Dear Ben Cross (Letter #10)
Dear Ben,
Hope everything is going well for you.
Everything is well here with the possible exception of having been sick for the last couple of weeks. Nothing serious of course, just a cold, but enough to be inconvenient and quite annoying.
It would appear to you that I haven’t written in a while. I did try but my computer is messed up and the tablet is exceedingly difficult to post anything that has a lot of text involved. I spent an hour on my tablet typing a letter to you and the app I put it on to upload it crashed and erased it all. I was…annoyed.
Last week was super crazy so it was difficult to get any time for myself much less write anything. Monday I had rapier practice, can’t remember Tuesday (a complete blur) and Wednesday I played in a company softball tournament (we lost terribly, 5-19 but it was fun), Thursday I got rid of my freezer, and road trip on Friday.
Getting rid of the freezer was a good think. I wasted a lot of money in that thing. Not to mention the fact that when I move its one less thing. Thursday was also the day I had to go back to the office to finish the story I submitted for the short story contest I entered. Technically I had until Saturday to finish it, but since I would be out of town I had to do it then.
Basically 2 ½ hours of work, one story idea that became revised about 6 times because of the 500 word count limit and a few snacks to accompany me, I finished. I’m glad I pushed myself and went back to the office. The story turned out better than I had hoped. I probably won’t become a finalist, but it was worth the effort to write it. I have to wait until June for the finalists to be announced. I can’t help but hope.
Friday I drove to Edmonton and played in Alone in the Night. It’s a V20 Vampire the Masquerade conversion to LARP. My gaming experience wasn’t quite as I had hoped as my NPC (Non Player Character) died early in the night and there wasn’t one to replace her. I ended up being “bartender” as there was a PC (Player Character) that was doing it. It didn’t seem right that he wasn’t getting a proper game night in when I had basically nothing to do.
I did have a couple of good scenes standing at the bar serving Blood Wine (read red Crystal Light) and it was sort of fun even though I didn’t really get to play a whole lot. The down side was that I was I literally had to dishes for most of the night. But part and parcel I guess. There are no small parts, just small actors hehehehe.
I guess you’re wondering if we do consider ourselves actors. I imagine that would offend you a bit, considering how esteemed you are in the acting profession. For me I’m not as much an actor as I am a poser. I really know each of my characters when I go in and play them, pick up some of their hobbies on occasion (except for the killing and meanness) but essentially I pretend to be an actor, hence the poser. I enjoy it greatly though. Love the situations, the costumes, the intrigues. And I love it on the occasions that I do a scene that really shines. It makes it all worthwhile.
I also had a date in Edmonton, although I haven’t heard back. Oh well, I enjoyed it. He’s handsome, has a great job and seems to be a great person, which makes it all the more disappointing. Oh well, I guess another opportunity will present itself. Hopefully.
Wrote my mom last week. She refuses to apologize for her insanity about me going to London last year. The things that woman said to me trying to dissuade me from going. Yes, I did tell her she was crazy and needs help. I also told her to fuck off. In my defence though Ben, she wouldn’t stop crying about it. She phoned me several times a week for literally weeks to literally cry and wail about it. She phoned up a friend of mine here in Calgary and asked her if I should be committed for wanting to go to Britain. You’d think I was going to Afghanistan or somewhere horrible like that. My God. I went to Wales and London. Being stared down by a ewe and her lamb was the worst that happened.
At any rate she won’t apologize and I’ll be damned if I do. I refuse to let her think that what she did and what she is doing is a correct way to behave. I’m 42. I will go where I like, when I like at any time I like (more like at any time I can). I won’t put up with the whining, crying and carrying on. Basically I told her she’d better get used to me going places. No, this is not a good situation at the moment. But it should have happened sooner so that I could go places earlier with no hassle. Did I mention I’m 42 and can’t go on vacation without my mother having a thermonuclear nervous breakdown? Grr!!
The week has been ok. I’ve still got this cold that I’ve had for 2 weeks. Hopefully rest this weekend will finally get rid of it. My armour is apparently vacationing in Miami, Florida from its origin in Louisiana. It’s been there for a week according to USPS tracking. I would really like it here so I can wear it. I guess it doesn’t matter. I’m just anxious to get it. I don’t like being on the sidelines.
It’s going to be a quiet weekend this long weekend. I’ll find something to occupy me!!
Sincerely
Gail