When Last We Left Our Intrepid Heroine...

I finished a project.  For the first time in...yeah, let's not talk about that.

Ioannes has at least one new fighting tunic.  Go me!

So, my barony had another Knight School last night.  It's not exactly a school on how to become a knight, more...a chance to get out, fight some folx who are *really* good and who you may not get a chance to fight all that often.  Basically, you fight a knight for two minutes, they give you feedback for two minutes, and then it's lather, rinse, repeat until time is called.  You do switch up knights, to get a chance to get your butt kicked fight the maximum number of times.

I was NOT looking forward to it, honestly.  Yeah, I know...great chance to learn, great chance to get instruction from some really great fighters... great chance to look like an absolute idiot on the field the horribly raw fighter I am.  My armor was a bit late showing up, and I forgot my contacts, but I got kitted out anyway, and slunk toward the field, hoping against hope that everyone would just ignore me. 

No such luck.  I'm over in a corner getting my armor on, and my favoritest baron leans over the net on one of the tennis courts, and yells at me that I'd better fight or he's going to swat me.  I look up and tell him he's going to need help, and then...he starts getting volunteers!  Gah!  You people are NOT supposed to help him!   After the fighting, he made a point to come over and tell me he was happy to see me out there.

First butt-kicking was delivered by fight was Sir Ysfael.  You can find his field knighting on my Flickr page, and honestly, he was a fun fight.  I need to find my notes again, but he talked to me about rehanging my shield and working on wraps.

Second fight was Sir Gaston.  The last time I fought Sir Gaston was miserable for me.  I'd been in armor maybe five times and he just got up in my face and would NOT back off.  It was so bad that I had refused to consider fighting him again.  Please note:  I do NOT think Gaston was trying to be a jerk.  He used a perfectly valid technique, but I did not react well.  It was in my head, not necessarily reality.  He mentioned rehaning my shield, and...I'll have to look at my notes. 

Third fight was Sir Kael.  He and I dance a bit, and he mentions....rehanging my shield.  Oh, and also that I've got good power coming in, which is a good thing in a fighter as new as I am.  Evidently, a lot of folx at my level have trouble with generating power.  He mentioned that I need to work on my range and take more shots at the pell.

Fourth fight...and the one I was literally panting in fear of...was Duke Aaron.  Don't get me wrong.  I adore Aaron.  He's a neat guy, and I love him to death.  He's just...really scary to me for some reason, at least on the field.  Off the field, I can flirt with him, tease him and he's just...Aaron.  On the field...it's different.  Something about...oh...being my housemate's knight, and someone I really really really don't want to look like a total idiot in front of.  Don't ask me why, but I'm more worried about looking STUPID in front of him than anyone else.  Well, mostly. 

Okay fine, I am scared of looking like an IDIOT in front of most knights anybody most days.  I don't mind looking ignorant, but for some reason...Oh hell, I'm shutting up now.  I'm starting to sound like an idiot.

One of the things I overheard his Grace talking about was the guy before me just let Aaron walk up to him and whack on him.  Okay...so I decide I'm going to circle a bit and keep moving.  It sort of worked.  I didn't let him just waltz up to me and smack me.  He did it anyway, but he didn't just walk up and do it.  He mentioned...guess what?  Yep. Rehanging my shield.  Oh and moving my right hand because my hand is fairly vulnerable and he really doesn't want me to end up with broken fingers.  Also, as a lefty, I really need to work on wraps.

After the fight with his Grace, I called it quits as I was fighting blind and I was beginning to have trouble differentiating the sword from background clutter.

The weather had also started to turn, so we gathered in for the final circle, where the knights talk a bit about something they consider important.  Fealty, keeping a list of something, not fighting your equipment, learning from the past, having fun...stuff like that.

Honestly...I'm really glad I fought.  Really glad.  I didn't do well, but I did it. 

I'm not sure when I last updated, so I'll...heck, I have no idea where to start.

We had fighter practice Sunday, along with our first "populace."  I think I've found a design for new armor that will mean my arms are no longer going numb after 30 minutes.  Basically, in order to keep my arms in place, the strap goes across my bicep, just above the elbow and after a little while, my hands get cold and then go numb. 

I got to try on Timor's arms, and since he uses a floating elbow cop and leather forearm protection, that should help eliminate the numbness.  We'll put the splints from my old arms on the new leather.  That's good.  Also, we are thinking about adjusting where my shield hangs to give my head some more protection.

Oh, and I we're hanging some new legs, too.  Yay!  I'll finally have thigh protection.

Last night was Body Mechanics, and the knight teaching the class was pleased at how little I'd lost.  I'm still throwing with lots and lots of power, so now I just need to get in armor and get on the damn field.  Oh, and move my feets.  I have got to MOVE.

Um.  Also, have plans to sew garb.  And then, fall over.

So tired.  Have no life outside SCA stuff right now. 

What we do for fun...  http://www.jmtimeless.com/photos/424197006_ZmtYL-L-1.jpg

Look along the row of tents in the background and find the green one.  Go down from there into the fighters and find the two black war boards right next to each other.  Ioannes is on the right, as you're looking at the photograph, and I'm on the left.

Yes, my new helm really is that tiny.  It's so comfy, though!

Went to Sir Giotto's baby fighter practice last night.  Second time, just as good as the first.  :-)  I'm probably more sore today than I was last time, but we worked a lot more on form and getting the body mechanics right rather than just whacking at a pell.  :-)

I got some really good solid hits on the pell last night, and with the twist in the hips, rather than using just my puny little arm muscles, I feel like I'm going to land a solid flat snap, when I finally get the chance.  Yay!  It was good for my ego to hear "Holy shit!  You're knocking pieces off the pell!!!" when one of my best shots connected.  I'm not doing so hot with the "teleportation" trick, but I'll learn, and the offside blow is going to kick my ass, but my flat snap is developing nicely.  

BTW, anyone have a jpg of the Rhoadd wheel?  I've got a friend who is thinking about kicking back into his LJ and I thought it would be nice for him to have an icon.  I'm going to do an icon for him, actually a few, but I'm having trouble locating an actual image of the wheel.

So...that was my night.  I'm sure I'll have more to say later.

OH!  Am going to teach The Centurion a bit about sewing.  That's a scary thought.  Not because of him, mind you.  Because he's looking at *me* to teach him anything!

The first thing I have to do is teach him to SLOW DOWN.  Yes, your machine can reach warp speed, but the fabric is much harder to control and you'll be unhappy with the results!  Oh, and hand basting is your friend.  Yes, it takes a bit longer than pins, but really, the seams look so much better!  We're going to work on a cote for him for the Baronial at the end of October.  Have to see how it comes out, since I'd like to make one, too.  Oh, need to find a sleeve pattern! 

Okay, I'm about done for the moment.  I think.  Yeah...I am.

EDIT:  Nope, I'm not.  I got some copper silk dupioni, and after washing it and drying it and ironing it, I'm still not sure what I want to make!  (Yes, I washed, dried and ironed silk.  Because I refuse to make anything other than a coronation outfit [hahahahahahahahahahah!  *wheeze*  Ahahahahahahaha!!!!] that I can't chuck in the washer, pretty much.) 

It still looks lovely and still drapes well, with that characteristic silk rustle, but I'm not sure if I want to save it, find something to line it with to make a winter cotehardie, or if I want to make an over-tunic out of it.  It's going to have to be lined, no matter what I do with it, because it's just really light, but stil...what to do, what to do?

Also, I got John's black coat hemmed, finally!  We're attending the Browncoat Ball, and so, will be doing a sort of trial run of the Browncoat costumes at FenCon.  I'll be in my fancy browncoat, while John, a bit of a dandy, will be in his Core Worlds getup.  :-)  I need to add some fabric paint to the black coat to shine it up some, and snaps, and it will be done.  Go me.

Unless something really bizarre happens, I will not be at Gothic War.  I am glad as hell I did not spend the money for plane tickets to Atlanta.

I am on recall for state active duty orders, in preparation for Hurricane Gustav.  I am guessing this prep is so that we do not leave Texas citizens in the lurch and so that we can respond quickly and appropriately to any landfall of this storm.

That does not, however, mean that I am not pissed as hell.  I understand this is part of my job, but the next person who mentions it to me is going to get an Army retention coffee cup in an uncomfortable and intimate place.  Do not tell me I signed up for this.  I know that, however it does not mitigate the fact that I still would like to have a damn life and it doesn't actually make me feel any better.

So, you might want to skip this if you're not interested in the Society. 

I'm running into my usual "want to do too much, with too little time."  

I want to fight.  Yeah, need to get my ass out there and practice.  I'll get right on that.  After work and moving.

I want to sew.  I'll do that, too, once I get the sewing room set up and find a place to cut out fabric.

I want to learn so much stuff, and I don't know where to start!  

*flail*

How do you fit it all in, if you've got a job that eats your life, like mine can?  Sersiously, I'm starting to think about packing a "handwork kit" to take on trips with me.  

*flail*