Utter folly from beginning to end

[smokingboot]

First thing I had better record is that I am extremely happy. In three days I have written more of the new thing than I managed of the old thing in 4 months. I am still slow, woefully slow; and it is a very frippery piece I write, without meaning, but it makes me laugh. Reading the Puppy's work made me realise how hidebound I have become about language, how terribly old school. That's cool, I love old school, but I could do with loosening up a bit and letting words and situations tumble out of my head in sheer pleasure. That's what's happening as I write the new. I hope to develop it and sell it but right now I need to relish the mad joyful little thing it is.

And speaking of mad joyful little things, the time has come to return to London for work for which I needed a) a tan and b) pretty nails.

See, coming back from Tuscany, with a little bit of brown help, I looked rocking on show and in real life; the response from all was uplifting, the effect on screen was pretty and energy free for me; no more hours spent putting muck on my face so that viewers could differentiate me from the living dead plus I got to wear my favourite short dresses without tights/hold ups. But the tan went, and yesterday I decided to try one of those spray tan places. And I have paid. Oh, how I have paid.



My legs are usually white as lard, but not today. Today I have brown calves and white shins, golden thighs with big brown blotches on the inside legs, and best of all, dark chocolate feet. The tan has migrated away from the leg zone, downwards towards the deep orange soles and ankles, or upwards towards my coffee coloured thong line. I have always revelled in the multi-ethnicity of my background, but I never expected a fake tan to demonstrate it so well; right now I have viking buttocks and a carribbean punami. Don't tell me to shower; this is after the shower. Believe me, on seeing this little lot, I have showered like the queen of showering. It was when I got out that I noticed one final difference, so subtle one would only notice it in daylight: One of my legs is entirely darker than the other.

Back to tights then, really dark tights.



And the nails? Well they at least manage to look cute, cut square across the top with a mosaic of rose and white shell. My fingers look like little men in sparkly pink fezzes.Right now, my life is so ridiculous I can't stop grinning. It's like having a permanent pimms in front of me, full of strawbs and apples and mint.

Here's to laughter:-D

Comments

[velvet-the-cat.livejournal.com]

The idea of fake tans certainly appeals, but I keep hearing such horror stories about them! Poor you.

Looks like you can get tan removers (http://www.handbag.com/beauty/products/getitsttropezremover/), but how useful it'd be at this stage I'm not so sure.

I'm sat here baking away with a plastic shower cap and towel on my head in order to re-henna. Just another four or so hours to go and I'm already fed up!

The things we do in the name of beauty!!! ;o)

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

The face and torso, down to the thong line, look fine. It's the legs, the legs!

Thank you for the link. Got this advice from one of a girl who work on shows based around wearing very little and shaking one's can. To really make a tan work, you slather yourself in moisturiser and then use something like the St Tropez gel, working it in until...well, until you're happy with the results I guess. She claims that that's the secret of her success, 'And very low lighting...' she added.

Beauty is a lovely game!

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

I meant to use this icon; so what happens when I press on the delicate rose maid? I get a big hairy satyr!

Maybe the universe is trying to tell me something...

[hybridartifacts.livejournal.com]

Oh dear. That says something about the wisdom of fake tans I guess.
Im sure your fine without one you know.

Life does sound good for you right now-I hope its infectious! A little bit of the ridiculous does us good :) That pimms outlook is marvellous.

Isn't it fascinating how creativity comes in odd splurges like that? I have been on an amazing roll with my Tarot based rpg-basically after around 8 years of work on it it finally all just starting clicking into place, and apart from a bit of polishing of rough edges I now have a very radical but (hopefully) inspired and vibrant storytelling game system almost ready to release...

I hope your writing continues to have that energy and connection with joy :)

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

Thank you, I hope so too! Your tarot based system sounds fantastic. If you have cards you could print up and sell as a whole pack let me know; the company wants to start pimping up the tools we use and selling them, so maybe I could use them on the show and you could sell some. Who knows?

Creativity is a wonderful thing!

[hybridartifacts.livejournal.com]

Cards will take a little while-at the moment the system is for use with any standard 78 card Tarot deck. I have started on some cards of my own, based around the game setting I am creating for the system-but I only have one card so far ;)
Its a bit of an awesome task creating a deck...

[pengshui-master.livejournal.com]

sn't it fascinating how creativity comes in odd splurges like that?

Yeah, that is my experience too.

Unfortunately as a result I tend to hop between projects as the creativity comes. Which is a recipe for having far to many unfinished projects.

I have been on an amazing roll with my Tarot based
Cool. I also assume you've seen Everway.

Which is worth a look - even if you decide you don't like it.

[hybridartifacts.livejournal.com]

I actually got a copy of Everway after I realised it could have a few similarities to my own game-I didn't want to end up cloning anything already out there. In the end, while it had some fairly noble ideas I don't think it really ever grasped the potential available from using cards-specifically that in the Tarot there is already a very rich and productive story-telling engine. In the end I think it was just not an appealing setting and approach-it always seemed to avoid its real potential. It really does seem to be a game people oddly respect yet dislike all at the same time...

I am sure I will get comparisons to Everway a lot from people all the same. One very big difference is that the actual game methods are something I intend to give away pdfs of for free though. If I do end up making any money from it (and designing rpgs is rarely a money-spinner) it will be from the setting and supporting material. To be honest I am doing it for the love of gaming though.

I so know what you mean about unfinished projects. In a way my game design kinda brings a lot of them together in one place, so I really want to get it finished and out there.
There were/are a bunch of us who hang out from time to time at 'the forge' indie rpg site who have been working on Tarot based rpgs though-so it will be interesting to see which, if any, people actually find they enjoy playing!

[pengshui-master.livejournal.com]

It really does seem to be a game people oddly respect yet dislike all at the same time...

I know what you mean. I feel somewhat the same about it myself, I applaud them for their courage and execution of somethng different , but it turns out to not be something I'd want to play.

Its partly the setting , and partly that the resolution mechanic can give the appearance of GM abuse - or at least did it the game we played.

There were/are a bunch of us who hang out from time to time at 'the forge' indie rpg site
I've never realy gotten on with most web forums, I'll prolly be able to deal better now they've got RSS...

[hybridartifacts.livejournal.com]

The setting just does not catch the imagination at all for me-and that's the main reason I wouldn't play it. So, yes I agree with you 100% there-a brave idea badly executed perhaps.

With my own system you could actually use it for just about any game, though it makes most sense if you can tie the mechanics with the Tarot into the setting-the one I am creating for it revolves a lot around the Tarot and alchemy and stuff like that. Ironically it has a similar 'multiple worlds' approach to Everway- but mine are reflections and distortions of the 'real' world in a sort of fae 'otherland' setting revolving around the elements and their qualities. So there are only eight of them. (like Everway I also use the elements to define characters, but it ties in more with the suits of the cards and the setting with my approach).

The GM abuse part- Im inclined to agree, though in practice when you get a really good GM players probably wouldn't care much (I ran my own Conan game where the entire game revolved around statements of intent and the fastest logically coherent statements won-all there was to balance it was a rough difficulty level decided on the fly by the referee to persuade the players that there was an actual fair mechanic at work when there wasn't-effectively the GM decided if something would work or not-people really enjoyed it and never once sussed out that it was really all up to the GM). Im impressed that you actually did play Everway-I never bothered (but then I only got to make sure I wasn't re-inventing the wheel with my own system).

My own system has a flexible GM/narrator role, so a lot comes down to group consensus. I want to encourage every player to try their hand at narrative tasks in the game, so things are geared up for supporting them in this. The mechanics are there to encourage consensus and build story not simulate reality, so its actually more important to look at the effects and implications of actions than any attempt to accurately breakdown their probability of success in the real world. Rules lawyers will hate it utterly.

The forge gets a bit muddled and way too theoretical most of the time, though it has its uses.

I have fake tan fu

[ravenrigan.livejournal.com]

First have really good long bath and thoroughly exfoliate bits to be fake tanned. Pumicing feet also good, or if work is paying go get a pedicure.

The plastic fishnet shower gel puffs work pretty well, so does any salt or sugar scrub, or failing that a vigorous scrubbing with a soapy flannel, will all do the trick.

The apply any of the many gradual daily use fake tans (usually marketed as moisturiser with a hint of tan). If going for a subtle effect get one that is for fair skin, if going for a faster effect get a medium skin one. After 2-3 days you will have built up a nice natural looking tan, and if you miss any bits, you can apply it a little thicker on those bits the next day. Try and apply lightly at the "edges" smoothing it away until nothing, so you don't get a line, and also on the areas of skin which are thicker like heels, elbows, achilles, etc. And it's cheap!

I've had good results with Dove and Piz Buin, and fair results with Johnsons, though ironically it has a better fragrance. The more effective ones smell faintly of apricot kernels, not unpleasant, but not what I am used to smelling like.

I then give it a rest for a day or two until it starts looking a wee bit faded or patchy then do it all over again.

Re: I have fake tan fu

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

Thank you for this, do you go thrugh the whole bathe and exfoliate every day, or does showering work just as well?

I have some of that Dove stuff to experiment with. Less expensive than St Tropez and seemingly less potentially disastrous!

Re: I have fake tan fu

[ravenrigan.livejournal.com]

I don't have a shower. But I assume the principal is the same. I always use one of those fishnet puff things with my showergel, and that exfoliates as you get clean.

Once I get the colour I want, I only top it up every couple of days.

Re: I have fake tan fu

[smokingboot.livejournal.com]

Well, I've started taking your advice, using dove and I think you've hit the nail on the head. There's unevenness on the legs - I suspect I need to find an easier route to smoothness than razors, cos I think that must be affecting it.