2003-07-29 - 8:27 a.m.

Been working on some frustrating software at work. Yesterday was a one step forward, two steps back kind of day. I finally realized my timing budget was way off. Found the extra zero in a spreadsheet that worked out the prescaling value for a timer, which caused the periodic timer to trigger at one-tenth the rate is it supposed to. One would think woohoo, but then when I tried the code out, it got even less far then previous attempts with the messed up timer... Oh joy, more bugs to find. Wish I had a logic analyzer or oscilloscope to actually be able to see the process timing.....

Practice last night went well. My movement was working fairly well, and even got a few compliments from the knights present. Been working on my movement and my endurance was significantly improved over weeks past. A month ago I was sucking wind after 3 fights. Last night I was ready to keep going after 6 high energy sets. The basket hilt appears to have worked itself a little loose. I need to decide if I want to try to make the U-bolt hold better or just drill a hole in the pommel for a lag bolt. The problem with the U-bolt is that it is at an angle to the sword, so the locknuts can't really get a good grip on the stick. May have to acquire some tubing to fix that, so the nuts have a level area to apply pressure over.

As for Lucia's questions from yesterday:

1. What was it that first drew you to the SCA? By this I mean, what was the thing that you read, saw, heard about the SCA that made you want to get involved?

   There was a group whom I believe were early SCAdians that demo'd at my elementary school, oh, so many years ago. Then there was the whole D&D/roleplaying game fixation. My friends got into Dagorhir, but I was too young to participate in official events at the time, so I only really participated at our own little practices at Oakmark Park (when it was still just soccer fields). In high school, I played with the Darkon folks some. Then looked up the SCA group when I got to Black Diamond. They really didn't need to sell me at the Duck Pond demo they hold every year

2. What was the first step you took as a newcomer to get involved in the SCA?

   I went to the Duck Pond demo in Blacksburg and expressed interest. Black Diamond kind of has it easy in that respect in that they get a yearly crop of potential new folks and they just need to keep them interested long enough to stick around.

3. Who was the most influential person in your decision to join the SCA?

   Kaylun, whom Michael and Seonaid's son is named after. Without him, I wouldn't really have known about it. He took me to my first event with House Bedford, an old Novice Tourney, where I believe a young Sartok won the cherry prize that year. Sadly, he left us before I really got active....

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