Thud, thud, thud....

You know all that rain we got yesterday? The rain that evidently made the national news with enough of a splash that my Mom emailed me several times from Maryland to make sure I was OK?

Well, it had let up sufficiently by the time I left the house for taiko. It was just me, Sean-sensei, Shannon-sensei, Ryan, Bob and Tracy -  and a roomful of drums that all sounded and felt like they all had a code in der doze. 

The new piece is, well... As is often the case, my sensei are trying to reconstruct something from an old video tape and this thing has several interlocking parts that will not interlock properly if the component lines don't begin on the right beat.  We looped this sucker six ways from Sunday last night and none of us is sure it's working right.

We only got to spend a couple minutes on "Friday Night Gig", but we got a round of applause from the folks who made it for the beginner class after us. I don't have this one in my hands yet and it felt crappy. I SO need to play it more. Wonder if it's worth dragging a practice drum to Coronet and putting in some noise time this Saturday? 

Debating whether to camp Coronet or not. I've got a buttload of laundry I must do this evening.....

Ei. Wa. Chi. Taking back the SCA

Evidently tonight is being brought to us by the letter V.  One can only wonder whether the broadcast is going out to the right places.

The following is a little something one of my friends wrote awhile ago. I try to return to it whenever I need it: 

It has been said by some that the warriors of the Heavenly Kingdom do not belong on the Field of Honor.
(Samurai do not belong in the lists)

     The Three Vows of Honor
      I vow to honor my foe and call his blows fairly and trust that he is fair in turn
     I vow to honor my chosen ancestors, to learn well their weapons and the manner in which they wield them.
     I vow to honor my hosts, to learn well their weapons and the manner in which they wield them.

It has been said by some that the warriors of the Orient do not act like guests among us and upset the tranquility of the Kingdom.
(Samurai do not act like guests)
(Samurai mar my medieval groove)

     The Three Vows of Harmony
      I vow to remember that I am a guest within this society and show gratitude for the hospice.
     I vow to keep my arms, armour, and dress suitable to my station.
     I vow to show respect to the King, the Peers of the Realm, the Nobles and Barons, and all the populace of the Kingdom.

        The Three Vows of Knowledge
     I vow to learn deeply of the ways and customs of my chosen ancestors
            - to honor, cherish, and emulate them.
     I vow to learn deeply of the ways and customs of my hosts
            - to honor, cherish, and emulate them.
     I vow to share what I learn to those who wish to know but never preach to.   
                -  The Honorable Lord Otagiri Tatsuzou, Outlands, October 25, 2005.*

Otagiri-dono wrote as a fighter, but you don't need to be a fighter to apply these precepts, or have a non-Western persona. Honor the people around you. Create harmony with respect. Learn from anyone you can, share what you know in turn.

(Damn. Now I need to practice these three kanji in large scale and put 'em on a banner. They need to be on a banner. )