Josceline's · Bower

After doing some things around the house, I went to U.S. Cellular around 2:30 this afternoon to pick up some almost-free smart phones for my workplace's employees (they are running a special promotion this weekend). I figured it might be a zoo, and I was not disappointed. The parking lot was full, and cars were parked along the frontage road and on the cross streets (I found a spot on a cross street, a bit behind the building). They had a pretty good queuing procedure set up. The entrance was flanked by two employees with clipboards, one of whom took my name and asked me to wait. After about five minutes, a chair in the waiting area opened up, so I sat down and read the paper.

A lot of people clearly were not prepared for the wait. Several times, they called someone's name with no response. It still took half an hour before they got to me. While I was waiting, I overheard a sales associate talking to another customer, saying that they expected a crowd, but nothing this big.

After that experience, I found the crowds at the mall to be anti-climactic. I needed something at Barnes & Noble, so I decided to take the plunge. It really wasn't bad, and there wasn't much of a line at the check-out. The rest of the mall was populated, but not claustrophobic. No one seemed urgent in their shopping; everyone seemed fairly relaxed. I stopped into Dress Barn, where they were having a buy one get one 50% off sale on everything in the store (except clearance merchandise). There were only a couple other customers in the store. Their merchandise is somewhat overpriced and unfortunately heavy on synthetic fibers (even the blue jeans), which may explain the lack of customers.

I avoided the big box stores. Maybe that's where all the frantic crowds were.

The SCA is not an historical re-enactment organization.  It is a networking organization for people who have an interest in the middle ages and/or renaissance.  It has more in common with the Kalamazoo conference than with Regia Anglorum.

Anyone who has attended or planned an academic or corporate-sponsored conference will know that interspersing serious, educational presentations with fun receptions and silly team-building exercises will increase information retention.

Serious academic researchers need not be embarrassed about being involved with the SCA, so long as they are not trying to pretend it is something that it was never intended to be.

I had a hectic week at work, which fortunately eased up a bit on Friday afternoon.  I made it to SUN about an hour before my first class on Saturday, which left plenty of time to find my classroom, unload my stuff and haul it to the second floor of the library. I brought a bunch of CDs and a boom box for my music appreciation class, and a bunch of books for my Arthurian legends class.  I stuffed most of it into my collapsible cooler on wheels (used in the past as a portable tiki bar), stacked the boom box on top and strolled across Edgewood College's lovely campus (on Wisconsin's most beautiful November day in recent memory).  It worked quite well for hauling, especially since there was an elevator.  I congratulated myself on my cleverness when I saw Master Cadwallon huffing and puffing after climbing the stairs with a box full of books.

The morning class went fairly well. About eight people came in to get an overview of how music sounded and evolved during our period of study. I chose the music selections on the spot, in an attempt to find examples that each attendee's persona might have heard (that's why I brought a big stack of CDs).  That meant I couldn't really give Lady Annetje a discography when she requested one later (she missed the class because it conflicted with another one she wanted to take). I'm going to try to recreate it from memory in an email.

The Laurel Roundtable and the Laurel meeting happened (and finished) on schedule, allowing sufficient time for me to get back to the library building for my afternoon class, on the evolution of the Arthurian legends in period.  That one went a little better, I think. My time management was certainly better; I managed to get to Sir Thomas Malory just before the end of the hour.  I had a request for a handout later on, after I'd already packed everything up and put it in the car. Fortunately, I was able to email it in PDF format today.

Court was momentous, both for the baronial changeover and for rezansky 's vigilling.  I went home, changed out of garb and had a bite to eat, then accompanied my husband to the post-revel.  That was fun.  We left relatively early, but I was too tired to accompany my hubby to the Inferno afterward to celebrate whymc 's birthday. At least I got to see him last weekend at shannongeek 's party.

Today, I did three loads of laundry, unloaded the car and raked some more leaves in the yard.  I expect to sleep well tonight.

Some nefarious car thieves broke into a storage facility in the Atlanta area and stole seven mini-cars belonging to local Shriners.  They tried to return for the remaining three mini-cars but were deterred by the presence of police.

It begs the question of what they plan to do with the mini-cars.  How would you sell stolen mini-cars?  They would be rather conspicuous, and I suspect that the authorities will be monitoring e-bay and Craig's list.

Maybe some local fraternities plan to stage underground mini-car drag races.

It's been a nice weekend of staying fairly close to home after three event-weekends in a row. Yesterday, I ran several errands. It was a lovely, sunny Fall day, which was nice to see after so many gray and drizzly days. At St. Vinnie's, I managed to find theme-appropriate costumes for both me and my hubby to wear to last night's party. That was good, because he was lukewarm about going, since he didn't have a costume. While not as elaborately dressed as many of the party-goers, we did not feel out of place, and we had a great time.

Today, I ran a couple more errands, then went to Cherokee Marsh and took a long walk to enjoy the pleasant weather. There were several other people doing likewise, but the place is big enough that I found some solitude now and then. In parts of the woods, it smelled like some kind of incense (not that anyone was burning incense -- just that the leaves and bark smells reminded me of some incense varieties). I suppose the recent wet weather released some of the essential oils from the plants.  I went to a little-visited corner of the park where a wooden pier is still in the water.  I sat on the pier and enjoyed the sound of the marsh grasses blowing in the breeze and various birds calling.  When I resumed walking, I was surprised to encounter a family with a very vocal child not far away.  I'm amazed that I couldn't hear them while I was sitting on the pier.

When I got back, there was a phone message from my brother, who is back from his European vacation.  He was out when I called him back, so I haven't heard the details yet. At least there were no mishaps that kept him from returning as planned.

I day-tripped Crown Tourney last Saturday.  It was a nice, low-key event for me.  I got to see a lot of friends, and also meet with most of the team I'm sponsoring in Griffin Needleworkers next weekend.

Druscilla wanted to test the pattern she drafted, to be sure it will really work at the event.  So, she made a "test fit" outfit using some pretty nice fabric (some that I acquired in Oswin & Isabelle's garage sale and some complementary stuff that she had in her stash).  There were only a couple of minor issues with fit that will be adjusted on the competition outfit.  I wore the new outfit for most of the day (see photos).

I didn't focus as much on the tournament bouts as I usually do at a Crown, due to garb planning discussions. However, I saw most of it. Congrats to our new Prince and Princess, Tom and Siri.

On Sunday, a bunch of us went to Hartford to see the touring production of The Jungle Book in which mateobard  has a major role.  The play was fun, and afterwards we all joined him and his family at a local watering hole for dinner.  Mmmm, prime rib and chocolate martini.  I didn't have room for a banshee (ice cream drink with Irish cream and banana liqueur) afterward, although I've really missed having them since Irish Waters closed. I think dread_ex got one, if I remember right.

So I spent a lot of the weekend in the eastern part of the state.  This coming weekend, Griffin Needleworkers will keep me in Madison.

Yesterday, I rode down to Chicago with Alissende to the Midrealm 40-year event. It was held at the University of Chicago's Ida Noyes Hall, my all-time favorite event site, as well as the beautiful Rockefeller Chapel next door.

We arrived just about the time the Coronation court was starting, and since we needed to finish getting into garb and find a place to stash the intruments where they wouldn't be stepped on, we skipped it.  There was a cool display of historical artefacts, including several freon helms and an embroidered history of the society patterned after the Bayeux Tapestry.

We saw hbevert and Heinrich there, which was great. They are living downstate now, so we'll get to see them from time or time at area events.  The four of us sat in the stairwell landing with the window seat and played music for quite a while.  It was very enjoyable.  A number of folks stopped by to say hi or comment on the music.  We were encouraged to go to the chapel for the music jam session (not a concert) before court.

Alissende and I went over earlier than H & H (who still needed to check out the history display).  I played for a while with Master Reginald and some musicians I did not know (at least one was with the American Recorder Society group but hadn't been in the SCA before). We were joined a little later by Master Robyyan and Mistress Amelie.  Then my thumbs really started to hurt, since I had been playing for a while in the other building also, so I excused myself just as H & H arrived.

Alissende and I sat in a pew near the front so we could hear the remainder of the pre-court music (which sounded really good -- the acoustics in the chapel are nice).  Then court started.  The King and Queen of the Midrealm were announced, and the musicians played a rendition of "Back in Back" (Robyyan arranged it at King Dag's request). They were followed by the King & Queen of Calontir, who were accompanied by a kazoo band (for a second, I thought I heard krumhorns; sadly, no).  The Queen of Ealdormere came in with a herald who sang Bob & Doug MacKenzie's old theme song ("Coo-loo-coo-coo-coo-coo-coo-COO") and said "Eh" a lot.  I held my breath when they called our King and Queen.  Siegfried & Elizabeth came in with quiet dignity.  Classy.  It seemed appropriate after all the times that Dag called him into court for some joke or other.

Midrealm Court was not as long as I feared.  By the time we changed clothes, retrieved the car and loaded all of our stuff, it was going on 8:00.  We were both tired by the time we got back to Madison (after a quick Taco Bell dinner at the Des Plained oasis).  We both get up a lot earlier than we used to and find it more difficult to travel late in the evening.  Still, it's nice to sleep in one's own bed.

This morning started early, as my husband plans to go to the post-event fighting practice with Roisin, who wants to leave at 7:30 a.m.  To his credit, he got up with no prompting from me and seems very focused on getting ready.  I got up a little earlier to make a pot of coffee.  On the bright side, it will be easier to get up on Monday than it usually is.

For the fiber geeks, the New York Times has an interesting article about making textiles from the silk of the golden orb spider in Madagascar, including a photo of an 11-foot piece of brocade going on display at the American Museum of Natural History:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/23/arts/design/23spiders.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

(Free registration is required to access the website).

The likelihood that someone will recommend you for an award is inversely proportional to your demonstrated emotional neediness.

That isn't cruelty; it's tough love.  Giving an award to someone who is desperate for emotional validation is like giving heroin to a junkie.  Yes, it will make him feel better today, but it will only enable his addiction to continue and escalate.  Eventually, he will need bigger and more frequent fixes to keep from freaking out.

Friday night, the hubby and I went to Des Plaines to check out the Tiki Terrace.  To my surprise, it is located in a strip mall, in a small piece of frontage right next to Radio Shack. 

The interior is smaller than I expected, but it is laid out well.  The booths are framed with nice carvings, the walls are papered with authentic-looking bark-cloth textiles, and there are big fiberglass moais behind the raised stage. I give them an A for atmosphere.

On Friday and Saturday nights, they have a polynesian dance review. There is a $19.50/person seating fee, which includes an entree from a limited menu. Appetizers, drinks and desserts are extra. The food was tasty (I really enjoyed the poke appetizer; I haven't been able to find poke outside of Hawaii before), and the drinks were pretty good.  My husband approved of the zombie, which he said was a little on the tart side, but probably made from scratch, not a mix.

The show was kitschy fun.  There were three dancers (two female and one male). Only the male dancer looked like he might actually be polynesian, but they all knew their dance moves. Audience members who were celebrating birthdays or anniversaries were called up on stage to dance as well, for the amusement of their friends and family.

I wouldn't mind going for lunch on a weekend day sometime. They have a more extensive menu when it's not a show night.

On Saturday evening, I attended the housewarming party forrezanskyandtcsumner. It was a lovely gathering, and their new house is adorable, with many nifty features. Their dogs also enjoyed the party (and all of the attention). Afterward, several of us went to the nearby Jade Monkey to celebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day. It also happened to be the Jade Monkey's 2nd anniversary celebration, so the place was packed with non-pirate patrons.  After a round on the crowded patio, we decided to check out the rumored tiki lounge at the nearby Eastside Club. However, that place was hosting a blues festival, so we decided not to go in. Another time.

I was going to post some photos, but my blackberry's battery needs to recharge before I can download them.

The hubby and I stopped at The Tiki Shack last Sunday afternoon on our way home from the zoo. It's in that building that's wedged between State and Carroll Streets.  The main entrance is on State.  The dining room entrance on Carroll Street (as well as the dining room itself) was closed (they only open it on Friday and Saturday nights).

I can't say I was disappointed, because my expectations were low. The decorations are lackluster (like one might find in a basement during a tiki-theme party).  Actually, it looks more Carribbean than South Pacific (I doubt the proprieters realize there is a difference).  There are a number of palatable tropical drinks on the menu, but they taste like pre-mixes.  The coconut shrimp and crab cakes taste like they are pre-made and frozen, then simply baked onsite.

I'll have to check out the tiki lounge at the Eastside Businessmen's Club.  There is a tragic lack of decent tiki bars in the Madison area.

On our fourth day in London, we stayed in the neighborhood around our hotel.  We walked to the British Museum and spent a few hours there, viewing the "must see" items on our lists before the crowds became completely overwhelming. Unfortunately, that didn't take long.  I spent less time than I would have liked looking at the Egyptian and Assyrian items, but at least I got to see the Elgin marbles while they are still in the U.K.  While the British government has thus far resisted pressure to repatriate them, the new museum in Athens completely undermines the argument that they can better preserve them in London.  My prediction is that they will be sent back following the 2012 Olympics in London, with some sort of special diplomatic ceremony to commemorate it held as part of the Closing Ceremonies.

There is also a lot of really cool medieval European stuff at the British Museum (including the Sutton Hoo artefacts and several resconstructions showing what the items would have looked like when they were first buried).  My favorite item was this beautiful medieval citole. The carved back, sides and neck are ca. 1300. The soundboard was replaced centuries later (the original would have been flat and without the sound holes).

We took a break from the crowds to have a late lunch at The Museum Tavern, and historic pub which has been frequented by many well-known writers over the centuries, including Arthur Conan Doyle and Karl Marx.  The interior has some lovely old woodwork and a tin ceiling covered with several coats of paint. I had the fish and chips, which was rather greasy but reasonably edible. The home-made tartar sauce was pretty good.

After returning to the museum for another hour or so, we finally had enough of the crowds and the heat and returned to our hotel to relax and cool off.  Then we walked to Bloomsbury Lanes, a bowling alley in the basement of another hotel in the area. They have a retro 1950s American theme, which was really a hoot.  They have wonderful vinyl booths with metallic flake upholstery, and they proudly boast the only above-the-floor bowling ball return outside of North America.  It was rather mesmerizing watching the pastel-colored bowling balls shoot back between the lanes while we waited for our burgers and milk shakes.  They also have some vintage Hamm's and Schlitz beer signs decorating the place (though the only American beer they serve is Lone Star).  But the real reason we went is because it was Bowl-A-Hula night.  They made some efforts to decorate the place appropriately, and they scattered hula hoops all over the dance floor.  Unfortunately, most were home-made hula hoops, of non-standard sizes and too flexible.  I struggled mightily to get one to work (my abs were really sore over the next couple days), but it was complete fail until I got hold of the only regulation hula hoop in the place; then it was effortless.  I could have kept going indefinitely, but some drunk collided with the hoop.  Just as well, since the band was about to start.  It was a skiffle band called The Severed Limb, and they were pretty entertaining.  If they ever make the big time, I can say that I saw them play a basement club in London.  How cool is that?