Greetings all, I have a variety of topics on my mind today, so it’s a Liam-esque post today. Or rather, it’s what Liam would write if he weren’t so chary with his words.

1. Well, I’m out of funding so I’m technically unemployed. I’m OK financially speaking and this gives me time and removes any excuse about getting my dissertation done in 2010. I am looking for a part-time job, but one that allows for time off. That being said, I think I’m putting my shingle out again and looking for web design jobs. If you know anyone who needs website help, them as can pay some, feel free to point them my direction.

2. After saying I’ve got no money, I’m going to take a moment and be hypocritical. I finally bought the 42in LCD TV I’ve had my eye on for about a year. There’s been saving up for it and I finally pulled the trigger. There might also be some setting up of an antenna, as it turns out that the local TV stations broadcast in HD. This is great because I might even get rid of cable TV altogether.

3. Those of you who’ve sat and discussed politics know I’m pretty radical on many issues, though I average out as a centrist as I’m way left on some things and way right on others. Right now, though, I have extra-special despising of a politician on either side. First, shut up Pat Robertson. Pat, even if you’re right (and I sincerely doubt that you are), and this is all because of a deal with the devil, it’s un-Christian of you to harp on that while people are suffering.

Yet, he’s not the worst politician going right now. I have to give that honor to Martha Coakley. Robertson may be saying crappy things, but his people are not actively assaulting others. No matter how entitled you may or may not be to a political position, your people do not have the right to knock down and assault people, even if they’re media. You also don’t get to, especially in Massachusetts, criticize or look down on shaking hands outside of Fenway Park. Isn’t that what a politician is supposed to do? Especially in Massachusetts? Meet people? Average people? Not union bosses or Democratic leaders, but real people? Here’s my endorsement for Hottie McAwesome, as some gay bloggers are calling Scott Brown.

4. Speaking of politics, I’ve been against the health-care bill all along not because I don’t want universal health care, but because I knew a hurried, pushed-through bill would be wretched. And I was right. Nebraska never has to worry about paying some aspects again, but every other state does? Now union-negotiated health care packages can opt out of paying as well, simply to bring unions on board? The more I see of this bill, the more I dislike it, and frankly, the more I wonder how constitutional it is. If it passes, expect a horde of 14th Amendment challenges to it, and those challenges will often be valid.

5. Back to the TV. I had a Blu-Ray player, which now I can get full 1080p value out of. What are my first two Blu-Ray discs? Firefly series disks and Boondock Saints. Can I get a “shiny!” and a “fuck!” from the crowd? 🙂

6. I was excited about this Dallas Cowboys team all summer. I predicted 11-5 and a Super Bowl. So far, so good. I haven’t been so excited about the Cowboys in nearly 20 years. Even went they went 13-3 in 2007 I knew they were living on luck and it ran out against the Giants. This year, they’re just playing well. Even if they lose on Sunday, I’ll be pleased with the 2009 edition. That being said, GO COWBOYS!!!!

7. And though I don’t have the HDMI cable yet and so can’t get full value of Blu-Ray and HD, and even though it’s just a DVD and not Blu-Ray at all, 13th Warrior on this TV is *amazing*. Yes, 13th Warrior was the first thing I watched on it. Shocking, I know 🙂

8. I finally felt good today, for the first time since the middle of December. I still have gunk in my lungs, and I will just have to get used to using an inhaler prior to fighting, but other than that, I’m pretty darn healthy for 41.

9. I had to get new license plates today and I changed them. I have enjoyed having RHODRI on my tags, but it always felt a little arrogant to me. I fell much better now as I will soon have Calontir tags with FYRDMN on them.

10. is for everything everything everything.

Well, the regular season is over and now we can see if I had a clue or not.

NFL Predictions Review

Stolen from a veritable horde:

If I came with a warning label, what would it say?

From elasait

1. You’ve spent a lot of time in Ealdormere. Compare it with Calontir.
I think the biggest difference is size. For example, Calontir, overall, is a better fighting kingdom. It’s not that there are not talented fighters like Nigel and Edouard and many others, but there’s at least half again as many fighters in Calontir so I think the talent pool is deeper. I’m guessing that fighters from kingdoms larger than Calontir view Calontir in the same way. The main difference culturally would be the power of households in the two kingdoms, and because of the smaller size the household differences in Ealdormere can be magnified. Also, they have a distinctly different bardic tradition that accepts more solo performances and accepts reading from a lyric sheet, but they sing as much if not more than we do.

2. Where would you travel if money and time were no object, and how long would you spend there?
Boy, that’s tough, there are so many choices. I would probably do a repeat of my England trip of a couple of summers ago, only with adding Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. As to how long, can I do it for the rest of my life, coming back for Lilies and Pennsic? 😉

3. What’s the best event you were ever at, and why?
Wow, lots of choices. Pennsic two years ago comes to mind when I got my Lily and so many Ealdormerati came to congratulate me. Another possibility might be my first Estrella when I truly realized I had found a home. The Siridean’s Breach Gulf Wars has some magical memories for me, as well as that following Pennsic when I was in company command. 25th Jubilee was also pretty cool, especially trying not to cry announcing the cup thing in court. However, of all of this, I would probably say that either the Lilies or Pennsic when I was champion was the best. It’s really hard to top that.

4. What is your favorite non-SCA-related pursuit?
Hmmm, probably my Diamond Mind baseball league. It’s sort of a fantasy league only wayyyy more complicated.

5. I should probably know this, but don’t. Do you have any siblings?
None that are human, but several feline ones.

To evil_fionn

1. If you weren’t able to finish your degree in your chosen subject area, what would you chose next?
Somewhere along the way I figured out that I’m a teacher, so I would get an education certificate. I’m pretty sure I was born to warp the youth of today and tomorrow 🙂

2. What do you consider your worst personality feature?
Whininess and laziness. I need to be much more of a go-getter to actually achieve all of the things I should. Part of this is overcoming my innate tendency to torpedo myself anytime I come close to achieving anything.

3. What is your best, in your opinion?
That’s hard for me to say, I think. I think my sense of humor is probably my best feature. I like that in nearly every picture of me I’m smiling.

4. Considering what a multi-talented individual you are, what peerage do you think would give you the most satisfaction in achieving, Laurel or Knight?
Hmmm, that’s tough. I would say that probably becoming a knight, because it will have been more work and more effort, not that becoming a Laurel would be easy.

5. What brings you the most joy in the SCA?
Helping people enjoy themselves in general, but in particular any time I can create a bit of medieval magic. Probably the best moment ever was thinking about Maerwynn giving out the cups at Gulf War. I didn’t do the work, but it was my idea and I arranged it and I have heard so many people talk about how much those cups meant to them.

Leave me a comment saying “Resistance is Futile.”

• I’ll respond by asking you five questions so I can satisfy my curiosity

• Update your journal with the answers to the questions

• Include this explanation in the post and offer to ask other people questions (I’ll also answer more, if asked)

These questions are from clairebearkl
1. What do you think is the biggest thing we’ll get out of the Staffordshire hoard?
Wow, what a question I should be prepared to answer but am not. I really haven’t looked at the hoard all that much yet from an academic perspective. Off the top of my head, I would answer however that I’m guessing we’ll get a much better understanding of the trade routes and production centers because it’s a major increase in the sample size of such artifacts. I think it will also continue to move along a current trend of not assuming immediately certain aspects about an object simply because of where it was found.

2. Someone asked me what drew me to Anglo-Saxons so I, in turn, shall ask you. What draws you to the Anglo-Saxons?
Tolkien and poetry and Maerwynn, essentially in that order. The Wanderer has been my favorite for a long long time.

3. What was one of your favorite things that happened in Calontir this year?
Wow, choices. The 25th Jubilee was an amazing thing, and I would say that, though I selfishly I have to admit that I am partial to the cup thing we did for Maerwynn and what she got to do at Gulf Wars.

4. What attracts you to heavy fighting?
I’ve always played sports, especially team sports. I didn’t get to play team sports much for a while before starting to fight, so it was a great opportunity to me. Also, I was often, despite the fact that I’ve never been slim or fast, the quarterback because I like controlling and leading a team so I have loved the leadership opportunities inherent in unit command.

5. What’s your favorite song to sing? (SCA or non-SCA)
To sing? Hmmm. I would say that my favorite one to perform is Faith’s Lessons Learned. My favorite performance piece is my Rose Poem, especially when Maerwynn is around, who helped me write the poem long before she thought she’d be queen. I’m starting to learn Kilkelly, because I’m wanting to do Irish sessions and that is an amazing song. Also, I’m really trying to learn Yew Tree for both SCA and sessions.

Here’s an updated to-do list.

Master bedroom:
– Wash bed linens
– Make bed
– Take old TV stand to garage to be stained
– Straighten up books to be readv
– Hang up artwork (Rush banner among other things)
– Steam clean floor again

Master bathroom
– Hang up curtains (I haven’t found curtains I like so I’m using tabards for the moment 🙂
– On Thursday deal with inspections
– On Friday clean litter box and sweep

Library
– Put back area rug
– Put in rocking chair
– Replace doorknob

Hallway
– Steam clean again
– Vacuum and steam clean runner

Guest bathroom
– Put up Unicorn Tapestry pictures

Living room
– Staple down cables
– Move furniture and vacuum
– Move furniture and steam clean
– General straightening up

Kitchen/Dining room
– General cleaning
– Move Derdriu’s lathing stuff
– Dust window
– Put stuffed animals back into window
– Make sure there’s no icky stuff in the fridge 🙂
– Clean a few painty bits off of floor
– Sweep and mop, which must be done before mom shows up 🙂
– Shop for food for weekend, especially chili for Friday night so there’s something warm and tasty for crashers. Of which there are lots.

Garage
– Set up camp bed for me
– Move chests to the side
– Organize beer fridge (especially important!!!)
– Sweep floor, though it’s pretty clean
– Set up dog crate for Ginger
– Move other dog crate downstairs for Abigail
– Put last coat of paint on corner trim

Stairs
– Staple cabling down
– Desperate need for vacuuming

Downstairs landing
– Sweep and mop

Downstairs bathroom
– Get Joe to put stool back in place
– Install trim
– Clean mirrors
– Hang towels and place rug (waiting on floor to dry)

Washroom
– Laundry (duh)

Workroom
– Clean off mats
– Move end table to big room
– Set up cot for Derdriu

Basement main room
– Finish double bookcase
– Attach double bookcase to wall
– Install trim on south wall
– Install trim on door opening
– Put games/books on double bookcase
– Sweep and mop
– Make up futon
– Set up Derdriu’s camp bed
– Move furniture to appropriate places
– Move tools to appropriate places
– Wipe everything down again
– General straightening up
– Put up artwork, esp. picture of Omega

Office
– Move extra boxes into closet
– Move 19in monitor to garage
– Organize printing area
– Re-setup network printing
– Sweep and mop
-Organize work area

Lawn
– Sweep driveway
– Sweep porch
– Sweep patio
– Sweep deck
– Put things out on deck/patio in appropriate places
– Clean firepit
– Get small bits of wood/paper/lighter ready in garage to put out for fire
– Set out chairs

For now, that’s it 🙂 I’m leaving Derdriu’s room and office up to her, although I think they’re mostly ready. The list is actually much shorter than it was this morning, though I’m sure I missed a bunch of things. What’s great is other than the trim/bookcases along the south wall of the big room and in the basement bathroom, the construction is done.

Here’s an updated list in the past week or so.

Completed in last four days.
Stain remaining items for bathrooms
Clean west end of basement
Stain west end of basement
Paint ceiling and walls of west end of basement
Paint north wall of stair well
Replace mantel shelf (actually Fantastik cleaned off all the paint easily so I just cleaned it)

For those scoring at home (or if you’re by yourself) this means I beat my timetable by two days. It didn’t seem like I was doing much, but I kept puttering around and then all of the sudden the floor was done, and then the first coat was done, and well, I thought, how cool will it be if I finish the painting tonight?

Still To do list
Re-clean basement floor after painting
Install trim in basement
Clean trim around doors
Get countertop for washroom
Install basement cabinet
Miter and install trim (some mitered and installed, will probably take 2 hours total when the rest of the room is painted)
Clean house for crashers for the Scribal Symposium
Finish creating the workshop for the Symposium

Now I can add projects 🙂

Replace entertainment center setup. I’ve needed to do this for a while so I can organize my DVDs. I totally believe I’m not OCD, but I’ve stared at this mish-mash of DVDs too friggin’ long. So friggin’ long I’ve developed a “huge guy theory” and “serial crusher theory” as to why they’re a mess. I’ve actually started this and have 2 of the 8 pieces completed. Only 6 need to be done to get the basic requirements, and 3 of those are like 15min projects. I suspect they’ll get done tomorrow 🙂

Install bookcases. I have a hole in the wall where a speaker was put by the previous owner. I found two of the cheap Wal-Mart bookcases on Craigslist for $10 total so I’m going to do a wee bit of refurbishing and nail them to the studs to cover that hole. For probably $25 or so in parts, I’ll have new bookcases and cover the big hole. Wheeeee.

Finish website for student medieval studies group
Contemplate seeing if I can do the stuff to the downstairs bathroom before Scribal. (i.e. repaint and replace medicine cabinet and lights with the contractor’s help. I’m not going to worry about the trim. I may just clean it, but the downstairs bathroom has had a bunch of paint drops, stain drops, and sealant drops from all the projects and it just needs to be repainted.

Anyway, I’ll be able to start moving stuff back into place tomorrow evening, which rocks.

Here’s an updated list in the past week or so.

Completed in last week or so
All but 2 pieces of basement trim painted
One corner of the basement trim installed
Upstairs bathrooms painted
Upstairs cabinetry and trim painted (except for several added items)
East half of basement electrical fixtures replaced
West half of basement electrical fixtures mostly pulled out
West half of basement floor 90% done (I hope to complete it tomorrow)
Some of the stuff has been moved back into place, and one corner of the room is actually essentially back to the way it will be.

Still To do list
Stain remaining items for bathrooms
Re-clean east end floor after painting
Install trim in basement
Paint trim around doors
Replace mantel shelf
Get countertop for washroom
Install basement cabinet
Clean west end of basement
Stain west end of basement
Paint ceiling and walls of west end of basement
Miter and install trim (some mitered and installed, will probably take 2 hours total when the rest of the room is painted)
Paint north wall of stair well
Clean house for crashers for the Scribal Symposium
Finish creating the workshop for the Symposium

If things go well, I will finish scraping the floor tomorrow. What will almost assuredly happen is that at some point on Sunday, if I don’t finish tomorrow, I’m going to say “fuck it” and just start the remaining steps of the process. If I finish tomorrow, it will go something like this:

Saturday: Clean floor with TSP cleaner
Sunday: Stain the floor, stain the remaining bathroom items
Monday: Clean the excess stain, prime paneling on north stairwell wall, put on first coat
Tuesday: Apply topcoat to floor
Wednesday: Apply primer to remaining basement paneling and paint first coat
Thursday/Friday: Paint second coat in both basement and stairwell

If I don’t get it clean tomorrow then this will move back a day, but hopefully by the end of next week the big parts of the process will be done downstairs plus both bathrooms upstairs should be completed by the end of next week. I have plans to do a little work on the downstairs bathroom, but I’m sort of doubting that will happen prior to Symposium.

Anyway, progress is progressing

So, for those who haven’t talked to me lately, it’s because I’ve been working on my house.

Completed:
Back room floor cleaned
Back room floor stained
Back closet floor stained
Back room walls and ceiling painted
Back closet painted
Back room trim painted and reinstalled
Back room electrical fixtures replaced/repainted (with the exception of one outlet cover that seems to have disappeared. I expect to find it someday)
Essentially the back room is done

East half of basement floor scraped. This was a massively sucky project. There was an adhesive that had to be scraped up. The east end was the worst part because it adhered more then than the west end. Nevertheless, the west end scraping still sucks.
East half of basement cleaned
East half of basement stained
East half of basement walls and ceilings painted
Basement cabinet painted
East half of basement trim mostly painted

To do list
Polyurethane the cabinetry and trim for the upstairs bathrooms
Paint the upstairs bathrooms
Re-clean east end floor after painting
Re-install electical fixtures
Install trim in basement
Paint trim around doors
Replace mantel shelf
Get countertop for washroom
Install basement cabinet
Scrape west end of basement
Clean west end of basement
Stain west end of basement
Paint ceiling and walls of west end of basement
Finish painting trim
Miter and install trim

Oh, and move everything back into place so I can haz office.

I just had to look at this to see what I have already done because it seems like this is never-ending. Sigh.