Chapter Ten.

Today was a good day for random science fiction/fantasy stories, though I use science fiction as a qualifier simply to differentiate the type of "fantasy" I'm referring to, so you don't get confused and worried that this blog is about to include a bit too much information.  

So I've been reading the Wheel of Time, as mentioned numerous times before, and I just reached chapter Ten of book eleven.  Excellent chapter!  I'm thrilled, though the possibility exists that someone reading this might receive a spoiler as a result of my expounding upon why I'm excited by this chapter - thus, I will dispense with further description.

Regardless, I've been waiting for it for a long, long time.  Awesome!

In other, related news (re: the first paragraph here), we had what felt like a pretty good Ars session today, which I ran for the most part.  Our characters are all embroiled in Ragnarok (Yeah, the end of the Norse mythos), so we as players keep doing all this research into what would supposedly transpire.  I, currently, seem to be playing the universe conspiring to make Ragnarok happen (or not happen!), and everybody else is trying to navigate events and figure out what's going on and why we seem to be stuck at the beginning of the process.  Three years of winter have come and gone, all of Europe is freaking out, the year is 1255, and for some reason the frickin' Jotunn and AEsir aren't gettin' their fight on.  Loki seems to be missing (what else would a trickster do than not be where he's supposed to be?), and stuff is generally messed up. 

But it went pretty well.  They figured some stuff out.  Next week should be fun!

Otherwise, I sat around today and made orange juice / Cracklin' Oat Bran pancakes, cleaned the kitchen, read a book, and planned for tonight's game.  All in all, a lovely Sunday. 

Low Key Lyesmith

I recently got two new (to me) Decemberists albums: Her Majesty and The Hazards of Love.  I've been listening to the latter quite a bit the past few days, and it's quite lovely.  They have such a wonderful, beautiful sound.  Shara Worden, who makes an appearance on some of the songs, has this beautiful, rich, luxurious voice.  At first I thought, somehow, that Fiona Apple was singing on some of the tracks, as she has sort of a similar, smoky sound.  Gorgeous.  I'm currently getting into Her Majesty at the moment - I've only heard a few tracks.  It's clearly an album by a less experienced band; simpler and lighter.  So far so good, though.

Today Jason and I went to a Magic prerelease out at the Knights of Columbus hall in Charlestown.  We didn't actually register for any flights - we just got there wicked early and perused the cheap rares that one of the vendors was hocking.  That's all we really go to these things for, it seems: cards for casual.  Neither of us are tournament players - we just don't care.  I ended up picking up approximately 100 cards on the cheap.  Rockin'.

After that, we went back to his place, bummed around, watched a few movies, played cards, and had calzones delivered from Thyago's pizza in Belmont.  This, I think, is a suitably relaxing Saturday.  Now I just need to plan something for us to do at our Ars game tomorrow.  I seem to be in charge of providing something for that the next few weeks.  I think Loki will make an appearance.

Two faces (two faces!). Two faces, are all that you have.

I keep having these days filled with like... two activities.

This morning I woke up at 9:00 AM or so, got myself all ready, and headed down to Boston to have dim sum with Daniel and some of his friends at Empire Garden (I believe that's the name?). An excellent time was, I hope, had by all. :) It's always more difficult on other people than it is on me, I think, when we go somewhere that there's not a lot of vegetarian food. I've learned, over many years, to expect that the possibility exists that there won't be anything on the menu I can eat. That's cool. I always go places for the company, and if the food's good too, all the better. :) (And for the record, the food was good, and there were things I could eat, we just had to find them!).

But anyway, that's why I'll go to steak houses and BBQ joints with people when they decide that's where they'd like to go. I don't somehow magically expect to find a delicious vegetarian meal. I go cause I like to hang out with good people. So huzzah! Happy birthday, Mr. Daniel!

Following dim sum, I headed home and... I can't really remember if I ultimately got much done or not. I think I did. Maybe I read a book for a while, and then tried to organize some things and failed. I don't remember! But it was a lovely couple of hours, anyway.

Around 5:00 PM, I headed over to Jason's place for our regularly scheduled Sunday Ars Magica game. We took a few weeks off over the holidays, and it took us all a little while to figure out what we were supposed to be doing again. We're currently helping to fulfill Ragnarok somewhere up in the Norse lands. The year is 1256. Europe has been plunged into three years of winter, but we're currently in the fourth year, and nothing's happening. There doesn't seem to be a rainbow bridge, the Jötunn aren't spilling out of Niflheim, Loki is nowhere to be found (he should be in Hel), etc. Big mystery!

... the fun part is that I get to run finishing it. ;D Now I just need to piece it all together into our existing story. Luckily, I generally work better given such a framework than when I have to come up with something from scratch.

Another night, another entry not in the day it was supposed to be for. Oh well!