I didn’t get out of bed today until about 1:30 or so. Ken brought me food (chicken soup, and later a tomato/cheese/mayo sandwich, and water) and I read another Blaze (pretty much all I’ve been reading lately, except for the newspaper and the latest Realms of Fantasy). Now I’m thinking about taking a bath. Putting in some bath salts and running the jets and just floating. I’ve entered the coughing-and-bodily-fluids phase of the cold, and now I’ll say no more about that, for which I’m sure you’re all relieved.

I did finally write the important e-mail last night, which was a relief, and then we watched Buffy, which started brilliantly and ended horribly.

It’s much later now. I wandered the house, checked e-mail, ate pizza, took a bath, got a headache from taking the bath, napped, read more. I’ve finished two Blazes today and started a third. My brain may rot out of my head before I’m well again, but I’m staying amused. Now Ken’s off at a meeting I really wanted to go to (A&S, about silk banners) and I’m semi-awake and need to take advantage of that by catching up on some e-mail, at the very least.

Oh, but before I forget. Eclipse update: She’s eating, which is a good sign. They took a biopsy of her liver, but it came back inconclusive. Dammit. This means we don’t know if it’s something treatable like an infection or untreatable like cancer. They’re going to keep her there for a few more days and continue dosing her with antiobiotics, so if it’s an infection she should respond to that. I think I’ll try to go in and see her tomorrow.

<><><>

So, I need to update about last weekend.

Grainne and Meala came by early Saturday morning and packed our stuff and me into Grainne’s vehicle, and Umberto followed us on the motorcycle to the event. Once there, my belt broke, but Umberto jury-rigged it, and at first I walked around barefoot with the hem tucked up because the grass was wet. We helped folks set up, and settled in behind the Altavian pavilion, because that’s where Albra (my Pelican) and James (her consort) were going to be. When they arrived, I helped Albra get dressed, and we generally were useful. Berengere (our good friend) finally showed up, much to the relief of an anxious Alexander (her consort).

Opening Court was long because of many awards and a Knighting, but the Knight who stood right in front of me was wearing reasonably form-fitting white leather German pants, so I had nothing to complain about at all. The ceremony (long) was interesting because it was period for the new Knight, a Norseman; it was lovely to see someone put so much time and effort and research into it.

Then there was the presentation of consorts and so forth. As I was standing with Albra (and James, and Umberto who was taking care of James, and Elizabeth and another woman whose name I forget who were taking care of Albra), I noticed that Berengere didn’t have a retainer, and that her usual retainer was with someone else. So I asked Albra if I could get my parasol and shade Berengere (it was turning into a hot, bright, sunny day). To make a long story short, Albra ended up giving me leave to take care of Berengere and Alexander. So I shaded them and made sure they both drank lots of water, and reminded Berengere to breathe when Alexander was fighting. He was knocked out in the fourth round, and James was knocked out soon thereafter, so the rest of the day was mostly free. Umberto bought me freshwater-pearl-headed pins for my leather coronet. Once I saw them, I knew I would never be happy with the plastic ones. I felt bad about the cost (not outrageous, but given our current situation…), but he felt they were necessary. (Sorry, I promise I’ll wipe the lovey-dovey goofy grin off my face any second now. Really. Honest.)

So, the event ended with Count Alaric and Baroness Carynsa as our new Crown Prince and Princess. I don’t know either of them (he was King while we were in Drachenwald). It’s going to be a very different reign; that’s already easy to tell. Gerhardt and Una are very into periodicity; Alaric spent the day wearing headphones and carrying a CD player, and Carynsa’s nailpolish matched her purple panne velvet underdress. Ackthph.

We went out to dinner at an inexpensive Thai place with Eilidh, Grainne, Meala, Alva, Muirenn, and a guy I’ve seen before but never have learned his name. The place was packed, the food was quite yummy, the conversation amusing, and the company excellent.

Afterwards, we hopped on the motorcycle and headed north to Morgana and Brian’s, getting there about 15 minutes after they did. We sat around and chatted and eventually went to bed early.

We woke to rain the next day, so the rapier practise (which is what we went up there for) was cancelled. Ken and I snuggled deeper into the bed and slept in. Blissful. Eventually we crawled out of the warm cocoon and dressed and ate our leftover Thai for breakfast. Morgana and Brian emerged, and we drank tea and chatted, and then headed to the Oxnard Farmer’s Market. They bought rosemary bread that turned out not to be rosemary bread, and strawberries, and Ken bought a lemon cake for tea, and I bought some wheatgrass for the cats. Then Ken and Brian bought scary-looking Mexican food from a vendor, so Morgana and I sat in the car until they returned. We went back to their place and had proper tea, and talked about the other Victorian houses in the area for sale (just in case Ken and I have to move back up there), and about the costumes for the Labyrinth of Jareth. And talked and chatted and hung out with warm wonderful friends until we reluctantly pulled on our bike gear to leave. It had been raining on and off all day, and we darted out during a lull.

It sprinkled on us as we went down Hwy 1 (because it’s much prettier than the 101/405, of course), but the crashing grey waves were gorgeous. Eventually it brightened up as we headed further south. We grabbed an early dinner at CJ’s because we were starving and there wasn’t much food in the house, and made it home before dark (gotta love Daylight Savings).

We watched “Charmed”, and I warped an inkle loom with a Grant-Level Award ribbon pattern. I’ve been working on that on and off since. Once a loom is warped, the actual weaving is pretty mindless, which is nice right now. Once that’s done, I’ve picked out a pattern for my new protégé belt/armband, which I need to have done by Darach Anniversary when Albra and I renew our contract.

<><><>

I’m told that Sacred Exchange: Stories of Transcendence and Spirituality in Dominance and Submission, edited by Lisabet Sarai and published by Blue Moon books, is in stores now! It’s been spotted in a Barnes & Noble in the lit section rather than the erotica section, even! This antho contains my story “Return to Wildwood”, a fantasy/gothic/erotica piece that I’m very fond of. Please check it out! (I don’t think this warning is necessary, given the title of the antho, but be prepared that it contains graphic S&M sex.)