elanya

I spent money on LARP outside of event fees! I bought a dagger. The last two events I've been tow I haven't been armed. I think, actually, that I never got the actual item tags on my first event, I just got them oog approved. But I could be wrong - it is possible I put only those two tags in a completely different spot from everything else. Feasible, but not super likely :p Ahh well. So I'm saving up to buy armour in game, to match the reps I already have I guess the upside is that I don't need to actually wear it? :p But it looks cool ;_;

Anyway, I bought a latex dagger rep, after I looked at a bunch of different options. It is not ridiculous, but I think it will do what I want it to and will pass safety. If not, they have a return policy, so it should be okay. It is this one! I almost went with the 'red' model, because I like the look of the weathering on the blade, but I didn't $20 more like it, and it is pointier, which I think could be less likely to pass.It was pretty expensive, but it is not really distinctive, either, so I wouldn't feel ad recycling it for another character if I retire this one or die. And that's the main thing that really keeps me from spending a lot of money on larp stuff. People invest a lot of money (as well as the usual way gamers invest in characters), and I guess if you have t to spare that's great. But if your character dies after a year then what do you do with all that custom, identifying stuff? Sell it? I dunno. I've never hard to worry about it. the bodice I am using for this character is the most expensive piece of kit I've ever owned, but I didn't actually buy it for larp.

Someday, I will get a picture I like of me wearing my gear. It hasn't happened yet - I am not an easy person to get a picture of, especially in a candid setting - but who nows what the future could bring. Maybe I can get my sister to do another larp shoot for this character. She took some pretty amazing shots of my last one :3 (note: I own a few corsets but would never wear one to game, because they're expensive and I like breathing).

Doubt comes in
And strips the paint
Doubt comes in
And turns the wine
Doubt comes in and leaves a trace
Of vinegar and turpentine
--Doubt Comes in, Anaïs Mitchell

( LARP whinging )

I LARPed!

It was fun! I mostly didn't feel like socially awkward penguin out of game! It was frickin' cold! It snowed a bunch - just flurries, but pretty intense ones at times. Now I am totally wrecked and will sleep forever @_@

It snowed overnight, and I got my Serious Snow Boots out of storage for the first time this winter. It wasn't really necessary, except that the waterproofing on my other boots was failing, and I would have to trek through some ankle deep snow, and did want to deal with wet feet all day. It is cold atm. This weekend is is going to be well up over freezing again, and rainy and warm all next week. I think southern Ontario has forgotten how to Winter. I should probably not complain, but it is a little disappointing. Facebook keeps showing me all these ads for places to snowshoe in Ontario.... but that requires snow. At least the kids got to go sledding today at school!

In other news, I watched a lot of dog videos today as research for this fic I am working on. So many good dogs! There is a whole genre of tribute videos for hunting dogs that I accidentally discovered, which were sweet and kind of sad too, and also fascinating.

Other than that - it was knitting tonight, and I am very close to the end of this chart as well!I probably have one and a bit more charts left of yarn before I'm going to need the purple stuff. Which I am having dyed, so who knows how long it will be? I also want to redo the cowl I made for larp, because it is too loose. In time for the next larp game which is next weekend. I need to secure a ride and log!
We're on Season 5, Episode 10 of Clone Wars. Hondo is my favourite forever!

This is one of those entries i am probably going to have to force myself to post rather than just delete. But I haven't posted anything in 5 days, as I've been away. I did write some paper journal entries on...less than half...of those days. Ugh. I had good intentions, I just didn't have a lot of time to myself, and not a lot of emotional energy.

The service was nice - an informal drop-in sort of thing for people to come see the family and such. I think it was a lot more work for them emotionally, especially Cat's mother and grandfather, than they probably needed. Just a lot of people to talk to and so on. I saw a few people I hadn't seen or talked to in years, and met some more relatives and co-workers. There were pictures up, and some figurines we'd brought from his house, and a slide show of pictures. Afterwards, a bunch of us went to the Diplomat, which is a 24hour Chinese-Canadian restaurant where we used to make many a late night foray. They did some renovations to the place since we used to be there all the time, but it was the same as the last time we went as a group which was about 2011. the food was pretty much the same, though they have really changed their soup portions and now they are huuuuge. This restaurant is responsible for my disappointment that sweet and sour chicken doesn't come as battered chicken balls everywhere. They also have some pretty good cakes and cheesecakes, though they didn't have the one that Pretentia wanted.

It was really really nice to see her, and to be there for her. She and Cat were closer than siblings in a lot of ways, and I know she is totally devastated. She is also closer to the family, and has been helping Cat's mother with a lot of things. I did go up to his place a few times with her, and we checked in on the kitties (so fat.... so so so fat), changed their litter, fed them, petted them. We did some nominal tidying to start (some had already been done), but I ran a load of dishes through the dish washer, and such. I compiled some notes from IRC friends who has messaged him there before he fell offline (;_;) for his mother, and took down some information about some other servers where he may have spent time so I can let people there know as well. I think all the major place have been contacted though. His mother has basically given us (his friends/online friends) leave to deal with his computer/online things as we see fit, but unfortunately it isn't all that simple, as there is money and authority involved, and as the executor of his estate, there will be things she has to handle at least initially. Things like pics accounts set to automatically renew, and his websites and all of that :/ I made sure to upload some of his one page sites into the wayback machine, and will probably let them go. But the wiki we have used for our games for the past ten years is in his name, and that needs to get sorted out. I also tried to copy the dice rolling script that he wrote and that we used for a lot of out online games..... but I can't get it to work :( I really want to have that available still, as something that he made for us.

Anyway. I flew back to Ontario on Monday night, into Hamilton, then drove an hour and a half to London, and then left again for Windsor, where I am now. I'd told Nary I would come spend a few days with her when I got back, since she couldn't come to the memorial, so here I am. I wish I had brought my dog though. I miss her fuzzy face - someone else's dog s not *quite* the same, even if they are a very nice giant fluffball, as Argo is. I also feel guilty because I had originally told my sister that I would go with her when she went to get her tattoo today (and then leave early to get the kids after school), but there was some miscommunication about the fact that I was going *and* I had completely forgotten that it was this week (despite remembering last week? I don't know, my brain has been a mess). And I don't know, I'm just feelign very stressed out.

I had a lot of stressy dreams last night, mostly Larp-contexted. I think probably because I realized that I am missing an event this weekend that I had hoped to get to, as it seemed like a nice casual opportunity to rp, and the single day events are generally easier for me to get to, so meh. But it was a lot of things like.... my tent was covered in giant angry bees/hornets that were also dying, so I couldn't get into it and then I had to be careful, I'd forgotten all my gear, or had gear for the wrong character, or I tried to borrow stuff from my sister without asking and she was cranky with me (deservedly). I don't remember them super clearly, because I kept waking up in the middle of the night (or partly waking), and then trying to go back to sleep, so it is more like a string of snippets I only half remember than anything coherent. The tent was exactly my tent from my last summer at the buttermilk excavation, when I borrowed Brad's tent, set in the same copse of trees and covered with a tarp sunshade in the same way. The bees/hornets were the length of my palm. I could probably describe some of the larp clothes I had and didn't have. One of the characters I had was entirely a dream fabrication, and they wore this cool leather dress/bodysuit sort of thing that was so unique I couldn't wear it for my real character (Zia). I don't remember anything else about them.

I have things I should be doing, and things I could be doing, and I'm not doing anything. On the one hand it is nice to have some alone time, on the other hand, I am missing having my own space today. It is grey and blah out and I basically feel the same way. I feel like I'm living in other people's lives without actually living my own, and I feel frustrated and tired and stuck. But I also want to be left alone, and not have to talk to anyone unless I want to. Meh. I'm going to do some knitting and see if I feel any better after that.

It's been a while... I've been really busy!

( Last weekend was Webercon! )

I still owe True Detective meta for the finale, but I didn't have time to do it last week, and now I think I'd like to re-watch it first.... soon!

I've fallen back out of the habit, just like that. Well, other than writing about True Detective stuff. I am looking forward to the last episode, but it also makes me super sad to think ti will be all over so soon ;_; I hope that the next installment is as good. I would love to pick Nic Pizzolatto's brains. And possibly find out if he has been stalking me ;p

But! That's now what I meant to write about!

Tomorrow, naryrising will be here! Excite!Considering I saw her technically twice last month, I am feeling rather spoiled, I tell you! We are goig to shill out a lot and watch tv and also stress about the games we are running next weekend for Webercon. I have mine a little bit more in hand now, I think, but I still have some things I need to write out and so forth. I have a vague plot outline in my head that I need to solidify, but mostly it is going to be just letting the players run with what I give them. I have, at least, given them characters at this point. Victory! The next thing to do is finish the bits that say what they all know about each other. Oh and probably I should give them stats and shit too. I need to refine my system a bit and post that as well. I'll get back to all that in a bit.

The other thing on my plate ATM is Invisible ficathon, which I think I have under control at least. I've got a few days to get it beta'd and posted, and I may try to do some other things as well, depending on where I am with gamestuff.

Other than that, what's up in my life is mostly work, which is worky. I finished the tiffany and today I finished the Mother of Pearl/Pearl Satinglass/ Pearl Satin Ware/Air-Trap/everyone has a goddamned different name for it, grr glass. Some of it was really pretty! Some of it was hideous. Sop very very hideous. I've been getting to play detective a bit though, learning about some of the less well known glass companies making this stuff. Like Phoenix Glass (Out of Ohio). And John Walsh Walsh (winner of more repetitive name. 19th century edition!). However today I realized that there are like 60 fewer boxes that I have to do than I realized. I've done almost 130, there are maybe 350? And a lot of the ones left also have fewer objects than the ones I have done, or they are not actually part of the collection that I was technically hired to do, maybe? I'm not sure. Anyway. We'll see how I get on with things, but I admit I am a little concerned about what will happen if I run out of things to catalogue :p However, I *am* signed up to take a two day training course on Crystal Reports later this month, which will be good to have under my belt even if I don't actually ever use it for this job. It is weird to feel like in terms of responsibility this job is actually a step *down* from my GA position, where I had more autonomy to take on projects and so on. I do think that it is in part a matter of having a different supervisor as well. It is a little strange to think about how long I have been working at the galleries, for that matter. I think I started at Stark in 2010?

Anyway, I don't have a lot else to say - just debating between trying to do a bit more game work or going to bed. Maybe I'll do some wind-down knitting. I had to rip back 7 rows earlier tonight because I can't count, and I still have 4 to catch up to where I was. *sigh*. Meanwhile, lonpig is down to the ribbing on the bottom of the sweater, meaning she only has that and the sleeves to go. It's okay though, she assures me it is not a race. First prize is a sweater. Second prize is also a sweater! Woohoo!

I apparently have good timing, as it started to really rain, rather than just spit and be aggressively misty, just as I was returning from walking Jola and picking up my Sunday morning Rudy's breakfast tacos. Nom.

I have chores to do today - cleaning the cat box, trimming the dogs nails, doing a load or two of laundry. I also want to work more on my LARP characters - if I can get 2 to 2 1/2 more of them done, that will be great!

I also would like to do a short true Detective drabble for Fan_Flashworks, since the prompt is Question. I want to do it form the POV of the cops who are doing the interrogation. Well, one of them. But I don't know which is which and only know their names from imdb /o\ Still, I should be able to manage something.

And I've also started knitting the sweater (ease) I am doing a knit-along with with longpig. It's goooorgeous and it is going pretty fast, really. Much faster than the vest (firelight) I've got going on as well, which is on much smaller needles on smaller yarn and has cables. I've got a lot of new Project Energy for ease, though, and I'm having to discipline myself to get anything else done! I'll probably ration myself out some in between my other chores and work for the day though, as well as knitting during game.

I am now almost finished my tea, and should get on with said chores, but I will leave you with some knitting pics ( below the cut )

I have posts I keep meaning to make and have not been making.

But I ordered the copies of my diss for the archives and I'll send them off once they arrive. I have some emails I need to send as well, and will try and do that tonight. And hopefully work more on my article as well.

And, oh godohdgod, get more hammered out for my LARP! I really need to get the characters fleshed out better and start working on some more props and interactive stuff >.> I have less than a month and I am not fast at these things! Maybe I need a notebook so I can work things out a little more visually before I write them up :p

The other thing I meant to say over here is - is anyone else out there on The Twitters? I'm elanya72 if you are interested in following me, but don't feel obliged! If you've got a feed you think I might be interested in, whether it is yours or not, please tell me!

I am amused, because at first I found it really overwhelming, but no I am seeing what mousme said, and finding it really easy to follow and keep a handle on. So far it isn't as overwhelming as tumblr, at lest :p Possibly because I am following more people I am actually interested in for more than just one aspect? I would also take recommendations on better ways to use/filter it, granted that I'm only likely to access it from the web, because I can do so at work, and don't have a smartphone. Or a cell/mobile at all.

I woke up early with all these *plans* and then I sat down at the computer and now it is going on three hours later. Bah!

I had some ideas for pirate-meta that I want to write up. In addition to talking about Black Sails, I may be going to do some conversational narration stuff for an Assassins Creed IV Let's Play with my bro-in-law. I have some things I'd like to talk about for the show though specifically - anyone have any preferences as to whether I talk first about Ships, or Wrecking?

I also had some ideas for what to do with my dissertation, article wise, which is that i want to write something that is looking more just at "here is what i can tell you about Harbour Island from the archaeology I did" and leave the big question theory for something else. I did some outlining while it was still in my brain, but it is hard for me not to hop into the theory >.>

I also had an anxiety dream last night that I was totally unprepared to run the LARP I want to do for Webercon. I don't think that it was really *about* the larp, per sey, though I do need to start working on it more seriously, but more about how I am a social fraud, and of course my RL friends mostly only tolerate me, some of them actively dislike me, etc. although the people who didn't like me in the dream were not relatable to actual real people, though there were actual real people that I know appearing in the dream, so that's something :p Either I don't know who doesn't really like me or they don't exist, I'm not sure. Even in the dream I was more concerned about the people I did know being disappointed, I think? Anyway, I am really a fairly confident person, but I'm also terrible at socializing with people. I don't participate in conversations the same way, or something? I don't know. I played pool with some t=friends on Thursday and despite it being people I know I was mostly quiet while other folks were chatty, and it left me feeling a little marginal and I think this has affected my subconscious. Which I almost wrote as 'self conscious'. Oh, brain, you ain't subtle :p I do think that I am *differently* socially awkward than most of my friends, and that does make it hard for us to connect sometimes.

Anyway, I *should* start working on something. I have other things I'd like to do today, or at least this weekend, as well, like laundry, baking, maybe even *shock* tidying my room.... I can find the floor, sure, but everything else is covered in things (mostly clothes and paper) that need to be put away :p

Oh and in other fun news, we definitely have a pipe issue of some kind in the bathtub. we thought it was water getting on the floor (for a variable configuration of 'we'), but it happened (or, at least, I noticed) again today and that was definitely not the case. I emailed lukoni but I'm really not sure what the best solution is going to be :/ No showers, anyway, I suspect, until we have a better idea what's going on. Yay?

In other mild annoyances, I ordered yarn for my sweater the other day, but the company emailed to let me know that they didn't have enough skeins in the same dyelot (I had asked for them all to be the same). They were really super nice about it and offered to backorder, but that was going to take eight weeks+! (Not their fault, that's just malabrigo for you >.>). I cancelled the yarn, but am still getting needles from them, and am now yarnhunting elsewhere. Even though they didn't have what I wanted I was really pleased with their customer service and will definitely be looking at getting other things through them again.

To end on a high note, though, I did at least get my prompts all finished for the Invisible Ficathon, and I am very happy with all of them! Now I just need to finalize my offers... Aftwer I go out and get some kitty litter!