V is for . . .

No, not Vendetta

V is for . . . Van Gogh

Even folks who aren’t fans of Doctor Who know this scene:

Well, this summer the Immersive van Gogh exhibit came to Charlotte. Krystal and I took a weekend and went out of town. We had dinner at the Melting Pot and just enjoyed some time way from the normal routine. 

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We spent several hours at the exhibit and to say I wept through the entire thing would be an understatement. I was worried that my glasses would make things too dark to see, but in reality the exhibit pieces were very well lit and in fact it seemed like I was the only one in the place.

At one point, Krystal leaned over and said “are the colors working for you?”. With tears streaming down my face, I nodded yes.

To see van Gogh in color was the thrill of a lifetime.

To have him be THE FIRST of my favorite artists to ever see in color . . . I cannot describe it, and I really wish I could.

If you can see color “normally” and you don’t have a favorite artist – why? How?

The world is such a beautiful place, and the artists who paint it have power.

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V is for . . . Variants

No, not Covid

Loki Variants

Krystal and I had the opportunity to attend a local convention, back after 2020. Practicing as much safety as possible, we went dressed as Loki Variants: Krystal as Fairy God Loki and I as Punk Rock Loki.

Yes, I wore eyeliner, and I looked fabulous.

We saw a few old friends, which was good for the soul.

I also had a record dealer try to gatekeep me, saying there was no way I was a fan of the shows I was interested in buying records for. 

“What, did you watch these with your grandfather?” he asked. 

Resisting the urge to say “My grandfathers died before I could form any memory of them,” I instead said “I’m a ninety-year-old man trapped in a young man’s body,” and promptly set down the records and walked away. 

At another vendor I did spend a total of $9.46 total on vinyl pressings of the soundtrack to 2001: A Space Odyssey, Carole King’s Tapestry, and a collection of German beer hall music.

And of course, we added to our art collection.

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V is for . . . Very Good Boys

OK, so “very” is doing some heavy lifting, but I was having trouble coming up with a v-word to describe how my TTRPG characters are playing out.

Cyrus, my werewolf in World of Darkness had two big-for-him (and for me) moments. First, he attained new deed names along with his friend/acquaintance Ollie, and was recognized officially as rank Fostern. Second, he spoke in front of the JusticarCouncil in defense of Prince Hastings of New Orleans – and he spoke well. I was very nervous RPingwith many more experienced players, but I was told I did a good job.

You can read more about Cyrus here

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Garrett, my Rabbitfolk artificer in D&D, was able to run some RPs this last week and have some talks with other characters that are going to influence him positively in coming games. He finished the armor he’d been working on for a dragon, and it turned out even better than he could accomplish thanks to some divine intervention. He also had a small yet very personal conversation with another party member that has moved them firmly into the “close friends” category, and that party member seems to reciprocate.

You can read more about Garrett here