October 22, 2002 - 2:14 p.m.
Waaaaa! It seems that today is a day fated to have only marginal internet connectivity ... the proxy goes up the proxy goes down. This would be more annoying and intrusive if there were something gripping on the internet that was trying to hold my attention, but it seems that at present the only information going up online is about the god-cursed sniper. Hello folks, I am looking for a little escapism here, not more data on how the police are stopping ever car on the road in an effort to catch some guy that they can not describe. What they are looking in cars for the one carrying a long gun and wearing a "Hello my name is ... SNIPER" tag? Frustration, it is just frustration. Really I do have confidence in the police, I do believe that they are doing everything they can. It is just frustration. Well that and fear.
Onto the brighter side of things ... or at least the more personally frustrating. I have been spending a good deal of time of late contemplating 12th Night garb. It seems that people all around me are at least in the fabric acquisition, if not the draft patterning phase. Me I haven't a clue what I am wearing, what color it will be, or what it will look like. It seems that everything that ponder on has some distinct flavor of "been there, done that, already own one" or worse ... "ooh, wow - that would be fabu to make and to have. Of course to do that I needed to start in JULY" What can I say, my insanity has limits and I am happy to say that I know better than to start now on a garment that is covered with all over embroidery, with large sections of beading over that, and then some cast decoration for glitz. Even if I do have an uber machine to make some things go faster, time is still time! SO if anyone has any great suggestions (in the 14th century - duh) let me know. *sigh*
In the land of other sewing projects ... Crown Tourney is in less than 2 weeks and I haven't sat at he sewing machine one single time in relation to that statement. I am not sure but I think that that is some sort of accomplishment. Got banners, got a stylin surcoat for the Narr. Okay so there is a new gambeson (very much like the one he has at present, just less loved looking) that if I get inspired this weekend when family is about, that I may finish up and have all new and shiny for him for that day.
So, Tempore Atlantia will have it's next showing at Crown. This time for later period items. As much as I think that this is a splendid way to showcase the arts and encourage participation, those of you that think as a laurel I will feel compelled to be in step with the time period of the competition ... please, continue to hold your breaths - blue is my favorite color. It is not that I don't have appreciation for Tudor or Elizabethan items, in fact I do. I even happen to own some Elizabethan clothing (bet you didn't know that did you?). It just isn't me. Yay Tempore Atlantia ... I will observe and appreciate. I will spectate and be in awe of the many things that I know will be created and entered for the day. Heck If I remember them I will even bring happy little tokens to put at the entries that I think are cool. There that can be the thing that I do specifically to prepare for Crown.
Pod buddy got me a new phone. Happy little phone, it is stunningly blue and shiny. I think Roland is afraid of my new phone, but that could just be that he is afraid of how pleased I am with the new phone. You see I had an Nokia phone, and it was very useful and good to me. But after being knocked about for who knows how long, it had gotten to the point where the display was starting to NOT display. And for those of us that live and die by things like callerID and phonebook lookup of all the numbers that you no longer remember cause they are programmed into the phone, a lack of display can be a stunningly awful thing.
So the new phone is keen, but a bit disturbing if you ask me. It has no specific antenna. Being a geek I happen to know that my nokia just had an antenna nub for looks ... most of the current generation of phones have buit-ins, the phone IS the antenna. But the loss of the useless nub bothers me anyhow. 'Sides, Dubis used ot make a fair sport of rubbing his head on the antenna nub and if that failed to get your attention when you were on the phone he would reach up and start to chew on the darn thing. I bet he goes into withdrawal and sulks over the loss. He is like that. Strangely ... I get better signal with this phone. There is only one bad crackly spot on my drive home now. Happy Ericsson blueness.
Okay - now I am ticked. I just got back my net connectivity (see previous comments bout the proxy server flaking out) and got to my personal inbox and found the following:
Dear South Riding Residents - Because of the sniper activities we are forced to cancel this Saturday's Halloween Parade and Festivities. This was a difficult decision and although we feel safe here in South Riding, we thought it was prudent to err on the side of caution.Lest you think I am a total idiot, let me clarify. I am in total support of the decision to cancel things. In fact, if I were a parent I would be one of the last to have my kids at a parade or outdoor carnival in this area about now. Call me overprotective and paranoid. But JEEZE!! The bastard has now caused us to cancel Halloween!!! It is one thing for an adult to have to sit through traffic hell due to checkpoints on the road. It is one thing to live with the depressing news on the TV and that creep up your spine when you look at the gas gauge and realize that once again you need gas and that once again you really don't want to stop and get it.
But the kids. How the hell do we as a community explain why there is some twisted psychopath out there that will shoot a 13 year old boy? How do we explain the demented mind that will leave a note threatening children in school, on buses, anywhere. How do you explain to some kid why it is a really bad idea to put on a costume, walk in a parade and act like a child?
What will become of this generation ... planes crashing into buildings, mail that kills you, people shooting other people randomly ... this is normal? I think I am going to go find a place to go whimper now.
�
�
