Saturday is for sitting eagerly at the Treehouse front door, ready to jump up and greet the writers when they come home. Of course, most of the team won't be back until Monday, but this way I'll be able to say “Here comes the trouble” really well with the right intonation. 'Here comes trouble.' No, that's not it. 'Here trouble comes. It's better, but we still need to work on it.
Edwin returned on Friday morning and I was completely unprepared. My “problem” burst out suddenly and sounded more like a scream. I can't let this happen again.
There may be a little time between my greeting sessions to play some games…
Edwin
Besides battling a cleverly timed New Year's cold, I'll probably be playing more Terra Invicta. To squeeze a rich idea into one sentence, it's a strategy game where you play as one of eight secret organizations vying for control of Earth so you can implement your preferred response to a slow-moving alien invasion. I'm currently fortifying a number of Central Asian states, trying to figure out how to launch their own orbital habitat so I can build a defensive fleet. Long-term goals include developing the Kuiper Belt and building a bomb in Botswana.
James
After lengthy negotiations with the gnomes, James will return to the Tree House through a tunnel machine that should appear in the front garden. If we're lucky, he'll miss the main roots holding our tree in place.
Callus
I expect Callum, a young man with young friends, full of life and energy, to be dropped off by someone on his way back to university. They will drive a beat-up Fiat Punto.
Jeremiah
My greeting will be carefully prepared for Jeremy's return, since the scoundrel will be away for another two weeks.
Ollie
I was ready to reach out and utter my prepared cry: “Here it comes.” trouble' Ollie is this morning, but he finds out that the Scots have another day off.
Mark
Although he told me he was leaving for Christmas, at some point during the holidays Mark logged in to write about delay 007. So I suspect he was hiding in the attic again. There will be no greeting for Mark as such.
Julian
Like Edwin, I'll be stuck in Terra Invicta. This is the first time I've played such a complex strategy game in a long time, so I suspect that my first campaign will end with Earth's capitulation to the alien threat in less than a decade. However, I also founded a new colony in RimWorld. If things don't go well on Earth, at least I can hide among the aliens. Although I won't find much safety there unless I can do something about the grizzly bear that keeps breaking into my animal pen and killing my alpacas.
And you, dear reader, what are you playing this weekend?
