Hello everyone! It’s been a while, right? After a big hiatus, I’m back to blogging for the time being. A lot has happened since my last post in March. Things that are good and things that are bad. Such is life, I suppose. Bottom line is that I’ve missed blogging on a weekly basis and the projects I set out to focus on earlier this year have been put on the back burner for a bit. I’ve really tried to get into podcast recording mode, but I think I don’t want to go and do it alone. I’m just not a monologue type of guy in that way. Writing alone is fine, but podcasting, not so much.

My R3TR0J3FF video game project is still going to continue, but although I like streaming on Twitch, I feel I would prefer to make nicely edited content for YouTube and focus on creating well thought out content that shows how to do certain things in older games, and also do in-depth reviews of video games, including a bit about their history and how well they hold up in this day and age. Alas, to do that, I need a new PC, because my laptop can’t run video editing software, like at all.

So, how’s life been, then?

Ups and downs, with several big downs, lately. I’m afraid. Last Wednesday we lost our eldest cat Blixem, and it still feels unreal. He went from doing good to really bad in a matter of days and the worst thing is that when we tried to call the emergency number we kept being forwarded to the same place here in Apeldoorn who refused to help us, because we weren’t a client! Eventually our neighbour Ria and I drove him to the animal hospital in Arnhem, which is about a half hour drive. Way too long for a cat who is short on breath and near death. Once we made it there, he was given oxygen and shortly after that we saw the doctor and she said she had really bad news. Things were looking extremely grim. Blixem was dehydrated, his heart and lung functions were really bad. So we decided to give Bren a call. She wasn’t able to come along, because she was not capable of doing a 30 minute drive in the car in her state. We decided it was time to let Blixem go and he was put to sleep on my lap. It was very peaceful and I feel honoured that I could be with him during those last moments. Especially because I was never given that chance with my first cat, Kosmo. We buried Blixem in our backyard that same evening, together with our best friend Robin and Ria, on the other side of the pond from Storm’s grave.

Besides that tragic loss, Bren is facing another big problem with her web shop, which has us both worried. In January 2023 she started her business and it looks as if she will have to quit her biggest dream, because of a chain of errors at UWV (our social benefits company here in the Netherlands). This basically means that due to someone’s decision that Bren is incapable of working, she was not granted starter’s benefits. This basically means that every euro she makes needs to be paid back to them, which means she’d have to make so much money before she could pay herself, that it just isn’t feasible. That’s about the gist of it. There’s so much more details to this story, but I’ll try to save everyone a long-read, which this blog is already turning into anyway.

So, what’s next then?

Well, next week we’re getting our home fixed up. They’re coming to replace the front and back side of our home, which means new windows, doors and panels, all made from high grade glass and reinforced frames. This week we’re doing all the prep work and they just delivered the new window glass. We are really looking forward to getting this done, because it will make our home a lot more sustainable and durable!

As for the rest, my main focus will be on assisting Bren in finding a way to make her dream work, but with a different approach. I’m certain we will find a way for her to still do what she set out to do in the world. And we have also discussed doing something together, which I will keep a secret for now.

All my other time, I will happily be spending on doing what I loved doing before and that’s blogging, writing and hopefully, once time allows, making some content for my R3TR0J3FF account. So, basically, do what I’m good at. Old frontiers. 😉

Well, that’s all from me, for now. I hope you enjoyed reading this blog update from yours truly! I promise I’ll be back on a weekly basis from now on. Sometimes it’s good to try new things, but I think the timing might have been a bit off and I really think that if I were to do a podcast, it wouldn’t be a solo act. I’d rather have a recording buddy, so we can discuss topics, instead. But that’s enough blabbering for now, I’ll be back soon, with a brand new series of philosophical blogs!

Happy reading!

Jeffrey