Grace Francis

It's been a strange Christmas...

My day began with a text one of my best friends. I mean, okay, all it said was "MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!" in CAPS LOCK, followed by a ridiculous amount of exclamation marks, but it was the best start to a Christmas day I've had in years. Besides, those lil messages mean that someone else has thought of you on Xmas morning, which is always sweet. (And it's more than what I got from my parents, who sent me *no* messages - I had to call them in the end! Thanks folks.)

On that subject, I've not managed to see my family (as in my parents and sisters) today, at all, and this is the first Christmas that this has ever happened. I *had* planned to make time to drive across to my home town to see them, but, as often is the case on Xmas day, I just ran out of time. (But that's okay - I'll see them tomorrow!) Instead I've spent Christmas with my house-mates, who are my adopted family, I guess, and have received a couple of small but very much appreciated presents from them. :) And, you know what,it's been really good. We've watched lots of Xmas TV and eaten too much and just chilled out and had a laugh. It's actually been better than usual, I'm afraid to say!

As I've related in a previous post, owing to a gas leak, we have no oven to cook with at present at my house. But, fortunately, we have been able to "borrow" one at another's house, so Christmas dinner was not at home, but it did happen, and it was fun -- and very filling! Turkey and pork with roast potatoes and parsnips and sprouts and stuffing and so on and so forth - serious nommage!

So, overall, it's been a very different, but very good Christmas day -- all the more appreciated because of it's oddity and because of the awesomeness of my amazing friends, who I may not be connected to by blood or marriage, but who are nevertheless very much my family. (Yes, cheesy... but it's true. Christmas is about family, they say - but that doesn't necessarily mean just those who you're related to.)

Anyway, I hope you've all had a good Christmas, fellow Tumblrites. I'm now going to see if I can't get an almost belated Hogswatch sketch done before bed whilst I recover from my traditional bout of festive over-eating. (I am in "beached whale" mode at present.)

Merry Christmas!

So last night, my friend Bec and I went down to Grantham for a bit of local amdram theatre. It's was the shortest distance I've travelled all year to see a play, I have to say - a whole 15 miles down the road! Makes a change! ;) Heheh. Not that I object to travelling to see plays, but it did break with my "tradition". But anyhoo, I digress...

We went to see Grantham Dramatic Society's production of the Discworld book "Going Postal", as adapted for the stage by Stephen Briggs. I'm glad that I finally had a chance to see a Discworld play, and it was an even bigger bonus that, not only was it close to home, but it was "Going Postal", which is certainly one of my favourite Discworld books. (Also, I had entered and won the competition the GDC had run to design a stamp to go on their programme and promo material, and there's nothing quite so cool as to see a piece of your artwork mass-reproduced on posters, leaflets and programmes when you go to see a play! Plus, when your name is printed on the promo material, in the company of Terry Pratchett's and Stephen Briggs', it's more than a wee bit awesome! So, of course, I bought a programme and picked up a leaflet and asked if I cold have a poster too. :3 They can go in my portfolio if nothing else.)



So the play... let's talk about that. ( Intrigue! Peril! The invention of stamps! )

So, all-in-all, a big well done to the cast and crew of the GDC and massive thanks for bringing some Pratchett to the East Midlands! Please say we'll be seeing more in future! :)

Ah Halloween. I can make this an excuse to draw Oberon + Puck. Watch me...


Happy Halloween
by ~darth-jurious on deviantART

There, see? :)

(Sorta kinda based on the Shakespeare characters as portrayed in the production of MSND by the Studio Theatre Club. The Halloween stuff has nothing to do with anything really!)

I WON! I WON! I WON!!!

*ahem*

I won the Discworld stamp competition, which Grantham Dramatic Society were running in conjunction with their upcoming production of "Going Postal". My stamp design will appear on their promotional material, and I also win a £25 voucher to spend at an art store in Grantham. Wicked!!!


Discworld Stamp
by ~darth-jurious on deviantART

I'm so pleased - just because I can support some local Discworld amdram if nothing else! I'm really looking forward to seeing their play at the start of December, and must insist now that if you can come, you do so!

http://www.granthamdramaticsociety.co.uk/

It runs from November 30^th until December 3^rd, nightly performances at 7.30pm. Tix are £8 for the first night and £9 thereafter. (I'm going on Friday 2^nd.) Bring it on! :D

So my doodles are slowly gonna be rolling out on the Discworld Convention website over the next few days/weeks/etc. This makes me all squee-full inside. You can see one already:

http://www.dwcon.org/pages/38094/gods-and-guilds

:D *yay* How cool is this?!

Sometimes I feel so fortunate to have been given opportunities such as these. The Discworld Convention 2010 was the springboard to greater things, methinks - greater art and, most importantly of all, greater friends. <3 Love you guys ‘n’ girls! (And all you people I’ve met *through* people I met at DWCon10. :3 You probably know who you are.)



Roll on DWCon2012!!!

I've seen two Shakespeare plays in the past week as part of my late birthday celebrations, each starring two big names in both film and theatre: I saw "The Tempest" in London starring Ralph Fiennes last Thursday, and on Monday evening saw (what I now realise was the final performance of) "The Merchant of Venice" starring Patrick Stewart in Stratford upon Avon.

( The Tempest vs The Merchant of Venice )

So, all in all: don't go see "The Tempest" unless you like slow song-n-dancy Shakespeare, or absolutely adore Ralph Fiennes. I wouldn't say it was worth it. I *would* recommend you go and see "The Merchant of Venice" but, alas, it has now closed so... maybe just keep an eye on the RSC and do, if you can, try to see something on that awesome stage of theirs. They could do interesting things with a layout like that. (Plus they have an awesome gift shop which I could spend a fortune in if I only had some money to spare...)

I have no money right now owing to ridiculous car repair bills and a rather large phone bill - oops - so no more plays until December when my theatre-friend Bec and I will be going to see some more amdram - the Grantham Dramatic Society, to be precise, and their production of the Discworld adaptation of "Going Postal". I've also asked my mum if she will buy me for Christmas tickets for "The Lion in Winter" which is the next play to run at the Haymarket. I love the movie of that play and would love to actually see it on-stage so fingers crossed for that one! :)

I be going to London in a couple of days! W00t! Going to stay with my twin and see "The Tempest" starring Ralph Fiennes and do other touristy stuff. :3 Fun times ahead! It's a late post-birthday celebration for the two of us and I'm very much looking forward to it. I've been a bit up-and-down with my moods recently so I figure I need a holiday. The Phoenix-man is, meanwhile, going into kennels for a few days whilst I'm down south, then I'll pick him up on Sunday and have a few more days to do stuff before returning to work.

As another part of my late birthday celebrations, I'll be off to see another big name on-stage in Stratford on Monday - Patrick Stewart in what looks like an absolutely mental production of "The Merchant of Venice". Managed to get a ticket by stumbling onto the RSC website at the right time because they were originally sold out when I first checked. :) I'm looking forward to seeing him and having a gander at this production. I'm not sure it'll quite float my boat but one never knows. Reviews are mixed so we'll see. But it's Patrick Stewart and Shakespeare so, hey, that'll do me just fine! And Stratford will be a mini-adventure - never been before.

I also have to share the fact that I've discovered the joys of setting my Facebook language to English (Pirate). I was literally in tears from laughing so hard when I first changed it in honour of "Talk Like A Pirate Day" yesterday - which shows that it's the little things that make me happy. I think it was the poke from someone that did it - the "You've Been Poked" window became "Ye Bin Skewered!". Well I say...! *guffaws*

--x-posted to http://jurious.livejournal.com/

I received a leaflet through the post today from the RSC for their production of "Marat/Sade" which runs from 14^th October in Stratford-upon-Avon. It sounds like a dark and challenging play and do you know what I thought...? I need me some Rushies to go see this with! :)

Marat/Sade by the RSC

I think those of us who have seen and enjoyed the movie "Quills" would appreciate this. More madness based on and inspired by the Marquis de Sade's time in Charenton.

I honestly don't think I can afford to go, nor do I know anyone who, I think, would want to see it particularly, but I'll keep it in mind if I have - by some crazy chance - some spare cash to go theatre-ing with during its short run. It would probably make a good accompaniment to "Quills"- which is itself, I'm pretty sure, based on a stage play.

--x-posted to http://jurious.livejournal.com/

Blimey, I've realised that I spent more time driving yesterday than sleeping - sleep came in at under 4 hours, driving came in at at least 5! Whoops! Also, dinner was sacrificed and no foods were had between midday and midnight. Double whoops! This is what a flying trip to Abingdon following a day at work does to one!

But it's always worth it. :) The play my friend and I went to see by the Studio Theatre Club this time was "The Hollow", an Agatha Christie story. Christie adapted it herself from her own novel of the same name, and made several changes, notably the removal of Poirot - which is no loss. The play certainly doesn't suffer without him.

Last night was a full house - absolutely packed, which contrasted a lot to the half-full-ness of "The Man Who Was Thursday" last May (more of you should have come to see that - it was cool). All the action centred around one room in the country house known as "The Hollow", with various characters to-ing and fro-ing during a weekend when the house owners had family and friends down to visit. As per usual, all the cast were excellent -- my friend Bec and I were particularly tickled by how many characteristics Bec actually shares with the delightfully dotty character, Lady Angkatell (played by Kath Leighton). It was rather amusing! The story was engaging and, both during and after the murder, red herrings were flung all over the shop to attempt to to keep you guessing and counter-guessing at who may have committed the crime. (There was actually a red lobster in the play at one point, but I digress...) Thankfully we didn't end with everyone sat in the room whilst the sleuth explains every bit of the plot, but with a satisfyingly tidy resolution and just desserts came to the culprit. It really was very enjoyable - an excellent lil production and well worth the drive down south to see.

Now I really must catch up on my sleep. Seeing the play has cheered me up, at least - been in very good spirits today despite fatigue. Always nice to be cheerful. :) There's now not another STC play until February - which will be Shakespeare's "Comedy of Errors"! Yay! - so I'll have to fill my time with a few other lil trips -- including "Going Postal", which the Grantham Dramatic Society are putting on this December!

--x-posted to http://jurious.livejournal.com/

Went to the Kennel Club International Agility Festival last weekend. It ran over three days but my friend and I went just for the Saturday. I had entered my dog and was down to handle my friend's Sheltie, too, so had five runs in all during the day. The weather was kind to us and the dogs behaved beautifully. Me and little Saffy the Sheltie came away with two clear rounds - her first at KC level - whilst me and Phoenix bumbled along with 10 faults in one round and eliminations in the other two. Ah well! He was very good though - I was proud of him.

Unfortunately, the day was overcast by a terrible tragedy when a man collapsed after running his dog and, despite the best efforts of paramedics, who arrived very quickly, died soon afterwards. :( This man had been set to judge on the Sunday and, though I didn't know him personally, it sounded as though he was well liked by many agility people. It just goes to show that you never know how long you've got, so live life to the full. So sad, though...

I've been a bit hyper this week so far - got my hair cut, sorted some of the garden, tidied my room, changed my bed, done my laundry, sorted my clothes, bought some much-needed new clothes, been training with my dog, etc, etc... Am quite pleased that I've been productive for once. It's so easy sometimes to just sit on the interwebz all day and scribble in my sketch pad. Which isn't a bad thing, either, but it means I forget to do things I should be doing. :P I think I'm cheery because I've managed to wrangle a trip to Oxford Saturday evening to see the Studio Theatre Club's next play, an Agatha Christie number called "The Hollow". :D Yay! I didn't think I'd be able to make it because money is very tight at the moment and, also, I am at work most of Saturday and then Sunday as well. *But*, by providence, because I usually get paid on the 21^st of each month, and that falls on Sunday this time, I get paid on the Friday before instead - so I'll have money for Saturday! I can afford to fill up my car and make a boomerang trip down south. Really quite pleased -- and it'll certainly punctuate my otherwise dull nine-days-of-work. I'll get very little sleep Saturday night in return but, hey, I can collapse when I get home from work Sunday afternoon... ;) It'll be fine. I'll have had my fix.

I've updated my satnav today with up-to-date maps and have also changed the voice. It was my first time using this satnav last Saturday, for getting to the agility show - this being the satnav my dad gave me after my old one got stolen - and my friend and I quickly tired of the preset voice of "Emily", who sounded thoroughly emo and gave one the impression that she would rather be doing *anything* other than telling you where to go. She was such a misery guts that I have today downloaded a few more voices in search of someone a bit cheerier. Since I've never had a male satnav voice before, I decided to set the voice to one called "Daniel", who sounds like he's going to be debonair and ever so slightly cocky. We'll see how long we can put up with this chap before I have to change it again... ;) He'll be dictating directions to Abingdon on Saturday - though, in all fairness, I should know where I'm going by now! I've been to Oxford twice now, and also go the same route to Wincanton and use Oxford as my midway stop. ^^; I'm sure I'll have it memorised by the time I've driven down to Wincanton for Hogswatch in November. If not then I should be concerned that I never pay any attention to where I'm going whilst I'm driving.

Gonna try squeeze in some drawing this evening but I am feeling rather tired so it might be a early night for once ready for my 4am rise-n-shine for work tomorrow. Oh joy. :)

--x-posted to http://jurious.livejournal.com/