Palespyder’s Web

So I have been working on the Ren Faire ideas and trying to get things fleshed out. It is nice that people are coming out to help, I got two more people signed up last night HL Uldin and Lady Sung agreed to Marshal in Charge and Waterbear respectively. It is good to have people who are interested in the survival and future of the Barony and want to see everyone succeed. I see good things for this Faire and see very few obstacles at the moment. I will be contacting Thorgrim shortly to start that ball rolling early to ensure we have everything we need and they everything they need.

I got the go ahead last night also to offer a free site fee for out of Barony Heralds willing to do some work at Valor. God knows it’s the least we could do for those who are willing to travel so far and to spend their free time working for the enjoyment of others. Vivat the Volunteers!

For a few days now I have been thinking about happiness and the different types that a person must have to be complete. It is odd to me how you can be completely happy with some aspects of life and not want them to change because you are comfortable, yet at the same time, be so completely lost and empty in other areas. This has given me a great deal to think about and keep my mind occupied with.

Crown is over, Syr Hirsch won the tournament in what I can only describe as a fantastic fight. It is good to know he came out on top, he has been trying to a long time. He fought Duke Syr Valens VI, for the crown, and the Semis had Sean off the Chippendales and Ashir in with them. It was great and was the first time I had witnessed the oath that the combattants must swear, was pretty sobering.

I also came to the conclusion that you must be incredibly fast, strike a very telling blow, very cleanly or you are just spinning your wheels in that tournemant. The combattants all fought honorably and I was impressed with the amount of talking they do on the field.

I also came to the realization that I am not as young as I used to be. Drinking and courousing are for the younguns’, not for me. I think I will pass on the alcohol from here on out and just stick to water and delicious Diet Dr. Pepper.

All in all, I had a great time, the heat sickness and sore back are a testement to that. I look forward to many more events in the future and thank the people of Grimfells for their hospitality!

Cai and I will be leaving for Crown in Grimfells about 5:30-6:00 tonight. I am told it is about an 5 hour trip so that will put us there around 11 or so and we can get setup and stuff. He is bringing most of his camping stuff so it should be a fairly comfortable weekend.

I have been talking a lot about training with people. I am starting to see the benefit of hardcore training and practicing at the pell, it is to teach you proper technique so when the time comes you don’t have to think about it. I need to incorporate more movement into my pell work so that I am not a stationary target and just saddling up to people on the field and throwing blows. A stationary target is a dead target.

So I have a million things to get done. I have Valor, then Ren Faire, the preparation for Crown in January. It seems like I am starting to spread myself a bit thin and I am starting to doubt my own abilities. I know that I have the skills and knowledge to get all of this done, it’s just a matter of organization and time management.

First things first is Valor. I have to find Heralds to do the tournies and cry camp, and I just realized there is a possibility I will be asked to Herald a Kingdom court as all of the Heralds will be at Syposium, not saying I will but that it is a distinct possibility. I have myself and Johann so far, I will talk to Ellie as well.

Ren Faire is a lesson in herding cats. I am trying to coordinate several people as well as generate a revenue so we can play. I will be looking into making signs for the booths as well as making sure everyone has everything they need, designing the dell in such a way that we get people in and they have to walk past the booths to get out and in, as well as trying to find some people to become hawkers. I think we can really do good things we just need to get it all set right.

Crown is a ways off (6+ months) but I need to get with Ines and make sure we have what we need. I am not expecting to make it far, but I will be putting my best effort forward to get ready for it and to be there concentrating on my fighting.

All in all I don’t have a ton of stuff to do, but I just have to get off my can and start getting it finished.

Spent the long weekend just hanging out with Kindra at home, it is nice to be with someone who does not require constant attention and just lets you be you.

I started back doing Power 90X today. I have been off for a couple weeks due to laziness, but I know if I want to attain the skill level I am striving for I need to workout every day. The work outs are tough, but worth it and I always feel better when I have done them.

Fighter practice yesterday was pretty good. I seem to be moving well and picking up things that are helping me immensely. I have practice again tonight and will be working on more technique based stuff and working on my defense. I have also decided to mark “Bob” at the points I want to aim for, eyes, temples, hip joint, etc so that I am practicing to an exact point instead of just swinging at a general area, precision is the key.

Headed to Crown this weekend, hope to get in some good pick up fights.

I volunteered last night to Autocrat for Fall Ren Faire here in Wichita. Lord Tancred graciously said he would help me to get things squared away and such. I am both nervous and excited because it will be the first thing I have autocratted and a nice training run for when I want to do an event.

I would like to see us do a couple of revenue streams that have had a good ROI in the past such as hair braiding, photo booth, heraldry, and Archery which looked to be doing atleast some revenue. I don’t believe the renfaire (Eagles Realm) will allow us to sell anything and we must therefore expand and advertise what we do have available. I think that with proper advertising we could have a nice stream of revenue come from the faire and have good returns this go round.

I would also like to put out some donation boxes around the list field, wooden boxes that say Donations on them and hang close to the list field on all 4 sides. I don’t know that this would bring in any revenue, but I think it might and would be willing to make the boxes myself.

I think with a good team and the cooperation of everyone, we could have a fine faire and try to bring a bit of income in.

I also think that the Chatelaine should be beating the bricks and really working to bring in new folks. I believe we need more then one or two people because generally people will get bored and walk away because no one has come and talk to them. The Chatelaines/Hospitallers, should give an aire of excitedment and believe what they are telling people, it shows.

I am looking for more ideas and as time goes on I will be posting more and more about this to maintain my sanity I am sure.

I have been sleeping for crap. Last night, as I snuggled down to get a great nights sleep, the idiots across the street thought it might be fun to start blasting mortar shells off at 11:30-12:45, called the police only to be told that it would be broadcast over the radio, but it was unlikely anyone would respond.

I did about 1/2 of Plyometrics yesterday. I found when you are trying to keep up with Tony it is alot harder then half assing it on your own. I am a “good” amount of sore this morning and I think I will continue trying to keep up with them until I can do the whole of the workouts without a problem.

I have to go and talk to Master Alan of Darkdale after work to pick up some wood. It is amazing to me that when you show an interest in the SCA people come out of the woodwork to help you with your endeavors, funny that…

Had a pretty decent fighter practice last night. I was able to teach a bit to Anders and Tancred, as well as showing some basic shot stuff to HE Melisende. I was able to get in a bit of defensive practice, which is why I like going, it affords me a chance to block and not retaliate.

My main problem seems to be a mental block at this point with a heater shield. For some reason unknown to me at the present time, I feel I am under protected with a heater and I leave myself open to all sorts of nastiness. I need to get my wooden heater strapped and at the very least start doing pell work with it so I can develop a feeling of being used to it. It is a 8 year struggle between me and that damned shield, I will master that hunk of wood if it’s the last thing I do.

I keep skipping workouts. I am not sure what happened to me, but I am not sleeping for shit lately. I cannot fall asleep until late and then 5am comes and I cannot seem to drag myself out of bed. Kindra and I are wondering if we are putting to much pressure on ourselves about it and should get let this all happen naturally.

I also need to start start doing my pell workout every night. I would like to get to where I can do the whole routine (800 shots total), and then start to add in some of my own such as thrusts and verticle slot shots. I think this would help me to develop speed and stamina to a point that I want to be at.

Vatavia had their Champions tourney yesterday at Lake Afton. Though it was incredibly hot, I had a fantastic time, fought surprisingly well, and was able to keep my composure under irritation so as not to appear like a total jackass.

Several folks were given awards, the conversation was amazing and Lord Torin and Lady Raven gave a great toast to Sir Ternon. All in all it was great day. Congrats to Lord Ebhan, Her Ladyship Adalia, Lady Grayce, and the other champion who at this moment escapes me. Also congrats to Lord Tancred our newest Vojack, Lord Geoffrey our newest Straz, and Lord Donald MacDonald on his Radiant Lioness.

Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon, and David Carradine all dead…can’t really even pretend I care. I did not know them, they have no bearing on my life and well it does not affect the price I pay for gasoline, which should I care, at all.

Did not get the yard mowed last night. I did get the pell delivered to Cai’s house and played some WoW. I just could not force myself to go outside and sweat my ass off. I will get it done tonight. I need to make sure to get a bug bomb for the garage so I can kill the wasps, those bastards are viscious.

I have also been thinking about getting Kindra’s garden going. Mapping out the walkway and doing the beds so we can start planting perennials and getting a nice English Country Garden going, that would be nice. I am considering a permenant pagan circle in the center with colored rocks for the directions along with an offering/incense/candle bowl in each direction as well. I guess I should sit down and start doing it. I think this would make Kin extremely happy and if I can do it cheap all the better. Stone and sand walkways

I think it is time to start doing this type of thing for the house to help make it a home. She wants me to remodel the bathroom and I think I should do some of that as well.