I have to admit that I *like* being way behind.  Learning stuff is fun.  Though I need to learn how to get more sleep.  The cough is back.

More pics of me being shiny and beat upon are here.  Also a fair amount of pics of me with strange expressions.  I utterly fail as a photography model – eh, it's more interesting to see personality, right? 

Things that happened at Daggers & Hemlock:

• The hug-a-Greet line that formed at troll.  I miss my Gladians already.
• Stayed with Cordial/Raven/Angel/Daniel – had a great time listening to Malcolm and Lex's stories.  Shared my cemetery report with Cynred and Malcolm, as part of the "14thc Resistance".  Heh.
• Met Bart and Sir Logan.  Bart fought for me (that's why I'm missing a belt in the pictures), did well, and taught me things.
• Had great serious discussions with Bart and Cynred, caught up with some of my very level-headed friends – Kerstyn, Vittoria.  Always nice to return to center.  Met new people – Rozani, from Enterprise, does terrific paper-mache masks, and is working on researching them…somebody else I know is working on paper-mache', and I can't remember who.  I hope they mention it again soon, so I can hook the two of them up.
• Did a little child-minding, which was fun.  Sir Robert (the jolly!)'s three-year-old Nathaniel, who was fascinated by his pockets, and my buddy Brooke, who is now walking!  But she still likes my beads, and now can play the blow-in-the-face game without being scared.
• Took another trichonopoly (Viking wire weaving) class, in which I was made fun of by the teacher (my friend Sorcha) for inspiring her to put footnotes in her handout, and to bring some geekier background to keep me amused.  She did a great job of her class.  Sorcha got a Meridian Cross during court…she's learned so much about silverworking in the last few months, I'm proud of her.
• Met THL Brienne, recently moved to Phoenix Glade from Trimaris, and have made plans to go back and get more instruction from her.
• Armored up (see pics).  Learned too much for this post.  Got instruction from Earl Robert on the utter basics (strike zones, etc), Sir Baras on weapons, and worked with Bri about twice as much as the guys on movement and blocks.  People thought it was cool that I had so much fortitude, if not actual stamina.  (Working on that.)

The story of The World's Most Glorious Loaner Armor ™:

This armor was given to me (it happened to be my birthday) by Mike Moulton.  It was most recently Sir Jocelyn's old kit.  The body section was made by Talon for her, and the rest (I think, correct me Mike) came from Mike's shop, with Jocelyn's help.  It is aluminum, with a stainless helm circa 1420, and came with a stainless-hilted sword and flat shield that's shown.  I have it on two conditions:

• that when I am finished with it, either because I am done fighting or because I have replaced it with other kit, that it goes back to Mike.  I like this even better than an outright gift, because it means that it will go on to someone else's use, and I don't have the trouble of finding that person, or selling it, and it will be Taken Care Of.
• that I fight Mike a lot when he feels better.  No problem.  I'm having a wonderful time.

I'll write more in another post about what I learned from Robert, Baras, and Bri, how the armor and I did on our first outing, and how I feel about fighting.