Happenings

So much has happened since I last posted. Let me explain... no, it is too much. Let me sum up. December has been a difficult month. We had not one, but two or three major crises at work over the course of a two week period. Mostly involving our incompetent hosting company taking our servers down. We simply can't go down, especially at this time of year. Too many of our clients run 24/7 and for us to go down during the holiday rush is unacceptable. There was much screaming and gnashing of teeth. The bad part was that I was the one on call during the first week that we started having these issues. It has been officially dubbed "The Nightmare Before Christmas". Fortunately, we have almost finalized moving to a new hosting company and things are now fairly calm. Plus, I'm no longer on call.

In other news, the corporate consumer machine continues unabated. We've nearly bankrupted ourselves trying to cover the family's Xmas wish lists. Personally, I prefer the more spiritually significant Winter Solstice of Pagan tradition than the overly garish, artificially promoted, modern Christmas. I have no issue with Christians' reason for celebrating, but in my eyes, the *Season* is the reason for the season. Still, we are programmed practically from birth to participate in the orgy of consumerism that marks the Winter holiday here in America. And I have to admit, I generally get some good swag for it. I'd rather not go into massive amounts of debt, but at this point, it's more or less expected.

Our gaming group has finished up our Serenity campaign (based on the Firefly television series by Joss Whedon). The final adventure involved a heist on a space liner (netting us 1.5 million credits), having our ship taken over by my character's sadistic brother and his para-military goons, and after taking out all twenty of his guys, me getting to have a "showdown at high noon" scene in which I (barely) out-drew my nemesis in a pistol duel, killing him and leaving my character gravely wounded. Good times. The next thing on the gaming horizon is a Dungeons and Dragons campaign using the Ebberon game setting. I'll be running that one to give our regular DM a break. Plus, I really love that particular world. It has a great "cinematic" tone that is reminiscent of the wild and woolly adventure serials of yesteryear. Think "King Solomon's Mines" and "Indiana Jones" meets "Lord of the Rings", with a little "James Bond" thrown in for good measure. If I know our game group, it should turn out to be a real hoot.

One last thing of note. As many of you know, Ysabel broke her finger a few weeks ago in a longsword tourney. I'm happy to report that it is healing nicely and she is starting the physical therapy phase of her recovery. She's out of her cast/splint and just has a couple of velcro straps holding her pinky to her ring finger now. She can even take them off to do her exercises. So, that's a positive note among all the upheaval and chaos.

It's been a rough month, like I said, but we are looking forward with hope to the coming year. Whether you observe the Winter Solstice, Christmas, Hanukkah or nothing at all, may you know peace, comfort and contentment this holiday season.

The Darkness of the Balance

It is the belief of some that the Universe requires a balance between Dark and Light in order to function. You can't know good without evil, etc. Well, that may be true, but it kind of sucks for people that have to live on the wrong side of that equilibrium. Someone has to lose, I guess, in order for anyone to win, but how is it fair to the ones that play that losing role all the time? I know, I know, life isn't fair. I do tend to hope that somewhere, somehow, it balances out on a personal level, not just a cosmic one. It's nice to think that in the long term, everyone who suffers and is beaten down will end up on top in their turn. Somehow, I kind of doubt it, but it's a nice thought. Have to keep plodding after that carrot, after all. Otherwise, what's the point?

Anniversary Weekend

The past weekend, my wife and I went out of town to Gatlinburg, TN for our anniversary. Now, I like a good tourist trap as much as the next guy, but when it comes to pure, unadulterated pandering to the American tourist ideal, nothing beats Gatlinburg. It's actually three towns all strung in a line leading from I-40 up to the Great Smoky Mountains. During the busy season (that would be right now) the traffic going in on Friday and leaving on Sunday is so bad that it can take two hours or more to go twenty miles. Most of the way, unsuspecting drivers are subject to tacky roadside attractions and glaring lights to rival the Vegas strip. The amusement park ambiance is given a slightly disturbing spin by Hillbilly chic that has to be seen to be believed. It's all in good fun, of course, but it can leave one wondering just exactly who it was that thought that this was in any way sublime or attractive to the eye.

We managed to get to our hotel after much grumbling and cursing at the traffic. I have to be honest, I expected the worst when we got to our room. Thankfully, I was wrong. The room was amazingly clean and not in the least run down. There was a gas fireplace, a jacuzzi tub and the whole thing was far classier than a chain hotel had any right to be. We settled in and then went back out to do some shopping and hunt down a meal. The traffic had thinned a bit, so it didn't take us as long to get around this time. Still, by the time we had eaten a nice supper (at Olive Garden) and made it back to the room, it was kind of late. Even so, we couldn't resist eating the dessert that we had brought back with us. The white chocolate raspberry cheesecake was heavenly. After that, we soaked in the tub for a while and then hit the sack, expecting a busy day on Saturday.

The weather Saturday morning was daunting, to say the least. Cold, rainy and miserable. Made it hard to get out of the nice soft, warm bed. But, we had plans, so off into the wet we went. We got to the main part of Gatlinburg (our hotel was one town over, in Pigeon Forge) early enough to get a decent place to park near the convention center and bummed around until the craft show that she wanted to go to opened. I'm not much for Southern country kitsch, but even I will admit that there were some very good artisans putting their wares up for sale at this show. We found her some nice mementos to take back home with us and then took a break to grab some food. Then it was walking up and down the main drag in the rain until we couldn't stand the crowds anymore. We picked up a few more items from the copious merchants that haunt downtown Gatlinburg and then headed out for the Tuckaleechee Caverns. I had seen an brochure for the cave on the way in and, having a fondness for the deep places of the world, convinced Ysabel to check it out. It was a long and winding road to get there, but the hour+ long tour was well worth it. The cavern was amazing! A lot of walking and stairs, but amazing, nonetheless.

We wound up sore, tired, cold and wet by the time we got back to the hotel. From then on, we were total bums, doing little but eating and sleeping until it was time to go home on Sunday. We stopped by a few more stores on the way out and then it was on to Knoxville to hang out with some of our rapier peeps at their local practice in the park. The weather was still chilly, but the company was good. They had a cookout after the fighting, so we mooched lunch off of them before we finally headed home.

All in all, one of the better weekend outings we've had. We are now very broke, of course, but we had a damn good time getting that way.

I'm tired

Just thought I'd share with the world how bloody tired I am. I know, it's nothing new or even the slightest bit important. I know that I'm indulging in gratuitous public whining. I even know that I'm not in any way alone in having to get up out of a warm bed (repeatedly) in the middle of the night to deal with a crisis at work. Despite knowing all that, somewhere deep inside me is a little voice that rebels against the cold, hard nature of our lives. Who was it that decided that the world had to be this way? I certainly wasn't consulted, I know that much. I never got asked, "Hey, would you like to live in a universe where 75% of everything is a pain in the ass?" Nope. Missed that interview question, I guess. Didn't get the memo or something. So, I have to wonder if there exists anywhere out there, in the vast reaches of the infinite Multiverse, a place where only 25% of everything is so tedious and exhausting. If so, I'd like to sign up for a transfer, please. Barring that, I'd settle for a few more hours of sleep. Funny how we lower our expectations, huh?

Another Milestone

As of Saturday, September 26th 2009, I have been alive for four decades. I've lived through some serious history on this chaotic dirtball of a planet and some really screwed up things that have happened to me personally. Turning forty is something that, in my youth, I couldn't have imagined. One never thinks about getting old when one is a teen or even a twenty-something. Now, I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, my body is definitely not what it used to be (which was never very good to begin with, really) and there is a sense that I have wasted my youth without much to show for it. On the other hand, I'm rather proud that I've managed to survive to this point and things could be (and have been) much, much worse. I know that there are still many good things to come, but there is also the fear of what could go so suddenly and catastrophically wrong. As I said, mixed feelings.

All that aside, I did have a pretty good day for my birthday. We started the day with some geeky fun at a "pre-release" tourney for the latest Magic the Gathering set (Zendikar). I love the way this set plays! The setting is awesome and the new rules click for me very well. I got some very good cards, won a couple of rounds before we dropped to go do other things and had a couple of very impressive plays. After that, we went home and picked up the kids to go meet people at Red Robin for dinner. The plan was to eat, hit a nearby bookstore (I love browsing the shelves in the sci-fi/fantasy section) and then head out to Dave and Busters for some evening entertainment. Unfortunately, it being a Saturday night, Dave and Busters was a little too popular. It was so crowded that we decided to forgo that plan in favor of a much less frequented bowling alley a few minutes from the mall. The place turned out to be nearly empty and most of the people that were there were old even compared to me. I was glad that there weren't very many witnesses to see how much I suck at bowling. I throw to the left so badly that nearly every throw was a gutterball. I did manage one strike, at the very end of the last game. I was starting to get the hang of it, I think. Of course, by then my wrist was aching and my back was twinging something fierce. Oh, yeah, I'm forty all right.

I got a couple of gift cards for various restaurants and Ysabel got me the entire Kung Fu series on dvd (the old 70's show with David Carradine), which was one of the main inspirations for me to get into martial arts when I was a kid. By the time we got home, it was too late for cake, but we made up for it Sunday night after we got home from rapier practice. I love me some cheesecake and white chocolate raspberry cheesecake is even better! So, overall, a good weekend, with only a few minor issues to speak of (which I won't). If I live another forty years, I'll be surprised, but what's important is that life now ain't half bad and I have hope that it will continue to stay that way.

Autumn's Grace

Today is the Autumnal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. It is a time of balance between day and night, when Summer fades and we begin the slow slide toward the long, dark months of Winter. The modern Pagan Wheel of the Year calls today Mabon. It is the second of three harvest festivals that celebrate the bounty of the Earth Mother and the imminent death of the Sun God on Samhain (Oct. 31st). He is reborn on Yule (the Winter Solstice) when the Wheel turns and the days start growing longer again. As the leaves fall from the trees and the night air grows chill, I hope that everyone is able to enjoy this harvest season with warmth, comfort and good fellowship. Happy Mabon!

Weekend of Woe

Holiday weekends are supposed to be fun and relaxing, right? This past one was anything but. Friday night consisted of everyone being in such a foul mood that we cancelled our plans to play cards. I'd been looking forward to trying out the new Magic variant, Planechase, but it was simply not to be. I was understandably disappointed.

On Saturday, we went to an SCA event and I wound up fighting worse than I have in a while. My heart just wasn't in it. Got hit in the same spot where I cracked a rib last Spring and also ended up straining a muscle above my left knee. Both still hurt more than they should right now. Thanks to my weakened leg, I learned an important lesson in balance and tempo when I tried to shift the weight off of it just as my opponent was launching a shot. With all my weight going forward onto my front leg, I couldn't back up to avoid the hit. It was nice to see everyone at the event, but by the time we went home I was not in the best of shape.

Sunday we did manage to sleep in a bit and get some rest. To be honest the first half of the day is kind of a blur. I know I finished off the book I've been reading (Mistborn, by Brandon Sanderson), which was good. In the evening we finally got to play the new Planechase set. Played two games, lost two games. It was a preview of how Monday was going to go.

Monday (Labor Day) morning around 4:30am, my pager went off. There was an issue at work and since I was the on-call person until 7am that morning, I got to try and deal with it. Well, it turned out to be something I couldn't fix, but that didn't stop me from trying. For three hours. By the time 7:30 rolled around, I was at the end of my rope. I left messages for my bosses, telling them I had done everything I could and it was the next guy's turn. Then I went back to bed and dozed fitfully until about noon. Not exactly restful sleep. Then I got up and we got started putting together the step-son's new basketball goal. Little did I know that these new goals require a mechanical engineering degree to assemble. It took us close to four hours of sweating, cursing and the occasional bit of improvisation to get the stupid thing done. Then I had to run to the store for light bulbs, break out the ladder and replace all the bulbs in our stairwell ceiling fan. This generally requires leaning out over a long drop to get to all of them. Did I mention that tall ladders give me serious vertigo? I was shaking and sweating even more by the time that was done. But, no rest for the wicked! I barely had time to shower before we had to head out for Shakespeare in the Park. They were doing "The Complete Works of Shakespeare: Abridged". It was funny, I will admit. Under better circumstances, I might have enjoyed it more. As it was, it took me a while to relax and appreciate the humor.

This morning, I get to work and find out that the problem that had plagued me the previous morning had taken three people until 9pm last night to fix. The client had been down all day and was not happy. I kind of feel like it's my fault somehow, even though I know it's not. So much for being refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the week after a holiday weekend. And it doesn't look like things are going to calm down for the next several days.

Across the Multiverse!

I don't know about you, but I find this grimy, unforgiving world we live in to be just a tad on the oppressive side sometimes. It is, therefore, a good thing when an opportunity comes along to escape it for a while. Books and movies are, of course, the primary vehicle for such a journey these days, but they aren't the only ones. Games, too, have become a way for us to explore the realms of the imagination and, unlike the other media, which allow us only to observe, games can let us interact with these worlds in a more satisfying way. Case in point, Magic the Gathering (what, you thought I was talking about World of Warcraft?). This card game has taken me on quite a wild ride over the years. I started playing about a year after the game's inception and it has been an on again, off again companion ever since. Recently, the gaming wizards responsible for producing Magic have come up with a unique new idea for us to enjoy. You see, the gist of the game's concept is that each player is a "Planeswalker", a being who is born with a special 'spark' that allows them to navigate between different realities, gathering magical power as he/she/it goes. This is represented by the collection of cards one gathers over time. New sets with new abilities come out every so often to keep the game fresh. However, the worlds themselves, the "planes" of reality where this all takes place have never been integrated into the gameplay as actual cards. Now they have. As a variant to the basic game, you can now buy "planes cards" that you can use to "planeswalk" during the course of the game. Each world has an effect on the game rules, but to me that's secondary. What is primary is that you actually feel like you are battling a rival "planeswalker" across a Multiverse of unique worlds during the course of the game. And that is just Fantasy Gamer Nerd Heaven! :)

I don't mean to sound like an advertisement for the game maker, but the new cards come out today and I'm fairly excited about getting to play with them tonight. I know what you are thinking. I'm too old to be into this kind of thing, right? Well, maybe. But maybe imagination isn't something that should only be the province of youth. I'll take my "weird" hobbies over boring mundanity any day.

Desperately Seeking Inspiration

So, I'm trying to come up with an entry for a monthly "Flash Fiction" contest on one of the SciFi/Fantasy sites that I frequent. The theme this month is "Super Powers" and I have to admit, this one has me stumped. It's going to be a real challenge to come up with something original in a genre that has been done to death. I have one idea that sounds good in theory, but the execution is proving to be a bit tricky. If I'm not careful, I'll have another flop on my hands. I tend to either do really well or completely flub it. There's rarely an in between with my stories. Well, nothing for it but to try and crank something out in the next little while, I suppose. Maybe if I just go with my gut and then polish it from there, it won't turn out too badly. Wish me luck!

Tourney of the Foxes Videos!

First Round:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ETpObwLv5A

Second Round:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KStEN--7SMA

Third Round:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiNia8f9lLY

Fourth Round:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxcSNOr6ALQ

Fifth Round:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbAV31YRPZs

Sixth Round:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y1tLLZALdk

Seventh Round:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob_aekHUXB0

Eighth Round:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQrtXl1lpa8

Unfortunately, the batteries died before the final round, but it went well and we ended up going undefeated. The hardest fight we had was against Captain Thomas O'Toole, Pepper and Baron Thorgrimm of Atlantia in round eight.

P.S. Special thanks to my step-son, Daniel, for running the camera for us.

Return of the Living Blog

Ok, I admit it. I haven't updated my blog in like forever. But I didn't mean to neglect this medium of self-expression. I was seduced by the Facebook side of the Force. It's so easy to lose yourself in the bells and whistles of social networking and forget about the basics. So, I'm going to try and make better use of this outlet of information. Starting with some links to videos of us fighting at Tourney of the Foxes, which I'll put in a new post as soon as time allows. Enjoy!

The Principles of Aquisition

As a follow up to my musings regarding the power of material possessions, I just wanted to share some of the items that have mysteriously (not really) appeared in our home lately. Since my last post we have managed to purchase, through various means, a new sectional sofa complete with two recliners and a hide-a-bed, a 42" flat screen HDTV, a new entertainment center, an Xbox 360 (courtesy of my step-son), new landscaping for a problematic patio in front of the house and various and sundry smaller items such as new dvd's and games. We've also managed to pay off one of our more vexing credit cards. When life starts going this well, I get nervous. Surely something is going to go horribly wrong and put us even farther in debt than we've ever been before. Nothing comes without cost and I'm not just talking about money. I'm waiting for the bomb to drop and wipe out all of our gains. Paranoid? Maybe. But I've seen it happen too often to trust in fate. In the meantime, though, I'm more than happy to kick back in my recliner and play new video games in high definition on my new big screen tv. Oh, yeah, baby!!

The Power of Material Things

It's amazing how much power physical possessions can have over us. We get into routines of need and want that are very hard to break sometimes. Our material existence is bound up with all kinds of strange devices that are supposed to bring us comfort and make our lives more satisfying. For the most part, having nice things is... well, nice, but if we dwell too much on the items that we want and, for lack of money or availability, can't get, then it can be a terribly frustrating ordeal. There is a large list of fairly expensive things that we have been wanting to purchase for quite some time. Some are things that I want and my wife doesn't really care about and, of course, there are some that she thinks are necessities that I find kind of pointless. But in the end, we usually manage to agree that we need/want x items in the near future. This has proven to be an ongoing battle with temptation. We already have a significant amount of debt that eats into our monthly budget. We don't want to incur more right now. However, that big screen lcd tv has been waiting for us to give it a home for a couple years now, our king size mattress is getting lumpy and uncomfortable, our downstairs sectional couch is falling apart, our fridge is getting on in years, it would be really nice to remodel the downstairs bathroom, etc., etc., ad nauseum. So we debate endlessly on how to go about spending our money and very little actually gets bought that isn't an immediate need. And so the frustration at our lack of progress builds. I don't blame my wife. She and I have both been burned before by over-extending our finances. I try to tell myself that it's only "stuff" and it's not that important. But we have been raised in a culture that places great value on possessions, however shallow that may be in the grand scheme of life. I should be above that nonsense, but part of me is vulnerable to it. It's difficult to admit to oneself that buying frivolous stuff makes one happy and fills a void of sorts. I think it has a lot to do with the sense of power that comes with finally getting something that has been out of reach for so long. My wife fusses at me for "beating a dead horse" every time I mention making certain large purchases that we have been putting off. I know it's irritating to her to hear me gripe about such things. I hope she can forgive that particular character flaw because, in the final tally of success in this life, her happiness means far more to me than all the gadgets and physical comforts in the world.

I Need Serenity...

For those of you familiar with the Firefly series and it's big screen follow up, Serenity, you may want to check out the pen and paper RPG version. We are planning a role-playing campaign using that setting and rule set and it looks to be a hoot. The rule book is written with the same wry humor of the source material and it gives some very in-depth information about the game world. I've already got a character in mind, a big, burly security type. Pretty standard with a couple of twists (always got to have twists, after all). Haven't got all the wrinkles worked out just yet, but I'm already looking forward to playing. We are just tiny little bundles of hopes and fears floating through the Black, but with a good ship and solid crew, no power in the 'Verse can stop us! Shiny!

Malicious Microorganisms

Once again, I have been assaulted by germy invaders that delight in tormenting me. A viral sinus infection, the doctor says. Nothing serious enough to be life threatening, of course. Not much the medical community can do about it. Just tough it out, sonny boy. Get lots of rest, drink lots of fluids. Purge you body, bolster you immune system, take over-the-counter drugs. Well, I knew to do all that already, so going to the doctor seems kind of pointness, after the fact. I can't just stop my day to day activities for the sake of getting "rest". I have responsibilities, after all. So, unless I'm completely debilitated, what I end up with is long stretches of low grade misery as I try to carry on with my normal routine. I'm tired of being subjected to the whims of non-sentient (supposedly) microcosmic forces that flare up whenever my immune system is the slightest bit stressed. I can only seek to focus on the positive right now. After all, had I lived even a hundred years ago, I would have probably died in early childhood. Now, I can at least look forward to old age, when the health problems will be much, much worse than merely annoying. That's a happy thought....

Notes from the Nerdscape

Amazingly, we actually managed to see a couple of geekish-type movies the weekend they hit theaters in the past couple weeks. The Wolverine: Origins movie was awesome! The new Star Trek reboot was Freakin' Awesome! I was stunned by how well the material was handled, despite some "science issues" in both movies. Suspension of disbelief comes fairly easy for me (it's a movie, get over it!), but there are times when something happens that is illogical enough to be jarring. Fortunately, these problems were kept to a minimum and the quality of everything else was enough for me to be forgiving. Especially since the average movie-goer probably wouldn't have noticed them at all. For instance, in the Wolverine movie, Deadpool had sword blades extend from his wrists. These blades were long enough that, had they been one solid piece stored in his arms, he would not have been able to bend his elbows at all. A Star Trek example was the fact that they beamed Kirk and Capt. Pike off the enemy ship while the shields were (seemingly) still up. It is a well-known fact that this is not possible according to Star Trek physics. But, as I said, these are minor nit-picks. The well-written characters, snappy dialogue, amazing FX and other goodness more than makes up for them. We will be buying these movies on DVD when they come out, for sure. Also, it looks like both will be spawning sequels. Let us hope that the quality remains at a consistent level or perhaps even improves in subsequent productions.

Oh, one final note. It continues to irk me that while the super hero and science fiction genres both continue to shine on the big screen, we have yet to see a significant number of fantasy movies that reach the same pinnacle of quality. There is a plethora of amazing fantasy literature out there just ripe for the picking, if the studio execs would just get their collective heads out of their butts long enough to realize it. The few series that have managed to get the blockbuster treatment have been wildly successful (Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and the Narnia series), but where is my big budget Dragonlance movie?! Or maybe a series based in the Forgotten Realms? I am encouraged by HBO's attempt to deliver a Game of Thrones series, but we are talking the tip of the iceberg here. Come on Hollywood, get over the "fantasy is for kiddie movies and b-movies" bullcrap and give us what we want, dammit!

Time is the Enemy

Rather, not having enough time is the enemy of keeping up with a blog. Curse this linear timestream to which we are all captive. I must endeavor to slip my temporal bonds and resume the documentation of events that shape my reality. That will show Time who's boss, dang it!

Gulf Wars Summary

Well, it's a bit late, but here it is. A synopsis of a summary of some of the highlights from my Gulf Wars 2009 experience. Enjoy.

We got there Sunday and managed to set up our tent right before the rain started. It didn't stop until Monday night. We spent all day Monday walking around in the wet, shopping with Her Majesty and one of her Ladies. I bought a new Cut and Thrust sword and a new buckler to go with it.

The weather turned really nice on Tuesday and we fought all day. Came damn close to winning the 6-man melee tourney. Won 3 out of 4 fights, just missing out on the finals.

Wednesday I got shot at with arrows in a Combat Archery Rapier battle. Then fought for the Queen in a tourney. Didn't win, though, sadly. That night we helped with the Meridian Party, which had a Goth theme this year. Hilarity ensued. I got a skull cane to go with my black outfit and it got dubbed "The Pimp Stick of Doom!". Respect the Stick!! I also facilitated the negotiations to hook up one of the North Shield Kingdom's better-looking Rapier people with one of Her Majesties Ladies. When he realized what was going on, he looked at me and said "You... are the Devil!". Well, duh!

Thursday we had our big Field Battle. We got stomped in the first two engagements due to lack of numbers on our side. We got some reinforcements for the friendship battle afterwards and Meridies went apesh*t crazy on the left flank. Tore it up reeeeeeal good. We won that one. Go figure.

Friday I was sick in the morning, but recovered in time to fight in another big battle. That one was a 45 minute long "resurrection" battle in the Ravine. We were heavily outnumbered (again), but Meridies charged bravely into the right flank over and over again and actually took it down a couple times. I was proud of our people even though we lost. Later that night we went shopping again and I got a leather cavalier hat and a new period long coat. Dashing, simply dashing!

Saturday we ran a charity tourney for the Sarah Cannon (Minnie Pearl) Cancer Foundation. Raised over $300 dollars. Very happy about that. Later we fought in the Fort battles. I got nailed in the ribs during the very first engagement hard enough to just about put me on the ground. Pretty sure I cracked a rib, but I fought the rest of the day anyway. C'est la guerre...

Sunday was relatively uneventful as we packed up and went home.

Overall, we worked our butts off, got the crap beat out of us and wound up bruised, sore, sunburnt and exhausted. It was awesome!

Still here

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I haven't forgotten about my blog. I've just been slammed at work and at home, so haven't had time to post any of the most recent stuff that's been going on. I expect I'll put up a report on Gulf Wars as time permits. That is all.

Challenging Times

Ok, so, I'm going to whine a bit here. Sue me. The past week has been rather challenging. It's funny how life decides to throw multiple issues at us at once. Funny "strange", not funny "ha ha". It's not amusing in the least, believe me. To start with, we are frantically getting things together for Gulf Wars, our big, week-long SCA event that starts in about a week. This includes several frustrating projects that have not been particularly cooperative. We've had to drop a lot more money than I'm comfortable with to accomplish our goals, as well. To top that off, I was on call with work all last week, which is always emotionally exhausting. Then, as if the above stresses weren't enough, the transmission in our van self-destructed in a fit of pique. So much for our recently paid off credit card balance. Sure, it is supposed to be fixed before we need it to go to Gulf Wars, but the price tag is enough to make us wince. Oh, and did I mention that Ysabel has bronchitis? Not fun. She had to miss out on going to the Northern Regional Practice on Saturday and was very unhappy about it. I managed to go by loading all of my (and Dougal's) gear into my piddly little car. It was not happy to have to haul that load all the way up to Crossville, TN. The practice itself demonstrated just how out of shape I am, too. I got to try out my new rapier helm, but the silly thing proved to be too heavy for my back and neck to support for very long. Between that and the complicated new dagger guards I'm trying to learn, I have a lovely knot in my back that feels like someone inserted an ice pick right next to my spine and left it there. I need to work on building up my "core" muscles, apparently.

On the good side, the camp bed is done and we have a memory foam pad on the way to use as a mattress. Our rapier students all got to come to the Regional and spent some time fighting each other. They seemed to have a blast and I got to work with Jack and Rayne some, which is always nice. Dougal got a couple more authorizations out of the way and I helped Piers, a new fighter from the Thor's Mtn. group, to authorize, as well. It was a productive day that was only marred by Ysabel's absence and the problem with my helm. I'm no longer on call at work, which is a huge weight off my shoulders. We seem to be on track to have everything ready for Gulf Wars. And last, but not least, I'm not completely broke.... yet. I guess you take the bad with the good, huh?

Meatless Monday

I haven't eaten anything remotely resembling meat so far today. Not out of any moral objection to eating the flesh of tasty animals, but because I was in a hurry and forgot to pick up a lunch at the store this morning. Rather than going out to get fast food (which I am trying really hard to avoid), I just decided to eat more of the stuff I bought for breakfast and snacks. Breakfast consisted of a granola bar (with 5 grams of soy protein) and a cup of peach chunks. Lunch was another protein bar, a different granola bar left over from last week (mmmmm... fiber) and a handful of dried apricots. Unfortunately, my metabolism is that of a carnivore, so I'm feeling really weird right now. Too many complex sugars, not enough protein to soak up the resulting insulin rush. Reality is warping in unpleasant ways.

Sorry, PETA, but ingesting your furry little buddies is a necessity to my continued well-being. Don't get me wrong, I certainly don't take their sacrifice for granted. I'm very grateful to them for giving up their earthly forms that I may live. That said, Meatless Monday is not destined to become a lasting tradition. In fact, I doubt I'll make it all the way though the day without feasting on one of your cute, cuddly barnyard pals. You know what they say, "Meat is murder. Yummy, yummy murder...".

Sleeping Arrangements

We recently decided that, with Gulf Wars looming on the near horizon, we were tired of sleeping on uncomfortable (and seperate) cots while camping. So, we looked around for plans for a DIY camp bed. Having found a design that seemed simple enough for us to put together without a woodshop and major carpentry skills, we headed out to Home Depot to get the lumber. We fully expected to have to cut the boards to length ourselves with a hand saw, a process that I was not particularly looking forward to. Luckily, once we had picked out suitable pieces of former green growing things, we realized that the Home Depot people could cut them all for us in a matter of just a few minutes. I was overjoyed at the amount of strenuous labor that this saved us. We ordered the fastener hardware Monday and are hoping to have the whole thing sanded, varnished and ready to go on Saturday. It will be a huge improvement to our Gulf Wars experience. Who knows, maybe sleeping on a real bed will even keep me from feeling like I was beaten with a blunt object every morning when I wake up. Wouldn't that be something?

Feel the Hate

How is it that I can fight rapier Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday with no ill effects except some residual stiffness, but I bend down to get something out of my closet yesterday morning and end up with a massive knot in my back that is still causing me a fair amount of pain today? Don't know if it's a pinched nerve or what, but it's going to make fighting tomorrow a real problem if it doesn't unkink by then. I'm utterly convinced that my body hates me and does this kind of thing just out of spite.

Ups and Downs

Just when I think I'm getting pretty good at this rapier fighting thing, I have a practice that makes me question whether I should even bother. Consistancy seems to escape me, despite my continued dedication to improving my skills and physical condition. One day I'm unbeatable and the next I'm everyone's practice dummy. It's very frustrating, especially when people are counting on me to be at a certain level. Hopefully, now that things seem to be kicking into high gear with practices and events, the rollercoaster will stop and I won't have the peaks and valleys quite so much.

Midwinter A&S

Midwinter A&S was a lot of fun. We got there around 10am Saturday, helped Cillian and Serona with their Historical Combat A&S entry, grabbed some quick lunch, then fought through the afternoon. Later, Her Majesty graciously allowed Ysabel and I to be part of her entourage at Court, as her Rapier Champions. We skipped out after Court, even though we probably could have stayed for Feast. By then, we were tired and sore and just wanted to go back to Ysabel's parents' place and crash. It's nice to have family in the Atlanta area for when we have events down there. It gives us a place to stay that's reasonably comfortable and gives her parents a chance to hang out with their grandkids more than they would have otherwise.

It was nice to get to fight, but I haven't done that much combat in a few months and I'm feeling it this morning. I fought Jean-Michel for the Iron Ring of Meridies (ie. The Precious). He made the challenge and we agreed to fight Cut and Thrust, rather than standard rapier. Best two out of three bouts, out of which he won two. I think if I had not been borrowing armor that made moving a bit awkward, I would have done better. The rest of the fighting I did was mostly teaching newer fighters standard rapier. I wasn't going all out against them most of the time, but it was enough for me to feel the burn. We have some work to do if we want to be in shape for Gulf Wars.

Face to Facebook, Part Deux

I done did it. I joined Facebook. I am lost for all time.

Face to Facebook

I'm under increasing pressure to join Facebook, if only to keep up with the times. Part of me dreads being that connected to people. Another part is afraid that I'll get on there and nobody will even notice or care. It's a strange dichotomy of emotion. We, as a culture, seem to thrive on attention. Our egos need to be fed with the positive regard of others. I see nothing wrong with this, in and of itself. However, some of us are also deeply private people who don't necessary want to share our everyday lives with a broad swath of the public (note the irony of my posting this sentiment on a blog). The tug-of-war between the need for social popularity and the fear of public disdain is a long standing struggle. Granted, most peoples' opinions of me are not a matter that I place a great deal of importance on these days. I'm long past my "insecure adolescent" phase and I'm happy to tell any critics to piss off and have a nice day. Still, sometimes if feels like the horror I endured in middle and high school (and it was horrible, believe me) is still lurking out there, barely restrained by a thin veneer of maturity and civility. When we open ourselves up to the scrutiny of others, we risk breaking through that most feeble of shields and being subjected to ridicule and humiliation. But I've come to realize that the rewards are worth the risk. Life without risk is empty and droll, after all. So, you can pretty much count on my joining the Collective fairly soon. After all, resistance if futile.

Big News

I have some fairly big news. It happened at the SCA event last weekend, but I've been down with a recurrence of the plague for the past few days, so haven't felt much like posting anything. At Court, I was offered a Protege' belt by Dame Fianna, which I accepted. Within the SCA, this is a fairly important thing and I was deeply honored. I can only hope to live up to the expectations that come along with wearing a Yellow Belt. I imagine I'll do ok, provided I don't die of the plague first.

Brrrrrrrrrrr!

It's bloody, freakin', stupidly cold outside. That is all.

I Has The Plague!

I've been sick as a dog for the past five days, thanks to a nasty viral infection that has taken up residence in my ears, my sinuses and my lungs. I was out of work Monday and Tuesday, went to the doctor, got medicine that screws me up just about as bad as the virus, dragged my ailing carcass out of the house for a miserable day of work on Wednesday, and am feeling just the slightest bit better today.

On a slightly ironic note, while I was home, I watched a movie that dealt with a deadly virus that decimated Scotland in the near future. It was called "Doomsday" and was a mix between The Road Warrior, Escape from New York, Resident Evil and other such "dark future" kind of movies. They stuck them all in a blender and the resulting goo was actually not bad.

There have been a lot of end of the world (or at least, of humanity) type stories floating around lately. I'm also reading a series by Terry Brooks that deals with a near future where our race is on the verge of extinction. It's got pretty much every type of disaster possible bringing humanity low. Ecological collapse, biological warfare run amok, nuclear terror and for the final blow, an invasion by demons and a secret enclave of ancient elves that may hold the key to humanity's last hope for survival. I have to give snaps to Brooks ability as a writer on this one. He manages to not only make the whole thing believable, but highly engrossing. The characters are vivid and the setting is fascinating in its stark and dismal portrait of a world lost to chaos.

Seeing all these stories makes me realize that my troubles are fleeting and insignificant compared to how bad things could be. We really have it pretty good, even with the economy being what it is right now. Our lives are filled with small annoyances, but for the most part, we get to be pretty comfortable and safe. We don't have to worry about fighting for survival every second of every day. We don't have to be hard, tough, bad-ass survivors. We just have to come to work when we are sick as a dog, knowing that in 8 hours, it will be over and we can go home, eat a nice supper and collapse in front of the tv for the rest of the evening. At least, that's my plan. The Apocolypse can bloody well wait.

2008: the Aftermath

Well, the holidays are over. Much has happened over the past couple weeks. Yule, Christmas, New Years, Megan visiting her mother in NC, us visiting with my sister and assorted friends, we all got some cool swag, my job moved offices, I came down with a minor bronchial infection. It's been a bit of a whirlwind to close out 2008 and usher in a brand spankin' new calendar year.

One of the highlights was finally getting a bookshelf for my paperbacks that have been languishing in the garage for the past three years. I am most happy for them to be on proper display again. I'm rather proud of my collection, although it has diminished in size a bit over the years due to moving and other hardships.

Some of the other nice things we picked up include a new camera, a much nicer computer chair and a book of poetry that used to belong to my deceased grandfather (thanks, Mom!). We also got some less grandiose items, like new clothes, some dvds, Wii games, etc. Materially speaking, a pretty good haul.

In other news, we went to Huntsville for Monica's birthday, which was fun. We also had a good time in Knoxville meeting a couple of our rapier students and some of the other rapier people for lunch when we dropped Megan off with her mother. Good times all around.

Unfortunately, the holidays put a serious damper on our rapier practices. I think I've gained five pounds from sitting around on my butt and eating all that yummy holiday food. I feel heavy, lethargic and bloated. Not at all like my normal, dangerous self. Something I suppose we will have to remedy with hard work and determination in the days to come. After all, Gulf Wars is coming up and I'll be damned if I am going to get the crap beat out of me just because I was too lazy to practice leading up to it.

So, that is where things are right now. Work is still chaotic, home slightly less so, but everything seems to be sorting itself out all right. We have plans in the works, both in the SCA and mundanely that I'm fairly excited about. Whatever 2009 brings, it certainly won't be boring.