blackjohn

It was a decent sized line for our relatively obscure time period. For me, it was my first time being in a line that included pikemen. What fun!

Thanks. It was great to finally meet Michael, and his lovely wife. I've stood next to plenty of guys in the line, some of them you have a bond with, some you don't. Standing there with Michael, I felt like I had stood in line next to him countless times before, like I was standing next to a fellow grognard. That's a cool feeling.

Heyhey! Welcome back! Glad to hear the show is going well! Now about that rum you owe me...

The clock is ticking... and I still have so much to do to get ready... SMC is my Mecca. To be invited to attend an event there is one of the greatest honors I can think of.

So are you a photographer? For some reason I thought you were a tv/video type. Though I suppose they aren't mutually exclusive jobs. When I was a kid, I always wanted to be a photographer. It seemed like such a cool occupation.

Ummm like... uhh... so tell me how do I get your job?!?!? And feel free to PM me with the non-family friendly photos.

Aces!!! You get two big thumbs up from me!!!

Awesome! Jill, you totally made my day! Thanks!!! I'm pretty sure I've had that one too. I remember thinking about the time I tried eating baker's chocolate as a kid. I bet I could do it now without flinching! And again, thanks!!!

Well thank you Blackjohn... My pleasure. It's worth the price. One "stick" lasts a good long time. Fwiw, he also sells (or did at one time at least) heel plates and hobnails. But as was advised above, you are probably better off without. They drastically increase the chance of slipping and falling in hard surfaces.

Can't say that I've tried them. But maybe I will. I've gotten used to the upper 80% range for dark chocolate. Lindt makes one that is 87% as I recall. Last time I took the family to Hershey we stopped in the new museum/chocolate shop. They sell the most awesome drinking cocoa. Hold on... http://www.hersheystory.org/chocolate-tasting/ Yum!

I want a Marathon bar gorramit! I haven't had one in like what, 30 years now. Rumor has it that they still make 'em in ol' Blightey. If so, I'd pay good money for one.

Did someone say Black Strap!?!?! That's the Pirate Brethren's rum of choice!!! Cap'n Mac... my new best friend! Welcome on board!

Donald 'that's my other dog impression' Sutherland? Awesome! I always knew he was a legend, but he's gone up in my estimation... Oh, sorry. I actually was kidding. Doh! But the guy was totally Oddball in his demeanor and appearance. Seriously. We were supposed to being going to pick up our first load of troops, and we were just hanging back in the comfy spot on the river soakin' up some rays.

Dang... I just spent $90 on two books... now this... will the book buying never end?!?! I'm just the opposite. I really prefer the shoulder belt. But to each his own.

One of the last RevWar events I did was the batteau thing on the James River. The Americans were falling back, and we were providing transport. We'd pole our way over to the bank. The infantry would wade over to the boat and clamber aboard. Then we'd pole them to the far side of the river. While they were firing at the Brits! Imagine a whole boat load of infantry firing salvos across the river! Awesome! We had so many troops on board it was standing room only. What a blast! As for knowing something about them in a historical fashion... no. But one of my archaeologist friends at work was the guy who excavated the one that these are based on. Oh, the guy who owned the boat I was on... he was Oddball from Kelly's Heroes. I swear it. No kidding.

Somewhere on the inter tube Bloody Davy Cash had this to say... He always seemed to know his leather, so I'd go with what he had to say.

Two thumbs up on the blackball. Najecki sells it. Click and scroll down. http://www.najecki.com/repro/Haversack.html

I'm reading the first draft of a supplementary set of rules for a role playing game book. This set of rules covers "everything" from the Stone Age up to 1730. I'm amazed at some of the stuff people know about other time periods. I'm also amazed at some of the stuff people assume about the era from the mid-1600s to 1730. I just wish I didn't have some of the knowledge gaps that I have. For instance, there's a whole section on medicine. I'd love to comment on it, but that's not my forte.

HA! Cabin Boy!

I've always found it interesting that the pic of Roberts changed over time. Click here. Scroll down to the bottom and look at the two pics.

Could be intrusive. But when I look at it, I can't help but think of the the guy with the pole in ye olde tapestry...

New Moon! 1) New Moon: If you were born during the New Moon phase, you have a childlike wonder and excitment about life. Open and demonstrative, you think and act spontaneously. With your bright, bubbly personality, you launch yourself into your work with tremendous enthusiasm. You are at your best when you are generating new ideas and beginning fresh projects, ever-hopeful about their outcome. Your eagerness leads you to work fast and furiously, but with the attendant danger that you can all too often exhaust yourself before reaching your goal. On the negative side, you have a habit of seeing life from a purely subjective point of view. You are likely to make your mark in life when you are comparatively young, and you will need to learn how to sustain that impulse throughout the rest of your life. Yes, that's me to the tee. I'm always looking for the next adventure. I'd rather start something than finish something. Burn out with alacrity. Found myself working in a position that I thought I'd attain 20 years from now. And spontaneous is my middle name.

Oooooohhh... so that's what that notch in the blade is for! Thanks! I had no idea. Anyway, I spent some time looking through axes in the archaeological record, and I couldn't find any that match this. I was especially curious about that notched blade. I don't recall seeing that on any of the axes I looked at.

The height of pre-war elegance... bravo!!!

Kid, ya got moxie. For that, my hat's off to ya.