Bad Blogger

Ok, so Im not a good blogger. I'm a lot better at reading the few that I do read. But, in my defense I haven't been fighting recently. I took a nice shot on my unarmored shoulder blade at the principality war and got to thinking that it might not be a good idea to fight without medical insurance.

I'm better now though. It only took about two weeks to heal back to normal, but I still didn't have insurance for another month or so after that. Coupled with low attendance at monday practice and not a whole lot of extra cash for gas, and there we have a recipe for "slacker." I think I'm discovering the ever evolving, never ending quest for better armor too. Which means I'm slightly dissatisfied with my current kit setup. Part of that has to do with lack of time and money to make the changes.

Last week though, I went to practice. We had a gentleman out from the east kingdom that was looking for a practice during his visit. It wasn't a huge turnout, but the fighting was fun. I pushed myself decently, and ended up with sore leggs at the end of the night. It was a good workout overall, and a good time.

So, to make up for my interwebs slackyness, I decided to show everyone how my kid is doing. His current lessons include pillage and plunder. He has two swords that he loves to play with, and his faitful steed. I need to make him a shield soon, even if it ends up hanging on the wall for a while. He's a brute, every day a new bump or briuse. We are getting close enough to the terrible two's that he has begun the tantrums, which seem more dramatic since he flails about on a hardwood floor.

I need a job, to bad the economy sucks right now. Oh well, hopefully I'll blog again before next month.

cheers

A month without...

Yes, you may have noticed (most will not have, as I think I have somewhere between 3 to 6 readers) I have not blogged in an entire month. Thats four practices, Crapaud, and the Newcomers Tourney that I have not shared my thoughts on. Week by week I go from feeling good about my progress, to feeling like I should be spending time doing other things. Mostly because I want to be at a certain level of training, and I just don't have the time to spend to be where I want to be. For as much fun as I have fighting, I'm honestly not sure that I have the meddle to bring my "A Game" when the cards are on the table. There is a mental block that I just can't get around right now, and no amount of advice or teaching from people is going to help. I have to figure this out on my own.

Now, to change gears a bit (for the first time I think, on this blog), life as a stay at home dad is... starting to get to me I think. I love my son more than anything, but I really want to be working. I really, really need to find a job. We are getting in to a very important point in his life, where he is learning how to be the man he will become, and I don't want him learning that daddy is a consistently frustrated man. There are options to change our situation, and they lay before us, waiting for us to choose one of them. This may be one of those "grass is always greener" choices too, but we just don't know till we make a decision.

I don't think we have the money, time, or sanity for me to do anything constructive with school...

This is becoming a vent session, I'm going to go have another beer...

Another Monday

Let me just start by saying, I have a nice tender bruise on my ass, and it has a nice deep purple color to it. I think this week I am going to add a little bit of armor to the lower back side of my coat of plates...

Anyway, I had fun last night. I had a hard time getting in to a grove though, and it really frustrated me for the first half hour or so. I think it takes me longer to warm up, or loosen up (which I think was a bit more the case) than I think it does. After a while though, it came easier for me. What I need to do is get back to being more active between practices, like how it was before we moved. After I get a pell (a big stick in the ground to hit, when there aren't people to hit) hopefully I will be more active. In the back of my mind, I have it stuck in there that I need to do pell work to help me take my fighting to the next level. Also to keep it there every week.

We had 5 people in armor, a nice little practice (for our shire's standards anyway). I didn't think that the two "homies" were going to be there, but they decided to show up. Practicing with them makes being out there, in armor, that much more fun. And after words, we go for a beer.

So, I am happy with my progress. Last week I did something without thinking about it, and I didn't realize it till after. It's one of those things that I had seen other people do, but figured I would work on it next year, after I get better. But I did it without thinking, I blocked the shield side of my head with my sword. I know, it sounds silly right now, unless you've done it, but it makes more sense when its in context. Lets just put it this way, to try to do it, and make it work, isn't easy at my level. Last night, during the second half of practice, I decided to start trying it. I made the conscious effort to block with my sword on the off side, and it worked. More than just "it worked" as well, it helped me win. I think it threw off my opponent, who I've fought quite a bit, since he's never seen me do it before. It is a small thing really, but it's exciting to think that I tried a new move, and it worked. Incorporating it in to my "toolbox" of moves shouldn't be too hard, with a little bit more practice though.

I'm going to a newcomers tourney this saturday, hopefully I can relax and have fun. Hopefully I am not too focused on beating people, that I end up loosing myself. Stay tuned.

Post Monday Stuff

Since I didn't blog about Crapaud last thursday, I think I might include a word or two about that, as well as last night's fun. Thursday was good, I think the turnout was 12 people. The fighting went fast, and I lost both my bouts, but I still had a good time. I think it was during Crapaud that I came to the decision that I need to step up my mentality about fighting. Up to now, I have been fighting just to fight. Which isn't a bad thing, at all. What I want to do is decide now and again to win, because going in to a fight with a "want to win" mentality changes how I fight. I think that at some point I forgot that I wanted to win.

Also at Crapaud, instead of doing pick up fights at the back of the arena while the tourney continued, I decided I wanted to watch the fighting. I should have done pick ups, but for some reason I was hoping to gain some insight from watching. I think I may have, at least a little. Next time, its all about pick ups though.

Last night's practice was fun. There were four of us, I was hoping for more, but four is still good. We had a visiting fighter from the Elk Grove area. It was kind of nice to fight someone different for a change. Which brings me to a side note about Crapaud, somehow I got matched with two guys that I have fought before, which was fun, but I like fighting new people.

Funny thing about last night, before I get there, I try to decide what I want to focus on. Weather its footwork, or targeting, or whatever. For some reason, when I get in there and fight, I forget what I wanted to work on. Something I get in to my head every week that I need to focus on, following through. Focusing on the basic shots, and following through with them, should improve my game in the long run. I have had a hard time getting shots to stick, I think that has been a problem for a long time (even before, when I fought 5+ years ago). I just don't have as much arm as most people do to get those sneaky shots to hit hard enough, and the sneaky shots are all I end up hitting with.

I got my shield made, the curved heater blank that has been sitting around for a while. I was going to paint it up all nice, make it look like a serious tourney shield, but I decided I just wanted to fight with it. I think I might still add some paint to it at some point, maybe before the big war in July. And darn it, I need to finish my leg armor, its halfway done and just sitting there.

Happy April, I was thinking about telling everyone we were pregnant again for fools day, but I think I will spare everyone.

St. Pats Day Mayhem Pics

Not a whole lot of words to put with these pics. If you need more commentary, feel free to ask =D


My landlord, believe it or not...

The crowd... can you find the butt paste?



More beer (bars) in more places...
The evil leprechaun strikes...

Crown Weekend

We went to the West Kingdom Crown Tournament this past weekend. It was to be a pivotal and decisive weekend for us, as it was our first camping event with the kid. The outcome of this event was to lay the groundwork for our entire event season this year, because if we can't handle the kid at a camping event, we wouldn't be going to many. Also, while I wasn't going to be fighting in the Crown Tournament, I did want to fight in the Tournament of Roses, more on that in a bit.

So, a weekend with the three of us, really just saturday morning to sunday morning. Really, it wasn't as bad as it could have been, but it was still not as relaxing and fun as events used to be. One of us has to chase the kid around all day, and try to fight him to keep a hat on his head when he is in the sun. Not a big deal really, just a lot of work, as kids tend to be. Really, the part that I didn't like was that there weren't many opportunities for us to enjoy the event as a family. I believe that will come in time, as he gets older.

Watching the fighting was cool, there were a lot of really good fights. I am also a big fan of watching court too, the formalities of our game make it that much more fun imho. Next season I am going to fight in about everything that I can, even the crown tournaments that I know I can't win (nor are we ready for me to).

The Tournament of Roses. This is an informal combat, where you can just walk up and challenge anyone who wants to fight, and you fight the best of 3. The winner then would select someone for his opponent to deliver a rose to. Not a huge deal, but it is kind of fun to do. I really wanted to win my wife a rose, but seeing as how I am still new, the chances were slim. My first fight I lost to a knight, but I didn't know he was a knight because his belt wasn't very visible. It was fun though, I learned a little, and was complimented on my skill level compared to my newbishness (my new word for the day). Then comes the rose, he asked me to deliver one to the Princess of the Mists. Cool, not only was I nervous about fighting in the first place, now I have to go hunt down royalty. As I took off my helm, and prepared to start the delivery process I looked around to see where I get the rose from. To my surprise, I realised that I have to request a rose from the Queen to make the delivery... oi, really? Can we make this any more nerve racking for the newbie that doesn't want to make a fool of himself?

So, I find myself standing in front of the royal pavilion, in a short line of fighters waiting for their turn to request a rose from the Queen. Standing just at the edge of the large tent, in front of a series of finely carved wooden thrones, I come to a realization. I have read about this, in The Once and Future King. Knights would travel to many places, besting opponents, and sending them back to the Queen to tell her who had bested them and how. I find myself surrounded by fighters, and royals, in the middle of an Arthurian legend, about to tell the tale of my first battle for a rose to the Queen herself. For some reason that was my swift spiritual kick to the head, my shakabuku, if you will (props to the one who names that movie reference).

My nerves were now still, my spirit calm and unwavering. When it is my turn to approach, I do so with the standard formal politeness that is required of the situation. I kneel before a handful of royal women, the most prominent of which is the Queen, but also I now notice that the Princess of the Mists is there as well, seated in her own throne a few feet away (at least I don't have to walk too far). Then, without even noticing, my first words create a slight faux pas as I address the Queen as "Your Highness" instead of "Your Majesty" a small detail, but one that she noticed and corrected me on. It was a short meeting, but one that I had fun with. Queen Mari was very nice, and apparently impressed enough with our conversation that she handed me two roses and told me to bring one to my lady as well. I wanted to hug the woman. I thanked her and stepped away, took a side step then delivered a rose to her highness *cough* with utmost humility.

Then came the highlight of the weekend. I got to deliver a rose to my wife. The icing on the cake to an already shining moment in a newbie SCA day. I only wish I had someone to take a picture of that moment. At least we have a rose, I should take a picture of that. That afternoon was covered in awesomesauce.

I think I am going to take a moment to touch on one of my social insecurities in regards to the SCA. Its a club, a clique if you will. In some ways it reminds me of high school, and brings me back to the mode of not talking, and not being social. And that really gets me in to trouble, because it makes people think that I don't like them. Which isn't the case at all. A lot of the time I look up to the people I meet in the SCA, cause they are where I want to be. They have a certain amount vested in the society, and have made it a part of their life. Something I want to do. Slowly I am trying to break that shell, the Tournament of Roses was a big step for me. I missed opportunities to say hi to people I had met briefly before, just because I figure they wouldn't remember me. I need to stop doing that shit. I mean, I'm almost 30 and I'm acting like I'm 15 again, what the crap is that?

Enough rambling for me. Though, I do need to blog more...

Erin Go Bragh!

Happy St. Pats day! I would have posted earlier, but I have been doing a ton of stuff around here to get ready (along with handling a monster child). I was slacking this year, my first beer of the day didn't happen till 11:30am. Got more stuff to get done, have fun everyone.



May you reach heaven's gates a half hour
before the devil knows your dead.

Cheers!

A Taste Of Things To Come

I like St. Patrick's day. It is one of those days that my wife and I really like to celebrate. To the point where we have at least one legendary story resulting from an evening's celebration a few years ago. We like the day even though we are not religious, and only slightly Irish, my wife being slightly Scottish, and not Irish at all. So, I guess I should say that it is the one commercialized, consumerized, Americanized holiday that we buy in to. We like to drink, so we buy in to it a lot. This year will be no exception.

Why, you ask, am I making it a point to share the simple fact that we are going to be eating corned beef, and drinking Guiness on monday? Simply for the fact that it falls on a monday. Fighter practice is usually on mondays. Two to three of the participants of the evenings traditional festivities are going to be people who I would usually see at fighter practice. Are we putting two and two together yet? Yes, that's right. Not only will monday night be a night for erin go bragh, but we will start off the evening with a round of battle.

This should be a particularly fun evening, considering that my landlords and my parents should be there for the opening events. Also, I think my sister and a friend of hers may be there, faire geeks making fun of SCA geeks, should be fun. I'm hoping that someone brings a camera. But I'm also kinda hoping that someone doesn't bring a camera lol.

Anyway, I'm excited. Just thought I'd share.

What are you doing for St. Pat's day? Don't make me tag my two readers! Oh wait! Don't I owe Mie a topic of my choice?

Mondayness

I'm not sure if Mondayness is a word, Firefox says no, but I'm going to use it anyway. If "everydayness" is listed as an alternative spelling for Mondayness, then Mondayness should be a word.

I haven't fought in two weeks, well, I missed two weeks, so I guess that means that I haven't fought in three weeks. Between the move, and well... the move, I just didn't have the time. Priorities, ya know? Not fighting for that long, there should be some impact on my progression of skill, or so I hear. I wasn't concerned about my skill level tonight though, and I think that made all the difference. I feel like I did well. I am noticing timing openings that I wasn't seeing so much before. Maybe since its been three weeks, I don't remember seeing the openings before. Regardless, it is progress from the beginning of the year that I notice.

We had four fighters on the field tonight, and a new fighter from out of the area that stopped by to check things out. Nice guy, hope he gets his armor from wherever it is stored right now and comes out to play. I tried to focus on my stance more than anything, after the Sac practice a few weeks ago when I worked with Ragnar a little bit. It really seems to make a difference, it's a no brainer that it makes me more mobile, but it makes me think more offensively too (which is something I need more of).

Two of the fighters left a little early, and I spent about an hour just fighting with my Samurai friend (I don't feel like calling him a newb anymore). We had a blast, just messin around fighting, doing stupid shit that we wouldn't normally do. Just really good old school fun. Sucks that he has to be at work at 4am. Bleh.

I was in such a good mood on the way home, that I had to stop and pick up a rose for my darling wife. I wanted to make sure that she was in a good mood too when I got home. Spread the love ya know?

Time for a shower, and bed.

------'--{@

I'm Back

i can haz internetz again...