Daniel J Isom

A year ago I posted the first of these month wrap-up posts and I'm proud of myself for keeping them going. Some months have been leaner than others with the content, but I like to come back each month and share what's been going on. I think the fact that I do these posts has affected my yearly goal of posting three times a month because I could do individual posts for some of these sections. However, I really like this format and it feels less like work which always makes me want to keep doing something. This October was the busiest between work and home of any month in years, but it was all really good.  Blah Blog Log September 2024 Wrap-Up  - Gaming and a delicious pizza in North Dakota Solotober 2024 - A recap of one of my favorite gaming traditions Bored  Board Games Between this year's Solotober challenge and my new gaming group, I had 142 plays across 48 unique games. *Spoilers* I was able to complete my gaming goals of 600 total plays and 150 unique games. Everythi

When October rolls around, it means it's time for the Solotober gaming challenge , where I attempt to play at least one solo game each day. Last year I said that playing a different game each day probably wasn't the best idea because of how busy I was at the time. My schedule hasn't really changed and I would argue I had a busier October this year, but I forged ahead and stuck by my plan of playing 31 different games in 31 days. Part of it was to guarantee I made one of my two gaming goals for the year of playing 150 unique games. However, I was also able to complete my other gaming goal of 600 total plays about half way through the month.  It was about that time that I shared in the thread for the challenge that participating actually invigorated me to play even more games because I was having so much fun playing by myself. Don't get me wrong, I love my game group and all of the gaming we've done this year but playing solo just hits different. The more I play game

The school year has begun so that means we're getting back into our regular routines. September did have some highlights, include a work trip that brought me to North Dakota for a two day conference and we saw a Taylor Swift cover band called Let's Sing Taylor as a family. Other than that it was a lot of gaming for me and not much else. This month is shaping up to be a busy one between both work and having plans nearly every day each weekend. This post will be shorter than most because we didn't have time to watch anything of note and I didn't come across any fun snacks to share. Blah Blog Log August 2024 Wrap-Up  - Lots of games, an ice cream contest, and a psychological thriller/supernatural horror film that I'm still thinking about. Bored  Board Games My third most played game in 2023, Kingdom Builder , saw 11 plays on BGA last month bringing it to 17 for the year. BGA still saw a majority of my plays, but more in person gaming days meant I played a lot more wit

August was another breeze, ending as quickly as it started. Working from home for over three months came to an end, but not before we filled the month with adventures. We took a week long trip to North Carolina to visit family, visited the Museum of Illusions in Philadelphia for James' birthday, did an augmented reality experience in Lancaster with my mom and her husband for the kids' collective birthdays, and saw a couple of movies in theaters (including one during a date night for Christine and I). The school year starts tomorrow and I'm ready to get back into our normal routines. Blah Blog Log July 2024 Wrap-Up  - More gaming, a work trip that had an interesting experience, and a lot of good food. An Apology  - I said sorry for not staying in touch with people in my life. Bored  Board Games One of my favorite casual games ( Mountain Goats ) along with a couple games I just received in the mail ( Grove & Forage ) were just added to BGA, so those fueled a lot of the p

I don't want you to think that I stopped caring. Loss is an incredibly hard thing for all of us, but I especially struggle accepting the end of anything. When we think of loss, our minds immediately go to death because that's loss in its most permanent form but the end of anything can cause similar feelings. It could be the end of some sort of relationship (family, friend, work, romantic, etc.) or even a form of media like a television show or podcast. Obviously the latter examples aren't nearly as serious because they are designed to end, but one could argue that so are nearly all relationships.  We have this idea that once we know somebody and have any sort of connection to them beyond waving at a neighbor whose name you don't know, that there's an obligation to keep that relationship going forever. It's not realistic for this to be true for a long list of reasons. When the thing that brings two people together ends in some fashion, it's natural for that b

  July was full of travel and family time. Time just flew by because I was only home about half of the days of the month. We went back home to Syracuse around the fourth, spent a few days at Great Wolf Lodge, and I also attended my first work travel for my new role. I had a very enjoyable time meeting my counterparts from all over the country. August will start to bring in back our normal schedule towards the end of the month, but we also still have one last big trip left before that happens.  Blah Blog Log June 2024 Wrap-Up  - A lot of gaming, one of my favorite TV shows of all time, and a strange chip flavor. Table For One  - An uncomfortable experience while on a work trip. Bored  Board Games It was another BGA heavy month, but some of those play were with friends which was nice. I also got in two in person sessions and played a couple of solo games while on a work trip. In person gaming should ramp up back to normal levels as we head into the school year. For July, I logged 48 play

A mandatory travel that is a part of the grant I work on has brought me to Rockville, MD for most of this week. It’s the first time I’ve done an out of state travel for work and will be the longest I’ve been away from Christine and the kids. In fact, it’ll be the longest Christine and I have been away from one another in the almost twenty years of being together. I mention that because I’m so used to seeing her looking back at me from the other side of the table when we go out to eat. Sure, I’ve eaten in food courts or at a fast food or fast casual restaurant by myself. However, I can only remember one other time that I was at a full-service restaurant alone and I sat at the counter of a small diner. That brings me to tonight and my quest to find some dinner. Having enjoyed tacos last night while out with my brother, I almost went back to Taco Bamba because they were so good and not far from the hotel. It was an odd day at our conference today that ended with many going home or back