Dark Clouds and Silver Linings

There wasn't much talking like a pirate around here on Talk Like a Pirate Day. I did cuss like a sailor a few times, though. Mostly at the people in line at one of the few gas stations that still had gas here. Ysabel nearly ran out on the way home from work, because there wasn't any gas to be found near her job. I had to leave work early and go get her. Fortunately, I still had 3/4 of a tank, otherwise we would have been screwed. We left the van sitting in a parking lot, bought one of the few remaining 5 gallon gas cans at Home Depot and while she made it to her chiropractors appointment, I left my car in the doctor's parking lot and walked across the street to fill up the gas can. There was a line of cars waiting that stretched out into the street and then some. It was pure ruthless insanity when I tried walking up to fill up my piddly little gas can ahead of people. Not surprisingly, the rudest and most selfish people were the young females. Total bitchery there. Fortunately, some of the older folks were calmer and more kind, so it only took me 20 minutes. Then I lugged my (really bloody heavy) 5 gallons of gas back to the car, picked up Ysabel and went back to get the van. More good fortune, the Shell near our house wasn't as hard hit and still had gas (and not as much of a line). We both filled up and made it home, despite the growing crisis.

Against my better judgment, we risked going to a nearby (about 45 minutes travel time) SCA event on Saturday. I was afraid that if we used up too much of our precious go-juice, we'd be stuck later in the week unable to get to work or get to the store for food. I'm glad to be proven wrong, as it looks like the shortage is going to be fairly temporary. Also, going to the event proved fortuitous. One of my students (Lord Jack Marvell, out of Thor's Mountain) got his first rapier award, I won the first rapier tourney and got chosen as one of the Queen's personal Champions (Ysabel was the first so chosen, I am the second) and Ysabel and I were both given a Grant of Arms, which is a fairly big deal . We are now the Honorable Lord Corbin de la Rue and the Honorable Lady Ysabel de Saincte-Croix. That last took us completely by surprise. Kind of like getting smacked in the forehead with a solid gold brick and then getting to keep it. His Majesty, while announcing our GoA's also said that from now on we are to be referred to as "Swish" and "Poke" (for those non-SCA persons out there, Rapier fighting is often referred to in the Society as "swishy-poke"). Much laughter ensued from the assembled populace.

Sunday wasn't nearly as much fun, since I had to work from home most of the afternoon. It's nice to be able to remote into a work computer, but it also means that there's little excuse to not get work done just because it's the weekend. Also, Jack texted me that he had broken down on the way home from the event and was stuck in Crossville, TN. It apparently wasn't as bad as it first sounded, though, since he said that he had "a place to stay and beer". Well, that makes it all better, then, doesn't it? :)