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| Gathering our Artists, day one |
| 05.30.04 (9:26 am) [edit] |
Wow, haven't updated in awhile. No, I haven't been on the run from international spy networks. I've been at the Gathering our Artists symposium. This was the first annual gathering, run by the amazing people from the Sask Native Theatre Company. They rounded up a bunch of big name Aboriginal artists, like Thompson Highway, Gordon Tootoosis, Maria Campbell, and Tantoo Cardinal, just to name a few, and brought them together in town here for a two-day series of workshops and talking circles.
My first workshop on Friday was held by a guy named DerRic Starlight. He works with puppets, yes, puppets, and has made a name for himself through his amazing range of voices and quirky sense of humor. He created a cast of Native puppets, based on people from his reserve, and tours with them. Recently, he was approached by the people who do the Muppets, and asked to be a puppeteer in their next movie. That kinda blew me away... I guess no matter how 'fringe' your own art may be, there's always a niche out there for you. Trouble is finding it.
Anyway, he kicked off his session by introducing himself, giving a little bit of a bio, then introduced us to none other than Kermit the Frog. Kermit led a talking circle, and asked us all what our dreams were. I, of course, said that I'd like to be a professional animator and comic book artist, and to the crowds credit, they took me seriously. I was glad. A lot of 'artistes' sneer at what they see to be 'low-brow' art, when in reality, comic take a wide variety of skills to produce on one's own. And, there was even another guy in the room who wanted to be an animator. We had a good chat after the session was over.
Next, he brought out Animal, and Animal sang pow wow for us. DerRic's range of voices was incredible. He did a chart of all the different voices from the Muppets, including their voice actor and who's voice they were most like. It was pretty cool. He also brought out Ernie and Bert, and Ernie tried to convince us that Bert was an Indian. It was hilarious!
After that session, I went to an Up Close & Personal talk with Tantoo and Gordon. It was pretty interesting, even though Gordon had to leave early because he had a dentist appointment. Apparently, he had chipped a tooth the night before, but was able to get a rush appointment. We all sat around a table, and asked them questions about their careers and the state of contemporary Native film characters.
Then, in the afternoon, I got to go to a playwrights session, hosted by Maria Campbell, Drew Hayden Taylor, Thompson Highway, and Mark Deiter. That was incredible. We talked all afternoon about the evolution of Native theatre, the guerilla theatre movement, writing and getting your plays performed. Thompson Highway self-produced his first seven or so plays, maxing out all sorts of credit cards in the process. Maria Campbell held plays in back alleys and her friend's kitchens. It seems that the bottom line in this, or any art-related buisiness, is that you have to do it all yourself.
Which is cool, because I've been considering self-publishing all along. It's a scary concept, because if your work doesn't sell, then it's taken a huge chunk out of your pocket, and as an artist, you didn't really have all that much cash to throw around in the first place. But, it's the only way to get things done. Sure, you can wait around and send your stuff to publishing companies, but then they get the final say on what goes into your books. Plus, the comic book market is so completely saturated with spandex that very little else gets published by the big companies, because they're not willing to take that risk. It's getting better, slowly, with the recent influx of manga, but it's still far from an industry where indy artists can compete.
All of this kept running through my head over the course of the artists showcase in the evening. Which isn't to say that there wasn't some awesome entertainment. Maureen Belanger and Marcelle Petit were the hosts, and Maureen was doing her "kohkum Ernestine" character. It was mostly improv, and very funny. The line-up was great, too. Lorin Gardypie, the cultural resources guy out at Wanuskewin, and Freddy Martin, a Maori dancer and singer, did an amazing collaborative dance. The Maori ha'ka, or war dance, is a dance of such intensity and passion that it's actually quite intimidating just to watch. (Which is the entire point...) And combined with Lorin's traditional dancing and amazing regalia, you almost thought a fight was going to break out on stage. Quite impressive.
Chester Knight & Andrea Menard also preformed, and John & Vicky Arcand finished off the evening with a jig that had everyone dancing. It was great...
As I was sitting there, I had the most incredible story ideas floating around my head. After dropping off one of the other delegates, I rushed home and started writing. I stayed up way later than I should have, but I got off some really good stuff. I got down enough that I should be able to pick it up at any time and continue writing. Which was good, cause I had to be up at 7 the next day in order to get to more workshops...
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| Counting Coup... |
| 05.26.04 (1:39 pm) [edit] |
Grrf..
I'm supposed to be out of the office by now. Bettie, my boss, asked me to run down to the Saskatoon Inn so that I can take a look at some sort of art auction they're doing over there. (I don't ask, I just follow directions when it means I'll be able to leave work at 3:00....) However, I also need to drop off some cheques for registration at the Gathering our Artists conference I'm going to on Friday. In order to get those cheques, I need Sheila, our CEO's, signature. Doesn't sound like much, right? Yeah, right.
This is Sheila, who sweeps in once or twice a month, screws things up royally, and then isn't seen...until next time!! Rumors are that she's at conferences and important meetings. I have my doubts...
Anyway, so I spent half of the day chasing after her, trying to get her signature. The other half of the day, I badgered her to look over a list of dignitaries for our Pow Wow, cause it'll be my head if the invitations don't go by Friday. She has yet to even take the list, let alone approve it. So, I've been whittling away at petty tasks, while the deadline looms nearer.
I keep getting the urge to grab the atlatl and spears from the display case and lay seige to her office. I can see the headlines now: Counting Coup: Gallery Director stages bloody take-over at Wanuskewin...
It would be fun, but I suppose that seizing power would make me the new C.E.O. I don't need that sort of responsibility right now, so I guess I'll just sit here, updating my blog and waiting endlessly for competent superiors.
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| Return of the BLOG! |
| 05.26.04 (9:58 am) [edit] |
Wow, haven't updated my blog in a while. It's not that I was too busy, just too lazy. I thoroughly enjoyed my weekend off. My sorta-kinda grandma, Bernie, came to visit over the long weekend, and she brought all her gardening supplies with her. My family spent Saturday morning rototilling the garden, which took awhile because it's huge. I'd guess that it's about 30 X 60 ft, but don't quote me on that because I'm horrible with estimating disances.
Then in the afternoon, I met Tonia, Elmer and Ratzlaff downtown and we went to see Shrek 2. I was a little worried when I heard that they were making a sequel, because the first movie was so great, but I wasn't dissapointed. Whoever was writing for it did a great job of staying true to the characters and to the style of humor of the first movie. Plus, whoever they had animating Puss in Boots deserves some kind of award. I was watching all the subtle movements he did, and they were hilarious. There's a brief shot of him caressing the brim of his hat that still cracks me up after having seen it three times...
Afterwards, we went over to Ratzlaff's place and ordered pizza. It was his birthday, and he's not so big on going out to the bars, so we just hung around and played video games. It was fun. I had to arm wrestle him to pay for supper, though. Here he was, going to pay for his own birthday dinner...What a guy. Luckily, he was in the bathroom when the pizza guy arrived, so I ran to the door and shoved money at him before Ratzlaff could pay. Then, about twenty minutes later, I look back into my wallet and a twenty had mysteriously appeared there...I got him back, though. I put the money back on his Captain America sculpture. He's gonna go to clean it some time and wonder where he got the money from. There's a fine line between being modest, and needing a good smack to the side of the head. I think he felt bad that we brought him presents and cake, whereas I'd feel bad if I hadn't.
My family all had breakfast together on Sunday morning. I woke up with the fire alarm going off because my grandpa was cooking bacon. He's a great cook, but he needs to learn to turn the fan on when cooking. After breakfast, Bernie, my grandpa, and Mom went to the reserve for a sweat. I would have liked to have gone, but I stayed home to watch Jordan and Tara. I took them out to see Shrek 2, which they loved, and then we hung around the house all evening. We rented Calendar Girls, which was good, but not as funny as I'd expected it to be.
Monday was the BBQ over at Skippy's place. It was a great day for it, mostly sunny with just a bit of a breeze. I picked up Layne around 1:30, and we stopped by the IGA to pick up some food. I ran into Bernie in the salad isle, and my grandpa was sitting in the cafeteria, drinking coffee by himself. I stopped to bug him about making Bernie do all the work. I swear, every time I go into the IGA, I run into someone I know. (Or am related to...)
The BBQ itself was a lot of fun. We just hung out on the deck and talked. At one point, Jenn and Michelle attacked James for his Teddy Grahams. You know, the usual gofy stuff that happens when you get a bunch of crazy gamers in a contained area. Much fun. Later in the afternoon, we watched Shrek 2, and even after the third time, I still loved it. Most people left around 8, but Layne and I hung back and did a side scene that really wrapped up my SbN character.
I was feeling kinda bad last month because there was so much more I needed to do with her, but not that Trevor's gone and she's got her daughter back, (long story..ask me about it some time) I think I'm ready to be finished playing her. Unless she does something stupid, like getting herself killed at the next Elysium, I think she'll just take her Childer and leave town after the final game. I came, I saw, I killed, I left. That's the only way to end a good Gangrel story...
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| *Lucky bugger... |
| 05.21.04 (11:25 am) [edit] |
I am one lucky little bugger.
My boss is out of the office today, dealing with some 'family issues'. So, while that would usually mean I got to handle two departments instead of one, she conveniently had nothing scheduled today because she was going to be meeting with the RCMP Commissionaire. Not only that, but she was going to leave at 3:00 today so that she could drop off a fruit basket at her friends house. She asked me to do that for her, which means I get off early. Woot!! It's not every day your boss says, "No, it's ok. Please leave early." Especially on the Friday before a long weekend.
Plus, to top it off, I get to fill in for her at the RCMP banquet. I didn't eat lunch because I was running around trying to get everything ready for the Commissionaire's arrival, and was just going to get something to eat when Sheila, the CEO, comes over and asks me if I could fill in for Bettie, my boss, at the banquet. Don't need to ask me twice. Ritzy food, awesome desserts...And all I gotta do is sit there and make polite conversation.
Job perks indeed. Maybe this is all that hard work karma coming back to me.
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| *Everybody's working for the weekend... |
| 05.21.04 (7:38 am) [edit] |
Grrf...
I forgot to throw a load of laundry in last night, so as a result, I had nothing to wear to work today. Which could have been a problem, because the RCMP are coming out to the park today and I got a memo yesterday that we're all supposed to look our best. (Don't ask me why...)
They even pulled out our stock of Star & Ribbon shirts for the interpretive staff, something they only do for very inportant clients.The interpretive staff looks very professional, even if some of the shirts are way too big. They did a one size fits all thing when they were ordering, so as a result, the shirts are hanging on some people, and tight across the shoulders on others. Still, it's a nice touch.
As for me, I had to dig out the only skirt I own, because both pairs of my work pants had mustard on them. Damn the kitchen staff and their tasty bison smokies!!
I hate wearing skirts. I especially hate wearing skirts to work, beause it's really hard to sit all day when you have to either cross your legs or keep your knees together. That's why I love pants. You can sprawl in pants.
I am glad it's the long weekend, though. I wasn't sure if I'd actually get Monday off, because the Park is open on Victoria Day. But, as middle management (Dear Gods, I'm middle management...That's so very wrong...) I get stat holidays. I guess there are some perks...
Oh, and speaking of perks!! I've just found out that Wanuskewin will pay for me to attend the Gathering Our Artists symposium!! It's gonna be great. They've invited all the big names in First Nations performing arts, like Lorne and Tantoo Cardinal, Michael Greyeyes (who I think I'm related to...), Gordon Tootoosis (who I know I'm related to), and of course, Drew Hayden Taylor. Kwee....It's a three-day conference where all the artists gather together and talk about the triumphs and challenges that face First Nations artists in Canada. It should be a hell of a lot of fun. I'm going to try to finish up my peices for the magazine so that I can show it around to promote the zine. Blatant self-promotion, I know, but it couldn't hurt... I'm also gonna see if anyone else has anything ready to go, and maybe I can take that along too. (Carrie, Michelle, I know you read my blog!!)
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| *Night of the living BLOG!!! |
| 05.19.04 (9:19 pm) [edit] |
Ok, so I was going to tell you all about my wonderfully boring day at work. (Yes, drafting up advertisments for the Pow Wow [i]sounds[/i] like fun, but isn't nearly so exciting when you have a boss who's a control freak. "No, I think I want a different font. But just for this sentence here...No, I don't know which font. But I think it needs to be...I don't know...more summery?")
But, instead, I sign on to tBlog, and am assaulted with random pop-ups. It launched my blog automatically, which was strange, and I seem to have negative tBucks, the fun little point things that you use to buy extras, like sparkly cursor chasers, with. Plus, all the comments seem to have dissapeared.
So, this is more of a test-post. Let me know if you see it, if you can! I don't even think there's a comments option any more...
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| The long road home... |
| 05.18.04 (8:10 pm) [edit] |
Down the steep road that leads into the Qu'Appelle valley, just beside the winding green Crooked creek is a little place that I like to call Home. Or, failing that, Great Grandma's House.
It's the place we used to come and stay at in the summer times. We'd pull up outside the house, scattering the rez dogs that would always sleep under the deck, and Great Grandma would alwys be waiting for us inside with fresh Broadview bread and a cool glass of Tang. The adults would sit around the kitchen table, laughing and talking, and my cousins and I would go off on wild adventures through the valley.
Sometimes we'd go visit the horses, or walk down by the creek and chase crayfish. If we were feeling particularly adventurous, we'd walk all the way over to the beach just beside Crooked Lake, and try to get free candy from Eric, the guy who worked at the store. There's a lot of memories in that valley...
I haven't really gone there to visit since I was twelve or thirteen, ever since before that incident where my grandma tried to kidnap me from my own house. It wasn't a pretty night, and ever since then, Mom and her haven't spoken. Grandma's family is from there, which is why we've mostly visited Pop's family in Little Pine since then.
Anyway, on Sunday, Mom was out at Little Pine, and ran into one of our aunties from the valley. She let us know that Uncle Dick had passed away. Uncle Dick ran his own sand-blasting company on the reserve, and made beautiful etched designs on glass.
His funeral was held today. We ran out to the reserve on Monday afternoon, just after lunch. The valley still looked the same, but the reserve has grown. There's a brand new school, shining white with a angles and curves representative of a tipi, (kind of like the interpretive center out at Wanuskewin) and even a small strip mall. It has a gas station, a post office, and a few other little stores. Sure beats walking all the way to the lake for candy...
Great Grandma's house still looked the same, though. Even though Great Grandma passed away, (when I was about 16...That was the one time I came out to the reserve) my Auntie Claudia has taken good care of it. All the dished were still in the same places in the cupboard, and though I didn't have any Tang, I did have some Broadview bread. (It still tastes amazing with peanut butter and jam.)
Going back really brought back a lot of good memories for me. And what's more, I came to realize that it's the one place that I can really call Home. I mean, I was born and raised in Saskatoon, but I need to get out of the city at least every coupla months or I go nuts. But in the Valley, I felt a deep sort of peace and comfort that I haven't found anywhere else in my travels.
Not to say that the valley's perfect or anything. Hell, there's not a person there who doesn't have some kinda issues. (Myself included) But maybe that's part of the charm. It's pretty damn hard to find a place where people are just as crazy as me.
I guess that's also part of what makes it feel like Home. It's the comfort of being surrounded by family, of not having to explain who I am and why I'm so wierd. Of being able to say, "Do you remember that time?" and having people laugh and nod, because [i]they were there[/i] for all the adventures and walks down to the creek at sunset...
It makes me sad to think that I've missed nearly seven years of stories from the valley. All of my cousins have grown up, and even Creeson (who I distinctly remember having a snotty nose and diapers last time I saw him) is now taller than me. Some cousins have moved on. Some will be moving on this year. They've changed, and I guess, so have I. A few people didn't even recognize me any more. Hell, I hardly recognized a few of them...The valley might not change, but people sure do!
So, yeah. I suppose my lesson for this week is that even wanderers like me have a place they can call Home, and even if you have a home, you really should to visit it every once in awhile.
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| The awards banquet |
| 05.14.04 (9:55 pm) [edit] |
Last night was the Women of Distinction awards dinner. I got off of work early, ran home, got washed up, and changed into a dress. Yes, a dress. I think I've worn a dress approximately 7 times in my life. 5 of those times were before I was twelve.
The dress in question was actually my grad dress. I was glad I got more milage out of it than just one night, even if it only cost me $25. (Second-hand shops are [i]good[/i]) I also wore the dancing shawl that my auntie made for me. It's black, with a blue butterfly on the back. It always makes me feel good to wear it, even if I'm not dancing.
The awards kicked off with a champagne reception at 5:30. I skipped out on the champagne (no alcohol while wearing a dancing shawl...) but managed to mingle among the crowds and find where my table was. My mom came with me, and we were seated at a table with the Health & Well-Being nominee, Mickey MacLellan.
She was such a sweet lady. She had a very cool energy around her, that seemed to draw people in and put you immediately at ease. She was very easy to talk to, and would occasionally drop little one-liners in the midst of conversation, which would crack everyone up. Little white haired granny with the most off-beat sense of humor. I found out later that she's been a motivational speaker for the past 20 or so years, so that might explain it.
At 6, they lined all the nominees up in the cloak room, and then we marched across there room and onto stage, led by bagpipes. It was an incredible rush to step out into the corridor formed by the crowd, and feel everyone smiling and watching you. We stood on stage for a few minutes, and then we were free to go back to our tables for dinner.
Dinner was fabulous. They had some sort of mango citrus sauce on the chicken that I absolutely loved. The dessert also blew me away: ice-cream filled crepes with fancy drizzled chocolate all around and topped with rasbperry sauce. Mmmm...
Severn Cullis-Suzuki was the guest speaker for the night. She gave an incredibly inspiring speach, and is one of the most charismatic, yet real, people I've ever seen. While she was blowing you away with her incredible insight, you still felt like you could sit down for coffee with her and just chat. Very cool...Did you know she spoke at her first Earth Summit when she was twelve?? Gods, what was I doing when I was twelve?? Probably building a fort in the trees out of stuff I'd found in the dumpster. That, or drawing. Yes, always drawing.
They began announcing the recipients for each category after her speech, and this was all kind of a blur for me. I was desperately trying to think of an acceptance speech, just in case. I didn't expect to win, really, but damn if I was going to be caught unprepared!
They announced my category last, so at least I had some time to think first. Noteable winners were Carol Gorchuck, who won the Lifetime Achievement award, and of course, Mickey. When she won, our whole table stood up to cheer her on. Her speech rivalled that of Severn's in it's honesty and sincerity, and had a touch of her own humor to it. The crowd gave her a standing ovation as she left the stage.
Nicole White actually won in the Young Women to Watch category, which I was nominated in. I was really, truly happy for her as I watched her go up to the stage, because the two of us had had a chance to talk, both at the luncheon and as we were waiting in the cloak room at the beginning of the night. She was really nervous, (and so was I) so I started cracking jokes and generally trying to get our minds off of things. She was telling me all the places that she volunteers time at, and I was amazed by her community spirit. I mean, I don't think I have fifteen hours a week to spare for myself, let alone to work for the rights of the queer community of Saskatoon. (Though this may be why I haven't met anyone in a while...)
Anyway, after she got back, I went over to her table, gave her a big hug, and congratulated heartily. And the promptly backed off as she introduced her girlfriend, who could have easily snapped me in half with one hand. She was called away shortly after, so I went back to my table and chatted with people for awhile longer.
My mom ran into her grade 10 art teacher, which I thought was hilarious, considering that this is the same teacher who once busted her for setting a locker on fire. The funny thing is, my mom's first teaching job was as a grade 10 art teacher...Oh, the irony.
As we left, I got another chance to speak with Nicole. She thanked me for being so friendly and approachable, and we both decided that we need to run into each other some time soon. In a city this size, I have no doubt that it'll happen. Plus, I got to talk to Eileen Gelowitz, another Native women who was nominated in the business category. I've spoken with her out at Wanuskewin before. She pointed out that it was interesting that, with the exception of Nicole, none of the First Nations women who were nominated won.
That was an interesting point, but I'm not sure I totally agree. Carol Gorchuck is Metis, and though I didn't ask, I'm sure Nicole is probably Status...Still, it resounded fairly clearly with me. My mom is a First Nations women with a PhD, who is currently facing unemployment in Saskatchewan because the U of S refused to hire her for a Native education position. To find work, she'll have to leave the province. Damn glass ceilings...A Native women with a PhD is far too frightening for the Institution.
I guess the point I'm supposed to learn from that is that though there are many Women of Distinction out there, few of them are recognized or given the appreciation they deserve. And though there are many people out there campaigning for social justice, structural injustices still prevail in the founding institutions of our society.
I guess that means there is a lot of work to do. No rest for the rebels...
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| Never ask me for directions... |
| 05.11.04 (5:00 pm) [edit] |
Ok, enough about the game. What have [b]I[/b] been up to?
On Saturday, my grandpa, brother, sister and I went out to my reserve. Little Pine, for those who don't know, is close to the town of Maidstone, which is about twenty minutes past North Battleford. Just before you hit town, there's a little turnoff road. You take this road straight across a farmer's field for fifteen minutes, 'till you come to another turn-off, go down a giant hill, pass through Poundmaker reserve, and finally, you're at Little Pine!
(Great directions, eh? That's how we keep ourselves hidden. ^-^)
My Auntie Yvonne had been in the hospital with heart troubles, so we took stayed with her, cooked and cleaned her house, that sort of thing. Plus, my Uncle Marshall was hosting a feast. It was great. I got to have my favorite soup in the world: dried meat and berries! YUM!!
We got back on Sunday, and then I went out and saw Van Helsing with Tonia, Elmer and Ratzlaff. Even though I laughed through more than half of the movie because it was so cheesy, I didn't hate it. It wasn't a great movie by any stretch of the imagination, but it did have a certain charm. The special effects on the werewolves was amazing, and Dracula was played very well. I also loved the make-up on Frankenstein's monster. I want boots like those, but I don't think I'd be able to move wearing them...
On Monday, I was informed that I had been laid off the previous Friday, but that they were re-hiring me on at a higher pay rate. I don't understand [i]why[/i] they did it, something to do with accounting, I assume, but if I get paid, then I suppose it's not that bad. I start full-time on Thursday, so I guess I can say good-bye to any social life I had.
Today, luckily, I didn't work. I swore to myself that I'd do as little as possible, and I think I accomplished that. I wrote a little bit, worked on a painting I'm doing for my mom, went for a walk downtown and picked up my tickets for the awards banquet on Thursday. That was about it.
Gods, I needed that break! I think I'll be fresh and ready for another night of extreme gaming tommorow. After work, I'm heading over to Carrie's place to work on the Zine, and then at 9, we're going to campus for a side scene with our Sabbat characters. If I get the chance, I'm dragging someone to the Cove to play Dance Dance Revolution with me. ^-^
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| Post-zilla. |
| 05.11.04 (4:41 pm) [edit] |
Ok, I was going to post this before I left for the reserve on Saturday, but I got home at 1:30, and had to leave at 8, so things got pushed behind a touch. I'm too lazy to go back and change things, so if it says 'last night', that's cause I was writing furiously Saturday morning. Deal with it. :wink:
Oh yeah. This post is long. You have been warned.
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Can I get a big round of applause for everyone who made it out to last night's SbN game?? Sure, we could have been at the Metallica concert (well, if we had money...and tickets) or out at a bar. Hell, we could have even used the night to sleep. (Who needs sleep?) Because even though the game is wrapping up, and people are getting kind of apathetic about their characters, we still managed to have a kick-ass time last night. I'm still pumped about it!
It was pretty dead when we got started. There were only about six or seven player-chars there until around 8:30 or 9. Jakkal paced about, talked a little with Gideon and the Prince, and was generally bored. Then, just before I was considering leaving to get a drink, Jen & Quinn's characters walked in. They were playing some Seers who were travelling from city to city, warning Kindred of the impending Gehenna. They walk in and go straight over to Todd's character. (I can never remember his name! Gah...) Jenn starts waving her hand in his face, and then let's out the most ear-peircing screech, and starts raving about how he has to save himself and repent.
Needless to say, that got everyone's attention. She continued to rant at him for a few minutes, until Gideon suggested to the Prince that she really ought to do something. So, out come the stakes. Her and Ash Matthews both came running out of the back to deal with these two. Ash managed to get Quinn's character to the ground, but the Prince didn't manage to stake Jenn's char. So, Jakkal, who had been calmly watching and chuckling to herself the whole time, takes a stake out of her vest, saunters up, and staked the Seer. Guess that's those ex-Keeper tendancies popping up again.
The Seers were hauled out back by Matthews and questioned, and I guess at one point, Gideon tried to stake [i]Ash.[/i] Wish I coulda been there to see that... But, Trevor had arrived just shortly after the commotion, so Jakkal hung back to speak with him. For those who don't know, Trevor and Jakkal are mutually blood-bound to each other. (He started it, I swear!) Trevor only knows about one of the points, so apparently for the past month, he has begun to believe that he was actually falling for Jakkal. (It's so cute, isn't it? ... And wrong. Very wrong...)
The two of us sat down and Trevor struck up a conversation with Todd's character, one of the Ventrue. They began talking about some sort of bio-engineered cosmetic product that Trevor has been researching. (Probably because he diabled Helaku, an Elder Nosferatu a few months ago...Hard to get rid of that rash...) Jakkal just sat on the couch beside Trevor, reading the paper and keeping an eye out for trouble, when all of a sudden she realized that Trevor had been staring at her. She looked over, and he grins and says something like. "See, that's what I'm talking about. When she smiles, it just lights up the room. That's the effect I want to be able to sell. C'mon, Jakkal. Give us a smile."
Jakkal is now [i]very[/i] confused by all this, and gives them something between a snarl and a grimace. It was priceless! Todd has this sort of 'indeed...' expression on his face, and didn't say anything, while Trevor's just beaming. I wish someone had a camera...
After this, Todd left and Skippy, err, Michael, the other Gangrel, (who is also completely bound to Trevor...) came over and had a little chat about the Hunters. Jakkal still believed Mike is a traitor, because he brought up allegations against Trevor a couple of months back, but she was very civil. She's not really sure what she feels toward Mike anymore (and after last night, will reaaaaly have to re-evaluate things...). Anyway, Trevor revealed that he'd found out that the Hunters are lead by four "Archangels", and he knew the identity of one of the four. We kind of made plans to continue investigating them, but Trevor never tells us more…
Shortly thereafter, we hear from Gideon that the two Seers have been kicked out of Elysium and warned that if they return, they will be killed. So, what does Trevor do? He decides to have a little chat with them. This leads us to one of the craziest scenes I've [b]ever[/b] been in.
We go into the room where the Seers are staying, and Evie is talking with them. They are still going on about how the end is approaching and how what Evie sees isn't really the truth. She gets fed up with them and leaves, and Trevor and I sit down. Jenn starts ranting again, and says something about how Jakkal’s got all this energy, but it is useless unless she makes peace with herself. Trevor starts asking them about Archangels, and the entire conversation takes a weird turn. Apparently, the end is not coming, it is already here, and the world has been ending for centuries, with each new end adding power to the new one. On top of that, the end is not a circle, but a Mobius strip. And Trevor’s standing on the outside.
This was all off the tops of our heads, and it just sort of evolved out of control. It was amazing. As the scene goes on, Trevor gets increasingly worked up over all of this, (as well as progressively creepier. Cory plays good creepy characters…) and I believe Helaku was making his presence known. This gets Jakkal all worked up, especially when the Seers proclaim that Jakkal is caught inside of the end, and that she can be Trevor’s tool to rip through Gehenna and save the world. (Yes, Trevor’s tool. I had [b]such[/b] a hard time keeping a straight face when she said that…) But, in order to do that, Jakkal has to deal with her unresolved issues, like her missing daughter.
So, picture this. Quinn is on the floor, huddled in a little ball and muttering to himself, Jenn is sitting on the chair, doing her all-seeing blind mystic thing, Trevor is screwing her head and lapsing more and more into his creepy Nos voice, and Jakkal is prowling around, growling to herself as she becomes more and more bestial. The energy in the room was incredible. I know there were other people who came in to watch the scene, bt I couldn’t tell you who they were.
And then, to top it all off, right as all of the madness is coming to a head, Trevor drops to one knee in front of Jakkal and pulls out a ring…Jakkal, insane, frenzied Jakkal, immediately deflates and backs up against the wall, now more frightened than she’s ever been before. (She’s got serious commitment issues.) And Trevor proposed to her. And Jakkal accepted. I can’t begin to describe how wrong that was, but funny at the same time. It was a crazy, crazy scene…
Immediately afterwards, the happy couple was confronted by Evie, who accused Trevor of being Helaku. Both Trevor and Jakkal denied this, and Evie managed to goad Jakkal back into near-frenzy. (Thanks Rilla! That was beautiful!) Then, she talked them into going out to Wanuskewin. We stopped for a ‘snack’ at Denny’s first (and Jakkal lost a point of humanity…Never feed when frenzied!) and then met Voss, Gideon, Mike, and Jordan. They seemed all gung-ho about going down into the valley and confronting the flesh-rending ghosts, but Trevor and I hung back. He, or rather, Helaku, knew better than anyone the limits of safety around Wanuskewin.
So, Creed slapped a handcuff on Trevor, which just happened to be attached to his bike, and gunned it for the buffalo jump. Mike managed to take out one of the tires, but Creed popped a wheelie and hit the jump, dragging Trevor along with him. They both landed on the sharp, pointy rocks at the bottom, but Creed recovered first and began to beat on Trevor. At this point, Jakkal was about two seconds away from frenzy as she started running towards the edge of the hill, ready to leap over herself if need be, when Gideon stepped in front of her and hit her with dread gaze. So much for the heroic protector she believes herself to be…
Mike managed to make it over the cliff with a minimum of damage to himself, and tore into Creed with his claws. There was a brief but vicious struggle between the three, which ended when Jordan and Gideon made their way (safely…) to the bottom. Gideon dread gazed Mike, and Jordan smashed Trevor over the head with a large rock. Nicely done…They tossed his body to the ghosts, and got out of there while the spirits were distracted with rending him limb from limb.
So, that pretty much wrapped up the night. I have a bunch of stuff for Jakkal to do this month, now that’s she free of her bond. It is, after all, my last chance to play her, so I’m going to make the best of it. I’m looking forward to seeing how things all play out next month.
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| The joy of speeches |
| 05.06.04 (4:54 pm) [edit] |
Something strange happens when you put a person infront of a microphone. They either clam up, splutter a bit, and leave as quickly as possible, or they try to get in their 15 minutes of fame for their next twelve lifetimes.
Today was the Women of Distinction awards luncheon, where the nominees and their nominators gather together and eat some really great food, while the sponsors and awards committee congratulate each other and everyone else.
Both of my nominators were busy, which was too bad, so I called up Tonia & Elmer at last minute. Tonia had written a letter of support for my nomination, so that was close enough! We showed up just a few minutes late, and couldn't find a table in the Youth section, where I was supposed to sit. So, we crashed the Arts table instead, which worked out well, because that's kinda where we belonged anyway. Being artists and all...
Also at the table was my high school principal, and the former school councillor. That made for a wierd reunion...It turns out that they've all worked with my Mom at one point or another, so we spent the first fifteen or so minutes talking about how she was doing, and whether she'd gotten on faculty anywhere.
Then, lunch was served. It was really tasty. They had this great zuchini dish with tomatoes and pesto. Yum! The chocolate mousse they served for dessert was also amazing, but then again, I have a bias for just about anything chocolate.
The speeches began after we ate. Sandra Blevins, one of the previous winners of the Youth category, gave a really great talk about how she was so nervous when she had found out that she'd been nominated, but never really expected to win, so when they announced her name, she hadn't prepared a speech and had to wing it.
She also said that it's a greater honor to even be nominated, because that shows the respect and support that other professionals you have for you. I'd have to agree with her there. I was absolutely speechless when I found out I'd been nominated, and for anyone who knows me, they know it's really, [i]really[/i] hard to shut me up for any length of time.
Dr. Lillian Dyck also spoke. She's paved the way for women in the field of science here in Saskatchewan, so it was really great to hear some of the stuff she had to say about women's voice and power in the workplace. The only thing was, as interesting as her speech was, it was also [i]very long.[/i] We were supposed to be done by two, and at 2:05, she was still speaking. The nominees hadn't even been introduced yet, and the sponsors still had to do their speeches. Needless to say, things ran a little long.
Afterwards, I ran into one of the ladies I know. She was on the Awards panel, and she introduced me to the other girls in my category. There's Jessica Robinson, the country music recording artist, Janice Rosser, buisnesswoman extrodinaire and youth coordinator and Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan, and Nicole White, advocate for "women's issues and the queer community".
I spoke with Nicole for a bit, (well, kinda flirted, really...) and we both agreeded that the scariest part of this whole process is the prospect of having to give an acceptance speech. You win, great, but you gotta give a speech. We agreed that if neither of us win, we'll go get some drinks and toast to not having to speak in public. Hell, even if one of us wins, I'd still be willing to go for drinks...
Err, yeah. Enough of that. ^-^; So, that was my day. How about you??
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| Multi-blog!! (Part 4) |
| 05.05.04 (9:04 am) [edit] |
Ok, this is the last mutli-blog, I promise. I'm gonna catch ya up to today, now that I've had a few days to relax and recooperate.
Sunday was pretty uneventful, which was a nice change. I actually managed to sleep in until noon, which is a very rare thing for me. Then I took my dog for a long walk by the river, (and by long, I mean to Chief Whitecap park...) and went for a haircut. That pretty much finished off my afternoon. My Mom and I picked up the kids from the exchange center around 4:45, and they were actually in a good mood. Usually they're pretty moody after being with their dad all weekend. I don't blame em... Anyway, we all walked to Homestead's after supper and got some ice cream. Nice, relaxing family stuff.
Monday I worked in the afternoon. They finished recarpeting and painting the office, and it looks really nice. They best part is that I now have a bigger office. Before, I was jammed into a cubicle in the furthest back corner of the room. Now, they've taken down the partitions and moved my desk so that I can actually see the other people I work with. I feel special. ^-^
Tuesday I had off work, so I was able to catch up with some of my artistic endevours. I spent most of the morning writing. (With the occasional blog-browsing session in between...) I took my dog for another walk after lunch, and then finished off some character designs I've been meaning to do since before exams hit. They turned out better than I had expected, which was great, because I'd been getting frustrated with them before. I'm so glad to actually have time to sit down and work on some of my own stuff! I technically do "graphic-design" at Wanuskewin, but it's not the same as being able to work on your own projects. I suppose it's like that for everyone, regardless of occupation. If someone else wants you to do it, it's just not as fun.
Anyway, that was my past few days. Today I work again, but only in the afternoon, so I'm going to keep on writing & drawing. Ahh, drawing...
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| Multi-blog!! (Part 3) |
| 05.04.04 (2:21 pm) [edit] |
Where were we? Oh yes. Saturday!
My brother and sister went to their dad's place on Saturday morning. (I refuse to call him [i]my[/i] father. Issues, yes, I know.) It's part of the custody thing. Anyway, I went along to drop them off. I'm not allowed into the exchange center, but I think they appreciate that I'm there to give them a hug before they go in. Exchange days are never easy for them, because we're never sure what kind of mood their dad will be in. He was violent to them in the past, and as a result, we have supervised exchanges. Hence, the exchange center.
After, I went shopping with my Mom at Midtown. Picked up the finishing touches for my Dark Bridges costume. I already had the shirt, pants, boots, and belt, but the black necklace I found really pulled it all together.
I dropped Mom back off at home, and then ran over to Ratzlaff's place. He was really, really bored when he called, so I said I'd come over and bug him until I had to go to the larp. We played video games (you should see all the systems that guy has...), watched South Park, and just generally made fools of ourselves. You know you're waaaay too hyper when you realize you've spent the last minute conversing entirely in "durp!".
I checked my email from his place, and found out that Dark Bridges started at 6, and not at 7 like I had thought. It was about 5:45 when I did this, so I bid him a quick farewell, jumped into my car, and dashed over to the Sheraton Cavelier.
Yes, the Sheraton. (For those unfamiliar with Toon Town, it's a fancy-schmancy hotel, at least by my tastes.) I knew immediately when I walked in the door and saw evening gowns and suits that I was horribly underdressed in my jeans and a t-shirt. However, that wasn't nearly as bad as imagining what would happen when the rest of the larpers showed up, especially if they came in costume. (I had brought mine in my backpack.)
As it turned out, they've seen far stranger things in their time. Someone said that there's been drag shows and all sorts of costume parties held there before, so we weren't the strangest things to walk through the door. (That dissapointed me slightly. There are stranger things out there than gamers??)
Anyway, I sat in the lobby with Skippy and Ginger for a bit, and then went and got changed into costume. It worked out better than I thought it would, and I actually managed to stay on my high heels the entire night. I'll have to get pictures of me in costume sometime. I was going to bring my camera along, but I wasn't really home that much...
The actual larp was a whole ton of fun. There was a monomancy called shortly after everything kicked off, and it went by remarkably quickly. (It helped that the one guy had hoardes of celerity...) After that, I basically spent the night talking with my pack, mingling with the Setites, and perfecting my accent. Valerina (my character) is from Bulgaria, and has a vaguely Romanian accent. ("I vant to suck your blood...") I was a little nervous about not being able to pull off the accent, but as soon as we went IC, it was actually pretty easy. In fact, by the end of the night, I had to remind myself [i]not[/i] to speak in an accent...
There were actually quite a few people with accents, so I wasn't alone. Layne's Dutch accent still cracks me up. All the accents caused some major confusion, though. At one point, I was speaking with Auriel, who also has a Romanian accent, while Angelique ([url=http://mgareau.tblog.com/]Michelle's[/url] char) looked on. Jane, Jen's char with a Southern accent, was also in the conversation. At some point there, all the accents started bluring together, and then Angelique let out one of the best stereotypically french laughs I've ever heard. We all cracked up, and Michelle actually had to leave for a bit to get her accent back under control. It was great!
Our pack, the Darwin Effect, definately isn't a pack of fighters, but I think we'll be able to hold our own, just the same. We picked up a couple of goons at the gathering, so we can send them out to do all the physical stuff. (Yay for hired goons! And even better, we don't have to pay them! Ahh, Vaulderie is a good thing...) We almost didn't get either of them, but Henry had a good talk with Junkman Joe, (which apparently involved Henry beating on Joe with a sword...) and straightened things out. And then, at the very end of the night, Dowell decided to join us, though I'm not sure why...Oh well. As a Tzimisce, I don't question. I just warp whomever I'm told to. :twisted:
Anyway, enough rambling. I'm sure I'm beginning to scare people. Bottom line: Dark Bridges was fun. I can't wait till next month.
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| Multi-blog!! (Part 2) |
| 05.03.04 (3:01 pm) [edit] |
Aaaaand, I'm back with more blog!
So, Friday I rolled out of bed around 9 and went over to New Media Campus to bug Tonia & Elmer. New Media is a 3-D animation school, one which I would love to attend, were tuition not $12,000.00.
I hung out and bugged them for a while, and they showed me some of the stuff they were working on. They're rigging their models for their final films, which I can't wait to see. Man, would I love to be able to do stuff like that!
Then, I met with their instructor and he gave me a tour of the school and talked with me a bit about the program. It sounds pretty comprehensive, if a bit rushed. I mean, they've managed to compact roughly 3 years of training into a 1 year program... If you go there, you have to expect to put in a lot of overtime.
Afterwards, we went out for lunch at the Great Buffet of China. Some of the food's not so hot, but they have the best coconut rolls. Mmm.... Coconut rolls..
I was supposed to go golfing with the staff from work at 2:00, but this giant wind-storm blew in. When I got to the golf course, four of the guys were desperately trying to tee-off, while sheets of horizontal rain were pelting them. It was hilarious and sad at the same time..
So, instead of being a yuppie and golfing on a Friday, I went back home and caught up on my sleep. There's nothing quite like falling asleep to the sound of the rain on the window...
When I woke up, the sun was shining and everything smelled nice and fresh. I went for a quick walk with my dog, and then went out for supper with my family. All in all, it was a pretty good day.
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| Multi-blog!! (Part 1) |
| 05.03.04 (2:49 pm) [edit] |
Ok, prepare for multi-blogging! I haven't been near a computer since Thursday (or at least not long enough to write anything...), so I'm gonna catch you all up on my daily exploits.
Thursday night was Birigit's last night in Canada. She's been on an exchange here from Germany. What possessed her to come to [i]Saskatoon[/i] is anyone's guess. Anyway, she's actually one of the people who got me started larping, so I guess I have her to blame/thank for my sleep deprivation.
We met at the U of S Gamer's club, and decided to check out the 1942 larp Wade was running at the Hero's Gambit. (It's an annual role-play conference. Geek central!) The larp was a huge success, and I was immediately hooked. I signed up for SbN (that's Sasktoon by Night for all you non-gamers.) soon after, and have been gaming every since.
Unfortunately, Birigit never got involved with SbN, but we did manage to drag her into Cory's Gehenna campaign. We finished off the campaign jsut before she had to leave, actually...
So, Thursday night was her send-off party, and Carrie made a very cool mad vampire cow cake, complete with manure. (That was icing...I hope..) We played Munchkin, a card game based on D&D, except far goofier. (Although, D&D is pretty goofy on it's own...)
Didn't get home until 3, which meant I was down to an average of 5 hours sleep per night, all week. Much fun...
Luckily, I had the day off work on Friday! Yay for office recarpeting!
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