Ever since Covid-19 I am really struggling with energy in the afternoons and evenings, and cups of tea aren’t really touching it in a way I would like it to.

I am not gonna lie I do of course enjoy an energy drink, my favourites being Carabao Sugar Free Green Apple, Irn Bru Energy Sugar Free and Coca-Cola Energy Zero.

But I do struggle to get these drinks, Monster seems to be the post popular drink in the Co-Op, but I am not that keen on the Ultra Zero flavour and the other flavours, well they don’t say what they are on the tin and that’s a bit off putting.

But long term even when I can get hold of the ones I like, they aren’t all that cheap and I do wonder if they are any good for me.

But I have seen a number of adverts for Sneak and Razorwire, which have always struck me as being like those protein supplements that dudes who want to get hench use, which hasn’t exactly enamoured me to their product.

But I relented and decided to give Razorwire a try, simply because if I do go for it, it seems to offer the best value. So I ordered two samples, one of Sour Apple flavour the other of Cherry, which I do enjoy.

I didn’t bother with a shaker, no point spending money on that unless I decided to get big tubs, so I ended up making them in some used pop bottles.

And I have to admit they were both rather nice, the flavours were subtle and not too in your face and if I want them to be fizzy well I can always use the Soda Stream.

They did leave me feeling very awake in the afternoons, but not into the night preventing me from sleeping.

All in all I was really impressed by both samples and I think I will be investing in some of the tubs of them when I next get paid.

But if anyone has any alternative suggestions for a brand I can use, then I am all ears.

What Am I Modelling

I started the week by painting a T’au Breacher Team and their Devilfish transport.

I broke out the airbrush for these to get the main armour colour on, and that worker really rather well.

I am still figuring out the best way to paint T’au infantry and tried a slightly different approach this time. This time I added the use of an airbrush for the main armour colour and that did work pretty well.

It’s not working firm or me as well as I’d like so it’s back to the drawing board.

I then bumped up the Ultramarines Contemptor Dreadnought up to the top of the list, after taking so long on the T’au I wanted an easy and quick model painted and I can knock out a Contemptor very quickly.

This one is armed with a Plasma Cannon and a Plasma Blaster in its Power Fist.

I then placed on the painting desk the three Death Korps of Krieg Mortar Teams for Niki.

So how does this leave my painting plan looking

  1. Death Korps of Krieg Mortar Teams x 3
  2. Stormcast Eternals Vanguard-Hunters x 10 & Knight-Zephyros
  3. Zone Mortalis Terrain
  4. Blood Ravens Intercessors x 10
  5. Space Wolves Infiltrators x 10 & Ragnar Blackmane
  6. Death Korps of Krieg Infantry Squad
  7. Secret Heresy Project Unit
  8. T’au Strike Team x 10, Cadre Fireblade & Devilfish
  9. Mortarion x 2
  10. Nighthaunt Knight of Shrouds on Ethereal Steed, Spirt Torment & Gaurdian of Souls.

What I Am Reading

I finished listening to War of Secrets by Phil Kelly, which was alright, plenty of action but I was a little confused but the psychic plague thing, it didn’t really get explained in any detail other than it was happening.

I started on Belisarius Cawl: The Great Work by Guy Haley, and I am really enjoying this, love how well it fits into the Horus Heresy and links that that the Era Indomitus.

I literally just got finished that audiobook tonight and I have to say, I really loved it!

I am also reading Saturnine by Dan Abnett, but it’s taking time but that’s because of motivation issues, loving the book, and at one point I was pricing up a White Scars army!

What I Am Playing

We had a game of Just One on Friday night, we managed to score 8 points with a single pass and 2 wrong answers.

I also did a tech-test for hosting games at this months virtual UK Games Expo, which went quite well.

I am likely to be doing Marvel Crisis Protocol or X-Wing both of which are in my ball park.

What I Am Backing

Project Infinite Hole delivered its first PDFs this week via DriveThruRPG.

And a bunch of PDFs from the GURPS 2020 Challenge were delivered via BackerKit.

The extra EP that was a stretch goal as part of the Transformers 1986 project was also delivered this week, I haven’t listened to it yet but plan to do so this week.

What I Am Cooking

I made the chicken for wing night this week, although due to Tesco’s having no wings, we had drumsticks instead.

This week they were marinated in Nando’s sauce, cooked in the oven before being finished on the BBQ.

Megan made the wedges and green beans and the coleslaw was store bought.

On a Saturday I made slow cooker sloppy Joe’s to a recipe from Megan, I am gonna be honest, I wasn’t that keen they seemed rather plain compared to the sloppy Joe’s recipe I normally use.

They were nice, but I think my other recipe is better.

On Monday I made us pizza for breakfast, it was just a cheap pizza from ASDA but I added some cut up cocktail sausages, some smoked streaky bacon, mushrooms and tarragon and then topped it with some extra cheese.

What I Am Spending

Two of the three issues I ordered of Conquest from Hachette arrived, the missing issue 13 is going to be dispatched ASAP.

These are being added to my Zone Mortalis set to bulk that out a little.

I also ordered Deadly Alliance for Blackstone Fortress as I have heard this is close to going out of stock and is a single print expansion.

Bought it from a Element Games as I had Crystals to use, and interestingly enough it came via Amazon Logistics.

I also decided to add to the Star Trek Adventure collection by buying the Enterprise Player Characters from the Modulus website when they released them this week.

Kinda hoping that they add the Discovery crew at some point, would love to play as Tilly!

I bought three audiobooks on Audible with credits I got from returning books, Dredge Runners, Bloodlines and Ahriman: Exile.

I also bought Bloodlines as an ePub and the short stories released by Black Library as part of their characters week.