Watch Out, an Update Approachs
Been meaning to do an update for a while. I'll warn you in advance, there's nothing particularly interesting, but that's not a bad thing as far as I'm concerned: I like peaceful and stable! Anyway, LJ needs more love, as it is Superior to farcebook.
Been at my new old job for over six months now and have already got a payrise, which is nice. This week has been tiring: one long nightmare call after another, making it feel like I haven't achieved nearly as much as I should have done each day. Yesterday I spent half the day on the phone to BT for one thing or another, today I've been chasing other departments for things. Still, it's better than being bored!
The weekend before last Joe and I nipped up the country to see Tom, Maz, Dez, Phil, Net, Nert and Angela. After chilling in the cottage for a while we headed out to the forest and had a nice walk in the sunshine. Found a stream, but it wasn't very good for daming, though Joe and Tom had a good go. Everyone wore Maz's hat, but Maz looked best in it so we gave it back. We moved on and found another area with slides and climbing frames and swings. Spent a wonderful time acting like children, planking and using equipment in ways that it was not meant to. We also spotted a Go Ape centre and booked ourselves on that. Then we came home, Tom and Maz cooked and we played scabble and did jigsaws like civilied people.
Next morning we headed out to go to Go Ape, and spotted a policeman talking to the neighbours. Then we spotted the cars weren't quite how we parked them. Then we spotted the damage. Turns out last night a drunk driver came flying down the road and struck Dez's car, crushing the back and breaking the wheel axis. Dez car went straight into our car, buckling the boot, but fortunately the lights, brakes and steering still worked, and the police agreed she was good to drive. Our car went into the one in front, but there was only a small dent in the bonnet.
So, we got to Go Ape okay. In the previous evening, it hadn't looked so high and I had been looking forward to trying it. Today, not so much. They strapped us into harnesses and made us sign "if you fall off it was your own fault" forms. The first section was a small, low trial bit with an instructor. So far so good. Then it was onto the proper assult course. In order to get up, you had to climb up a rope ladder, which did nothing to help my nerves. Once up, it was over the several different crossings from tree to tree. Unfortunately their nature meant I couldn't avoid looking down as I needed to know where to put my feet. Each section ended with a zip wire. I have decided zip wires are awesome and almost entirely make up for the pants-wetting terror of the rest of it. Each section I came off shaking slightly less, and even managed to let go entirely on the last zip wire. I'm not sure I enjoyed the whole experience, and I definitely haven't conquered my fear, but I feel proud of myself for trying it.
In the early evening we said goodbye and headed off. We got about 5 miles to the motorway when we hear a funny noise and smell smoke. So, pull over and and have a look - smoke is pouring off the engine. Tried to call the AA - no signal. Cross road, walk for a bit, find patch of signal call for help. AA arrived, checked and advised head gasket had blown. Turns out the car was more badly hurt than we first thought. The radiator had been cracked in the impact so while it had bravely got us on one last adventure, it had been slowly bleeding to death. Tom and Maz rescued us and took us back to the house for another night and we got a hire car home the next day. The drunk driver has been caught and charged.
Have been working on and off on cosplays. I'm not sure what I'll have completed for Aya, probably just re-wears unless I can get my big project finished. Nothing has particularly inspried me this time round, I'll have to have a good look before the next con for something exciting to do. I haven't fallen out of love with cosplaying but with working and travelling longer, other creative outlets and not finding the material for the things I really want to do, I've not done as much as I normally would.
I've written about 25 thousand words of my current story now. I suspect once I get on to the last third I'll finish it quite quickly. I'm just in the middle section of haziness and not-much-plot. I'm still worried it will be a bit on the short side - the last one was eighty thousand, this one will be seventy five, but only if I can flesh it out to match my plan. I'm not sure each section has enough to make a full chapter.
Finally, here are the last set of character sketches, some of the more incidental characters.
William Whitlaw:
Katja:
Grandpa Words:
Lyden:
Finally - I'm hoping to put illustrations in the current story when I get better, so here's a practice one.
Been at my new old job for over six months now and have already got a payrise, which is nice. This week has been tiring: one long nightmare call after another, making it feel like I haven't achieved nearly as much as I should have done each day. Yesterday I spent half the day on the phone to BT for one thing or another, today I've been chasing other departments for things. Still, it's better than being bored!
The weekend before last Joe and I nipped up the country to see Tom, Maz, Dez, Phil, Net, Nert and Angela. After chilling in the cottage for a while we headed out to the forest and had a nice walk in the sunshine. Found a stream, but it wasn't very good for daming, though Joe and Tom had a good go. Everyone wore Maz's hat, but Maz looked best in it so we gave it back. We moved on and found another area with slides and climbing frames and swings. Spent a wonderful time acting like children, planking and using equipment in ways that it was not meant to. We also spotted a Go Ape centre and booked ourselves on that. Then we came home, Tom and Maz cooked and we played scabble and did jigsaws like civilied people.
Next morning we headed out to go to Go Ape, and spotted a policeman talking to the neighbours. Then we spotted the cars weren't quite how we parked them. Then we spotted the damage. Turns out last night a drunk driver came flying down the road and struck Dez's car, crushing the back and breaking the wheel axis. Dez car went straight into our car, buckling the boot, but fortunately the lights, brakes and steering still worked, and the police agreed she was good to drive. Our car went into the one in front, but there was only a small dent in the bonnet.
So, we got to Go Ape okay. In the previous evening, it hadn't looked so high and I had been looking forward to trying it. Today, not so much. They strapped us into harnesses and made us sign "if you fall off it was your own fault" forms. The first section was a small, low trial bit with an instructor. So far so good. Then it was onto the proper assult course. In order to get up, you had to climb up a rope ladder, which did nothing to help my nerves. Once up, it was over the several different crossings from tree to tree. Unfortunately their nature meant I couldn't avoid looking down as I needed to know where to put my feet. Each section ended with a zip wire. I have decided zip wires are awesome and almost entirely make up for the pants-wetting terror of the rest of it. Each section I came off shaking slightly less, and even managed to let go entirely on the last zip wire. I'm not sure I enjoyed the whole experience, and I definitely haven't conquered my fear, but I feel proud of myself for trying it.
In the early evening we said goodbye and headed off. We got about 5 miles to the motorway when we hear a funny noise and smell smoke. So, pull over and and have a look - smoke is pouring off the engine. Tried to call the AA - no signal. Cross road, walk for a bit, find patch of signal call for help. AA arrived, checked and advised head gasket had blown. Turns out the car was more badly hurt than we first thought. The radiator had been cracked in the impact so while it had bravely got us on one last adventure, it had been slowly bleeding to death. Tom and Maz rescued us and took us back to the house for another night and we got a hire car home the next day. The drunk driver has been caught and charged.
Have been working on and off on cosplays. I'm not sure what I'll have completed for Aya, probably just re-wears unless I can get my big project finished. Nothing has particularly inspried me this time round, I'll have to have a good look before the next con for something exciting to do. I haven't fallen out of love with cosplaying but with working and travelling longer, other creative outlets and not finding the material for the things I really want to do, I've not done as much as I normally would.
I've written about 25 thousand words of my current story now. I suspect once I get on to the last third I'll finish it quite quickly. I'm just in the middle section of haziness and not-much-plot. I'm still worried it will be a bit on the short side - the last one was eighty thousand, this one will be seventy five, but only if I can flesh it out to match my plan. I'm not sure each section has enough to make a full chapter.
Finally, here are the last set of character sketches, some of the more incidental characters.
William Whitlaw:
Katja:
Grandpa Words:
Lyden:
Finally - I'm hoping to put illustrations in the current story when I get better, so here's a practice one.
