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Oct. 24th, 2004 08:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
badstarSo....yesterday...getting ready to leave work...It's like 624 PM. The queue is dead, I have no calls for about 15 minutes. I really shouldn't, but my plan was to log off at 626 and try to catch the 630 train into the city. So what happens? I get pushed a call. Not a simple "I just want to enroll my Applecare" call like my previous 2 calls had been...2 minutes and they're gone...but an "I'm trying to connect to AOL dialup with a dual ethernet airport and it's not working" call.
My primary consolation is that if it had to be reset I could throw it up to tier 2 and quote the scope...I learned my lesson after the 3 dual ethernet reset/reloads the week before PDF (which I have decided is a statistical impossibility).
Mercifully, I was able to get that call over with in under 20 minutes and makethe 7 oclock train which I probably would have caught anyway. Turned out we had to go into the admin utility and change a few settings. no big deal, and the guy had half a brain so it was *relatively* painless.
So I leave work. And in the excitement of things I forget to stop and pick up lamp oil. Ah well, there was plenty there...Or maybe it was the boredom of reading F Scott Fitgerald. I've been reading Tender Is The Night. Which I'm about halfway through and I just don't really find myself caring what happens to Nicole and Dick and their entourage. I think it was just after passing Lutherville that I said hell with it, put down that book and pulled out the copy of The Dark Is Rising from my backpack and started reading that series for the 5th or 6th time in my 20's.
Made it to Kathleen's, in a much better mood by then. Was greeted by a rather messy![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
avocado_tom who was doing somethign to his WV bus and then a burn barrel full of fire, primarily fed by a very large chunk of cedar. Smelled yummy. More and more people showed up. I met a few new people, but it was mostly people I know well and am always happy to see. Jon Marcus and Tall Tom came down from New York for the weekend. I got a rib-crushing hug from Jon and Tom and I took turns rubbing each other's hair. Becca made a brief appearance. A few other people that I usually only see at PDF, like Filthy and Patty showed up. It was also the first time that I've seen means in months. Other than that it was mostly the usual Baltimore crowd that I know and love and see at Brewer's and Mick O'Shea's...and work...vees, etherized, Phil, Ben, Rob, Knarphie, seaya, Dominic, Lizard, Erica, Amy etc.
It was kathleen's birthday, so there was cake. And someone made the best oatmeal-raisin cookies I've ever had. I avoided alcohol for the night. Sometime around midnight, Suzy and I decided that it was time to find out if Kathleen was going to initiate the spinning or if it was ok for us to go ahead and light up, which we ended up doing. My first spin wasn't the greatest...the ground where I was was pretty muddy and slippery, plus despite my alerting people to the presence for flying burning things, a group of people just either ignored me or were completely oblivious so I had to be extra careful so as not to hit them...which left me on a small patch of ground between them and the bushes. My next spin was probably my best spin ever outside of Playa Del Fuego. I seriously wanted to try a new move I had just put together earlier ion the day at work (That's what I do when I'm on my 14th "ok, let's restart your modem" of the day. This particular move being a palm spin while I turn my body in the opposite direction. I didn't think it would work...until I tried it while waiting for the train, and it worked quite nicely. I avoided it mostly because 1. I don't generally spin well in Kathleen's yard due to the incline. and 2. I've only tried a palm spin while lit up maybe twice...and that was standing still, on perfectly flat ground, no mud, no trees within arm's reach and no crowd of questioable position and movement nearby. That time I was NOT up by the bushes.
Later, I tried out Amy's fire fans. That didn't last long...they hurt my hands, I didn't want to keep holding them so I blew them out. I *think* I soaked them in white gas...which I normally avoid, but being as the fans were held stationary and it was my hands moving, it didn't bother me. I think I will like my firefingers much when I get them...that will have to wait for after I move and get a computer (I'm getting a g4 and a 21" studio display from a friend...woohoo!) But the whole thing shouldn't be any later than the end of next month. Must remember to get ahold of Louis about that.
I also lit up poi again. This was my second time. I borrowed Ben's again, but made him promise to let me soak them. This spin went very well. I felt secure enough with them to do some asymetrical stuff...which is where I tend to get tangled, though Ben's fire poi aren't nearly as long as my Zuni poi, so that makes a huge difference. I definitely prefer shorter poi. I spun one out, the second didn't want to go out so I spun it into the ground...and it bounced back up and hit my hand- still lit. Happily, I did not get burned, I barely felt the heat and spun it back into the ground.
It's funny...at parties, I generally feel neither need nor desire to spin myself into exhaustion like I do at PDF. I only realized that last night. Differnt place, different vibe, different purpose.
A few others spun...Kathleen of course, Phil, Ben, Suzy, Erica, Lisa. Amy and Sara did some ATS bellydancing with lit fans (And I'm happy to find out that Sara is going to keep living in MD after all!)
Then there was the magnesium.
Someone (probably Tommy himself) decided that the old engine block to Avocado Tom's bus had to go in the burn barrel. And Knarphie and a few others decide to repeatedly squirt water on it. That provided plenty of entertainment and lots of light. It was really quite...colorful.
it was almost 3 when I left...Eric gave me a ride home. I crawled into bed but was quite a while before I actually fell asleep. I slept past noon today. So yeah...good party. Great party. There were no M-80's thrown into the burn barrel this time.
There are a few things I'm not quite adjusted to when it comes to parties with this crowd...
1. There will be no fewer than 2 Powerbooks present at any given party. Probably at least an iBook or two also. At least one, probably 2 or more people will dj from said Powerbook(s)/iBook(s).
2. 90% of all conversation will revolve around computers, technology in general, politics, previous parties and previous burns.
3. If Phil, Eric and Dave are in earshot of each other, STAY AWAY. This is Geek Overload like I've never known it anywhere else. It hurts my brain. (Really, I love you guys but...*twitch*)
This whole party thing brings me to a topic that's been wandering in and out of my mind for quite a while...but this entry is REALLY long already and I think I will make that a separate entry after I get some coffee.
(Speaking of coffee...nutmeg/red pepper/vanilla coffee is definitely something I'm going to keep making. I finally tried it tonihgt...a little less nutmeg, a little more vanilla. I got the red pepper amount just about perfect.)
Stay turned for the next entry.
My primary consolation is that if it had to be reset I could throw it up to tier 2 and quote the scope...I learned my lesson after the 3 dual ethernet reset/reloads the week before PDF (which I have decided is a statistical impossibility).
Mercifully, I was able to get that call over with in under 20 minutes and makethe 7 oclock train which I probably would have caught anyway. Turned out we had to go into the admin utility and change a few settings. no big deal, and the guy had half a brain so it was *relatively* painless.
So I leave work. And in the excitement of things I forget to stop and pick up lamp oil. Ah well, there was plenty there...Or maybe it was the boredom of reading F Scott Fitgerald. I've been reading Tender Is The Night. Which I'm about halfway through and I just don't really find myself caring what happens to Nicole and Dick and their entourage. I think it was just after passing Lutherville that I said hell with it, put down that book and pulled out the copy of The Dark Is Rising from my backpack and started reading that series for the 5th or 6th time in my 20's.
Made it to Kathleen's, in a much better mood by then. Was greeted by a rather messy
avocado_tom who was doing somethign to his WV bus and then a burn barrel full of fire, primarily fed by a very large chunk of cedar. Smelled yummy. More and more people showed up. I met a few new people, but it was mostly people I know well and am always happy to see. Jon Marcus and Tall Tom came down from New York for the weekend. I got a rib-crushing hug from Jon and Tom and I took turns rubbing each other's hair. Becca made a brief appearance. A few other people that I usually only see at PDF, like Filthy and Patty showed up. It was also the first time that I've seen means in months. Other than that it was mostly the usual Baltimore crowd that I know and love and see at Brewer's and Mick O'Shea's...and work...vees, etherized, Phil, Ben, Rob, Knarphie, seaya, Dominic, Lizard, Erica, Amy etc.It was kathleen's birthday, so there was cake. And someone made the best oatmeal-raisin cookies I've ever had. I avoided alcohol for the night. Sometime around midnight, Suzy and I decided that it was time to find out if Kathleen was going to initiate the spinning or if it was ok for us to go ahead and light up, which we ended up doing. My first spin wasn't the greatest...the ground where I was was pretty muddy and slippery, plus despite my alerting people to the presence for flying burning things, a group of people just either ignored me or were completely oblivious so I had to be extra careful so as not to hit them...which left me on a small patch of ground between them and the bushes. My next spin was probably my best spin ever outside of Playa Del Fuego. I seriously wanted to try a new move I had just put together earlier ion the day at work (That's what I do when I'm on my 14th "ok, let's restart your modem" of the day. This particular move being a palm spin while I turn my body in the opposite direction. I didn't think it would work...until I tried it while waiting for the train, and it worked quite nicely. I avoided it mostly because 1. I don't generally spin well in Kathleen's yard due to the incline. and 2. I've only tried a palm spin while lit up maybe twice...and that was standing still, on perfectly flat ground, no mud, no trees within arm's reach and no crowd of questioable position and movement nearby. That time I was NOT up by the bushes.
Later, I tried out Amy's fire fans. That didn't last long...they hurt my hands, I didn't want to keep holding them so I blew them out. I *think* I soaked them in white gas...which I normally avoid, but being as the fans were held stationary and it was my hands moving, it didn't bother me. I think I will like my firefingers much when I get them...that will have to wait for after I move and get a computer (I'm getting a g4 and a 21" studio display from a friend...woohoo!) But the whole thing shouldn't be any later than the end of next month. Must remember to get ahold of Louis about that.
I also lit up poi again. This was my second time. I borrowed Ben's again, but made him promise to let me soak them. This spin went very well. I felt secure enough with them to do some asymetrical stuff...which is where I tend to get tangled, though Ben's fire poi aren't nearly as long as my Zuni poi, so that makes a huge difference. I definitely prefer shorter poi. I spun one out, the second didn't want to go out so I spun it into the ground...and it bounced back up and hit my hand- still lit. Happily, I did not get burned, I barely felt the heat and spun it back into the ground.
It's funny...at parties, I generally feel neither need nor desire to spin myself into exhaustion like I do at PDF. I only realized that last night. Differnt place, different vibe, different purpose.
A few others spun...Kathleen of course, Phil, Ben, Suzy, Erica, Lisa. Amy and Sara did some ATS bellydancing with lit fans (And I'm happy to find out that Sara is going to keep living in MD after all!)
Then there was the magnesium.
Someone (probably Tommy himself) decided that the old engine block to Avocado Tom's bus had to go in the burn barrel. And Knarphie and a few others decide to repeatedly squirt water on it. That provided plenty of entertainment and lots of light. It was really quite...colorful.
it was almost 3 when I left...Eric gave me a ride home. I crawled into bed but was quite a while before I actually fell asleep. I slept past noon today. So yeah...good party. Great party. There were no M-80's thrown into the burn barrel this time.
There are a few things I'm not quite adjusted to when it comes to parties with this crowd...
1. There will be no fewer than 2 Powerbooks present at any given party. Probably at least an iBook or two also. At least one, probably 2 or more people will dj from said Powerbook(s)/iBook(s).
2. 90% of all conversation will revolve around computers, technology in general, politics, previous parties and previous burns.
3. If Phil, Eric and Dave are in earshot of each other, STAY AWAY. This is Geek Overload like I've never known it anywhere else. It hurts my brain. (Really, I love you guys but...*twitch*)
This whole party thing brings me to a topic that's been wandering in and out of my mind for quite a while...but this entry is REALLY long already and I think I will make that a separate entry after I get some coffee.
(Speaking of coffee...nutmeg/red pepper/vanilla coffee is definitely something I'm going to keep making. I finally tried it tonihgt...a little less nutmeg, a little more vanilla. I got the red pepper amount just about perfect.)
Stay turned for the next entry.
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Date: 2004-10-25 01:08 pm (UTC)It was nice seeing you again! I'll make it out to Brewer's one of these tuesdays... soon...