So, some people want to know what's going on in Birchland. Fine.
February 27
I've been kinda living in SCAland this month. Valentines weekend, Lee and I had a highly romantic long car drive to sleep in the snow. And then it was too freaking cold, so we ended up sleeping on Ulfin's floor! (Winter Camping pics) The next weekend, we drove to Detroit to participate in the Golden Seamstress challenge. (Golden Seamstress pics) The idea is to make an entire outfit in 17 hours. Our team of course did 2 whole outfits. Not a lot of sleep. But I got to see Christi, which was nice. I also was appointed emergency control for the Baronial webpage, because I opened my big mouth and complained about it. Sigh. I am so not amused doing webpage stuff that's not mine. Probably because if I mess up I'm responsible to more than just me.
February 3
I'm still in shock about Saturday. Um. Gwyn? Dietrich? One of them called us. Lee answered the phone. I could tell she wasn't happy. "Come here." I got up "What's up?" "Just come here." I didn't believe it. "What? Why?" We cried and pulled up CNN. I had to call Henry. "Have you heard the news? Wait, did I wake you up?" I had. "Columbia broke up on re-entry." Hard to just say it like that, it took a couple tries to get the words out. "What?! Why?" We cried together and he turned on the TV. I hung up and cried on Lee some more before she had to leave. Then I lit a candle and curled up in my space ship quilt. I'm still crying today at the flags at half-mast. And getting angry at the ones that aren't at half-mast. Shit.
January 28
Wuh, a lot has happened since last time I updated here… So I finished the semester with a 4.0! Went to a very cool Solstice party. Had Christmas Eve with my family, Christmas Morning with my immediate family, then with Lee's parents and sister, then with Lee's paternal family. Then we hosted a party for our friends. Then we hit Lee's maternal family. Then we drove home. Then we went to a kinda crowded but fun New Year's party (links to pics are on the main page). Baronial 12th Night was much more fun this year, as we knew people, even though there wasn't dancing this year. The tables were set up in a circle, so Lee and I lounged on sheepskins in the middle and acquired other pretty women to lounge with us. It snowed enough to be called snow and Lee, Gwyn and I went to MN for fabric. We made out like bandits, even though SCA had picked it over pretty well the weekend before. The Viking exhibit at the Science Museum was very cool. Very cool. No cameras allowed, unfortunately, but we got to see real artifacts! Oh, wow! I wanna be a Viking! I got in a fight in my speech class. I was right, and the teacher admitted it after class, but everyone who spoke was arguing against me. It's going to be an interesting semester. Maiden's was more fun this year, as I knew a couple people. I didn't do as well fighting. One bout was against Palimar. He cut my arm off, hard. Then he took my polearm away. "Would you like to yield?" Oh, yes I would, thank you. I told the people watching that he thought I was valuable enough to ransom back to my family, and I think I was the only non-victor to leave the list alive, so that's something… I salve my ego… Today I am researching for my group speech. I'm going to be Prince. You know, the singer who changed his name to a glyph. It's… less that totally amusing, but I didn't have any better ideas, so I didn't feel it was my place to complain.
November 29
Thanksgiving was wonderful. Lee cooked. Henry came (I met him in FL, now he's in grad school in Cincinnati). We had: ham, gravy, mashed potatoes, mashed root vegetables, cranberry sauce, potato rolls, Jell-O salad, wild rice casserole, mixed veggies, and apple pie. Yum. After dinner, we took a walk on the Rock Island State Trail. We could have easily fed thee or four more people. (I have a picture of the table, as soon as I get around to getting it off the camera.)
Henry brought is tegu, Darwin. Cute little lizard. It's still juvenile, so it has to be fed every day. I got to play with it. He has sharp claws. His coloring is quite striking already, and it should get better as he gets older.
I haven't motorcycled for almost two weeks. There is a positive (maybe two) to living this far south… Last year I put the bike away in September.
November 5
So I went to vote today. I feel like a goob, because it's the first time I've voted, and I'm 22. (My excuse is I was never in the state of residence and too lazy to get an absentee ballot.) First, the man had a huge problem figuring out my name, even when I spelled it slowly. Then, he passed me off to the next people with "This gentleman has never voted before." "I'm not a gentleman." I thought that was over. Then Lee went in, and I waited in the hallway and overheard, "He walks like a man, but the voice was really high. The signatures didn't match [WTF!?!?!?], maybe we should have carded him?" Lee says, "That's my roommate, she is a girl." Apparently the looks on their faces was priceless. Next year I'm going to volunteer to be an election person, out of sheer spite and malice.
In MiG 2 I made a dustpan. Yup. I actually feel pretty good actually making something useful, rather than scrap steel. I'm going to paint it blue (to foil the rust) and bring it home to show my family, even though it's not the best welding I've done by a long shot.
October 28
Today, walking into school, this blonde girl wearing a down jacket asks "Isn't it cold to be riding a bike?" How to explain to a cager? That it's not easy to lock your love up in a garage for the winter? That riding gets in your blood and you need to do it? That the pavement being dry is enough for me?
I am utterly addicted to candy corn
October 18
Got my test back in "Equipment Operation and Maintenance." I'm so lost in that class, yet somehow managed to pull off 100%. Huh. Yesterday was the first day of actual work in MiG 2, I did 17 welds, and the teacher said that if he had to give me a grade based on one day's work, I'd get an A+. Pet the ego, Good ego…
Tomorrow is Crown Tourney, I'm going without Lee! She's going to her modern fiber arts guild "spin in," which is their only event of the entire year!
On the way home from school, some idiot turned right in front of the bus. We barely missed them. What a dipshit (spellcheck says "dispirit").
October 3, 2002
Last weekend, Lee and I went to Coronation. Very fun. Lots of people drooled over her tablet woven otters. I was planning on spending the day doing youth combat MiT stuff, but the fighting looked so fun that I put my armor on anyway. I got killed quickly in the tourney, but had some good pick ups.
Then Monday after class, I went and applied for a welding job!
And on the way home, I blew out the back tire on the bike. Luckily, I had the cell phone on me, so Lee called me a tow truck. The driver muttered all sorts of reassuring things like "damn cheap straps," but eventually we were on our way. He pulled out just as Lee drove by on her way home from work, so she followed us to the shop. The shop man thought a spoke was what popped the tube, but I saw a chunk of rust sticking out from the treads, he didn't fool me.
Tonight we are going to Gwyn's to cut up veggies for lunch at the local event, Thorn in your Side. What fun. At least all my SCA cooking is closely supervised and not able to kill anyone.
September 12
While doing laundry, I find an abandoned set of racy underwear. How embarrassing to retrieve!
September 10
Went to Known World Costume Symposium and had a great time. Should have pics of that up soon, the camera and computer aren't getting along well. Actually going to fighter practice tonight for the first time since Pennsic. I'm making dinner for the first time in a long time. I hate cooking.
September 3
Moving everything to ringworld. In the short future, will pare angelfire down to what amuses me, and everything important will be here.
August 29
On the freeway, a wimpy shift reminds us: neutral lives between 4th and 5th.
Well, my first week and a half of classes is going well. Vertical stick welding is harder than flat and horizontal, and having evening class is distinctly odd. It's also kinda weird having classroom classes again. It's been... over a year.
If you need to get ahold of me, my email is zling (at) ringworld (dot) org