I was in somewhere near Southampton

On Monday I went to Southampton for a training course for work, travelling down at lunch with some other of our firms employees, the journey was completed in less than 4 hours without stops, and since I had back seat I struggled to get out the car at the other, both knees having seized up.

The Hotel was very nice, who ever made the bed must have used some industrial tensioning machine machine since the sheets were that tight to bed not only could I not initially get into bed, I then struggled to pull the sheet out from under mattress, I thought it was me, but comparing notes the following morning its seems we had all had the same problems. After going for meal and changing a flat tire, well not me I watched the car owner do it, offering those irritating hints of that don't help.
Back at the hotel I was just getting to sleep when other unknown guests became a little rowdy and insisted banging doors and running down corridors doing who knows what, still did get to sleep eventually.

Nice course, did feel sleepy through, even if the air conditioning was on freeze and the only beverage was coffee.

The course did not finish until quarter past five so it was quite late by the time I got back and we did not stop for meal, only at the garage for fuel and mars bar, still least I wasn't driving and traffic was good at that time of night.

I got a little wet

I blame God(s), fate, the weather men or my stupidity but I decided to bike ride to work Saturday just to get a feel for the journey time, it was a lovely day, a few clouds, but dry, half way there the sky went black and then it rained cats and dogs creating in minutes deep puddles on the road, I was in a tee shirt and jeans, so got drenched turned around and headed home, back up the big hill, which I walked my bike up only to find it totally dry by the time I reached the top, the main road to my house had not seen a drop of rain, so looking and feeling like a drowned rat I peddled the last mile home to get another shower, a warm one.

I spent most of the rest of the weekend between building terrain and looking for a new car.

The terrain piece I started is gateway into walled city and will be a backdrop for next Ascendancy battle, the photograph below is from Saturday, I've done slightly more since then.

Car wise, my existing car is due its first MOT on Thursday and the 3 years manufacturers warranty runs out at the end of the month, so I decided with all the transmission and clutch issues I had that have been fixed under warranty that I wanted to change the car before the end of the month, and before my larp life gets busy again. After some Internet research I decided to go back and upgrade to a Freelander 2, a diesel which does at least 10mpg better on urban runs than my current 26mpg which will more than make up for the higher diesel cost. Armed with all the facts and figures I went to the garage and got better deal than expected, not only the best discount off the price list I could get (which I would walked away if not recieved), but also Land Rover manufacturing were doing a fifteen hundred pound giveaway to old Freelander owners that bought new cars in June, that combined with GMV (guaranteed minimum value) on my existing vehicle which is twelve hundred pounds more that What Car online suggested my second hand sell price would be, meant I had saved several pounds, it also meant meant a new car was considerably cheaper than buying a the equivalent 1 or even 2 year old second hand car. The unexpected bonus and land rover new car finance was 6.7% APR better anything I could see around sealed the deal so I have now placed my order and will hopefully get my car in the last week of June.

I did also buy some magic cards from Heathers shop, I do hope I've not become addicted again after not buying any for years.

Sand Conga

I was at Ascendancy again this weekend, but now we have 5 week break and as a fellow player said to me at the event, I will miss not playing Ascendancy in two weeks, but I will now have chance to catch on other things since I spend the weekend between event preparing for events, I can only agree.

The event went well and the creep to total nocturnal events was well and truly halted with Heather rallying the refs at 9am and the refs rallying the players the events got started by 10.30am. In fact on Sunday after we called time out after quite busy mornings of play I was surprised to discover it was only 12.30 and if I had made haste and not stopped for lunch and a natter I could have easily without rushing left site by 2.00, I still left at 3.30 and was home by 7pm when I'm usually home for 11pm that's quite a difference.

One of the highlights of the event was 20 people doing a conga through the sand for whole 2 hours, clinging to each other for safety, perhaps not to everyone taste and not something I want repeating, but by the time we had traversed a sand pit about 20 paces wide everyone was thoroughly worked up and scared, I did gain a little thanks for carrying a large treasure chest on my own which severely unbalanced me and made me a easy target for the sandy crew as I walked the path of doom, HeatherRef's constant smile as she picked her next target trying not give it away and poor Amy who must now have a very good digestive system with the amount of sand she swallowed.

I camped at this event on my own since my usual companions had abandon me for Maelstrom and Cat sitting so I got to try out my tent as a cooking area and it worked well, easily put up on my own, I fitted in my large camping table and chair in the porch with all my other bits and felt very happy with the set up and pleased with the tent.

My new character came out to play for the majority of the event, now in full length trousers since the white socks and breeches attracted far too many insects bites on my calves, the trousers worked a treat, I have only 5 bites this time all on my hands and wrists.

The weather was good as well, the ideal temperature, perhaps midday was little sweaty if you got into fight, but not too bad.

A good weekend

Hedges, thieves and weddings

I'm just back from my mothers were I've been fed Snickers cake with strawberries which was so yummy I went back for 2nds, 3rds and crumbs. While there I was told I was invited to my cousin Katie's wedding. Katie's a doctor and marrying another doctor I understand although I don't keep in touch with Katie or my Aunt and Uncle her parents and his family which are from India have insisted everyone attends, including me, apparently their will be over 250 guest which sounds ginormous to me. Its not until next May so plenty of time yet and it will be nice to see family not seen for ten years or so, in fact most not since my Grandmother died.

It was a busy weekend, although not with stuff worth writing about on a blog, I reduced the height of my privet hedge by a foot a major task which took about 3 hours, although I wish I'd took another foot off, I poisoned my back garden which needs serious attention more than I'm prepared to give to get it back into to shape, other than I popped about all over the place, I didn't do the intended ride to work and back on my bicycle, simple because it rained today, although I did get out on Saturday for a ride.

My neighbour was broken into again Friday night, while I was asleep, they broke a tough double glazed window with a hammer as well, I was dead to the world but do remember some sort of falling pebble sound in my semi-conscious state. The thieves were caught though, a 30 year old who said it was his mate, and another 20 year old who blamed the 30 year old and said he was at his girlfriends all night, when the police checked his girlfriend spilled the beans, I'm given the ages since my immediate conclusion while listening to my neighbor relay the tale was it sounded like a couple kids, not grown up thieves. They had attempted to break in the previous night but only got though the 1st pane of glass before setting off the alarm, I was out at the time playing magic cards in Andy's shop so again unaware of what happened, a guess the return visit was what led to one of them being caught as the other made off.

That's it folks hope to try and make, paint or do some more interesting stuff for my next entry.

Windy Larp

This weekend I tried out a new character a noble with lots of lace handkerchiefs, this was difficult because I had to forget all the knowledge I had, however the character was a lot more useful in a fight than my primary character who normally stands around because he's a pacifist and very fragile, one blow drops him. The costume I'm told looked good, although because it was shinny and new I found a reluctance to lie in the dirt, which will fade as the costume gets worn in, one of the refs liked my hat so much he kept firing arrows into it mainly he said it was the look of disgust on face that my hat was ruined.






The weekend was very windy with bits falling out the trees, one small branch (about the diameter of finger) hit with a bang and actually punctured our day tent, only the leaves and smaller branches stopping it passing straight through onto out heads.

On Monday the rain came with a vengeance, pulling guy ropes out of the ground which collapsed the tent so I had to dash and re-peg the ropes mid fight, getting my costume very wet, saying that I was nowhere near as wet as the crew who did a stirling job fighting outside the tavern while most stayed dry. I should not complain since it appeared other friends around the country had worse problems with broken tent poles, and a whole tree blocked the main road not far from our camp site.

My weekend did go to plan

I seem to have spent this weekend with things not quite going to plan, this started Saturday when I was washing a bunch of red and brown coloured cloths at low temperature, something in there must have bled red, since all the white stripes on one Tshirt are now pink, my jeans pockets are now pink on the inside, and other labels or uncoloured items are now pink, not a total disaster since the pockets cannot be seen and the stripes in the T shirt are very thin so I can still wear it, but I did not think die in modern clothing bled so much at 40degC, my mother said I should wash new red or navy cloths in salt first.

I went shopping in Derby's new Westfield centre, but ended up getting everything I needed from local indoor market, I also called in on AndyL & Heather on the way back from Derby, I only nipped in but ended staying 3 hours, discussing characters, looking at Paris photo's and other stuff, so by the time I done most of the day had gone of a weekend I needed to get busy.

Later that evening I went along to Andy's & Heathers they had arranged a baby sitter for a evening for the 1st time in months and I was going to the cinema to see Iron Man with them, on arrival they had just had a poo disaster their youngest girl having got runny diarrhea exploding over a blanket, they had to cancel the cinema and the baby sitter. I trumped she said, to which Daddy replied you did a little more than trump.

I stayed with them and watched a DVD once the kids had retired, the DVD was called Night Watch a kind Russian version of the Matrix, about 1/4 of an hour into the film I was really struggling to follow the plot via subtitles, they did not make sense, then further into the film Andy says I think we are missing 1/2 the conversation so he went back into the menu and took us off hard of hearing mode onto the dubbed English version. The film then started to make more sense or at least the conversation. I was entirely unconvinced by the movie, which to me was weird for weird sake.

Sunday I set out to put some costume bits together, I made a neck tie jabot (sorry don't know if that's the name for it) type thing which did not turn out to plan, but is good enough for now. but having took far longer than planned, spending time updated maps, playing with ribbon, I never made it outside to cut the hedge, I will have to find time one night this week.

I did eventually get to see Iron Man Sunday evening Heather rang, they had re-arranged a baby sitter in the form of Meridian Ariel. Great movie if you like that sort of thing, and I do.

So I only did half of what I planned for this weekend, and the things I did didn't end up quite right, so I now feel ready for day off to catch up.

Lots of driving

I'm not long back from sunny but chilly Edinburgh after a visit for work, a pleasant trip passing thousand of football supporters on the way to Manchester easily identified by numerous scarves and flags covering their cars, it must add ten quid to the petrol cost with extra drag created, and some of the flags where the size of car bonnets.

Anyway Scotland and back in day involves leaving the house at 4am in the morning and eleven hours sitting behind the wheel of the car, I suppose I should stay over and come back the following day, but driving doesn't hurt and like to get home, so provided I don't start yawning I drive it.

Although this is on top of Ascendancy LRP event at the weekend which was tiring, its not the physical activities, but the lack of sleep, driving and getting home at midnight. At least I had the following day off.

The event was good one, I enjoyed it, had nice little part in the event involving calling on my characters abilities to get rid of big bad MrT (JeffRef) as he motivated my character by looming over ProffG (Julies character). I had no idea of what my abilities were but they seemed to do the trick.
While at the event I tried on my costume for a new character and got some advice from Julie and DaveP on how to bling it, both agreed on the hat choice, which was also my favorite so that was settled I just have purchase and make the bling.

We had a bit of fun with my make up that wouldn't dry, which I'm now thinking of replacing since its found its way on to my costume, water based is apparently what I need.

On the way home Julie and DaveP also filled in some missing details on the maps for the Ascendancy game and spotted a error with the position of the Rat Run which I corrected, this unfortunately took about an hour and half at the 1st services when we only stopped for coffee, so it was 9pm before we got to next services to eat.

I have attached a cat picture from Friday before the event, Jasmine was hiding among all the bags I'd packed. Below that is a picture of Izzanbard, my main characters new costume.(not my new character costume)