This is a very good day to be Friday. Just in the nick of time, I swear.
It was a good weekend. Saturday's drive down to El Cajon was not bad, Coronation proceeded smoothly, and ended in a timely fashion. It was a real relief to be relieved of guarding duty. We went to check in to the hotel afterward, and I headed over to Patrick's. Not long after the pizza showed up, I was nodding on the couch - and I knew it was not a safe place to nap, so I went and crashed in my car for about 90 minutes. I had about 3 hours of sleep Friday, and short sleep for a few nights before, so that little bit was a big help. I went back in and stayed until maybe 2 in the morning before heading back to the hotel. It was a very good time until it all went horribly wrong - Helga found out that I'm ticklish. Marines have only one response to this kind of knowledge, but I lived.
Sunday, the weather at the park was nicer than last week. I thought the tourney was very clean, and it moved at a good pace. I missed fighting in the guard vs. chivalry melee, but it was bearable because I had slept until almost 9! I challenged Helga to a duel without tickling, which did not go as planned - we ended up fighting in the third round, and I managed to completely blind myself with my brat (only the second time that's ever happened in tourney). I could only laugh at the folly of my vanity, and yield the fight. Since we were fighting for one another for the day, I didn't feel too bad about it. I had warmed up with Sir Wilhelm Skallagrimm, Elegrim, and one or two others. I challenged Sir Patrick first round. He matched me with single-sword, and I hit him in the head as he landed a good blow to my leg (actually hit my hand, but it should not have been there). Second round, I fought Michel Philippe, who kept his shield. It was a great fight, which I won narrowly. I fought Andrew Baird in the fourth round. He matched me single-sword, and we had a good fight. We double-killed once (his shot was very nice, he chose to take a head shot I was not sure about. I was throwing, but I was distracted by him whacking me), and then I killed him cleanly. My fifth round fight against Haraald was comically short - he kept his shield, and he threw a wrap that I completely bought as a flat snap, and that was all she wrote for me. I had some fun pickups with Sir Gamel, Sir Richard Kyle of the Wilderness (or maybe Robert Kyle, he was a fun sword and buckler fight who lives in Artemisia but came from Caid originally), and a little bear-pit action. I was well done by the time I shucked my armor.
While I was there, I got to visit with people a bit, and started making plans for my squiring at Estrella (Thank you Issiya!!). Ciar and I went to dinner with Rhys, Jimena, the baby formerly known as Trogdor, and Christian. The drive home was long with a bellyful of BJ's pizza, but we traded off at San Clemente, and then I drove the rest of the way after dropping Ciar off in Torrance.
Monday, I skipped practice in favor of job hunting, convention prep, and sleep!
Tuesday night I headed down to Long Beach after work and met up with some colleague-types for dinner & drinks. In a foreshadowing of the evenings to come, this went fairly late. Colleen, from the marketing firm used by my company, was very complimentary when she met me - evidently, my work for the proofing group and our email correspondence had impressed her (I think she'd have been all over me if I was 20 years older). She made one of those sort of joking, "If you ever need a job, call me" comments that I had to ponder. Her company operates out of Florida, which I'm not wild about. I'll have to send her an email this coming week.
I'd found out Tuesday that the SG Burlesque show I had tickets for Wednesday was cancelled, which really annoyed me. I was really looking forward to it, and Ticketmonster kept my 'processing fee' for nothing. I am not interested in seeing the show next month with Guns'N'Roses at the Universal, either. Drat.
I had hoped to see Orange County friends one of those nights, but it was a bit too hectic to make plans, and I ended up going out with industry people each night. The convention itself was decent, with a lot of people showing up that I haven't seen face-to-face in some time. The convention definitely taught me one thing - I am too good for my job. Not too good a person, I just have skills and talents that are totally wasted there. I am getting out, SOON.
It was a good weekend. Saturday's drive down to El Cajon was not bad, Coronation proceeded smoothly, and ended in a timely fashion. It was a real relief to be relieved of guarding duty. We went to check in to the hotel afterward, and I headed over to Patrick's. Not long after the pizza showed up, I was nodding on the couch - and I knew it was not a safe place to nap, so I went and crashed in my car for about 90 minutes. I had about 3 hours of sleep Friday, and short sleep for a few nights before, so that little bit was a big help. I went back in and stayed until maybe 2 in the morning before heading back to the hotel. It was a very good time until it all went horribly wrong - Helga found out that I'm ticklish. Marines have only one response to this kind of knowledge, but I lived.
Sunday, the weather at the park was nicer than last week. I thought the tourney was very clean, and it moved at a good pace. I missed fighting in the guard vs. chivalry melee, but it was bearable because I had slept until almost 9! I challenged Helga to a duel without tickling, which did not go as planned - we ended up fighting in the third round, and I managed to completely blind myself with my brat (only the second time that's ever happened in tourney). I could only laugh at the folly of my vanity, and yield the fight. Since we were fighting for one another for the day, I didn't feel too bad about it. I had warmed up with Sir Wilhelm Skallagrimm, Elegrim, and one or two others. I challenged Sir Patrick first round. He matched me with single-sword, and I hit him in the head as he landed a good blow to my leg (actually hit my hand, but it should not have been there). Second round, I fought Michel Philippe, who kept his shield. It was a great fight, which I won narrowly. I fought Andrew Baird in the fourth round. He matched me single-sword, and we had a good fight. We double-killed once (his shot was very nice, he chose to take a head shot I was not sure about. I was throwing, but I was distracted by him whacking me), and then I killed him cleanly. My fifth round fight against Haraald was comically short - he kept his shield, and he threw a wrap that I completely bought as a flat snap, and that was all she wrote for me. I had some fun pickups with Sir Gamel, Sir Richard Kyle of the Wilderness (or maybe Robert Kyle, he was a fun sword and buckler fight who lives in Artemisia but came from Caid originally), and a little bear-pit action. I was well done by the time I shucked my armor.
While I was there, I got to visit with people a bit, and started making plans for my squiring at Estrella (Thank you Issiya!!). Ciar and I went to dinner with Rhys, Jimena, the baby formerly known as Trogdor, and Christian. The drive home was long with a bellyful of BJ's pizza, but we traded off at San Clemente, and then I drove the rest of the way after dropping Ciar off in Torrance.
Monday, I skipped practice in favor of job hunting, convention prep, and sleep!
Tuesday night I headed down to Long Beach after work and met up with some colleague-types for dinner & drinks. In a foreshadowing of the evenings to come, this went fairly late. Colleen, from the marketing firm used by my company, was very complimentary when she met me - evidently, my work for the proofing group and our email correspondence had impressed her (I think she'd have been all over me if I was 20 years older). She made one of those sort of joking, "If you ever need a job, call me" comments that I had to ponder. Her company operates out of Florida, which I'm not wild about. I'll have to send her an email this coming week.
I'd found out Tuesday that the SG Burlesque show I had tickets for Wednesday was cancelled, which really annoyed me. I was really looking forward to it, and Ticketmonster kept my 'processing fee' for nothing. I am not interested in seeing the show next month with Guns'N'Roses at the Universal, either. Drat.
I had hoped to see Orange County friends one of those nights, but it was a bit too hectic to make plans, and I ended up going out with industry people each night. The convention itself was decent, with a lot of people showing up that I haven't seen face-to-face in some time. The convention definitely taught me one thing - I am too good for my job. Not too good a person, I just have skills and talents that are totally wasted there. I am getting out, SOON.