It's My Life

There are zombies in the house...

Isaiah brought in a Resident Evil game, with the Wii. That is ALL the guys have been doing tonight. Killing zombies here and there and everywhere. I made hot chocolate and spiked it with rum. So just lovely buzz right now.

Day recap- I've done nothing to thinking about rekindling passion for fighting. I was oh so busy today I didn't even think about it. Had a couple of moments of guilt and then on I went.

I started exploring gmail today but not sure about it. I need a task list. This doesn't have one yet. And I really need it. humm...maybe an online version? The chat was nice. And since my new user name is jonyasorcha I've that warm fuzzy to enjoy. I vaguely remember Julie saying she had a warm fuzzy today from something I said. We weren't able to talk much past the usual good morning plus her asking if my users were as happy and chipper as hers were today. LOL. My users were happy but not chipper. Poor me, not having overly cheerful users today. I guess I made up for it though.

Aurora and Cheryl and Mike and I went out to celebrate his escape to the sun - he is to bring back warm sand for me. Or maybe a lava rock that is six hours old. Hawaii-style sun, too. Now that's nice! Mike tore through a lot of work today, though. Mel seemed to enjoy her day, too. Third day on the job and she still likes it. Hehe. The work, she says, is starting to come together and make sense. Plus she and Cindy are really enjoying each other's company. Yeah! It can only get better, too. The adobe ....what....graphic programs that are neat and do grant projects for SELCO, I believe. So it was a rather crazy day but the spirit was good. Rachel came by and found Aurora, Donovan and I meeting about the plan for the users group meeting and we all talked a bit about SCA stuff, everyone but Aurora, lol. And we all talked library stuff. I think the users group meeting is going to be fun.

Van and I are going to quietly celebrate our 25 wedding anniversary on Monday. Probably on Sunday, since there is fighting on Monday. Also on Sunday, hehe, but I can skate home and clean up and go to Victorias. So we will also just celebrate all weekend and into next week.

I'm tired. Waiting for the first ice storm of the season to swing by. It is supposed to be here tomorrow and through Sunday. So we are not going to KWAR unless we just get impulsive tomorrow. More later, like tomorrow after I've looked at the weather again.

Having passion and drive in armour

Driving in armour would probably not work so well, especially today with the snow on the ground. But that's not what I am going to be talking to myself about today. This is going to be one of those all-day posts that wanders around and gets added to as I think of stuff. And if it begins to sound stupid or whiney, will just be deleted.

So I want to rekindle my passion for donning armour and going out to fight. I was really bound up in completing ToC to my own satisfaction, and I did and since then it's been 'blah. why??' where that drive had been. My practices have been fairly automaticly approached. Kinda silly in the view of I'm going into polearm work now, and I'm not doing my trainers any favors by not giving their time and effort not just that automatic 'time to learn something new' attention but also ...it's not just gratitude and it's not ....enthusiasm? Eh. I got to get ready for work really quickly here and then maybe can type some more before work.

Cool! It is snowing!

I got out of fighting drills tonight to find snow everywhere. Took me 45 minutes to get home, but it's ok. it's fun singing and driving in fresh snow.

We did some pell work, doing the 'do it this way' work at perfecting or at least practicing shots. Both with sword and with polearm; tip control with the latter. I wasn't too sure what to expect - they brought polearms but I did not see any gauntlets coming out, at least I don't think Lyulf brought his in. I suppose the cars were right outside. Well, anyway, it was mostly sword work as Tom and I are both working on off-hand sword work. Tom because of his right shoulder being outa wack. Me to keep him company and honest, lol.

Drill discussion online: http://www.beckenham.org/Beckenfield/Embellishment/embellishment.htm

http://www.chivalrybookshelf.com/titles/qstaff/qstaff.html  to order, btw.

I'm going to go over to my fighting journal and work on goals, for a bit. It's really bed time.

I started learning Polearm tonight

I've had several really good lessons over the last two years. It's been fun and useful but I've not followed through with it - so I'm not authorized. The local fighters have agreed to get me up and going on this now, sent me home with homework, even. Mom, Ginny, just so you have a visual of what I'm doing, this is a polearm fight with a sword. This is another good one...it starts off with a lot of the shield-bashing to get the other guy to move or react or something to try to move the fight into my control. My homework is not all about watching youtubes, lol. I have to find some pell time. Plus fix a gauntlet. Oh, and BOTH of my elbows.

Remembering my name....

After a whole weekend of thinking of myself and sending out email as Sorcha, I'm having a bit of trouble recognizing Jonya at the end of an email as being CORRECT. Heh!

Fighter practice report

Regular fighter practice - regular crew. Theodweard, Damiano, Lyulf and me. I was about 15 minutes late so the guys were already on the floor before I got kitted up. And we fought for about 90 minutes; two at a time cause the area is so small. Sitting out as long as I did, as I've not the endurance plus when they get going, they go for 10-15 minutes. I do what I can, as much as I can.

We had a bit of discussion about getting the shield into someone's elbow and holding it there. I had two of the knights at ToC caution me against pushing, using force in a place where I have physical contact. So I asked 'how do I make sure I don't do that?' and was encouraged to use my shield against basket hilt. To follow and control the sword, keeping the arm from being able to reach me cause of the hand being blocked. Here today, we got into a pretty good discussion on the subject. I practiced holding an elbow using the correct amount of force, not torqueing a shoulder joint back. It was kinda cool, getting a chance to practice it again and again - focused training on one piece of the game. It helps the rest of the game, you know? I crave approval and recognition just as much as the next guy, and I got that today.

Damiano got my hip bone again, but that is the only new bruise from the day. It's like the third time he's popped that same spot - it just heals up and it's purple again. It was good fighting but I did not go into the aggression cycle and didn't feel as if I'd gotten a good workout. So I went to the gym and did 30 minutes on a stairstepper. That kicked me and I didn't cry all the way home, lol. I'm doing the laundry right now so my gear is clean for tomorrow's practice, and then I think I'll go to bed. I think I'll sleep tonight. 

Didn't sleep well again

This was another night where I could not sleep. I was feeling queasy for most of the evening anyway, since waking up from an afternoon nap.  Never reached dream state - saw each hour at various quarters on the clock. I hate nights like this. Still going to fighter practice, still going to fight. Just probably going to have difficulty dropping into aggression. And this morning, the cold is back to an active drippy stage. Gah. It'll be nice to hear Tom's hunting stories, though, and Nick said he was going to show up. All good. I'll make something good of it, if it doesn't present itself so.

Saturday Braindump

According to Wikipedia, a braindump in a blog is "the phenomenon is growing faster than ever and is allowing an outlet for people to publish their own thoughts and feelings. Blogs are in that sense also a braindump. They facilitate, rather than encourage, the expression of free and unedited thoughts."  I again turn to my computer screen to drag you through a day, dumping out onto the electronic page my thoughts and feelings on top of a literal listing of the day's doings.

8:30 - been reading stuff online, including wikipedia and email and my lj friends. I am happy about the number of people who wrote about things they are grateful for, about joyful thanksgiving happy events. It's good to know there are people where things are right with their own piece of the world. Going to get some clothes on and probably organize the things I need to get done today.

9:45 - I've spent the last hour writing and returning emails. Goodness. This is as bad as work!

• Shower and put on clothes,
• pay bills,
• Make sheperd's pie,
• work on gambeson,
• fix the problem with my throat and my new gorget,
• Investigate needed materials for dying the hemp yarn,
• Investigate italian quilting (trapunto work) and start organizing the research
• Dust living room - omg!
• Trash to recycling
• Break fast
• Ages emails regarding competition
• Clean dishwasher
• fold laundry

10:43 - I went into the area I store stuff - fabric, leather, armoring bits, wool, feast gear. This should be an area that makes the mind go Hummmm, not the mom-gene go WhatAMess!

11:16 - shepherd's pie hit the oven moments ago. Yeah! Sure, I've a ton of plastic containters to wash now but I made goodness outa leftovers. That's a metaphor. Making goodness out of the stuff left over at the end. I did it.

11:38 realize the dishwasher really needs to be CLR'd. Again with the OMG. When I was home more, due to having children at home and being charged by the PTB with their care, I would have seen this a long time ago. There are holes that have no water coming out of cause of buildup. Ick. I've good music playing, though, and things are happening today. Got to roust the cat off the gambeson, lol. She is so content it is a shame to move her but it's a tiny project that won't take long to complete.

1:01  I've had lunch and finished the gambeson and need to go to the store for pizza and more stuff to de-lime the dishwasher. Then drag the armor in and check fit of the elbows (do they need to be pointed to the gambeson?) and how this neck piece needs to be fitted in order to protect my throat. I don't like the way the tabbard fit with my current cuirass and I still want to add a tasset belt. Too many belts...I could hang the tassets off the cuirass. I don't know. I have to think about it.

2:30  -I just restarted the iPAC and am waiting to verify it is back up. Been working with this armor - the elbows are fine, just as they are. They can be hidden under this gambeson.  The throat, though...that's another problem. Under my gorget, a sword will be able to reach right up to the soft hollow and maybe further up. It's frustrating. This gorget is just not going to work. maybe I can make a piece to hang off the back of my metal one. I'm worried about the backshots that come in; plus the circular collar just looks cool.

OK, iPAC is back up. Back to frowning and thinking. Sometimes it's just frustrating trying to figure this out all by myself.

Good Visit!

Gin and Bomber just left for Rolla, since she works tomorrow. We had a very good visit with her, and saw more of Isaiah and Emily. The meal last night, even without me taking too much of a role in cooking it, turned out most good. Turkey was tasty, potatoes fluffy, and the gravy, the only piece I did yesterday, was flavorful too. I got a couple of new pictures to add to the Thanksgiving album. And I just finished a slice of pie with coffee for breakfast. Yummy!

Putting ToC album up

There are just a few pictures of ToC. Lizard was using her camera so I left mine stowed and kept fighting. Some good ones of her and Jason, plus of Gin and puppy.

I am so stuffed up my teeth hurt. I came home and collapsed, took a long nap. I thought Gin and puppy was gone cause I called for them and no answer. So Van came home at about 5 to find all of us asleep. I had two cats resting on me. I am just assuming they are asleep, lol.

I pulled myself together enough to make a pumpkin pie and set the turkey to thaw in cold water. Then the meds kicked in again and kicked me out. Woke up to watch "Bones" and have just sat here since, returning some emails and talking to Van. We are puppy sitting so Gin and Isaiah can hang out a bit, go see a movie. I'm hoping to go to bed soon. The turkey is back in the fridge. I was going to make the stuffing tonight but no. Van will have to deal tomorrow. He's a good cook! He can do this!

I had one of the lessons the knights were repeating over and over driven home by this 80 pound puppy. If I have a toy and she wants it, she grabs my hand and controls it. Controls it while moving her mouth down to the toy so she can take it from me. This is exactly what Sirs Jurgen and Tarrach was driving home. Control your foe AND her weapon until you can take her. Hehe.

I'll start a new album tonight - pics from this weekend through today. And since I'm waiting for Gin to get home, I may even get them captioned.