Blog For Free!
Archives
Home
2004 November
2004 October
2004 September
2004 August
2004 July
2004 June
2004 May
2004 April
My Links
My Gallery
My Photos
Dark Bridges
John's Blog
Rilla's Blog
Sneevil
The Flip Side
Urban Injun
Thunderhowl's journal
Ginger's Blog
Rook's Journal
Todd's Blog
tBlog
My Profile
Send tMail
My tFriends
My Images
Sponsored
Blog
Daily Tip:
|
| Nothing to do, and all day to do it. |
| 08.31.04 (11:10 am) [edit] |
Oh, sweet, sweet free time...
I'd forgotten what it was like to have nothing to do in a day. I must say that I quite like it.
Now, I do realize that my definition of 'nothing to do' differs a lot from others people's. When most people say they have nothing to do, they mean that they have literally nothing to do. I can only imagine what that would be like. I think I would go crazy very quickly.
In my world, nothing to do really means, 'nothing major to do.' I have no pressing things that need to be accomplished, lest the world spontaneously implode about me. This is nice. I've grown tired of running around putting out fires and diverting catastrophy. (Mind you, I think half of those fires were set by me, so I can't complain too much...)
No, I have nothing to do today, which means that I'll be about as busy as I always am. I'll draw, work on some concept designs and a teaser comic, go for a walk, maybe catch a movie in the afternoon, and do some writing. The only difference is, this is all stuff that [b]I [/b]want to do, and not something I [i]have[/i] to do.
The difference is monumental.
|
|
|
| |
| When networks attack! |
| 08.26.04 (2:15 pm) [edit] |
Well, I -had- a whole post written up for today, but the server went down just as I was finishing it, and stayed down for most of the afternoon. And now I'm too lazy to retype it. So...Think deep thoughts on your own. I'm catching a cold, and my brain's a bit too fuzzy to concentrate.
On the plus side, I did manage to arrange the pictures for the exhibit opening tomorrow. Now, I just have to hang everything, which will be a challenge, because none of the peices have hangers on them. Some of them are just painted on plywood, which is going to make them very difficult to hang.
But, I don't really care. Tomorrow's my last day. Once the opening is finished, I'm outta here!
|
|
|
| |
| Faith & The Storm |
| 08.25.04 (1:36 pm) [edit] |
I got an email from an old friend of mine yesterday that helped to spark this discussion. She wrote to me about her job as a councillor at a bible camp just outside of town. It sounded like she was enjoying herself, as she's always been good with kids and she loves helping people. She's always been a great listener and it sounded like some of the girls needed to talk out some of their issues. However, as good as her advice is, it always seemed to come down to 'trust in God, and all your problems will be taken care of.'
Now, that makes me uncomfortable. Perhaps it's just my experiences that have jaded me, but I have found that unless you yourself take some sort of action, problems are not just going to go away. Sure, maybe it's a positive thing that she believes that her faith can save her. But to blindly hope that God will come down and solve all of her problems while she hides from the world just doesn't sit well with me, because I've seen how miserable she is really is. It's kind of like a set-up. She believes so strongly that if she simply prays enough, all her problems will go away. And, when they don't, then she's upset because obviously her faith wasn't strong enough for God, and she loses faith in herself. It's a vicious circle.
Now, excuse me if I sound like a heathen bastard...(Actually, why am I apologizing? I -am- a heathen bastard. So there!) I prefer to deal with my problems on a much more hands-on basis. If something is bothering me, I know that it's not going to go away until I myself deal with it. I may put off dealing with it, because procrastination is just so easy, but I always know it's not going away until I confront it. I might ask whoever's out there for a little guidance dealing with things, but I don't feel comfortable asking them to just make it go away. That seems like a cop-out. What do you learn from running away from things?
Or am I missing the point entirely? I have heard people speak of their faith before, and been astounded by how much...well, [i]faith[/i] they place in it. Their belief is so complete, so utter, that they know that they will get through things. Do I have that kind of faith? No, I don't think so. I think I'm a bit too cynical. But that begs the question, "Do I have faith?"
[i](Swallow my doubt, turn it inside out, find nothing but faith in nothing...) [/i]
* * *
I remember sitting in the tin shack I lived in during my stay in Fiji as a hurricane blew in towards us. I asked the two girls who owned the house, both of them quite devout Christians, if we should be nailing down the roof or putting wood across the windows, just in case. The older of the two simply smiled and said, "Go to bed. You'll either wake up, or you won't." Kinda morbid, right? I think what she meant was that she had faith that if God decided it was time for her to go, then she would. Otherwise, she trusted that God would see her safely through the storm.
I spent the next hour nailing down the roof.
Around 4 am, the storm hit. I woke up to a solid wave of sound as the rain pounded against the corrugated tin of our roof. I couldn't see the next house through the driving rain, but I could make out dark, thrashing shapes writhing in the mist like tormented giants. I thought that maybe I had died in the storm after all, until I realized that those were just palm trees caught up in the gale force winds. I was mesmerised by the pure, primal power of it.
My roommate, who I was none to fond of, was also sitting wide-eyed on her bed, watching the storm. I didn't notice her until she let out a sound that was half sob, half squeak.
"Do you think we're going to die?" She said.
I thought that one over. "No, I don't think so. If things get too bad in here, we can always crawl over to the house next door. They have cement walls."
"Yeah, like that'll help when there's houses and stuff flying around. Don't you realize we could be killed tonight, and there's nothing we could do about it?"
I had to admit that thought hadn't struck me before. I was hit by a sudden wave of fear that trickled up my spine, but it was just as suddenly replaced by the warmth of an overwhelming slow calm that spread through me. I shook my head.
"I don't think so. If it was really that bad, the neighbors would be doing something. Their house is even less sturdy than ours, but I think I can see Josef, still drinking kava on the floor. We'll make it through alright, I'm sure of it."
And so we waited out the storm. Each time I managed to get through a full hour without the world collapsing on me, I counted myself lucky. Eventually, I even went back to sleep and managed to sleep out the worst parts of the storm. When I woke up, I found out that the hurricane had shifted direction during the early morning, so that the worst winds had missed us. 6 people were killed on the outer islands, and hundreds were left homeless, but our little tin shack still stood.
I guess you could say that I had faith that I would make it through the night, but I think I was just too damn stubborn to give in and admit that I was completely and utterly helpless during the storm. Still, I burned a little sweetgrass when the storm was over and said thanks to whoever was watching out for me. I guess that's close enough.
|
|
|
| |
| Defining Faith |
| 08.24.04 (2:47 pm) [edit] |
Religion. Belief. Faith.
These are things I never really gave much thought to before. I mean, I know what I believe, and I know that most other people have way different beliefs, but as long as they left me alone, I was fine to just go about in my own way. But there's been a bunch of stuff lately that's making me re-think things.
As strange as it sounds, one of those things is the games that I've been a part of, especially the Sabbat game. (There's other things, of course, but I'll get into that more tomorrow) There's been a lot of discussion on the forums about faith, and because my character is a priest, I've had to think about not only what she would believe, but how her beliefs differ from mine. Which, in turn, is making me have to define just what I believe in. It's not easy.
My philosophy is a strange mix of things. I'm a second-generation urban Indian. My grandfather went through the residential school system, and is embarassd to speak Cree to me, even though I know he's still fluent in it. He knows a lot about the traditional ways, but doesn't speak of them. I'm not sure if they're too sacred to reveal, or if he thinks that there are other Elders who could teach me better. Either way, the little bits of my culture that I've picked up on all come from someone else. My mom has taught me what little she's learned, and I've picked up a little more on the protocols and stuff from work. Still, I always feel like such an outsider in any ceremonies, because mostly, I have no clue what is going on.
Even when I pray with my sweetgrass, I'm not really sure what I'm doing. It's sort of like, "Oh, hey there. Thanks for everything. I'm really grateful for all the people I know, and all the things I've had the chance to do. You probably know how glad I am that I was here today. So, yeah. Thanks." I know that there are traditional prayers, and I think they have a lot more structure to them than that. But I don't know them, so I just sort of fumble my way through things, and it makes me feel like I don't really belong to any set of spiritual beliefs.
I'd like to consider myself a traditional person, but because I don't know what I'm doing, I would never call myself that. On the other hand, I certainly don't fall into any other religious category. I believe in karma, reincarnation, energy patterns, auras and magic. I also go to sweats and smudge. I know there's spirits out there, and I like to believe in both free-will and fate. (I just don't like being bound by fate. There is a difference.)
Most of the time, though, I don't really think about it. As horrible as it sounds (is is so horrible?), prayer is not a part of my daily routine. If something really moves me, even something as simple as the quiet darkness of my backyard at night, I will stop and notice it, and try to experience it fully. Then, I'll usually say a quick thanks. Like I said before, my prayers are nothing fancy. I'm not even sure if I'm comfortable calling them prayers, because that has such a distinct connotation, and brings to mind images of pious pleas for help.
(If I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take... Those words gave me nightmares for months after I heard one of my friends saying it when I was in kindergarten.)
I think thanks is a better term for what I do. I give thanks. Yes, that feels right.
I guess that's a good a start as any. I've defined a little bit about who I am, and what I feel. I've got a whole bunch of other thoughts, half-written, that I need to sort through some more. I think I'll probably post more about it tommorow, when I've had some time to think on things. Stay tuned for more reflections from the ambiguously spiritual/non-religious mess that is my mind.
|
|
|
| |
| Get me to the church on time! |
| 08.23.04 (2:41 pm) [edit] |
I was going to sleep in on Friday, since I'd been out at Folkfest until 2 am the night before, but I ended up waking up at 8:30 and couldn't get back to sleep. That was probably a good thing, because I had to be at the hall at 10 to help with set-up, and it took about that long for my mind to be half-way coherent. We got the lights up and the tables mostly decorated by noon, so I snuck off to find myself some shoes to go with my tux. I found the perfect pair...for $90.00. So, instead I went to Zellers and managed to find a decent pair of shoes for $2.68. Yes, two dollar shoes. I paid for them in blisters, but they did look decent with the suit, so I don't really care.
At four, my brother, sister & I drove out to Davidson for the rehersal. We were almost late, so we decided to stop for supper after the rehersal. Not the smartest idea, because the groom was late and we didn't get started until 7:00. We lined up to practice our entrances, and I sent my brother out to the car to get the music. The rest of the rehersal went well, but later I found out that he had managed to lock the keys in the car and leave a light on. I was not impressed. Luckily, Joe's brother had a tow-truck, and he came and opened up my car for free. Thank you Larry!!
By this time, it was nearly 9:00, and we still hadn't eaten, so I stopped by the Dub on the way out of town and got Jordan & Tara something to eat. I was going to drop them off and meet the wedding party at Moxie's in Saskatoon. It was almost 10:30 when we got back into town, and Tara was pretty grouchy. I felt bad for her, because she had to get up early the next day for her hair appointment. So, I dropped her off at home, grabbed my bag, and ran over to meet everyone. Everyone was pretty much finished eating, and I didn't want to hold them up by ordering my own meal, so I devoured everyone's leftovers in record time, and then we all split up. The bridal party spent the evening at the Saskatoon Inn, and the groomsmen crashed at Justin's place.
We stayed up and tried on our tuxes, helped Elmer practice his vows, and played a bit of Soul Caliber. We got to sleep around 2:00, and we up again at 7 am. Yay for sleep deprivation! We somehow managed to get everyone fed, dressed and ready to go by 8:30, and then we hit the road. There was no way we were going to be late this time! We passed a bunch of other people going to the wedding, and managed to get to the church on time. (Unfortunately, Elmer's sister, who we has just passed, got stopped by the police on the way out of town. We must have gotten lucky.)
We put the last-minute touches on everyone's outfits, got the flowers and corsages ready, and made sure everyone knew what order they were going in. There was just one problem...We had the groom and the pastor, but no bride. When I talked to my mom at 10:30, she said Tonia had still been at the hairdressers. And since the wedding was supposed to start at 11, we were definately going to be a bit late.
The bridal party must have really been flying, because they got there shortly after 11:15. We hid Elmer, and snuck Tonia down to the basement until it was time to go in. After that, things went really smoothly. Seeing Tonia walking up the aisle with Joe & her grandpa was a really beautiful moment, and she looked so happy. Elmer looked nervous, but happy. The pastor made an excellent speech comparing drawing & relationships, which was so fitting, because they're both artists. (Actually, most of the friends in the audience were artists, too. There was some very misty eyes.)
Afterwards, we went to her aunt's house in Girvin for photos. They had a gorgeous backyard, and amazing scenery. I'll post some of the photos later this evening when I get a chance to download them. I took Cherie's car, because she stayed behind for family photos, and drove back to Saskatoon to get the hall ready for the reception. I'm glad I went early, because it was freezing in there! the sun had been out for the photos, but on the way back it started to rain and the temperature really dropped. It was only 10 degrees in the hall when I arrived because the windows had been left open, and the thermostat control was in a little plastic lock box. I MacGuyvered up a paper clip and managed to turn the heat up a bit, but it was still pretty cold until everyone arrived.
It was pretty cool sitting at the head table. My mom was the MC for the evening, and she introduced us all as we marched into the room. We said a few toasts, and then finally got to eat. I was starving, but the food was incredible. The chef out at the Park was doing the catering, so we had an interesting mix of Saskatoon Berry chicken, roast bison, wild greens, and the amazing Philipino food that Elmer's mother & aunties had cooked. Mmm...
During dinner, I made my speech. I told everyone the story of how Tonia & Elmer had met, and how I was totally clueless that they were dating until they announced that they were engaged. Good times... Justin also made a great speech, but it was Elmer's toast to his parents that made me cry. Mind you, I think everyone was crying. It was a very emotional speech, and his parents are such sweet people. I always feel welcome in their house.
After supper, everyone else cleared the tables (yet another perk of sitting at the head table) and then the dancing began. My mom & Ed have been taking dance lessons for the past year and a half, and they sure payed off. Mom looked like she was having such a great time dancing with him, and they were really good. I haven't seen her look so happy in a relationship before. Elmer's parents are also amazing dancers, and they dance with such dignity and elegance. Of course, Tonia & Elmer danced all evening, and looked like they were having a great time. As for me, well...Let's just say that when the jigging started, I didn't really stop. I mean, they even played 'The Last Saskatchewan Pirate'. How can you not dance??
All in all, it was a beautiful day, and I hope that those two enjoyed themselves as much or more than I did, cause I had a damn fine time.
|
|
|
| |
| Wedding prep |
| 08.19.04 (7:57 am) [edit] |
Well, the wedding preparations are in full-swing, and I'm enjoying being caught up in the chaos of it all. The wedding party, or those of us who are in town, met up last night at the hall to set-up lights, and we got some good news. The people who were supposed to be in there on Friday night cancelled, so we can take the full day to set up, instead of rushing in there at 7 am on Saturday and still trying to drive out to Davidson for 10:00. And, considering that the bridesmaids had hair appointments at 7, it would have fallen on us groomsmen to do the setup. I'm so glad things worked out.
We ended up going for supper at Moxie's instead, and ended up teasing the waitress all evening. She was a good sport, and got in some excellent burns. I'm sure she thought we were all drunk or something, but no, that's just us normally. We left her a good tip, so I'm sure it was worth it. (Plus, she's going to have crazy stories to share with the staff for the rest of the week, so it's all good. I'm just doing my part to keep things interesting for people.)
Tonight I need to get shoes to go with my tux, and then I'm meeting Layne, Thea & Quinn at 10ish to go and hang out at the Irish pavillion for Folkfest. I'm planning on calling in 'sick' tomorrow, which doesn't really matter because tomorrow's the staff golf tournament, so no one would really be working anyway. That way, I can sleep in and then help them set up the hall. I figure we'll spend most of the day seeing to last minute things, and goofing around, and then in the evening we'll head out to Davidson for the rehersal. I'm not entirely sure what's happening after that, but I'll either wind up playing X-box with the groomsmen, or going to the Chocolate Buffet with the bridesmaids. If I'm really lucky, I'll find a way to do both. Ahh, chocolate and video games...does it get any sweeter?
|
|
|
| |
| Disillusioned rantings on a smoggy day |
| 08.17.04 (2:46 pm) [edit] |
Just a quick post for today. There's lots of things I'd like to say, but don't quite feel that I can express anything accurately. I guess my writing skills on the fritz again...
I met Carla & Wade last night and did a quick scene for the Dark Ages game. We hung out in Carla's back yard and lit a fire, which really added to the feeling of scene. Tonight's the first session of Wade's Requiem demo, and I'm looking forward to it. The character I'm playing is pretty much me, except for the whole sororiety sister thing, so I'm going to have to think up some sort of a twist to make the character seperate from myself. Or, I could just go with it. We'll have to see.
Today's been as hazy as the skies. My boss is gone, so I'm holding down the fort, and even though I have twice as much work as usual, I'm still bored and listless. I suppose that means I'm ready to move on from here. As much as I complain about it, this has actually been a really great place to work. Well, aside from the crazy CEO, I mean. I get free reign to design all of their promotional stuff, decent pay, good steady hours, and a title that looks great on a resume, even if it means that I was thrown into something way over my head.
But, I am getting restless. I feel like I'm constantly waiting for something to happen, which I suppose I am. This job has always been just a job for me, and I long to be able to do my own things, creatively-speaking. The anticipation of school starting is both sweet and painful, like the long, drawn-out period between one breath and another.
However, the closer it gets to school starting, the more I start to doubt my own skills. I know that I'm pretty good with a pencil and paper, and I can feel the swing and rhythm of a character's motion, but actually bringing that character to life is more than a little daunting, especially when I think of the technical aspects of 3D, like modelling and rigging. I don't think modelling will be too much of a hassle, because I tend to think things through structually when I'm drawing anyway, but the rigging still scares me.
It didn't help that I met up with some of the guys from my old school on the weekend. They haven't changed much. They all want to be the next Glen Keane, and damned if they're not already better than all the other school out there. The constant ego stroking always made me want to bite. Anyway, they seem to look down on all the 3D students, because it's not as fluid as classical. Bull. Given a good animator, anything can move fluidly, even clay figures. Look at Wallace and Gromit.
Which, I suppose, brings me to the root of my problem. I don't know how good an animator I am, because I never really got proper instruction in the first place. This year will be something of a trial by fire. Damn, I'm getting tired of those.
|
|
|
| |
| I always suspected as much... |
| 08.17.04 (2:06 pm) [edit] |
You are the Fool card. The Fool fearlessly begins
the journey into the unknown. To do this, he
does not regard the world he knows as firm and
fixed. He has a seemingly reckless disregard
for obstacles. In the Ryder-Waite deck, he is
seen stepping off a cliff with his gaze on the
sky, and a rainbow is there to catch him. In
order to explore and expand, one must disregard
convention and conformity. Those in the throes
of convention look at the unconventional,
non-conformist personality and think What a
fool. They lack the point of view to understand
The Fool's actions. But The Fool has roots in
tradition as one who is closest to the spirit
world. In many tribal cultures, those born with
strange and unusual character traits were held
in awe. Shamans were people who could see
visions and go on journeys that we now label
hallucinations and schizophrenia. Those with
physical differences had experience and
knowledge that the average person could not
understand. The Fool is God. The number of the
card is zero, which when drawn is a perfect
circle. This circle represents both emptiness
and infinity. The Fool is not shackled by
mountains and valleys or by his physical body.
He does not accept the appearance of cliff and
air as being distinct or real. Image from: Mary
DeLave http://www.marydelave.com/
Which Tarot Card Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
|
|
|
| |
| Lucky thirteen |
| 08.13.04 (10:14 pm) [edit] |
With a couple spectacularly disasterous exceptions, Friday the 13th is usually a pretty good day for me. Today definately fell into the pretty damn good category.
First off, I didn't have to go into work until 2:00, so I got to sleep in. That's always a good way to start one's day. I took my dog in to get shaved around 9:30, and ran into a friend I haven't seen in awhile next door to the groomers. We had a good chat, and then I went back home and helped my mom can beets.
Now, that sounds pretty normal, unless you know us. We've never been the canning type. Hell, we're hardly the 'cook stuff for dinner' type. So that experience was odd enough in itself. I don't think anyone in my family has ever canned anything before, come to think about it. So it was a bit wierd to wake up and find giant pots of beets boiling on the stove. But, in my experience, it's better not to ask about some things...
After canning, I went to check my email & the forums, and found about thirty messages in each. While I was answering some of the messages, I found a link on Barry's blog for the scarecrow vampire fangs. They had a special on the werewolf set, which is actually two different sets for really cheap, so I had to order them. They should get here in time for the October Palla Grande game, so I suppose I have to get offa my arse and actually work on the rest of my costume.
I don't know why they needed me in the office today, except to download the digital camera. I reorganized the photo archives again, and waited until 5:00. At 5, they sent me down to the Bess with an order of food. They're holding some sort of "Stay in a Castle, Sleep in a Tipi' promotion, and there's a bunch of tipis set up in the back yard of the Bess. I had to drop of their supper, because we're catering the event, even though we're fifteen miles out of the city. Like I said, I don't ask about some things.
We also had a food stand set up at the kick-off to the Flow exhibit over at the Mendel. The Northern Pikes were just doing their sound checks when I got there, so we got a bit of a private show before the crowds arrived.
Around 8, I was sent back to check on things at the Bess. Things hadn't really picked up at Flow, so when I missed my turnoff coming back and ended up heading up the University Bridge, my first thought was, "Hey...Weren't they having that scene on campus tonight?" Scary, yes, but that's how my mind works. Some things, you just go with. Everyone had just arrived when I pulled up, so we talked about game stuff and had a quick scene before I decided that maybe the people at work were going to miss me.
They didn't. I stopped by the Bess again because my Mom was hired to do some storytelling for the kids. We all sat around the fire on buffalo robes and listened to her stories. Everyone was pretty enthralled. I enjoy watching her when she's telling stories, because you can tell she's enjoying herself just as much as the audience enjoys her tales.
Then, it was back to Flow to catch the Northern Pikes, yet again. The crowd had really picked up, and I actually did a bit of work, handing out burgers and Saskatoon Berry tarts. See? They are paying me for something! The night was really warm, and the music was good. The Pikes played a few things that I hadn't heard before, and I was in the right mood for their music.
It was one of those days where you find yourself in all these different moments, each with it's own flavor and meaning, and you just have to follow along and enjoy the ride.
|
|
|
| |
| Artsy stuff |
| 08.12.04 (8:14 am) [edit] |
It's been fairly quiet this week, which is good, because it's given me a chance to catch up on some much-needed drawing.
I finished doing the cover for TL & EE's wedding program. They wanted a picture of themselves, done in chibi anime style. I had a some problems at first, because I've been doing a lot of realism lately, so the style switch was a bit of a shock. The first few drawings came out either insanely cutsie, or too refined to be chibi. I think I managed to compromise between the cuteness they wanted, and actually making it look like them. And, I even had a few hours last night to color it and give it a border, something I haven't had time for in months. All in all, I think it turned out pretty good. I hope they like it.
And, it just gets better. I think I've managed to land myself my first commercial design gig. Kwee! I won't say too much about it yet, because I still have to hear back more from the lady who's running the project, but they do have funding in place for designing a kids information booklet. I would get to design the cartoon characters who guide the kids through the activities, as well as put together a pose set of about 12 - 15 poses for each character. At 24+ poses & conceptual work, that's a fair chunk of change, and some darn good exposure!
Which is good, because I'm almost done out here at work. My contract as a summer worker lasts until the 27th, which means I'll get two weeks of holiday before school starts. Which means I'll be dirt poor once I have to fork over the first installment of tuition and pay for books. But, I'm really looking forward to school this year, because I'm going to be doing what I want to be doing.
I got the urge to play video games last night, so I went out and rented Jak II. I had heard that it was a pretty good game, and that the graphics were pretty nice. Heh, pretty nice? I just about drooled all over myself when I saw the animation in the opening sequence. Even the in-game animation was eye-candy goodness! Now, the style's a helluva lot more cartoony than I usually like, and Jak's antenna-like ears kinda bug me, but I was still glued to the game for hours. If I can do stuff like that when I'm done school, I will be one happy girl.
|
|
|
| |
| Sweet, sweet gaming... |
| 08.09.04 (1:15 pm) [edit] |
Ahhh, a weekend filled with gaming goodness...
Friday night was the new Dark Ages game. I spent most of last week putting my costume together, and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I was glad I'd put some time into it, because there were some pretty impressive outfits running around. I know that some people had costumes from other events, but I was still impressed by how everyone who came out had a costume that was at the very least passable for the period. That says a lot about the dedication for the game.
I had way too much fun strutting around with a cape and sword. Sir Kendric de Bruce is a challenge to play, because I'm far too polite. I have to keep reminding myself to be as insufferable as possible. By the time I started to get the character down, it was already the end of the game, and only Lexx really got to see it. I think that before next month's game, I'm going to have to rent some Kennith Brannaw films and watch them repeatedly.
I stayed out at coffee until 3 or 4, and then dragged myself home to bed. That's the only problem with having two games in one weekend. By Monday, I usually feel like I haven't slept in days, which is probably because I -haven't-. It's strange. I always seem to have problems falling asleep after games, so with two games in a weekend, I'm lucky if I get 8 hours sleep combined.
It makes work interesting on Mondays...To stay awake, I must drink caffine. But anyone who knows me knows what I'm like when caffine enters my system. There's nothing quite like trying to do layout for a newsletter when your hand keeps shaking all over the place and you have the sudden, inexplicable urge to run down the hallway yelling out random quotes from obscure early-nineties cartoon series. Actually, that sounds a lot like work most days, minus the shakes... The only difference is that most other days I have a good reason to want to run down the hallways yelling. (aka - The Boss)
Anyway, Saturday I mostly just hung around and caught up on house & car stuff until it was time for the Sabbat game. I went a little early and got in a good scene between Isabella and Valerie. I think that Valerina has to spend a little more time with the Theophidians this month... The game itself can be summarized for me by the phrase, 'things blew up'.
Things blew up between certain characters, there were people leaping out of windows after Camarilla, the Darwin Effect pack all but self-imploded, and, oh yeah, the entire head count actually exploded. That part was pretty cool, actually...It helped that I knew what was coming, otherwise, the sudden game-wide freeze would have been confusing. The not-so-cool part of that game was that I lost pretty much all of my pack. I'm not sure if I'll join another pack yet, or try to recruit more members for the Darwin Effect.
Which reminds me, if I end staying with that pack, we're definately going to need a new name. The term 'Darwin Effect' seems to be far too apt at describing what happens to the members of the pack.
|
|
|
| |
| I shall now subject you to my random poetic urges |
| 08.05.04 (2:52 pm) [edit] |
I'm trying something new today. I got the sudden urge to write poetry. Usually, I refine my poems like crazy, hiding them until I think they're perfect.
Most of my poems are still in a stack behind my dresser. This time, I'm going to post an unedited one. Hopefully the spontaneity of it will bring in some interesting energy. Here goes:
If I could draw today in a picture,
it would be
small scatterings of sketches,
half-formed in the flurry
of my mind
Struggling,
slowly
against heavy lines of charcoal
Vivid cartoon heroes
searching for their immortality
Finding missing arms
and the suggestion
of a face
Where I have grown bored and moved on
|
|
|
| |
| At last! A three-day weekend! |
| 08.03.04 (3:07 pm) [edit] |
Mmmm....Long weekend goodness. This is the first stat holiday I've had off in several months, and did I ever need it. Even though I did lots of stuff over the three days, I still feel pretty well rested.
Friday I took my brother out to a movie, and then we hung around the Fringe afterwards. He was pretty worried about having to go to Dad's this week. They're going out to Toronto, which means spending three days in the car with Dad & his girlfriend. I don't blame him for being worried...That's not a situation that's going to turn out well. I tried reassuring him of things, but I don't think I was all that convincing. They just left today, and won't be back until the 18th.
Mom had another storytelling gig at Buffalo Pound on Saturday, so she and the kids went out there for the day. I was dog-sitting for a friend of the family, so I stayed home and spent the better part of the day keeping both dogs from marking their territory in my kitchen. Stinky, the dog I was watching, barked non-stop over the two days I watched him. I think even Freddi, my dog, was getting tired of him. Around midnigt, he finally got sick of listening to Stinky bark and started barking back and growling. For such a little dog, Freddi puts on a pretty good threat display. Unfortunately, it only shut Stinky up for a few minutes.
Sunday was Tonia's bridal shower. Cherie did a great job of planning it, going so far as to make little quizzes about T & E, and she even held a bridal-gift bingo. My brother came along because he's one of the ushers, and soon realized that he was the only guy in the house. I think he hid in the basement and played video games for most of the party... After the shower, I went out for supper with her and her family, and then we went out to Maguires with one of the bridesmaids later in the evening.
I spent most of Monday with my family. We got up early and went out for breakfast together, and then took it easy for the rest of the day. Everyone was kind of on edge, so I did the supportive sister thing and talked things through with each of them. I'm sure they're smart enough to keep themselves safe, but I still worry. No, I'm not overprotective at all. :?
That evening, I went over to Ginger & Barry's for our pack meeting. (Yes, Ratzlaff, more Sabbat-y stuff. I am a geek.) We were missing a couple of members, so it wasn't a full pack meeting, but we figured out where everyone's been the past month and what we've been up to. Hopefully we'll be able to get everyone together after the next game to do some heavy-duty plotting. :twisted:
|
|
|
| |
|
|
