If you had invoked me before you began this journey,

Well, decided that Pete Yorn tomorrow may not be the most brilliant of ideas. Don't want to try and rush domnall back from Mons so I can get to a show. Just wouldn't be fair.

Am still hoping to make the rapier doublet workshop on Sunday. We'll see, but at least I've got the pattern. Have other stuff in various degrees of progress, which is very nice. Slowly, but surely, am working through things.

Work goes well. Actually surprisingly so. It's nice to actually be busy, even if I'm nearly shooting myself over the idiocy contained therein.


As an aside: friend in Canada's into ball-jointed dolls and just got a new one. So I'm restarting the creative juices a bit more with a few small things for her it would seem. Hells, I've got the scrap fabric as is. May as well make a use for it... Should be interesting. And kind of fun.

Would someone mind providing me with the contact information for Argyll?

I need a hair-cut...

Last night, instead of joining in on the sushi-fun, domnall and I decided to get Chinese and just watch a few bad movies.

Ninja Cheerleaders is pretty bad. Not the same level of WTF as Zombie Strippers, and lacking in equivalent memorable lines, but you get the idea.


In theory, I could come up with something more... coherent. And long. But this really isn't the case. Instead, I shall happily sit here and watch Bond films.

First and foremost, I finally uploaded most of the east Coast photos to Photobucket. There are two sub-albums - RI and NYC. RI also includes shots from the Whaling Museum, which is in New Bedford, MA.

What I did not upload are the tags for the art. Therefore, if you're curious about anything - just link and ask and I'll see if I've got the info in the full set on Alia.

I did promise a run-down though, didn't I? Well - overall, the trip went very well. There wasn't nearly as much chaos in RI as I thought there would be, and domnall went over very well. (Then again, I ask you - how could he not? *grin*) Saw most of the people I wanted to, had a grand time, got Flo's Clam Cakes, and hit a mansion (The Breakers) and the Whaling Museum. Overall, pretty damned good.

NYC was a blast as well. In an odd way, I think Saturday was my favorite. We didn't really do anything besides brunch and wandering with my cousin Chris and his girlfriend (who, by the way, is *really* lovely) and then had dinner with an old friend of my mother's from college. She lives by Washington Square, so we watched the crowd gather/watch/etc the Obama's having dinner. Didn't have the foggiest idea what was going on for at least an hour, and when we did find out (thank you iPhone!), it was pretty much over.

Museum-wise, we hit the Rubin (Himalayan), the Natural History Museum, the Cloisters (homg!), and some of the Met (first floor minus American Wing). As part of the Met we also went to the Francis Bacon show. It was, in a single word: amazing. His Study after Velasquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X is one of my all-time favorite paintings, and I saw it. It's always a little different when you're standing in front of the painting (or work of art in general) as opposed to viewing it in a book or on a screen. It's so much better when you see the real thing. The show also had a number of his tritychs and other, later, works. So glad we went.

The Rubin's the only one where there were no photos taken. I did pick up a few books there though, so if anyone's interested... Book-wise, I didn't get into nearly as much trouble as I initially expected to. I almost bought Moda a Firenze at the Met, but talked myself out because I'm not particualry keen on doing late-period Italian costuming. I did end up picking up an interesting book at the Strand which seems to be early stuff on the Oseburg ship and similar digs. i passed on a copy of matthew barney's drawing restraint 4 and the catalogue for damian hirst's beautiful inside my head forever auction.

And now I realize I missed seeing The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living. Damn it. I rather wanted to.


Nonetheless, things were great. We saw Toxic Avenger The Musical, some vaguely-touristy things, and just kind of goofed off and relaxed for two weeks. A blast was had by both of us.

Most of you know of my obsession with the D&D Tiefling and Gnome video.

Well, they just released round two.

Behold! A gnome barbarian!

Home. Bed. Warm. Happy...


Woot!

So, here are just a few of the photos taken both in RI/MA and NYC. Yes, a strange number seem to feature Waffle, but so be it. *grin* Also - today will involve (some of) the Met. *squeal*

( What a long, strange, trip it's been. )

So, RI was, overall, quite nice. Got to see pretty much all the people I wanted to and introduce domnall to them. My extended family, as I think I knew all along, loved him. Was gifted with a really neat book of Scythian art from Joanne – it was one of the first books she’d bound. I didn’t take as many photos as initially planned/thought, but got a few good ones. My dad did as well, and I want to go through those when we get back. I’ve been horrendous at uploading photos, I may get around to it this afternoon. I suppose in theory I could do it now, but I don’t much feel like it. *grin*


domnall was dragged to the New Bedford Whaling Museum (there are photos of Waffle on the Lagoda - we decided he was shanghaied. I also have photos of lovely ivory pie crimpers, picked up a copy of Down to the Sea in Ships, and a book about a Civil War-era whaler. (I was interested, dad was interested, it came home with me.) There was also The Breakers – because if you’re going to be in Newport, you should see a mansion, and if you’re only going to see one it should be either Marble House of The Breakers. And while I’m not particularly fond of either (there are better Preservation Society properties), The Breakers makes me gag less. And actually, it was quite good – since they’ve moved to self-guided tours, we could wander about at our own pace. I ended up noticing a number of things I never had before, which was a pleasant surprise.

I’m writing this on the Metro from New Haven to NYC. It’s a quiet ride, and kind of peaceful. I’ll post it whenever I get a connection – probably not until some point in the city. My father was very kind and gave us a ride up to New Haven – will need to find something for him in thanks for driving us there, as well as dropping us off and picking us up at TIA. Driving with my father is quite amusing – Newport to New Bedford to Providence and back to Newport was particularly fun. Filled with commentary about the chaos and perils of trying to find one’s way around some parts of the state, the craziness of RI drivers, anecdotes about CA driving, and more. This was repeated on the trip to Providence on Saturday night for Caserta’s (pizza – tasty, tasty pizza! And Federal Hill and Nibbles Woodaway aka The Big Blue Bug). Driving around New Haven trying to find Union Station was a similar experience – we were driving through Yale, which seemed to be in mid-graduation.


With luck, will get to meet up with Erin while we’re there and it turns out one of my cousins will be in town as well. His girlfriend (a lovely woman, for the record) works for NYU and apparently lives right near where we’re staying. So we made tentative plans to grab brunch at some restaurant she knows.

Why hello there almost 5:30 am!

Tucson-time.


Have arrived in RI, am in Newport. Life isn't too bad I suppose. People to see today and a bit of wandering to do. I am rather pleased...