Andrea Blumberg

31. Some Bits and Pieces (Dec '08)

I'm afraid this email may have a bit less content and a bit less zing than previous ones. My energy levels have been in the single digits for the past bunch of months. Those little hamsters that are supposed to be running around in their little wheels and powering up my dynamos seem to have gone on strike, preferring to loll about in the cedar chips and stuff sunflower seeds into their cheek pouches. As a result I've been lolling about, too, so there hasn't been much to write about nor any motivation with which to weave it into words.

But I do frequently have the urge to reach out and say hi, and today that urge has surged up over the levee of inertia to spill out these few thoughts.

Reaching back to the long-ago epoch of the summertime there were several events of interest. The first, most widespread, and craziest was the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Now, me being an introvert and a borderline agoraphobe, I mostly stayed in my relatively quiet neighbourhood of Leith, avoiding the juggling, fire-eating, leaflet-thrusting, statue-posing, crazy-costume-wearing hordes that thronged the Royal Mile, promoting their shows. But I did venture out and attend a few shows, and I even participated in one (four of us sat and ate fondue one day in front of an audience, who were wearing headphones, listening to a recording of our purported "inner thoughts." Very Fringe-y). My favourite venue, though, was the giant, upside down purple cow, large enough to house a stage and over 300 seats.

I saw a pretty good modern dance show there. I also went to a few art shows, a couple plays, and even one late-night, ribald puppet show, recommended by my housemates -- the puppeteers -- of course. There was also a tango exhibition taking place in the Grassmarket square one day, and as I happened to know one of the guys dancing I got a spin (note the fancy tango shoes).

The appropriately-costumed guides showed us how, back in the day, they were able to create fire by rubbing sticks together, shape wood using a foot-powered lathe, drill holes into rocks with a bow-drill, and access the internet using only some vines and a slab of polished granite.

We also got to see some burly men hurl heavy rocks and cabers around at the Perth Highland Games, sit in on a traditional music session at the Tap Inn, walk along some waterfalls, pester some Highland cows, and visit a few castles. Most exciting for me was Doune Castle, the location where most of Monty Python and the Holy Grail was filmed. The front desk kindly stocked a set of coconut shells so that you could tour the castle on horseback.

Once my friends left, though, things were relatively quiet. My main activity was working on a treasure hunt based in Perth that I hope to be able to print up and sell in the Tourist Office (the first, perhaps, in a series of similar hunts). It's part walking tour, part mystery story and part treasure hunt, taking you around the city to the main points of historic interest as you follow the path of 14th-century character Catherine Glover (I ripped off--- ahem, paid homage to Sir Walter Scott's characters from the Fair Maid of Perth) as she searches for clues to help figure out where her kidnapped fiance is being held.

You have to get the same clues off the buildings and information plaques that she does (did I mention that she skips backwards and forwards through time with the aid of a robotic, semi-sentient servo gauntlet from the year 2174?) and then, after she uses them to find her fiance, you get to plug them into puzzles and come up with a password that will get you some real-world treat (I haven't figured out exactly what that will be yet. Suggestions have included: having your name listed on a "solver's board" on a website, getting some kind of bonus epilogue to the story, getting a small treat in a local coffee shop, getting directions to a hidden stash of trinkets, etc. Any other suggestions are welcome; I haven't hit the fine balance yet between being rewarding enough for the solver to enjoy and not too difficult/expensive for me to set up and maintain).

Here's the cover of my booklet (if you want to try to solve it from your chair at home let me know and I'll email you a copy. Better yet, if you want to solve it in the flesh, come visit me and I'll take you around personally):

Since then I've mostly been lolling around, resting, and feeling an inexplicable craving for sunflower seeds.

Love to you all,
Andrea

Copyright © Andrea Blumberg 2016