13 Goofs-One of Those Days
I’ve been sick for four days now. You know, sore throat, headache, sneezing, coughing… yeah. I stayed home from church and knitting on Sunday, stayed home from work on Monday, went in on Tuesday and gave up by noon, got up this morning and said: uh-uh. I tried to go back to bed, but I can’t breathe thru my nose.I have an entire colony of used kleenex that didn’t quite make it into the waste basket next to my bed. All that is bad, right? But it gets worse. Much worse.
Around 11:00 I decided I needed to go to the store. I needed Nyquil, I needed more kleenex. I needed juice and soup and raspberry sherbet. The store is just a mile. I made a list and when I got to the store I couldn’t find it in my purse. Dangit! Goof #1. Well, I didn’t need that much. I didn’t need a list. I had done my shopping and was back in the car when I realized that I had forgotten the Nyquil. Goof #2. Back in I went and bought Nyquil.
Got home and tried to open the grapefruit juice so I could have a glass of deliciously cool juice on my raw throat. No go. I was feeling so weak that I couldn’t open it. Finally, after great effort, I got it open. Oh, it said to shake well. I put the cap back on and shook well. Goof #3. Since the cap apparently wasn’t fastened tightly, grapefruit juice went everywhere. I wiped it up and drank a glass. Then I decided I better have a slug of Nyquil too. Naturally, that cap wouldn’t come off either. I got a steak knife out of the drawer to cut the childproof seal off and had to ask myself a minute later what was wrong with a butter knife? Goof #4. I might have avoided skewering myself with a butter knife.
Okay, Nyquil drunk (bad faces made by me and all three of the cats, who were suddenly not so interested in sharing every blessed thing that mommy ate or drank) and finger bandaged, I decided I should take a hot steamy bath to try to open my nasal passages. I turned the light on in the bathroom and no light appeared. Ridiculous. All four of the bulbs burnt out at one time? Not likely. I flipped the switch on and off a few more times with no change. Okay, I checked the breakers and flipped them back and forth a few more times. Goof #5. I thereby killed all the clocks and eletronic devices into flashing 12:00. I reset the alarm clock in the bedroom and left the rest. The bathroom lights still didn’t work. Okay, either there was a problem with the wiring or they were all burnt out. I didn’t have the exact bulbs needed, so I made do. I replaced two of the fancy bulbs with plain 40 watt bulbs. Still no light. I flipped the breakers back and forth again. Goof #6. Went to re-set the alarm clock. Decided to unscrew the rest of the fancy bulbs. Goof #7. Fancy bulb slipped from my fingers and crashed into a million shards all over the bathroom. The last thing I had was energy to clean up the bathroom. I thought about just laying down. But I didn’t want to wake up, stagger to the bathroom and skewer my feet on glass. (neatly avoiding Goof #8) I cleaned up by the light of a camping lantern. On the way out of the bthroom I flipped the light switch without really thinking about it. Light flooded the bathroom from the 2 forty watt bulbs. I hacked, swore, coughed and swore some more.
Ah, bath time. Except the tub was kind of grimy. I decided to clean it. Goof #9. That’s when I realized that the drain was clogged. Wheezing, I got out the draino and poured some down the drain. I have asthma which is instantly made 10 times worse by inhaling such fumes. I needed to blow my nose. that’s when I noticed Goof # 10. I had bought the flimsiest excuse for kleenex you can imagine. I didn’t even blow very hard, and all I had in my splattered hand with torn shreds of kleenex.
My Cold/flu/Whatever The Heck This Is has decided that I have had enough. I didn’t need a bath. I needed sleep, and the Nyquil looks like it might deliver. Wanna to know what Goofs #11-13 are? Me neither. I’m going to bed now, to struggle with my breathing and coughing, and pray to God that #11-13 never materialize.
Thursday 13- Things that Compete with my Writing Time
What would it be like to be able write whenever I wanted to? A friend of mine seemed surprised that I couldn’t write whenever I wanted to. After all, I’m single and I don’t have children. But there are things that keep me away from my Work in Progress, some that I could avoid with a little more self-discipline, and some that I cannot avoid. Do you have any of these issues?
1. The Day Job. I love to write, but I have a Monday to Friday job that pays the bills and rent and buys the groceries. And we’ve been on overtime since November, so I spend about 50 hours a week (including lunch times) at my desk at work. Not avoidable.
2. Cleaning and Laundry. I really ought to put more of my time into this, but i don’t. Sue me.
3. Knitting and attending knitting/spinning functions. This is something I love, so I don’t try to avoid it. Besides, it is my sanity savior, so I don’t want to cut it out.
4. Sewing. I actually don’t enjoy this, but I need to do it for my SCA stuff. Again, sanity saving.
5. SCA functions. Meetings, fight practices, events where I get to hang with friends. Again, the sanity thing.
6. Reading. I haven’t done this very much lately. Pity. I want to.
7. Zuma Blitz. One of those addictive games on Facebook. I probably should try to cut back on this. It is neither productive nor sanity saving.
8. Facebook in general. It’s good to keep in touch with friends, but a limit must be imposed.
9. Romance Divas. I LOVE this site, where other writers support each other and share. But I need to use my time wisely.
10. Twitter. I’m doing pretty well at managing my time there.
11. Church. I’m certainly not saying I need to cut back. Just mentioning that Sunday mornings are not a time for me to write.
12. Baseball. Watching, not playing. I’m a huge Minnesota Twins fan, and April is just around the corner. I can knit while watching the game, but not write.
13. The cats. I love them, but if Merry Miaow isn’t in my lap, Little Bit is. They seem direly offended that I have something in my lap other than one or both of them. I’ve tried to explain that the black thing accross my legs isn’t a special bed for them to sleep in. I don’t think they get it.
13 Thursday-Costume Layers
Have you ever read a historical romance where the hero has his lady out of her clothes in about 3 seconds flat? How realistic is that? I can say from experience that getting dressed takes some serious time and effort. I expect getting undressed would take less time, but still a heck of a lot longer than a few seconds. Here is an example of what a noblewoman in England in the year 1540 might be wearing.
Layer 1: Chemise. shift. This is the layer closest to the skin, so it should be easily laundered (unless you’re high nobility, and then the chemise will be loaded with embroidery)
Layer 2: Farthingale/hoopskirt. In the 1500s this shape should be a cone, not a bell like in the 19th century
Layer 3: Corset. This was not intended to give an hour glass shape like in the mid-1900′s. Have you ever tried to edge your hand inside the top of a corset or had your hero do that to his lover? Not as easily done as you might think, depending on how tightly it is laced. This is an actual corset from the 16th century
Layer 4: Bumroll. To make the skirt stand out from the body and take some of the weight off the hips. A stuffed half-donut that tied around the hips
Layer 5: Kirtle (or petticoat and bodies). In hot weather or for casual dress (or the lower class), this could be worn alone.
Layer 6: Partlet. A neck covering for warmth and ostentation rather than modesty. Often plain black, but sometimes richly embroidered or lined with fur, edged with pearls or other small jewels. Later in the century it evolved into the back standing open ruff.
Layer 7: Forepart. A decorative panel of rich fabric that was pinned to the kirtle to show through the split in the over skirt. Often matched the lower sleeves. A woman with a couple of these could mix and match to extend her wardrobe. The black an dwhite photo is of an actual forepart rom the period.
Layer 8: Gown. Sometimes the gown was one piece. More often it was a skirt that hooked or tied onto the bodice edge.
Layer 9: Sleeves. In Tudor times, uppersleeves were stitched to the dress, but undersleeves were tied on underneath and could be changed to match the forepart.
Layer 10: Coife. A small linen cap to protect the heavier, more expensive headdress from oil in the hair.
Layer 11: Head dress. In Tudor Engand in 1545, this would have been a Gable Hood or a French Hood. These would have been ornate and decorated with pearls and gems.
Layer 12: Shoes and stockings. Stockings would have been made from fabric cut on the bias and sewn together. Knitted stockings were still another 20 or 30 years from being introduced. Shoes wereoften a Mary Jane style, with very square toes.
Layer 13: Jewelry. For the high nobility, this would have included necklaces, brooches, rings and girdles (belts made from strung pearls and jewels, or silk cords). But just about every garment was embellished with jewels, from the neck edges of the dresses, the edges of the split in the skirt, to the sleeve slashes. One of these coomplete outfits probably weighed a ton! Or at least 20 pounds.
I think the layers would have been similar in other times. The Georgians? Definitely. The Victorians? Oh, yeah. Maybe not the Regency period as much, but still layers.
So after reading this, how quickly could your hero get his heroine undressed?
13 Blooms of Spring (and Summer)
I don’t know about anyone else, but I Am Sick of Winter! I want spring! Green grass! Flowers!
I went to the doctor today for my semi annual kenalog shot. The purpose of this shot is to help me breathe. I have nasal polyps, and one of the results of that is that they make my nasal passages swell and block my airway. I also cannot smell anything. Mucus gets traps up there and I get terrible sinus headaches. My asthma reacts too. Luckily, kenalog is like a wonder drug for me. In a few days I’ll be breathing easier and in a few weeks I may be able to smell things too. So I’m already planning to cook my favorite foods. I can ‘t wait to smell coffee brewing, and cinnamon rolls baking, and homemade spaghetti sauce simmering. And I’m looking forward to the brightness of spring and the scent of spring flowers. Here are some that I will enjoy seeing and smelling:
1. lilacs. 
Such wonderful scent gets to be almost too much sometimes. But I’ll suffer through it. 
2. Tulips.
Not much scent, really, but so springy. I love a dozen of them on the table.
3. Daffodils. Again, not much scent, 
but so cheerful and bright.
4. Lily of the Valley. Possibly my favorite scented flower. 
These little bells are so elegant in the greenery, don’t you think?
5. Crocus. 
Often the first to poke up through the snow.
6. Johnny Jump Ups. 
Cute!
7. Cherry blossoms. I’ve never gone to the viewing in DC or Japan
but I’d like to someday. I wonder how they smell?
8. Queen’s Anne’s Lace.
Grows wild all over the place. *snicker* Poet I am not.
9. Apple Blossom. 
I think I remember that these have a light sweet scent
10. Snow drop. 
I’ve never actually seen a snow drop as far as I know. But a lot of people thing ‘spring” when they think of snow drops.
11. Cabbage Rose. Hot house roses are beautiful. 
But I really like the look of the old cabbages roses.
12. Peonies. I find their light fragrance delightful; their ants less so.
They remind me of the old fashioned roses.
13. Easter Lilies.
They have a heavy sweet perfume. Elegant.
What makes you think of spring? What are your favorite flowers?
13 Facts about March
It’s March! That means that here in North Dakota winter will be over in a month or so. Hooray!!! But March can be a treacherous month. Did you know that some of the worst weather on record occurred in March? Here are some random facts about March:
1. The word March is from the Roman god of war, Mars. March was the first month of the Roman year.
2. The Great Storm of March 12-13, 1993 affected 26 US states and much of eastern Canada. Syracuse NY had 43 inches of snow. Birmingham AL had 13 inches, Atlanta GA had 4 inches. Several NASCAR races had to be postponed for weeks.
3. On March 4, 1793 George Washington delivered the shortest inaugural speech ever, at just 135 words.
4. On March 15, 1941 the northern plains were hit especially hard by a blizzard. It was 20 degrees and sunny in the morning so folks went into town wearing their spring clothing, but by that evening over 150 people were dead in North Dakota.
5. In the US March is Women’s History Month.
6. In Japan, the spring equinox (around March 20-21) is a national holiday. I like that. It’s better than St Patrick’s Day.
7. On March 1, 1983 the low temperature in Quincy Missouri was -21 F. Yowza. That would be low even for North Dakota.
8. On March 22, 1457 the Gutenberg Bible became the first printed book.
9. On March 25 31 AD the first Easter is celebrated in recorded history.
10. On March 26, 2009 the previous record for flood level was broken in Fargo ND. It crested a week or so later at over a foot higher than the previous record.
11. On March 2, 1962 Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a basketball game. NO one has come even close since then.
12. In March of 1949 Newfoundland became Canada’s 10th province. (Not the Yukon)
13. The first St Patrick’s Day parade took place in New York City on March 17, 1762. That was before the Irish Potato Famine drove large numbers of Irish immigrants to New York.
Does any of this surprise you?
13 YA Books I Love
I know I’m almost fifty years old, but I still enjoy reading Young Adult novels. In fact, I just read an ARC for Dark Mirror by MJ Putney (MaryJo Putney is one of my fave historical romance writers, and she’s writing YA as MJ Putney) and I loved it. My Thursday 13 is a list of some of my favorite YA novels, some old and some new.
1.
Beauty by Robin McKinley. IMO the best Beauty and the Beast retelling written.
2. 
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley.
3. Lark by Sally Watson.
4. The Hornet’s Nest by Sally Watson
5. 
The Silver Kiss by Annette Curtis Klause
6. 
Cat in the Mirror by Mary Stolz
7. 
Trickster’s Choice by Tamora Pierce
8. 
Moccassin Trail by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
9. The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
10. 
The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatley Snyder
11. Terrier by Tamora Pierce
12. 
Blitz by Hetty B. Beatty
13. 
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Do you still read Young Adult books? Which are your favorites?
13 Facts About Fargo ND
This is a trivia sort of post today for Thursday 13, all dealing with Fargo, North Dakota. The information here is true to the best of my knowledge, but I wouldn’t use it as documentation for a school report or anything like that. 🙂 The fact is, I love Fargo. This is the place where I call home. It’s not the most beautiful spot on earth (unless you like perfectly flat land with few trees) but it is home, with some of the finest people on earth. Of course, we have crime and people who behave badly, but our crime rate is hugely lower than other places. How many cities can count the annual murder rate on 1 or 2 fingers, and sometimes on no fingers?
1. Fargo is the largest city in North Dakota, with a population of about 100,000. I think Bismarck is a little smaller than that.
2. Fargo sits on the Red River of the North, one of the few rivers in the world that flows directly north (with lots of little twisty turns along the way).
3. The average high temperature in January is 14 F, the average low is -3 F. The average high in July is 83 F, the average low is 60 F. The lowest temperature ever recorded was -48 F with a windchill of -103 F. (per old style wind chill formula) The highest temp ever recorded was 114 F. We have a very wide range of temps. Fargo holds the distinction of being voted the toughest weather city in America by the Weather Channel. We’re strangely proud of that.
4. Last night, Feb 7, 2011 the windchill was -32 F, although the actual temp was -11 F. This is very normal for us because we have continuous wind. In fact, the news actually makes mention of when the wind is calm because it is so unusual.
5. Fargo was founded in 1871, only six years after the Civil War ended, but for decades before that it was a (very small) stop on the Red River Cart trail that went from St Cloud MN to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Most carts went further north of Fargo, where the river was wider and deeper and steamboats could go. Fargo was first called Centralia, but the name was changed to Fargo, after the director of the Wells Fargo Express company.
6. In the 1880s Fargo’s laws allowed for quick and easy divorces, and it became known as the Divorce Capital of the US. Famous people came to Fargo to get their divorces.
7. The Red River Valley is actually the bed of an ancient glacier lake called Lake Aggasiz. As the glacier pushed and retreated hundreds of times over many years, it left behind some of the richest soil in the world. Little children in our region use black crayons to color dirt because that is the color the dirt in the fields is. I always do a double take when I’m driving in other areas and see tan or reddish dirt in the fields.
8. In 1920, 75.4% of the residents in Fargo were of German and/or Scandinavian descent, and 12% did not speak fluent English. Even 20 years ago the residents of old folks’ homes chatted easily with one other in Norwegian or German. Today, if you go to Fargo restaurant 70% of the heads will be blond. 20% will have light to mid brown hair. The Royalty of Norway have historically visited Minnesota and North Dakota as often as they do Washington DC. Way back in the beginning of the 20th century, the Crown Prince of Norway gave the commencement speech at a local college. As an Italian-American, I stand out like a sore thumb here. When I went back to Milwaukee for a family funeral I couldn’t believe how many dark haired people there were.
9. Famous Fargoans include Johnny Lang, Bobby Vee, Roger Maris, Charlie Korsmo. Kevin Sorbo, who played Hercules, went to school in the area. (I had two college classes with Kevin Sorbo at MSU) And of course, there was that movie with Frances McDormand and Steve Buscemi called Fargo–which had to be filmed elsewhere because we didn’t have enough snow that year.
Flooding – When you live on a river, spring time revolves around protecting oneself and one’s property from the flooded river. Flood stage in Fargo is 18 feet. We always have some degree of flooding, but one expects it to be mild enough for the permanent dike to hold the water off. Perhaps a few of the streets right on the river will be closed, but it’s nothing major.
10. We’ve had many major floods in Fargo, the recordable ones starting in 1897. The first “big one” I remember was in 1997. The river crested at a record 39.5 feet. That is the year that pretty much the entire city of Grand Forks, 65 miles downstream from us, was lost. It was called the 500 year flood, and was predicted to not happen again in our lifetime.
11. In 2009, only 12 years later, we had a our second 500 year flood. We take protecting our city very seriously. Everyone pitches in. Schools were cancelled. Businesses closed. All students and workers joined the flood fight. Water and toilet flushing was rationed. Limited laundry was allowed. There is nothing like having sand stuck to your sweaty body and not be able to take a long hot shower. The likelihood of losing the lift stations was high, so we couldn’t use water. The crest was first predicted to be 41 feet. Then 42 feet. We filled millions of sandbags and we won the fight against the river. We were lucky that it didn’t go over 41 feet. Our sandbag dikes were only 42 feet high. We lost a few neighborhoods. But we saved our city. http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4896558n
12. The third 500 year flood was in 2010. The crest, which would have terrified us a few years earlier but now seemed old hat, was 36.99. Again, we fought for our city by filling a couple million sandbags and building our miles of dikes. It was hard work, and some of our best workers were not there since the collegees were on spring break at the time and due to overland flooding they could not get back to the city, but we persevered and won.
13. The flood of 2011 is predicted to be higher than that of 2009. Already businesses are making arrangements to have employees bussed to Sandbag Central for 4-hour shifts to fill sandbags on company time. My company is manning the spiders (sandbag machines) on Feb 21st and 28th. I’ve signed up for the 8-12 shift on the 21st. We’ve always won the flood fights before.
Fargo is a great place to live in spite of the sometimes horrid weather and floods. We’re not perfect, but we have a lot of good things going for us. Unemployment is low. Crime is low. Generosity is high. So what’s cool or special about your town?
13 of My SCAdian Friends
I am in a medieval/renaissance recreation organization called the SCA. This weekend is Twelth Night in the Barony of Nordskogen (Minneapolis, MN) I am not able to go to that event due to work and possibly weather. That means I will miss seeing some of my favorite people. So I will feature them here. These are not the ONLY people I will miss seeing, but I am planning on going to the Twelth Night in Castel Rouge in Winnepeg Canada on the last weekend in January so I will see many friends there.. You will note that the majority of my friends wear Viking or Byzantine garb. Which type of garb do you like best?
1. Tarrach and Fina, wearing court Byzantine garb. One of the premiere power couples in the Kingdom of Northshield. They have ruled the midrealm and Nothshield, earning them the rank of Duke and Duchess. A few of their other titles include Mistress and Master of both the Laurel and the Pelican, Knight of the Society, Lady of the Rose, etc, etc, etc. When I was a brand new beginner in the SCA they were extremely welcoming and helpful.
2. Sigurd and Helena in Viking garb. My very generous next door neighbors, whom I call in an emergency. A fun young couple newly married. He does marvelous woodworking; she does card weaving and fights rapier.
3. The Honorable Lady Devon Ffrenche and Lord Roibaird in Elizabethan garb. My adopted niece and her husband. Both accomplished rapier fighters.
4. This lady is my friend Lusche, currently HRH Princess of Northshield. She’s in Viking and I’m in early Tudor. I think we might have had a little much to drink?
5. Baron Berwyn, newly made Master of the pelican, me and Baroness Ceridwen, part of the purple Byzantine Brigade.
6. The Honorable LadyEabblean of Castel Rouge in a Rus coat. A lovely lady of such generosity and grace that she is widely beloved in her Barony and Kingdom.
7. Two knights of my acquaintance, Sir Jurgen von Baden (kneeling) in German garb and Sir Yngvar inn Heppni in Vendel garb. Two of the finest men in my kingdom. Great fighters, honorable and generous with their time
8. The Honorable Lady Asny and Lord Ansila the Goth in Viking garb. Residing at the very Western edge of our Kingdom, they travel tirelessly. They are talented and generous. It’s always a joy to see them.
9. Lady Una in Viking garb. This lady would not have been at the event, as her first baby is due any day. I’ve known her husband for many years and he’s a wonderful man. But he’ll be the first to say how lucky he is to have won her.
10. My very good friend Hrodir Vigageir Toreson, currentlyKing of Northshield, in Elizabethan garb. he usually does Viking or Rus, but his queen had wanted a late period reign, and with his generous spirit he put on the garb she chose.
11. Baroness Ainsleah, Mistress of the Laurel, wearing her signature beaded and embroidered Byzantine/Rus garb. It’s hard to see in the pic but the white motifs are solid tiny pearls, which she hand-sewed on. That gown can practically stand on its own. Gorgeous!
12. The Honorable Lady Gwen, her daughter the Honorable Lady Katherine and the Honorable Lady Devon. My kinswomen who adopted me into the de Bohun household a few years ago. Gwen and Devon are wearing early Norman garb, and Katherine is wearing the parti-colored cote hardie from the late 14th century.
13. Baroness Greta, Mistress of the Pelican in Viking. A tireless worker for the Kingdom of Northshield. She has served as Exchequer, and done a fantastic job, even through knee replacement surgery and reading through the first manuscript I’ve ever submitted. It was accepted right away, and I’m pretty sure she’s one of the big reasons why. I love Greta!
Someday I’ll write a historical romance where I can get the clothing right. Which style of garb catches your fancy?
Hacker Scammer Scum
Earlier this week my email was hacked and hijacked. My contact list was sent an email saying that I had been mugged at gunpoint in London and needed money right now to get back home. This hacker then got into my Facebook account and tried to chat with my friends asking for money. I’m incredibly angry about this, especially since my contact list was deleted, and all my saved emails were deleted too, including one I received from my little sister the morning of the day she was killed in a car accident. I’ve been saving that for a while, pulling it up now and then to re-read our plans for the following weekend. Now it’s gone, and it’s almost like having her be taken away all over again.
Here is the email sent from my account:
Hi,
How you doing? I made a trip to London (United Kingdom) unannounced some days back,Unfortunately i got mugged at gun point last night! All cash,Credit card and phone were stolen,i got messed up in another country, stranded in London, fortunately passport was back in our hotel room. It was a bitter experience and i was hurt on my right hand, but would be fine. I am sending you this message because i don’t want anyone to panic,i want you to keep it that way for now.
My return flight leaves in a few hours but I’m having troubles sorting out the hotel bills, wondering if you could loan me some money to sort out the hotel bills and also take a cab to the airport about ($1,800). I have been to the police and embassy here,but they aren’t helping issues,I have limited means of getting out of here,i have canceled my credit cards already and made a police report, I won’t get a new credit card number till I get back home! So I really need your help.You can contact the hotel management through this telephone number +44 702 404 6640 or +44 702 408 6898,you could wire whatever you can spare to my name and location via Western union:
Name: BLACKED OUT FOR SECURITY
Location:57 Liberty Avenue,London
United Kingdom
SW19 2QS .
Get back to me with the details,would def refund your money once i get back you can count on that,below are the details needed for me to pick up the money with my passport.
MTCN:
Amount Sent:
I await your prompt response.
* * * * * * *
So here are 13 Things I’d Like To Say to the Person who hacked my accounts:
1. Learn to write proper English. If you’re pretending to be me, you should know I’m a native born writer of English, and I know how to punctuate.
2. Did you enjoy the chatty emails I sent to the account you switched to be my primary email? I assume you did, since you replied with a taunt about how 4 of my friends had already sent you 7000 usd.
3. You are a liar. None of my friends have that kind of money, and the ones who care enough about me to be willing to send money know I’m not in London.
4. I have a pair of shoes and I’m not afraid to use them. If you are ever caught I will spend every cent I have for the opportunity to kick you in the balls. The spikes on the toes will create a very satisfying experience. For me.
5. You are pitiful and not as smart as you think you are. Americans don’t use “7000 usd”. I’m laughing myself silly at your stupidity.
6. How much money are you actually making doing this? You’ve been in business with this same scam since at least 2009, and probably earlier. I assume it’s been at least somewhat successful or you would have stopped by now. That means you have committed international theft. The punishment is higher for that.
7. You are a thief. I’ve tracked you to Africa. I’ve heard in some places in Africa theives have their hands chopped off. I approve.
8. My surviving sister is a witch. She has cursed you and asked our deceased sister to haunt you. She could be a real bitch in life and I bet you’re going to have a lovely time with her now that she’s dead and has a grudge against you.
9. You told someone your name is Tunde and you want the money to go to college. What a load of crap. You probably think you’re too smart for college. Again, what a load of crap.
10. I believe in justice. Revenge is good too. I’ll settle for laughing at you while you burn in hell.
11. You are building up a ton of bad karma for yourself. Do you get a kick out of imagining people like me scrambling to get their online lives back together? Do you chuckle at the frustration and heart ache you cause? Watch out. You know what they say about payback. And karma always has the last word.
12. You are a coward without the balls to face your victims. Robbing people through the anonymity of the internet takes no courage.
13. I hate you and I hope someday to be able to dance on your grave. Rot, you scamming hijacking hacker scum.
13 Things I Love About the SCA
I am a part of the SCA, an educational not-for-profit organization that recreates the best parts of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The Society for Creative Anachronism is an international group, so chances are good there could be a group near you. The world is divided into Kingdoms, and each kingdom is divided into baronies and shires. I am a member of the Shire of Korsvag in the Kingdom of Northshield. There’s not much that I don’t like about it, but here are 13 things I love about it.
1. Playing dress up. I can wear a beautiful dress from the Italian Renaissance or Viking Age Scandinavia. I have more SCA garb than work clothes.
2. Being a Baroness of the Court. Is it small of me to enjoy wearing a silver and amethyst crown and having people call me “Your Excellency” ? It does wonders for a fragile ego.
3. Knights in Armor. Men in uniform are always hot. Sweaty too.
4. Knights out of Armor. Men out of uniform are hotter.
5. Watching fighting. This is possibly the greatest draw for non-SCAdians.
6. Making good friends. I know people from all over MN, WI, ND, SD, parts of Canada.
7. Learning the crafts of the Middle Ages like spinning, knitting, weaving.
8. Seeing other people’s pretty clothes and wonderful things they’ve made. It’s fun to see a 9th Century Viking warrior standing next to a 16th Century Englishwoman.
9. Learning court dances that are hundreds of years old.
10. Researching costume history. If my character is wearing an Elizabethan gown you can bet I’m pretty accurate in my descriptions, because I’ve sewn it and worn it.
11. Eating High Feast with five removes. Sometimes feasts last for hours. Removes (courses) are served with entertainment in between like singing or dancing or jugglers.
12. Chivalry, courtesy and grace. These are emphasized and held up as a standard in the SCA.
13. Bardic Circles. At night at camping events (and some non-camping events) bards gather around a fire and sing and tell stories, much as would have been done in period. I am not a singer but I am a story teller.
What hobbies do you have that take up a big chunk of your time and budget?
