Veizla

There was a veizla. It seemed to go very well. There were a few problems, and probably some more that haven't been drawn to my attention, but the food was very good and the room was shiny (and the post-coffee mints weren't mints, which I'd meant to ask for but not got round to), and I like the university centre as a venue (though we may get food+port for cheaper than £20 elsewhere).

Despite some blank looks everyone seemed to like the tarot cards and found their places. They all answered challenges, though I was concentrating too much on everything else to really take any in. The new Reeve (Dan Hulme) was invested successfully. We got back to the aftermath and had generally jolly time.

There was apples to apples again, and a nice but reasonably restrained amount of cuddling and so on, and much nice wine -- though it remains to be seen how nice it will be when we're sober :)

I rescued some of the minor arcana I gave out, and with a few alterations (XI Strength Knave of Wands) I have a complete 54 card deck for maoing. Conveniently, these are all wands.

"When the magic went away"

Oh god[1], coming down from omnipotence[2] is a major headache[1].

I was just about the right amount drunk last night: drunk enough to be mad, but not enough that I had blackouts; drunk enough to be wobbly but capable of finding my way home; drunk enough to kiss beautiful people but only after asking politely; drunk enough to twist nipples, but only after someone else started it. Someone's been an influence on me, generally good apart from the final points[1] :)

This morning (well, reguarly from about 5.30 am) I wake up and go "graaaaaah."

Body: I want to be sick.
Me: *stagger stagger stagger* Well, there's the vomitcepticle. Go on, we always feel better afterward.
Body: Uhhh. I want not to be sick.
Me: I'm *trying*
Body: Wa-ter...
Me: Quaff, quaff, quaff, quaff, quaff, *pretends it's B12* quaff
Body: Mmm.... sleepybies
Me: OK.
Body: *stagger* Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...... *bring*
Me: Ooh! It's two hours later. At this rate I'll get through the night.
Body: Staggerwatercheckemailstaggerbed.
Me: Why did we check email? What could that possibly have achieved.
Brain: Addictedmumble. No inhibititons, not my fault. *He's* trying to be sick, but I have all the ache, can't I do my thing for once?
Me: *shrug* Up to you. Was there anything interesting?
Brain: I don't remember.
Me: *sigh*
Body: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....
All: *repeat*
Me: Ooh, afternoon, how I like your face.
Body: Aaah, I don't feel fixed yet.
Me: Shut up, you know you enjoy it really. If we can't sleep we'll get up.
Body: Want chocolate!
Me: OK. Did it help?
Body: No. Want ribena!
Me: OK. Did it help?
Body: No. Want cornflakes!
Me: *sigh* *chomp* Better?
Body: No. Want to lie on the floor!
Me: Um. Well, ok, we'll try it.
Body: Want to stand up and watch telly!
Me: What? The football's not till later.
Body: Don't care.
Brain: Want Umberto Eco's Name of the Rose, sort of, though not technically, with Sean Connery.
Me: *reads* Does that feel better?
All: Surprisingly, yes. Eco, panacea. Also, it seems considerably more penatratable[2] than the last time I read it, I still spot new nice touches, and it's still loooooongish, but it's escapist.
Brain: Want more UE, but like Rose or Pendulum, not Island or thing, I didn't like those.
Me: Sorry.
Brain: Want comedic rant!
Me: OK, fine. How's this?

[1] Pun.
[2] No sniggering.
[3] And then I pottered around in the afternoon, and went to Tim's for evening. It was nice catching up. And we had the Portugal/[2]Holland game on, when there were four red cards and >= recordbreaking 16 yellow, which :

(a) was very entertaining to watch -- they should have green cards for players *not* kicking shins
(b) lets us use the word 'knackers' in about 15 different contexts
(c) good for england because Portugal won, but had two star players sent of and iirc unable to play next time, and several others probably regrowing their gonads
(d) we get to watch history being made, which the other matches afaik haven't been and
(e) the charity Rachel works for gets donated to from the fines, so this moderately sweet girl on behalf of a third world charity is bouncing up and down going "Yay! Knacker more knackers, you load of knackering knackers! Aim for the googlybits! Kick the ball, no not that one!"

Veizla challenges (and whinges)

If anyone would like to record their veizla challenge for posterity, but don't feel like posting it in on your own website/blog, please copy it here.

I remember many lovely ones, and am flattered that most people coped with my challenge well in the end, but was concentrating too hard on keeping the wine and challenges coming out that I didn't really concentrate on any, oops. Anyway, thank you all.

(For that matter, if you have any comments along the lines of "It was quite good, but I really wish you'd done [foo]; could you suggest it for next year?" I'm not specifically soliciting them, but if you want to mention it here is a good place.)