Tales by Daemonfall

Somehow I find myself transfixed again and again before the news.
Not without a good reason, considering that during those last few days in Gaza some intense fighting has been going on. On my end of the deal it's mostly a frightening concept of being on the outside, watching (and approving) the action while fearing for the life of loved ones and friends. Or being drafted into reserves and being on the inside, being worried for by friends and loved ones. Currently, much to my luck, there's no need for me - but others around me have been drafted into reserves already, prime among them is my father.
Somehow, I feel lucky to have him around as a reliable source of information about this round of the ongoing fight - his input had allowed me to sleep well those last few nights with relatively little bother from old nightmares.

But the drums of war are playing at the distance, when we all know we are a single catastrophe from an all out war with who knows how many casualties. One missed missile, one "lucky" mortar bomb directed at some house with not enough armor... one batch of bloody bodies and we'll all spiral down into real fighting. This surgical war against Hamas is admirable for it's accuracy and impressive kill ratio - the professionalism and capability to reduce collateral damage is truly a badge of honor to the air force. The hard part comes where you realize that the air-force can't quite cut it all the way. If lasting impression is to be made, it would be done only via ground assault. Which, in my opinion is the worst case scenario - both for the Israeli side and the Palestinian side.

It's raining outside, as it should be. A good, steady rain that got me from the moment I left the house about an hour ago and is still darkening the world in a steel-gray downpour. It's unusually peaceful, for some reason - the drive was quiet and calm, none of them crazy Israeli drivers that I got used to in the last few months... just me, the road and thinking about odd stuff. (Considering plots for my Exalted Campaign, for that matter (
But the good stuff happened when I arrived at the office, blissfully vacant from the loud construction workers that usually litter the place with noisy machinery. Last night one of my office-mates, pointed out she left some Ginger and Cinnamon out in the open (meaning in the high shelf at the kitchen).
Now besides a sunny desktop and a cheerful rain-tap on the window, there be a great mug of steamy, wintery brew on me table. Just the smell makes me smile.
Also, my friend at the Gym started an experiment with me – designed to raise some attributes I have yet to develop during the Arnis martial arts classes – mainly lower back power and increased stamina. So two trainings a week, each at least an hour and a half of no slacking. I hope to see results during sparring days in the next few months and adjust the program considering the results.
Cheers!

Fun things to do: Enjoy a talk with my alcohol-trader clients, when they come visit. Always a good way to get an ear on the ground for the newest import products.

That out of the way. I have a new roleplaying campaign. Rolling, as they say.

Exalted: A system/setting of roleplaying game portraying a mythic day and age in which a curious blend of chinese, japanese and western myths are all co-mingled into a half-crazed world where sometimes your prayers are more real and tangible then you are.
In this system/setting i'm running a weekend-based games in something that would curiously remind most people of a blend between the wild-west and the "Princess Mononoke" Anime. The whole idea of the game i'm running is "Development" - meaning everything reacts to the players, even their artifacts and personal attachments wane and wax with their actions and interactions. Everything has a spirit and everything reacts to the mighty chosen of the heavens. A challenging task, to play that reactive world, but it's so much fun that I wouldn't trade it for any other role.

Last weekend, after deciding to eat out instead of cooking up something tasty back home - we actually played over coffee (semi-molten chocolate for me) in a pleasing Haifa morning. Big, toothy smile, anyone?

The internet died over the last two days. More accurately, the server on which we've been working at Simply-Smart died with no feasible explanation. As I'm not known as a common computer-killer and gremlin magnet, I have to assume someone else is to blame. That spare time in which I could not reach clients and actually download the necessary pictures gave me extra time to work on my Origami birds that seem to flock in larger and larger amounts upon my window. My cause? At least one bird a day, preferably two. I'm averaging three cups of coffee and two birds a day.
Nine hours make a day's work. Booya.

Nothing too smart or contemplative about that.
But after enough mornings of waking up at six, seeing the sun rise at my back (driving from east to west, what can I say) and enjoying a good mug of steaming coffee in an empty office.

I love mornings.

That said, yesterday was a bad day. Too much work, too many meetings too little brains on each and every one of them. Finished working around six twenty. Counting almost eleven hours of work, with little end results and mostly creating more work.
Four good things saved the day from being a disastere.
1) Having someone good to talk to, before and after work.
2) It was payday. Clearing clean 7k.
3) Having some betzalel graduate marvel at my photoshop skillz.
4) The cake at the tail end of Arnis Class saved my suger level from dangerously terminal levels. All hail cake. The Cake is No Lie.

Good day people.

Well, music's going to be A problem. Namely, since I work with customers. Most of which has no appreciation to the music I use as "creative music" - namely various power-metal bands whom general theme is "war, conflict, epic stuff, boom, grunge, stabbity, chop-chop, slash-di-slash" and so on and so forth. I guess my martial training is showing up as well.

On the other hand, the office is all my own, one of the few advantages of being the sole designer here, meaning no one can sneer off or even ask me to lower the volume beyond closing the door to the spacious place behind me.

Buccaneers Inn (BattleLore) playing in the background, followed by the wonderful "Orange Crush" by R.E.M. Such a pleasant conflict of styles and ideas.

Yesterday had a definite "smile" moment, where the rain tapped lightly on the windows, blushing slightly with the sun poking behind sparse clouds. Good music on the background with my newly acquired speakers and a good glass mug of my beloved black coffee. No costumers, no pressure, just me, music and something fun to do.

Sun kissed days,
Navot.

I've had a suggestion to play in a V:TM LARP running in jerusalem as a character that's supposedly, be acting like my father. Meaning, an ex-officer with wide experience in all sorts of warfare. Indeed unique, but I think i'll pass.

Guess I like to keep home where I love it - home. Untouched by all the tumults of life i've gone through while growing up and all the rocky-road jumping i'm still going through.

Also made a new disc for driving music.
I do so love to drive with R.E.M. in the background.

And it's quite good. Relaxing here in the morning is very peaceful and quiet. If you count out the construction going on in the same floor - but I got used to it. Morning coffee is ready and most of the red-line work is done. Now it's just a trouble-shooting day, nothing hard or uneasy.

Sometimes it's fun to know i'm the one running the show here (sole desighner in a web-application company? every one goes through me) - even it's a show of big head instead of being humble.

Like I said to my dad, whom agreed - "One must know how to price himself right, too low and they step on you, too high and no-one can afford you".
Currently pricing me quite low as a smart move considering the crash that the entire market is going into. The entire WWW.COM industry is going into shock, while we here at the company try to wave through the motions just like the little smart fish we are.

Cheers.

Well, car-ness is achieved.
Now I just need to get it, hopefully this afternoon. Being paid for by a combination of my dad and my own funding, it's essencialy my car. The funny part is that i'm likely to keep driving the Hybrid to work, since it's more cost effective.

Buying a car for the weekends.
Odd.

But it's mine and when i'll move out, it'll move out with me. Which is a good thing - it's not a company car, though the company would help me with the fuel. All in all, good raise.
It's too damn early and i'm too damned used to it. Something went seriously haywire in my head to accept waking up at six AM for something normal.

At least I get to practice martial arts as much as I want. Which is a lot.

Cheers.