downtime

[dragonlady7]

I was fairly useless today, i must admit.
Apart from doing a tiny bit of work in the garden/yard, and a bit of kitchen wizardry to make a casserole for dinner, I haven't done anything at all today, useful or otherwise.
I spent more than an hour just lying in my bed napping, only I wasn't sleepy, so I just lay there and zoned out.

I also surfed the Web a bit, in a manner I haven't done in a while-- reading friendsfriends pages, reading the archives of long-dormant secondary livejournals (whatever happened to firetofire? I only just discovered it and am wondering where they planned to go with it and why they stopped), reading news stories.

In my head I made progress on various stories, but I did no actual work on them. Though I did decide that there should be more sports in Valinor. All through dinner I sat at the dinette table watching the athletic field across the way: in the background, a baseball game was going on, with tiny distant children frolicking behind the bleachers, while in the foreground, two boys were rather ineptly playing pitch and catch with lacrosse sticks. I usually sit in the chair that looks straight out the window, so I can't help but watch whatever's happening on the athletic field. I rather think the lone boy who stayed behind after his companion left to play catch by himself had no idea anyone was watching him; I laughed mercilessly at him because the window was closed, he couldn't hear me, and he looked an utter twit. And then I was daydreaming about hot, hot Elves in athletic gear. (Maedhros in kilt, shoulder pads, and shin guards pulls off his helmet to shake his opponents' hands, sweat glistening in the mingling light of the Trees, everybody happily non-martially testosterone-sated in a manner that would be pleasing to the Gods? *wibbles* And I've never even really been into jocks, but still.)

Ha, on a different note, Dave's cousin offered to loan me his baby children so I could write more convincing infant characters in my stories. It's tempting. I know nothing about babies. However, I know nothing about babies, so there you have it.

Sigh. I kind of needed a nothing day today, though. I talk big about Getting Things Done, but then, I'll do that tomorrow. I should enjoy this having two days off phenomenon while I can. I don't think it will be happening again for a very long time.

Comments

[elvses.livejournal.com]

Though I did decide that there should be more sports in Valinor.

I thought of this also a while back, and invented a ridiculous Elvish sport called Orme-Korma. I can tell you about it sometime if you're up for a lengthy and rather nonsensical description. In summary, it's similar to Ultimate Frisbee. With javelins.

I want to work it into a story some day, but am convinced it would make a better graphic novel.

[dragonlady7.livejournal.com]

Ultimate Frisbee. With javelins. That sounds awesome. Although I don't even get how that would work. Yes, I am most certainly up for a lengthy description: I've just had like three elaborate flavored coffees and I'll be up all night. The more nonsense, the better.


Me, I was just gonna teach 'em what little I know of the ancient Irish sport of hurling, and see how many heads got innocently broken. (It's like hockey, see, only the ball's airborne, see, and you use a kind of a bat thing, and... People die.)

[elvses.livejournal.com]

Alright, I'm going to try to remember this, so bear with me. I'll probably forget a few key rules, thereby rendering the entire sport incomprehensible.

There are seven players on each team. Why? Because the sport was invented by Maedhros, and he wanted something that he and his brothers would be best at. Two teams play against each other on a large field with no boundaries, only a centre line. Each player has a javelin, and there is one large flat wooden ring (like one of those Frisbees with a hole in the middle). To start the game, each team picks one player. Those players each stand on the centre line and hurl their javelins as far as they can in the opposite direction. Wherever the javelin lands, that's the team's goal-post. The team with the closer javelin starts with the ring (UNLESS one javelin doesn't stick in the ground properly- then that player throws again and the opposite team starts with the ring). The player who threw that javelin carries the ring.

The object of the game is to get the ring over the opposing team's javelin goal-post. Only a player without a javelin can carry the ring. To pass, they toss the ring to a teammate, who must catch it on his javelin (or pick it up with his javelin if it falls to the ground). Whoever catches the ring then plants his javelin for the player who threw the ring to fetch. Opposing teammates try to steal the ring by a) catching it as it is passed, or b) tripping the player who carries it. If a player is tripped, an all-out rugby pile is formed until somebody runs away with the ring. The player whose ring was stolen picks up the leftover javelin. (Note: players must plant their javelins at least 5m back from any forming pile, in order to avoid javelin injury.)

A point is scored when a player places the ring over the opposing team's javelin goal-post. Two points are scored if the ring is tossed onto the goal-post from more than four yards away. Putting the ring onto the goal-post signifies the end of a round. Then everything starts again from the centre line, with the team choosing two new players to throw their javelins as goal-posts. The first team to score eight points, or the team with the most points after seven rounds (whichever comes first) wins.

There are a few other technical rules, like the original ring-carrier can only take two steps before passing, and the opposing team cannot cross the centre line until the ring leaves the original ring-carrier's hands. The ring can only be passed sideways at an angle of up to 30 degrees (forward or back) to prevent it from moving too quickly over long distances down the field. And the team with the ring cannot cross back over the centre line toward their own goal-post. Any player who strikes another with his javelin is out on penalty until the end of the round (however, punching, kicking, elbowing, tripping, etc. are allowed within reason).

This is the Valinorean equivalent to North America's football in terms of popularity. Whole tournaments are played at important times over the year. Maedhros' team usually wins.

[dragonlady7.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's elaborate.
Yes, it's quite handy that he had an entire team just within his family. I had thought of that.

It does sound feasible. I can't see anything missing. It also sounds violent. :D I would be a bit worried about the javelins, though I suppose as Elves are far more indestructible than mere mortals it's probably not quite so bad. Still and all, one could wish for some high-impact-resistant goggles before stepping onto that sort of field.