Now for this weekend just past

[kumir_k9]

This weekend was a really good time and a wonderful way to start a vacation.  That's right, as of Friday night I'm on vacation for two weeks!  Yay!

 silway  planned a debriefing session for anyone who wanted one after the NERO National Oraban plot.  He also used it as a convenient excuse to have a bunch of friends hang out all weekend, eat and play games.  He asked if we could have it at my house since I have a fairly large place since I can pretty comfortably sleep 12 guests in my home. 

Friday night was cold and wet and raw because of the rain, so I had a nice roaring blaze going in the fireplace to welcome my guests silway , thedeviantangel , jjmarika  and sarrciano .  It was much appreciated by all.  Sadly, byt the time callierat  and draketamarack  arrived it we had already let it die down for the night, not that it was an issue since jjmarika apparently is a pyromaniac and took much delight in getting another one going the next afternoon.

As can be expected in a group of LARPers there was much delightful discussion about 7V, Madrigal and NERO.  We stayed up way too late for my tired brain (2:00), but I knew I was on vacation and could sleep in the next morning, so I was ok with it.

Saturday we played games and ate and drank a lot and did more chatting.  Silway did his first debriefing in the afternoon after Torrey, Cory and Brent arrived.  That was really fascinating.  Other than tangentially, I did not participate in this plot, but it was really cool to listen to how complicated it was and how well thought out and what all the ways it could have gone were.  The players had really good questions and silway answered them as well as he was able with certain disclaimers in place to protect certain secrets.

There was huge amounts of steak tips and pork loin thanks to draketamarack and sarrciano.   Then more game playing.  I'm not sure what my favorite game of the weekend was.  Guillotine was certainly the easiest to learn and very cut throat (no pun intended), but I think the most light hearted fun game.  It occurs to me I never caught the name of the one that we played trying to get the most estate points, using smithys and mines and villages and feasts.  That one was a really fun strategy game and I enjoyed that one a lot too.  Of course the company was the real treat in all of this.

Saturday night found us with still more people, sans_peur , agraitear , quentarielf  and Roy.  Silway did a second debriefing for these people and some of the questions turned more to a nature about what silway's thought processes were in creating and running the plot.  These were thought provoking and put a totally different spin on the whole thing.  Dong plot writing for a game now, these gave some good food for thought I could utilize in my own writing.

I gave up about midnight.  I could barely keep my eyes open, so I bid adieu to the people that wouldn't be staying over.

Sunday we were back down to the original group of 7 from Friday night.  We worked some on individual projects until everyone was up.  I caught up on some 7V CP assignment.  I can't believe it.  Three weeks later and I'm not done yet, but almost, probably in the next two days.

I had asked callierat to do my lion wyr makeup again, slowly explaining step by step and taking pictures while I took notes, so that I could duplicate the fantastic job she did at the one day.  Monique also wanted to see a picture because she was so impressed by the mane (which callierat made that is unbelievably awesome).  This was a really cool way to pass the time while others played a game.  I had fun talking makeup techniques with her and learning why some things are done and she thanked me for letting me play with my makeup because she loves playing with makeup, so we were both happy.  The end result was this:
http://picasaweb.google.com/rgpierce0523/RickLARPCharacters#5461672274968738466

We then watched, Gamers: Dorkness Rising, a movie about a group of D&Ders that was hysterically funny, just because it was done so true to so many early D&Ders.

Alas, all good things must end and I said goodbye to all my wonderful friends just as my flute choir members started to arrive.

Flute choir rehearsal was really good.  We're at that magical point in a seasonal rehearsal cycle where all the pieces are starting to come together and sound really good.  Beside, we worked on Serendipity, a piece for flute, headjoint and boomwhackers and it's always fun to have a reason to hit things with plastic tubes.

Wonderful weekend.  I enjoyed it so much.  Today I head off to FL for (almost) two weeks of resting and recharging in warm, sunny FL and I get to see Monique again after her being gone for a week.  Yay!