Monthly Archives: November 2005

Three less books

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Sold via Amazon: The Medieval Soldier: 15th Century Campaign Life Recreated in Colour Photographs. Nice military history book with lots of photographs of reenactors. Having recently gotten involved in historical reenactment myself, I did not want to part with it. However the price I got ($62) is hard to argue with.

Earlier this week I sold my copy of Gardiner’s Egyptian Grammar for $45. From childhood, growing up near the University of Chicago’s Oriental Institute, I have been fascinated by Ancient Egypt and the surrounding regions. However, I have way too many interests, and know now I have to make some choices about how far to follow each of them.

Likewise Sneddon’s The Use of Integral Transforms ($25). This is a textbook on advanced applied mathematics, and so closer to my formal studies. However, I have several other books that cover similar subjects, none of which will fetch me anything worthwhile on the used market (I have checked). So I am keeping those instead.

That’s $132 for the week. Not bad, if you don’t place a value on giving up dreams.

Not just me!

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I was driving home from the bus park-and-ride this evening, and, as usual listening to the local Classical station. They played Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyrie”. As always when this happens, I found myself fighting the urge to press down on the accelerator.

Afterward the announcer apologized for playing it during rush hour. It seems someone in the UK did a survey of music that was being played when a driver was in an accident. “Ride of the Valkyrie” was at the top of the list!

Linguistic Profile, and an old radio program.

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Since mia_mcdavid mentioned my parents, I gave this a try.

Your Linguistic Profile:
70% General American English
15% Upper Midwestern
10% Yankee
5% Midwestern
0% Dixie

Looks like my mother (from Minnesota) had more influence than my father (South Carolina). Not surprising, especially since my father had been living in the north since well before I was born. I only really noticed his southern accent when he was talking to another Southerner.

The mind can wander in strange directions …. This reminded me of “Shakespearean Baseball”, a comedy routine which was played on Chicago radio station WFMT’s Midnight Special for as long as I can remember. One line goes like this:

“… thou art indeed a southpaw, thy pa is from the South.” (I am a leftie, as was my father).

A quick look at Google led me to the script for “Shakespearean Baseball”. I also found an inferior (IMHO) variant text.

Much Better Saturday Morning

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Tom slept until 8:30, unlike last Saturday. We actually got up before he did. mia_mcdavid is out having morning tea with a friend now. Afterwards she will go to a work party for the staff of colgaffneyis. I am watching Tom until our aide for today comes, assuming there is one. Tom has watched some of his videos, and is now playing a video game. So on the surface the situation is very similar, but the extra sleep makes all the difference.

Day after Thanksgiving

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I did not do my part for the American retail industry. I bought some materials at Tandy Leather and at the local hardware store, which I need for a gift I am making for my older son James. That’s it. Actually, I did my serious Christmas shopping months ago, and had no intention of going near a mall today.

I also started a batch of mead. After reading about rhymeswithghoti‘s mead brewing a while back I had been thinking it was time to brew again. This will be another of my sparkling dry ginger meads, which have been well received by many, including the dance guild of colgaffneyis. Long ago my father said that my mead was the only drinkable mead he had ever tasted. Anybody who knew him would recognize that this was quite a complement.

This morning our younger son Tom let mia_mcdavid and me sleep until 7:20–not as good as yesterday, but not bad by our standards. Later I was able to to do all of the mead preparation while Mia was taking a nap, and while I was also watching Tom–the aide we were supposed to have was AWOL. Tom was quite well behaved, and both of us actually had quite a pleasant time.

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I had the day off, thanks to the 9 hours I worked on Sunday. It was quiet and relaxing, except for about 10 scary minutes when James was choking on a pill. This was only possible Tom was in school, and we had an aide to cope with him after school.

Did some housework and shopping with mia_mcdavid, then we went to the lunch buffet at the local Indian restaurant. The last is becoming a tradition on days when we are both free and we have coverage for Tom (Actually, the last phrase is redundant). After getting home we both napped. Later we went to the St. Paul Farmers Market to pick up our turkey (ordered long before) and a few other things.

While doing a yard chore for mia_mcdavid I remembered to bring my shaving horse indoors. I know of woodworkers who use their shaving horses outdoors all year long. None of them live in Minnesota.

In the late afternoon I did a little work in the shop. I am making a targe (17th century Scottish Highlander’s shield) as a gift for James.He will be able to use it when we are at events of colgaffneyis. I was able to saw and file the plywood blank to a reasonable approximation of a circle, then glued a leather cover to what will be the inside. Later I will glue some heavier leather to the outside, then add the nails there, and finally the grips.