Its Christmas

Since I have time I'm writing this.

Normally by this time on Christmas day I would have been at my mothers with my two brothers, my sister and my two nephews opening presents and preparing for Christmas dinner. Today with with my mother and sister on holiday in Central America the family are going their separate ways with friends and partners and it feels very strange. I will be off in an hour or so to my friends AndyT and Linda for the day and really looking forward to it.

Sunday evening my dad made his annual visit which was pleasant and he left me more memorabilia of his side of the family, including a whole file of census forms and birth certificates right back to 1841, seems half my fathers side come from Burton on Trent the other half from St Helen's Lancashire.

Since I don't know that many Andy's I also went to see AndyL at the shop on Sunday and deliver presents, the shop was dead, Ripley was empty and AndyL was painting Warhammer figures with Mike, I spent a few hours chatting, and will see them New Years Eve along with Heather and few others for the evening.

On Monday night I went out with Jock (AndyC) and Assy (AndyH) where we chatted about relationships, World of Warcraft, reenactment, larp and it seems Jocks want to retry his hand at Larp and Assy being frothed at by DaveP when we went TORM wants to try it. We have agreed they will have a go at a local AscendancyLRP linear event in the spring and also when I'm free and we can coordinate it probably June have go at MaelstomLRP two different styles of larp.

The last thing I did yesterday was visit Pets at Home for a few gifts for Jasmine which we opened last night, the vibrating frog was a immediate success, the crinkly fingers were also played with but the Cat Bubble Gun with catnip flavoured soap suds sent Jasmine behind the sofa, although this mornings fun is diving into the Christmas wrapping paper.

Actually not quite the last thing I also visited my friends Ste and Deb to drop off present, their house was chaos with lots of people comming and going, so I only stayed just over an hour, not one who likes too many people, especially those I don't know.

Anyway I've opened my selection of present which include gift vouchers, socks, biscuits, a magnifying glass, incense burner, clockwork Robby the Robot, magic cards, tea, a book on hand shadows and a pretty box, no presents from the family this year since we decided not to buy any, although I did since I purchased some of them at Chatworth in August. My brother Stephen also cheated and bought me something and brother texted me and said he would be dropping off a present so no buying present didn't go quite to plan.

Merry Christmas to anyone who reads this, I will probably seeing quite a few of you anyway over the next week.

This is the season to be ill, it seems

Tonight I had arranged a evening out with friends Jock, Bridgette and AndyH unfortunately Bridgette who has been off work for 8 days with a virus has now come out in spots so can't go out.

I also rang my friend Ste to make arrangement for Christmas Eve only to find his wife had collapsed last weekend and had been rushed to hospital with suspected food poisoning, this resulted in her staying hospital for several days, meanwhile Ste himself has been off work for 2 weeks with Bronchitis and told not to go back to work until the new year.

Work has also been hit, on Tuesday this week nearly half the staff were either off ill or queasy with a sickness and Diarrhea bug that latest all of 2 days before disappearing from the building, fortunately I missed it. The management meeting was called off because several manager were off with flu, man flu or colds depending on your point of view, since most of the managers seem to work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week I suspect they were ill with more than colds and man flu.

Myself I'm just recovering from a cold that left me with a horrible dry cough I can't shift, but after speaking to everyone else I'm beginning to feel lucky.

Weekend of cold and pleanty of tea.

The Ascendancy Christmas party this year was at the Unstone Grange a kind commune conference centre run by dedicated bunch of nice people on a shoe string, not far for me to travel either.

I came down with a mild cold earlier in the week and it appeared to be just going on Friday before the event however once at the event I got terribly bunged up, my sinuses swelled and my head felt like it was being suffocated in cotton wool. This put a kind of damper on the event since everything seemed like hard work, I nipped off several times during the event for a lie down for 1/2 an hour since I was so tired.

It was nice to see everyone and hand out Christmas cards, I even got a couple of Christmas presents back one from SamK, AndyL and Heather gave me a present too both will be opened Christmas Day. What was very unexpected is yesterday my next door neighbour who I hardly speak too gave me gift voucher, apparently for cutting their hedge a couple of time in the year.

Talking of Sam she is 40 this year, can't believe it, I thought she had a couple of year to go before she joined me in her forty's, pity I have other arrangement so will miss her birthday.

With dry throat and a handy kettle I drank lots of tea, also with a indoor event you don't have the fear of having to get out your warm sleeping bag and dress for sub zero torrential rain if you bladder demands the loo, you can more or less decency permitting get up and go. I managed to snaffle a room of my own based on saving everyone from the snoring monster that gives Julie nightmares, apparently, it also hopefully acted has a quarantine hopefully reducing the chance of me passing on my cold, although I think it had mostly passed the contagious stage by then I was just heavily bunged up.


(Picture of fellow tea drinker.)


After the event Andy revealed his plans for next year which have gone down well with most, although some who don't like to travel far or can't drive would have liked at least one core event a bit more South, although nothings totally finalised yet. Biggest bit for me is no week long next year, so will have to look elsewhere for any holiday plans.

Once home Julie and Dave stopped off for long afternoon and a bit of food, I gave them my house keys while I took AndyL and Gabriel home, and by the time I got back Jasmine was being pampered and brushed and really enjoying herself, so much so she did not even say hello has I unloaded my car.

Before they left we finalised part of my Christmas plans since my Mother is away on cruise through the Panama Canal and so will miss Christmas and with it no family get together will occur, this left me feeling a little stranded, luckily my supply of very good friends have all come up with ideas and pleasant days to ensure I have a good Christmas.

I can know breath through my nostrils and don't have muffled hearing, only 6 working days left to Christmas hurrah I can't wait.

Craft and Chimera

What a lovely bright weekend. Yesterday (Sat) I went to visit friend Martin whose wife Jo teaches ceramics, she was displaying some of her own work at a local craft fair in Wirksworth where they live. Wirksworth is beautiful town, that somehow has managed to hold onto its independent stores owned by the residents, built into a valley the houses rise steeply from the meandering main road. Parking was horrendous, I ended up almost out of town, as well as the craft fair the town was having local farmers market.

(Below Martin and Jo)

The craft fair was spread over the Town Hall and the Parish Rooms, I found Jo and she phone Martin who took me to his house to show me Jo's kiln and workshop. Martins house is well up the hillside and he has no way of parking his car anywhere near his house. I met his cat, 22 years old, blind, shaky back end but very cute, she can't go out, not because of traffic, but 20 foot drops from the garden to the next house below. Martin showed me his other garden with the Kiln which involved getting a extending ladder to climb up too.

(Below Martins Garden)

(Below view from Martins Garden)

After leaving Martin I found a brilliant antiques come junk shop, the sort where the items are just piled on top of each other in giant heaps and you have to clamber your way through, to make matters worse the shop has no natural light and is lit by a single sodium lamp giving everything a yellow/orange tinge. I found some bits of brass and a old brass blow torch, how much for these, hmm seven quid said the owner, not what I was expecting, I will be back again to look through his junk, (DaveP if you read this you would love it).

I bought some of Jo's work for Christmas presents. Her work the Raku work, basically pottery firing at low-ish temperature then dropping into sawdust while still fire hot to remove the oxygen, most of the other work was well out my pocket, paintings for fifteen hundred quid and more, un-priced bits of very arty bent metal that each have a story and photographs to explain how they where conceived they have to be expensive. Wirksworth is one of those town where Arty type accumulate.

(below some of Jo's pottery)

On Saturday evening I went to Chimera Christmas works meal, somehow I got invited, basically all the shop staff Becky, Leah, Mike, Rich, owners AndyL and Heather plus Jock & Bridgette who helped man the shop during the summer and me, who spends far too much time there. We went to Frankie and Bennys and it was good fun night, a few photos below, AndyL and Heather paid has a thank you to everyone which was a pleasant surprise, should have ordered a dessert ;) then again I think I would have exploded trying eat anymore.

(below outside F and B)

(Below Jock)

(Below Bridgette)

(Below Mike and Leah)

(Below Rich and a sleepy Becci)


(Below Bossman himself AndyL)

I do have photos of Heather but she would not thank me for posting them.

After that I spent the rest of my weekend wrapping present, everyone is now done apart from one yet to be delivered by the Online supplier, but that should be here sometime next week, then that's it all done well ahead of schedule. I had to be since my Mums goes on her Panama cruise with my sister this Friday so she won't be around for Christmas, which is going to be very odd, in fact I delivered her presents, and my brothers and sisters today.

Is it only the 1st week of December, it does seem odd.

Visit for my Mums sweet tooth.

It was my Mums birthday this week so I offered to take her out Saturday to sunny (I wish) Belper to visit the new chocolate shop Midland Midlife pointed out.

My mum is big chocolate fan, loves Thornton's whose factory is 1 or so miles from her house, loves Hotel chocolate and also has a monthly specialty chocolate order, so once I learned about the new shop I knew a visit would make good birthday gift for my Mum. So Saturday morning through the freezing fog I drove her to I should Cocoa, a small shop and cafe in Belper, where I treated her to one of everything, well nearly we didn't get any giant white chocolate rats with pink tails since they were far too scary. My mum thinks the chocolates are great.

The chilly day when straight through me with mid day temperature hovering at around -1 deg C to 0 deg C and damp air making it feel even colder, we did quick walk of the street of Belper since it not normally on my radar looking at the the Old Fashioned Sweet shop and bead shop. Belper for a small town as quite nice selection of unique shops.

After that we headed in Matlock direction before I took her home where I was fed Thornton's Birthday cake, my brother had delivered and offered fresh lime and cream cake my other brother had sent, and then looked at big box of chocolates my sisters had delivered and was in the process of eating.

Seeing Trouble

This week I have been out and about with work and next week will be the same, this time of year I like to spend my time in a nice warm office rather than get up at 5.30am to travel to the far flung corners of England though horrible traffic, still it gets you away from your desk and eye strain.

Talking of which I collected my new glasses, frame less super light ones, I must admit they are light and you hardly notice you are wearing them.
I can report no change to my eyes, which is good news I'm short sighted but I can still easily read with my glasses on at 6 inches from my face so don't have worry about bi-focals for few years yet .

I'm busy at home at the moment, not with the housework I should be doing but running a play by email game for for Ascendancy players in one group, the game is testing the water to see if the players enjoy it, and if its practical for me to run, when I say busy its probably taking about less than hour a night.
The game features a story or plot given to me by head ref of Ascendancy AndyL, he then leaves the rest to me so I can respond to players quickly without constantly having to contact him, he is then copied in all the communication so he's up to speed.
The game has no real rules or boundaries very free form and so far so good, I will ask the players at the next event how it went, if they will do one again and how it might be improved.
I have another group of Pirates, sorry Sea Robbery challenged, lined up wanting play after next event to keep me busy.

Tuesday saw me out with my friends Linda and AndyT, both coughing and spluttering their way out of colds, but other than that in a chipper mood, I got to see their, well Katie their daughters new Kitten she has called Bel (No Pictures I forgot my camera). Bel looks only a few months old is from the Cats protection league and is into teasing Andy and Linda's 2 Jack Russels and climbing up the chimney, sounds like trouble to me.

Sea Battle

This Saturday was the day of the Ascendancy table top sea battle.

I had spent the week putting together the ships and rules sheets for the sea battle, having about 15 ships rather than hundreds of figures made it far easier than previous battles.

Turning up at the shop at midday I set the battle up in about 5 minutes as opposed to the usual hour or so, even if I di peirce my thumb with drawing pin as the pin shot through the pin top into it, after a bit of bleeding over everything I continued my set up while the players arrived.

Kate Admiral Lizzie, Chris Captain Morgan, Alex Joseph Kisner Captain of the Charity, James Carden the Fomori warrior, Rob Jack Samuel ships surgeon and Kieron Marlow ships mage. v's Jock El Diablo of the Crimson brotherhood with Andy Captain X as creative input.

See photo below

The battle went great the players instantly got to grips with rules which are quite tactical and need players to think ahead, the only downside is a game which me and Jock would have played in 3 hours lasted 5 because 6 heads are not as fast as one and need time to discuss between each turn.
A couple of other factions controled by me arrived, to throw spanners in thier plans but did mean the players had to do some roleplay, some negotiation which all added to the fun, and also left the players with new things to investigate, new enemies since they fired first and a couple of problems to resolve.

Picture below of ships and the battle.

After the battle we went to the pub, it was freezing outside, and since I had not set foot out the door nearly all day I felt it. At the pub the players discussed many crazy ideas which I best not go into, hmm too much sugar perhaps but you never know with enough resources.