January, February
(And a sudden massively overpowering flashback to my mother playing Barbara Dickson songs...)
January was my quietest work month in quite a while. Unsurprising, really, since it is the absolute nadir of the tourist industry calendar and an unlikely month for school trips. In theory, that should make it the time of year when I repair worn or damaged kit from last year and make new stuff, but in practice I never do and instead lapse into a slight depression. I love my work and am never happier than when I'm crazy busy, but I'm just shit at usefully and healthily occupying free time when I actually have it.
In the later part of the month, Insurrection saw its first player event which can probably best be described as "very appropriate for the player/character who organised it". Such is the nature of player events, of course, but I'm glad it wasn't anybody's first introduction to the game. Aimed mainly at the the academic dwarfs, the venue was a lecture room at Warwick university and thus entertainingly appropriate enough to overcome the lack of 'fantasy' atmosphere. Still, for all that it was interesting in parts, it was also extremely dull in the main. Plus getting there and back home in time for a shift at the Tower the next day was a complete pain in the arse.
The following weekend took me down to Brixham in Devon for 'School of the Sailor' aboard a replica of the Golden Hind. Hoot and a half. I had a fantastic time, not least because my lift rendezvous was in Brighton and going down a few hours early allowed me to spend the afternoon with Tania and Martin, plus a Jess who happened to be visiting at the time. The B&B Martin had scored for us was extremely comfortable for the price we paid, and the travel company was excellent. The course itself was engaging, enjoyable and extremely informative and I may have already scored some work as a consequence of being on it. (That's the kind of training investment I like!) I would not recommend that anyone put to sea with me in anything larger than a coracle, but if you need someone who can talk confidently enough (i.e. bluff with a very basic knowledge) on matters to do with historic seafaring, I'm your man!
It looks like it's going to be an annual thing and I'd certainly consider going again next year, either for a refresher or for the mooted 'master class'. If anyone else is interested, I'll post details as I get them.
February started off poorly with a massive paucity of shifts, making my diary look far far too white. Pulled in favours and readiness to answer a call for sick cover at ugly o'clock a.m. has resulted in a much better month, however. The main feature was half term at the Tower, which was a repeat of last Summer's combination Knight School/Siege presentations and a really welcome change of pace form the 'inhabit the Medieval Palace' brief of the last few months. Bitterly cold weather on the first couple of days meant that we were in the Med Pal after all, but I'm glad to say that it thereafter warmed/dried up enough for us to be outside after all. I'm especially glad since it was the last outing for the Tower's siege engines, and it would have been a real shame for them to have stood idle rather than getting a last hurrah.
The penultimate day of the event coincided with my birthday. I'm generally okay with my birthday slipping by without special incident (it's well out of LRP season and I'm not the only one who feels the financial pinch in February), but I think that probably made it all the more splendid that my work colleagues made a really big surprise deal about it.
I'd called the resat of the team to let them know that I wasn't running late but was treating myself to a slap-up breakfast at the Liberty Bounds just across the road. When I actually entered our quarters at the Tower, there was surprise cake, dozens of balloons, singing and dancing and the best birthday I've had for many many years. After work, we promptly decamped back t the Liberty Bounds for a truly fiendish amount of alcohol in company of Jess and some colleagues who pitched up from Hampton Court Palace for the occasion, and for all that I didn't get home until 2:30 that morning I was back at the Tower on time the following morning with a clearer head than reason should have allowed. Best of all, an expected two week period of "Hmmmm, how do I make x amount of money stretch for x+y amount of days?" has been completely solved by someone paying me three weeks early. Hurrah!
In other news, I was alerted to Apple offering 10 months interest free finance at the beginning of the year, consequently bought myself an iPad and absolutely love it. It's taking some work and experimentation to turn it into the tool I want it to be rather than merely an expensive toy (A free iPad version of Dominion? It's like you never want me to work again, you assholes.) but I'm getting there and having a lot of fun in the meantime. And it makes a kickass way to display my Past Pleasures photos!
January was my quietest work month in quite a while. Unsurprising, really, since it is the absolute nadir of the tourist industry calendar and an unlikely month for school trips. In theory, that should make it the time of year when I repair worn or damaged kit from last year and make new stuff, but in practice I never do and instead lapse into a slight depression. I love my work and am never happier than when I'm crazy busy, but I'm just shit at usefully and healthily occupying free time when I actually have it.
In the later part of the month, Insurrection saw its first player event which can probably best be described as "very appropriate for the player/character who organised it". Such is the nature of player events, of course, but I'm glad it wasn't anybody's first introduction to the game. Aimed mainly at the the academic dwarfs, the venue was a lecture room at Warwick university and thus entertainingly appropriate enough to overcome the lack of 'fantasy' atmosphere. Still, for all that it was interesting in parts, it was also extremely dull in the main. Plus getting there and back home in time for a shift at the Tower the next day was a complete pain in the arse.
The following weekend took me down to Brixham in Devon for 'School of the Sailor' aboard a replica of the Golden Hind. Hoot and a half. I had a fantastic time, not least because my lift rendezvous was in Brighton and going down a few hours early allowed me to spend the afternoon with Tania and Martin, plus a Jess who happened to be visiting at the time. The B&B Martin had scored for us was extremely comfortable for the price we paid, and the travel company was excellent. The course itself was engaging, enjoyable and extremely informative and I may have already scored some work as a consequence of being on it. (That's the kind of training investment I like!) I would not recommend that anyone put to sea with me in anything larger than a coracle, but if you need someone who can talk confidently enough (i.e. bluff with a very basic knowledge) on matters to do with historic seafaring, I'm your man!
It looks like it's going to be an annual thing and I'd certainly consider going again next year, either for a refresher or for the mooted 'master class'. If anyone else is interested, I'll post details as I get them.
February started off poorly with a massive paucity of shifts, making my diary look far far too white. Pulled in favours and readiness to answer a call for sick cover at ugly o'clock a.m. has resulted in a much better month, however. The main feature was half term at the Tower, which was a repeat of last Summer's combination Knight School/Siege presentations and a really welcome change of pace form the 'inhabit the Medieval Palace' brief of the last few months. Bitterly cold weather on the first couple of days meant that we were in the Med Pal after all, but I'm glad to say that it thereafter warmed/dried up enough for us to be outside after all. I'm especially glad since it was the last outing for the Tower's siege engines, and it would have been a real shame for them to have stood idle rather than getting a last hurrah.
The penultimate day of the event coincided with my birthday. I'm generally okay with my birthday slipping by without special incident (it's well out of LRP season and I'm not the only one who feels the financial pinch in February), but I think that probably made it all the more splendid that my work colleagues made a really big surprise deal about it.
I'd called the resat of the team to let them know that I wasn't running late but was treating myself to a slap-up breakfast at the Liberty Bounds just across the road. When I actually entered our quarters at the Tower, there was surprise cake, dozens of balloons, singing and dancing and the best birthday I've had for many many years. After work, we promptly decamped back t the Liberty Bounds for a truly fiendish amount of alcohol in company of Jess and some colleagues who pitched up from Hampton Court Palace for the occasion, and for all that I didn't get home until 2:30 that morning I was back at the Tower on time the following morning with a clearer head than reason should have allowed. Best of all, an expected two week period of "Hmmmm, how do I make x amount of money stretch for x+y amount of days?" has been completely solved by someone paying me three weeks early. Hurrah!
In other news, I was alerted to Apple offering 10 months interest free finance at the beginning of the year, consequently bought myself an iPad and absolutely love it. It's taking some work and experimentation to turn it into the tool I want it to be rather than merely an expensive toy (A free iPad version of Dominion? It's like you never want me to work again, you assholes.) but I'm getting there and having a lot of fun in the meantime. And it makes a kickass way to display my Past Pleasures photos!