elfie_chan: MY cup of tea! (Default)
If you get the reference in my journal title, you get a cookie.

I'm in a rather piratey mood at the moment. I expect that this is influenced by the fact that I read most of Pirattitude! this weekend. Good book. It's also partially factual, despite the authors' insistence that most of the information was pulled out of their heads while they were under the influence of barbeque ribs and beer.

School continues and is relatively uneventful. My Medieval Manuscripts teacher's condescending tones are beginning to get on my nerves. The class is not what I expected. I would drop it, but it's upper-division credits, and I need upper-division credits in order to graduate. I'll stick it out, but I don't have to like it.

This last weekend was actually fairly eventful. Jason came down on Friday night, and we all piled in the Jeeps and went out to Cottage Grove. The grey clouds threatened us all the way there, and it was mostly dark by the time we arrived. It was also raining. A lot. We managed to get the tent up, and then we were social for long enough to eat hot dogs (I dislike hot dogs, especially when I am cold and wet and there is no way to keep the buns, which are far too long for the hot dogs, from getting soaked). Then I went to bed. Alex and Jason stayed up for a little bit longer. I was very glad that I had worn layers, including my hooded Playstation sweatshirt, because that hooded sweatshirt saved me from freezing. It rained all night and most of the next day. Rain makes Jeeping fun, though, because it creates mud. We went up and down many hills and over many rocks. We got very, very wet and muddy. We also had to sit and wait a good deal because some people brought vehicles that were not set up for the rough terrain. Here's a good lesson to be learned from this kind of experience: "Four-Wheel Drive" and "Trail Rated" do not automatically guarantee that your vehicle will be able to climb a steep, muddy, rutted hill in the rain. These terms also do not mean that your vehicle can go off-road at all, especially when it is wet and muddy and there are big holes where you can get stuck. Also, Jeeps rock.

We got back late (again, due to many people getting stuck and/or broken), packed up the wet tent as quickly as possible during a convenient lightening of the downpour, packed up, and went home. We got home just in time for Alex to jump out of the Jeep, jump into the Subaru, and head out to get his mother from the airport. When he got back, we watched Starsky and Hutch. That's an hour and a half that I will never get back. The movie itself was rather amusing, but Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson are two actors who play the same roles no matter what movie they are in. It gets a bit annoying after a while. Oddly enough, Snoop Dogg (I think that's what he goes by now) was the funniest actor in the whole thing. He is also the skinniest man I have ever seen.

I am now fighting off a cold with the best weapon known to me: Spiced Cider with a Large Dollop of Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum. The vitamin C in the cider fights off the scurvy, and the rum makes me all warm and happy. Even if the drink doesn't cure my cold, it sure makes me feel better. Arrrrr.

Mia has decided that my typing offends her. Obviously, my fingers could be better employed in getting at that itchy spot just between her shoulderblades. I shall update further later...probably tomorrow.
elfie_chan: MY cup of tea! (Default)
EDIT: I take it back. Those of you who have made icons that are simply quotes from the new Harry Potter book and are using them already--STOP IT. I mean it. The bloody book hasn't even been out for a week yet, and you're already blatantly posting spoilers where people can't help but see them. For the love of J.K. Rowling, knock it off. It's not funny, it's not clever, and it pisses me off. If you must make these icons, at least stow them until most of us have had a chance to finish the book. Thanks.

And now, on to the actual entry.

...what a silly-looking title I have there. I should have put "I Like Toast!" instead. Anyway.

Alex and I have returned safely from the Ghost Town Jeep Jamboree USA 2005 in Bridgeport, California. We went with our friend Jason, who has been a Jeep enthusiast for many years and has been on two Jamborees before this. He assured us that such outings were great fun. Thus, when he offered to take us along on this trip, of course we said, "Yes!" We accepted partly because it was a chance to spend time with Jason and try something new, but mostly I think we went because we have this strange subconscious aversion to spending any of our summer weekends at home. I am preparing a full report on the Jamboree, which I will post here as soon as it's done. For your amusement, here is the table of contents:

Part I, In Which Elfie Scores Swag and Learns What is Grosser Than Gross
Part II, In Which Alex is a Hero, Elfie Experiences Better Living Through Chemistry, and Jason Instructs Newbies in the Fine Art of Offroading
Part III, In Which Jason Sells a Jeep, Prizes are Acquired, and Elfie Goes Drinking
Part IV, In Which Elfie is Amused by Gambling, Prostitution, and Automobiles
Part V, In Which the Doors to Checkout are Barred and Distance is Relative

This report will, with any luck, include amusing anecdotes regarding the joys of traveling through beautiful country and the fascinating people we met on our trip.

Alex and I had a wonderful time, so much so that we wound up buying Jason's old Jeep (which he has been trying to sell for months), and Alex has been working on getting our Jeep set up to go on another Jamboree starting next week. Apparently, one of the most important requirements for going offroading is that the vehicle be tall. Very tall. So tall that I shall require a stirrup and a handle to get into the Jeep. This amuses me. At least I'll get to sit in the front seat this trip!

In other news, we are very glad to be home. I've missed my kitty and my espresso machine, as well as all of my friends here, not necessarily in that order. I have not even picked up Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, but I'm hoping to remedy that today. I have forbidden all those around me to talk about it at all. Thus far, no one has underestimated my homicidal rage. I am grateful for that, because most people around me realize that I will be seriously upset if even the hint of a spoiler crosses my path. I have been so grateful to all of my friends who have written about the book in their LJs--everyone, and I mean everyone, has put spoilers behind LJ-cuts. Thank you, my friends, thank you. *snugs you all*

Alex and I also gamed last night (which reminds me, I have to poke Alex and make him call our other GM, who has just let us know that his baby is a boy), and that was kinda fun once we finally got started. I hope that our GM doesn't continue to force us to do skill rolls for every single thing every single round. It tends to bog things down. I mean, there are things that it's important to do skill checks for, but, in my opinion (and keep in mind that I haven't done a ton of GMing, but I have played a good deal), when one is introducing new characters to the game, one should introduce them as quickly as possible and get them playing. We had to wait hours before we were even able to play, and then we had to do these skill checks every single round to see if we were even going to wind up near the other players. This may be just this GM's style. Not a problem. I would have done things differently, but it's not my game. Alex and I won't be there next week (we'll be on the Jamboree), but we're definitely going back the week after to see how it goes. It may just take some getting used to.

Loki is very pleased that we have returned. The first day, he followed Alex around like a puppy, meowing and scolding him for leaving Loki all alone. Now, he's just snuggly.

On that note, I should probably go and see about some breakfast.

Next Update: Jokes about toast, wenches, and who knows what else.

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elfie_chan: MY cup of tea! (Default)
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