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algandarsplaguepositive · 3 years

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“Take Note”

A/N: This is a story I wrote several years ago partly for myself and partly for my friend Sammy and it was originally based on a post talking about how if Zane were to ever permit Genius into the City of Flowers it would probably end in disaster. I won’t say anything more to spoil the story but content warning for descriptions of blood and violence. That alone probably spoiled it but oh well.

I did make a few small grammatical revisions and changed the dagger to a letter opener because it makes more sense in context. Also, on an unrelated note, I wrote this with the initial assumption that Zane was taller than Genius but upon seeing their character models next to each other (which the game seems to be pretty good about keeping their in-game character heights true to the heights in their bio), I discovered Zane is actually shorter than Genius which takes away from the intimidating vibe but hey, he can always hover to make himself a few inches taller to tower of Genius and scare him, right?

Despite how grateful the young scientist was at having the privilege to live such close proximity to the City of Flowers, one thing that Genius could not stand was the humidity. Being in a marshland, it was to be expected but nevertheless, he preferred days in which the air was cold and dry, especially in his long overcoat.

It had been a particularly nice day as Genius decided that he wouldn’t spend it cooped up in his shack but rather take his research outside. It was a perfect day to study the flora and fauna of the region, so he packed a rucksack with some of his many notebooks, scholarly texts, and of course his precious microscope along with a pack of slides to keep specimens.

Once he was all packed and ready, he headed up the path with the intention of visiting the swamp north of the City of Flowers. To his surprise, however, he didn’t have to walk far before finding himself face-to-face with the light elf leader himself, Lord Zane.

Genius suddenly became flustered. The only time he had ever seen Lord Zane was from afar, through a telescope. This was the first time ever he ever made it this close to the elf lord. He looked… different than Genius expected. He was definitely taller than the other light elves he had encountered during previous attempts at the gate. The boy was both intimidated yet charmed at the same time.

Knowing about Lord Zane’s disdain for humans, he expected their first encounter face-to-face to be met with something along the lines of a cold glare along with some harsh words from the elf leader but to Genius’s surprise, he was…smiling?

“So…” Lord Zane began, a smirk upon his lips and his hands behind his back. “You must be the human who has taken such a keen obsession with my City of Flowers. Would you care to give me your name?”

“P-Professor Genius W-W-Weisheit, sir—err your lordship.“ Genius stuttered.

“I see.” The elf lord nodded. “Now, I might as well get straight to the point. I know you’re watching my city. I know you’re watching my citizens. But most importantly, I know you’re watching me.”

Genius’s face turned beet red, “W-Well…I-I-I have asked Shin and Fan to…uh… let me in but, you know, they’ve always refused. B-But let me assure you that never have I once—”

“Do you think I’m blind?” Lord Zane scoffed, “I know what’s going on. Don’t try to act like that giant, invasive telescope of yours doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb.”

“It’s not pointed at the City of Flowers!”

“True. It’s not. At least not all the time.” The elf lord maintained a calm voice, his hands still behind his back. His composed expression soon changed into a glare, “Sometimes it’s pointed at the waterhole that I bathe in.”

Genius’s face burned with humiliation.

“I suppose I shouldn’t be too angry. The fact that a human—and an esteemed scholar at that, has taken such a fascination with me is flattering. However, I hope you understand that this can no longer go on.”

Genius gazed down at the ground and sighed.

“I’ll make you a deal; I’ll let you into my city just this once. I’ll let you see everything that you need for the sake of this research of yours. Be sure to take plenty of notes because this will be the only time I’ll let ever let you in. I’ll let you gather all the information you need regarding my city, my culture, and my people on the condition that you promise to never come to this region ever again unless you’re willing to suffer dire consequences. Well, does that sound good to you?”

Genius was silent. He couldn’t believe he was actually being offered an opportunity like this from elf leader of all people. Completely startled, he forgot that Lord Zane was waiting for an answer.

“Well, Genius? Yes or no?” Lord Zane spoke up.

“Absolutely!” Genius caught himself. He was ecstatic. For so long, he had only dreamt about entering such a place as the City of Flowers and now it seemed like all his hard work was finally about to be paid off.

The enthused scientist eagerly followed the elf lord back to the city gates. Shin and Fan were guarding it as usual but instead of being met with hostility, he was greeted warmly as he and Lord Zane walked past them and walked through the entrance. The crevice they walked through was pitch black. Following the light of the elf lord’s wings, he worried that he might get stuck between the wedged walls.

Finally, there was a light at the end of the tunnel and upon entering the light he was met with a breathtaking sight. This was it--the forbidden elven city that he had strived so single-mindedly to see firsthand. It was everything he thought it would be and more. His dreams had finally come true.

Wooden huts of varying sizes with grass roofs that lined the cliff, glowing white evening blooms that lined the walkways to light up the path at night, spectacular waterfalls leading into flowing rivers of pristine water— it was all there. The sweet smell of flowers and grass was overwhelming. It was as if he had entered heaven itself. Genius wanted to write down in his notes everything he was seeing. He even wanted to draw pictures of it but he was positively entranced by the very thought of being there.

“I suppose you would like a tour.” Lord Zane turned to face Genius.

“I would like that very much, your lordship.” Genius tried to hold back his tears of joy.

~~~

The day eventually drew to a close. The sun was beginning to set and Genius was satisfied with how much he had filled up his notebook with information and sketches of everything he saw and learned that day. He felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. This was the most progress he had ever made in his research on elves and the entire day, he felt like a kid in a candy store. However, there was one place he had not yet gotten a chance to see but couldn’t bring himself to ask Lord Zane for because he felt like it would come across as ungrateful.

“You want to see my house, I assume?” Lord Zane turned to Genius.

Genius grinned and nodded. Containing his excitement was nearly impossible. Lord Zane drew back the leafy veil in the doorway to his house and beckoned the boy inside.

His house was much like some of the other buildings he had seen but much larger. There were plants growing from every surface, it seemed. One thing he had taken note of was that the elves didn’t seem to feel the need to destroy nature in order to build a home of their own. They tended to let nature grow around them. If it wasn’t already apparent in the other buildings he had seen, it was definitely so here.

To the right, Genius saw a large table that had various papers scattered about on it in addition to other miscellaneous clutter. To the left, a couch and in front of him was a throne. There looked like there was also an upper level to the house but he hadn’t cared to ask what was up there.

“Well, I suppose now you’ve seen everything.” Lord Zane made his way to the table, his back to Genius. He didn’t bother to turn around as he continued, “Did you take a lot of notes?”

Genius smiled, “Yes, your lordship. I did.”

“Have you written down everything you wished to record?”

“Yes, sir.” he nodded proudly.

The tone in the man’s voice seemed to change, “You possess some valuable information. You’ve learned everything there is to know about us. I hope you’re satisfied now because unfortunately for you…” Lord Zane slowly turned around, revealing a sharp, silver letter opener gripped in his hand that he had kept concealed under the mess of papers, “The only place you can take this information is to your grave.”

Genius peered down at the blade in both shock and horror. His adrenaline rushed and his heart pounded loudly in his ears. In a panic he barely realised that he had dropped his notebook as he was backing away from the armed elf lord.

Some loose pages from the notebook fell out and scattered about the floor. Lord Zane stepped on them as he advanced toward the boy with his blade raised, light gleaming from the reflection. Closer and closer the elf lord came and louder and louder the boy’s heart pounded. The sound of it deafened everything else around him except his own shrilling cries which were soon turned into muffled screams. The pages, the notes, the sketches were now ruined by blood stains.

#radiata stories #zane's writing #cw blood #cw violence #cw death #long post

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drashleighreid · 4 years

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not to be SAPPY on main but these past few months have been so transformative. i have been so lucky and blessed, i have learned so much and received so many wonderful blessings it’s almost unreal. i moved into the most beautiful one bedroom apartment and i live by myself and i couldn’t love it any more?? it’s everything i’ve ever wanted. i have huge windows and i can sit on my couch in the sun and read and watch birds drink the nectar from the flowers in the tree right beside me 😭 i can cook, and listen to music, and walk around in my underwear, and sing, and dance, and invite people over, and decorate how i want, and it’s just so liberating and the most beautiful space and it makes me so happy. i got a new car and its LIT !!!! its almost everything i’ve wanted from a car i love it so much FUCK it literally has ASS warmers for my cold ASS. bless. i made a FILM that has been extremely well received !!!! and im so proud of it. the cast and crew i worked with were the most wonderful, amazing human beings i’ve ever encountered in my life and we’re all really good friends now ??? and we DID that ?? im so excited to enter it into film festivals and to continue working on creative projects !!! ive just met the most wonderful people too ?? so many kind, interesting, warm-hearted, funny people who i’ve connected with on such beautiful levels. people who’ve made me feel so good about myself, and the person that i am. people who have made me feel happy to know them. people who have made me feel so excited to be alive in that moment sharing with them and hearing their stories !!!! all of my relationships with people just feel so much stronger !!! my family in particular, i have never been closer with them before and im so excited to go and spend christmas with them. i’ve never felt more comfortable in my own skin and happier to be me. not that its conducive of anything or really important or necessary, but i’ve lost quite a bit of weight this year and i just feel a lot more comfortable in my skin, mostly because it’s linked to the out of control feelings id have when i used to binge eat for comfort, which i don’t do anymore. so feeling more in control of how i take care of myself and my body just makes me feel more beautiful and confident and i love it. i’ve started working out regularly again and am getting back into the fitness classes that i used to teach and im enjoying it so much!!! i feel stronger already and i love taking care of my body. i forgot how much working out and pushing myself physically is a vital part of who i am and what i enjoy. i missed the challenge and i love the environment and who i am. im just !!! so excited for everything and so happy its so magical considering how rough the first half of this year was for me in terms of my self-confidence and the negativity i just felt swamped by and the helplessness i felt in every facet of my life. it just feels like i had one of those turning points where every single area of my life improved so quickly that it left me breathless. but i DID that. im so passionate about things again. im being creative and working on original things, im hanging out with really cool people, ive been reading SO many books recently which has been something thats gone by the wayside for quite a while for me, ive been teaching myself piano and tarot and im excited to try new things and push myself because its just so beautiful to be alive and learn new things im so GRATEFUL ,,, fuck

i JUST ,,, this is such a long post and im no doubt forgetting things that im just so HAPPY about but DAMN. if you read this thank you and thank you for just existing and i hope good things come to you. i feel like im in such a good place to send positive vibes into the universe and im sending all of mine to u love u thank u 🌻💕💖

#p #long post #rm

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buithuyan · 4 years

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Summer Waves

(Bài viết tiếng Việt ở dưới)

Writing this blog post in a freaking gloomy rainy cold winter day. Well, I know this one should have been written half a year ago when I finished painting "Summer waves" in summer. But hey, the good news is there is always summer somewhere in this earth, right? ;) Plus I was too swamped with work, I didn't have time to edit the video that should go with it.

I started drafting this fashion illustration when I was in Chiangmai, a northern mountain town of Thailand. A bit of information for travel lovers: it's really worth visiting and perhaps living in this city. I stayed there for a couple of weeks and I loved the artistic vibe, the peacefulness, the nature and people there, etc. There are so many things to do in that town, a bunch of cool coffee shops and above all, I think I loved it that much because somehow it reminded me of Hanoi of 15-20 years ago. That wasn't only my childhood but also the time Hanoi was still so calm and peaceful. Hanoi still has its charm and I know I'll always love it but I also long to see my home town with calmness and peacefulness of days long gone.

When I was there I often found myself working in different coffee shops. One day, when I was siting in a cafe working as usual; I said myself: Let draw something about summer!. What can remind me of summer better than beaches and cool colorful cocktails there??? ;) Making the girl holding a lime cocktail as the focal point, I decided to create a hint of beaches and oceans with blue waves instead of actually drawing detail ones.

Unlike commissioned projects for clients with fixed briefs, I usually think a lot about my ideas before actually drawing anything for my personal projects. Normally, at the point when I finally start drawing, I already have a clear vision of what I want: from the composition, details of objects I want to put in there to color palette I want to use. However, sometimes things you have in your mind can change during the process. I thought I would want the painting to be in a square format but at the end I saw it appeared better in vertical rectangular one so I cropped it (you can see that in the video).

Also, I love playing around with watercolor effects in different positions, blending modes, opacity levels. Different combinations give you different effects, you never know for sure what exactly you'll get. I often find it interesting to stimulate my brain that way. The possibilities are endless. There's no fix recipe in mixing those effects for me, I always change things around, trying to find different mixes in each painting.

The process of making this fashion illustration and other mixed media ones of mine can be broken down in 4 parts:

1- Creating detail pencil drawing

2- Creating watercolor textures and other elements ( in this case, it's the text)

3- Scan all the hand drawn elements. I always scan everything I draw/ paint with 600dpi- The bigger, the better. It's very easy to downsize a picture but supper hard, nearly impossible to upsize one.

4- Coloring and Combining 1 and 2 with graphic software ( I use Adobe Photoshop CC).

You can see my step by step process in this video:

If you have any other question, please let me know, I'm happy to hear from you.

Thanks for reading and hope to see you in my next article.

Much love and peace.

(Please scroll down for more pictures)

Mình viết bài này trong một ngày mùa đông mưa rất lạnh và ảm đạm. Mình biết mình nên viết nó khi mình vẽ xong "Summer waves" vào mùa hè. Nhưng mà không sao, các bạn biết đấy, tin tốt là sẽ luôn có một nơi nào đấy trên trái đất này đang là mùa hè, phải không? ;) Thêm nữa, mình đã rất bận và không đủ thời gian để dựng video đi kèm với bài viết này.

Mình bắt đầu hình thành ý tưởng cho bức minh họa thời trang này khi mình ở Chiangmai, một thành phố thuộc vùng núi phía Bắc Thái Lan. Một chút thông tin dành cho các bạn thích đi du lịch: Thành phố này rất đáng để ghé thăm, có thể là đáng sống ở đấy nữa. Mình đã ở đây vài tuần và rất yêu bầu không khí nghệ thuật, sự bình yên, thiên nhiên và con người nơi đây. Thành phố này có rất nhiều thứ để thăm thú cũng như rất nhiều quán cafe đẹp và hay ho. Hơn tất thảy, mình nghĩ mình yêu thành phố nhỏ đó vì bằng cách nào đấy nó đã gợi nhớ mình về Hà Nội cách đây 15-20 năm. Đó không chỉ là quãng đời tuổi thơ của mình mà còn là lúc Hà nội vẫn còn rất êm đềm, bình yên. Hà Nội giờ vẫn có sức cuốn hút riêng của nó và mình biết mình sẽ luôn yêu thành phố quê hương của mình tuy nhiên mình cũng luôn khắc khoải về những ngày xưa cũ đã từng rất bình yên nơi đây.

Khi mình ở Chiangmai, mình thường ngồi làm việc trong các quán cafe. Một ngày khi mình đang ngồi cafe làm việc như thường lệ, mình tự nhủ: Hãy vẽ cái gì đó về mùa hè thôi! Còn có gì có thể nhắc nhớ mình về mùa hè tốt hơn những bãi biển và những ly cocktail sặc sỡ chứ??? Chọn cô gái cầm ly coctail chanh làm tâm điểm, mình đã quyết định sẽ chỉ đưa ra "gợi ý" về bãi biển và đại dương bằng những con sóng màu xanh thay vì vẽ chúng một cách chi tiết.

Không giống như những dự án làm cho khách hàng với những bản tóm tắt công việc đã được định sẵn, với những dự án cá nhân mình thường suy nghĩ rất lâu về ý tưởng của mình trước khi bắt đầu vẽ. Thường thì lúc đặt bút vẽ, mình đã có sẵn trong đầu hình ảnh tưởng tượng rất rõ ràng từ cách bố cục, chi tiết các đối tượng mình muốn đặt vào đó cho đến bảng màu mình muốn sử dụng trong tranh. Tuy nhiên, đôi lúc những thứ bạn đã dự định trong đầu có thể thay đổi trong quá trình bạn vẽ. Lúc đầu mình đã nghĩ mình muốn vẽ bức minh họa này trên khổ vuông nhưng sau đó mình thấy đặt nó vào bố cục dọc nhìn hay hơn nên mình đã crop bớt đi ( bạn có thể thấy thay đổi đó trong video nhé).

Mình cũng rất thích “nghịch” các hiệu ứng màu nước: Thay đổi vị trí sắp xếp, thay đổi các chế độ hòa trộn và thay đổi độ mờ đục. Những tổ hợp khác nhau cho bạn những hiệu ứng khác nhau, bạn sẽ không bao giờ biết trước chắc chắn kết quả bạn nhận được. Mình thấy kích thích trí não của mình theo cách đó rất thú vị. Các khả năng ở đây là vô hạn. Mình không có một công thức cụ thể nào cho việc kết hợp các hiệu ứng mà luôn thay đổi để tìm ra những cách kết hợp mới cho mỗi bức vẽ.

Quá trình vẽ bức minh họa thời trang này cũng giống như những bức vẽ mixed media khác của mình sẽ gồm 4 phần:

1- Vẽ chì chi tiết

2- Tạo các hiệu ứng màu nước và các yếu tố khác (trong trường hợp này là chữ "Hello summer")

3- Scan tất cả các phần vẽ tay. Mình luôn scan tranh của mình với độ phân giải 600dpi, bản scan càng to càng tốt vì giảm kích thước thì rất dễ nhưng làm nó to lên thì cực khó hoặc gần như không thể.

4- Tô màu và kết hợp số 1 và 2 bằng phần mềm đồ họa (Mình dùng Adobe Photoshop CC).

Các bạn có thể theo dõi quá trình vẽ của mình trong video này:

Nếu các bạn có câu hỏi gì thì hãy nhắn tin cho mình nhé, mình sẽ rất vui khi nhận được phản hồi từ các bạn

Cảm ơn vì đã đọc và hẹn gặp lại các bạn trong bài viết lần sau.

Yêu thương và bình yên.

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martinlawless · 3 years

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Velo-Schils BMCR Double Circuit Races

2 x Cat ABCD races 9 May 2021 Northern Gateway Sports Park, Colchester

The Northern Gateway Sports Park is a rubbish name for a really good brand new facility on the edge of Colchester. It features a one-mile cycle circuit loop. The Velo-Schils BMCR races there caught my eye as it was a chance to check it out.

This would be my first BMCR race and partly a plan to focus more and more on veteran’s racing, with a view to having a good go at some of the Vet 50+ races next year. The 30 spaces filled up pretty fast and I scanned the start list beforehand and did a crude calculation of who I might be able to get the best of, and who was better than me. My slide rule suggested I would be 14th.

I packed well in advance. It’s nice to feel prepared. However, with 48 hrs to go, my rear wheel decided to fail. It is on its last legs. Or maybe even finished. Luckily, a word out through Strava and I had several offers of a spare wheel. I also found time to see Richard in Ashwell for some TLC on the wheel to patch it up as best as could be done.

The drive over is quite long, but it’s very easy and I’m there without fuss. The facility is really new. It reminds me of Lee Valley Velodrome in some ways: layout and general buzz. The circuit has a similar vibe too.

The loop is really quite straightforward, making it fast. The bends are mostly gentle, it’s as good as flat, so every corner is attacked at speed. It is a flatter version of the Lee Valley circuit, without the dead-ish corner at the far end. An MK Bowl-Lee Valley lovechild. It does have an oddly sketchy chicane - near the finish line too. In itself not a bad challenge, but the run off is into chunky gravel and pretty certain disaster if you need to ride into it. I would recommend they fringe it with some safer rideable edges. Like they have at Lee Valley.

I arrive in good time, register and pin up and get a good 20 minutes easy rollering in. Mostly to wake the driving legs up. It’s warm with a light breeze for the first race. This would be a double race event. Each half-hour race, half an hour apart. I have brief chats with CC Luton’s Matt who I met at the Ashwell chaingang a few weeks ago. And I get to congratulate Valentino on his great 6th place at last weekend’s Hog Hill race. I twiddle away in the car park whilst watching the 60+ age category race and hope I’ll be as fit and fast as those guys one day in the future.

We set off on a neutralised lap. We’re going clockwise. I hear later that British Cycling won’t approve the course to go anti-clockwise. But can’t work out why. Going clockwise means hitting the chicane hard near the finish line and adds considerable drama.

We glide over the start line, the flag goes and we’re off and full gas. As I’ve literally never raced a millimetre of the nice tarmac, I choose to tuck inside the bunch for the first few laps to try and figure out the best lines. It’s a northerly wind and I get into a gliding rhythm of drifting from one side of the bunch line to the other in search of shade from the breeze. At times, the bunch seem indifferent to the optimal protection from the wind, which is good news to me. I find out that the first left bend is too tricky to try and jump on the inside. It’s too tight and you lose all your speed. The far bend that brings on the return leg is gentle and swooping and quite easy to find the right line except for when you get over the rise where you need to be careful not to clip off the left edge of the track. There’s a significant drop in height to the left. If you come off the track here, it would be interesting to see if you could claw back on OK.

The return leg of the lap is gentle in curve. This will most often be a headwind and possibly where a break would most commonly be made or consolidated.

Then, turning to the lap start/finish, there’s a chicane. If you’re not being observant, it will catch you out and you’re off into the heavy gravel stuff. Past here and it’s a dash to the line. Really short.

After a short while I’m conscious of the burn I’m making being at the back. Too much braking and surging. Wasted watts. I try and climb higher into the bunch and have an easier time. I notice many riders are not carrying a bottle but I do - to keep the airways clear and cool and to swig and signal when you want to communicate you’re not going to push hard on the front.

There are some great riders in the mix and I am aware my chances of any success lies in keeping it a bunch and going long at the end. There are some brave moves at a breakaway. But everyone is too fresh to let anything go. Having said that, in to the last lap and one rider has a certain gap while we others chase down the rest of the places. I have a good go at things with half a lap to go and find myself in a decent position where there’s good momentum. It seems it won’t be a slow - then manic surging - finish. My least favourite race finish. We swoop the final corner and everyone is pretty locked into their position. I have a clean run in and am happy to come in 10th, 4th in Age Category (B, 45-49).

We clear the course, there’s a bit of banter and I make my way back to the rollers for 10 minutes to keep the legs turning ahead of race 2. It’s now hotter. The bike computer is saying 26 degrees, with heat bouncing off the tarmac. It’s also significantly windier.

Fresh energy drink. Another gel. A little chewy bar. An apple. We’re off into race 2. I can feel the lack of freshness this time but also know that others will feel it too. It’s a relaxed start and one guy goes rogue over the chicane and cuts across the course, to prove his cyclo-cross skills and maybe to make a point on this pokey-out bit. Laughter over, it dials up. Soon, it’s hot wattage again. I feel like I’m in the Ashwell chaingang, “lap 3”, where it’s biting but doable. I can feel we’re dropping riders here and soon start to see some on the opposing part of the track. But I’m doing OK and enjoying learning the curves. At one point I see Valentino and a few others consolidate a break and think that looks good. I breathe in a make a burst over to them. I’m pleased to have made the leap. Unfortunately, my effort wasn’t quite a clean break and I pull the bunch with me too much. But, I’m pleased to have been able to apply this effort without too much trouble.

Fresh legs. My strategy to get to today with fresh legs looked like this:

Sunday, hard short Zwift crit, full beans for 22 mins.

Monday, easy 2.5hrs road ride

Tuesday, hard Ashwell chaingang, 1 hr 15 mins

Wednesday, hard Ashwell 10m TT, 23 mins 40 secs.

Thursday, nothing really. Home-made 40 mins HIT gym session, + 5k light run.

Friday, 20 miles easy morning tailwind ride. Was thinking about a Zwift crit too, but exhausted by a stressful day at work.

Saturday, nothing. Sports physio in the afternoon.

Sunday, racin’. 48hrs of fresh legs.

I enjoy the level-headedness of my co-riders. No stoopid moves. Though one rider does lurch to the left and I have to be evasive to avoid getting chopped. A Rapha CC rider observes this and raises his eyebrows at me and laughs, while I roll my eyes invisibly from behind my fancy new shades. Drama - but no drama - sort of thing. Grown ups.

OK. Last few laps. I don’t quite know how, but I read the lap counter wrong. On reflection, I may have read “3 laps to go” as the sign was being put out - not to announce it was actually “3 laps to go”. Anyway, for whatever reason, when I see the Colourtech rider, followed by the nippy Stow CC rider ping off the front with what I think is the final lap, I go with. I cross the line and hear the bell and don’t see the chequered flag. Oops. Racing is planning and opportunism. What to do now? Without much thought, I figure, I may as well give it full beans and see what happens. There are no points to score this season. Colourtech chap is significantly ahead and not interested in teaming up. Stow CC fella is burning up fast and I’m catching him. But I’m frazzling quickly too. The bunch are around 8-10 bike lengths behind. Into the headwind and I can see and feel this is a desperate attempt to beat the bunch. They are not relenting and I am dipping below 25mph. This is hopeless.

Stow elbows me to take the front but my help is feeble. Into the final big bend and I can hear the wheels of the bunch. I’m pedalling squares in the final short sprint and swamped. 11th, 4th in Age Category again (B, 45-49). Ah well. I had a go. This might have worked if I had been allowed to escape with half a lap to go. Something to think about for another time. It was good to pressure the bunch and I will think about such a move again in the future. I need to use my TT more in races.

Race over. We’re all done. I say bye to Mark, Valentino and several other of my competitors for the day and get home without fuss. I think about a celebratory McDonalds from the one opposite the park, but the 40 car queue puts me right off an it’s a bobbins Wild Bean Cafe BP garage americano and a banana and clementine from my food bag instead.

I look forward to more adventures here and more BMCR racing too.

Strava links: https://www.strava.com/activities/5266417763 https://www.strava.com/activities/5266971821

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superoderick-blog · 6 years

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i believe we’ll be okay | joderick

WHO: Roderick Meeks & Joe Hart (@itsjoehart) WHAT: Roderick makes his first friend at WIU. WHERE: Waldron Quad. WHEN: Saturday, November 11th, mid morning. WARNINGS: Nah!

Roderick could smell delicious food - his stomach gave an appreciative rumble as he made his way to the Quad. He could hear laughter and shouting, and he steeled himself for the rush of emotions that would swamp him as soon as he got closer. It was an awful lot of people. Hopefully nobody would be having a meltdown over brunch before school even started - a lot of happier emotions were always easier to deal with. He got in line for food - it was a long line - and sighed to himself as he looked around him. WIU really was beautiful.

Joe sighed. His toes felt crunched in his shoes, boots made specifically for the colder seasons. He missed his sandals dearly, but he knew they were meant for the warmer months (although if Joe thought he could get away with it without receiving frost bite in return, he absolutely would wear them in 5 ft of snow). Luckily, the comfy scarf around his neck gave him some inner peace to walk graciously into such a large group of new students. The food smelled delicious, and he was happy to find there were vegetarian options for people like him ( was there a super power that made you unable to eat meat?), as well as drinks like Kombucha and Coconut Water instead of soda and juice. With a hum, he joined the line for sustenance just like every other student, and happily waited his turn. His eye caught a boy in front of him. He tapped a small with lizard-like eyes in front of him and politely requested to take a step ahead of her to talk to his friend. With a smile, she happily let him through. It wasn't necessarily a lie, Joe thought. Everyone was a potential friend if you tried hard enough. "Excuse me," he was standing what he was sure was probably too close, but Joe often pushed boundaries until they were set.

Roderick turned in surprise and found himself face to face with...yeah, no, he didn't know this guy, but he felt safe enough - a cursory swipe at the guy's emotions didn't reveal anything that made Roderick any more wary than he already was--no desire to do ill-will, at least not right on the surface--so Roderick slid his oversized headphones off his ears and raised his eyebrows. "Yeah?" Had he met this guy already? Should he know his name? Roderick felt like he would remember him, if only because of all the dreads. "Do you...need something, or?"

A grin formed on pink-tinted cheeks. "No, not at the moment. Food would be great, but no complaints here." Joe shrugged his shoulders, long dreads falling all to one shoulder. "I'm Joe." He stated simply, eyes warm and hand out, expecting Roderick to shake. While he knew that some super-humans and fromians didn't shake hands simply because of something power-related, Joe didn't feel any different vibes from him, just a nervous awkwardness that came with a lot of teenagers their age. Or what Joe assumed was their age. "I like your headphones. What are you listening to?"

Roderick hesitated for a moment, glancing between his outstretched hand and the line of people around them. "Um, I'm Roderick." On the one hand, he could just do it and not be weird about it, but people got pissed when he went poking around in their feelings, no matter how much he tried not to. "And I'm an empath. If I shake your hand I'll have a way better idea what you're feeling, so if you don't want me minding your business..." Roderick shrugged, fully expecting the hand to be withdrawn. People didn't like their privacy invaded. He moved forward, following the line's movement. How much food did it take to feed like a gazillion hungry college kids? "Sinatra. And thanks. Do you like music?" Roderick blinked. Do you like music. What sort of dumbass question. Everybody liked music. He sighed through his nose and quickly caught his annoyance before it could spread to other people - he was annoyed at himself and he didn't need everybody else to be annoyed too. Stupid.

Joe frowned for a short moment, before perking back up again. "I don't mind," he promised. "Unless you mind. In which case, nice to meet you, Roderick." He grinned once more, sending out more calming emotions with his new knowledge of his potential-friend's power, "You ever go by Rick?" Following the line, Joe fiddled around with the cross that settled heavily across his chest. "I love music. I'm more of a Christian-rock and Reggae kind of guy, but Sinatra is a classic. Fly Me to the Moon is one of my mom's favorite songs." He tried again to smile more reassuringly this time, Roderick giving off more tense vibes. Maybe Joe was making him uncomfortable? "By the way," he interrupted before the boy could speak, "if you need me to like, cha cha real smooth back a few steps, feel free to let me know." A musical joke. Heat flushed to his cheeks at such a dorky callback.

Roderick's mouth quirked into a smile, though his brow knitted in confusion. Joe Christian Music Guy talked a lot. That wasn't a bad thing, necessarily, because Roderick didn't mind listening, he was just never sure where to start with people like that. "You're okay." Roderick promised, amused more than anything. With this many people around, a difference of a few inches wasn't going to be much, but it was nice of him to offer. "Christian-rock and Reggae? That's cool." So the stereotype wasn't totally false - he wondered if Joe Christian Rock Guy had pot-leaf decorations in his room. "People mostly just call me Roderick," he added with a shrug, "but I don't mind the nickname, I guess." He'd been called way worse things. "Um, are you...a first year too?"

Humming, Joe reclaimed his place closer to Roderick again after his acceptance of the distance. If he didn't mind, neither would Joe. "Yep! Just got here. I climbed that tree in the main courtyard since I had some time to kill after doing my Sunrise-Yoga in the parking lot." He pursed his lips. "How about Rod?" Pausing, Joe claimed Roderick's eyes again, seemingly forgetting himself for a moment. "For a nickname, anyway."

Roderick raised his eyebrows as Joe spoke. Tree-climbing at sunrise? Man, college was something else - there were so many things about that he wouldn't do even if forced, and here was Joe Christian Rock Guy doing them voluntarily. "I guess I don't mind either way," Roderick said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Call me what you want." The line moved forward and they were finally close to the table - Roderick grabbed two paper plates and handed one to Joe, followed by a Never-Dirty Napkin and an all-in-one utensil. "I wonder how much of this stuff isn't actually hand-made," Roderick mused quietly, mostly to himself but also to Joe. "It's crazy what food replicators can do nowadays."

Joe nodded along, piling vegetables and dressings onto his plate. The crowds of people around them grew larger with each passing minute and Joe hummed thoughtfully. “You want to go eat somewhere more private?” He gestured to a grassy knoll a bit further away, knowing that the people would further Roderick’s empathetic abilities. “Grab some of those cookies too,” long fingers pointed to chocolate chip and m&m cookies, and he smiled.

Roderick glanced around them, momentarily distracted - the bodies carried emotions, and it felt like they were pushing up against him. It wasn't new, by any means, but the people themselves were unfamiliar, and thus their emotions were - at least for a moment - overwhelming. But then Joe was asking him to grab cookies, so he focused on that - he loved cookies - and willed the pressure of everyone else's feelings to ease as he finished piling his plate. "Over there sounds good." Roderick agreed, moving toward the hill Joe had pointed out. Even that little bit of distance would help with the ambient emotion; just Joe's feelings wouldn't be too bad. He got comfortable and sat down, then offered Joe half the cookies he'd grabbed. "Good idea."

Joe let the happiness seep from his bones as they plopped down together. He always enjoyed company, and he was sure that the positive emotions shouldn’t be too overwhelming for Roderick. “I figured this would be better than being bombarded with everybody’s feelings. I’m sure it can’t be easy walking in the fog of people’s day to day lives,” he murmured, stacking his cookies and munching on a carrot. “Is it difficult to maintain?”

Roderick couldn't help the little smile as he focused on the shift in Joe's emotions. Either he was genuinely elated to be doing what they were doing, or he was focusing on his own happiness on purpose to make Roderick more comfortable. Either way, Roderick was touched. "I wouldn't call it maintaining, exactly," Roderick said around a bite of hot dog. He swallowed and considered before he spoke again. "It's hard to focus. Like how sometimes you accidentally eavesdrop on someone else's conversation, because they're talking loudly right next to you? It's kind of like that. But everybody is talking loudly, and you literally can't help but listen." Roderick shrugged. "The harder part sometimes is not...like, meddling, I guess. Making someone not sad if they're unhappy. Because that's...like, I don't know why someone feels a way. It's not my business. People should feel however they feel." Roderick munched on some chips. "It's weird, but it's also all I've ever known, so it's just kind of how it is."

Joe hummed thoughtfully, listening to Roderick's words with interest. "Oh, so you kind of imprint on people if you're not careful? That has to be stressful." Joe smiled reassuringly, "I'm pretty good at projecting myself, even if I don't have a cool power to go along with it." Winking, Joe began to gobble down his food. It had been a long morning for him already, and the only think he'd had was his oats for breakfast. "After a while, he spoke up again, unable to help himself. "You must be very strong to deal with so many people at one time. You looked a little overwhelmed in line - no offense - and I'm glad that I took the step forward to talk to you. You're really nice, Roderick."

Roderick blinked; he could feel the absolute sincerity with which Joe spoke. He meant it. Roderick could tell already that Joe wasn't like most people - and to him, this just solidified that fact. "You're really nice too, Joe," Roderick said, once he'd swallowed his mouthful of Fromian No-Bake Cake. "I dunno about being strong or not but...thanks. And thanks for talking to me, man. I was kinda worried about making friends here," Roderick admitted with a slight shrug. It was rare that he find someone he could just be with, and he appreciated it more than he could express - at least to someone he'd just met. "You don't need powers to be awesome, dude."

#para: all #para: 002 #para: joe #para: i believe we'll be okay #Joe: all

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doomedandstoned · 7 years

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TIGER TELLS TALES!

Kadavar's Drummer on the Band’s Past, Present, and Future

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Interview by Jamie Yeats

Photos by Elizaveta Porodina

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KADAVAR is a name that everyone into the underground stoner rock scene knows -- and for good reason. Three smashing records and relentless touring has positioned the Berlin band as one of the most influential of our generation. This weekend, the band continued its seemingly unstoppable momentum with the release of a fourth album: 'Rough Times' (2017 - Nuclear Blast Records). However, the most interesting development the band has made recently is the addition of their brand new, fully equipped professional recording studio. Over a five month period, the band built the studio from the ground up, wrote, and recorded what has become Rough Times. I spoke with the mastermind of their musical production, as well as the man behind the drum set, Christoph "Tiger" Bartelt, about the studio, the new record, and the future of the band.

A lot of bands pay for studio time with a separate engineer. What was it that inspired you to record your own music and eventually build the new studio?

I love to go to studios for the sake of looking at gear and seeing how other people work. That's inspiring, too. It looks like less work, but I don't like to be recorded by anyone else as much as doing it myself. It can be hard to translate ideas, especially when you're stubborn like us. After seven years in a moldy basement, we wanted to take the risk and create a new home for us, so we could make our music without getting sick, you know?

With every record there's a change of paradigm.

You guys have been recording your own music since the first record. What has been the biggest help and the biggest obstacles along the way?

I have been working as a sound engineer since I was 18 years old. I started playing music and recording bands in the basement of my parents’ house. I've always had my very own approach of doing things. I guess that helped a lot to create our sound. I was at a turning point, as well. I tried to play music with a few bands, tried to start my own band, but hated the way other musicians thought about making music and about sound in general. I thought: "We have to go back a few steps with technique and the way we approach things in order to develop a good sound." Rock records, at least the ones that I like, weren't produced using ProTools, Beat Detective, and Auto-Tune. We wanted to play our music and turn up the fucking amps, you know? There's only one way to do this. When Kadavar was formed, we kind of were on the same page with this philosophy.

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How did you know that now was the time to build a fully equipped professional studio?

Like I said, mainly we had to make a move because our dirty old basement was making us sick. I had most of the equipment already, so we just needed a room big enough to fit all our stuff. We have a ton of cabinets and all that. (laughs) But as we spent quite a bit if money on producing Berlin, we said to ourselves: "We can go to a studio again with that money or use it to build our own. Let's do this now. Seriously."

What were some of your fears or reservations about such an endeavor?

Well, money, of course. You never know how much it'll cost, even if you plan ahead and do your best to save money. And the work and time, too. Time was short and we did it all ourselves. It had to be finished ASAP so we could go ahead and start writing. It was a pain in the ass.

How do you feel that your path as recording artists and touring musicians has affected the music itself?

Both are crucial to progress. With every record there's a change of paradigm. Things you want to do different, things that matter at that very moment. This is, of course, microscopic and maybe invisible to outsiders, but you always want to achieve something special and it's an ongoing learning process. Same with live shows. We still learn new details in each song. It keeps evolving in micro steps. The idea we once had in the studio is in a constant shaping process, it never stops. It's a very slow process, like waves on a stone. But playing live has always been the most important thing for Kadavar. We have become the band we are today through performing a lot and learning what works in front of an audience. When I'm in the studio and we write songs, I always try to imagine how it will feel to perform a certain idea.

We wanted to sound more rough and raw and antisocial again.

Now a couple questions for the recording geeks out there. Being the drummer of the band, and the engineer, what are some of your favorite miking techniques for the kit?

I like to have a really dry and natural sound to be safe and then I go crazy on some extra signals. I always use a SM57 top and bottom. Then I place Overheads in order to get a good balance of the set, but the snare drum needs to be right in place. I use AB technique whenever I want a tad more room ambience or I place one mic right above the snare drum and one to my right hand, when I'm sitting, so it captures the attack and the resonance of the floor toms. This sounds tighter than AB. I always use a kick mic outside the kick, because I hate when it just clicks. And I always record one or two trash signals that I can smash with a limiter or run really hot through my Siemens board.

Do you prefer recording to tape or digital, and why? Anything you dislike about either of the two forms?

When we demo, I don't use the tape machine. It's just too much of a hassle when you just want to save ideas and listen back. I sometimes like to edit a few parts together so I can show the others how the structure could work better. This is way easier in digital. When it comes to the album production, we always record analog, because it sounds better. Especially when you hit all tracks in the red. That's when I get that nasty grin in my face and the others know I start to love it.

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What are some of your favorite devices for tape recording, or programs for digital recording?

My Tascam MS-16 recorder has been fixed up again. I'm so glad it still runs. I've been using it for various productions, our first records being two of them. It has a very distinct sound, more so when pushed too hard. Gear needs hate it because of the bumpy frequency response. It's my favorite device.

Your sound is very distinct. When Kadavar comes on, the listener knows it's Kadavar. However, each album progresses your sound into new territory. Which direction do you see the band going with this next release and with other releases in the future?

It's our aim to evolve a little with each new record. With Rough Times, maybe the biggest change was the new studio, going back to using my gear and questionable knowledge about recording. (laughs) Even if that's just a coincidence, we wanted to sound more rough and raw and antisocial again. I use the word antisocial as a term that refers to sound only. There has to be at least something unpleasant about listening to our music. Not all the time, but here and there, you know? Rough Times is, more than our previous albums, somehow a concept album and the lyrics are with all their diversity all somehow related to the title. The music is really diverse, too. We have some brutally heavy tunes on the record, there's psychedelia and space rock references, garage and punk vibes as well as completely new territories, like a very southern sounding track and an atmospheric spoken word track. We need to keep our core substance and write smashers but experimenting will also be a part of future records!

The city has a strong heartbeat and it forces you to go out and party every day.

Between opening a studio, recording your own albums, and touring with Kadavar you must keep very busy, but what do you do with moments of free time?

When those stressful periods like album production or a long tour are over, I don't do many other things. I mean, we rehearse every day and I've got to work a couple hours on the computer to keep the business running, there's a lot of promotion right now. Other than that, I have a newborn daughter, so after work I spend my free time at home or outside. I've got a record collection, I like to take photographs, and I am a passionate beer drinker.

Do you have any aspirations or plans to create art beyond your work with Kadavar?

I'm dreaming around here and there are many things that I'd be interested in, but Kadavar is a very time and energy consuming project. I can't really manage to do many new things at the moment, so I just keep those other ideas in my head for now.

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Do you feel that being located in Berlin has affected your art and your career? What are the perks and what challenges do you face there, if any?

I have answered this question too many times when we released Berlin, inevitably. (laughs) It has changed for me since then, maybe. These days, Berlin is for home and family and friends. The Moloch it has been for us, the endless nights we've spent over more than ten years, and all those interesting characters that we've met along the way have forever influenced us as a band and as individuals. Those times are over and I hold them dear. We were in a swamp of night pleasures and it's important we had a phase like that. It's hard to get out of and we've seen a lot of people leaving because they couldn't take it, you know? This city is dangerous! It's not easy to really settle down and get comfortable here. The city has a strong heartbeat and it forces you to go out and party every day. But, like I said, those times are over. We can party enough on the road. When I'm home, it's different now.

Since the first Kadavar release, the scene of underground stoner rock, doom metal, and occult music has exploded with all kinds of new bands and styles. When you started out did you ever foresee of how far Kadavar would come or how far the scene as a whole would develop?

I've seen some bands coming. I've seen the big players entering the market. We thought that thing was over when we entered the scene, to be honest. Graveyard had already released Hisingen Blues and the hype was massive. We got hyped before we had even released a single song or played a show. It was like that! We showed up in bars, more than anything else. I enjoyed playing with the guys from the first second, so I was positive we could reach some people and play small shows in Germany. But I had not foreseen that I could quit my job and live off playing in a band. Many bands can make a living now, which is great.

What advice can you give to aspiring musicians and recording engineers?

Don't hire a manager. And don't trust anybody. Apart from that, I have found that learning from your favorite musicians has worked better than music school, and doing things differently teaches you more about "the right way" than just following the books.

What's the best way to get our hands on the new record?

The best way to get our record is directly at our show, because that's how we make our money! But I'm also somebody who supports record dealers and small shops, so wherever your buddies work, I guess!

You guys have been touring Europe a lot lately. Will there be more extensive world tour with the release of 'Rough Times'?

It's our plan to make a world tour! We've got a couple legs together already and other territories are still being discussed, but there's going to be news very soon!

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#D&S Interviews #Kadavar #Berlin #Germany #Stoner Rock #Hard Rock #Doom #Metal #Heavy Metal #Jamie Yeats #Nuclear Blast Records #Doomed & Stoned

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anneedmonds · 5 years

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Facial In A Field

I had a facial in the middle of a field and I have to say, without any exaggeration or unnecessary embellishment, that it was one of the best facials I have ever had in my life. Perhaps it was partly due to the fact that I was at a festival with my kids (we’ll come back to that, I must have been mad) and the opportunity to lie still with my eyes closed was absolute heaven all on its own, but I think that mostly it was down to the highly proficient hands of my skilful Weleda facialist.

You may be wondering why on earth I would be at a festival with my kids: I asked myself the very same question approximately three minutes after arriving in the car park. As one child (Ted, two) screamed because we’d brought the wrong socks with us and the other (Angelica, four) repeatedly asked to see her new sleeping bag, like some sort of possessed battery-operated talking doll, the adults manhandled various large and heavy packages from the boot of the car onto the world’s smallest trolley.

People on social media always seem to make “festivals with kids” look fun. I’ve decided that they are either superhuman and find the whole thing easy or they’re completely and utterly mad and thrive on chaos, sweaty tents and dragging their small children around in glorified wheelbarrows. I suppose I just don’t see the point in festivals if each and every benefit of said festival is entirely obliterated by the presence of your children, who need constant entertainment, incessant feeding and who refuse to go to sleep. Ever.

And I suppose that I don’t even really appreciate the benefits of a festival full-stop, because a) I dislike camping and b) if I drink too much I get cystitis and cystitis does not mix well with festival toilets. Oh and c) I hate crowds and loud noises.

At ValleyFest, thankfully, there were very few crowds; if ever there was a “starter festival”, one to ease yourself in with, then this would be it. Just south of Bristol, set around a beautiful lake, it was more like a giant party than a festival – there was a friendly feel and a relaxed, sunny vibe. Yeo Valley were giving out free milk. There was a big tractor to help you take your bags up to the campsite. The loudest music stopped at 11pm so that parents could get some sleep. Loos were the type you get at weddings, with sinks and lights and so on, rather than the half-door monstrosities I’ve seen elsewhere. Best of all, Weleda (one of my long-time skincare brand favourites) were doing facials and hand massages and generally offering some much-needed respite and refuge to those in need of some TLC.

My sister and I virtually sprinted to the Weleda reception, so desperate were we to get ourselves into a horizontal position that didn’t involve an airbed. And the Weleda tent was like entering some sort of canvas sanctuary, one filled with skincare delights and gentle-voiced people. It was calming even with the booming of the bass from the main music stage, which was only a few dozen yards away. (A few dozen yards? Hark at me! This is how you speak at a festival.)

I started this post by praising the skill of my facialist and I shall praise her again; Megan had the hands of an angel. But a firm and thorough angel, not one of those ones with a soft and whimsical touch, not a weedy angel who administers facial movements with a whisper of a stroke here and a tickle of the nose there. (Can’t stand a tickle-touch, either in a facial or a massage. It makes me both uncomfortable and deeply annoyed. Tickling is such a waste of time. Don’t tease me, just get on with it.)

So yes, thankfully Megan wasn’t a tickler, the pressure was just right and – JOY! – she delved straight in with a massage even as she was cleansing my face! A cleanse with purpose! There’s nothing worse than a prolonged cleanse with eighty-five products, the sucking noise of cream being pressed onto skin punctuated by the frequent wringing out of the flannel right behind your head. If I’m going to be cleansed for more than a minute then I want the experience to have a sensory edge, ie an extra bit of massage that’ll make my eyes roll back into my head and send me into a state of unparalleled bliss.

It rarely happens, but it happened in my Facial in a Field. It was only a half an hour slot, which you’d think would be dire for your ability to relax, but I was in and out of consciousness for the entire time, and it felt like a week. I genuinely thought halfway through that the 30 minutes printed on the ticket had been a typo. It was sublime and more rejuvenating than a day in a posh spa. Half an hour! Thirty minutes! It takes me that long to remember the password for my online banking!

I often come out of a “branded” facial and feel a bitter disappointment that the focus of the whole treatment was on the products and not on the physical action. When the facialist applies four different masks, a scrub, five oils and all the time whispers the names of the products into my ear like some kind of subliminal messaging exercise. This is the Alvira scrub, the Alvira scrub, the Alviraaaaaaa….. But when a facial relies on very few products, it tends to become more about the handiwork of the therapist and not about ingredients. And this is what I prefer.

Last year I went for a very expensive branded facial (actually, a half an hour one again, I think it was at an event) and the products being used were all well over £150 each. I was treated to a running commentary about each one, what the benefits were, why it was being used, how it was being applied. I felt like saying “I never get to lie in silence with my eyes closed and be touched, just be quiet and rub my face!”

Which would have been rude, so I didn’t, but it was the biggest waste of half an hour. If I wanted to paste masks on myself with a spatula and listen to pointless chatter I’d do it at home. So well done Weleda for just choosing the most minimal product line-up and relying on skill rather than marketing spiel.

The products used in the Radiance Restoring Routine (which you could do yourself, albeit without Megan’s Magical Touch) are all massively gentle and gorgeous and have all, at one time or another, been included in my skincare favourites. Almond Cleansing Lotion (see my review here), Almond Soothing Facial Oil for massage and then Skin Food (see review here) used as a mask and then to moisturise. (I recently raved about Skin Food Light – you can read that review here, it’s a great alternative to the very rich and slightly greasy original Skin Food.)

I’ve whittled that product list right down to the bare bones, but I should point out that there were a number of extra twists and turns, including compresses using flannels soaked with Weleda bath milk (Rosemary to start, Lavender to finish) and eye de-puffers made from camomile tea bags. Nothing fussy, nothing outrageously priced and a clever use of their incredible bath milks.

You can find a list of Weleda advisors, all trained in this facial routine, on the website here. There’s no dedicated place to go in and have the facial (please make this happen, Weleda!) but if you put your postcode in it brings up your nearest Wellbeing Advisors. If you’re in Cheshire then – lucky you – your nearest might be the wonderful Megan. I would highly, highly recommend. If I enjoyed my treatment in the middle of a festival field, after a sleepless night in a sweat box and Basement Jaxx anthems thundering into my brain, imagine how much you’d enjoy it in a normal situation. Knowing that you didn’t have to return to three crazed small people who had raided the emergency cool box and eaten six jellies, four packets of cheese Doritos and eight Ella’s Kitchen breakfast pouches.

The website for ValleyFest is here and my verdict on it, overall, would be very good. Incredibly clean, really friendly, great atmopshere and lovely setting. Just leave the small people with granny. We ended up absconding on the Saturday afternoon after our facials because the kids had reached fever pitch and we couldn’t sit in our tents because they were too hot. Packing up and getting our stuff back to the car without the help of the handy tractor was a low point. We had to do a version of the walk of shame through the middle of the whole festival; me carrying Ted, a backpack, two food bags and a Trunki, Mr AMR looking for all the world like someone who had spent the past few hours fighting zombies in a post-apocalyptic swamp. Families stared as we dropped tent pegs, fought back tears and ushered toddlers along, trailing the bedraggled ribbons of a broken kite behind us. It was grim. At one point I thought my heart was going to fail, but it wasn’t as bad as the time I nearly died of exhaustion, so it doesn’t quite make it into the over-exertion hall of fame…

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Facial In A Field was first posted on August 6, 2019 at 5:48 pm. ©2018 "A Model Recommends". Use of this feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this article in your feed reader, then the site is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact me at [email protected] Facial In A Field published first on https://medium.com/@SkinAlley

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