disturbed...

(and yes, I like that band)

I had a good time last night - I went down to Old Faithful (the Banshee) with the girl, Airman Peters. I also ran into my old friend from Butte days Brian and his girl friend Shasta, who joined us randomly for a double date.
Now here's the thing - Shasta's older sister Crystal and I had a lot of classes together and I kinda had a thing for her in a big way. I haven't seen her in a year or so, so I asked how she was doing. Apparently she's married. "Yeah", Brian said, "and apparently she was really really into you, ain't that funny?". I asked about her husband, and Shasta rolls her eyes. "He's an oaf", she said, "a complete oaf. Crystal, who graduates in Anthropology at the top of her class, marries an oaf and is destined to make babies and live in Oroville for the rest of her life".
I was just kinda stunned.
I mean, Crystal was the type of girl who was a) drop dead gorgeous, b) motivated for success, and c) smarter than ME. Oh yeah, and she had great fashion too. So here's the thing - I spent the entire trip driving back to Davis musing on her circumstance and just being completely disturbed. You know, I used to be into the whole sanctity of marriage thing back in the day, but in this case I believe the higher calling is fullfilment of self! I've half a mind to get her number, invite her out for coffee to catch up on old times, and just say "hey, I'm still very much into you - I've 40,000 a year plus living expensives and the opportunity to travel around the country, what do you say?".
Is that really so bad? Am I just being exceptionally jealous? I don't know. But I am disturbed for her. I still apparently care enough for her that I can't just seem to let this go. Isn't that aweful? When you really care about someone but missed out and can't do anything anymore but watch them fade into the mundane?
Geeze...
I'm gonna be up all night again... :-P

Two months until I ship out...

last event?

Ah, just got back from the one fabulous event we have out here in Cali. It's called "Duncan's Mills", in the North Bay area - think coastal mountains, large green trees and copious amounts of fog in the mornings, and you have it. It's also one of the few "combined" events in Cali which means there was a lot of participation. We tend to average between 800 and 1000.

Anyway it was also quite possibly my last event for the next few years, at least out here in Cali. I camped out with my hardcore friends in the 69th, a very laid back group of guys. We had great rations this week - a side of the best smoaked bacon I've ever laid a knife into at a reenactment! We also were one of the few units to break camp every formation, so we go out in full marching kit unlike most of the other farbs. I also did some drill and one battle with my other hard core friends, the Syke's Regulars. They're all embittered reenactors and it's fun to be in line with them and mock everyone around us under our breath... hahah

The battles were lame. But they always are. I tend to take a hit in the first ten minutes of battle. There was an awesome very authentic horse drawn ambulence that would trot on over, and corpsmen would come rushing out with stretchers and pile us up and into the wagon, which after a short but bumpy ride would drop us into the hospital staging area where we would moan in a blue mass for a while, succomb to various and sundry wounds, and sleep.

Reenacting is all about finding time to settle down into your pack and sleep. Hahah

The cool thing was at battalion formation on Sunday, the Adjutent in the general announcements told everyone I was was going into the service and headed off to OCS and 400+ men gave me a rousing three cheers. That was really cool, I nearly cried. A lot of those guys on battalion staff are guys I've grown up with and several of them are enlisted reservists. Funny how we've all made the same decisions...

But anyways I'm home now with the sorest neck I've ever had. Just popped two ibuprofens and I never ever take pills! That's how bad... geeze... I guess I was too sloshed each night to realize I was sleeping in a bad position...haha!

Life, Part Two

Yup.
I graduated this past Saturday.
And this past Thursday I applied for the US Army Officer Candidate School.

I guess there isn't that much to say beyond that. I think you can kinda guess what's going to happen next in my life. I'm going to spend as much time as I can this summer with the people I care a lot for, and then ship out lord knows when for training (6 months of hell - what it takes to be an Army Officer), and then lord knows where I'll be based.

Bring it on...!

Just random little updates

Well, I figure I should talk about the random little things that are going on in my life right now, so let's seeeeee....

Everyday is Christmas: Seriously, everytime the mail man comes, or UPS or Fedex or whatever postal delivery system, my roommate Dave and I flip out 'cos it means some cool and awesome thing we've ordered has come. With Dave struggling with depression and our huge Lion Claws Mil Sim coming up, we've been buying a lot of gear and materials.

One of them being a sewing machine. I'm so excited about this. I basically told the guys I've got the skills to make custom tactical gear for everyone, so everyone chipped in and we bought this beautiful beast off of ebay (I know, that's risky...). Here it is, a Singer 66 from the 1920's with a nice little moter on the back:

Like my ghetto stand for it? Hah. The only problem is, the little cog that engages the flywheel is coming undone now, even with light fabrics - so I'm spinning the wheel and the needle isn't going anywhere. It's gotten worse too, I finally had to shut down last night in the middle of a drop leg rig and call it quits. I'm taking it to be serviced today, and NOT looking forward to the bill!

But as you can see, I managed to get a prototype chest rig completed, and a couple of double mag pouches for my G36 - it's exasperating how there are no G36 compatible equipment out on the market today! The pouches are a little ghetto close up, you can definately see differences in execution between the first pouch and the second, but that's why I'm not selling anything yet ;-) Hell, at least it works!

We made sure it worked, and our other gear as well, by field testing it with a CQB game down at an old military base on the coast in Monteray: Fort Ord. The games themselves were nothing real special, and attendence was low (only about 150 people), but our gear held up and our squad tactics keep improving. So I think we're ready for Lion Claws this weekend

Just yesterday our team patches arrived - we are quite excited. With everyone graduating and moving on this year or next year, we wanted something for everyone (not just the roommates) to keep as a token of good times had. We ordered about 200 bucks worth of 'em and gave 'em to our close comrades. The lettering around the top says brothers and sisters eternally in Latin. Pretty cool. And of course down at the bottom is our house number, 1087, where most of the good times have been had.

Other than that, I've got the Lion Claws event this weekend (look it up on the 'net!), and with sewing like a fiend I've slacked off on classes. Not good considering I've only three weeks left before graduation (eeeeek!), and there's this one class I've got to pass which I'm not doing well in... gads... so we'll see.... gads....

Oh yeah, immediately following Fort Ord (as in, the next day) I went to a shoddy little reenactment with the fife and drum band. It was bloody hot, and not well attended by reenactors. One bizzare thing was the accident in the last battle where some lame-sauce cornfed cav guy got his equipment tangled up in a battle with a yanky cav guy, freaked out his horse which proceded to loose it's rider and go dancing around in the crowd. No one hurt, but man how I hate mounted cav in all of their safety issues not to mention sheer farbiness... *sigh*

Ok, my roommates are up, time for us to go running. Byes.

gotta do this survey

For the CW guys.. or I guess any period...

1st) What was your first event?
Uh, a little one down the the Napa Valley, a good ten years ago now.

2nd) What unit do you portray?
I'm a floater. I tend to go out with the people I know, and the most authentic group I can find... when they're around, I tend to go out with the 2nd US Regulars,

3rd) Do you have a First Person Impression?
Not really. Depends on what questions the public asks me.

4th) Are you a Hardcore, Mainstream, or a Farb Reenactor?
Definately hardcore...

5th) What Sutlers do you get your equipment from?
Wambaugh, Skillet Licker, Childes, etc...

6th) What type of tent do you use for events?
What's a tent?

7th) How often do you take hits?
Eh, an authentic number - Usually one, early on, and then I do a screaming wounded impression for the remainder of the battle before finally giving up the ghost, depending on where hit...

8th) If you answered yes to 7 what was the best hit you have taken?
Well I did a great shell shock impression a couple years back that still stands out in my mind - right by the public too. I had a ton of people ask if I was really ok...

9th) Do you carry your good in a cooler, or do you use your haversack?
Who uses a fucking cooler?

10th) Does the weather determine whether you go to an event or not?
Only pansys do that...

11th) Have you ever done an event in rain?
Many...

12th) What type of weapon do you use?
'47 Springfield - it's the only weapon to use ;-)

13th) Have you ever done a Living History?
I very much prefer those, there just aren't very many at all out here in Cali

14th) How many years have you been reenacting?
About 10 now... gads, no wonder I'm burnt out

15th) Did you start out reenacting as a company drummer?
THANKFULLY NO.
I carried a flag.

16th) Have you ever marched in a parade?
Dozens.

17th) Do you go into action wearing a full kit (kapsack/blanket roll, haversack, canteen, etc.)?
All the time. Who leaves kit behind to be raided by runners? The only time I don't wear marching kit is during battalion dress parade.

18th) Have you ever gone Polyester Hunting?
There's way more farb out there than just polyester...

19th) Can you sew your own garments?
Yeah, I'm pretty good with a needle and thread, and a hand crank...

1930's/Maffia Night at 1087

We had our 3rd Maffia/1930's night here at 1087. Yes, it's mostly people wearing suits and waving guns, but it's fun

Here's the guys collectively.

Kelly had a brilliant hat that went with the theme quite well. Don't ask about the wall art in the back, it's a 1087 tradition ;-)

Dave as the leader of the San Francisco Chinese maffia, sporting an original pseudo-tattoo by yours truely.

The next party is due to take place at the brand new residence of 1087 and will be of massive proportions with plenty of themed activities and food stuffs... be there!

Of Mice and Mangos

Alright, there's really nothing here about mice. I could try and think of something - like the fact that there's a mouse that occassionally visits our kitchen and runs accross the floor in the morning. But he doesn't really do anything damaging so we don't mind him or actively try and destroy him.

But there is a great deal to do with mangos. Yes. Mangos. And food in general. I should provide context...

My roomie, Dave (yes, same name as me), is a brilliant cook. As in, if the lad decided to actually attend cullinary school, he'd make it HUGE in the business.

I'm not a bad cook myself either ;-)

Well, there's this other friend ours, Kelly - she is also a good cook, loves cooking, and likes to make dinner for our group whenever Dave isn't. Well, our friends decided to put it to rest once and for all who was the best, and threw together an Iron Chef competition. They took up donations and we had a hundred dollar budget for a four course meal. Dave picked me as his sous chef.

We found out a few hours before cooking that the "main ingredient" was to be mangos. I'm like, mangos? Ok... So we went down to the supermarket and made up some recipies.

Our menu consisted of: flakey pastry with mango chillie pepper mousse (sweet, yet with a kick!); a "salad" of mango, strawberries, mellon, grilled asparagus and red pepper in a honeydew half; Salmon with a glaze of reduced mango puree and fresh juiced oranges with a side of shishkabobbed potatoes, onions, and garlic, and organic chips with a special mango salsa; and for desert, after all the sweetness of the mango bits, we went light with just a grilled mango half with a plain white cake.