Redboar Demented

So up early and out the door. I moved my oldest daughter to Athens Ohio today, to her dorm room at Ohio university. It was bitter sweet, but very exciting for her at the same time. She had me move the room furniture to her liking and we unpacked a bit, then we had to run out toWal-Mart for needed supplies. It was sad driving away from her, knowing she is that far away on campus without a car. But this is part of it, her growing up, taking flight and leaving us behind. I accept it, and am happy for her, but it is quiet pain inside, one I choose not to show her.

While there my job exploded with business ridiculousness that needed to be done "in 2 hours , 5 hours ago". I informed them I was busy and it would just have to wait. So, now that I have been home 3 hours I am just now finsihing my days labors and averting the crisis.

I am looking forward to TOC and the chance to beat on someone.

All was well. Saturday night we had a little backyard Barb-Q and it was great. Poppy and I invited the whole baby household. Leif and Birna, Magnus, Styrkar, Thorgrim and Yrsa. We also invited over Wolf and his family, him and his wife Isabella and their daughter Arwen seemed to have a good time. We grilled lots of dead meat things and made cornon the cob, everyone contributed a some and a good meal was had. Of course Styrkar and Thorgrim and I drank a lot and they passed out on the couch, so the three of us had to have mandatory breakfast sunday morning.

Yesterday on Labor Day I actually had to go see my boss in Cinci, but that was actually cool. It's a great thing, working for one of your best friends. We worked on our personal exit strategy should this company go belly up. He is taking a light work week, which by god he needs and deserves.

Came home and went to in-laws for dinner, another great Barb-Q. So my meal control went to crap this weekend. That's ok, back to discipline today.

Off to the gym to start the day before the west oast people get up and start bugging me.

Went to fight practice again tonight, this one in Dayton Ohio. Was rugh going. I was really sore from last night in Columbus, and I have managed to strain my right quadracept, so my leg hurt like hell and movement was really hampered. Thats ok, I just worked on trying to be the immovable rock, and worked on letting guys wail away on me, trying to defend and weather the storm then bang em down when they elft an opening.

It was challenging, and now I am utterly wasted. I am glad I don't have an event this weekend. I need some recuperation time.

Leif and Thorgrim came to practice tonight and it was fun to get to train them and get some schooling in. Both are very hungry to improve, so that makes for a good time.

So Magnus, Styrkar and I loaded up last night and drove over to Columbus fight practice last night. What a damned hoot. They had a really great turn out. I fought so much that quite literally I can't remember everyone I fought. That's a good night in helmet right there. I do recall I brilliant battles with Sir Cellach, Duke Edmund, Cpt Iri and Dima. I had several new guys come and pick fights, I suppose with the baby knight status you'll have that. It was quite fun, as you line up and this guy is trying to prove something and I just had in my mind "Well, show em why you got those spurs.". Sir Dilan's left handed squire was a bunch of fun, I don't think he was prepared for a guy who has trained with alot of lefty's. A great damned fight practice. I wish I could visit every week, but next week starts fall quarter and I have classes Wednesday night. So I will only be able to make the Thursday Dayton fight. 

Styrkarr actually ate a 12 inch sub at my house right before we left, I probably should have been a good guy and warned him off, but I didn't I just chuckled. About around his third fight he turned green and had to take a break. I told him later, I only eat dry granola within 3 hours of fighting, it's like swimming, you can't pound chow like that. He eventually recovered and had a good night.

Getting back to Springfield the three of us hit frickers and had some chicken and beer. Good times, sitting around talking and basking in the post fight stink.

Well, work is up and down. Hard to say what is going to happen. We have a 45 day death threat over our heads from the investors, so we'll see what comes of it.

My oldest daughter goes off to Ohio University on Sept 4rth, she is so excited. I have to start paying monthly tuition Sept 1st, I'm not.

I enrolled in fall quarter classes, continuing to work on a degree. I might have bitten off a bit much. I got 12 credit hours this quater alone, plus work. could be a pain.

Me , Leif and Magnus all piled in and drove down to Lexingtion for fight practice yesterday. Yes, that's a 2 1/2 hour drive for fight practice. So for those of you unbelts who say you are hungry for the accolade I challenge you to start looking at what you are really doing to earn it. Practice was awesome, we had alot of guys, I got to do a lot of singles with HRM Lutr and that was good times. We got everyone together and did some fun melees. We fought from 2pm to about 6pm and then had a cook out. Good times.

This week I have fight practice in Columbus Ohio on Wednesday, and in Dayton on Thursday. I am prepping for crown if you can't tell :)

See you all out there.

 

A knight as pictured in the SCA armor standards



An Elizabethan Fencer

Not the same thing.

Lots of debate in the SCA about the whole "4th Peerage" dead horse.

My opinion duley noted..... Nuff Said !

So I had a really great SCA moment today, No, I wasn't at an event. I was in my shop, working on my helmet, replacing the leather camail with a titanium chain camail. I was siting there sewing the chain mail on to the leather strip using waxed sinew, Led Zeppelin was wailing away and hitting all my fovorites, all the lord of the rings songs and the viking songs. I was just really enjoying the momemnt and my hobby, as I pondered how awesome I was going to look with my helmet almost as period as I can make it minus saftey issues.

My hobby rocks the hizouse !

I attended my first fight practice last night as a knight. It was something joyous. There is something magical about doing the thing you love (fighting) as the thing you have yearned for so many years. To wear your kingdoms validation and to do battle. I made sure I was on the list early and one of the last to leave, it is a joy to be foremost in battle. I know that many others may have different opinions, but I find it magical and amazing. I get to be Gawaine and Percival and Lancelot.

I found that the teaching I offered was received much more readily. I found that the guys fought me much harder and wanted to beat me, which was cool.

I battled with Sir William, which I do every week, but this time, it was something special. We were practically giddy during the fight, throwing screaming hard shots that burned rattan.

Simply put, It don't suck :)

Well, once again I am spending another holiday at work. I have been in public service nearly all of my adult life. I do not recall ever really having an opportunity to enjoy holidays. This could very well be one of the last holidays I have to spend away from my family and loved ones. It is quiet here. I have this creeping fear that in my last 72 hours of service I am going to end up in some monster fire. Not that the adrenaline junkie in me wouldnt enjoy that, but I really dont want to risk it. My poor Poppy also has to work. It's a hard life some times.

Sitting and Waiting. 

  So, as I near my debut in the executive community I have come upon a sudden glitch. I am currently devoid of the appropriate wardrobe, as in utterly and completely non-existant. I informed my future Boss-Man and his response was "Hmmmm, well, I guess we are going shopping." I'd hate to be the boob who shows up to the next board meeting in a pair of american eagle jeans and a t-shirt.

In related news I had to meet with the fire chief today and explain my resignation. He was less than appreciative. I am about to hit my 5 year anniversary, this is the time where you are considered fully trained and eligible to test for advancement in rank. So I guess in his mind the city has spent 100k training me and now I go poof. In the end he wished me well even after poopoo-ing all over my prospects.

I took my family out to dinner tonight to celebrate the good times. Was nice.

Well, some of you have heard. So here is the scoop. I resigned my position as a firefighter / paramedic with Springfield Fire Rescue. I will be going to work for a friend in the Corporate Sector as an Executive Coordinator. It will be a very challenging position, requiring intesive OJT and alot of effort but I am very eager and excited. We have been discussing the potential of this for a number of years, and it seems now is the perfect time for it to happen. I will be traveling some. I think we leave for China on December the 8th. It should actually free up more time for SCA related things as I will have full weekends off, and technically I can do my job anywhere with a laptop and blackberry.

Wish me luck, I am going to need it.

 Sleep Paralysis, very rare

http://skepdic.com/sleepparalysis.html
http://watarts.uwaterloo.ca/~acheyne/S_P.html#tabcon

 A short while ago I had one of the most fearful experiences of my life. I mean truly frightening. I was lying in bed, enjoying an afternoon sleep with my wife. ( we like to nap) It was a grey and gloomy day. I was dreaming, I recall that. Yet at a certain moment I became aware that I was awake, I knew I was in my bed. I knew my wife lay next to me. I had a very strange passing sensation that I was surrounded by people and they were looking at me. I tried to open my eyes and couldn't. I tried to move and could feel I was barely moving. It felt as though I was under a thousand pounds of sand. I tried to call out to my wife but only the lowest of mumbles could I make. I became frantic. I struggled and tried to awaken Theresa and couldn't. I tried to scream and couldn't. Finally something started to slip and I began making more noise. Theresa awakened and turned towards me and suddenly I was awakening completely and gasping. I explained it to her and she said it probably only lasted 5 seconds. It was really palpably horrible.

I think I will do some research into sleep states and the phenomenon of waking.

Well, not to bad actually. A little bit of variation here and there, but I think the changes they made were good as it joined the story into one congruitous story. The animation was pretty fantastic with slight baubles here and there. The CGI chicks were utterly hot, and I am quite sure that lusting after them is some kind of weird but I am going to do it anyway. Weird thing though, all the warriors were fat dudes except Beowulf. Overall I liked the movie alot, especially loved the characterization of Beowulf. 

Mmmmm....Angilina's mouth....... bad thoughts, bad thoughts. 

Another day in the gym. It was back day, which is not one of my favorties, but I force myself to work hard. Most guys who work out to be big, pay an inordinate amount of attention to the front of their body. That's the part you can see, so it makes sense you like working on it more. The great Metzko once said, if you want to be big, train the parts you can't see. Guys who truly appear thick and large are guys with alot of meat on their back. Thick Spinae Erectors and wide full lats with big peaking traps. So, on back day you pound. it. Which can be very uncomfortable. They are big muscle groups so you move alot of weight, the more weight, the more the pain. I deadlifted 365 pounds for 4 reps today, I did not enjoy it, but it had to be done. The one arm dumbell rows at 110 pounds each was really not so much fun, again, necessary. It's so easy to slip down just a few notches and train in a nice easy comfort zone, still heavier than most guys go, but you know inside of yourself, you are not pushing yourself. You know you are shaving off 10-15 pounds just to take it alittle easy. The body doesnt like easy. It relishes in hard. Hard always equates to gain. Now, be wise with hard, because hard will right quickly fuck you up, so respect hard, enter hard with a certain amount of awe, but go to the sanctum sanctorum any way.

Oh, thank god for America. Back in the gym today. Felt so good. Back under the steel. I didnt lose too much strength and my body responded very well. I took a pump real nice and fast and kept good pace throughout the work out. It's so awesome to be back at it. I missed it so much while in Ireland. So strange how all pervading this aspect of my life is. How addicted I am to this lifestyle. 

Well, we came home alittle early. We had so much fun. We ate and drank like Kings. We just got worn out. I had some very profound and wonderful experiences in Ireland. Too much to relate right now. I am going to go to the gym and just sort of meditate with some iron today. I'll try to write more about the trip later tonight.

Missed all of you.

In the last minute phase before we leave for Ireland. Packing and doing laundry and finishing up the cleaning. It's very exciting. I was telling my kids today, it's going to be so neat to stand on a hill in Ballycurrig and think about my ancestors standing on the same hill in the bronze age. That's a pretty cool idea really.

Well, in all honesty I was never really prepared for such a day. I mean , yes, I had experienced some nerves building up to it, especially with every thing that had to be done. There was so much work and so many people came together with time and money. But I wasnt prepared for how gawd-awful nervous I would be. Really, I'm a 36 year old man, I have ne reason to be nearly passing out in front of hundreds of friends.