When was the last time I posted?

[stormwindz]

Oh yeah, well, good news is that I did successfully work on Ian and we DID go to the TK Event last weekend. I DID get to be a zombie!

The not quite as good as it could've been bits are:

• Mark's flare-up from before Easter, although it subsided a bit, has not actually ended and he's been largely housebound since and totally unwilling/unable to have Linnea stay with him for longer periods. Fool that he is he's run out of prescription so even when given time off he's in pain and not sleeping... evil cycle continues.
• So we took Linnea with us. First time taking her camping. First time taking her LARPing.
• Due to banking issues (an end to which is in sight due to generous, 2 month early monetary gifts from my nearest and dearest four people, and a co-op bank account) I/we weren't playing, but working. Thanks to Paul who offered to pay my train ticket if I worked the bar. So... first time working with the bums in tow.
• Mark being Mark promised to source a child car seat to borrow, to use for the journey between train station and sit (ca 25 mins drive) because mommy is paranoid about car accidents. Mark being Mark did not, and didn't deign to tell me until I show up to pick up bums, car seat and bags and high tail it to the train station after work on Friday, with 30 minutes to spare. Luckily the lovely Chrissie had volunteered to drive me from work to Mark's and all our stuff the the station (only a 10 min walk anyway!) and saved the whole weekend by loaning us a booster seat (which Linnea isn't quite old enough for but assuaged my paranoia sufficiently) and getting us both on the train only an hour late.
• Ian. I knew he didn't want to go and it was his birthday and he didn't get to fight, role play or drink as much as he would've if Linnea hadn't been with us. I hope I made it up to him on Monday. Oh, and that Linnea asked for him constantly all weekend, "EEEn? EEEn?  EEEn?" confusing the heck out of certain players who only ever have known him as Bungle. "What's she saying? In?"
• LARP politics. Ugh. If you're a ref reading this you may know what I'm on about. Having heard Ian vent about certain stuff for years getting some of it in person was still sad. If it wasn't for this you can be sure I would have zombied all of Sunday as Linnea wasn't at all bothered by my countenance (or didn't realize it was me?)
• Could've and should've done more to stay IC. Next time.
• Linnea was carsick on the way home. She spewed chunks :( then she was ultra tired and cranky. The most endless part of the journey was actually trying to get from the train station to the flat without a buggy with lots of bags and a 2 year old who did not want to walk and smelled of puke.
• Our <2 mth old air mattress sprung a leak and we slept on the ground all weekend
• the carpark had gravel. Linnea loves stones. Not a safe combo.

More good stuff:

• got to be a zombie! (Ok, that's the same good stuff, but it's a really good thing!)
• mastered packing - used nearly everything I brought, and didn't miss anything I didn't! With a 2 year old unexpectedly in tow this feels like a real achievement
• got a compliment for being appropriately IC afraid when my IC neighbor ghosted the tavern
• got to eat lots of cookies and lots of really REALLY good food, which seemed to always be ready at the right moment (e.g. pepperoni pizzas at 1.30 am)
• Linnea did not injure herself or others
• got to be ridiculously couply, IC
• Ian wore something I made!
• I wore something I made!
• got recognized for my awesome zombiing skillz - on Sunday afternoon "Now I know who you are! You're the one that got me behind the roundhouse last event! You terrified me!" Said person had spent a fair bit of time in the tavern all weekend without any clue we'd met before. lol.
• going to Bath Spa Spa on Monday. Even with the lack of fighting it was wonderful to recuperate from the 3 hour sleep nights, the running back and forth after Linnea, and the endless journey home. Not to mention the build up of stress at work.