The Bear's Den

Yule Feast.

2009-12-13T18:12:41Z

Fought for the first time since Pounce yesterday at Yule Feast. Only five armored combatants so we fought a three round Round Robin Tourney. I came in second to Cpt Sivrid with 9 wins and 3 losses, 3 and 1 each round. It felt good to get back in armor and fight. Since my back went out bad at the beginning of Octover and not being able to get up off the floor by myself I've been a little affraid. Last week was the first real good week I have had pain wise. I needed help packing out from the event, my back muscles were tying up bad. I feel better today than I expected to. Of course now that I'm ready to fight I've hit the no fighting event an fewer practice time of year. Lots of conditioning to do to be ready for melee season.

Accidental SCA recruitment...

2009-10-10T00:39:42Z

About a month or so ago I got on facebook. Got a message today from a H.S. class mate that friended me on facebook (I don't remember her off hand but she was friended to several other clasmates I know. And I am horrible with names.)

"We went to our first SCA meeting Wednesday. My oldest kids are thrilled. Thanks Dale!
we are in the Canton of Ealdnordwuda
that meet at MSU in East Lansing 5 minutes from our house. How cool is that."

So linking that SCA video to explain my hobby seems to have paid off more than just having my non-SCA fb friends not think I'm totally crazy.

SCA Firsts

2009-10-01T01:35:31Z

One of my friends posted a list of SCA Firsts which got me thinking about mine.

First Event I Attended: Scot's Revolt 1993

First Pennsic I Attended: Pennsic 22, 1993 - my second event.

First King and Queen I Remember Seeing: Dag and Ilsa II at my first event.

First Crown Tournament I Attended: It had to have been the Fall 1993 Crown that Finn won. It was in a school gym, there were over 80 fighters and it took forever. Modern Crowns seem so short now.

First Crown Tournament I Fought in: Fall 1997. Jafar won.

Amusing Side Note #1: It was the first time I wore a Waffenrock. All day I was complimented on how good my "new armor" looked. I had no new armor, just covered up what I had differently.

First King and Queen I Directly Received an Award in Court From: Edmund and Katryn I, I received a Purple Fret from them at Midrealm Court at Pennsic 1996. I had received my AoA from Princess Garlanda II in a regency Court of Jafar I and Catherine.

First King and Queen I Swore Fealty To: I do not remember, Osis I and Valthonja if not before.

First King and Queen I Heralded Royal Court For: Rangvaldr and Arabella at Baron Wars III.

Amusing Side Note #2: Made the "Rangvaldr our Queen" error with the first of the arts awards. He got the points for the save, standing up and saying, "You wear one long tunic!" while holding out the the skirt of his ankle length tunic.

Boom-Boom

2009-09-21T23:10:51Z

Boom-Boom

SCA music video by Ingrid

Preparing for the Zombie Apocalypse

2009-09-17T22:17:00Z

http://www.letargets.com/zombies.aspx

Painfully funny Heywood Banks song - Possibly not work safe, depends on your work.

2009-09-16T06:29:56Z

Pictures from Cowboy

2009-09-11T17:07:35Z

Got some pictures from Cowboy last night and he said I can post them.

Baron Wars 2009 http://www.flickr.com/photos/mailander/sets/72157622335909088/
Harvest Day http://www.flickr.com/photos/mailander/sets/72157622211549437/

Another set of Harvest Day Court Pictures

2009-09-10T16:59:12Z

http://www.flickr.com/photos/birdvoyeur/sets/72157622197079671/

Vigil and Elevation

2009-09-10T05:53:10Z

Finally got done writing this up.

Friday

Ma was running a little late but we got loaded and on the road right about on schedule. We stopped in Findlay for lunch then got to site as they were setting up troll. Paid Dafydd for the bunkhouse rental, and got settled in. Helewyse was already there and in the kitchen. Giles the clueless and Ann the chief conspirator were some of the first we saw on site.

Phil and Fiadnata brought out a trailer with Brusten and their pavilions, tables and some other stuff for me to use for the vigil. Phil was playing at the Ohio Ren Fair and would not be able to make the event and Fiadnata along with the rest of the de Bearsul side of my SCA family would be at Ustad and Rowan’s wedding most of the day Saturday. We decide to set up in the morning when we would have a crew.

Helewyse had no cell reception and was expecting a call at 8pm from Their Majesties so she had to leave site. She had forgotten to bring the milk so she had to go to the store as well. I had her buy more bacon for breakfast; she had three pounds to feed about 40 people, half from Haus Brandenburg. I had also posted about breakfast on the Haus list so Kendrick the tinker brought a pound of bacon and some eggs, and Lucius brought five for a total of 11 pounds of bacon.
The area beside the bunkhouse became the hang out area as people came in, including a midnight buffet on Helewyse’s cooking table. I waited up for everyone to get in and settled into the bunkhouse and cabins. Ehrenfried, Quinn, Logan, Justice, Corey and her daughter got in after troll had closed and had to find Birna the head troll to find out what cabin they were in, they had preregged before I got the cabin and bunkhouse arranged and were in a different cabin. Gunther, Sophia, Sabah, and Johara were the last in and we stayed up hanging out till about 4 am.

Saturday

Woke up to Acelina calling my name and when I rolled over my arm caught the bacon she was holding out for me and shattered it. Helewyse, Dervel, and Nona took turns cooking the 11 pounds of bacon, white bacon (eggs fried in bacon fat), and pancakes for the Haus, Red Spears, and anyone else who wandered by.

Then we got ready and went to the 9:30 am Court. I got there just as the Baronial court was closing and the Kingdom Court was opened. Mistress Helewyse approached the Crown with a framed contract, claiming that she was in breach of it since she has not paid her apprentice in two years. She then begged a boon for Giles to be made a companion of the Order of the Laurel. He was gotten good. Being in charge of the food for my vigil had given her a great cover for planning and preparing for his vigil as well. Giles even brought 5 pounds of meats and 5 pounds of cheeses for his (our) vigil table, thinking it had been for just mine. Then the Order of the Pelican was called up to swear fealty. Afterward Mistress Alexis stayed to beg a boon. When she said, “Today I want to speak about butterflies,” Mistress Gwenth had to be caught by her apprentice, her arms have butterflies. I was one of the few that had known about both Giles and Gwenth. I gave Gwenth an Anubis charm and I had cast two tokens with her arms on one side and the Pelican design with Harvest Day A.S. XXXXIIII around it on the other side from my tokens. When court was over the fighters were called and I waited till all the instructions were given and invited everyone to my vigil.
A crew from the Haus and Red Spears were setting up the vigil area so Giles and I went over to congratulate Gwenth, sample her vigil table and write in her vigil book. We got yelled at when we got back since no one had known where we had gone and they were set up now. Helewyse’s regency pavilion was set up for Giles, Fiadnata and Phil’s regency pavilion was set up for me with Brusten’s 20’x20’ pavilion between them for the food and waiting area. Several of the vonB’s took turns as guard with my zweihander.

The rest of the day was pretty relaxing, sitting in the tent and talking to people. That is something I never really get to do for any length of time at events. Since the tokens I cast came out a bit heavier than I originally planned, I didn’t have enough pewter to cast tokens for everyone who came to the vigil so I brought my tourney box and everyone got something to remember the day. I also got some loot. Mistress Elena gave me a Beanie Baby Pelican and 10 yards of Pelican trim and Mistress Nona gave me a Pelican mug. One of Master Llew’s apprentices made cookies with my arms for the vigil table and I got to keep the silicon mold. Also John from bought me the hand pavise shield in the auction. This weirded Justice out when he saw it by the bunkhouse, he had donated it and did not know the buyer and wondered, “how did that get here?” My last visitor was a lady from the Cleftlands who I had never met and had never been to a vigil before. We had a really neat conversation, first introducing each other than talking about what a vigil was and the SCA in general.

The crew took down the tents. I got cleaned up and ready for feast. As I finished getting dressed in the bunkhouse I realized my squire chain was gone, it must have come off with my shirt in the shower house. Ian ran to go find it, then came back and let me know that Duke Bardolph had it and planned to have a talk with his former squire, Gunther, first.

After eating the fare at the table I had Helewyse point out the rest of the people who had brought food for my vigil to give them tokens. I also gave tokens to their Highnesses and their Excellencies Flaming Gryphon, I had given their Majesties tokens earlier during my vigil. Then I approached my grand knight and inquired about my chain, we had a fun exchange but he retained the chain. Brusten and Fiadnata got back from Ustad’s wedding during feast and went to repack the trailer, once they found it hidden behind/under a tree. Feast was very good, meat and pasta. It also ran on schedule, finishing up about 7:15pm.

Time to get ready for court. I got in the rest of my court garb and started running around making sure everything was ready. I got word that I would be the last piece of business. This was good since Gunther and many of the others were still at dinner as everyone gathered. I had my personal banner and Haus Mailander banner, Helewyse brought a Red Spears Banner, I had a Haus Brandenburg banner and a banner with Brusten’s arms. Ma had made the Haus Mailander and Brusten’s banner for the event. So I had to arrange who was carrying what, what order. I also was making sure everyone was there. Everyone got back from dinner somewhere in there.

I couldn’t find Syr Gunnar, who was supposed to speak for me. I eventually asked His Majesty if he had seen him after he had asked me a question. “I think he went home.” And one of his retainers confirmed, “Yeah he went home.” (He was running the TOC and fought to exhaustion as usual and we had never had a chance to talk that day…not that I won’t be giving him shit for it.) So at the last minute I asked Master Dafydd to take his place. This caused some confusion for him since he is a Pelican and not a Knight and I kept saying your from South Oaken, finally I explained that I was having a Peer from each region speak for me instead of by Peerage.

Somewhere in there all the cats got wrangled, everything was now ready, Bardolph gave me my chain back, and I was soaked with sweat from nerves and running around. They elevated Giles as the first order of business. Gwenth’s elevation was in the middle of court and it confused some people when the Pelican’s were dismissed. After a few more awards it was my turn. Ehrenfried heralded my ceremony. He called Brusten up to beg the boon and Elena went with him. After the confirmation from the Order they called me up and the procession went in. One of Ian’s sons with my banner, Isobel with the Haus Mailander banner, Dervel with the Baronial banner, Ian with the Haus Brandenburg banner, and Fiadnata with Brusten’s along with Baron Thorkell and Baroness Helewyse, Sir Gunther, Sophia, and several vonB’s. When the lead got to the front they stepped to the sides of the aisle and I came up through the center.

The Peers speaking for me were; Duchess Rebekah from Pentamere, Baroness Helewyse from North Oaken, Master Dafydd from South Oaken, Mistress Elena from, Constellation, and Sir Gunter from the Midlands. I got the idea to do it this way after I was introduced at the Midrealm party at Pennsic as, “the next Midlands Peer.” At one time I have been mistaken for living in each region of the Kingdom (and 2 other Kingdoms.)

Brusten provided the medallion and Acelina made me a cloak. After I swore the oath I am told the look on Eikbrandr’s face was special when he said I could rise and I told him that may not be easy, my back was out. Back when I was kneeling before the Crown my low back (right SI joint) slipped out of place and I dropped onto my knees. I was able to get back to my feet using the thrones to push off of and limp away to greet the Order. I gave Brusten the banner with his arms.
As quickly as I could after Court I got back to the cabin. We took pictures of the cloak and I went and set down and take pain relievers. We had another late night sitting up and talking around the bunkhouse.

Sunday

I woke up with my back and both knees killing me. My first thought was that it was going to take forever to get to a condition where I could load the van. Then I got up to find Magrat packing our stuff in the van under Ma’s direction. I sat down and took more pain meds. Several people asked if I felt any different and I answered, “Yes, I’m in more pain today.” By the time I could have started Magrat had us all loaded up. We went out for breakfast with a bunch of the Haus and then headed home.

More TOC Pictures

2009-09-08T22:23:29Z

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/album.php?aid=148836&id=666905551&ref=mf

Pictures from TOC

2009-09-07T20:18:24Z

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mailander/sets/72157622291274274/

Court at TOC/Harvest Day.

2009-09-03T02:13:37Z

Just read a post from Baronesss Helewyse to the Marshes list. From what she said Court will be after feast Saturday. This should work better for the de Bearsul side of my SCA Family. Sor Ustad and my protoge sister Rowan are getting married in Dayton Saturday after noon.

Ma came out to re-adjust the garb I plan to wear Sat. and we went an bought a couple of banner poles for some new banners she made. After she left I did more casting. Got the tokens for my elevation done, seven more Zuil (Baronial Award) medallions, and a couple of other pieces.

Guess I gotta get some robes...

2009-08-30T23:09:22Z

Your results:
You are Obi-Wan Kenobi

Obi-Wan Kenobi		76%
Yoda		75%
Qui-Gon Jinn		74%
R2-D2		69%
Luke Skywalker		67%
Chewbacca		65%
Mace Windu		65%
Han Solo		63%
Darth Maul		62%
Darth Vader		59%

You are civilized, calm, and
have a good sense of humor,
even when those around you don't.
You can hold your own in a fight,
but prefer it when things
don't get too exciting.

(This list displays the top 10 results out of a possible 21 characters)

Click here to take the "Which Star Wars character are you?" quiz...

Casting

2009-08-26T03:58:19Z

Did some soapstone carving and pewter casting today. Got three good castings off the repaired Orde van de Zuil medallion mold. It doesn't want to fill the area unde the loop so I keep about one in five and throw the rest back in the pot. Gave the three good ones to my Baroness to give out with the award. Also carved the mold and started casting tokens for my elevation, have to cast a bunch more of those.

Yardwork

2009-08-24T16:30:10Z

Paid my neighbor's boy to mow my lawn yesterday. Cedric, my nieces dad, has been cutting it the last two years but he is unreliable, especially when they owe me money, and it gets ugly long before he gets out. Cost me less than half what Cedric has been charging me as well.

So with the wonderful cool temp today I went out this morning to the weedwacker to the places where his rider could not go then I took the trimmer to the bushes around the front and side of the house. Have to take out a couple of trash trees later that have grown up behind the bushes and the house will actually look good for about the first time all summer.

Cornfest

2009-08-23T17:29:03Z

Yesterday was the Swanton Cornfest (101st year). Ma picked up Mary, Shantel, Jasmine, and my nieces little half sister Mia and came out to my house. We grabbed chairs and walked over to Main Street to watch the parade. Mia was a candy magnet she is such a little cutie. She had trouble carrying the candy bag by herself when it was over, Ma took it back on the scooter. Then we went back to my house and Mary grilled ribeyes and brats from out of my freezer and made mac and cheese. Ma had brought veggies and brownies. We had to wait a while before going down to the park and get some real good corn on the cob we were so stuffed. Walked the Festival at the park for a while then got the corn and came back to my house to eat it. After that they had to take off the girls had a party to go to.

bruinson @ 2009-08-19T22:24:00

2009-08-20T02:25:06Z

On Facebook

2009-08-19T19:50:40Z

I finally got around to joining facebook. Been playing the "do I know this person from their real name and a tiny picture" game.

Ma also signed up.

And next time we play with the zombies...

2009-08-19T04:27:51Z

Still had the headache today but got up and went in town. My chiropracter is back from vacation and I had an appointment. I told him we gotta work on our schedules better he can't be off the week after Pennsic. My chiropracter is 6'6" and over 300# and once told me, "you need a bigger chiropracter, lucky for me there are none", the guy that covers for him is ~5'8" and maybe 150# and has never been able to adjust me.

The local gaming store has moved from farther down the street to two doors down from my chiropracter so I walked over. Picked up two varients of the Fluxx card game, Monty Python Fluxx and Zombie Fluxx. Then I went to the mall got lunch and saw District 9 and G-Force. Both were good in their very different ways.

Then I went to the Hrothgeirsfjordr meeting. After a quick business meeting several of us played Monty Python Fluxx while the others had rapier practice. Helewyse knows way too many Monty Python songs and can mantain a outragious Italian accent for way too long (both encouraged by cards in the game.) Next time we play with the zombies. Eventually we may even mix the two together, even if it does cause the penguin on top of the TV to explode...you heard me, that is what the Monty Python Rules says will happen if the two are mixed together.

And the headache finally has subsided after I got home from the meeting.

Storms

2009-08-18T03:09:29Z

Well I was feeling better. Storms are rolling through and it feels like my head is being crushed in a vise.

Feeling better.

2009-08-16T15:54:07Z

Cold feels like it is mostly done. Stayed in sinuses and never dropped down into the chest. Haven't had to take meds since yesterday morning.

Midrealm Court Pictures

2009-08-14T15:36:56Z

http://c3po.barnesos.net/~polaris/Photos/2009_08_06-Pennsic/

Pictures of my being put on vigil near the bottom.

Grumble...Grumble...Grumble

2009-08-14T13:19:26Z

Still sick and grumpy. Email still down and found out it is bouncing not just piling up so I had to resend things like all the invites for Peers to speak for me. Can't sleep longer than the decongestant lasts and can't concentrate well.

I did talk to the person who I get the redspears.org email through, and he is taking care of it but the timing sucks.

Grumpy

2009-08-13T02:45:51Z

Woke up this morning with a runny nose and I am definately coming down with a cold.

On top of that my main email is down.

Being put on Vigil (LONG)

2009-08-11T08:06:40Z

I have seen so many over the years who when they are being put on vigil seem to have blinders on. I mean I have seen people I only slightly knew at the time and I knew who was being talked about while the person about to be named sat clueless till they heard their name spoken by the person begging the boon. So I always wondered if this would happened to me.

Starting the day before I had began hearing that people from my Barony should be in Court, with one gentle asking me if I knew who in the Barony might be made a Pelican. He had been asked if we had any active Pelican's in the Barony by a Peer and when he responded that there were none was told to be in Court. Since I often am involved in Court as a herald he asked me if I knew anything. I could think of a couple of possibles with myself on that list. A small clue but nothing solid and based partially on conjecture that "Do you have a Pelican?" and "Be in Court." were directly related comments.

Court is where you where your best garb. I wore my vonB waffenrock over black shirt and pants and take my bear head staff. Kendrick made checky trim earlier in the week and Ma had added it to my black wide beret and I am wore it at a angle over a black arming cap. Red and white striped sock on one leg for the Middle and red and gold on the other for Red Spears.

As aztecknight mentioned in his journal I am active in more than one region of the Kingdom. It was due to this that I was not taken by surprise. As Midrealm Court drew near I was also picking up some push for the members of the Haus to be in Court. This is when I started to wonder since I was the point where these two lines crossed.

During Court Elena mentions that she was getting to beg a boon after JP is elevated. Though by itself an innocent comment added to the other clues it really started to make me suspicious. While walking around in the back of court outside the Barn I heard a Pelican mention, "He...Marshal...Herald..." an caught the be quiet glare he got from another Pelican. Now I'm wondering if my brain is just looking for signs or if I am really picking up what I think I'm picking up.

So it was not coincidence that I was standing at the back of the center aisle during JP's elevation. I figured it would not hurt to be ready, just in case. Meanwhile I locked down my emotions to keep from getting hopeful.

When Brusten, the Laurel I am apprenticed to (and also a Pelican), escorted Elena, the Pelican I fight for in Crown, up to Their Majesties I knew. I drew my dagger from its sheath as she began to beg the boon. When Elena said my name I handed it to Sir Guerric (who was not standing by me by coincidence I found out after) as a cheer went up. This is the point where many saw what they thought was a "deer in the headlights" look on my face. I completely forgot the standard procedure for a peerage ceremony and went to step forward at this point. Usually the Order involved would be called up but they were already there since they had just made a Pelican and then asked if they agreed. So Guerric, who now is holding my unsheathed dagger btw, steps in fron of me, I am grabbed by both arms and by the belt (Guerric had brought assistants). The "look" was me kicking myself for forgetting the proper procedure, I've heralded enough peerage ceremonies over the years to know better. But then I see all the Pelicans looking my way and cheering and applauding. I think that they have given their accent and go to step forward again, to get restrained again to a chant of, "wait for it...wait for it." Finally it calms down enough (I've been told I got a standing ovation)that the King asks the Order if they agree and finally I am called forward and released by my keepers.

I keep my focus on the Crown and walk slowly down the aisle. Give reverence to the Crown and assembled Landed Nobility seated with them and climb the stairs onto the dias. I was glad I had the walking stick to lean on for going down to my knees on the pillow in front of Their Majesties. As those who read this probably know I've had back and knee problems since I hurt me foot and I had fought both the Heavy and Rapier Woods Battles that day on top of this. Their Majesties put me on vigil to be elevated at Harvest Day (the Dragon Herald speculates that they decided this at that moment since it had not been determined before that, that he knew of and the King paused just before he stated the event.) Kneeling before the Crown I remember back to Pennic 25 when I knelt there to receive my Purple Fret. After that someone had told me I should have removed my hat, and thus remembering I bow my head and remove my beret as Their Majesties speak (which Sir Fern noticed and thought was really cool and laughed when I told her why.) I am now a vigilant to the Order of the Pelican, now I had to rise. I mentioned that I fought TWO Woods Battles, the bad back and knee right?! I did not have the strength to lift myself back up even using the staff. I end up having to push off the corner of the King's throne (to a split second of panic and protest by the King as I do so) to return to my feet and leave the Royal Presence. The Pelicans are released as well and Court is closed.

Guerric catches me at the back of Court and gives me a message from Gunther, my knight. I head for where Ma was sitting, but it is difficult to get there with everyone trying to congratulate me, including a flying full body hug from Magrat. Ma is a basket case, tears pouring down her cheeks. (There had been another crew "in the know" covering her.) Oscar gave her three shots of scotch to calm her nerves. I got Deirdre to take her back to camp on her golf cart when she was ready to go, rather than walk (it was time to charge the scooter.)

So the Midrealm Party was pretty much wander around accepting congratulations for me. With some initial planning.

The funniest part was when a Midlands Laurel introduced me to someone as the "next Midlands Peer. But he has to travel to Ohio to get it." He is dumbfounded when I tell him, "I live in Ohio." He thought I live in Rockford (where Gunther is). (See active in multiple regions mention above.)

Having to fight in the Mid/East vs World Unbelt fight in the morning, muster at 9:00am, I head back to camp about midnight, but can't shut my brain off (it wanted to plan everything and rewrite the Pelican ceremony) and get to sleep until after 3:30 and I woke up a couple of times after that. Friday is a little fuzzy.