I am working on Byzantine garb for an NPC in Shadows of Amun, using
this pattern.This weekend I have achieved a tunica (the underlayer), and most of the dalmatica (the overlayer) I am still trying to figure out how to attach the clavii--really, inch-wide trim--in straight lines. There will be pictures once I really have anything to show!
It was a good week, I think. I visited
endlessgame on Monday so he could show me Dark Souls. (He has been playing DS2, but he showed me the first game, as the death penalty is less steep). It has given me Thoughts on game difficulty, which I may sort into another post later. In brief, I I appreciate the sort of tactics such a game engenders, but maybe I don't like fighting through Undead Burg time and time again.
Thursday I had my writing group, which was exceedingly pleasant, even by its usual standards. It was a beautiful day, and Diesel, where we meet, had thrown open the French windows at the front of the store to open it to the air. Our group was down a member, but we had lovely conversations about Dave*'s new piece, "Ekdikisi," and about novel queries and synopses. It also engendered some pretty funny quotes:
Dave* (talking about his trunk novels): Yeah... I wasted a lot of my twenties on world-building.
Laurence: I have seen the greatest minds of my generation destroyed by world-building...
So true :)
Also at one point I told Dave* something in his story reminded me of an Edna St. Vincent Millay poem, and
sprrwhwk said, "Everything reminds you of Millay, doesn't it?"
"It's a great way to live!" I replied, in true RHPS callback style.
I think I'm always impressed just by the quantity of things writers know. Most of the ones I've met have been sponges of intellectual curiosity, knowing all kinds of facts--some trivia, some more applicable--about all kinds of topics. My colleagues really are some of the smartest people I know.
After group, K. and I went to the s00per-s3cr3t bar next door,
Saloon, for a late dinner. (It's so super secret it has a website!) I do kind of like the speakeasy mystique of the place--behind an unmarked door, down a staircase to a basement underneath Foundry. The food was wonderful (I had a cheese plate and a summer pudding), and the drinks--at least the Dogfish Head ales--were on sale due to a promotion. I tried out the Immort Ale, which was pleasant, but not quite what I was in the mood for.
Saturday Matt and I returned to Chris and Stacy's house, this time with a bunch of others (Mel and Will, Alison,
truthspeaker, Wixon, etc) for an impromptu board games party. I played Hanabi for the first time, which I'm not sure I ever want to play again. I also played Tsuro and Smash Up and Terra Mystica, the latter of which I did not do nearly so well as the first time I played. (I played as the nomads this time; the darklings the first time. The fact that the darklings can terraform everything and it makes points for them is kind of ridiculous).
Then it got late and I got a bit oversocialed and Chris and I escaped to the basement to play more Dark Souls. Still in Undead Burg. Yup.
Fiona continues to be the cutest dog ever. I'm sure I say that only because I don't have to take care of her ;)
Also this weekend I sent out the invite for Strawberrypalooza, my semi-July 4th-related party. This weekend it's June 28th, because for once in forever I wanted it to not compete with Firefly. Of course, instead it conflicts with PiCon. *headdesk*. I guess it's pretty much impossible not to conflict with something, but...
Anyway. If you want to come to Strawberrypalooza and haven't received an invite, let me know. I added a bunch of Shadows people to my invite list, but I didn't have emails for everyone, so I have probably forgotten people. Also, check your spam folder, because Anyvite emails sometimes end up there.