Last Weekend
I wanted to journal about last weekend, but, for the sake of those of you who've already heard all this, I'm backdating.
THURSDAY night, instead of going to Morris Practice, was Bealtaine with Prodea out on the Morris Meadow. It was lovely, with three libations, partaken by all, and some singing, and giving some energy to the tree. The anatomically incorrect Chocolate Rabbit was particularly noteworthy. In fact, all of the chocolates were amazing, and went well with strawberries and Jamison.
Afterward, we went to Merlin's Rest for some food and beverage. I must remember to order Templeton Rye next time I'm there. It has a floral flavour that I particularly liked. Fish and Chips and Vinegar, Vinegar... I actually got to bed at a reasonable time for...
FRIDAY morning: Morris Dancing at dawn in the Morris Meadow. Belling up, dancing the Abram's Circle dance, Lovely scones and tea, dancing with Uptown and with Ad Hoc, and several massed dances... Singing Hal an To and other May songs.
Breakfast at the Egg and I. Not so crowded as usual, with a team or two hiving off to another restaurant. On the other hand, some regular patrons got seated on the Morris side, and the singing was not so concentrated, which made it harder to keep it going. That, and with the Braggarts missing, some of our best leads were gone as well. But, the food was good, and I really enjoy the whole May Day morning traditions.
We danced what amounted to a massed stand at a grade school in Inver Hills (?), and then with just Uptown and a silent Ad Hoc (not dancing any Ad Hoc dances) at a local community college.
Lunch was crowded but the food was yummy. The Taco house does really good refried beans, and use a more mexican style cheese (goat, I believe) rather than the ubiquitous american cheese, that I've never been able to prove to my satisfaction is actually food.
After that, I went home to rest, and the rest of Uptown went off to the home where Bill's grandma stays.
After a bit of resting and reading, I biked to do some banking for uptown, then took the light rail (with my bike) downtown, and met up with some of Uptown (Vanessa, Paul Tom and I) and some Bells, some Braggarts, and some MTMers, down at Brit's Pub. The broiled salmon on mixed greens salad (with citrus dressing) was delightful. It was too loud, and we could barely hear ourselves sing. Paul and I biked toward home, with Paul veering off toward their house at the Midtown Greenway.
Home. Sleep.
SATURDAY, I attempted to repair my leaky tub faucet. Turned off the water main. started taking it apart. BUT. I didn't have the leverage to remove the faucet handles until I took off the faucet (goose neck curve), and I couldn't take that off until I loosened it, and I couldn't loosen the faucet from the tub until I removed the overflow pipe that I remove when I need to clear the drain. So after I had the whole assembly in pieces, I pulled off the handles, destroying them in the process. They were well and truly corroded on. I got it all apart and took the pieces to Ace hardware on 38th and Nicollet. I really like them. Unfortunately, every time I go in, I am in a hurry, so I am not so sure they like me. I thank them for what they do, but I am sure my impatience shows through.
On this instance, they did not have the assembly that I needed, so they offered to clean the ones I had, and get them in working order again. It would take an hour. Joelyn was planning on coming over with tree wrenches in just under an hour... but I needed to be able to turn the water back on for me, for Rosiland, and for Joelyn. After all the tree-pulling, we'd need it.
They got them clean and in good condition, I got some new faucet handles, and biked home. Joelyn was not there yet (yay!), so I was able to reassemble the tub, put on new faucets, (Joelyn came partway through), and turn on the water main again.
By that time, I had a slightly sore wrist from twisting and turning pipes. (in order to do much of that plumbing, I have to crawl behind the bathroom sink, under the front of the tub, and contort myself into all kinds of strange positions to get my hands into position to use the wrench.) So of course the best thing to do with a tender wrist, is use large gardening equipment. Joelyn had brought tree wrenches and a shovel, and we set to removing 23 saplings that had volunteered to grow... in my garden beds, in my lawn, out of my foundation...
We got rid of most of them, and she went off (after we shared some fresh pineapple), and I went to rest some.
SUNDAY was the In the Heart of the Beast May Day Parade. Biking to a lovely pancake breakfast at T-Roys and then watching the parade. There was one character with a sign "eat my debt", who was throwing a cloth bag into the audience, representing the national debt I think, and the audience would throw it back. Except, once he threw it into the audience, and a woman with a child on her shoulders flinched back, and the child fell off her shoulders onto the sidewalk. And then the bag fell on another child. Both parents left with their children after that. The parade continued, but I felt bad that the day had been damaged for those two families.
After the parade, I dropped off the Ale check, and then went home to rest some.
In the early evening, Rosiland and I biked over to Anne Marie's, where there was a potluck barbecue and may pole dance. The pole-dancing was fun to watch... with my wrist, and sore knees and ankles from days of dancing and gardening, I did not really feel up to dancing around the maypole, but I helped with the singing. By some definitions of "help".
So, that was mayday weekend. I'm sure if I had journalTeed it earlier, it would be full of other commentary, but after such a weekend, I was a bit tired!
THURSDAY night, instead of going to Morris Practice, was Bealtaine with Prodea out on the Morris Meadow. It was lovely, with three libations, partaken by all, and some singing, and giving some energy to the tree. The anatomically incorrect Chocolate Rabbit was particularly noteworthy. In fact, all of the chocolates were amazing, and went well with strawberries and Jamison.
Afterward, we went to Merlin's Rest for some food and beverage. I must remember to order Templeton Rye next time I'm there. It has a floral flavour that I particularly liked. Fish and Chips and Vinegar, Vinegar... I actually got to bed at a reasonable time for...
FRIDAY morning: Morris Dancing at dawn in the Morris Meadow. Belling up, dancing the Abram's Circle dance, Lovely scones and tea, dancing with Uptown and with Ad Hoc, and several massed dances... Singing Hal an To and other May songs.
Breakfast at the Egg and I. Not so crowded as usual, with a team or two hiving off to another restaurant. On the other hand, some regular patrons got seated on the Morris side, and the singing was not so concentrated, which made it harder to keep it going. That, and with the Braggarts missing, some of our best leads were gone as well. But, the food was good, and I really enjoy the whole May Day morning traditions.
We danced what amounted to a massed stand at a grade school in Inver Hills (?), and then with just Uptown and a silent Ad Hoc (not dancing any Ad Hoc dances) at a local community college.
Lunch was crowded but the food was yummy. The Taco house does really good refried beans, and use a more mexican style cheese (goat, I believe) rather than the ubiquitous american cheese, that I've never been able to prove to my satisfaction is actually food.
After that, I went home to rest, and the rest of Uptown went off to the home where Bill's grandma stays.
After a bit of resting and reading, I biked to do some banking for uptown, then took the light rail (with my bike) downtown, and met up with some of Uptown (Vanessa, Paul Tom and I) and some Bells, some Braggarts, and some MTMers, down at Brit's Pub. The broiled salmon on mixed greens salad (with citrus dressing) was delightful. It was too loud, and we could barely hear ourselves sing. Paul and I biked toward home, with Paul veering off toward their house at the Midtown Greenway.
Home. Sleep.
SATURDAY, I attempted to repair my leaky tub faucet. Turned off the water main. started taking it apart. BUT. I didn't have the leverage to remove the faucet handles until I took off the faucet (goose neck curve), and I couldn't take that off until I loosened it, and I couldn't loosen the faucet from the tub until I removed the overflow pipe that I remove when I need to clear the drain. So after I had the whole assembly in pieces, I pulled off the handles, destroying them in the process. They were well and truly corroded on. I got it all apart and took the pieces to Ace hardware on 38th and Nicollet. I really like them. Unfortunately, every time I go in, I am in a hurry, so I am not so sure they like me. I thank them for what they do, but I am sure my impatience shows through.
On this instance, they did not have the assembly that I needed, so they offered to clean the ones I had, and get them in working order again. It would take an hour. Joelyn was planning on coming over with tree wrenches in just under an hour... but I needed to be able to turn the water back on for me, for Rosiland, and for Joelyn. After all the tree-pulling, we'd need it.
They got them clean and in good condition, I got some new faucet handles, and biked home. Joelyn was not there yet (yay!), so I was able to reassemble the tub, put on new faucets, (Joelyn came partway through), and turn on the water main again.
By that time, I had a slightly sore wrist from twisting and turning pipes. (in order to do much of that plumbing, I have to crawl behind the bathroom sink, under the front of the tub, and contort myself into all kinds of strange positions to get my hands into position to use the wrench.) So of course the best thing to do with a tender wrist, is use large gardening equipment. Joelyn had brought tree wrenches and a shovel, and we set to removing 23 saplings that had volunteered to grow... in my garden beds, in my lawn, out of my foundation...
We got rid of most of them, and she went off (after we shared some fresh pineapple), and I went to rest some.
SUNDAY was the In the Heart of the Beast May Day Parade. Biking to a lovely pancake breakfast at T-Roys and then watching the parade. There was one character with a sign "eat my debt", who was throwing a cloth bag into the audience, representing the national debt I think, and the audience would throw it back. Except, once he threw it into the audience, and a woman with a child on her shoulders flinched back, and the child fell off her shoulders onto the sidewalk. And then the bag fell on another child. Both parents left with their children after that. The parade continued, but I felt bad that the day had been damaged for those two families.
After the parade, I dropped off the Ale check, and then went home to rest some.
In the early evening, Rosiland and I biked over to Anne Marie's, where there was a potluck barbecue and may pole dance. The pole-dancing was fun to watch... with my wrist, and sore knees and ankles from days of dancing and gardening, I did not really feel up to dancing around the maypole, but I helped with the singing. By some definitions of "help".
So, that was mayday weekend. I'm sure if I had journalTeed it earlier, it would be full of other commentary, but after such a weekend, I was a bit tired!