The weekend

Went to a Hawaiian beach-type indoor barbeque party at Tors', for the hardcore congoers, complete with lei, two paddling pools in one corner of the room, one a mini ball-pool, the other filled with sand that had sandcastles occasionally appearing until someone knocked them over. Much alcohol, fannish geeking, a bit of slash, bugger all sleep and the eating of way too many sausages. Con regulars - Cathy, Phil, Tors, Stewart, Ming, Alex, Claire, Sonja, SloopyJon, Neil, and some others whose names I can't remember right now.

For anyone who's been to End of Days, they may remember the trio of blokes dressed up as the Troika in 'We are as Gooooooooods!' togas, and also movie X-men outfits. We had Alex - the blonde one, tres Andrew at this - and it turns out they're the inspiration for the Troika, due to cornering Joss at the N3K cocktail party for an hour. Alex's "Mmmm, Captain Archer." is far too amusing.

Many ball fights - Chewtoy and Alex being two of the targets - a bit of HP discussion, sending those who hadn't read it to the other side of the room - ranting about the crapness of Voyager, geeking the next morning whilst watching Galaxy Quest, which you really can't totally appreciate until you've watched it in the company of fellow geeks, watching an old ep of the VR D&D-type late eighties kiddy show Knightmare, where we shuddered over the eighties fashions of the contestants and kept encouraging the death icon to get closer and closer to the contestant (if it degraded totally or floated directly over the contestant in the helmet, bye-bye contestant), discussed the incredible campness of the Dungeonkeeper and his sidekick elf-boy who had a habit of appearing draped over him, then introduced Ming to the happy love that is A Knight's Tale. Where we all roundly abused the stupid princess.

Oh bugger. I left my Knights of Malta tea towel Ming got me when I requested tourist tat from his fencing trip at Tors'. Argh.

Now I must go post office and waitrose. Why do they have to be in different directions? Why?

Blegh.

Utterly soaked - it's pissing it down, and yours truly had no choice but to cycle to Waitrose and back, dump stuff, grab comics and then cycle to Pangbourne to post office and deposit cheques. Mum rang whilst was getting sausage roll from O'Briens (If I'm cold and wet I want hot comfort food, dammit, healthy eating be screwed) and was terribly puzzled at first to ask why I was in Pangbourne doing this when I could do it in Reading. Pointed out that it a) costs money for me to get to Reading (no bloody way am I cycling in, I dislike risking my neck) and b) 7 mins to Pangbourne by bike vs. considerably longer journey by bus, with added waiting around at bus stops. Plus would not be any less wet. Jeans ick.

Oooo, forgot to mention

Yaaaaaaay!

Beware : small rant coming up....

What has to be annoying is the straight couples complaining that if they're cohabiting and not married they don't get the same rights and it's discrimination. I say unto thee, bollocks. Libby Purves made a fantastic point about the whiners in the Times when Canada legalised gay marriage. You have a document drawn up for all these rights that gay couples have fought for decades to get, it's enshrined in law, it's not difficult to get out of, and you've had it for bleeding centuries. It's called marriage. No longer is it a trap for women. No longer is divorce stigmatised. If you want these rights as a registered couple, go down to the registry office with your significant other, pay your 90-something quid and you'll get it with no fuss or hassle. Stop whining.