Mission

My Christmas gift from Shay: This is a medium bone saw (which fills a hole in my collection) that was created by her son Commodore Swab (Chad) using only this page (and information provided by the website site owner) as a reference. The picture really doesn't do it justice. It's beautiful work. (He modified the handle a little so it makes more sense.) I also got some cautery irons, which will add a new wrinkle to my presentation.

For anyone building a surgeon's kit, this looks like a nice balance scale over on eBay. It's also pretty reasonably-priced (as of this posting): http://cgi.ebay.com/19thC-APOTHECARY-CHEMIST-BALANCE-SCALES-ORIGINAL-BOX-/140492707540?pt=UK_Antiques_Science_RL&hash=item20b60496d4

Merry Horsemas!

"This is a castle and we have many tapestries, and if you are a Scottish lord then I am Mickey Mouse!" Sorry, couldn't resist.

I doubt anyone is going anywhere to anything in the Model A anytime soon. We did not leave her in very good shape. (You'll just have to wait for chapter 8 to read about that, though. )

Here is Chapter 5. Enjoy! Shay is coming up here for Christmas, so I won't be getting back to this until next week, so savor it as well. I think I have fixed all the broken links (except the ones to the chapters that don't exist yet.) As always, if you spot any errors, let me know. (I will probably ignore you, but feel free to let me know anyhow. )

Happy Birthday, Mark!

Yeah, but he didn't follow up on that statement.

But that's the point - why buy new in the first place unless it's nearly the same price or it's a gift? We're talking about data here. (Well, I am.)

Oh oh! Pick me! Pick me! Because it does avoid the hassle of buying a book sight unseen, getting a damaged book*, and then having to fret over returning it. *I'm a book nazi. Not in the "burning books" sense, but in the "even the micro-est scratch constitutes damage" sense. Why? (Never mind, I know there's no answer.) I'll take a ex-libris book with packing tape holding the cover on over one 20 times as expensive. (Yep, 20 times for some of the weird stuff I buy.) I am not kind to books, so I don't care if they're in rough shape. Life's too short to mollycoddle what are essentially pieces of paper. This is why I make a piss-poor comic collector as well.

Sign me up.

An honest to God peg leg?! Very cool. Welcome!

That's a lot of guns... (Who are these folks?) Ole one-eyed Pete. Jon getting ready to get his Schwarzenegger/Stallone/Willis thing on. (You know, two guns.)

Anyone know who this is? This is not an innocent face. "It's all right as long as you leave a small bare patch at the base of the spine to allow the skin to breathe." Now you know how Adam felt... We'll get 'em if they're coming or going. (What do you mean, 'What if they attack from the side...?')

Poppa's got a brand new bag...of photos! "Stolen goods? I'll be sure to tell you if I hear anything about 'stolen' goods, sure." Whatever Matty's up to can't be good... Ha ha ha! "Bring me your tired, your broken limbed, your dog that needs neutering, your pox, your first born male child...(Did I mention my rates?)"

Chrispy told me her name was Verde, but he didn't seem completely sure either. I've gone through everyone's photos pretty thoroughly, but I didn't meet you and am not sure what you look like. Which part of the event did you hang out at the most? The fort or the naval area? Klaus has several pics of the naval area, most of the rest of them are of the fort.

I always liked the word "tort." It sounds funny. Enjoy your time off, my friend! (Some day you really must attend an event, even as a spectator. Shay and I were talking about going off to England at some indistinct time to see Ed at an event - as well as visit some of the numerous pocket-museums that Britain seems to have. Maybe we could rope Jessie K. in too... )

I didn't even mention the Santa Maria because that is a cinch for me. It's led by Michael, Mark, Jennie & Kate, Mercury-laden, often the best place to find all the Florida-based pirates and the place to find a detachment of Thatchers. (Except for Grace. )

Klaus, can I use them in the Surgeon's Journal?

FYI, there is a hotel right near the Searle's site that's pretty reasonable: http://www.ramadahistoric.com/ Unfortunately, there are no reasonable hotels on Put-in-Bay. I drove in for the day because it's only about an hour from my house. I'd like to stay Friday night this time, though.

You should take that with a grain of salt. (Hah!) That guy seems loopy to me. "Confidentially...this guy's crazy!" -Daffy Dumas Duck Mission also nominates himself and madPete to be the unofficial Mercury sous chefs. (You'll have to wait for Chapter 8 to understand that one...)

This cold be the captains "my head is about to explode from this migraine" look ...I could be wrong ...either way, you are right, it works well. hehe Yeah, but it also has that indefinable sense of wistful longing or making plans or great cognitive somethings. It's a really good shot.

Thanks Silkie. I hope you guys realize this is all in fun. I actually appreciate corrections because I can add them in and when I forget who someone I only see at this event is or what those weird brass twisty things are, I can refer back to my journals. (However, please understand that it's all tongue-in-check and I will go way off the reservation to insert a gag that I find funny. YOU may not find it funny, but I arrogantly write them to amuse myself first. )

I was going to suggest this one, so let me just second Michael. It's got the best of both worlds: people who are genuinely interested in the educational/living history stuff and a fun party scene after hours. The folks on the island went out of their way to make sure we had what we needed. I had a seriously good time last year - it was one of my favorite events of 2010. (If you're curious about my perspective of it, check out the Surgeon's Journal for it.)