kingandy | Midgard?

So I'm toying with the idea of going to Midgard this weekend. There's one or two sticking points, resolution of which would swing it.

TRAVEL: I'm not fantastically keen on driving. It is a fair old way, and I am lazy. And I don't know the way, having slept for much of the journey during Week Of Kit. Offers of lifts would sweeten the deal considerably, but I'd probably be able to cope with it if the worst came to the worst. (Though it would cut into my City of Heroes time, which is slim enough already.)

SLEEP: I'd need crash space. Alright, that's probably not a massive one, because everyone who lives in Sunderland is lovely and it doesn't actually require any effort on their part (like driving does). But, though more easily resolved, it's probably more mission critical than the driving one, since I'm not going to sleep in the car.
UPDATE:

bacony has apparently secured me crash space on

ed_fortune's floor. Which is nice.

CHARACTER: I'm having trouble settling on stats. I want to play a big dumb ox, and my first instinct was just Strength, Mighty Thews, Stout and Stalwart. (Lack of status isn't a problem, I'd be playing an indentured servant / bodyguard for

bacony.) Then I started checking out the skills in more detail. Apparently Improvised Weapons can't be raised above a "Single" damage call, which throws half the point of Strength/Mighty Thews out of the window. Yes, I'd still be able to beat anyone in an arm-wrestling contest, but my powergamer instincts are shrieking that I could blow 50% of my character points on such a trivial ability. I thought about dropping MT - or possibly Stalwart - in favour of a weapon skill, but I'm wracked with indecision ... Use Martial Weapon is probably my best bet, because the Strength skills allow you to double your damage call instead of doing +1, and a double-handed Martial weapon lets you do doubles naturally (so strength takes it to Quad, n times a day). Of course then I'd be a fool to drop Mighty Thews, making Stalwart the choice ... but, how can I bring myself to drop body hits? As an "always on" skill, they're potentially more useful than being able to do a bit more damage a few times a day ... RRGH it is an eternal logic circle in my head.

Other skills that would suit the character are Smite, Immovable and Valour (he's too stupid to be afraid).

I am leaning towards keeping the initial Might & Stalwart combo, because It's all about the CHARACTER god damnit. Though I suppose we would have to find a reason for

bacony to be travelling with what is essentially an unskilled labourer as her bodyguard... perhaps she's going for "big and intimidating" over "actually capable". An effective deterrent is the best defence, after all.

On a related note, there doesn't seem to be anything on the Midgard site/forums anywhere to indicate that there is any sort of event this weekend. Is it a secret event, or am I looking in the wrong place, or is it all a nefarious subterfuge to lure me to Newcastle? I can think of any number of people up there who would like to have their wicked way with me, so i can't rule it out... [Update: Since writing, a news item about the event has appeared on the Midgard front page. Panic over, no wicked way-having ahoy. Sigh.]