Logbook

(Though using the Geteld icon for the post is sort of cheating since it was in bunks...)

Fri after work: out to site eventually after much packing (does anyone else have the issue of chests need to be unpacked, the contents transferred to another chest, then filled with different stuff before loading into the car? This was a 4 chest event - 1 garb (shared), 1 feast (shared), 1 each projects... it was only a weekend event...). Dinner and up talking til midnightish. All good :).

Sat (Z's birthday): Frosty night. Crispy out. Breakfast and much sitting around talking with people, generally while embroidering. Lunch. Run to local supermarket with alpha_angel for the odds and sods forgotten eg cordial (for hot and cold non alcoholic, non caffinated drinking), fruit etc. More broidery and talk. Kubb which was fun and the oak set made a glorious clunk noise when things were knocked over properly. Feast in evening then much of the evening (couple hours...) spent singing in the corridor with alpha_angel just working our way through song books, starting on the period collections and then moving on. Music discussions after and pumpkined midnightish. . Sunny start to the day and some cloud and coolness off and on, but no rain.

Sun: Breakfast, talking, ropemaking, blackwork class (more discussion and looking at references and patterns with people than specific teaching), light drizzle but only briefly. Lunch and talking, packup. Snuffly nose and headache started during pack-up - grrrrr. Not helped by walking into the viking tent poles on the roof rack (at head height) after getting out of the car. Thud for a while (though not all due to the tent poles, (shower) and some car unpacking before reading on beanbag in front of the fire for much of the evening. Tagged out with Z for the computer and he has settled into the beanbag with his birthday present ("Wireless" by Charles Stross). Go thud soon.

General notes:
Little sproglets in garb do look cute. There were occasionally long strings of them on ropes and they had fun interacting with rope and pillars. And some of them only occasionally infested the Kubb field, before being safely rescued.
Remember the cordial next time. Especially when have events which can be hot and cold and just adding (hot) water is easy.
(Anglo-Saxon) Leg bindings are nice and warm (when Bobbing in an early era). They also work well over linen hose under skirts for the female clothing of the same time and keep out sandflies. Useful to remember. Need to finish the second pair of naalbinded socks.
Next time broadbrimmed hat (not a usual statement for DA).

Up and off to help R&S&A move. Lovely weather for it... or it was when we left home. In our local vicinity, it was a bit windy, a bit overcast, very slight drizzle. Shift a valley over to their vicinity and it was howling wind and sheeting horizontal rain - very miserable. Just as well there was a sheltered area to load the truck and they had broken the back of the shift yesterday and there were many people there helping today.
We left soon after the truck left, but got distracted by the Tawa Mary Potter Hospice (still miserable wet windy weather) and scored 5m good twill tabby wool (perfect Viking weight), ~4-5m dark brown linen, some white probably-linen or hand cloths etc and a cast iron push mower for $40. Dropped that off at home (overcast and occasional drizzle) and then headed over the hills to Featherston (hello again to howling wind and rain again - should have staple-gunned the hat on) and helped unload what had been loaded (though we were too late for most of the truck). Some lunch and splat before heading home. Lamps from the Warehouse (but no electric candles which is what we went in for), wooden spoons from $2 shop and home to start on laundry having left behind the howling wind and rain again*.

The current status is Z having a nap, me having finished the dishes and loaded the breadmaker for pizza dough (waiting waiting waiting) and being about to hang out the hot-washed linen on the line to join the wool. There is an old army blanket for a new tunic for Z and some herringbone linen for a viking apron dress for me sitting on the sofa, waiting and ready to start occupying the rest of the evening. Probably accompanied by Babylon 5.

*It was commented that if you didn't like the Wellington weather, just cross to the opposite side of the street for a change. Possibly more drive 10 mins, but still quite accurate...

Sat: Did head out to Weapons of Medieval Destruction III. However did sleep in while listening to the wind howling past. It was only after we got over the Rimutaka's round lunchtime that the weather really packed it in. Headed out to the site: M&L's place. Very nice site through the rain and the oak frame building was very cool. Will be fun to see what other sorts of building they end up with - the platform for the round house and the ramparts for the roman fort were already done. There were many people playing with bangy things. Vehicle placement and wind and rain meant the trebuchets weren't going to come out to play. Time periods ranged from WWI to 14th C. However by late afternoon and the wind and rain picking up (it was forecast for heavy rain and gales), we retreated into the house (very nice house) and there was much talking. Then headed back over the hills from less wind and rain to more wind and rain (somewhat of a theme). I went thud, while Z headed off to the party. Given the nasty headache which resulted in vomiting at 3 am, probably the best idea. Luckily ibuprofen worked and Z arrived home shortly anyway.

Sun: Slept in through the continued wind* and rain. Stitched on lining for pouch and started on the tablet woven edges. Pictures here and here for closeup. Evening has been spent on pouch tablet weaving and watching House. And listening to the wind howl outside while inside the fire is toasty warm.


*For reference, the severe weather warnings involved 120km per hour wind gusts... The Ferry's weren't sailing for much of yesterday and today and there have been slips on the Rimutaka Road. Just the usual stuff - wheeeeee.

A weekend of much shopping and much laundry.

Sat: Z summarizes the shopping here and K summarizes the movie in the evening here
Dinner used the enchillada sauce from here, only using 2/3 of the quantities and Pams Italian diced tomatoes for the tomato sauce. And because this in NZ, read chilli seasoning mix for chilli powder. But there was enough for two meals worth (using up the mince nacho mix made on Thurs evening, creating 4 enchelladas in a tray) from a 1/3 of the enchillada sauce mix and the rest was frozen in two packets for later. Also got bored with doing just the white bits on the embroidered pouch, so started on some coloured bits with the DMC cotton I had on hand. I like and I may post piccies later.

Sun: Slept in. Laundry. Lazing out on the balcony in the sunlight :). More shopping - 2 summer-weight king sized wool duvets for $28 each (usually $90 each), 1 100L beanbag bean bag*, socks and 2 pairs of sandels for me. Should I be disturbed that based on the shoes and socks I just purchased, I apparently have the feet of a 8-10 year old boy? But the sandels were $8 each, down from $30 each, so I really don't care. Discovered the Porirua Countdown stocks the good Vittoria Dark drinking chocolate. Someday I may splurge and try their mint chocolate one... And they still had the Richfields Mocha Caramel 70% Dark chocolate for $1.80 a 200g block.

I'd put the beanbag beans in the beanbag, but Z is currently sprawled over it, asleep :)

Any advice for people who have a breadmaker and wish to play? Round 1 wholemeal loaf was a little on the dense crumbly side, but we suspect it is more likely due to the yeast with a best before date of last year, rather than the wholemeal stoneground flour (also a little old), but could be wrong.

* alpha_angel, your beanbag want any spare beanbag beans if we have some spare?

Fri evening: Much reading of Girl Genius.

Sat: Slept in and then eventually made it from out from cold windy miserable Wellington to the warm sunny Manukau Medieval Market (in Levin). Bought stuff - felt hat, silly book, much soap. Yay to good food of the baked potato people, shaved ice and mini donuts. Z bought beads and soap too. Home, where the sunshine had also finally reached, laundry, and general blobbing.

Sun: Slept in also. Some laundry (gosh, that may be a theme), then eventually into town to see Let the Right One In (swedish vampire movie). Not necessarily nice but good. Definitely not Twilight... Dinner at Cha (remember the salt and pepper squid next time). Home and then that I wanted a completely different embroidery project and started a german brickwork pouch. Going much better than the previous time I tried to do one of those. Guide lines and a different pattern seem to help.

But now, time for bed.

I has pretty lights.

Was quite restrained though and they are 3 strands of LEDs (2 blue, one red) off a battery supply. They are currently draped over the TV and stereo. Yay for cheaparse lights from the Warehouse, especially when they are $7 each and 3 for the price of 2.

But I should start at the start, not at the end.

Sat has been covered earlier.

Sun: Slept in. Was dithering over what to do, but that was fixed by heading over to S&Ts and blobbing with people. There was a mild productive burst when I reattached the handbag strap, but soon went to sprawling in sunlight and on sofas and talking, with a small interval of standing and looking like an alpaca obsticle. Then it was decided that Kung Fu Panda was wanted, available on DVD and we were out of Coke. An expedition was organised. Curiously it consisted of all the females, while all the males stayed home and talked wargaming... Hit the Warehouse and the DVD section.T found Kung Fu Panda and a few other things, and I found a few other things and it was established what alpha_angel was getting me for Christmas. Then we looked at Christmas decorations and lights and it was established what I was getting alpha_angel for Christmas, and we got some of the nice cheap LED lights. Then there was the supermarket and I got a bunch of the ingredients for the Bath Bombs* and the Pumpkin cheesecake (see earlier entries for links), and others got Coke and icecream. Back to S&T's for dinner and much giggling at Kung Fu Panda (better than Mulan).

Probably should do dishes now...

* Still need 1/2 cup citric acid (will hit Moore Wilsons next weekend) and cardamon (MW again??) and Almond Oil (Common Sense Organics???).

Weekend report - I posted about the quiz and silly hat on Fri (including pictures), so that leaves Sat and Sun.

Sat:
Laundry then met alpha_angel and headed to Yum Char with people. Mmmmm yum char and yay people. Then to Archery with a pause at Common Sense Oraganics for soap - mmmm one orange and cinnamon and one mint and honey and some lemon deodorant. Started using the orange one already but the mint has been stored in the underwear drawer for that special minty fresh smell...
Archery was fun with MLH people. Sheltered enough from the wind. Was able to borrow a bow (30 pound) and some arrows and shoot for a bit. Just as well taped fingers after the first round (yay duct tape, want gloves next time). They were sore enough by the end of things and I stopped about 3 rounds before everyone else. No blisters though, so did stop at a sensible time. Managed to do one round with all 8 arrows hitting the target and all but one within the big red circle round the outside (none in the little red circle though). Then went down hill again aim-wise, but still was fun. Pikachu may make it out next fortnight.
Then joined S&T for games and dinner before heading off to xenogram's cocktail party. Many silly alcohols of which I tried 2 - the strawberry vodka made by dumping strawberries and sugar in vodka was nice and will need to be tried later with blackberries or black currents... and a chocolate fudge liqueur which was suboptimal if thought of a chocolate liqueur, but quite ok as a chocolate port. Went really nicely with custard... Pumpkined by 10:30pm, but as alpha_angel needed to tiki-tour to check on a couple of potential flood locations, that was ok. Got scenic tour of Pauatahanui Inlet from the opposite side. No flooding though.
Remembered to changed clocks for daylight saving - always important.

Sun:
Slept in. Got up and did laundry, washed hair and read (finishing book) in a beanbag in a patch of sun (all the rain having gone away overnight and left a warm sunny day with light southerly). Lunch - mmm homemade bacon, then walked to Tawa for groceries (not much). Was very nice walk back in the sun with a pineapple fruju. Then home and lawn mowing - see earlier lj entry for whining there. The two flat bits are done, but it always seems Z ends up in the field when the lawn needs mowing... Funny that:) Evening has been a roast chicken dinner (enough for dinner tomorrow as well as makes tomorrow nights cooking easier and felt like something other than pork...) and watching the final of the latest season of Dr Who - they screened 2 consecutive episodes. And have spent the rest of the evening sorting music on the hard drive, and copying stuff onto the work usb stick - which is now very full of music.

Brain is now acting normal and telling me that it is only 10pm and I have plenty of time to stay online when it is really 11pm and tomorrow morning that 7am will feel like 6am.
I would do that music lyric meme but can't be arsed loading on all the music and frankly bed is calling.

Sleep well everyone reading (though possibly not while actually reading this...) :)

Hmmm, may not be safe to be out in public - trousers have gone at the arse... And as for experimenting and the hair being in a french plait which starts at the base of the scalp and goes up the left and down the right...

But 1 part of the picture stone banner is done - "just" need to correct the base ship, ink it in, and paint it.
The 2nd oilskin hood is done. Oily fingers.

And I have managed to get the fire going and keep it going*.

Time to start marking things. It's Banner Time**

* I have slight anti-pyromaniac abilities usual... as opposed to basal_surge and alpha_angel.

** Don't think about the music that should go with this and the big baggy Viking trousers which would obviously go with it...

The fun of watching Z playing with a Lego Fokker Triplane (the Red Baron's one). He keeps flying it around the room, then adjusting bits to make it more accurate... We have only had to reassemble the wings once after catastrophic failure so far.

We got around to assembling it over the course of 3 hours late evening*, after dragonermine and A headed home after dinner (mmmm roast pork with crackling and apple sauce). Z had only been given it as a birthday present in about 2004...

He keeps playing with it but he is not allowed to take it to bed with him.

Otherwise a very quiet weekend bar the howling wind and rain with sunshine in between. Slept in lots. Finished naalbinded socks (or at least I now have 2 of them that fit left and right feet and look very similar) and hemming the scarf. Failed to attach buttons onto coat or finish cord for pouch but have been failing to do that for a while now. Also filed crap in the filing cabinet while muttering profusely. Hate filing but for some odd reason generally end up the one doing it. But there are less bits of paper madly floating around the place.

Would have preferred to be asleep by now but something to do with the sleeping in til noon means that I am not as sleepy as I could be... Discovered the fireplace warms up the wheat sack really nicely though (with a careful eye on it so it doesn't scorch or anything). Is currently prewarming the bed.

* Having actually cleaned the place and made things tidy, then the only thing to do is spread out the projects that like clean floors and have lots of little bits

Usual gaming Fri evening. Made it before 7pm, which shocked a few people.

Sat: Slept in. Shopping - small oil column heater for the computer room (which can possibly be used in the lounge given we are out of firewood...). Also another clothes drying rack and some buckets. Groceries and failed to get silk*. 14kg of honey and a kg of dutch cocoa from Moore Wilson - they were out of the smaller ones. Then blobbed for the evening after a very nice roast mutton dinner. alpha_angel wombled over bored and we watched Ice Age and The Scorpion King and made silly comment. Drinking every time the Rock raises his eyebrows wouldn't work as a drinking game - he only does it about 3-4 times all up. Warm sunny day though.

Sun: Another warm sunny day, so we threw open windows and door and read in a patch of sunlight and sheepskins on the balcony and had the occasional nap:). Not a productive day, but a very nice relaxing one. Time for stewed apples and not quite right custard. And a verdict as to what to do now Top Gear isn't on...

* If anyone knows where to get the basic black Gutterman sewing silk (embroidery thread is too thick) in the Wellington region... The craft place in Porirua mall was a bust, though the lady was nice and mentioned Evans (in the Hutt valley) as a possibility. Didn't bother with Spotlight. Will probably try Shaherezade in the next few days. Have about 1 and a half lines of stitching to go and the piece is finished and I have about one more arm length of thread to go. Ironically I have a full 2 spools of the red silk....