Tonight we don't have practice after all. Tomorrow is D&D. Thursday is up for grabs, and Friday we might drive to Minneapolis for the Early Period Symposium or might stay home.

Also yesterday I got the last piece of my birthday present in the mail - Laura commissioned Liz (aka G) to make me a bag for my benches. I can now carry them everywhere! I expect we'll take a photo one of these days... but thank you, G!

And, on the not-as-much-fun side of the coin, my body is currently giving me the warning signs that I should expect to pass a kidney stone. At least I hope that's what these warning signs are, because I know what to expect from that situation. If this is something new I'm looking forward to the results even less. Sorry, no details 'cause they'd be gross.

Right. Lunchtime. End of line.

Sunday was practice at Stritch, where I fought Corydon, Murdoch, and Ambrose. Also the usual chores and Sunday night activities.

Tonight is fighter's practice at Marquette. Tomorrow is fighter's practice at Bucketworks. Wednesday night is D&D. Thursday and Friday we have nothing planned, unless we go to the Early Period Symposium in the Minneapolis area on Saturday. In which case Thursday will be packing, Friday will be driving, and Saturday will be the event.

In regards to fighting, I received suggestions that I change my style to get out of my rut. (I haven't really progressed much as a fighter in a few years, due in part to my reliance on my shield.) To combat this (har har!) I've purchased a buckler which I hope to start working with in the next week or two. And I'm not sure I can actually handle fighting four days in a row - my right arm and shoulder and left leg are already pretty banged up and wearing my armor all day Saturday didn't do the backs of my knees any favors. We'll see how I am after tonight's practice, and maybe I'll skip tomorrow night's.

Right. Back to work. End of line.

My dad was visiting them that weekend as well. He said that they all had a good day on Saturday reminiscing. She didn't want a funeral, but we might have some kind of memorial when the weather gets nicer.

When I stop to think about it, I get pretty sad. So I've been not thinking about it very much. (I'm not *not thinking about it*, I'm just not dwelling on it.) For all that I didn't talk to her very often, I'm going to miss her. (It's one thing to know someone's only a phone call away, and not pick up the phone. It's entirely different to know that she'll never be there to answer.)

Right. Now I'm spending too much time thinking about it. I'm going to head home now, to my wife and cats and dinner. And when I turn on Go Go Mommy's computer tonight - which I set up on Laura's desk in the basement, but haven't plugged in yet - I'll spend some time doing my own reminiscing.

Tonight we don't have anything planned, but I expect to go to Marquette to drop off the list poles and ropes I borrowed for Boar's Head. As for this weekend, I haven't ruled out a drive to Lincoln, Nebraska for Calontir Winter War Maneuvers (I even bought an audio book just in case), and expect to decided tonight or early in the morning based on the weather forecast. Which I'm just checking now. And hey, there's a winter weather advisory for tomorrow - but it might not affect the weekend or driving through Iowa to get to Nebraska. Whose forecast is nicer. I mean, you know, for Nebraska. Though the forecast for here is snow all weekend. Anyway, I might go to Nebraska and I might not. If I do, a target rich environment awaits. And if I don't, there's plenty to do at home.

Right. Lunchtime. End of line.

Other things that happened over the weekend: I worked on my cuisses, we burned through more Warehouse 13, we got some boxes from Arizona, and we spent time relaxing.

Tonight is Curia, and Wednesday is Laura's birthday. (If she has a plan, she hasn't told me what it is yet.) Thursday night I think I'm going to drop off the list poles and ropes (which I borrowed for Boar's Head) at Marquette. And Friday I'm considering driving to Lincoln, Nebraska for Winter War Manuevers. I haven't decided for sure yet, but it sounds like fun.

And, right. I should eat before this next meeting.

Today is a day of food - the intern brought in cheesecake (he was bored, so he made cheesecake), the mid-morning snack was spinach smoothies (the project managers wanted to try out a recipe), and lunch will be something light because the smoothie was filling. (I should note that the smoothie was only dixie-cup sized, so it's not like I'm drinking gallons of green stuff.)

It's also a day of snow, which just started falling an hour ago. Winter weather advisory. Just a couple days before Jenny and Karl get on a plane to warmer climes.

I missed fighter's practice this week, which is still in the temporary space. We return to the established space on the 30th, and we'll start inviting the regional folks once a month or so. (Sunday practices start this week.) December and January are always slow months for fighting for me, and Flesh Wound starts things up again in earnest... maybe I can change that this year. I did do a bit of armor repair last week, and I've begun gamboissing my cuisses (actually adding the padding), which is time-consuming - I watched all of Gangs of New York over the weekend and did 16 rows. I have a total of 80, I think, between the two legs. Once I finish the first leg I'll find out of this pattern actually worked... And in related news, I'm going to get together with the kids from Stritch sometime before Sunday to make them some plastic legs and possibly vambraces.

I've finished reading everything by Lionel Fenn, and must now decide if I want to read any of the rest of Charles Grant's stuff. (Lionel Fenn is a pseudonym, you see.) I've nearly finished burning through REAMDE, which I'm enjoying quite a lot. And then I have the newest Bordertown book to read. And then ... there will be more. There's always more.

We might make it to Tree Girt Sea's 12th Night, having not made it to Nordskogen's. We probably won't go to Winter War Maneuvers in Lincoln, NE, and we will be at Flesh Wound.

Right. Work to do. End of line.

Christmas was quiet. I think Laura and I are both pleased with the gifts we gave and received. New Years also, which we celebrated in our own tradition of chips and salsa and tv, was laid back and relaxing. (We've almost caught up on Hawaii 5-0, we're up to date on Leverage, and I've finally seen Super, Whip It, and some of the other movies that have been languishing on the shelf.)

Travel-wise we're doing fine as well. Ben made it to Milwaukee and back. We made it to Minnesota and back. And previously we made it to Arizona and back.

My grandmother's status: She has pancreatic cancer. This was made evident when her liver failed in early December, resulting in her hospital visit then - they implanted a stent to drain the excess bile, and that took care of the immediate problems. She was released while we were in Arizona, and various members of my extended family have been taking care of her since then. My mom flew with her to Minnesota, where she got sick again and went back into the hospital. There where we (Laura, Ben and I, my cousins, their spouses, their kids, my aunt and uncle, my parents, my sister and her daughter) visted her for what might be the last time. She was released from the hospital on Saturday and flew to North Carolina with my aunt and uncle, and she was sick on the plane and during the drive to their place. Back into the hospital, where they did an operation this morning to take a look; they drained "about a gallon of gastric juices" and are optimistic about putting in a new stent tomorrow. If that goes well they should be able to take her home on Friday. And she has an appetite for the first time since leaving Minnesota, so that's also a good sign.

This weekend my dad is going to Arizona to pack the rest of her apartment there. (While we visited her Sherry packed a few boxes which we shipped to various places; this trip is to take care of everything else.) And if he asks, I'll join him. It's also Nordskogen 12th Night - or, technically, Blachemere - and I suspect that we're not going, but I don't actually know.

Right. Work beckons, so that's enough for the moment. Happy New Year!

End of line.

We're home for a week, and then will head to Minneapolis for a few days after Christmas. Between now and then I don't have a handle on what's going on, but I know that tomorrow morning is pancake day at Georgie Porgies. So I've got that going for me...

Right. Back to work. So much to do. End of line.

Ten days ago (or so) my Grandmother checked into the hospital. For me, that was in between 'fly out to Texas, fly home, get lots of work done so that I can take a week off, prep for Boar's Head' and 'Boar's Head, get lots of work done so I can take a week off, prep for the trip to Arizona'. (Really, the last couple weeks have been rather a blur. Hence the lack of posts here.) The extended family started making plans - my dad and my uncle flew out to Scottsdale to be with her, alternating shifts, and the tone of our scheduled vacation took a rather different turn.

Amidst the chaos and uncertainties we've made it to the resort (the Westin Kierland resort in Scottsdale and visited her. And she's doing pretty well, all things considered - she's still articulate and aware and I bet she'd still kick my butt in Scrabble. But she doesn't have a lot of time left, and she knows it. The doctors don't want to release her until her body has adjusted a bit more, which was going to be Thursday, then Friday, then Sunday, then ... we don't know. My aunt Sherry will come out tomorrow to help out, starting the next rotation of caregivers, and then the entire clan will descend on my aunt and uncle's house in Minnesota to spend Christmas with her. Following that, she'll go to North Carolina with my aunt and uncle to live out her days.

Laura and I will visit her when we can, though everyone keeps telling us to make sure we spend some time relaxing and, you know, being on vacation. We hope to visit the Heard Museum, the Musical Instrument Museum, the Phoenix Zoo, and other interesting places. Last night we went to the Tommy Bahama store, for instance. (Mecca of culture that it is.) But it's hard to make plans...

Right. I have some work to do too, which is how I justified sneaking off to the McDonalds. End of line...

I survived Texas, which was alternately warm, cool, and cold. I survived Boar's Head, which was tiring and stressful but ultimately rewarding. We're flying to Arizona this week (leaving Wednesday), where we will visit my grandmother who is ill and hope to enjoy ourselves nonetheless.

More information one of these days...

I, Laura, in the presence of the Gods and our friends, take you, Paul, to be my partner in life. I will trust, honor and respect you. I will cherish our friendship and I will love you faithfully through the best and the worst, through the difficult and the easy; come what may I will always be there. I will use my strengths and abilities to lend you aid towards your hopes and dreams. I humbly open my heart to you as a sanctuary of warmth and peace where you may find a refuge of love and strength. As I have given you my hand to hold, so I give you my life to keep. This is my solemn vow.
You cannot possess me for I belong to myself. But while we both wish it, I give you that which is mine to give. You cannot command me for I am a free person. But I shall serve you in those ways you require and the honeycomb will taste sweeter coming from my hand.
I pledge to you that yours will be the name I cry aloud in the night, and the eyes into which I smile in the morning. I pledge to you the first bite from my meat and the first drink from my cup. I pledge to you my living and my dying, each equally in your care. I shall be a shield for your back, and you for mine. I shall not slander you, nor you me. I shall honour you above all others, and when we quarrel, we shall do so in private and tell no strangers our grievances. This is my wedding vow to you. This is the marraige of equals.

These promises you make by the sun and the moon, by fire and water, by day and night, by land and sea. With these vows you swear, by the gods your people swear by, to be full partners, each to the other. If one drops the load, the other will pick it up. If one is a discredit to the other, his own honour will be forfeit, generation upon generation, until he repairs that which was damaged and finds that which was lost. Should you fail to keep the oath you pledge today, the elements themselves will reach out and destroy you.

Saturday we overslept, but managed to get up in time to get Brisco to the vet to get him a general checkup and, more specifically, take a look at his 'goopy' eye. They gave us some stuff to squirt into his eye three times a day and otherwise declared him healthy. Spent a few hours running errands and doing things around the house, then we met up with Carol and went to see Theatre of Women 6 at Dream Theatre. Which was neat - essentially six ten-minute one-act plays, written the night before, directed and rehearsed all day, and performed for the first time right then. (They also had a 10 PM show. We went to the 8 PM.) My personal favorite was 'Angharad - the most evil son of a b*tch on the face of the earth', which was fairly Monty Python-esque, but I didn't dislike any of them. Back to drop off Carol, then home, then bed.

Sunday was more errands and chores, and Stritch practice. Just the three of us - me, Ambrose, and Gabrielle - so we were able to take some time to work on armor. I think theirs is now sufficient to go after their authorizations. And I sparred a little with them, so that was good too.

Last night was fighter's practice at Marquette, and we had quite the turnout. Kegslayer, Stephen, and Armond came in from points west, and Corin, Jean, Corydon, Leif, Ambrose, Gabrielle, Akira, and I were there in armor. Magnus was there to cheer us on. The Marquette Physics Club also attended, and brought a couple force pads which, after some false starts, they used to measure blow calibration for their own records and then for the fighters' experience. (The initial results are that putting a force pad on a table and hitting it with a polearm generates more force than mounting a force pad on a shield and hitting it with the same polearm - the theory is that the shield flexes to distribute the blow, and that the person holding the shield moves to accomodate the force.) After fighting I went home and spent some time on the computer with Laura, and finally to bed.

Tonight we have no plans - though I hope to get to Georgie Porgies for dinner, because they're having a special flavor of custard which I was consulted for: Pumpkin Spice Pancake, which consists of pumpkin pie filling mixed into vanilla custard, and pancakes chopped into pieces added on the fly (so they don't get soggy). Tomorrow night I'll probably pack. Thursday afternoon I fly to Houston, Friday, Saturday and Sunday I'll work TRF, Monday I'll relax and probably do some work from Texas, and Tuesday morning I fly back to Milwaukee. Zoom, whoosh, antics abound. Forecast, in case you wondered, is currently for weather in the 60s and 70s, with possible rain on Saturday.

Right. Lunchtime. End of line...

Tonight we have no plans, but I have a plan to make some leg armor for one of the Stritch kids before Sunday. Which might mean that I work on it tonight. Tomorrow night I think we're going to Madison to visit with some friends who are in town for TeslaCon. Saturday I think I volunteered to help someone move for a few hours, then there's a Boar's Head planning meeting, and at night we're going down to Chicago to see Theatre of Women 6. And Sunday is fighter's practice, as per usual. And Monday night Mysie's bringing force pads to fighter's practice so that we can find out just how hard each of us swings a sword...

Right. Time for lunch. End of line!

Then home, where Laura passed along some news from Ginger. For various reasons she could use some help in the shop (at TRF) for Thanksgiving weekend. We discussed going down to help, or sending just Laura down, but decided that everyone would be best served if I went down alone. Laura will stay here and keep the home fires burning (and keep the cats from eating each other). So, I'm flying down on Thanksgiving Thursday, working Friday, Saturday and Sunday, working from Scott's place on Monday, and flying home on Tuesday. It'll be a whirlwind weekend, I'll bet.

Tonight is Curia. Tomorrow night is D&D at Dahrien's, if I go. Thursday nothing is planned. Friday or Saturday we hope to grab a meal with friends from Minnesota who will be at TeslaCon, and the other evening I'll theoretically work on armor with the Stritch kids.

Right. Work to do. End of line.

On Friday evening we decided that it was time to take the next step in introducing the cats to one another. Now that Brisco has been in isolation for a week, we wanted to allow the cats to see each other but not actually reach each other. To that end, I hit the pet store to buy some gates. I found lots of choices, and settled on some wire mesh safety gates. I figured that one wouldn't be tall enough, so purchased two. As it turns out, they didn't fit perfectly. As we fitted them into the door frame and rigged zipties and nails and other modifications, Brisco walked up to the gates, hooked his claws into the mesh, and scrambled up the side of it. He didn't quite make it to the top, but only because he got distracted. And climbed down on his own. Part kitten, part monkey.

So, Saturday morning I bought some materials. I spent a few hours assembling the framework of a door, pulling out the mitre box and making it look nice. Then out to the hardware store again, and on to Project Day at Marquette.

Four hours or so of armor repair, then home again. I continued construction, adding wire mesh to the bottom (about 18" of 1" x 2" rectangles) and pet screen (a black mesh fiberglass window screen material, designed to not get destroyed by pets) over the rest of it. Sealed up the edges, added some structural support, and attached it to the door frame of Ben's room. It took some adjusting to get the hinges just right, but we now have a full screen door on Ben's room. Pictures forthcoming.

I know it seems like overkill ("why didn't you just staple a sheet or something over the opening at the top of the pet gate?"), but it serves two purposes - when we've finished separating the cats, this can be attached to the doorway at the top of the basement stairs. If/when the basement floods again and we need to keep the cats out of it, we now have a way to do it. I even intentionally got hinges with removable pins so that we can attach the hinges to that door frame and not have the door attached, so that we can install it quickly.

The cats, since you ask, are communicating through the door. That is, Brisco is chirpy and hopeful, Hope hisses a lot and sometimes growls, and Sif watches all the action from a distance.

Sunday I ran some errands in the morning, then went to fighter's practice at Stritch. (Gabrielle, Ambrose, and I put on armor and sparred. Siri, Valerius, and Corin observed and offered pointers. Valerius also dropped off a box of loaner armor, and Siri gave them a lesson on retaining in preparation for Their Majesties visit to Boar's Head.) Then home for laundry, dinner, and DDO with friends.

Tonight is fighter's practice. Tomorrow night is Curia. Wednesday night is D&D at Dahrien's. Thursday and Friday we have nothing planned. Saturday there's a Boar's Head planning meeting, and it's also TeslaCon; we don't have tickets, but hope to meet up with some folks in Madison. And sometime in the next week I intend to have the Stritch kids over to make armor. (Though I have to clear that with my wife.) I ought to mention, too, that Prarie Home Companion will be broadcasting from St. Olaf on Saturday the 19th, so it should be a good show.

Right. Much to do.