Every now and then...

Something randomly cool just happens to you.

Today, mine was sitting one row back from the front of the men's basketball final with random nice people bringing me food.  There were Pacifika drummers, dancers, singers, some very tall fit people, undernourished women wearing advertising, an enthusiastic crowd and we all had a wonderful time.  Go Saints!

Yesterday's was a concert of Celtic music influenced by rap and Spanish folk, held in a yoga studio by a frisbee player.  (As you do.)

This weekend, I also spent a lot of time huddling inside with the heater on, making and consuming baked goods, and doing yoga.  (It was the yoga that finally made me feel warm.)  My word, but it's been cold and wet this weekend.  Happy next week all!

Back From Holiday

Repton and I just got back from a long weekend in Auckland.  (Official reason was that some family of his wanted a get together on Easter Sunday, but mostly we just wanted a holiday.)

It's been really nice.  We were staying in a bed & breakfast in Laingholm (a small villagey type place out in the hills past Waitakere) and spent a lot of time being Tourists.  And because it's the way we're inclined, that meant lots of bushwalks and going out to the beach (Piha and Long Bay), as well as the zoo and the Botanical Gardens.  (Seriously, the only way to get out of walking when you're on holiday with Repton is to twist your ankle.  ;-) )

Also visiting with people, and generally relaxing, and Eating A Lot.  And the weather was glorious, which is saying a lot since a week before Easter a big storm was forecast.  So really, it ended up feeling like a second Christmas.

(Apologies to the people who wanted to catch up but the timing didn't work out.)

I just published a game!

(And I'm telling everyone.  :-) Apologies to the people who've seen this in multiple places.)

The Bell is a science fiction suspense live roleplaying game inspired by The Fountain (Darren Aronofsky), Five-Twelfths of Heaven (Melissa Scott), Vacuum Flowers (Michael Swanwick) and the works of Cordwainer Smith. The Bell is intended to be an emotionally intense game that pushes moral dilemmas. It draws on a trope of science fiction which treats space travel as a spiritual journey. It doesn't make assertions about any particular religion, but it does examine metaphysical themes and ethical issues.

Dear Diary...

What did I do today?

- I hung all the soft toys I keep for sentimental reasons up on the line (it's supposed to help kill dust mites)

Also, Xi Shi, the lovely doll my sister made me, out for an airing:

- I sipped coffee while Repton and Repton's Dad (TM) did constructiony type things on the garden.  (I've had prior involvement in this bit helping to clear away the mountain of stones some clown put on our nice garden, and digging the drainage trench (now filled in with the same bally stones + compost mixed with clay and gypsum, and faintly visible on the left.)

  

- Possible casualties of war - two rose bushes which had their root balls trimmed like billy-o to fit them into their temporary holding pots.  (Not these ones, which we got hold of today, rather smaller ones.)  Well, they may survive.

And I'm shortly off to visit Cat.  Christmas holidays are great.