Moving with the Times

            As the colder weather moves in, so do we. Some outdoor activities must be cancelled, others can be moved indoors. Such is the case with the exercise routine my wife and I finally got in to this year.

            Some of you may remember me talking about Zombies, Run! earlier this year, which helped Colleen and I get into a regular routine of running. Sadly, that has had to grind to a halt as temperatures drop more and more.

            Exercise is important, though, so we’ve shifted to a new indoor routine! Now, on every morning we would normally be running, we’ve switched to playing Dance Dance Revolution and Just Dance games.

            It’s a good combination for exercise because Dance Dance Revolution is a video game that focuses on foot movement, while Just Dance has an emphasis on arm movement. Together, they provide quite the workout.

            It also turns out to be a good combination for us because each of us is better at one of them. Having spent a summer playing Dance Dance Revolution all the time, I’ve gotten to be quite good at it (I’m a bit rusty after years of not playing. When I was still in practice, I went on a drama department school trip to England and astounded my classmates when we went to the arcade. I was quiet and reserved, so I really took them by surprise when I stepped onto the dance mat). However, for some reason, I just can’t seem to get the dance moves right on Just Dance (I suspect it’s the way I hold the Wii-mote).

            Colleen, on the other hand, lacks my Dance Dance Revolution experience, yet excels at Just Dance. It works out well because, with how competitive the games are designed to be, there’s no point watching how one of us always has a higher score in one game because it will switch when we change games.

            So, the exercise routine will continue indoors. I just feel sorry for my sister-in-law whose bedroom is below the room we’re dancing in.

Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.

If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.

Enthusiasts are Awesome

            I just got through a rainy weekend vending at Oxford Renaissance Festival and, I have to say, the event attendees were incredible. Saturday it rained all day, making for a particularly miserable outdoor event, with much of the entertainment needing to be cancelled (such as the international jousting tournament). Still, there was a good turnout. Not amazing, but good.

            Sunday was less rainy and the joust was back on, along with the rest of the outdoor entertainment. The weather still wasn't great, but a slightly larger crowd was still drawn, with some crossover from the previous day.

            We were one of the lucky vendors with an indoor location – one of the luckiest, because I also wasn't in the area with the leaky roof. I was really disappointed when the forecast changed from sunny to rainy for the weekend because this is the best show of the year for us to sell our chainmaille at, but rain and outdoors don’t mix. With the crowd that was drawn, though, we still did quite well, pulling in a third of the business we did last year.

            It just goes to show that the people who are truly enthusiastic about things won’t let a little think like rain get in their way of enjoying an event. Those people astound me and deserve recognition. Here’s to all you enthusiasts and fans out there who don’t let anything get in their way! A lot of hard work and time goes into these events and you’re the ones who make it worth the effort.

            ... And in other news... Celebrate!:)

Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.

If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.