Recent Developments In Rob's Life!
Diana's Going To Marry Me!!!!
On August 26, 2000 CE, around ten or eleven PM, I asked Diana if she would marry me. We were at the Blue Star Family Gathering, and we were lying on our bunk talking. Somehow, the Moment Felt Right (despite Ze Master Plan, which had me waiting until next year when my parents return to the US for a visit, bringing the ring my maternal grandmother's engagement ring), so I swung off the bed, knelt down, and asked Diana if she would marry me.
To my everlasting delight and joy (and I think I'll remember these words until I die), she said "I can't think of anything I want to do more."
At the time, I didn't have a ring to give her, so she we got out a piece of yarn and I wrapped it around her finger (Philistine that I am, she had to suggest it. Sometimes I wonder why she even puts up with me...). Next morning, though, I realized I had the perfect thing: the pentagram ring I wear all the time. I have worn that ring longer than any other piece of jewelry I own. In fact, I bought it at my very first Pagan Festival.
So now it sits on her hand, and it makes me happy every time I see it there, or even think of it there. I can't believe she's going to marry me (OK, I can, but you know what I mean).
I can't imagine how I could be happier.
Our first-ever public performance at NEFFA, the New England Folk Festival this past weekend was a huge success. Both of my teams, Red Herring and MOTley Morris danced there, and there was not an injury in the lot, although I confess my entire body from the hips down is a bit stiff and twinge-y today.
Red Herring danced first, at 11 a.m. Everyone was there in plenty of time, and it certainly seemed as though everyone got a chance to dance as much as they felt they needed. However, there aren't too many pictures with me in them for some reason. You'll just have to make do with this one if you want to see me in my Red Herring kit. That's me next to the guy with the squeezebox.
Red Herring has an official Fool who has a very definite "fishy" theme about her. We are fortunate that we chose "Red Herring" to be the new combined-team name, because otherwise all of her Lemon & Capers fish-motif accoutrements would have become promptly obsolete.
After a hasty lunch (Scottish meat pies and a positively obscene hazelnut chocolate cake for me; I don't know what the others had), I changed kit and got my face painted. The artist did a really nice job, and I hope to have a good close-up visible for the next edition of the news.
Once we got to dancing, we got wild. There's a dance called "Northumberland Musketeer," which our Noble Musicians realized could be set to Bach's Little Fugue. Now that's not the sort of music you usually hear for Morris dancing, and the crowd, who tend to be pretty musically aware, suddenly got extra-interested.
Now, this is an unusual dance anyway. It starts off with three people, and ends up with eight. As we're dancing, we're weaving in and out of one another, clashing sticks all the while. It looks as though there should be body parts and blood everywhere at any minute. And yet, somehow, we've never had a death a serious injury.
Border Morris (what MOTley dances) is wilder and more ferocious than Red Herring's Cotswold dancing. Or pretty much anyone's Cotswold dancing, for that matter. That's me in the red and green, running and screaming in the first picture and gritting my teeth as I go to clash sticks in the second.
I had so much fun I don't (much) mind that I left my leather jacket behind by mistake. Fingers are crossed, hoping the Nice NEFFA People found it and can return it to me.
My employer, Trans National Communications has moved offices. From our former location in the heart of downtown Boston's financial district, we're now located within a few minutes walk of Fenway Park, home of our very own Boston Red Sox. Now, personally, I'm not really interested in professional sports, including baseball, but it's worth my life to say so around the office!
I confess, I miss working downtown, but I'm finding some nice restaurants near here, including an Indian place that makes delicious keema paratha (hope I spelled that right! It's bread with fresh peas and ground lamb baked into it.) And of all the people in the company, I am one of three employees who actually sits next to a window without owning an office. I have just lucked out on this one! Actually, I think it's because my boss fought for us. Neil's a really good guy. All I need to do now is keep producing, so he can justify my continued employment. Anyone need long-distance service? Email me or call me at 617-369-1106.
Taking a Class
I'm taking a class at Northeastern University Online. In fact, the reason you're even reading this is because it's the classwork. Whaddya think?
I'm actually learning an awful lot, and I'm enjoying it. I guess it comes from hanging out with my MIT-geek friends, but I'm finding I actually enjoy writing HTML code (sure hope my professor reads this!). Now, I know if I'm going to do this for a living I'm going to need to learn a WYSIWIG tool, but I feel that I need to have the skills to look at whatever code the thing creates and be able to say "No, no, no! That's not right. But if I do this it'll do what I want it to." You can't do that if you can't get behind the graphical interface.
Oh, yeah. I'm still in love, if such a feeble word can describe this experience. What can I say? If you haven't felt it, you just don't know what it's like. But I'm grinning all the time.