This essay was written with an eye towards helping some of my non-heathen friends and family understand what this crazy holiday is about...sorta. It's rough and rambling. I haven't written anything in a long time.
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'Rough & Tumble Engineers Historical Association' is a group that owns and maintains old steam engines and internal combustion engines on a plot of land near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. We attended the annual  Threshermen's Reunion this past Friday and it was full of awesome. This event report is dedicated to my mom and dad. Why? Because they are responsible for us going. I was wearing a t-shirt with a lithograph of a steam pumper fire engine on it last week when I did a run to the local recycling center. One of the volunteers saw it and said, "Oh! You must be really psyched for the Threshermen's Reunion this weekend!" After I said "huh" he proceeded to explain. I thanked him for the tip, went home and googled it, and voila. Thanks, Folk!

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Thanks to the snow days keeping the kids occupied, and the Missus working from home and helping out, I made time to finish the beastie.
Things I have learned and should keep in mind...

1. Be aware of the effects of relative humidity and temperature when layering spray paint. I was sorta wary of this issue after, many years ago, I tried to paint a helm one night in camp at Pennsic...on the shores of Cooper's lake...ugh. I got some of that same "crocodile skin" effect today, but I decided to forge on and call it "artificial aging".

2. I am itching to do a project in a real workshop using brass. I do OK with the painting of odd materials, but it's not the same. We really need to move.

3. Standardized lamp rod and threading are your friend!

4. I spent way too much on this project -- more than originally intended. This was partly paying for convenience & saved time and partly insufficient planning and scrounging. For example, I bought a new light socket, but could have gotten a used lamp at the thrift store to dissect for the parts and have the socket and wire I needed all for less money. I know I could have done this cheaper if I had waited till summer when I could hunt the garage sales and Renninger's. Oh well.

5. I really need better tools.

Before I turn to freecycle or hit the Goodwill, i turn to you. If anyone out there knows of anyone in need of baby-toddler age stuff, please let them know I have an atticful ready to disgorge.

For example:
exersaucer
riding toy or two
crib mattress
baby bath tub
clothes, clothes and more clothes
cloth diapers and wraps
outdoor playpen fence
breast pump (pending wife's approval)

And there's more stuff than just kid stuff, too. Need something? Tell me and I just might have one to give up. Lamps are our e-speciality! *twirls moustache*

My Lords and Ladies, allow me to present what may be one of the first tropical cocktails ever dedicated to, and served at, Pennsic War. And NO the stupid-ass party punches you get around the lake do not count as tropicals! *ahem*



Pennsic Passion

Base proportions per serving:
1 oz. Coconut rum (Malibu)
1/2 oz. Passion fruit liqueur (Passona)
2.5 to 3 oz. Lychee juice
1/8 oz. fresh-squeezed lime juice (or splash to taste)

- Assemble ingredients in thermos and take along to intimate drinking party with friends at war. Upon arrival, decant into shaker full of ice. Shake and pour into Indian brass/nickel wine glass or martini glass (show off the pink color of the drink). Garnish with lychee nuts on a toothpick or with a lime wedge.

Notes: This recipe is designed to be scalable and easy to prepare, even somewhat in advance of leaving for war (combine boozes at home, but leave juice in the can and get a lime from the produce vendor on site). This is why I do not call for a specific rum plus cream-of-coconut combo -- too messy and coconut rum is an easy known quantity; even a liquor store in New Castle should have it. Passona is a bit harder to find, but should be available in any area with a decent Hispanic population (and bless them for demanding it from my local store!) The mix works equally well with real lychee juice or lychee "juice drink" which sometimes is what you find. A lemon squeeze is also not bad if you can't get lime.

My big mistake in serving this this year was that I did not actually bring a shaker or ice to the party. Poor planning on my part, but then, I wasn't even sure I would be doing this anyway. I mean, I sorta kinda pretended it was quasi-Period Indian flavors, but bringing a shaker to someone's camp whom you don't know well yet is a bit too much for me!   Next year, I'll bring a full mini-bar system. Having done further testing at home, I can tell you the ice shake is most desirable. If you want extra points from your hot and exhausted Pennsic guests, chill the brass goblets in your cooler beforehand as well. 

For the impatient...a 50/50 of the coconut rum and passioa makes a great shot. 

Special thanks to Magdalena for her help, taste testing and timely loan of her thermos and lime.

Mahalo and aloha!

This may be of use to friggasgirl, jinglebellz61 and my other friends with daughters (or maybe some of you ladies of dating age out there). Share this with them or tuck it away for later reference. That is, assuming you agree with the analysis, but I suspect you will.

http://synecdochic.livejournal.com/214607.html

Hails!

We hope everyone will be able to attend our Kindred's Park Moot on April 19 in Green Lane Park, Green Lane, PA. (also known as Upper Perkiomen Valley Co. Park)

It will be a day of relaxation, fresh air, food and socializing for adults and halflings alike. While the kidlets lay siege to the park's playground equipment and many climbable rocks, grown-ups can lounge about and enjoy picnic fare or a game of Kubb.

* Start: 11:00 am -- Food should start coming off the grill around noon.

* End: Dusk, or whenever we get tired and go home.

* Food: Picnic stuff! We will be using a park grill to do dogs and burgers. Want to bring a contribution? Cool! Just let us know what.

* RSVP or Questions: Haukafell@haukafellkindred.org

* Directions:

Google Map

MapQuest

Generally for area locals: Take your best route to Rt. 29 (from the Lehigh Valley and north, you will probably use PA 309 or the NE ext. of the turnpike to Rt. 663 (Quakertown). Then take 663 south to Pennsburg. Then turn left onto Rt. 29S)

** Note: Use the Hill Rd. park entrance off of Rt.29 - this is closest to the picnic area and playground. This is the northern entrance (as opposed to Snyder Rd. further south on Rt. 29) Heading south from Pennsburg/Green Lane, this entrance is on your right on a sharp bend in the road as it goes down hill. Go slowly and watch for it. If you come to the junction of Rt. 29 and Rt. 63 (Liberty gas station), you have gone too far. Locals may know this park as the site of the Green Lane Scottish Irish Festival in September.

Below is a link to a google satellite map zoomed in on the lot where we'll be parking. How cool is that?


View Larger Map

This should be easy. What superhero has the following attributes:

Has a utility belt
Drives hi-tech custom vehicles including automobile, airplane, chopper
Owns a Fortress of Solitude
Over 6’ tall with bronze colored skin
Hyper-intelligent - a first-class detective, physicist and surgeon
Generates a unique trilling sound in battle or deep thought
Supreme physique; not the result of mutation or chemicals
Can hear sounds beyond normal range of human hearing
Sends his foes to a special asylum in upstate New York
Uses gas bombs as his primary weapon and mainly avoids firearms
Lives in New York

Reposted from haukafell
Heilsa, everyone!

So you've been questioning and wondering, and it's finally here...Haukafell's first public appearance!!

This Saturday, February 2nd we will be attending the Imbolc Gathering hosted by the Reading Pagans & Witches. The event will be held at the Riveredge in Reading, PA.
We will be doing a workshop at 3pm called "Gimme That Old Time Religion!", which is a discussion about Pagan Reconstructionism.

The entrance fee is...Free! All they ask is that you offer food stuffs for donation, if you can.
RPW's website regarding the event can be found here.

The address for Riveredge is:

I don't really update my site, "Odd Mix" much. Been too busy with other stuff. But anyway, this rant will be there. Read it here now if you care to. Some of you will recognize parts of it from recent posts.