Tuesday 3 June 2003

• Well, I've been so busy it's not even funny. I've wanted to post here, but to do so would have meant sacrificing something I'd already committed to do. I doubt I'll catch up all in one entry, but at least I'm making a start.
  
  When I signed in, I got the following ad:
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  Anyway, I guess I have to recap most of May. Friday the 9th was Tom's D&D campaign. Our Cormyrian group carefully proceded towards the castle which had had the two black lightning bolts stike. As we got closer the whole valley was dotted with campfires, implying that an invading army was laying siege to the castle. In an effort to avoid the army, we hid in the wine cellar of the Three Goose Inn (thanks to a hefty bribe to the owner).
  
  Unfortunately, our scouting party had failed to mention that they had skirmished with some of the army's scouts before leading us to the inn. Thus, we were tracked there. We then switchd roles over to our kid characters, who were taking baths upstairs in the Three Goose Inn when members of the army came in and tried to arrest them. Combat ensued, which summoned our Cormyrian team from the cellar. So the combat lasted a long time while everyone was playing two characters. Long enough that the combat cliffhangered when reinforcements arrived.
  
  Saturday the 10th I was on PTO from work while Trollgod and I went to the Faerieworlds Festival in Sedona. There were lots of booths selling various Fae and/or New Age merchandise, a main stage and children's stage with acts all day long, food vendors, and traveling performers in fae- or clown-related costumes. A small number of the vendors and stage acts I recognised from the Arizona Renaissance Festival and Artisans' Marketplace. The majority were all new to me. Surprisingly, I had saved money for the event, but I didn't leave with anything other than a small $1 top.
  
  The Sedona Cultural Park is beautiful. The large, open amphitheatre is nestled down inbetween two hills. Parking was located atop the one hill, and a sculpture garden was located on the slopes beneath it. On the opposite hill was the seating, with the merchant stals above.
  
  It was fun hanging out with Ken, who stayed a lot longer than I expected. Of course, the completist in me would have stayed from 10:00-22:00, but we stayed for the majority of the festival. We definately got our money's worth before we left.
  
  On the way back, we stopped by his mother's place so he could wish her happy Mother's Day. She was a very nice and polite woman who offered us beverages and cookies while we chatted for an hour or so. His nephews and one of their friends were playing in the yard, having fashioned "daggers" from bamboo shoots. They took turns being pushed on the tire swing from me while I gave Ken and his mom some private time. Then it was back to Phoenix.
  
  We got back early enough that we went over to Jackson's place and played some Shadowfist before Ken had to go and Steve started his D&D game. I think Ken helped me win the game, but its been so long I don't remember how.
  
  In Steve's game we decided that it would be dangerous to continue the way we had been, for the Zhents were sure to retaliate. So we cut through Cormanthor to Shadowdale. Along the way we ran into some wood elves who monitored us for a while before questioning us and letting us pass.
  
  In Shadowdale, we stayed in the Old Skull Inn befoe pressing on to Dagger Falls. Once there, we were ushered in to meet with Randal Morn, the lord of Daggedale. He was thankful that we heeded his call for aid, and promised to deploy us where we were needed most.
  
  Sunday the 11th they didn't give out flowers to all the parish mothers as is their usual Mothers' Day custom. After mass, TFLAS worked on developing the classwork and homework student player characters will have for Hogwarts Live Action.
  
  I worked a short week, Tuesday and Wednesday, before my next PTO for LepreCon XXIX. Wednesday night after work I went and saw the 22:00 showing of Matrix: Reloaded at Harkins AZ Mills. I'll review it later.
  
  Thursday the 15th I took care of some chores during the day, and then Thursday night at the con we watched the lunar eclipse with telescope and digital camera shots.
  
  Friday I was on the Things of Science panel for ages six to twelve. We didn't get any kids, but we did get an elderly gentleman who participated in the activities with us. Afterwards I found the gang and played Shadowfist in the game room. Then I had to play chaparone to the Doctor Seuss readings of Geofrey Lu, but like the last panel, no kids showed up. So Geofrey, a lady left over from the previous panel, and I discussed what Doctor Seuss. The conversation morphed to cover what had started us reading as kids, and then devolved into a Star Trek discussion. It was all quite fun. After that there was more Shadowfist in the game room. When I was ready to go to the Chill Room (as sponsoed by ConFusion), I was dragged into the really incredibly lame Vampire LARP (which had started hours earlier) because they were desparately short on players. What I won't do fo my friends. That was like the equivalent of taking a bullet for someone, the LARP "plot" was so painful. Plus I missed out on the Chill Room, so that was double the wound.
  
  Saturday morning my parents dropped off their kitten, Smokey, on the way to Oklahoma for my stepfather's brother's wake and funeral. They arrived late, making me late to open program ops. Luckily, Kitty was running Green Room and she let my assistant Jenn in to do hr work (and let her know I was running late). After that I entered the Shadowfist closed deck tournament. I nearly won, but Trav won instead. Oh well, its cool to have been the second best rather than third, even if that wins we nothing. After that there was more Shadowfist until the Urban Legends roundtable discussion I moderated. It was well attended, with two rows of chairs around the oval table, and another row of standing people behind them. The discussion was lively enough that a few times I dircted a couple of separate threads happening at once. I know not all moderators would allow something so chaotic, but the ideas seemed to flow better when the group is allowed to diverge into groups and recombine organically. After that was the first meeting for LepreCon XXXI. Larry (our chair) doesn't want meetings done business as usual. The meeting ran over two hours, but a lot of ideas were created. I think XXXI will be a totally new local con expeience. After that I went to the modern dance, which was nearly empty by that time of night as usual.
  
  Sunday I rushed to mass, ran program ops, missed out on the open deck Shadowfist tournament (which Trav won), and went to Sizzler with the gang after the con.
  
  Monday the 19th Steve and Jackson wanted to see M:R again at AZ Mills, so we went and saw it. Because they advertised a free comic book with your ticket stub during the slide ads before the movie, we went to the Atomic Comics and nearby Bookmans. My free comic was Powers #25. I'd heard a lot of buzz about Powers, but I had no idea it was so purposefully-offensive. Despite the lack of taste and judgement, the story's plot did draw me in. The art is very stylized, much like the Paul Dini Batman Animated Series. I guess it was a good comic, but I certainly wouldn't recommend it to kids or anyone easily offended.
  
  Afterwards I went to our Third Monday meeting. Lea forgot about it, so we didn't do much in the way of Lep29 recap. We mostly focused on what I needed for Cop23. We had a small group, so I guess most people forgot about it while they were rcovering from the weekend.
  
  Wednesday the 21st my parents came home early and retrieved their kitten. This made Spunky and Christmas happy. They didn't get along with him, and hid from him wherever they could. He played too rough for them, as he's used to playing with a puppy much bigger than him.
  
  And we'll pick up from there next time. I'm too tired to continue. Night, Xangaland!

  • 03:56
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