In Which I Finally Built It
On Saturday the 18th Will and I got up early and headed up to the Ship's Company annual meeting in Catonsville. We watched LB's slideshow, voted on a few things, and felt generally excited about the upcoming year. After the meeting we walked around the Bannecker Center, where the meeting was held - it's a small museum on the grounds of Benjamin Bannecker's family farm, with nice grounds and a small exhibit on the man.
Bannecker was 3/4 black (his grandmother, a milkmaid transported to Maryland from England for stealing milk, later freed her slaves and married one of them), and a well-respected gentleman (he was referred to in contemporary articles as Mr Bannecker, a retiring gentleman), astronomer, surveyor, farmer, and calculator of astronomical tables for almanacks. It was depressing to read the published correspondance between Bannecker and Thomas Jefferson, and all the other late 18th and early 19th century letters and newspaper articles the exhibit included that said that Bannecker was proof that African men could be equal in intellect to white men if given proper training, that their freedom and inclusion in political life was the logical conclusion of all men being created free and equal, and only their present circumstances of ignorance and want made them appear less capable. How the tune of popular opinion would change by 1830!
Afterward we went over to LB's, where KB helped me cut out a pattern for my waistcoat (finally!) and Will looked at patterns for his coat. We headed home, cleaned up the house for the Goth Party, and put on some black. I also finished building my coat rack. It looks spiffy, if I say so myself - Kristin asked me if I bought it at Ikea! I came up with the design myself, had most of the wood cut at Home Depot, and assembled it in my basement/living room with just a cordless drill, a handsaw, a chisel, and sandpaper. So far it's doing its duty well.
The party was rather small - a dozen people hanging out, wearing black clothes, and drinking absinthe rather than the crazy dance party previous events have been. I think everyone has grown up, more or less, and this'll be the last goth party we do. At any rate, I was exhausted from having slept very badly the night before, and went to bed at 11.
On Sunday we got up early and I made (with Ben and Alex's help) buttermilk pancakes and chicken/apple sausages, and had a delicious breakfast for seven. After a slow, lazy afternoon Will held the second session of his new WFRP game, which was fast-paced and quite riveting - the plot unfolded with a trail of bodies, and there was a good fight at the end. After the session ended I started a new map of the area we're playing in, as a companion to the last map (Carta Ostlandora) I made for Will's first, famous WFRP game.
Monday was a slow day at work (most of the office was out for President's Day), and I spent the evening at David's polishing silver and then working more on my map, Carta Essena et Terra Circumjecta. On Tuesday after work I met up with DS and we walked down to the Spa Creek bridge and watched the sun set over Annapolis and the sky turn a variety of colors and hues, and then had the rest of the sausages and made more pancakes. Will came home from Bulk Liquor Night (Dollar Over Cost days at Bay Ridge Wine and Spirits) with full boxes, and after a bit of cleaning we headed to bed.
Today I went to church at St Mark's Episcopal Church on Capitol Hill - a very nice, quiet service. I was a little surprised to see so many smudged foreheads in the veritable Sodom and Gomorrah the red part of the country seems to think DC is, but the American relationship with religion is complicated.
From today's reading:
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy reward. --Isaiah 58:6-7
Bannecker was 3/4 black (his grandmother, a milkmaid transported to Maryland from England for stealing milk, later freed her slaves and married one of them), and a well-respected gentleman (he was referred to in contemporary articles as Mr Bannecker, a retiring gentleman), astronomer, surveyor, farmer, and calculator of astronomical tables for almanacks. It was depressing to read the published correspondance between Bannecker and Thomas Jefferson, and all the other late 18th and early 19th century letters and newspaper articles the exhibit included that said that Bannecker was proof that African men could be equal in intellect to white men if given proper training, that their freedom and inclusion in political life was the logical conclusion of all men being created free and equal, and only their present circumstances of ignorance and want made them appear less capable. How the tune of popular opinion would change by 1830!
Afterward we went over to LB's, where KB helped me cut out a pattern for my waistcoat (finally!) and Will looked at patterns for his coat. We headed home, cleaned up the house for the Goth Party, and put on some black. I also finished building my coat rack. It looks spiffy, if I say so myself - Kristin asked me if I bought it at Ikea! I came up with the design myself, had most of the wood cut at Home Depot, and assembled it in my basement/living room with just a cordless drill, a handsaw, a chisel, and sandpaper. So far it's doing its duty well.
The party was rather small - a dozen people hanging out, wearing black clothes, and drinking absinthe rather than the crazy dance party previous events have been. I think everyone has grown up, more or less, and this'll be the last goth party we do. At any rate, I was exhausted from having slept very badly the night before, and went to bed at 11.
On Sunday we got up early and I made (with Ben and Alex's help) buttermilk pancakes and chicken/apple sausages, and had a delicious breakfast for seven. After a slow, lazy afternoon Will held the second session of his new WFRP game, which was fast-paced and quite riveting - the plot unfolded with a trail of bodies, and there was a good fight at the end. After the session ended I started a new map of the area we're playing in, as a companion to the last map (Carta Ostlandora) I made for Will's first, famous WFRP game.
Monday was a slow day at work (most of the office was out for President's Day), and I spent the evening at David's polishing silver and then working more on my map, Carta Essena et Terra Circumjecta. On Tuesday after work I met up with DS and we walked down to the Spa Creek bridge and watched the sun set over Annapolis and the sky turn a variety of colors and hues, and then had the rest of the sausages and made more pancakes. Will came home from Bulk Liquor Night (Dollar Over Cost days at Bay Ridge Wine and Spirits) with full boxes, and after a bit of cleaning we headed to bed.
Today I went to church at St Mark's Episcopal Church on Capitol Hill - a very nice, quiet service. I was a little surprised to see so many smudged foreheads in the veritable Sodom and Gomorrah the red part of the country seems to think DC is, but the American relationship with religion is complicated.
From today's reading:
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy reward. --Isaiah 58:6-7