Went shopping for Christmas presents yesterday and decided to finally buy a combi-printer and an oven as well. When we were just about to return to our bikes and go home, I tried to pick up the box with the oven in it and felt the nail of my ring finger break. It hurt much more than just a normal break of the white part of a (long) nail, and upon inspection (just looking really) I found out that the nail had been torn inside the pink part ('het leven') on both sides. The tears did not meet in the middle, leaving just a small part of the nail 'intact' to have the outer part hang on.

Matthijs got me a first aid kit with some band-aids and after securing the torn part with one band-aid, I cut my nail as short as possible without fainting. I did nearly go K.O. however and Matthijs ran into a nearby shop, which luckily had a water cooler, and brought me some water to drink. While Matthijs went to fetch our bikes, I just sat an focussed on breathing, while lots of people passed me by and looked at me with worry in their eyes. Next to that the passers-by looked into the store window I was sitting next to, and their curiosity was explained later when we saw two paramedics enter the store. We never learned what happened, but it must have been way more serious than my nail.

The other hurt is a psychical one, though many people would say that I should not be theatrical. I invited some 9 people for New Year's Eve, and only my brother will come. Two people have said 'maybe', but I mailed them that it's cancelled. The rest of the would-be guests had other obligations or plans, all perfectly reasonable and understandable, but I am just too disappointed to still plan a party.

It's probably too late already to invite other people. Most people will have their own plans by this time. And it took some effort already to compose this guest-list. Since my brother was the first to react, and with a positive reaction at that, I'm staying in Enschede. I guess it will just be a quite day and night with the three of us. Probably playing Munchkin.

Mood: feeling unloved and full of self-pity

Second concert within a week, on Monday evening I was picked up at home by Matthijs' parents to go to the Apocalyptica concert in Tilburg. Long time since I had been driven around instead of driving myself and I enjoyed the ride and did some reading.

Matthijs was already at the concert hall (013) and we quickly went to the toilet and brought our coats to the cloakroom ('garderobe') before going inside the already packed hall. There was a rather disappointing supporting act. I didn't catch the name of the band, but the text was way too loud incomprehensible muttering blasting through the speakers. Two of the band members looked like former school or study mates gone bad, and the drummer looked like he was a regular mcDonalds visitor and was just picked up from one of those 'restaurants'.
Except for some fake semi-homo-erotic moment between the lead singer and the guitarist, which I mostly missed because of tall guys in front of me, it was just bad and boring. I almost pitied them, because they did hardly get any reaction from the audience.

Then Apocalyptica itself came. I am not a fan of them; there are some songs that I do like, but mostly it is too chaotic and loud to play during work for example. I was glad Matthijs' mother had an earplug for me, which I divided in 2 and used for both ears. It muffled the sound a bit so I did not have ringing ears when we were outside again. The show was good, nice light effects and the band members moved around on stage, so even with half of the stage blocked from view, I got a look at all of them. Unbelievable how much noise can come out of 'classical' instruments like the cello.

It was 01:30 when we went to bed and my nose-cold happily took advantage of a broken night. I'm sniffling all day now, and I'm afraid it won't be over before the winterconcert. I'll have to throw in all vitamins and homeopathic medicines I can find, get good nights sleep and dress warm to get it all over with as soon as possible.

This week is filled with appointments: practising with Kor this evening, practising with Marjoke and Renske tomorrow, SinterKerst on Friday, shopping for Christmas presents on Saturday and a day to catch breath again on Sunday. After the winterconcert everything will be much quieter.

No MidwinterFair for me this year. It just does not appeal to me anymore. All those fantasy/gothic markets seem much alike to me and I have the feeling I've seen them all. In fact, it came as a surprise that MWF was this weekend because I didn't plan to go there and so did not look up dates or whatever.

Still there was some fantasy and magic in my weekend. On Saturday Omnia played in Ermelo, my birthplace. Matthijs and I went there. I just couldn't miss this chance of a close-by concert. My dad lives in Ermelo, so there was no tiresome train-ing and worrying about the last train home and such.

The audience was rather diverse. There were some people from the gothic/larp/fantasy scene but a lot of older people, that just went to a cultural evening, as well. Some were old enough to be my grandparents. In a Christian village like Ermelo I didn't expect the hall to be filled even half, but it was nearly full.

They started at 20:15 with a censored version of the Wylde Hunt Intro (no lusty spears and penetrating deers) and went on till about 23.00. They played mostly new songs. Well, new to me anyway. Some from the CD 'Alive!', which I obtained at this years Elf Fantasy Fair. And some from the CD's before that one: Live Religion and Paganfolk. Afterwards I bought those two CD's and Matthijs spent his money on the full package of all CD's. We also got a bumper sticker (it reads: Kill main fight slay die!) a small pin (button) and a patch that will probably end up on my summer coat.
I also think I recognised some breathing techniques Luka applied when singing that Tom recently explained to our sopranos.

After the concert Omnia came into the foyer to talk to the remaining visitors and sign some CD's of course. I didn't go for autographs but told Matthijs that I'd like to know how Steve's skirt-like thing was put together (the garment he wears over his trousers). So when I didn't have the courage to go ask by myself, Matthijs dragged me there and then I had to ask.
Steve took of his belt and the skirt-thingy (mainly a waistband with 4 hanging rectangles of fabric) to show how it was put together. He also warned me of walking stairs with such a garment, because tripping was a serious risk. ;-) I was mainly interested in the shape of the 'rectangles' (they are wider on the bottom, and connected to each other at the top with laces) but he also told that his belt was made of couch leather (yay, they use couch leather as well!) and some 'tuigleer' with rivets. Some of the dangling cords with metal ornaments are inspired by Inuit clothing.

Thus ended a happy evening with great music and lot's of humor.
Steve: Why do I have to do all the talking? You say something!
Luka: <says something>
Steve: It speaks!
Luka: <does an imitation of Neanderthal/monkey>