Today is Sunday, and I haven't done a great deal since Wednesday. That day was fighter practice for the SCA outside the library. It's a nice place to sit and watch, though you do get a lot of stares whilst fighting. I'm learning sword-technique, but at the moment I just want to taste different areas and see what I like. Friday was spent correcting this second version of the paper and chatting rather intensely with my supervisor about possible papers, screamingly slow collaborators and how to wrap up my Ph.D.. I went shopping in the evening, and found a wonderful push-up bra at Target, basically this thing has enough push to go out by itself and pick up. ;) I hope to be able to wave goodbye to my old forms in due course. I also got a phone call from Peta (G) from Sydney and we had a wonderful catch-up chat.
Saturday I wandered into town to look about the shops whilst Saint Patrick's day was in full force. It was kind of nice and I just wandered about window shopping and so on, the day was quite chilly so I got to rug up finally. I just wandered around and then back to University and then later in the evening I had to get ready for the SCA feast which was on that night. I was fairly uncertain of what I had to do or bring, so I got dressed as best I could in my red dress and met up with Jenni and Emma at about 5:30 pm. We got down there and it was Ok.
For some reason I was feeling a bit odd, maybe it was some weird news from earlier in the week or just feeling a bit plain and very, very obviously new to it all. It went off quite well, I got to help out serving, I didn't fall over or screw up and I got to meet and chat to a lot of people. Part of the meeting and greeting custom is to circulate a clove-lemon (a lemon with cloves stuck in it). If someone gives you it, you eat a clove to freshen your breath and you get to choose where the person kisses you. After chatting and the kiss you have to give the lemon to someone else. I think I got the lemon about six times that night, so this should have been an ego-boost, but I was more worried about one of the boys who quite likes me and who may react badly when he finds out more than I want him to know…
So, it was nice and I got whiz-fizzed also. In this case, some one dumps sherbet on your chest or cleavage (if you have it) and then they lick it off. I had a guy on my right side and a girl on my left side doing it, and I wasn't as paranoid as I first thought I would be.
I got home about 11:30 pm and preceded to take my make-up off in the shower, unfortunately I washed some of the cleanser into my eye and went into screaming agony. This hurt A LOT, and all I could do was wash it out and whimper.
I slept and then early in the morning chatted to a friend, this is unusual, but she is going away for two months and so we might not be able to chat for a while. It was wonderful, despite how sore and tired I was it gave me a lift, just in time for the sun to come up.
In the morning I went over to the SCA archery practice and said hi and was remembered from the night before. After borrowing some equipment and a bow, I started practicing and after an hour at 30 meters had my eye in fairly well. I'm planning on going home this Friday, collecting camping equipment and my own bow so that I can go the big Rowany Festival. This is the biggest Australian SCA event and apparently it is a blast. I hope to know enough people by then (Easter Long weekend) to make it good fun. I also need new boots for that, and this was covered by my afternoon purchase.
I wasn't able to pay rent on Friday because the office computer was broken, and hence I actually had money in my bank account over a weekend. I use the past tense, because now I actually own a pair of 20 hole tall Doc Martin boots instead. Yes, I basically splurged and spoilt myself. My reasoning was that I had been lusting after them for over a year and that I could spend money on something purely for my own selfish reasons. They were too loose around the calf, so the shop is having their people bring that in and they should be ready by tomorrow afternoon. I figure that I can wear them pretty much everywhere so I haven't exactly wasted my money on booze or drugs or wild women, so I shouldn't have to feel guilty.
It was also my Mum's birthday on Saturday and I've got a card ready to send her, on top of calling home in an hour or two.
I finally went back and searched for when I went full-time at work, it was October 31st… Halloween… actually, no. I tell a lie it was the 30th, I wrote the diary entry up on the 31st however.