LARPing, Costume and Misc

Hey all!
Been a few days since the last update, so lets see if I can catch things up a bit.

Went along to a LARP for Serenity today (as in the Firefly series). Been playing in a fortnightly tabletop game and then today was a big freeform with people from all the crews, most people dressed up in costume in some way.
It was quite a bit of fun. We blew up a firing range with a load of explosive paintballs :D
My first time doing something like that, but I enjoyed myself. I'm playing a fashion-ignorant, absent minded Engineer was interesting to costume for. I ended up with workboots, work pants, a Hawaiian shirt and a leather jacket, with a couple of Nerf guns and a whole pile of tools in my pockets.

Hrm, speaking of LARP, had a load of fun at Swordcraft on Friday. For those unaware, Swordcraft is basically "A hundred people on an oval, dressed in all kinds of costumes, forming various different "Warbands", wailing on each other with fiberglass & foam swords".
It's quite silly, and quite fun. Damned good exercise too!
I normally just grab a sword and shield and fight like that, but decided to borrow a quarterstaff, drag my old blue robe out of the wardrobe (leftover from playing Cutwell back in our production of Mort) and go as a "Monk".
I spent half the night sprinting away from a group from the Bandits Warband (typically while they screamed either "He's got loot" or "Run Monk Run"), and the other half sneaking up behind people and clobbering them. Huge piles of fun, definitely going to be something to go with for a while I think.
Really need to get myself some leather armor to wear under the robe, though that could take a while to get hold of.

Lets see, what else...
Oh yes, on the costume front. For the Continuum convention's costume ball I plan to go as "Captain Nemo". Costume something like this from the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen movie.

Now, certain bits (like the beard) will be ignored, but basically I'll need to assemble:

• Black knee high boots
• Turban (Maybe, not really required)
• Knee length blue jacket/tunic
• Patterned white fabric to sew/glue onto it
• Appropriate style white pants
• Fancy belt (or black belt with fancy buckle, and use the same fabric as the jacket addition)
• Bandoleer
• Sword (You can't see it in the shot, but he uses a scimitar)

All in all it shouldn't be too tricky I don't think:

• The jacket/tunic will be a scrounge ebay/op shops, or find a pattern to make. Actually, a blue robe or dress should be easily adapted. Just cut to knee length and slit the skirt portion front & back. Assuming I can find one in appropriate fabric.
• Belt buckle should be findable from the Vic Market (no doubt a belt will be easy there as well)
• Patterned fabric like that should just require some fabric shop scrounging
• Bandolier... thick belt re purposed for over the shoulder should work
• Sword, I can hopefully bribe Laura to borrow hers (once it arrives)
• The pants.. probably again ebay/op shops
• Knee high boots.. that could be the tricky one. Any ideas (other than the aforementioned ebay/op shops), since I hardly want to spend huge amounts on them.

Now, that's just what's required to match the picture there. In the original books it's very much steampunk themed, so I was thinking of some other additions to it, but I'm not sure what's required (if anything really). Something to think about there (unless anyone else has some ideas?)

Deadline: 9th June (three weeks... crap...)

Moving on the SCA stuff, I do have one other small but rather important project there. I need to make a 'favor' for someone to carry into battle. Basically someone bearing your favor means that they fight for you, they carry your honor, and you trust them to represent you.
Most commonly in the SCA at the moment this is a small piece of cloth worn attached to your belt. I need to go with something Scottish themed, but unsure what exactly. It also really needs to be personalised, and have a crazy notion that this may require me to learn how to embroider (which is a terrifying thought).

Deadline for this one would be September, but earlier is good.

On the more structured and regular front, I'm thinking I need to come up with a daily checklist for myself, to make sure that I'm doing some things regularly to get into a good habit.
Thus far I'm thinking:

• At least 20 situps
• Clean out/retidy one shelf or other similar unit in my house
• Some form of cardio exercise (even if it's just riding to work or the supermarket)
• Write one Affirmation (for the App we're making)

I'm sure there should be more things going on that list, but I can't think of anything just yet. Any ideas?

Previous Business:

• The old bits of useless clothing etc that I had to dispose of have been chucked.
• One of the shirts that I can't really wear but are still good has been taken. Anyone want a Blue, Cream or Black shirt? They're listed as Medium, but very loose
• Old microwave has been disposed of

Still haven't managed my "Do something different and weird/unusual" for this Month yet. Nothing's really come up. Anyone have any ideas? Doesn't have to be complex or spectacular, just.. something new, weird or a bit unusual.

Anyway, I think that's about it for this entry. Tune in in the next couple of days for this week's Vegetable Challenge. I'm thinking carrot...