At least I'm doing something right--right?

I have concluded that the secret to getting physics homework done is a careful balance of coffee and just the right amount of background activity; hence, I am following in the path of college students everywhere and studying at my local coffee shop.

Still need to get a job though... but if it means getting this stuff done in a timely fashion (and therefore a better grade), the cost is worth it.

* * *

We've started going to dojo twice a week now--Monday and Tuesday nights, which means I was a tad sore getting up this morning. Couple that with the fact that I can sleep in any day of the week, while my man S. has an internal clock set rather early and once he's up, he's up.

Thank the gods for coffee.

Since I haven't yet heard anything about summer fencing and it's hard to get myself to the gym these days, this is a great way to keep up something of a routine. It also means I get to study a slightly different system under a different teacher; A. was a Marine in either Korea or Vietnam and brought back karate and sword styles from Okinawa. He is the toughest old guy I have ever met.
However, everyone gets old and although he's a good guy and definitely knows how to fight, his training system has gotten a little silly as of late. I'm not sure how spending two hours balancing on bricks is supposed to help you fight more effectively aside from improving your balance... but it's nice to have something else to do. Sure, I had to learn a couple new blocks and stretch myself in weird ways I never would have guessed on my own, but it was fun to do something new.

I am also beginning the DP work--finally, you say! Well, I've only been a member for a year and a half now, so I figured I'd get started on something. :P (Not sure if my previous blog entries on my altar count towards the requirement or not... ah well.) I'm writing down a little bit on each Holy Day, starting with Samhain. I mean, sure, it's a day associated with death and the ancestors and the thinning veil between the worlds... but it's also when the deer go into rut. Is it then some dark antithesis to Beltane?
Ooh, idea: contrast the paired opposite holidays! See what they have in common and how they differ and all that. It would help make this part of the assignment a little less tedious, no? ^^


And of course, I hope everyone had a lovely Midsummer! I'm celebrating with my Protogrove this coming Sunday, and looking forward to it as always. We're getting some new members too! It's very exciting to see our little group work its way to full Grove-hood :)

New happenings

So, after weeks of no working laptop and then the generously lent spare not working, we've finally figured out what's happened: I ordered new adapters, one for each laptop, from the same company. The first one worked, and then I thought something was wrong with the computer as it didn't recognize when it was plugged in. Turns out it my new part had died, and here I was ready to spend lots of money for someone to dig around inside my laptop!
Same thing with the second laptop too, only this time the adapter worked for all of two hours. It was far easier to see this time that the adapter was at fault.

BattDepot, I'm sorry, but this is a pretty major fail.
sigh.
that's what I get for trying to find the best deal online. faulty parts.

* * *

In other news, I've heard that ADF has a new ArchDruid: this article on The Wild Hunt covers the ceremony nicely. Though the fact that as an organization we're now up to our fifth elected leader in 26 years seems to me a bit strange.

I can appreciate that being the elected leader of any group is a big job, and there's lots of responsibility that goes with the position. Maybe it's silly of me to try to compare our group with what ancient Druids may have done, yet I do have an admittedly romantic vision in my head of the wise old leader, long of beard and robe, who has been leading the Druids for more years than memory bears to serve.

Yet what purpose do these artistic visions really serve? As I said, such notions belong better to fantasy, and it would be unfair to expect our ArchDruids to try and fulfill their roles as we imagine. Nowadays, there are all kinds of things we have to deal with that our ancestors did not: different legal issues, advancing technology, and the fact that we're trying to reconstruct a path that's hard to follow closely due to lack of concrete evidence and writings from those whom we wish to emulate.
Some things are the same though, right? I mean, we're serving the Gods as best we can as well as our communities. Maybe we're not the all-purpose wise guys (lawyer, doctor, historian, and priest wrapped into one), but there's still a calling to follow.

Two nights ago a great thunderstorm came through, and our cat leaped up onto the bed with an inquisitive sound and a bit wide-eyed. "It's ok, buddy," I told him, "Thor's out smashing some giants." Genki settled onto my tummy and I pet him all through the thunder. Now that I think back, it was kind of neat that he purred along with the rumbles from the sky.

* * *

I wish our new ArchDruid all the best, and may all our past leaders live long and healthy lives.

Especially you, Isaac. Stick around a while.