Mixed Metaphors

That's A Migraine!

2009-10-22T14:16:18Z

Yesterday's bus-ride home involved my sister txting me with a migraine and a tension headache of my own. I tried to cheer her up with a little filk, but she couldn't read the screen on her phone for more than a few minutes, and I couldn't get anything relevant to a migraine to rhyme with "spew." Plus, I don't remember that much more of the tune. But there you go.

To the tune "It's Amore:"

When the pain in you head,
Makes you wish you were dead -
That's a migraine!
When the sun in the sky's
Like a nail in your eye -
That's a migraine!
When you want to cry,
When you're turning green,
If Self-Trepanation
Has become your dream -
That's a migraine!

Expensive String:

2009-10-21T18:13:28Z

And also, I ordered this for myself in an attempt to cheer up and do anything other than sit on the couch and feel miserable.

Laundry List:

2009-10-05T15:27:53Z

You know you've let the laundry get out of hand when you are no longer measuring it in two dimentions and have to resort to using THREE.

In other words, NORMALLY, the laundry is considered "out of control," if it has overflowed the basket and is now covering the bedroom floor... Since my body has been taken over by life forms that care not for my opinions on food OR appropriate times to sleep, the disgraceful state of the bedroom has gone beyond two dimensional sloppiness. I did laundry ALL DAY yesterday, and instead of measuring progress by how much of the floor I could see, I had to go by HOW DEEP the layer of dirty clothes on the floor was.

Disheartening, let me tell you. But I'll be damned if I'm going to resort to buying new clothes because all the other ones are dirty... Nevermind the fact that none of them fit me. I will have clean clothes as soon as I get my body back. In the mean time, most of the mess has been washed and put away. I think there are probably about 3 more loads in process, but that should be something I can complete tonight while Zig is watching the Packer's game with his Mommy.

Sadly, just the "non-activity" of doing laundry (SRSLY... It's not like I actually have to SCRUB the clothes. I just carried them down the stairs and put them into the machine...) wore me out and I was OUT COLD on the couch by 8:00 pm, only to be AWAKENED by a headache at midnight. The Tylenol with codeine helped me get back to sleep, but the headache is back again this morning. How much of that stuff can I take without becoming a junky? Will being a junky be better or worse than being driven INSANE by the constant pain of a 3 month long headache?

"Amputation is the only way," is supposed to be a joke, but lately I've been giving it serious consideration. OW.

Making an "ass" of poor "ume"...

2009-09-04T20:10:55Z

I shall refrain from speculating as to whether or not that mole on your face is, in fact, a malignant tumor; if you, in exchange, will refrain from speculating about the status and disposition of my body parts.

I need to have a t-shirt made up. For serious.

Feeling bett....zzzzzz.....

2009-08-31T14:42:29Z

Well.

They have given me drugs to help with the stabbiness. A lovely side effect of said drugs is that they act as a migraine blocker in some people. Thankfully, this seems to be the case for me, as 3 migraines in one week was a bit much (Sorry for those who got to enjoy the last one with me at Schutzenfest at 3:00 AM.), when the most hardcore pain-killer they want in my system right now is tylenol.

I have also lost 6 lbs over the weekend and no longer feel like an over-filled water balloon. That kind of quality edema will make anyone cranky.

I have traded the stabby for constant sleepiness and acid reflux, but I think I can cope with these things without having to kill anyone. A glass of milk and another nap will fix me right up... I just wish I had the time to do all this napping...

Schutzenfest: (Packing list.)

2009-08-21T14:07:34Z

~~Google map to event site.~~

~~Address for SR Harris. Google map FROM event site.~~

~~Coupons~~

Wool for cutting out garb.

Linen to leave with Alinore and Belle

Destructions (measurements) for garments to leave with Alinore and Belle

MEDICATION, VITAMINS, GINGER TEA.

Yogurt critters for Alinore.

Car charger for phone.

Crown box.

Garb. (Find pants for horsey riding...)

Red and black pairs of boots.

Sewing basket.

Stools.

From Twitter 08-09-2009

2009-08-10T07:19:39Z

07:54:26: LizKalmbach: Sister's son born last night at 11:30 pm. 7 lbs 14 oz.
07:57:09: LizKalmbach: Baby still nameless. Sang him Berserker's Song as his first lullabye.
11:25:37: LizKalmbach: http://bit.ly/I4CSf

Tweets copied by twittinesis.com

From Twitter 07-27-2009

2009-07-28T07:05:21Z

15:01:08: LizKalmbach: Last night, saw 3 children at the base of a sky torch holding hands and yelling, " all hail Zul!"

Tweets copied by twittinesis.com

From Twitter 07-24-2009

2009-07-25T07:05:22Z

07:11:13: LizKalmbach: Finished hemming the blue wool tunic from G, then slept for 7 hours. ... Still in Ohio...

Tweets copied by twittinesis.com

From Twitter 07-23-2009

2009-07-24T07:05:12Z

13:40:29: LizKalmbach: Pennsic, pennsic, PENNSIC!!!! I have 3 kinds of cheddar, a gouda, a mozz, and 3 kinds of cream cheese, plus yogurt to share... mmmmm.
14:06:12: LizKalmbach: 2.5 hours of work to go...
14:34:10: LizKalmbach: I am happy to have shared the joys of medieval snail-porn with my friends...

Tweets copied by twittinesis.com

Spermyse

2009-07-22T14:34:14Z

OK... So Spermyse is a period cheese, the modern equivalent of which is an herbed cream cheese. I like working on period cheeses and all, but when asked what I am offering, I keep telling people "herbed cream cheese" because... Well... "Spermyse" just isn't an appetizing word to me.

This aside, my herbed cream cheese went over quite well at WW for 3:00 AM drunken larder raids, so this morning, I threw a batch together to "percolate" while I'm at the office. Around 8:00 tonight, I should be able to start draining off the whey while I frantically pack for Pennsic.

Which is the point at which I ask you, dear friends... What kinds of herbs do you want in your cream cheese? This question is of particular importance if you're on your way to Pennsic and think you may end up getting some of this cheese...

Dill?
Chive?
Cracked black pepper?
Rosemary and garlic?

Something I haven't thought of? If red pepper was period, I'd be all over it... I might even make a secret so-wrong-for-period-but-so-right-for-my-tummy stash...

Pennsic Meme

2009-07-21T16:00:50Z

Stole this from fieryredhead, HRM Ansteorra.

Where are you camping, and where else will you be findable?
As per my usual, I'll be down at Vlad's Pleasure Pavilions in E19. Stop by the Coffee Shoppe, Group Therapie & Assassin's Guilde for an Irish Coffee some evening!

When are you arriving?
We will be arriving on Friday, 24 August to help the Land Grab staff. We will likely be leaving on Saturday, 8 August.

What fun things are you planning to do?
Opening and Closing ceremonies, waterbearing for all the Armored and Rapier War Points, first week parties at Vlad's (I'll be hiding in the Coffee Shoppe.), classes pertaining to string/weaving/spinning, and a variety of lovely parties and teas thrown by my old Aethelmearc posse (a.k.a. our Hosts!) in BMDL, and the 20th anniversary celebration of my beloved Clan, Kindred of the Wolf.

And, if there's any chance I haven't connected LJ names and SCA names, what's your SCA name?
Previously, I was Elizabeth of Bright Sands. Since the wedding, I've put in for the name Elisabeth von Kulmbach. Currently, I'm also HRH Northshield. (Though I doubt there's anyone on my flist that DIDN'T know that...)

"Cumin and G'ouda the Sun"

2009-07-21T14:48:48Z

I think this is the first time in 10 years that I don't feel ready for Pennsic. I don't have enough garb, and all of the stuff that I cleaned and re-packed last year needs to be re-sorted and re-packed this year, to minimize redundancies between my own kit and the regalia that we now must bring. In thinking it through, I think that the only regalia we really need is the crowns and the thrones... But they take up plenty enough room, where we didn't have enough space as it was.

Last week, I made a new black tunic for sirzig and hopefully in the remaining portion of this week, I can make myself one to match. While I was doing all that sewing (by hand, of course...) I made up some cheese for Pennsic with the raw milk that Mearha Fyrstdohtor brought me for my birthday. I will be taking a cumin herbed gouda to Pennsic that we will eat green, rather than aged. I have tentatively named it "Cumin and G'ouda the Sun." I also tried a new mozzarella recipe, that didn't turn out *quite* right, being as I used Kemp's brand milk from the grocery store, but the results were *much* better than what I had been getting with the citric acid recipe.

(The gouda is on the left and the mozz is on the right.)

I had to press the mozzarella instead of spinning it the traditional way, because I *still* didn't manage to hit the correct acidity using my lactobacillus helveticus, but the flavor is just fantastic.

Both cheeses are currently drying out in a cludged together cooler/cheese cave and will be waxed Thursday evening for safe transport to War.

Wednesday evening, I plan to start a nice "spermyse" like the 3 that I had at WW. Most people seemed to enjoy the chive and the dill flavors, so that is what I will make. I need to wait until the last possible second to make the cream cheese, as it will not keep for more than 4-5 days. I plan to use it for snacking during the first days of setup.

All week, I have been enjoying and maintaining a stock of yogurt (made with said l. helveticus) with frozen berries. What remains of the quart container when it comes time to leave for War on Friday morning, will be packed up and taken along for breakfasts in the Coffee Shoppe.

Many people have been dubious about my offering of unsweetened yogurt, but the l. helveticus makes for a *very* creamy and delicious yogurt. (Normally you see a lot of l. bulgaris and l. acidophilus in yogurt. L. helveticus is the culture that is used in many of the Mediterranean cheeses like swiss, mozzarella, and provolone, and accounts for their creamy flavor.) I've found that even modern children with a taste for commercial yogurt will eat my plain yogurt if given fruit to use as a "spoon."

... Sooner or later I'll post pictures of the garb... I swear... I'm still trying to get the hang of taking pictures on this new phone.

WW:

2009-07-07T18:59:25Z

Tonight I need to make more cheese and yogurt for WW's Baronial Showcase. Last night I made yoghurt (strained greek style), cream cheese (it's draining out... if it's made of fail, it won't be shown...), and mozzarella (after 3 failed batches, I finally succeeded. Note to self: Morning Glory brand milk does NOT make cheese. It makes a mess. It's apparently pasteurized at too high a temp to be cheese-worthy.) I also cracked open my cheddar from April and have found it to be display-worthy, so there will be a very small quantity of that available as well.

Tonight, I need to stop at the store and get crackers upon which people may place my cheeses/spreads, more milk, and some contributions for a colleague's birthday celebration. I also need to clean and pack all my garb, and decide what all needs to be taken out of the "camping stash" for WW. (French press!!! COOOOOFFFEEEEEE!!!!)

Tomorrow night, I'll have the husband (I know, I know... I didn't write about the wedding... There was just too much of it...) help me load all the pavilion parts into my wee car, and I'll pack whatever I can in around the edges.

Thursday, it'll be a full day at the office, and then off to WW! Wheeee!

New Hotness:

2009-06-10T16:08:42Z

I has new phone. I hope the reception and coverage area prove to be acceptable, 'cause I'm already in love with this phone!

Portered Cheddar

2009-06-01T17:36:55Z

Over the weekend I put together two cheeses. One was a portered cheddar. Before pressing the cheese, I soaked the curds in a porter that I boiled until it was "double strength." The goal was more a flavored cheese than an alcoholic one, so I figured it wouldn't much matter if I evaporated all the alcohol from the beer.

I'm moderately pleased with the outcome, now that the cheese is out of the press:

The marbling is light, but you can still see it, and the smell is very much "portery." I want to eat some nownownow, but it won't be done aging for "3-24 months." ... If I can just make it until Christmas, I figure that should be about right.

I also made a lingonberry cheddar which is in the press at this moment. There will be pictures as soon as it's out this evening.

Dilly Jack and Sile Jock:

2009-05-29T15:10:35Z

Sile and Jock helped me crack open the dilly jack cheese I made last month to make sure it wasn't poison.

It's actually quite tasty! Sadly, though it passed the taste-test, my cheese didn't hit the right acidity and didn't melt in the microwave-trial... Actually... it kinda poofed and turned into an odd sort of styrofoam peanut, and then tried to set the nuker on fire.

I also began an experiment in porter cheddars, and my beery-curds are currently in the cheesy-press being squished under 50 lbs of iron. I need to buy a notebook for recording my cheesy processes so that in the event I have a success that I care to repeat, I CAN... There's no way I'll remember what I did to a cheese, 6 months later, when I find out whether or not the cheese is yummy... Heck... I wasn't really paying attention to what I did last night and couldn't tell you how long I left the curds "curing" while I futzed around with the porter...

Saturday, I want to scrub the carpets and make another cheese. I need a nice "short aged" cheese so I'll have something to crack open at WW. Anyone want to come help?

WWED

2009-05-28T21:09:01Z

Teffan posted video of me presenting Edward with the Princess' Sleeve.

This is both weird for me to watch and hilarious. It's weird because I'm not used to seeing myself from "audience point of view." Hilarious because I can literally SEE the "Princess Voice" trail off and run out of things to say and then the clutch and shift happens and WWED* takes over. It's almost seamless.

It's good to have an Excellent Laurel.

*What Would Eithni Do?

Patience and Sincerity:

2009-05-28T19:23:08Z

Jocelin made me FALL OUT laughing last night. She is the epitome of all that his polite and proper, and for all that, one heck of an intimidating woman to hang out with. Last night, she uttered something with the most SINCERE expression on her face and I had instant flashbacks to the time we tried to teach my brother to say "thank you" when he was 2.

We would hand him something and say, "Now say THANK YOU."

Only he knew how this game went. When someone says "thank you," you say "you're welcome." The rest of the words and the context don't matter. "WELCOME," he'd say firmly.

"Nononono," we'd correct him. "THANK YOU."

"WELCOME." He'd re-iterate, as though to a particularly slow child.

"No. I. want. YOU. to. say. THAAAAANK YOOOOOUUU."

He would then sigh dramatically, roll his eyes, then make eye contact to make sure you understood. "WEEEEEELLLCOMMMMMMEEE."

While Jocelyn wasn't the one in this situation that was making the social blunder, the communication disconnect was certainly similar, with me just as flummoxed as to where it all went wrong.

***

Yeah... Some days are just like that.

I HATE PAPERWORK.

2009-05-27T06:11:02Z

But the wedding invitations are mostly sent and the schedule and course description for WW are done and sent.

My brains are fried. My inbox is WRECKED.

SQUEE!

2009-05-20T17:34:29Z

eithni got me a copy of Wild Color: The complete guide to making and using natural dyes for CHEAP! My stoopid hurty-neck kept me from being useful for terribly long last night, so I laid around reading for the better part of the evening... The pictures are beautiful, but I'm bit concerned by her casual use of "stale urine" as an ingredient...

Pretty Princess Kit:

2009-05-13T20:20:58Z

So... I have this problem. I don't have as much quality garb as I'd like for the reign. (2 outfits ain't gonna cut it... I managed to wear both of them in one day at Crown, and I've got 2 WARS to attend...)

That being the case, and being as I've had more kind offers to help than I can keep track of, Eithni and I put together some "tunic kits" last night. We cut out all the pieces required to make me a tunic, printed off some assembly instructions, and a card with contact info if there are any questions, jammed it all in a zip-lock baggie, and now anyone who wants to help CAN with very little trouble. All you need are a needle, thread, and nimble fingers or a fancy machine...

I'm hoping that I can put together some similar "kits" for sirzig next week and get those into circulation quickly as well.

My only complaint? I really, really hate cutting out patterns. It is my LEAST favorite part of sewing. I really love sewing... I want someone to make ME a Pretty Princess Kit so I'll have an excuse to go sit in a corner and play with string.

Ah, well. Hopefully I can get one together for myself in time for the looooong drive out to Silks, Needles, and More! out in Korsvag. That'll be something to look forward to. In the mean time, I'm trying to figure out if I have time to slap together a new apron dress for ARRG! You know... Because I have too much spare time on my hands.

Mama's Advice

2009-05-13T05:27:05Z

Remember when you were little and your Mama told you not to cut your own hair because you'd end up looking stupid?

That advice remains sage even when you're older. Even if it's for a cool project. Even if you're Princess. None of these things makes you a hairdresser.

Boy do I look like an idiot. I hope my bangs grow back before ARRG.

Speaking of which, I hope you will all come and fence in my tourneys! Yes, that's TWO WHOLE TOURNEYS. Sile said I didn't have to choose which tourney format I liked more. She is letting me have BOTH. She is sweetest ever. Now I just need to get dispensation from the King and Queen to write up some pardons for a few people...

The Unimaginable

2009-05-11T05:33:34Z

Home from the event. I am wrecked. The house is wrecked... I think my tidily planned schedule for the next year is uh... "dramatically altered."

I have a mess of organizing to do. I need to call "Merry Mongol Maids" and tell them I got a recommendation from previous patrons... Hope their Aelfs can work miracles...

Would anyone like to stand in for me as Gate Troll at AARG? Aparently I'll be too busy holding a tourney to take care of that myself. Sorry Sile.

Thank you to everyone who shared the day with me and kept me too distracted to get nervous. Hope I can make you all proud to be Northshield. I know I am.

Tar Babies:

2009-05-07T15:21:38Z

My black wax came in the mail, and I have painted my cheeses black!

Zig had to go to the store last night, so I put in a request for a silver paint marker, so I could label them with their start dates and types so that I'll know when they're "ripe." Hopefully I'll eventually have enough cheeses that these labels will be necessary...

Mixed Metaphors

That's A Migraine!

Expensive String:

Laundry List:

Making an "ass" of poor "ume"...

Feeling bett....zzzzzz.....

Schutzenfest: (Packing list.)

From Twitter 08-09-2009

From Twitter 07-27-2009

From Twitter 07-24-2009

From Twitter 07-23-2009

Spermyse

Pennsic Meme

"Cumin and G'ouda the Sun"

WW:

New Hotness:

Portered Cheddar

Dilly Jack and Sile Jock:

WWED

Patience and Sincerity:

I HATE PAPERWORK.

*SQUEE!*

Pretty Princess Kit:

Mama's Advice

The Unimaginable

Tar Babies:

SQUEE!