Oh interesting, would these be the larvae then? A quick Google tells me that we have over 60 different types of native ladybugs here, so I’m gonna have to do some searching. Thanks.

And yes, I realise bugs all have their role to play and aren’t inherently good or bad. But I was looking for “is it likely that these clustering bugs are killing my plant”, i.e. are they a foe in this situation.

I feel like if I came out I’d be virtue signalling and taking oxygen from people who are “actually queer”. I’m worried people won’t believe me, because I spent 15 years not believing myself.

For what it’s worth from an internet stranger:

I believe you. You are allowed to take up space. You are allowed to be who you are. You have just as much of a right to identify as whatever you want as anyone else. And if someone doesn’t agree with that, that says a whole lot more about them than about you.

I think you’ve already had plenty of replies here, but yeah here in western Europe, straight from the tap. I’m also fortunate not to have any chlorine in my water. It’s delicious.

One thing about the chlorine, it also just evaporates over time without boiling. Filling a jug of water and leaving it standing around for a while will also get rid of that chlorine smell/taste!

That sounds fun! I was actually thinking about doing something similar, but only about a few ones I think are special. Would love to see it.

Edit: what I mean is, I think it’d be interesting content, not that I’m in any way trying to “compete”!

Not OP, but Spirit Island is one of my favourite games too. I think it’s great at most player counts, but I like it the most at 2p. You can help each other out, fill in each other’s weak spots, but it doesn’t get as overwhelming as at larger player counts. And yes indeed, the decision space in Spirit Island is so big that alpha gaming is not easy (once you’ve played it a lot that gets easier, though), which makes it a great actual co-op game.

I’m excited. I don’t think I’ll ever play the RPG (I just don’t know who I’d ever play it with), I don’t need all those minis (except maybe the summons would be nice to have), but I’m really really looking forward to playing through Gloomhaven 2.

Awesome that you made your way over here, I’ve always found your posts super useful. I hope you stick around.

Cute! Are there bugs in there/what are you doing about feeding it? I’d love to put some of my savage garden in a terrarium too, but I’m worried they’re not gonna get enough to eat…

I see a few of my favorites have been mentioned already (Aeon’s End, Spirit Island, The Crew, Pandemic Legacy) but here’s a few more:

• Gloomhaven: There’s a reason this game was at the Boardgamegeek #1 spot for years. Absolutely an epic game, with so much strategy and variety involved. For those who are intimidated by the complexity, size or price of the game, there is also Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion, which is essentially a light version of the game. An excellent starting point, and not any less fun than it’s big sibling.

• Oathsworn: Into the Deepwood: Another big campaign game with very interesting mechanics. The game is quite hard and punishing, but you have lots of difficulty levels you can play on. The story is set in a land overrun by the Deepwood, a forest filled with huge monsters. You play a band of mercenaries who defend people from those monsters.

• Sprawlopolis: A game consisting of 18 cards, that contain city blocks and roads, and each player places a card down to add to the city. Each card has a different scoring system on its back, and you draw a few for each game, so every game feels entirely different. Quick to play, and fits in your pocket so you can bring it anywhere.

I feel this.

Over the past couple of years I’ve made a conscious effort, when someone just doesn’t get it, instead of being annoyed, to feel happy for them. Why? Because apparently they have no experience with their body or brain limiting them. With experiencing something that they can’t just change or push through. With struggling to do something that comes easy to others. So, they’re lucky, and I try to think “good for you”.

Of course that isn’t fool proof, I do still get frustrated at times, but it really surprised me how trying to create this perception shift in myself actually helped me.

Interesting question. I actually had a conversation about this with friends recently, one of the group had just gotten an ASD diagnosis and we realised we were all neurodivergent–except, did I count? We quickly concluded that that didn’t really matter, but now I’m curious what y’all think.

Due to a medical event years ago, I suffered brain damage. It didn’t really “break” functions, but since then I’ve had trouble with concentration, energy, mental planning, and perhaps most importantly I get overstimulated really easily. I can’t handle a conversation while the radio is on, I wear ear plugs when I need to go into a shop, I can’t watch busy/flashy tv shows, if someone is fiddling with something in their hands I get an urge to run away, etc. It might not sound like much to some, but it’s left me unable to work (there’s more than I described).

I realise that neurodivergence is mostly used for differently developed brains. But mine also don’t function “typically”. What do you think?

(And just to reiterate, it really doesn’t matter, I know how I am and how my brain works now and a label isn’t important to me, I’m just wondering if the general public would find it strange if I said I’m neurodivergent).

I have a similar thing for checking spelling! Don’t write it in the air, but if I need to figure out the spelling of something, I just write it down and see if the colors are right. Works better in my native language than in English, especially because for some words the colors are “right” for American spelling, and for others it’s the British…