Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Have you ever seen a character on tv and gone, 'oh my god, I know that guy/girl!' I don't mean, 'I know that actor', I mean that you know someone just like that character. Sometimes, if you're unlucky, you are that character. There are two characters, one on The Big Bang Theory & the other on Criminal Minds, that really remind me of a friend. Even though he will never read this, I'm still being discreet and not mentioning names. Reason for discretion? The two characters are Sheldon & Reid.

It was cold this morning again. Frost limned the grass and I really needed my scarf & gloves. For once, I didn't wear the multiple layers, though. Gosh, I'm talking about the weather a lot recently.

I did get home a little early today. So I watched some of the older (October) shows that I have on tape.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

It's still cold and it feels even colder when it rained; despite the fact that it was actually a little warmer. It was warm enough tonight that I didn't need to wrap my scarf around my head. I have a lovely blue & white scarf that is long enough that I double it & pull the ends through the fold to wrap around my neck. When it was really cold on Monday, I pulled one layer up over my head & ears while the other layer stayed around my neck.

Mom gave me two new knit caps when she stopped by on Saturday. One is a little small but very tightly crocheted. The other is longer but loosely crocheted. She ran out of thread on the 1st one. When it's cold enough for hats again, I'll probably wear the tight one inside the loose one. At least until I fix the seam on my fleece cap.

I've made the same snowflake in size 30 Cebelia, with silver-lined seed beads. I'm working on a second one with beads on the chains, too. I need to take pictures of the ones that I've made so far.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

I think that my fingernails are committing suicide, now. I had one tear off at the cuticle. Even with a bandaid on all day, it still hurts. And the ones that remain are so thin that I can't even open 'open this with your fingernail' fasteners. *whimper* Maybe I need more sage & gelatin in my diet.

Mom stopped by on her way home today. She couldn't stay long though, or she'd get caught in football traffic. And that is not something that anyone wants to mess around with/in/etc.

I managed to get the entry way a little better. And fill up one small box of books to take to the USB. Plus another small box to go to a thrift shop (shoes and Christmas lights). Now I can find my rack of shoes, instead of one small portion. I still need to do something with the books there, though. I need to do a more thorough gleaning.

Who turned on winter? It's about 20F below seasonal right now. That's just 'unnatural' for an excessively loose definition of 'unnatural' of course. I've been cold pretty much all day.

I need to go now. I still have a character to create for tomorrow's game.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Fingernails: I have broken four, or more I kind of lose track, this week alone. I wonder if it's the dryness in the air. Goodness knows I've been drinking water like it's about to be banned.

Health: I'm torn, is there really something wrong with my jaw (it hurts a little and it's more painful when I open my mouth wide to eat) or am I being a hypochondriac again. And which is worse; to be a hypochondriac or to be a self-aware hypochondriac? This is also my third day with this headache. Or maybe it's been three different headaches, just sequential.

Saturday, mom is stopping by on her way home from visiting her sister. I hope that she found me some sheets to use for chemises (old cotton sheets are the best). Sunday, I'm going to the used book store before having lunch with friends and playing some more LFR.

Gaming: Living Forgotten Realms on Sunday. I almost forgot. I need to have my halfling,ahem 'scuse me Drow, rogue, Black Raspberry Chocolate Tracks, written up by then. Looking at halflings in 4E, they are wimpy. They're small and their weapon damage sucks. So Chris & Rosemary had the idea of creating the Tracks family. It's a large family of halflings who claim to be really, really short drow. One Rosemary's character is a warlock with the Dark Pact (pact made with Drow, I think). Chris's ranger has burnt cork smeared, unevenly, over his face and I can't remember if his white wig is constantly crooked, or if he bleaches his hair. I'll find out Sunday. I haven't fully decided upon my rogue's peculiarities yet. Although I think I'll have her jealous of her cleric younger brother (he's already 5th level, or so I hear).

Weather: It's almost warm today. It's clear, hit 50F and very little wind. It's not going to last, though.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Additional information

Holiday cards should be mailed to:
Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD. 20791-5456

All cards must be postmarked no later than Dec. 10. Cards should not be mailed or delivered to Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

For more information, visit www.wramc.amedd.army.mil or www.redcross.org/holidaymail for Holiday Mail for Heroes program guidelines.Walter Reed is not accepting mail addressed to "A Recovering American Soldier."


Thanks, Kathy for the heads up.

Weather: Gah, it's cold. Yesterday only hit the 40's (for those used to colder weather, yeah, that's nothing but for us, it's cold for this time of year) with a wind chill making it feel like the 30's. It even snowed yesterday. Of course, it was mostly just flurries and nothing even made it to the ground but it's not even Thanksgiving yet.

And yes, the walking group met & we walked outside, all three of us. We did the Gimghoul route. We just went along Gimghoul Road, not up to the castle. I wore my sweater, even though my coat's heavier, because the sweater has a hood; a vital necessity considering the wind.

Christmas cards: it's about that time. And here's a little something to think about when
you are making out your Christmas card list this year; send one to the following:
A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue,NW
Washington,D.C. 20307-5001


Carolina Troop Supporters were in the Pit last night, gathering letters for our soldiers. I stopped to write one. It meant that I missed my bus & had to wait half an hour for the next one, but I think that it was worth it. My toes disagreed (until they warmed up).

Tatting:
I have finished one small flake in perle 5 and started another one, with pearls. The pattern is from Sunderman's book, p 12, Ribbon floss snowflake.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

I took advantage of the rain on Friday, I wiped down my car. I used a shamwow that I bought during the State Fair. I may have ruined it, as it's now quite black. We'll see how it comes out of the washer. On the bright side, my car looks much better. It's no longer black & I got all the leaves off of it. That did not last of course, it's right under a Bradford pear, but it did make a difference.

I got 9 hours of sleep Friday night. Guess I was tired, huh? Then I took a 3-hour nap Saturday afternoon. Needless to say, not much cleaning. Managed to at least get the kitchen to where we can cook again. We've been on the go so much, the house is just plain cluttered.

Gaming: Sunday, since one of the player's bailed on Rosemary's game, I ran Nature's Wrath, a Living Forgotten Realms game. Only one of the player's had ever played it. Since there were only 4 players, two who had planned to come got sick, the fights went quickly. They had no healing so the fights got quite challenging. At some point, all four characters got bloodied (1/2 hit points). Rosemary won't be running her home game again until January. It's just too difficult to arrange a time around the holidays.

Last night was Chris's game. We didn't have a fight; our characters delivered the magic artifact to the elf queen, got the treaty from and got the chance to do some research done in her library (working on a dangling plot line). Then the characters managed to sneak back through enemy lines to their own side.

After our characters had two weeks leave, and got paid for rescuing the Baron's children, they got their new assignment. They get to go sabotage the enemy supply depot and supply line. That's what happens when your characters are 12th & 13th level scouts; not the character class, the branch of the Imperial army. If we don't play again after Thanksgiving, then this will be the last game of the year.

Tatting: it's past time to start tatting snowflakes and stars for Christmas. I've pulled out my Oh My Stars book and the Sunderman snowflake book.

I spotted a redtail hawk on my walk to the bus stop this morning. How cool is that?

Monday, November 10, 2008

Weekend at Mace:
Friday’s schedule: Do reports that usually take 8 hours in 4 hours so that I can leave at noon. Wait about 5 minutes too late & miss the bus. Catch the next one about half an hour later. As a result, I was too worried about being late to stop to get a drink or gas. I arrived, about dead of thirst and running the car on fumes, but right before registration opened.

I played Nature’s Wrath, Living Forgotten Realms game, in the 1st slot. If Rosemary’s voice doesn’t recover by this weekend, then I’ll see about running that adventure on Sunday instead of her game. Chris & Rosemary arrived while I was playing.

We all played Graven Images, a Witch Hunter game that we had heard good things about, in the 2nd slot. It was a fun game. One player was brand new to the game and we all had a blast. Solange-Marie, my character, learned a new spell, sort of alarm spell. She immediately used it on the cursed book that she’s been carrying around. It’s already sealed with twine & wax, to keep out the unwary. But she was glad to add the additional security.

Saturday morning, Rosemary & I were both in the same LFR game, Elder Wisdom. It was
entertaining. My half-elf Warlock, with the fey pact, is finally 3rd level. She’s my highest level character. For the 2nd slot on Saturday, all three of us played another LFR game, Rotting Ruins of Galain.

For the evening game, I played a Witch Hunter adventure, Red Tide, that Chris & Rosemary played at Wicked Harvest and Solange-Marie is finally Tier 2. It was nice to see a connection to an earlier adventure.

Sunday was the double rounder (2 slots) of the last Living Greyhawk adventure. What a meatgrinder. It was almost the shortest LG adventure ever because the way the plot hook is presented at least 3 of the characters were of the ‘this plan sucks & screw you’ mindset. meant that we almost walked away without actually playing the adventure, just credited for it (& thus unable to ever really play it).

Frankly, surviving to the final encounter was a bit of a victory. My character, Nadia, my first LG character, died in the first round of attacks in the final fight. I wouldn’t have been upset about it,
well not very much, but she exploded which hurt the other characters. One of the others would probably have survived if it hadn’t been for that. As it was, three of the six characters died but the goal was achieved. Our characters were so outclassed in the final fight, that just surviving a round was a victory. Surviving 3 rounds and achieving our goal was a massive victory.

I drove home after the game to do laundry. I had to. I wore my last clean pants at the con.

I did get some bad news. Animazement & ConCarolinas are the same weekend. That really sucks. I was going to run Jadeclaw at Animazement but I told Chris last year that I’d go to ConCarolinas and I told John B (Animazement game coordinator) that I’d run games for him. Now I have to cancel with John. At least it’s not at the last minute; considering that they conventions are not until late May.

On the bright side, I ran into someone unexpected, a fellow tatter. She spotted me
Saturday and spent the rest of the day trying to remember my name. Then she found out
which game I was playing on Sunday & came looking for me. Wasn’t that neat?

It’s another NC autumn day. There’s frost this morning & it’s supposed to hit 60F this
afternoon. I accidentally dressed in Christmas colors this morning, at least from the waist
up. I’m wearing a red & white striped top but then I thought it might a little cool for
that this morning, so I added a forest green corduroy vest. I realized that it’s a little
Christmas-y but hoped that no one would really put it together. It’s not even
Thanksgiving yet, after all. Alas, my hopes were in vain. I won’t be wearing this
ensemble again until after December 1st. It’s a quirk of mine. I like for one holiday to
be over before I start celebrating the next one. Although I do admit that I start buying
Christmas presents as early as September.

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Gaming: We did not reach the elf city Monday night. Instead, we ran into the previous diplomatic group. Sort of. Two were undead & the other four were somehow broken, via magic, etc. Since they had very similar abilities; a warmage, a cleric, etc plus a bard, it was not easy. We did try to capture one but that was a failure. They were too far gone. At least we know what happened to them, although unless we find some clues we won't know who did it.

This weekend is Mace. I'll be playing the last Living Greyhawk, with my bard Nadia; some Living Forgotten Realms & some Witch Hunter again (finally). I have to be packed tonight because I'll be leaving from work tomorrow.

Politics: The election is OVER! Finally, the campaign ads will be gone. You have no idea how happy that makes me. It got to the point where I had the urge to do laundry twice a day, just from the splash caused by all the mudslinging. Blyech.

I voted in October, but on Monday, November 3rd I saw an ad that made me almost made me wish that I could vote again. I saw an ad for a Judge on the appeals court that only talked about her qualifications & what she wants to do. It said absolutely nothing about her opponent. I am so glad that I had already voted for Linda Stephens. Unless she changes, I will vote for her again.

I wrote letters to my Mom's sisters on Tuesday. Since they are all at Aunt Shirley's, I just put them in one envelope & sent them together. Hopefully, they have them by now.

I was so tired yesterday that I laid down for a nap before Chris got home. He woke me at 9:30 and an hour later he woke me up enough to eat supper. We ordered Domino's and half an hour later, I went back to bed. I got about 10 hours of sleep and was still sleepy this afternoon. I have no explanation. The weather is sunny & gorgeous. I had two cups of tea.

Monday, November 03, 2008

Gaming: The main villain Thursday night was Derailment man. We got a little playing done but not much.

The game Sunday went a little smoother, partially because we really, really want to get through this phase of the adventure. We're all sick of wild magic.


Ren Festival: We drove down to Christopher & Alyssa's on Friday and watched Bubba Ho-Tep while we talked. The next morning Christopher went to work while the rest of us went to the Festival. We got there about the time that the gate opened. Alyssa had to leave early to get some stuff done but she watched a couple shows with us. She loaned me a chemise to wear under my bodice, plus a scarf to give my some waist definition.


She recommended the Nun show and poor Chris's face was hurting by the end. He literally hurt himself smiling so much. We bought a cd; it was that funny. I think I found someone's present.


I also saw part of London Broil, more of Don Juan & Miguel, the artiste du jour (Ceol Leinn), Cast in Bronze, and part of Dexter Tripp's show that I had not seen (the link takes to a YouTube video of the set that I saw). Cast in Bronze absolutely rocked. I have heard of Carillons but never seen one, much less heard one.


Miguel's birthday was the 31st, so I gave him the black fast heart that I made on the way to the Festival. He seemed to like it. We saw the Royal Piper (Royal because she was the only piper), and she piped Happy Birthday to Chris (I volunteered him) and another woman in the audience.


I ran into Alex, her father & her friend at the Festival. They had been watching Dexter Tripp's show (The one with the duct tape & firecrackers). That was fun.


Purchases: mug, canvas bag with Celtic knotwork, mug strap, cloth bag, leather mug, hair spiral with clip to fit over elastic (elastic was included in purchase of spiral), and cd's. I bought two from Cast in Bronze, one from the Nun Show & one from Ceol Leinn. I also bought a sticker from Ruth Thompson. I really need to look through the pieces I have bought from her to see what I already have. There are pieces that I would like to get but I do not know if I have them already or not. Rosemary owed me a t-shirt, for pilling her cat while she was out of town, and bought me a Ren Festival tee.


After gaming, we're taking John out to supper for his birthday, much belatedly. He's decided on Crazy Fire.


Tomorrow night is Chris's game. Will we reach the elf city safely?