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? :)

Ode to Meridian Silliness

Several people have asked about the limerick I wrote for the Rapier Poetry Tourney at Coronation. First, the back story. I wasn't really planning on fighting in the tourney, since I was in charge of running it. However, with the unexpectedly low turnout, I didn't have much choice. Part of entering it was to have a poem about Meridies. Had I the time, I would have composed a moving and elaborate Epic to show off my literary prowess. Sadly, I had less than five minutes. Here is the result of my speedy composition:

"In Meridies there lived a young Squire,
Who was a notorious liar,
But one day a lance,
Ripped open his pants,
And displayed a small truth to his Shire!"

Meridian Fall Coronation

Sorry I didn't post anything before now about the event last weekend. It was full of momentous happenings, but work has been kicking my tired butt and after work has been nearly as busy lately. At any rate, on with the show.

Sadly, the turn out for the rapier tourney at Coronation was disappointing. I suspect this had to do with the sudden, vicious gasoline shortages and price hikes that struck over the weekend due to Hurricane Ike. In all, we had five fighters enter the list, each with an eloquent and moving work of poetry about our fair Kingdom to secure the first of 5 potential points. The list consisted of myself, Ysabel, Hawk, Feodor and Dragonet. After the fighters fought through a gauntlet to "deliver" their poems to Her Majesty (each receiving two chances to do so) and the Queen and Her ladies had chosen their favorite works, the fighter with the best combination of wins and poetic prowess turned out to be.... Ysabel! Additionally, because two of the poems (Hawk's was the other one) were so moving to Her, the Queen ordered them read to the populace at Feast. For some reason, my limerick (written just minutes before the tourney on a 3x5 notecard with a black and white pen left over from RUM) was not so well received. Ah, well, ce la vie.

In other Coronation news, previous to the tourney, Ysabel was also selected by Her Majesty to serve as Her Premier Queen's Rapier Champion! For those who have not heard, the Queen has decided to choose Her rapier champion a bit differently this time around. She will pick one fighter of note at each event She attends to represent Her at the following event(s). Sometime prior to Gulf Wars, those gentles so chosen shall be invited to fight in a tournament to determine who gets the Honor of being Her official Champion at the War. It's a unique spin on the QRC selection that we hope will encourage fighters to come out and try to impress Her Majesty in order to be chosen.

The other significant bit of news is that we have a new member of the Merdian Order of the Blade! Lord Feodor Razin was inducted into the Order during the last court of Their Former Majesties, Caspar and Cecelia. Congratulations Feodor and welcome to the madness.

So, that was our weekend. The only real downside, apart from working ourselves to exhaustion helping run the event, was having to eat at Denny's on the way home. Not our choice, but we didn't want to be anti-social. Denny's is, for the most part, vile and unwholesome. Ah, the sacrifices we make for our Shire. But, the event was a success, the weekend was fun and good people got recognized. Can't ask for more than that.

The Politics of Lipstick

Does anyone else think it's odd that with all the issues facing Americans (and the world) right now, the two parties vying for leadership of our country are quibbling like middle school children over a comment about lipstick? Things that make you go "hmmmm...". On a similar note, does Sarah Palin really want to be viewed as a pit bull wearing said lipstick? Not a particularly flattering image to me, but whatever makes her happy, I guess.

The Long, Dark Weekend of the Soul

Feeling rather depressed right now. Not sure why. More on that later. We went out with friends Saturday. Mostly wandering around downtown Nashville looking at tacky souvenir shops and ducking into pubs so they could drink the occasional beer. It was mid-afternoon, so the bad elements hadn't put in an appearance yet. At least, not in great numbers. There were the usual panhandlers asking for spare change, but that's about it. I was amused by one of my friends responses to one such attempt. "Why don't you get a spare job." Indeed. I've been nearly as low as they are and I didn't resort to begging. But then, perhaps I was just lucky that it never came to that. Not quite. I will admit that I had a problem with alcohol once, a very long time ago. Spent a bad month living in my car when I was 20 or so. Not sure if it was the memory of that time in my life, or even more bitter memories of my biological father (which I do not care to elaborate on) that caused me to have a panic attack going into one of the drinking establishments late in our outing. Suddenly I simply couldn't take the noise, the crowds, the smell. I had to get out. I had to be somewhere else. It was rather embarrassing and I'm not really sure why I'm sharing the incident here, to be honest. Everyone was very understanding and we managed to salvage the rest of the evening with a nice dinner at The Spaghetti Factory, but the whole situation still bothers me more than a little. I hadn't been drinking, but I had been suffering from a lingering headache most of the day. Perhaps that had something to do with it.

On Sunday Ysabel was sick, which always sucks, but we went to rapier practice anyway. I wouldn't let her fight, though, which annoyed her. It was really hot and humid at the park, so our bouts were half-hearted at best. I came home light-headed, sore and feeling very old.

Today I went on call for work and even though I supposedly had the day off for Labor Day (which I always found ironic) I still ended up having to remote into my work computer to finish a project that was left over from last week. No rest for the weary, you know. After that, I helped Ysabel clean up some of the piles of assorted stuff that have been accumulating around our bedroom. It needed doing, as we had been putting it off, but something about going through all that stuff has made me strangely maudlin. Is this the totality of my life? The assorted mementos and possessions gathered over the long years of one's life tell a story, but sometimes that story isn't one that deserves retelling. Does mine? Is what I have become worth the struggles and hardships endured to reach this point? As I look at the stacks of clothing, books, photos and other odds and ends, I remember the me that existed when those things were aquired and I wonder. Who was I back then? How have I come to be the me I am now? Who will I be in ten years? What happened to the dreams of the person I was twenty years ago? Are the dreams and hopes I hold today going to vanish unrealized into the distant reaches of memory as well? I don't know. But writing this has helped me put my dark state of mind into some sort of perspective. I actually feel better for putting it into words. I hope you don't mind my taking up a bit of your time for some much needed cathartic self-examination. I guess that's part of what blogs, and friends, are for.