gaming night

Gaming at the Shehirian's last night. From
left to right: Hrach, John, Vartan, Reid, Jeff, Walter,
ScottM (holding camera, out of view), Iain. Not in photo
but also in room: Karin, Mark, Hrai.
(click image for bigger version)


Finished editing the prologue and first chapter of my novel, yay! Researched, wrote and sent out another magazine article query, this one for a business magazine. Got a quote request for one of my online travel photos; the company wants exclusive rights. Hm, must research photo fees...I have no idea what to ask for. This is probably the 4th or 5th time I've been approached by someone wanting to use one of my photos (previous times: for a book cover, company brochures, corporate Web sites). Maybe it's time to think about upgrading my camera, or at least start taking photos in high-res, though I'll need more disk space. Never really thought about the possiblity of making money off my photography up to now. Hm...



Jeff, Walter and ScottM.


The Nahanni article I wrote (using ViaVoice!) for a spa company is now online, if you're interested. They found me by doing a search online and coming across my trip report.

Interesting how many e-mails I get from total strangers as a result of them coming across some key search term in my Blatherings, travel reports, or other online projects; not surprisingly, the number increases steadily over time. I've been posting to my Blatherings for over SEVEN YEARS now. Sheesh, hadn't realized it was so long until I checked my archives just now.

Some are journalists wanting to interview me about obscure topics (like the about the Iron Chef tv show, discussed once in my Blatherings), old classmates, family tree researchers (most recent was someone from the family of Canadian composer Murray Adaskin, asking me about my frequent mention of "Adaskin's Bay" in my Blatherings), answers to questions I ask in my Blatherings (I've received several dozen e-mails from strangers about my Japanese peso Blathering), people wanting to buy my photos, editors wanting me to write for them because of something they've seen in my Blatherings (wish this last one happened more often :-)).



ScottM and Karin at the restaurant last night.
(click image for bigger version)


Decided to go gaming with Jeff last night, sort of. I usually opt out of this because it goes so late, but every so often I'll go just because I really enjoy the company. I've known most of these guys for years, and they're all very sweet and fun to hang out with, and I love the fact that they've gotten together on Friday nights for years. Also, last night Karin and ScottM were around, and I hadn't seen them in a while.

Had dinner at Memories of Japan (Karin's choice); I've never tried this place before, and it was fun to see the chef do his "let me entertain you" shtick while he chopped and cooked on the heated metal table in front of us. Picked up some junk food, then to the Shehirian's for gaming.



Thanks to John, ScottM and Hrach for buying copies
of "Sushi and High Tea" yesterday!


While the others gamed (bonus points to anyone who can identify the two games from my photos), I alternated between watching and chatting with the others, studying German, and working on my songwriting upstairs on the piano. For songwriting, I worked out some of the 3-part harmonies and lyrics for a Lord of the Rings song (very silly) as well as a 3-part counterpoint piece (a la "The Friendship Song"), lyrics/topic still to be determined. Karin played Snood and Bejewelled on the computer.

Eventually I fell asleep on the couch, then hitched a ride home with ScottM and Karen around 12:30 a.m. (thanks S & K!) while Jeff stayed on into the wee hours of the morning.



Mark and me.


For your amusement:
Matrix Pingpong (thanks to Jon Steinberg for the link). Apparently this has been circulating for a while, but I've never seen it before.

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