Thursday, January 31, 2008

Going across the cheese curtain

Tomorrow I leave for the lands of Wisconsin for an event. It will be good to get away for a little while. Sorely need some days off from my mundane life. yeesh. If only I could press 6 for a ninja attack. hmmm or was it 4. Can't remember.

Anyway this picture is a good description. I miss the days when Nailz used to send me mspaint pictures.

Monday, January 28, 2008

Sebastian Strings X

Saturday was the annual Sebastian Strings archery shoot down at Bowbenders in Elk Point. Thankfully the weather warmed up a bit and it wasn't so cold at the range. It was the usual affair. Shoot, eat, shoot some more, have some ham, visit, repeat. Many balloons and the vicious rabid squirrel met their ends.

Tom and Jen brought Issac so we could meet him.

Check out my pictures on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/blancmange/sets/72157603812033361/

Here are a couple of videos of the rabid squirrel shoot.



Friday, January 25, 2008

New Garb

Yay its friday!! Bring forth the weekend!!! Not a whole lot to say but you can check out my new tunics. They are awesome!!



Thursday, January 24, 2008

Thursday musings

This week has gone fast but the days seem to last forever. Its probably the cold. It has slowed everything down. I know I feel like I am moving in slow motion. Either that or its the let down from being so busy last week.

I should get busy and work on stuff for the upcoming events. We have the archery shoot this weekend down in Elk Point. Its pot luck so I need to think about what to bring. I should make those cookies I have been meaning to make. Not sure who all will be down for it. I have heard that Rachel and Tara will be home. I know Rue and Kaylee will be coming so that should be fun. I haven't seen them in ages. Not since Yule Tide.

Erin called me the other day to ask if I had heard the news. I told her I knew that Tara was pregnant. Turns out she is pregnant too and is due in late September / early October. Babies abound. Everyone is wondering if she will finally have a girl.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Nordskogen 12th Night

So after the longest week of the year (work was mental last week) we loaded up and headed out of town. I was quiet pleased that we left town by 5:30. Hagan had been working extra late everyday and it was a question if he was going to get off at a decent time. Got to SF and picked up Svienn and dinner. The only stop we made was in Albert Lea. It was too cold to want to stop too many times. We headed into the wind after turning on to I-35 so that made it hard to keep on the roads but we made it despite the big city spaghetti works confusing my tired brain.

Saturday turned out to be one of those beautiful crystal clear sub-zero days. Nailz's car didn't care for the cold but she made it to the hotel and we headed off to site.

The event went quiet well. It seemed like a whirlwind of doings. We got there in time to get ready and then have morning court. That got over in time so I could organize my gifts and then hand them out. Nailz and I also walked through the merchants and visited with people. Talked to Zanni on how to warp my loom since I forgot to ask about it when she gave it to me at Boars Head. I might actually get something started on that.

We had Stallari meeting and then visited the A&S and the Nordskogen Bard competition. There weren't a lot of competitors so various people got up and preformed. At the end, Fiona poked me and said why don't you sing. A couple of people agreed that I should so I did. I sang a little folk song that makes me think of the SCA and it didn't sound too bad. Was a bit nervous to sing but it went okay. After that I ran upstairs to visit Eliane's vigil before our meeting with the White Scarfs. Then it was time to get ready for court. Evening court went well. Both Hagan and I changed into the new tunics that Mistress Tatiana made for us. She had said earlier in the day she wanted pictures of us wearing them and since there had been no time I figured it was a good idea. Court went well and I think it gets easier each time.

We quickly got packed up after court and headed off to the Outback for supper. I didn't think I would be hungry but apparently I was. It seemed to take forever to eat and it was late when we got back to the hotel. We thought about going to some of the parties but it was 11 by the time we got back and Hagan really wanted to go to the pool and Nailz and I were tired. We hung out a bit with Fiona, Skadi and Berenice.

Sunday's drive home went by quickly and was uneventful. It got more cloudy the closer we got to home and it started lightly snowing around Beresford. It got rather snowy in the evening so I am glad we got home when we did. I think we got about 8 inches in town. Hard to tell since it is that super light fluffy stuff.

Spent Monday relaxing and then doing chores in the evening. I was glad to have the day off.

This weekend we have the Archery Shoot in Elk Point and the week after that I am heading off to Wisconsin.

Friday, January 18, 2008

And set the dial to -3

bbbrrrr Wow its cold this week and looks like more of the same next week. I have been extra tired this week. I can't decided if the cold weather has slowed my blood or if I have been just ultra busy. Probably both.

I think I am ready for the weekend. If not, too bad. I am looking forward to having fun. Work has been nuts and stressful. The best part is Monday is a holiday. I plan on hibernating for a day.

Tara took some pictures while we were at 12th Night in Lonely Tower. You can check them out on my flickr page. http://www.flickr.com/photos/blancmange/sets/72157603744765129/

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Someone left the freezer door open

Ai ya this week is super cold. brrr.

The weekend was pretty good. I got many things accomplished and somehow managed to go see Sweeney Todd and relax a bit too.

Preparations for 12th night are coming along. A few more things to do and then on to packing it all up. I think I will be ready.

Things have been fairly busy at work too. School starts this week and I have hired new student staff so they all need to be trained and scheduled plus all the other duties that come with the start of a new semester. Sigh. I will be glad to have next Monday off. I am going to need it.

Happy Birthday to Hrodir!!!!

Monday, January 14, 2008

tag meme

Thunderbunny had this on his blog and it looked cool. Here's what I had to say.

TAG...I'M IT

Here's how you play: Once you've been tagged you have to write a blog with 10 weird, random, facts, habits or goals about yourself, and at the end choose 5 (or more) people to be tagged, list their names and why you tagged them. Don't forget to leave them a comment saying "Tag! You're It!" and to go read your blog. You cannot tag the person that tagged you so since you can't tag me back let me know when you are done so that I can go read YOUR blog answers.



1) I like to eat saltines with ice cream

2) As a teenager I read tons of trashy romance novels. I still can't believe my mom let me get away with that.

3) I collect postcards

4) I drive a "vintage" van. According to my mom.

5) I am of Co-creater (Other creator is Andrew Brady) of Knobby the Doorman, sidekick The Latch, girlfriend Patty O'Door and Arch Nemisis the Keymaster. All rights reservered.

6) You can usually tell how mad I am by the amount of swearing.

7) I know how to say "my pants are on fire" in gaelic

8) In twelve years I have had 3 different jobs and 5 differnt bosses but all in the same building

9) If I ever become independantly wealthy, I would buy buses for Northshield so people could easily travel to events. I would also buy a home in England. Maybe a castle.

10) The scar on my left elbow was created when a window smashed over the top of my head when I was five. It took five people to hold me down so they could put the stitches in.

I tag:

Red Caillie because she is a loyal reader

Astrid because she's cool beans

Nailz because she is l33t

Clare because she's got nothing better to do in the desert

Rachel because I haven't heard from her in awhile

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Midwinter malaise

Midwinter malaise has taken a firm grip on my life and it makes it extremely hard to accomplish anything in the evenings. I did manage to do a few sewing projects last night but I need to get going this weekend so I am ready for 12th Night. Hem, hem and hem some more will be the name of the game.

I should also try and go shopping this weekend and perhaps get out and do something fun. This weekend will probably be my last free weekend until the end of Feb.

Since I don't have anything too exciting to say today here is an amusing video that was made where I work.


Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Putting the wed back in wednesday

One more day before Jess takes off for the wilds of Wyoming. We are going to miss her but she might be back. Her job is only for six months. Then again she might find that she likes it out there in the mountains, near the lands of the Mormons and decide that its the place to be.

We took her out to dinner last night to the new place downtown. It was a somber affair until Hagan started making silly list of things she can do while she is away. Hopefully she can meet up with some of the SCA people out there when she is not sitting in a tent digging in the dirt saying "hey I found a rock". (She's an archaeologist and likes that sort of stuff)

Farewell to Lady Aethelflaed the Impaler, Cake who used to be cupcake, denyer of the table, swasher of buckles, seeker of schlepers, Handmaiden of Doom, and pirate.

Don't forget to write. I know the pony express doesn't run anymore but thats no excuse. Clare is stuck in the middle of the desert and we hear regularly from her.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

12th Night with the Neighbors

We had a fantastic time at Calontir's 12th Night in Lonely Tower (Omaha, NE). Oddly enough it is closer to go to Calontir's 12th Night than our Own Kingdom's but I guess thats what happens when you live on kingdom boarder.

Some of the people going with us dropped out because of illness and such but it turned out we had a full van anyway. Del, Katsuo, Hrodwin, and Kat ended up riding down with us. We got up super early and were out of town by 7:30. Most everyone slept on the way down. We got to Omaha around 9:30 and then we had a bit of trouble finding site. I think the directions were for people approaching Omaha from the south. Anyway we got turned around and found site. They had reserved parking for us so that was super sweet. We got checked in and shown to our Royalty Room. That was really nice too. It had lots of comfy chairs and a gigantic TV (which we were good and didn't watch). Not long after we got there TRM and TRH came down to greet us and invite us to the vigils that were going to take place that morning. After that we hurried up and got dressed so we could go. Neither of us had been to a Calontir Vigil before and it was quiet interesting and moving to see. THL Talbot got put on vigil for Knighthood and TRH also were put on vigil. Her Highness was not a peer before she became princess so she wanted to experience a vigil. Hagan and I both thought that was a good idea and wished we had thought of that.

After that got over we headed back downstairs and poked through the merchants and Nghuala and Ava showed up. It was good to see them again. The rest of the day was spent visiting, hanging out, playing with Ava and watching the fighting. It was nice to go to an event and not have any set schedule or meetings. Hagan actually got to fight for more than 15 minutes.

Court was at 4:30 which went fairly well and didn't drag at all. After court there was a little time to relax and then on to feast. Feast was fun and good. The Calontir Royals are a lot of fun to talk to. We even learned a new stupid peer trick. So all and all a good trip.

Next up is Nordskogen 12th Night which will be a slightly busier event.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

2008 is here to stay

New Years eve and day were quiet affairs. Pretty much standard celebration i.e. nothing but watching TV and hanging out at home. I wish I had thought ahead so I could have got new movies from netflix for the new year. Its probably good I didn't. I got a few piles of stuff organized and few other things done. I probably would have gone out shopping yesterday but since it was so cold couldn't work up the ambition to go out.

Congratulations to Tom and Jen on the birth of Issac James on Monday afternoon.
For about two weeks, Everyone's been asking me if I knew anything, what's going on, etc. Its not like I talk to Tom on a regular basic but apparently everyone is convinced I am the hub of communications for Svaty. Which makes it really funny that Baron Tom called me to tell me the news. All went well and it sounds like Jen will be going home tomorrow.