gurdymonkey | Notes from Estrella

Estrella War, February 16, 2011

Yes, I’m being very unmedieval, unless you count the fact that I’m writing this by the glow of the firepot. My lanterns look beautiful against the evening sky and it’s truly not my fault that the entire West Kingdom encampment appears to have disappeared into the night.

Since my arrival I have made contact with Mitsuhide, sasha_khan and Cristobal, and JAF and his lady. Have yet to find purple_penguin or The Great Hero Of China, though I was informed they were coming and are somewhere over in Outlands territory.

JAF loves his new “no-sode,” because he had the red on yesterday and the black today when I ran into him. I found myself thinking, “Hmmm, that collar doesn’t lie as pretty as I’d like,” but they fit him correctly and he’s happy with ‘em. In fact, he told me this afternoon that he’d been close to chucking the Japanese thing and switching to Mongol or something because he didn’t have things that fit or were comfortable, warm, etc. Until I agreed to make him stuff and it was right. Most gratifying. And his lady is interested in taking my taiko class and maybe doing some Japanese stuff herself.

(Warm? Everything I’ve made him was linen or cotton. Crazy Colorado boys.....)

Did some gurdy laps in Merchant’s Row both days, spammed the privies with posts about tomorrow’s sake tasting, and start teaching tomorrow. Had chili on Tuesday night with Antonia, Charles and Petra, did some bagged PF Chang stir fry with rice tonight – I’ve got enough left for several meals if I want it. It’s a good option for when I’m solo and kept nicely on the block ice in my small cooler.

The firepot is on my plant-stand-and-plywood sheet undergoing a test burn. I really, REALLY like the fact that I can snuff it instantly when I want it out.

Rumor has it Estrella will not be on this site again. I’m not shedding tears. The rest of the year it’s a farm – the berms and drainage ditches make getting around awkward and the solution to the year they couldn’t service the privies due to the deep mud has been solved by putting privies up by the “main” roads. If you’re at the back of camp, as I am, it’s hike or pee in a jar in the middle of the night and dump it in the morning.