
• No progress on the painting bench + all those Cold Wars purchases makes ViscountEric sad, but the completion of episode #3.6 of the Pulp Game means I can move the much needed items for #3.8 and start priming.  Episode #3.7?  You might consider that an experiment in parallel universes.  
• The face-to-face game might see some hope after next weekend.  The girls' dance recital next Sunday is the last step to weekend freedom.
• The girls' Summer basketball camps start today, and the community shoot around league starts tonight and runs Monday and Wednesday and runs through mid-July.  I am the Vice-President of the league board, so I should be making appearances to introduce myself and help out/close up each night.