Well, it looks like we’re going to be heading back to Mendocino on Sunday for another short vacation. Yea, I know, it’s a rough life we live. Hopefully this time it will be sunnier and warmer, so we can take Corinne to the beach and let her play in the sand. It should be fun, I’m really looking forward to it.
It was a quiet weekend, followed by a quiet week so far. On Saturday we did house stuff, a few errands, and took Corinne to Totland in Berkeley for some exercise. Sunday was more house stuff, and I fired up the grill in the afternoon to smoke some tofu and make dinner. Corinne had fun playing in the back yard as I smoked and grilled, but then she loves playing in the back yard.
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.
When Raelene and I were in France, we saw an impromptu techno rave party at the Place de la Bastille. It was a lot of fun, with a lot of dancing and presumably a lot of glow sticks once the sun went down. Anyway, Happy Bastille Day!
The past weekend had it’s ups and downs, but overall I think it was a good one.
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.
We had a very nice 4th of July last weekend. We saw fireworks on the 3rd, and on the 4th I fired up the grill and cooked up a slew of vegetables and brined tofu. The tofu was too salty, but I think I know what I did wrong so I’m eager to try it again. I was surprised at the complete lack of fireworks on our street on the 4th. I realize they’re illegal to set off, but usually someone does. But no, other than firecrackers here and there it was a very quiet night.
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.
Happy 4th of July, Independence Day!
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.
