News Flash!

Did I mention this here already at some point? I'M GOING TO SEE FLOGGING MOLLY TONIGHT!!!!

I'm pretty excited about this. More later.

Exciting News!

Exciting for me, that is, and for some of my acquaintances as well. You've probably heard about the Anglo-Saxon treasure hoard that's been found just recently. It's been all over the internet. I'm almost, but not quite surprised that it wasn't on the local evening news. :P If you hear anything new and juicy, I would love to know about it. I mean, I've seen all the woefully bland press release articles; I mean if you hear of any such thing as an official archaeology/museum report or catalog coming out, or something on that order. Or some good pictures with a sort of detailed summary.

I'm really excited about this whole thing, because I'm a dork, and because this falls exactly in my SCA persona time period--right smack dab in the end of the 7th, to beginning of the 8th C. If I had the money I'd be on a plane right now to go see it!

I've been collecting links since yesterday, so if you are interested, I can send them off to you.

Unproductive

So much for getting a lot done last night. I got home from work, picked up a book, sat on the couch, and promptly fell asleep until almost 8 pm. Well, I was still pretty tired from Siege, so I won't complain about catching up on sleep. I did finally get everything unpacked, at least, but I didn't get any of my cleaning done. The house still looks like a disaster area from the mess that accumulated leading up to Siege! Well, that's tonight's project, along with applying for a million and one different jobs, and hopefully getting around to filing my event report. And maybe sneaking a peak at my book again. I'm reading "Maggie: A Girl of the Streets" by Stephen Crane. It's pretty good--I don't think it's going to be an uplifting sort of story, but he's a very good writer.

"I Won't Go Back Without A Fight," or, "Cecil's Siege is Over"

I've had that little rhyme in my head for a few days now, the one that goes "Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver and the other's gold." That's usually the case after a good event. It's amazing how I used to be so bad at meeting new people; SCA makes it effortless. Everyone is so friendly. Cecil's Siege was great--again--this year. We missed Curly Tom and Dave and Lu and Hrothgar, but most of the usual crew made it, as well as some new faces for Siege. I sat at Troll Thursday night and Friday morning, into the afternoon. I like working Troll, because you get to see everyone as they come in. The rest of Friday was mostly setting up camp, running errands for people, and sitting at troll some more with Kaia, Ralph, Tristram, and Hawaii guy--whose name I believe is Donnell, and he now lives in Aberdeen, SD. We like him, if you see him, be nice. I went to bed early--being midnight--because I was all nervous for fencing the next day, as I was Marshal in Charge, and I wanted to make sure I was plenty lucid in the morning! I think the fencing went really well; everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. I never did get into fencing gear myself, since by the time all the main "games" were done, everyone seemed to be fading away pretty quickly, and I was too. It's hard work to stand out in the sun all day! But hey, I tired them out, without anyone getting sick or dead...that's a sucess in rapier!
I was so hungry by the time the hog roast came around, which was good, because there was a lot of really, really good food, and hunger only makes it taste better! Afterwards, everyone pretty much hung around the pole barn for hours, talking, drinking, telling stories, making jokes, singing, laughing...and wrestling. At some point, someone decided to start wrestling matches. I have never before in my life thought twice about wrestling, but this was pretty awesome to watch. It seemed like for the most part, the little guys were holding the floor. I wouldn't say that Drake, Steve, or Ian are necessarily scrawny, but compared to the guys they were up against, they were. I think Steve's win over the guy from Shadow's Co., and Travis's over Tarrach have been the most talked about. Heck, I was impressed, and I know nothing about wrestling, but it looked good!
After that settled down, I talked to Bron and Meredith for awhile. He tells me that he's found a husband for me. I had to laugh--it's funny, but kinda sweet too, that he always tells me he's trying to find a man for me. As this one lives in Minot, ND, I'm not really anticipating any new developments in the romance department, no matter how nice Bron assures me he is!
Afterwards, sat and talked with Rita, Daria and Sir Morgan for awhile. I'd only just met Morgan, but he quickly discovered a game that was new for him, but seems to be quite popular with many other people. It's called "let's see how deeply we can make Jessica blush!" I couldn't tell how red I actually was, but my face was pretty warm! He said he could feel radiant heat coming off of even my toes.
So many friends, not enough time to spend with them! I talked with Halfdan, Xandre and Tara, Steve/Finnbogi and Cheryl, Travis, Torimasa, Tom, Hagan...I miss them all already. Heidi came up from Norfolk too. She authorized in heavy weapons Saturday. I think she had a great time too, she had no trouble socializing, not that she ever does!
Sunday packed up, said goodbyes, helped clean up site, said more goodbyes, went to supper with Sam and Sarah, said more good byes, went to church, and went elatedly, but sadly home. I think I know how addicts feel when they're coming down from a high. I will go from happy to sad in the space of a minute, perusing through memories and images in my head. But...I have tickets for the Flogging Molly concert in Council Bluffs with Svein and Hagan on Sunday, so my feelings are somewhat assauged. :D

Homesick

I'm feeling a bit homesick again these days. I miss Vermillion, I miss my farmhouse, I miss my people, I miss living in a small town farming community, I even miss my classes and some of my professors. I felt like I really had a place for myself there. I think I've come to realize that my time there is over; I still love to visit, but I would be far too restless living there anymore.

I heard today that my Sociology professor, Sharon Allen, died of brain cancer earlier this month, on Sept. 8. I wasn't as close to her as I was to some of my other professors, but I always liked her; she was such a sweet lady. I only had one class with her, but I saw her all the time in East Hall, and she always smiled so nicely. I also read that Werner Kitzler, my favorite grumpy old German professor, retired this year. I suppose in a few more years, very few of the people I knew there will be left...students graduate and move away, professors (most of mine were old!) retire. Moving from Vermillion to Sioux Falls affected me more than moving from my parents house to college did...I was more than ready to get out of my parent's house and fly, but I wanted more time in that little town by the river.

I'll find another home again someday, I hope, but I won't ever forget the first one that I had to carve out for myself.

Memorial

I came across this story recently in my email, and thought it was touching then. I just stumbled across it again on another person's blog. After hearing all the absolute SHIT on TV and everywhere else about the death of a certain celebrity whose name we all know, but which shan't be mentioned here, because he doesn't deserve it, I was sickened by how skewed this country's idea of a "hero" is. So I'm copying this message here again, because this is a man who deserves the attention and mourning of a real hero.

via email: Band Of Brothers Hero, Darrell ‘Shifty’ Powers Dies
By Joe Galloway
We’re hearing a lot today about big splashy memorial services.
I want a nationwide memorial service for Darrell “Shifty” Powers.
Shifty volunteered for the airborne in WWII and served with Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the 101st Airborne Infantry. If you’ve seen Band of Brothers on HBO or the History Channel, you know Shifty. His character appears in all 10 episodes, and Shifty himself is interviewed in several of them.
I met Shifty in the Philadelphia airport several years ago. I didn’t know who he was at the time. I just saw an elderly gentleman having trouble reading his ticket. I offered to help, assured him that he was at the right gate, and noticed the “Screaming Eagle”, the symbol of the 101st Airborne, on his hat.
Making conversation, I asked him if he’d been in the 101st Airborne or if his son was serving. He said quietly that he had been in the 101st. I thanked him for his service, then asked him when he served, and how many jumps he made.
Quietly and humbly, he said, “Well, I guess I signed up in 1941 or so, and was in until sometime in 1945 . . . ” at which point my heart skipped.
At that point, again, very humbly, he said, “I made the 5 training jumps at Toccoa, and then jumped into Normandy . . . . do you know where Normandy is?” At this point my heart stopped.
I told him yes, I know exactly where Normandy was, and I know what D-Day was. At that point he said, “I also made a second jump into Holland, into Arnhem.” I was standing with a genuine war hero . . . . and then I realized that it was June, just after the anniversary of D-Day.
I asked Shifty if he was on his way back from France and he said, “Yes. And it’s real sad because these days so few of the guys are left, and those that are, lots of them can’t make the trip.” My heart was in my throat and I didn’t know what to say.
I helped Shifty get onto the plane and then realized he was back in Coach, while I was in First Class. I sent the flight attendant back to get him and said that I wanted to switch seats. When Shifty came forward, I got up out of the seat and told him I wanted him to have it, that I’d take his in coach.He said “No, son, you enjoy that seat. Just knowing that there are still some who remember what we did and still care is enough to make an old man very happy.” His eyes were filling up as he said it. And mine are brimming up now as I write this.
Shifty died on June 17 after fighting cancer.
There was no parade.
No big event in Staples Center .
No wall to wall back to back 24×7 news coverage.
No weeping fans on television.
And that’s not right.
Let’s give Shifty his own Memorial Service, online, in our own quiet way. Please forward this email to everyone you know. Especially to the veterans.
Rest in peace, Shifty.
“A nation without heroes is nothing.” – Roberto Clemente

And this is how I feel today:

Runaway train, never going back
Wrong way on a one-way track
Seems like I should be getting somewhere
Somehow I'm neither here nor there

Can you help me remember how to smile?
Make it somehow all seem worthwhile
How on earth did I get so jaded?
Life's mystery seems so faded
I can go where no one else can go
I know what no one else knows
Here I am just a-drownin' in the rain
With a ticket for a runaway train

Bought a ticket for a runaway train
Like a madman laughing at the rain
A little out of touch, a little insane
It's just easier than dealing with the pain

Runaway train, never going back
Wrong way on a one-way track
Seems like I should be getting somewhere
Somehow I'm neither here nor there
Runaway train, never coming back
Runaway train, tearing up the track
Runaway train, burning in my veins
I run away but it always seems the same

I'm not quite that depressed about it as the song sounds, but it's the same sense of being lost and perplexed. Do you ever feel like you're supposed to be going somewhere, and maybe you are, but you have no idea where you're going, or how you're getting there? Or like you've fallen off the train, and everything is rushing past you so fast, everything you want, but it won't slow down enough for you to jump back on?

"Like a madman laughing at the rain/ out of touch, a little insane." That's it exactly.