Estrella/Vegas 2010 - Part 11, The Return of Q

I drove back onto site on Friday. I was well rested due to the motel's comfortable beds and also feeling mentally improved due to getting away from people for a day. I was still sick though, so I knew I had to take it easy.

Returning to camp I changed into garb, grabbed my archery gear and went onto the range. I shot... OK. Grand total points for the weekend was on the order of 300. Given I should have shot around 400, I'm have mixed feelings about the whole thing.

Thankfully my friends didn't pry about my vanishing for a day - it was wordlessly acknowledged that I was back and that was the end of it.

After archery the day improved greatly. I can't say that anything spectacular happened, it was mostly just hanging out and window shopping with friends. However that has a quiet pleasure all it's own.

Saturday evening was the grand court. Nine Kingdoms all trying to outdo each other with pomp and circumstance. Somehow I got tapped to process in, possibly because they wanted warm bodies. We were not the only kingdom to do this - I suspect every single member of the Outlands was in their procession.

It wasn't as good as last year - For one thing, the Artemesians didn't put on their usual show. OTOH, I'd rather they saved the riding dragons until next year when I'm likely to have accomplices to help with a dragon hijacking.

Discussions amongst myself and people who know things about the theatre concluded that if Avacal produces another An Tir King, we're going to volunteer to run the procession. Assuming we get buy-in from the participants, it wouldn't take much to put on a better show then anything I saw that night. But then, almost all of them looked thrown together at the last minute.

One super cool thing though - the first Duke of the Society also joined the procession. Now that was impressive!

After the grand procession a bunch of us (excepting garething and thekillerb69) ran away.

Last year when I stuck around for a bit, the court was dull as dirt - lots of people I didn't know giving awards I'd never heard of to other people I didn't know. Apparently I was wrong to do this though because there were more Estrella-specific presentations later in court. This happened again this year, thus I missed garething being called up and named the Estrella archery champion! If I regret one thing this event, it's not being there to see my friend get that! Well earned and I'm happy he was acknowledged. He got a sweet ass scroll too.

Later we sat by our own micro fire pit for a bit and then headed out to find parties. We found several (there were some huge ones in the Atenveldt camps) and checked them out until we started to fade (I was first due to my damn cold - it always grew worse when the sun went down - like I had enough energy to fight the cold or stay warm, but not both, so I was fine in the sunlight).

Twas a good day.

Estrella/Vegas 2010 - Part 12, Travelling To and Fro.

We broke camp Sunday morning and hustled to get all our gear into place. garething managed to secure a ride with SA, so we didn't have to worry about carrying him or his stuff.

After a lunch and last quick run around the merchants, I discovered the worst garb in the history of garb-for-sale. Of course I bought it! ya_inga wanted to set fire to it when I showed it to her. Exactly the sort of reaction I was looking for (provided no open flames are present)!

We drove back to Phoenix to drop off a chunk of the gear, did a small amount of visiting, then took off for our planned destination of Boulder City.

Two points of interest: The first was Wickenberg, where thekillerb69 found a skullcap made of the same material as my new awful garb! Clearly it was meant to be. Also, we were told to watch out for aliens. We didn't see any, but we did see a place advertising alien jerky.

The next was Wikieup, where we were promised the best Southern BBQ to be found in Arizona. Naturally it was closed so we went to another little diner that was covered, floor to ceiling, with diner's graffiti. Also the owners had plastered the place with anti-Obama stuff. It was ridiculously over-the-top. Decent diner fair though, also, they stayed open to accommodate us since we got there about five minutes before they closed and we unknowingly dawdled.

We didn't actually make it to Boulder City mind you, we stopped short in Kingman because it was getting late, finding the second best hotel stay of the trip - we got a three bed suite so that thekillerb69, othelianna and I didn't have to share or use cots. Also the room was huge, comfortable and had free wifi!

100% Recycled Material

It's a music quiz. See if you can figure out the song and band.

Um...
I've noticed you around
I find you very attractive


He took me to the Spider Club on Hollywood and Vine
We drank champagne and we danced all night
We shook the paparazzi for a big surprise
The gossip tonight will be tomorrow's headline


Well, isn't love primitive
A wild gift that you wanna give
Break out of captivity
And follow me, stereo jungle child
Love is the kill - your heart's still wild


If God has a master plan
that only He understands
I hope it's your eyes He's seeing through.


Dark and dangerous like a secret
That gets whispered in a hush
When I wake the things I dreamt about you
Last night make me blush


Jenny was sweet
She always smiled for the people she meet
On trouble and strife:
She had another way of looking at life.


I thought that dreams belonged to other men.
'cause each time I got close they'd fall apart again.


When you are sad and lonely and have no place to go
Call me up, sweet baby, and bring along some dough


Take my life
Time has been twisting the knife
I don't recognise
People i care for


Gina's has a problem
she thinks she's going to change the world
puts it down on paper
sends it to no one.


Now here we are
We're licking skin to wipe us clean
Strike a match, pour gasoline
Ditch the scene and watch this city burn


I've been a player in the crowd scene
A flicker on the big screen
My soul embraces one more in a million faces
High hopes and aspirations, ideas above my station
Maybe but all this time I've tried to walk with dignity and pride


I analyze every second I exist
Beatin' up my mind every second with my fist


The world revolves.
Fate deals the cards.
You don't get to choose if you win or loose.
You learn there are no rules.


Jealousy, turning saints into the sea
Swimming through sick lullabies
Choking on your alibis.
Mr. Brightside - The Killers (guessed by spookiemonkie2)