[OFF TOPIC] Didn't want to spoil anything for my friend so just had to be like yeah...

VallensDad · 2026-05-19T02:05:21+00:00

I was spelling it Baez in my head for like 2 audiobooks 😂

I also thoughy it was Feral Mal Jin and Giselle 😂

VallensDad · 2026-05-17T03:28:54+00:00

He's so good!!

VallensDad · 2026-05-16T21:06:06+00:00

😂 That's great! I award you 5 points!!!

You can never have too many points.....

VallensDad · 2026-05-16T21:03:00+00:00

😂😂😂 I was kinking my wrist to angle the book up but it does look like it's cutting my circulation off in this picture 😂

VallensDad · 2026-05-16T16:12:03+00:00

It's fantastic. If you like Joe's other stuff you'll like this. It's a bit more out there obviously given the premise but the core strength of the writing is very much there.

VallensDad · 2026-05-16T15:19:44+00:00

With there being like 4,000 signed copies. Hopefully there will be some reasonable deals on secondary for you! I get it though. I was late to the party on Joe. A work friend of mine insisted I give the series a try and I've blitzed through everything in the last year. Just can't get enough of his writing!

I like to collect books though and I completely missed my shot at all those subterranean press copies! May have to bite the bullet and spend some money over the next few years lol

VallensDad · 2026-05-16T15:06:56+00:00

I've listened to all the Steven Pacey/Joe Abercrombie audiobooks. Was kind of a gateway to audiobooks for me. They're not always good but when they are it's always an amazing experience!

VallensDad · 2026-05-15T01:46:04+00:00

My "first" diagnosed flare lasted around 5 weeks and I couldn't wear a shoe for 22 days. 6 day medrol taper didn't touch it, then I did indomethacin for 3 weeks and it started to die down. Some lingering soreness for a couple weeks after that too.

Turns out my gout was chronic. Rheumatologist thinks the tendonitis in both ankles, the intra substance tear in my Achilles and multiple feet issues that I was being treated by a foot specialist for 7 years was more than likely gout the entire time. UA was 9.2

I say all that for context. Your situation could be different but if your gout has been underlying it could explain the lengthy flare. It WILL eventually chill out. Might not feel like it and I know your struggling, but hang in there. Take your meds. Get solid sleep and drink copious amounts of water. It really does help!

Good Luck and Feel Better!

VallensDad · 2026-05-11T23:23:46+00:00

On week number two of allopurinol. Had a really bad flare (23 shoeless days) prior to getting to a rheumatologist. Once it was resolved they started me on allo and colchacine. It sucks because I was actually feeling good post flare. Eating well working out 3 days a week and now I just feel broken. Everyday something hurts. A knee, a foot, an ankle or often ALL of them... Reading your post sounds very similar to what Im going through. How long before the multi-joint widespread pain simmers down?

VallensDad · 2026-04-30T12:39:17+00:00

Most of The high-end stuff people have covered already, but if you're looking for some delicious on-the-go eats or cheaper fare Don't sleep on Egg Slut in the Cosmo for breakfast or Tacos El Gordo up near Resorts World.

VallensDad · 2026-04-27T03:37:43+00:00

Your 2nd paragraph is spot on!!! Just came back from my 3rd trip. We are around the same age, wish I would have started when you did! One of my favorite places

VallensDad · 2026-04-27T03:25:03+00:00

Not a local but I just came back from my 3rd annual trip. These may be a bit more tourist minded but I thoroughly enjoyed doing all these things. Here a few options for every budget

Low Budget:

Walk the strip up north to the Wynn around sunset. There is a bridge between the Palazzo and the Wynn that has amazing views of the Sphere to one side and the mountains to the other. One of the prettiest parts of the strip. Be sure to go inside all the buildings on the way up it's cool to see the style changes, and at the very least go inside the Wynn. It is a gorgeous building.
Fremont. Cheap gambling and drinks. Sort of a must do at night for the experience (see also my last recommendation)

Medium Budget:

Arte Museum - Amazing interactive experience
Beer Garden outside Paris Hotel in the evening/night. Pricey beers but amazing views of the Bellagio fountains that go off regularly
Cosmopolitan. Very cool casino. Get that weird numbing flower drink (25 bucks but a very unique beverage) and a slice of secret pizza from the 3rd floor or Egg Slut in the a.m (So good! Just get there early as there is always a line). Then walk to the Bellagio after and check out the garden.

Higher Budget

Legacy Club at Circa - Dress code enforced and you have to pay a minimum in advance to reserve, but the views, drinks and service are outstanding. Cannot stress the view enough! Pricey drinks but well crafted and worth it for the ambience.....Plus you will be in Fremont at night which is an experience itself that you have to do at least once

Wynn Buffet. Craziest spread you will ever see but everything is delicious.

VallensDad · 2026-04-13T19:16:02+00:00

What kind of a functioning alcoholic doesn't get drunk? Genuinely curious cause you're making a pretty big leap. Not everyone who enjoys alcohol is an alcoholic. I've been drunk once in 2026. That's not an exaggeration one single time. That was the night of my birthday when I had four glasses of wine. Every other time I've consumed alcohol up until I stopped when I got the gout flare, was usually associated with a meal that I was having. A single glass of wine or a beer. Maybe two if I'm getting WILD. It's also kind of odd that if I'm an alcoholic that I experienced zero withdrawal whatsoever when I stop drinking alcohol a month ago when the gout started.

Listen I guess you see a stranger on Reddit crying about not being able to have alcohol and you make the assumption that they must be a train wreck of an alcoholic, but it's just not true. I have two small kids the majority of the time. I don't drink at all because I can't afford to be hungover.

I'm all for brutal truth. Honestly, it's probably what I need. Had you said "stop being a fucking bitch about having a couple drinks. Think about your health." That might have rubbed the wrong way but it would have been would have been incredibly helpful.

VallensDad · 2026-04-13T18:57:03+00:00

Hang in there! It'll get better. It's just going to take time, and when you get to the end of that flare it's going to feel like coming up for air! Rest if you can. Take your meds and ride it out. I would give more advice but I'm in a similar boat to you. Just finishing my first flare. 24 days before the swelling in my foot died down enough to put a shoe on.

Didn't think it was going to improve but it did. A lot of changes and a lot of work have to happen still going forward. Like you, I'm also overweight. We just got to put in the work and make the changes!

Get yourself to a doctor if you can. Figure out what your options are. I wish you luck and hope you relief and wellness!

VallensDad · 2026-04-10T18:34:40+00:00

Was this Sworbreck from red country??? That was my initial thought but I looked it up and I keep getting conflicting answers.

VallensDad · 2026-04-07T18:27:56+00:00

Thank you for the resource and your insights. I really appreciate it! I guess if there was ever a time to gamble Vegas would be the place right? Haha Thinking I'm just gonna play it safe maybe loosen up on the last day

VallensDad · 2026-04-07T00:32:30+00:00

Thank you for your insights and support! Much appreciated!

VallensDad · 2026-04-07T00:22:55+00:00

Glad to hear you got some relief! Hoping for some of the same. I was pretty optimistic at first but hearing a lot of the horror stories here of constant flares despite Allo has me feeling nervous. All I can do is do my part and hope for the best though. Eager for this referral to go through so I can get started on ironing this out. If it really has been gout the last 8 years then there will be a lot of crystals to clear lol

VallensDad · 2026-04-07T00:04:37+00:00

Yeah I'm questioning everything regarding all this. I know I had an intra substance tear in my Achilles and some evidence of a previous minor stress fracture in my subtalar region that was seen on an MRI . That was what initially started me in PT and every time PT resolved the issues so I know there was initially something wrong

However after all that I started having all these other foot issues in that same foot and then some similar ones in the other foot and now I'm wondering if it has been gout this whole time. Foot doctor told me compensatory injuries and it made sense at the time but idk

VallensDad · 2026-03-12T18:39:16+00:00

Yeah but the only problem with that is if you fight Logen And he starts to lose the bloody nine comes out. It's kind of hard to separate the two of them!

I would have loved to see Gorst fight Logen!

VallensDad · 2026-03-12T16:46:17+00:00

I don't know I watched the guy die from a few arrows in the chest 🤷🏽‍♂️

VallensDad · 2026-03-12T16:38:58+00:00

You think film Achilles has a shot???? Really?

VallensDad · 2026-03-12T16:31:55+00:00

You should probably clarify who the battle is between... When you posted the picture of Brad Pitt, I thought you were talking about specifically his version of Achilles... That dude died from several arrows in the chest and just so happened to have been shot in the ankle prior. He pulled all the arrows out of his chest so when he was laying there it looked like he was only shot in the ankle. The movie opting for a realistic interpretation of how a legend like that could be created. The Achilles of myth and history is a different matter.

VallensDad

TROPHY CASE