While there have been a ton of things going on I just can’t seem to get a LJ post together. Facebook is so easy and thoughtless that I find myself writing over there about four times a day. Bleck.

Kim’s gastric bypass surgery went really well last week and she is recovering quickly. She will be at Caritas on Saturday and then we both will be at Interbaronial 12th Night this weekend as well. I’m working in the Kitchen with Lyle and Moe. Good times.

My back /hip is out, but I have a Dr. Appointment with the osteopath for Friday. Hopefully he can drug me up and crack my bones back into shape so that I am functioning on Saturday. I expect to be flat on my back on Sunday.
Baronial polling stuff is moving ahead finally as we have three sets of candidates that have announced.

On the armoring front I need to make a new sword and recover my shield for Ymir. This will be the last time that I have to paint the baronial arms on my shield and I very, very grateful for that. I will never complain about checky again!!! Castles, swords, laurel wreathes. Bleck. That is going to suck but must be done!
I can’t seem to get beyond this writer’s block so I am just going wrap it up.

Christmas Meme: Post one picture of your decorations!


http://www.flickr.com/photos/89116136@N00/4211329588/

Merry Christmas from Bryce, Melisent and Gracie!!!

This is my current favorite Christmas Carol. I can't find a recording of it on line, but enjoy the lyrics.

http://www.goldenhindmusic.com/lyrics/TIMETORE.html

So what are you favorite carols?

What are the Christmas songs that you wish you could never, ever hear again?

Silent Night as to top the list. Years of bad, too slow renditions of that sung by fumbling, bumbling congregations have ruined that one for me forever.

Comment and I'll:
a) Tell you why I friended you.
b) Associate you with something -- a fandom, song, color, photo, etc.
c) Tell you something I like about you.
d) Tell you a memory I have of you.
e) Ask you something I've wanted to know about you.
f) Tell you my favorite userpic from your list.
g) In return, you need to post this on your own journal. or not. Whatever.

Drix did a version of this and I think Hrothney did it too…I do it every year so…anyway, These are the first sentences from the first entry for each month. (mostly. I fudged one that was more interesting)
January:
Last night I worked on a custom Castle on Crusader Stronghold till 1 am, and then read comics till about 2am. I am utterly exhausted and feel like a tool.

February:
All in all I had a pretty amazing weekend and it was a great capper to a stressful week. Friday night I took off after kissing the girls goodbye and drove to WT’s to stay the night. We had a good time just hanging out, eating dinner (I paid for the hotwings later though) and Mystery Science Theathering the movie “Mongol”. We stayed up way too late watching fighting film on the big screen.
March:
Kim is playing with wool she dyed last night. I am about to leave to take Duchess Mel and Crew to the VA Wine Festival (i'm the yearly DD/chauffer). Went to Mass and had King'd Buffet for brunch today. Woof. I wish I was napping.
April:
260 today at weight in. Modest loss, but a loss none the less. Tonight is free weights. Today at lunch (if the coworker ever returns) is walking.
May:
For those of you that aren't on Facebook...

http://www.youtube.com/user/SDRQOF#p/u/2/UU-hKkd6Ncs

June:
"We're deathly afraid of that stabbing word "pretentious," the word that
students use to curse each other's ambition. It's a young
person's word, a shortcut-to-thinking word.

I'm a big fan of pretension. It means "an aspiration or intention
that may or may not reach fulfillment." It doesn't mean
failing upward. It means trying to exceed your grasp. Which
is how things grow." - Warren Ellis

July:
Come to Summer War this weekend! My side will get paid in beer! ;-)

August:
Life is grand. If I can survive Pennsic, I can survive the first day back, right?

We have a 'volunteer' from OZ here for about a month using my old office. She says "WICKED!" like I would say 'cool' and DRAHWIN for Drawing. Heehee. Going to be an interesting month.
September:
http://bdeb.livejournal.com/tag/911
October:
A few pics and video from Grace's 2nd Birthday are up here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14348284@N08/
November:
So...

I'm a tenan for Tourney of the Lily.
December:
Memage that might help me ignore the sinus headache.

First Name: Duane/Bryce/Byram/Daddy

So sayeth Herr Baroness:

New Years Eve Open House at the Manor by the High Bridge (or Bryce and Melisent's House)

Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?

We think not! Therefore, His Excellency and I will be opening out home on Thursday, December 31, 2009, from 7pm until . . .? for our friends to gather to enjoy each others' company and light refreshments. There will probably be some thrown darts, some laughter, and the sonorous warble of Ryan Seacrest in the background as we while away the final hours of 2009.

We will provide some hors d'oeuvres and some beverages, but anyone who wishes to contribute to the spread or to the drink options is very welcome to do so. Please BYOB.

The house is very kid friendly.

RSVPs are not required, but would be very helpful.

The address is:
3825 Beulah Road, Richmond, VA 23237

If you need detailed directions, please e-mail me (melisentlaruse@yahoo.com)or call me at 658-9185.

Warm regards
Bryce and Melisent

Memage that might help me ignore the sinus headache.

First Name: Duane/Bryce/Byram/Daddy

2. Age: 36

3. Location: Richmond/Caer Mear

4. Occupation: Office Manager for a struggling Architect.

5. Partner: The best of all ladies, Kim, my wife. Also know as Baroness Melisent la Ruse.

6. Kids: One (and only) daughter, Grace Elizabeth Moore. My GEM.

7. Brothers/Sisters: One older sister, named Billie. (13 years older)

8. Parents: Billy & Anna Moore. Still hanging in there, God Bless them....

9. Pets: I seem to have inherited a dog five days a week.

10. List the 3-5 biggest things going on in your life: At this moment? Worrying about making payroll, prepping for Yule Revel this weekend (last event of the year), and this giant assed headache. I think I'm getting a sinus infection.

So for those of you that have been following our quest to get Grace a SSN, and straighten out our taxes for the last two plus years, we had yet another development last night.

We received a large refund check from the Feds! The State still owes us money but we are going to take this as a blessing and run with it. The money will go into savings in case of more bad news at work, but if these furloughs last as long as they are suppose to last (not holding my breath on that one) the balance of this check will cover that loss for a couple of months.

At a certain point you have to think of money like you are playing monopoly. In the end, it’s all just paper. Still, it is gratifying to get some of this back now. I just look at it like I gave the Gooberment a really bad, no interest loan for a couple of years.

The best marriage advice I ever got was from my Knight. He said “Don’t fight about money; you can always make more money. Fight about values, your future, the things important to you, but not about money. You can always make more.”

While that can sound trite when you are struggling the important lesson is that money isn’t the important thing, having a strong foundation and a good partner is. I am blessed in that regard.

In the end, the important part is that my daughter has a SSN, though we yet don’t have enough money to start saving for college, at least when we do have money we have the ability to fix that. We can enroll her in school, go on trips, whatever.

I’m just glad to be able to close another chapter on this drama, though I expect that somehow this will impact our 09 taxes negitively. We will see.

HRM EALDOMERE sent me this Meme. It’s the one that is going around where if you want me to ask you five questions you leave some canned response in the comments section. Since I’ve already forgotten what that phrase was and I’m too lazy to look it up while I’m typing, instead, if you want to play along leave me the message “Pooptastic!” and I’ll send you five questions.

Her Majesties Questions:

1. What is the best/worst thing about being a landed Baron?

I’d have to say that the best thing about being baronage is seeing the sense of pride that folks are showing in the group. It’s always been there, but it is awesome to _see_ it from this perspective. I’m also proud that our group has really started traveling. Or maybe I am just around more to see it, or maybe it is just all the awesome baronial favors folks are wearing…not sure. Either way it is great to go to events and not only be the only person here from Caer Mear, but to look around and see 20, 30, 50 (!!!!) folks there enjoying the day. Corby always said that traveling was vital for a healthy group and I believe that as well.

The worst thing (and I know this is contrary to what most folks that serve as Crowns say) is giving Awards. For every person that you make so very happy with an award there seems to be two that get bent out of shape. Maybe that is the symptom of the smallness of a barony, or maybe we are too approachable or something (folks gripe to us about it where I guess they wouldn’t to the crowns). We have lost friends or had them use someone getting a freaking baronial award as an excuse to stop playing. Through all that we have maintained a goal of ours and what was to do what we thought was right in regards to awards whether that was popular or not. I also dislike the pressure we receive to give some sort of recognition for even the smallest of actions. Don’t get me wrong, there are many tools in the toolbox as it where for baronage, but it seems like we get recommendations for things that a simple “Hey, Thanks, Good Job!” directly from the person effected would suffice. Maybe that is how I am wired, but honest thanks and heartfelt appreciation has always meant more to me than being calling into court. I’ll honestly be glad to be done with doing court, and this really surprises me because I thought it would be the joy of our tenure based on my love of ceremony, court, and good theater.

2. If you could live in any other Kingdom which one would it be and why?

The stock answer for me is always Calontir, but that really isn’t true. I would love to move the bardics from Calontir out of Calontir and into my backyard. They have some cultural issues that I can’t get behind, and they have their own baggage. I’d love to do my ‘retirement’ there, except, as I told Drix this weekend, its Kansas and Missouri. No way man. No way. Too cold in the winter, too hot in the summer. Far too few trees. Lots of wheat. Ick.

The reality is that I have a very east coast centered attitude and perspective on the SCA to be quite frank. I’ve never been to an event farther west than the Missippissi. I really have no clue what say, An Tir is like because my only real interaction with anyone from out there is Aveloc. While I know the Western folks that come to Pennsic (especially Paul and Sue) I can’t say I’m keyed in on the culture of say, Caid, etc. I get the feeling from many of my on line interactions (and some admittedly VERY dated personal interactions) that the SCA is played rather differently out in the Western Kingdoms. I know that the folks I know from say, the Outlands are good folks, but my interaction with their kingdom has always left me a little perplexed.

I have to admit that one it does drive the slight interest I have in being on the BOD one day, so that I can travel off the East Coast a bit more.

3. What is your favorite SCA moment in your time in?

Hm, well next year makes 20 for me….The early ones are sorta obscured by a fine mist of time and reverie. I suppose I should say my peerage ceremonies or something but honestly I find joy in such little things. Singing around a fire with a few good friends, watching the sun set over the hill from my encampment at Pennsic. Walking around at dusk incognito listening to the laughter and sounds of dinner prep coming from the camps. (I sneak around at Pennsic a lot and really enjoy that….no one knows who I am or really cares. It’s great!)

As for magical moments that are specifically SCAish: The end of the Roses Quest when I fought Melisent as the final challenger and the joy and relief of that being at an end, of being successfully completed. The call to crusade for the Crusader Battle we did a few years ago when people took up the cross (despite the resultant drama), and this one resurrection battle from a couple of Pennsic ago. There was a hold near the end of the battle, and I started singing Battle of Malden, with a few words changed to fit the moment. Near the end of the song, I threw down my polearm and embraced our brothers on the other side, and many on our side followed suit. I finished the song, picked up my weapon and the battle continued. A number of folks came up to me including Hasbrudral, whom I have never made and said how much that meant to them. It’s sounds cheesy in the retelling but it was very emotional and special at the time.

I guess I like the SCA best now when I bend it to what my vision of it is, just for a moment. All the other stuff goes away, and it becomes a “Best Parts” version.

4. If money was no object, what one thing would you do first?

I think the first thing I would do is pack Gracie and Kim up for a real vacation, somewhere with sand, palmtrees and fruity drinks. Everyone says they would travel but I’m not sure how much I would do that. I think I would spend a lot of my time with Gracie that is for sure. I also think I would find a way to volunteer for the community in some meaningful way. The reality is that all those things I can do without tons of money so that just begs the question, why wait? Find a way to do what you want to do and do it. I get so much joy from my family that focusing on them would be the most immediate concern. When I was younger I would have said fly around learning fighting from the best fighters in the world, or travel and see all the cool places I have been studying around Europe and the MidEast for the last 20 years, but those days are behind me I think. Traveling isn’t surely, but I have other responsibilities and frankly, while I love being somewhere new, I HATE TRAVELING. I picked an odd hobby for a homebody. SCAdians always talk about building a castle. Whew, that would be a lot of headaches. I don’t want to be tied down to property like that. I’d rather have land somewhere away from most folks where I can walk around the back yard in my boxer briefs if I so choose.

5. What one thing have you always wanted to do that would surprise your friends?

I’m not really sure. I chatter so much that all my hopes, dreams and wild ideas are always out there for them you know? I think I would like to spend some time really truly alone someday but with the family now I don’t see that happening. Maybe hike the Appalachian Trail? That might not surprise some folks but it is something that I have always wanted to do, is close by, and I have never given it a shot. (nor am I likely to at this point in my life) I’d also like to learn to sail, despite my fear of sharks. I really tried to buy a very small craft a few years ago but Kim told me, and rightly, that I was insane.

Thanks A!!!

This weekend at Holiday Faire I had one strap rip out on my right elbow cop (thank goodness I fixed the other one for Lily!) and Rags had one rip out as well. (which, since I had the one stainless cop that is down to a single because the strap broke on the other one meant he could borrow the one I brought with me)....reminds me that I need to fix BOTH of them.

I'm pretty sure I just need a particular type of pop rivet that Eldred uses to fix the stainless one. I think I need to make a new strap and sew it on for the WMA red Spring one.

I like my new sword. Justus likes it slightly less than I do, I would wager....

I really need to strap up the other heater/kite hybrid now that we are entering the winter season. I'm done with Tournies for the year so I should have to adjust to the new shape.

My heater needs to be recovered and edged as well.

I am NOT going to the effort to paint the baronial arms on both of them though, that would be NUTS.

I might put the lamb of god, just a Pax, or maybe the beausant on the new shield. Have to think about it. Maybe my Badge.

Post Lily, I think I really would like a useable Polearm so I can practice with something reasonable. Mine is weighted all wrong. Likewise "Fat Man" (my greatsword)is still a complete BEAR to handle.

That's all the brain power I have right now.

The year is almost over. Time to do some navel gazing about goals I want to set for myself for 2010.