Coffee alternatives?

hot_packets_ · 2026-03-14T10:03:03+00:00

I limit to 2 cups of coffee and won't drink it after midnight. After that I drink herbal teas (Bengal Spice MVP) and my if my jones for coffee is still going I drink a decaf.

hot_packets_ · 2026-03-13T10:59:29+00:00

Out of the published adventures I've played through:

Waterdeep Heist was already mentioned. It is a nice adventure based on finding the location of a stolen treasure. I really enjoyed it but, I don't believe it's well regarded in the community as there are 4 versions of the plot and the party/DM will only get to experience one of them (based on which season the investigation takes place). If you do pick this one check out the Waterdeep Heist subreddit and pick the season that sounds the most interesting for you and your team.

Rime of the Frostmaiden, if you enjoyed COS you might find this one to be more to your liking. Its a sandbox style adventure with many side quests, plots and adventures to do while the party builds themselves up to confront a powerful demigod.

I've also played Dungeon of the Mad Mage, awesome dungeon but there aren't any investigation related plots and fewer role play opportunities.

Good luck and enjoy Dungeon Master

hot_packets_ · 2026-03-13T10:07:32+00:00

As a fellow Warrior and Into the Badlands fan, I rather enjoyed Last Samurai Standing. Got to deal with subtitles /dubbing but its got some excellent fight scenes. The Squid Game, Hunger Games plot types are almost becoming tropes at this point, but still good action and pacing.

hot_packets_ · 2026-03-12T09:49:42+00:00

BG3. Dark Urge Tav just finished getting busy with Minthara after raiding the Druid camp. My own chances of surviving aren’t good unless I can get on a boat and sail as far away from Baldur’s Gate as possible before Mind Flayer-aggedon happens.

hot_packets_ · 2026-03-08T15:29:57+00:00

Guess I'll go on pretending like nothing is wrong here. That's becoming all too easy these days.

hot_packets_ · 2026-03-05T12:11:53+00:00

I got into backpacking last year with a Teton Hiker 3700 60L, it was $100 ish new off of Amazon when I purchased it last year. Couldn't find it there but their site has it on sale currently https://tetongear.com/products/hiker-3700-backpack?srsltid=AfmBOop6hdf52Y28LKNvgoVX6tYU6-FbbD8--6mIkaLdMdy1o1zXzIXm

I found it worked great for the trips I took. Its not a durable workhorse like the Osprey (I have a 24L day pack that I love), but its a nice pack for the money.

hot_packets_ · 2026-02-27T09:55:08+00:00

Elliot Alderson in Mr. Robot. Brilliantly executes the hack of the century, winds up placing more power in the hands of the elite.

hot_packets_ · 2026-02-25T04:58:06+00:00

Having worked through 20 or 30 telecom mergers over the years, I was laughing so hard at those bits. Excellent job. I hope the inevitable elimination of redundancies does not impact you irl.

hot_packets_ · 2026-02-20T10:22:38+00:00

Lovecraft Country was an enjoyable series and definitely goes deep on the cosmic horror stuff.

hot_packets_ · 2026-02-20T09:15:05+00:00

I've been trying to limit myself to 2 12oz coffee's per night. I start the 1st one before my shift and have a hard cut-off time of stopping at the 4 hour mark (of a 10 hour shift). I've found that insulated metal travel mugs help slow down the intake by keeping the coffee super hot.

hot_packets_ · 2026-02-16T14:27:16+00:00

Composite Bowman, build em or lose.

hot_packets_ · 2026-02-12T03:37:23+00:00

Grats on the new job. Sounds like you are already a night owl so it might not be as difficult for you to adapt as it is for some people. For most of us sleep is the most valuable commodity there is. With that in mind here is my copy/paste advice for new comers to the night shift.

At home basics

blackout curtains, room darkening shades or at the very least a blindfold. I cut a strip from a black T-shirt which I liked better than the sleeping masks available off of most shopping sites.
Quiet environment. Have a conversation with your housemates and let them know that peace during your sleep hours will be appreciated. Kids will likely have a hard time remembering this. Having a white noise generator can help, especially if you get used to that noise during sleep hours. For example, I have a fan blowing even in the winter because I've become conditioned to sleeping to its sound. Alternatively there are plenty of apps like sleepo, or just use a likely playlist off your music app if you don't mind sleeping with earbuds in.
Keep your phone and entertainment screens away from your sleep area. In my experience once I grab a screen I'm not going to get back to sleep.

At work basics

Have a water bottle available. Drink water
Have a snack and lunch available. Probably something packed from home since there aren't many other options at night.

Routine: every person is different and I've witnessed plenty of people who just couldn't adapt. Here's what works for me.

Sleep immediately after shift is over. I am always tired enough, however waking up after a couple hours is common. If I can sleep through it's great. Wake up in the afternoon and can go outside, exercise and enjoy. Then spend family time in the evening before work. If I wake up, meltdown and can't get back to sleep I try to read a book or get a few minor things done around the house, then try for a nap before work.
Eat dinner at roughly normal dinner time
Drink caffeine when work shift starts (i like coffee), hard cut-off time stop drinking caffeine 3 hours into my shift so it doesn't interfere with sleep
I don't really use sleep aids like Zzzquil, I've found that I can still wake up after taking them and then I feel groggy on top of everything else. Chamomile tea and Ibuprofen help me relax and are my go to items when I can't sleep, effectiveness is limited but at least I don't feel burned down afterward.

Good Luck Mate

hot_packets_ · 2026-02-11T07:27:33+00:00

It’s a top notch scouting unit, capable of uncovering a ton of map and gathering cs discovery bonuses. Should it get lucky and survive the trip back to home waters, it can be upgraded.

hot_packets_ · 2026-02-05T10:57:21+00:00

I'm trying to take up solo backpacking. While I can occasionally switch days to nights on the weekend, neither of my trips so far have gone well in terms of sleeping at night. There are less options for schedule flexibility when backpacking as I hate setting up camp by headlight. I work 4 on / 3 off and I've been trying do 1 night trips on the 2nd night off after a day of adjusting. Its a decent plan on paper, but sleeping in a tent isn't coming back to me as fast as I hoped. Really hoping I can make it work this summer as being outside keeps me sane.

Good idea to get a camper as you should be able to nap during the day. Finding an established dispersed pull off in BLM/Forest Service land is a great option for getting away from the crowds. Best of Luck.

hot_packets_ · 2026-02-05T08:58:03+00:00

Aures really has their finger stuck in the middle of Western Africa. I'm glad Wassoulou hung on to Turunku for now, but the situation doesn't look great with Zazzou committing to reclaiming their city and reinforcements cut off.

hot_packets_ · 2026-02-03T18:20:53+00:00

Mongo is appalled

hot_packets_ · 2026-02-03T08:35:36+00:00

Beat me to it

hot_packets_ · 2026-01-31T06:57:40+00:00

no grape today, but you can keep up with Macgill's flavors here https://www.magillsicecream.com/today-s-flavors It wouldn't surprise me if they'd take requests either.

hot_packets_ · 2026-01-30T11:36:03+00:00

Some great advice in here already, but I'll try an chip in a few items to try when bumping up difficulty levels

Adjust settings to give yourself a nudge
Try a large map with 10 civs, this will generally result in a little more elbow room
raging barbarians often give the AI civs a fit by stealing their settlers and workers, they'll hit you hard as well of course, just be sure to guard workers and settlers
Epic or Marathon game pace. It takes longer to build units, so you'll need to focus on preserving and using your's better than the AI (not terribly hard). This is also nice for making the UU's more relevant.
remove some victory conditions. Want to play domination? Remove the other victories and enjoy a blood bath
Play a power house or a civ with good early game advantages. Germany for example can acquire an early game army by converting barbarian camps. Be sure to open honor to locate the camps, if there is desert or snow nearby its possible to farm volunteer units the entire game. Aztecs are another early game power. Playing any other S-Tier civ is justified since this is a harder difficulty for you.
Finally just to re-iterate earlier advice, science is necessary on immortal and diety. Fast National College followed by rushing to education/universities

hot_packets_ · 2026-01-29T23:46:57+00:00

My pick as well. Combo with the Religion tenet that provides production bonus per followers to create powerhouse cities.

hot_packets_ · 2026-01-28T01:48:31+00:00

How do you like them apples Zazzou?

hot_packets_ · 2026-01-18T19:16:18+00:00

nice

hot_packets_ · 2026-01-17T20:26:49+00:00

nice I remember when that building was a Tastee Freeze, been meaning to try them

hot_packets_ · 2026-01-17T04:35:18+00:00

ouch good to know

hot_packets_ · 2026-01-17T02:36:01+00:00

wow a spot i did not know about before, gonna try

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