On Sunday a friend named Erin came over and cooked some amazing food for us. Erin is studying to become a chef and needs to log hours in client’s kitchens, so it was a win for everyone.

The coming weekend is a busy one. On Saturday we’re going to a birthday party, and then a friend is stopping by in the evening for an hour or so. Today is Raelene’s half birthday, and I have a little surprise planned for her this evening. Hopefully she will like it.

There is a bunch of stuff I’ve been wanting to blog about, but I haven’t had the time. Maybe next week you will see some of it.

On Saturday I took Zoe in for a routine vet appointment. The doctor said she looked fine, although we are still waiting on the results of her lab work. To help avoid predators birds are excellent at hiding when they’re ill, so I take Zoe in to the vet once  a year just in case. By the time your companion bird looks ill, it’s usually too late.

Sunday was quiet. We went to dinner at Natures Express, and then went for a drive through the hills out by Marinez and Orinda. We saw cows, horses, deer, and turkeys, which was great except Corinne really wanted to see chickens. I think she enjoyed herself despite the lack of chickens though, and last night even asked to go on another drive to see the horses and hippies.

I’m not coming down with the crud, so it looks like the coming weekend will be low energy as well. That, of course, does not mean it wont be busy. On Saturday Raelene is getting a massage, and Sunday is the Berkeley Kite Festival and a friend’s going away party. I also hope to do some grilling, but I’m not sure if that’s going to happen.

Corinne hasn’t been sleeping well this week, and this morning I think she woke up with a bit of a cold. Raelene too, which I guess means I’m next. Hopefully it wont be bad, and will pass quickly.

We have very little planned for next weekend, maybe lunch out on Sunday but that’s about it. Hopefully I can use the break in our social schedule to get more house stuff done.

On Saturday I ran a Dresden Files RPG game at DresdaCon, and I had a lot of fun. I was incredibly nervous going in. I’d never run a DFRPG game before, and I wasn’t sure how well I would remember the rules during play. The game also requires a lot of improvisation to keep the story moving and interesting, which is also intimidating since I don’t have a lot of experience doing stuff like that. In the end I think everyone at the table stepped up to create a very enjoyable game. I’m ready to play again.

On Sunday we attended a friend’s wedding. It was in a beautiful, historic building in Berkeley. The ceremony was short but touching, and the reception was a lot of fun. I saw a bunch of old friends, and was able to catch up a little bit (although it’s never long enough). Corinne dealt with it fairly well. The wedding was during the tail end of her nap, so I wore her out in the morning to get her to nap early. She sat through the first half of the ceremony, and then we went and did some exploring. She had a grand time, and even did some dancing with Raelene and I before we headed home.

Next Saturday I’m running a 4 hour game at Endgame’s DresdaCon. It is essentially the same thing as a MiniCon, but there are fewer games and all of them are the new Dresden Files RPG. Several of the game designers will be there, and the event is even going to be catered. It should be fun, although I’m really starting to feel the stress. I want everyone to fully enjoy the game, but I wont know for sure how well I understand the system and how to play until I start playing. There is also a lot of creativity and improvisation involved, neither of which are my strong suits these days.

On Sunday we’re attending the wedding of our friends David and Sarah. I’ve known David for something like 15 years now, and we’re very happy for the both of them. The trick is going to be to get Corinne down for a nap early so we can be there by 4PM. Either that, or we stall on the nap and hope she falls asleep in the car and through the ceremony. We’ll figure something out, I’m sure, even if her nap doesn’t cooperate.

Last night Raelene, Corinne, and I went to the Craneway Pavilion and enjoyed the free concert followed by the City of Richmond’s fireworks display. This is the same place we went last year, and word has definitely gotten out. The venue was packed, and the only seats we were able to find were in the middle of a row. This meant me going back and forth to the aisle, either to get something from the stroller or to take a very squirmy Corinne out for a stroll. We eventually gave up on the seats, and went outside to wait for the display.

It was far colder and windier than last year too, so Corinne and I were very happy Raelene insisted on everyone bringing something heavy and warm. When the fireworks started, they were firing directly into a strong headwind. This meant the show was very low to the water, as charge that was intended to get the mortars up were instead pushing them out. The lower sections of a number of the big bursts hit the water, and several shells went off right on top of the crew in what I have to assume was an unplanned way. I hope no one was hurt.

The show was amazing though. Corinne loved it, although it was way past her bedtime and she was having trouble staying awake. She put her head down on my shoulder, and I turned her so she could watch. Once she show was over she feel asleep in my warms as we walked to the car, and I put her to bed with little trouble. I’d love to go to the Craneway again next year, but my worry is it’s going to be the place to be to watch the show and therefore just too crowded and crazy a place to be.