2004-06-01 - 4:05 p.m.

Uhh...wow

Can we do that again...soon?

(I mean, without the folks who had to work entirely too hard to pull it off having to work so hard again...I just want to snap my fingers and have the fun happen again without the work...)

I had a couple of really darned good days.

Not just because I was honored with the Sapphire Prize for Chivalry in the Rapier List, although that was a very pleasant surprise. I rather thought I was just about the least deserving of it...but the decision wasn't mine to make.

Nor was it just because Rhiannon got recognition for her Weaving in two different ways, as she received her Coral Branch and won the Process competition for her weaving documentation...although that was also very pleasant and wonderful to see and well deserved.

Nor was it just just because the Canton became real...although that was the culmination of a long journey which I feel honored to be a small part of.

Like Master Kevin said in his entry, sometimes it just works.

This event worked.

The "Qualify on Saturday for the Sapphire Tourney on Sunday" worked much better than I originally anticipated. Certainly I didn't hear any fighters complaining about not getting enough. One gallant soul (who shall remain nameles....oh the hell with it...Ragnar) managed to fight on both fields on Saturday well enough to place highly in the Rapier Tourney *and* garner an invitation to the Sunday Heavy Tourney.

Me, although I wanted to do both, I barely had the stuff to get through the nine fights of the Rapier Tourney...losing all nine...but that's completely inconsequential. I've spent two and a bit years not being able to do what I wanted to do, and lost the fun. Yeah, I got well compensated for my service in terms of recognition, and I appreciate that quite a bit, but I had forgotten what it was like to just be in the moment, not worrying about "I really should be home working on my LoI for this month" or "Okay, I have to get these fights in fast, because I have to open the consultation table in 30 minutes" or "Why no, I don't have the complete information on what's going on with your submission on me right now...let me finish unpacking my truck and I might be able to find it for you". I was able to serve as I was able (Hey, I'm loud and I'm not afraid to use it, and I can tote that barge and lift that bale when you need it, maybe I don't have the physical endurance to do it all day, but I can give you a strong hour or two or three), and aside from that I was able to fight, or sit and watch the fights of others, and remember what it was like.

Yeah, I got the golden goosegg on the tally sheet...but I've never had nine fights which were as much fun. Top it off with some of the Melee practice on Sunday, and it was marvelous.

The Heavy War Practice on Sunday was just perfect as well. I wasn't able to go all afternoon, since my spear broke and my armor wasn't perfect (Need pants which are just a *skosh* larger and better padded), but I was able to wear myself out, shake off some of the rust, and generally remember what the moment was like.

The great invitation project just made it that much cooler. When Fritz first suggested it, I was like "Uhh...how is this going to work?" When I spent the better part of a month trying to figure out an inspiration for a pattern to use for the medallion I was starting to wonder if my skills were inadequate. When I couldn't get the mold to fill completely I was wondering if I'd lost my mind.

But we were able to meld together the artistic minds of four separate artisans in three different skills and make a coherent and quite lovely prize. I just hope at least one of them ends up in a place of honor on someone's wall.

The fun is back, and I needed that desparately. I was *this* close to giving it up. But now it's on to the next event (Highland River Melees in two weeks). See ya there...I'll be the guy with the spear.

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