So ...
I've had my electric guitar for about 18 months now and decided it was about time I actually learnt how to play it properly. With this in mind, I had my first paid for lesson on Tuesday just gone.

I was expecting to be told that I had some pretty bad habits. I do, but no where near as many as I feared. Picking hand has a tendency to move to high above the strings and I'm not keeping my fretting hand straight enough. The latter is going to be a bit of a bitch to correct but I am determinedTM to get it right.

Was shown some exercises to help finger strength and speed, which I was already aware of as it turns out. One of the main reasons for lessons though is to make me do the practice. If I know I'm paying money I'm much more motivated to do it right.

The other main thing I wanted lessons for was to learn how to play lead guitar and not be intimidated by it. Was surprised my teacher just slapped on a backing track, told me the key was in E and said off you go! Talk about liberating! I already knew the minor pentatonic scale (which is what a large majority of blues, rock and metal solos are based around) so knew the basic notes I was "allowed" to hit. Fantastic. Traded phrases with the teacher and actually felt like I was a real guitarist making real music. :) Don't worry - it was probably awful but getting over the initial fear was brilliant.

Next step is to start practising my scales and other exercises with a metronome - I've got one but never bothered to use it. This will change - oh yes indeed.

So very, very tired today. Weekend was fantastic and I really, really enjoyed myself. As others have mentioned already, level of kit and roleplay was absolutely top drawer.

I was going to do a hot or not but pretty much everything was hot as far as I was concerned. My group are fantastic. We got to stride around looking pretty impressive and were very effective. Bethan loved it. Jen had a great time as she got to go fighting loads.

Can't wait for the next one.

I have discovered lastFM. I'm actually impressed. It is now my only other social networking site. Predictably I'm urasni on there of anyone else is interested in the sort of music I listen to.

So ...

I've been invited to apply for a job in Panama. I think it shows how deeply down the pan this country is that I'm actually seriously considering it. It maybe a good way to kick me out of my pretty much constant depression and apathy towards life.

Still ... would be a pretty big upheaval. Then again, my sister has done it (emigrated to Zambia) and she seems to be enjoying it. I could send everyone hats as well. :)

Uh oh!

( outbreak )

This is awesome and oh so true.

Starting to get my LRP keen now. Really looking forward to the new system, new group, new character concept, etc. Will be awesome to be in a system from year dot. It's also going to be intersting being the "House Husband" for a change which will let jen_ren do some real r/p. I wonder how I'll cope with it? Given my character concept is being fitted around this though I think it's going to be awesome.

Now just need to convince Bethan that mummy & daddy in face paint isn't that scary a proposition.

Last thing I need is a character name. I'm hopeless at thinking them up.

I ask you LJ land, for someone out there may know.

Will I like the new Mastodon album, Crack the Skye? I like the single Divinations but I've been pretty ambivalent on the few other bits and pieces I've heard by them in the past.

For reference, I love prog rock/metal (e.g. Opeth, Symphony X, Dream THeatre) as well as some of the heavier stuff.

I fully expect no answers to this post! ;)

So very, very tired. It turned out a lot more deadly than I thought it would. There was a combination of some wrong decisions coupled with a large dose of just plain bad-luck - people being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Hot:
* The event team
* "Tiki" Jo - thanks for the tea and food
* Erica - also thanks for the food
* Monsters
* Patience from the monsters having to play the same thing all the time
* The Map. Looked awesome.
* Linears working ... more or less
* Judge "Brute forcing" the Water puzzle. Hilarious and we'd totally not thought about that. ;)
* Players taking everything in good spirits.
* The site. I love it and want to do more events there ... have some ideas for making use of more of it as well.
* DaveY for being on hand to answer questions I really should know the answer to myself.
* James, Lee, Lizzie and others for their help in running out encounters/reffing and advice.
* Getting to see Jen and Bethan

Not:
* Friday disorganisation - mainly my fault as well. :(
* Si's car being knackered
* Saturday night lethargy. I need to find a cure to the "I don't care - send in the Death Knights" feeling I get at events between 23:00 and 01:00.
* Having a stinking cold all weekend
* My buggered knee getting in the way of doing stuff
* Bethan deciding that 3:00am on Sunday morning was a good time to be wide awake.
* Tidy up taking so long

So, overall, I think it was a successful event though, as ever, there are some things I can learn from it.

Is it just me that thinks that having to wait 10 days to see a doctor at a time that isn't in the middle of the working day just shocking? I mean, sorry Mr Blair/Brown for being a tax paying citizen instead of a feckless waster and wanting to use a service that my taxes pay for. GPs charter my arse. Is it so hard to ask for a surgery where I can turn up at 5:30 ish and declare - "Good evening. My knee is damaged and it hurts to walk so I would like to consult a medical professional please." This used to be how things worked. What happened?*

I may as well not bother going. My knee will probably have either a) exploded and I'll have gone direct to hospital, no need to pass GP surgery or collect referral or b) got better by then anyway so there's little point in seeing the GP.

The worst thing is I have mdeical insurance that I would love to use, therefore lessening the stress on the flakey NHS but can't until I get a referral letter from the GP. And then some people are telling me that I'm lucky! I tell you what I actually am - bloody furious.

*gah*


* Other than a disasterous labour government of course