So yesterday, I almost had a great add-on to my Texas trip this weekend.
Friday is my brother's wedding in Austin, Saturday is a friend's wedding in San Marcos, and I just got an e-mail yesterday that there is a Steampunk show in Austin on Saturday night, with Abney Park performing. This made me extremely happy.
Then this morning, I look at the Saturday wedding invite, and it is two hours before the show starts. *sigh* The universe mocks me.
On the bright side, it does save me a bit of packing.
I taught my first extended rapier workshop this weekend. Six and a half hours in Fargo with ten students, and I think it went pretty well. We then fought for about three hours today before I drove back, and I am happy with what I saw.
It looks like they will be doing drill work on Mondays.
I am also quite happy with the new constraint drill I made up this week in prepping for the class.
I might be able to make it down for Memorial Day Weekend, but it will be tricky. The one set of flights that I can afford would have me arriving on Friday, May 28 after midnight (12:30) and flying out at 6am on Mon, June 1.
Can anyone provide me rides and a place to stay? If I can find that before the prices go up, I will book the tickets.
After observing an Acadamie della'Spada class in Seattle, I have remembered a recommendation I heard years ago.
I would like to start listening to period appropriate music while warming up to get into the rhythms of that time and place.
As such, can anyone recommend some good secular music for the following periods:
Italy 1530-1580
Italy 1600-1620
Spain 1600-1650
The only composers I know of offhand are Orlando de Lassus, Vecchi, and Monteverdi, and unfortunately, most of what I am finding at the store is religious music. It is good, but Masses don't give the rhythms that I am looking for.
Dance music would also be useful, so if there is a general CD of music for Arbeau or Carruso, that may be good too.
Adam Velez just started a new publishing house for Western Martial Arts book.
His first offerings are a new translation of Giganti by Tom Leoni, and "In Saint George's Name: an Anthology of Medieval Fighting Arts" by Christian Tobler.
I am off to Seattle for the joys of 4W until Monday followed by touristy stuff until Thursday. I should be back on line around next Friday. We'll see how long until I am caught up on the missed mail.
Good luck to everyone fighting in the tourney at Haire Affaire.
I know some of my MRF and TRF friends knew him, and may not have heard.
Bert Pfieffer from Scarborough Fraire passed away last night.
An amazing, creative performer who threw himself into the show as well as anyone I have ever known. Capitano for I Triumphanti, and the partner for one of the best lane fights I've ever had (from the Maypole all the way to the front gate at Scarborough).
Gone far too soon, but he lived so much more of life than most of us in his time.
As sandmansister passed on from Suzy, "someone who nail guns himself to a roof to cheat death by *boomsplat* should be freakin' IMMORTAL."
hopeful
bouncy