Random bits

No more work. Well, a few hours between Xmas and New Year, but this is basically a break now.

The "Classic FM Christmas" double CD is good. All the "classic" carols, done by definitive performers (lots of Kings College Choir), all the descants I really like, and used to sing as a treble. Some great soloists, too: Bryn Terfel is one of my favourites, and Aled Jones is if anything even better as an adult singer than he was as a child.

Little Car got two new tyres this morning. The cheapest available - Pirellis. Ouch... That was 8am, and the market was open, and so were the shops. Got the veg for Xmas, did some clothes shopping (jeans, warm top for Switzerland).

Switzerland - the tickets and so on have come through. Detailed itinerary, guide books, maps.... starting to get all excited about this now! It's nice to have these few days "off" to do the anticipation, for that and for Xmas.

We're sorting and tidying, so there's room to do Xmas prep on Monday. I don't mind "clutter", really, but it'll be nice to have that bit more space.

Tomorrow we'll be driving to Norfolk to pick up Dave's latest Ebay purchase. A car seat, to be adapted to go with his new steering wheel for driving sims. The seller is very close to Letton Hall, so we know where we're going.

I have vague ideas of setting myself a little writing challenge - a story for each of the twelve days of Xmas, to be released on each day. Well, I've done the code that displays each on the right day.... will I write the stories?

And harking back to work, the Careline "Secret Santa" this year presented me with.... not quite a "My Little Pony". Maid Marion, on horseback, wielding broadsword. Costume not bad, sword and pose looks fine to me.

Renaissance Kingdoms news - job offers!

I'm an established farmer now, with pigs in one field and corn in another. (Yes, corn - maize - in 1455. I feed it to my pigs. Don't ask.)

Apart from the one-day hires to work in people's fields, I've been offered a job. My local tavern, the Paga Inn, wants a new bar-maid, and I've been offered the place! A seat at the bar guaranteed, all the beer I want (as long as I pay standard prices for it), and, after a bit of haggling, a clean apron every day and a basket for Daffid when he follows me in there. Daffid - ah, yes. My little lamb. I acquired him while RPing in a game about weresheep, and he sort of stuck... I'll take up the offer when Marya gets back from her planned church retreat in January (while I'm in Switzerland).

We've had a lot of fun partying over in Kendal, and soon it'll be time for the Liverpool Ball. There were plans to have a complicated competition for King and Queen of the Winter, with us appearing in our finest ballgowns (or bikinis?), answering questions, and so on. Due to an interruption by the plague, all we're doing is going straight to the vote. Lots of lovely, accomplished, and well-known ladies entering - but, for some reason I totally fail to understand, I currently have 63% of the vote. Dunno what's going on there... but if I win, I'm welcoming people to the Ball, and leading the dancing. I just hope the King is someone nice... well, looking at the voting there, all the gents in the lead are people I like, so that's fine.