Yes! I got it again on PS1 a while back and still like to play it.

I got a teddy bird and a puzzle! Worth it.

I do in fact sit down for an hour once or twice a month to give plasma without compensation and many other people do so as well, given that it’s illegal to be paid for blood or plasma here in the Netherlands, but I can see why paying people a bit would help.

The reason people can’t get paid for it here is to avoid perverse incentives, mainly people donating when they shouldn’t, lying on the form or to the doctor to pass the pre-donation check.

I wouldn’t mind it for that reason. The Red Cross do good work that need to be financed.

Here in the Netherlands they do that by contracting out volunteers for first aid services to events like fairs and runs. The volunteer donates their time, gets trained for free, the Red Cross gets paid by the organiser and makes money for their mission and an small army of experienced first aid people and EMTs to help out when disaster strikes.

I’m such a volunteer and it’s a great distraction from my normal job. I also get to use my skills outside of the Red Cross, e.g. as an action medic at protests.

Cool sidenote: there’s this network any CPR certified person can join to get alerted by emergency dispatch when CPR is needed close to your home or work. This has helped massively to get CPR started within 6 minutes mostly anywhere in the country, even when ambulances can’t get there that quickly.

I donate plasma regularly - at least once per month. It’s illegal to pay people for blood or plasma here in the Netherlands so I’m just in it for the good feels. I also like the downtime and relaxed chatting and joking with the people who work there.

When you try to call the Red Cross to ask why you failed the first aid exam 😄

“U bent verkeerd verbonden” (for calls)

“U heeft het verkeerde nummer” (generic)

Very excited for this! Playroom was such a delight and I can’t wait to get more of it. (Now please can we get Sackboy 2 ☺️)

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe and I’m loving it. People might have been tired of the presentation but Nintendo fans ought tot look beyond that - it has great level design, difficulty, secrets and a super tough challenge mode that’ll keep me busy for a while.

Super Mario Odyssey, wrapping up the moons 4 years after finishing. Not sure if that’s for me, but giving it a chance.

Final Fantasy XVI. Just started, liking it so far.

I love platforming / secret finding games like this and Astro Bot’s Playroom was a lot of fun. Definitely in for more of that!

(But really I want another Sackboy, it’s perfect for multiplayer)

Lots, mostly due to a gaming weekend with a friend! Mainly;

• Super Mario Wonder (Switch). Finished it way back but was stuck on the completion road. Got all but one of the medals now!

• Okami (PS3, 4). Gifted it to that friend after finishing it after a 10 year hiatus. What a gem! We played a bit more of it together.

• Final Fantasy XII (Switch). Just a few hours in, not sure what to think of it yet. I’m not a big RPG fan, she is. I certainly like the setting and style.

• Train Valley 1 and 2 (Linux). Completed the first. It was good but also addictive in a bad way to me.

Okami! Please, more!

“So!”

D E A T H
S T R A N D I N G

We usually go to a small holiday home my dad owns for a week or two in summer - we need to book that early in the year.

Then we do maybe one or two long shorter train trips to other European cities. More often than not that’s to see a musical theatre production, so we book those when they are announced, maybe half a year in advance. Otherwise it could be just days or weeks out!

Fantastic 🙏 thanks again!

Awesome, thank you!

It’s all in the suspended chords

That’s a planning problem imo, from small towns to metropolises groceries, health clinic, some entertainment can be in walking distance.

I live in a small city of about 90k and I love it. We have the important amnesties, eg shopping and a hospital, but in a few minutes you’re out in the open fields. Meanwhile buses to nearby large city depart every 6 to 30 min from my street.