Author: Jennifer Kuntz

Just marking time here at work until I can get back home to do some more sewing.  I was good and adjusted our Netflix account so that almost all of the movies coming in are from Tom’s selection list.  He picks lots of horror movies and thrillers that I’m generally not interested in, so I don’t feel like I’m missing something if I’m working in the other room while he’s watching TV.

To complete:

I’ve decided I’m not going to buy garb at war unless it’s something I can’t make for myself or it’s a REALLY good deal.

Where are you camping, and where else will you be findable?
Barony of Windmasters’ Hill N31.  You can also find me attending classes, supporting my Lord at the fencing field and shopping.

When are you arriving?
Thursday, August 10

What fun things are you planning to do?
I will be filling my time with classes, visiting with friends and cheering on my hubby.  I’ll also be attending some meetings for Chatelaines and Librarians.

And, if there’s any chance I haven’t connected LJ names and SCA names, what’s your SCA name?
Lady Eibhlin inghean ui Chiarain

We have acquired a large red wagon for stuff transport.  I’ll probably be towing that a fair amount of the time, especially back anf forth from the fighting fields, so watch for me!

I’ve always thought about my career as a kind of circus trapeeze act.  I try to jump from one thing to another with sufficient build-up of momentum and a solid place to land.  Sometimes It’s a scarier jump over a longer distance, but I always try to plan a good takeoff and landing.

Well, I think I scored a triple backflip this time!

it’s a simple story, complicated by weird things.  I am temporarily in charge of the library I have been working at since I moved to NC.  I had hoped that due to the nature of the person for whom I was holding the position, that he might not come back to this job, and I would become the permanent chief.  That didn’t happen.  I got the news in April that he is planning to come back in September.  So, I started looking for another job with the default of staying where I am and just taking the pay cut.  I limited my search to places I knew we wanted to live, so I had a pretty short list.  But one of the places was on the same installation, just in a different library.  A position opened up at our local medical library and I applied for it, thinking I wouldn’t even get the interview as I don’t have a lot of recent medical experience.  However, I did get a call for a phone interview and I found out yesterday that I was selected for the job!  Yippee!

So, I will have a new job in September, but I won’t be changing employers or having to move.  Bonus all around.  And my decision was reinforced further when I found out today (while telling my boss) that the Army has decided not to renew my temporary promotion effective this pay period.  So, I’ll give them my last month and then go over to the other position with a light heart. 

I am very ready for my vacation.

Yesterday was not a good day.  I came in early to help set up for a program with the Sesame Street Live performers who are in town this week.  Due to weird commuication on all sides, we had a HUGE crowd and very little program.  They didn’t have much planned.  I didn’t have ANYTHING planned because I though they were going to be doing more than they did.  The kids were given the opportunity to come up and hug one of the costumed characters and the character got up and left before all the kids got their hugs.  This left us with a remnant of upset kids and ANGRY parents.  So we dealt with that.  And continue to deal with it.  Now they are giving us some gifts to assuage people.  So I have to try and find the people who have obviously decided to wash their hands of the entire thing and try to make this up to them with a gift.

AARRGGHH!

I’m just tired of the whole thing right now.  Maybe it’s hormones, but I find myself having to stop myself (unsuccessfully on occasion) from being sarcastic and snarky.  I guess I’m just tired of being tolerant and GOOD.  Little things are getting on my nerves.  Like our one library aide, who is in his 30’s, lives at home with his parents in their $500,000 house and tells me EVERY DAY about the home theater system they are installing for him.  I know he’s got special needs and will probably never be fiscally or socially competent enough to live on his own or have an adult relationship.  I know it’s part of his personality thing to go on and on about the subjects that interest him, that he’s just looking for approval and interest in other people.  But why do I have to smile and feign interest when what I want to say is, “Look, buddy, some of us don’t get to live rent free with our parents for the rest of our lives and spend our salaries on making ourselves happy.  Some of us have to use the money we earn to pay for medical bills and power and water and getting the car fixed.  So, while I’m very happy that you are solving the monumental problem of getting all 500,000 of your electronic devices on a universal remote, I’d really appreciate it if you NEVER MENTION IT AGAIN, EVER.” 

It’s sick really.  I’m eaten up with envy for his blithe disregard for socially appropriate behavior.  I’d love to go through life saying what I want to say and not noticing that I’m driving people right around the bend.  I want to be boring and rude and obvious and not care about it.  It’s like Flowers for Algernon, too smart to enjoy it, but the impulses are still there.

So I try to be nice, and self censor and HATE myself when I can see I’ve said or done the wrong thing.  
Maybe I should go on retreat and take a vow of silence.

Enough for now.

MSNBC news reports that Hillary Clinton met with Oprah Winfrey to discuss Oprah’s becoming her VP nominee in 2008.  This is interesting news, even if it turns out to be false.  A ticket like this might just mobilize enough female and African American voters to pose a substantial challenge to the other candidates running in ’08.  A Hillary/Oprah ticket would be guaranteed to be the talk of the media.   It would energize the Democratic base.  It’s certainly gutsy.  Oprah’s a smart woman, she’s definitely business savvy.  I have a lot of respect for Hillary that I have to keep quiet (’round here).  If approaching Oprah is her idea, I’ve gained a little bit more.    

Not much to say today.  Just working, excercise and then going home to do some sewing for Pennsic.  I’m working on pants for the man and lightweight, layerable stuff for me.  Also a tent awning and chair covers.  I have two weeks, I can do this.

I don’t like waiting for stuff.  On the other hand, I know I’m not REMOTELY ready for some of the things I am waiting for.  So all it does is make me tense.  Curse you, ineffable dichotomy of exsistence.

I think I need to find some things to distract myself with.  I’m going off now to educate some soldiers about the great resources available to them for their ed-u-ma-cation.   Wish me luck!

I was driving in to work this morning and I almost ran into a flock of wild turkeys coming out of a cornfield.  There must have been about 40 of them.  They took off flying, which was pretty cool as they are quite large birds.  I’m guessing they were immature because they all looked like hen turkeys, no big toms with the wattles and big butts.  Unless the girl turkeys all hang out together in the summer.  I don’t know much about them.

So that was my wildlife experience for the day.  I wonder if it’s an omen or something.

We had a lovely time at Baronial Champions.  We did a little more tent shakedown and can see some areas that will need to be addressed, mostly storage and comfort things.  The floor (exercise mats) worked very well.  Now I have to shampoo the rug  for the layer on top of the mats.

Tiernen was inducted into the Order of the Tempest (Baronial fighting order) and I took over as Baronial Chatelaine (newcomer’s liason and general cheerleader).  It’s a lovely thing to be in a barony that hangs together as well as Windmaster’s Hill does.  There is always a little tension in every organization, but you get a sense here that most people are trying very hard to be civil and respectful and to make the organization run smoothly.  Our peerage and Baronial officers set a good example and the populace follows suit.  It’s a group in which I am proud to be. 

Now I have to run and help Tiernen with some administrative stuff at his job.  No exercise tonight, sigh.  Hopefully, Wednesday.

So the A/C is on the fritz again at work.  I’m thinking of this as pre-Pennsic conditioning, but to do that, I should be hydrating more.  Any suggestions for tasty, cool drinks (especially period ones) to be served over ice for hot days?  I already know about Sekunjabin and Hypocras.  Mint and things in the “green” taste spectrum and tea are favs.  Citrus is OK, as is berry.  Looking for refreshing rather than sweet. 

EDIT: A/C fixed Thursday AM, so that’s good.  But I’d still like the drink suggestions.