Map Work - Ishtala

Sketching recently has resulted in a draft map of the desert city of Ishtala, in the Kossaran realm of Marishtana. I love these 18 by 24 inch sketch pads...

Ishtala work in process

The heroes of our D&D campaign may (or may not) find themselves in this place at some point in the not too distant future...

Legally Blonde

The Garnet Valley Performing Arts Association performance of Legally Blonde was this weekend, overlapping with Grace's gymnastics meet in York PA.

I have to admit that I knew very little about this show, and hadn't seen the movie that spawned the musical. With Amp doing costumes, I had heard many disjointed bits playing on iPads and iPhones and iMacs as Amp listened for inspiration, but knew very little of the overall show.

Julia in the beauty salon

I was very pleasantly surprised. The show was very entertaining, had a number of good songs, and our kids did a very good production (not surprisingly).

Curtain call

On the sadder side of things, this may well have been Julia's 8th and final show. She did Les Miserables (her [and my] all time favorite) in the spring of her freshman year, both shows in her sophomore, junior, and senior years, and now this in the fall of her "super senior" year. She would be eligible to participate in these shows as long as she is in the school, which in her case will be in the year in which she turns 21, but she seems to be reaching the point at which other things are taking precedence, and she may not want to commit the time for Evita in the spring, and the other shows to come in the next couple of years.

You never know what the future will bring, but if this is the finale, then it would be hard to ask for a better experience than Julia has had. And so the curtain falls.

Tim Weaver Battlefield Invitational

Grace's second meet of the season was the Tim Weaver Battlefield Invitational in York PA.  Reporting time for Excel Gold was 7:00am, almost 2 hours from home, so this was the first meet where Grace and I drove out to York the evening before and stayed in a hotel near the venue. Amp and Julia stayed home since this weekend was the fall musical (Legally Blonde) at the high school, and they were both busy with four shows (1 Thursday, 1 Friday and 2 on Saturday).

Walk in for warm ups

This was a much larger meet than the West Chester meet a couple of weeks ago, and the competition was much stiffer. Grace still did very well, placing 4th in floor (with a personal best of 9.325).

4th place in Floor

...and 6th in Vault (8.2).

6th place in Vault

...and 5th in Beam (8.575).

5th place in Beam

Her team placed second overall.

Excel Gold team second place

Most importantly, she had a lot of fun, and had a great day with her teammates. Next up, Suffern, New York in two weeks.

West Chester Meet

Grace's first gymnastics meet of the season (Excel Gold level) was at West Chester University. Last year she competed at the Excel Silver level, and did well. The more important thing for me is that she is involved in a team sport that challenges her, and those challenges will serve here well in the future.

She had a really great meet, placing first in vault (her best apparatus) and beam (a personal best, and typically her most challenging apparatus).

Top spot (twice)!!!

She was 6th in floor...

Excel Gold team trophy!

...and 7th in bars (another challenging event for her).

Good times with friends

And had a personal best in the all around. Her team did great as well. There was a big trophy, but I honestly did't make a note of what place they finished. Oh well...