Tales from the Steppes

2005-01-03

11:04 a.m.
Baby, you know you ain't no Prince Charming

Strangely enough, we are all going to 12th Night this year. Generally I avoid taking the Mongols to events, especially fighting ones, as I consider it to be my time to have fun. But since the SU expressed interest in going and there is no fighting, I don't really have an excuse not to take them. There will be a fair number of other kids for them to play with and they are getting old enough now that they can be minimally monitored for periods of time.

Of course, this means 12th Night is now a Production. No grabbing my gear, tossing it in the car and just dealing with whatever I brought or left behind. Now I have to locate garb for the Horde and make certain it all fits, and pack it and any sundries they could possibly need. You might think they could be trusted to do some of this but after the MM packed 1 pair of long pants and 3 pairs of shorts and only 1 shirt for a 4 day trip to snowy Boston, I am leaving nothing to chance here. Fortunately, the YM has a kilt he loves to wear and the MM is large enough he can wear one of my fighting tunics; the EM is able to borrow garb from a friend. But still, there are all of those incidentals, like belts, that need to be accounted for.

We would be going off-board, even if there was on-board space, as the mongols don't eat that kind of food. And quite frankly, I just don't want to hear it. "Oooh, that has sauce." "What's in this?" "Is that cheese?" So now I need to call the autocrat to make sure there will be off-board tables available to eat at. While it might be easier to just go to Pizza Hut, I know that if I get them out of garb, get the stuff picked up and packed, we will not be coming back. And then I would miss the dancing and we can't have that. So I will make food for lunch and dinner, as well as afternoon snacks for those with hobbit blood in them. Oh and drinks. Can't forget the drinks. And feast gear. But no knives for Mongols....

I have actually taken the Mongols to events with me before - it has just been a while. When we lived in Buffalo it was pretty much the only way I ever made it out to play. I remember going to an Ice Dragon and the MM escaping while I was changing his diaper and he streaked around the hall. Fortunately we do not have to worry about that sort of thing anymore.

And, please, no one tell the YM about going "regimental" in a kilt. Right now the greatest danger involves Sponge Bob Squarepants boxers. I shudder to think what could, would, happen without them. He has no modesty whatsoever.

The calendar fairy actually missed me this year so I need to go buy one for myself. Not a terrible tragedy. Last year, I had a ferret one up in my office, the year before it was Edward Gorey. As long as it is nothing too cute, I should be ok. In the spirit of "it's a new year, I should get my act together, don't know why, you never have before", I went out to my school's web site to find out when my thesis is actually due and if there are any important dates coming up. I need to order my cap and gown by January 15th and the thesis is due on April 11. Not bad, I think. I hope.