Fortunate conscience

 from Google Maps Streetview

Sometime around 1987...
I was driving home on the Southern Boulevard in Montgomery. It was in the AM, can't remember the time. I stopped at a red light and a early 80's Camaro pulled up beside me. I was tired but slowly realized he was revving his engine, challenging me to race.

The light was at the base of a viaduct over a railroad line maybe 500 feet to the peak. The light changed to green and we took off. I remember gaining and was getting ahead when we topped the viaduct. Down hill I seemed to gain more ground, him in the right lane and me in the left. About 1000 feet from the top, two lanes became three and there was more lighting.

I was around 90 MPH when I realized there was a delivery truck in the middle lane. I thought this was too fast for traffic so I pulled my foot off the gas and the Camaro blew by me. Then a second or two later, blew past the delivery truck AND the police car in front of it.

I never saw the cop car until the lights came on. I was luckily still quite a way back so I don't think the officer ever saw me. He pulled the Camaro over on the right side of the road and I carefully changed lanes past them to get to the right and onto I-65 north.

If the delivery truck hadn't been there, the cop would have seen us both. If I hadn't had a twinge of conscience, I wouldn't have gotten home.

Grateful birthday

*** Not the actual bridge, this picture from  http://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/places/31661


Sunday Feb 2, 1986

My 21st birthday. I had skipped going to Sunday school with my family and was headed to church late, as usual for regular services.

Back then, the way to church went a few miles on a dirt road before getting back on the pavement. I was in my new 1985 Honda CRX Si and driving a sedate 50 or so MPH down the dirt road as usual. For those who have never regularly travelled on dirt roads, they are maintained by grating a high point in the center, with sloping lanes to keep the rain off. Consequently, the best place to drive was right down the middle, especially when driving fast...

One the last features before getting back to the pavement was an old wooden trestle bridge about 30 feet or so above a creek. It was had 6x6 timbers along each edge to keep the dirt on it.  It was just past a blind curve when you're headed the way I was going.

It was no big deal, go through the curve, zip across the middle of the bridge. Done it hundreds of times. This was the first time I met someone going the opposite was through the blind cuve. It was a big car, Lincoln or a Cadillac maybe, and it was coming right down the middle of the road like me.

I jerked the wheel to the right and the other car ceased to exist, at least to me. I had other things on my mind. Funny how I remembered to turn into the skid. Then I had to turn to the left to avoid going into the pines on the right side of the road. Then turn into that skid, then right to avoid the trees on that side.

Then I was on the bridge swerving toward the right side. I knew it was over and wondered what the free fall would be like. Then I was going left and knew I was going over the other edge when the car  stopped, at a right angle to the bridge, facing left. The engine had stopped, guess I forgot to put the clutch in with the other stuff going on.

It took a minute for me to realize I had not gone over the edge. I was sure I had. I finally cranked the car and backed up gingerly, got the car straightened out and pulled over to the other side of the bridge.

I sat in the car a few more minutes, knowing I was safe but still wondering how. I was sure at least one wheel had gone over. I got out and looked under the car. Nothing.
After looking at every detail, I noticed a small piece of plastic behind the right rear strut. Think of a tiny mud flap. It was scuffed in half.

I walked back to the bridge and followed my skids. Four coming onto the bridge, then three, then four again. There was a scrape on the right timber where the undercarriage of the car slid along it for several feet. I was that close...
Luckily, the angle was slight enough that the tire was able to grip the side of the timber and climb back onto the bridge.

The car was fine except for that little plastic bit. I drove on to church. Slower and later than I'd planned.

I don't know if I ever told my parents about it...

Tools and materials:
(Clockwise from lower left)
Leather 
Suede leather lace
Wooden button
Two piece (speedy) rivets
Old piece of plastic to punch on
Leather punch
Hammer
Heavy duty scissors
Rivet setter

Pattern of the piece including holes and notes

Pattern material is pretty cheap. Use it to make changes if needed before committing to expensive material

Sometime the leather has flaws/marks. Piece has been laid out to take advantage or hide the flaw

Pattern traced and holes marked. Try to keep the pieces together to minimize waste

It's easier to cut the grouped pieces off the main piece of leather then cut out the individual pieces.


Individual pieces cut

Punching the holes

Holes punched, ready for assembly

Belt loops riveted to the back piece

Lacing has begun. It's easiest to start at the middle and work to the outsides

Lacing complete and button added


Completed pouch

Still winter

Past the holidays now but still in cold and flu season. Family has been sick and I have not felt my best. I am still hitting the pell 100 times with each hand every day.

We had fighter practice yesterday evening. I felt very sluggish and slow. I did seem to run as long or longer than the younger guys. Keeping my shield up and keeping the sword moving did not tire me out as it had in the past. I still hesitate and fail to see the openings that should be there but I feel I am out there longer. This is a benefit and I feel the other skills will come as long as I am out fighting and not just talking about it.

Worked a bit with the claymore, offense and defense. It definitely needs a thrusting tip as both myself and my opponent had to actively think about it to keep from thrusting. The hockey gloves are OK but I will want hard gauntlets for extended fighting. My opponent had a cross hilted sword so we were able to trade weapons without changing hand protection. It was much easier to use that I expected. I think if I get a decent set of gauntlets, I will also get myself a cross hilted sword.

Winter doldrums

With the holiday season, there has not been a lot of time for fighting. Christmas Eve and New Years Eve fall on Thursdays this year so I am cancelling fighter practices.

Still hitting the pell 100 times a day with each hand. It's making a difference but is not helping with active defense. Holding the shield while throwing shots helps build the muscles but it's difficult to understand moving the shield defensively without someone throwing back at you.

Little items like fakes involving shield movement can be practiced, but still needed to be used against an opponent to be verified. Learning to throw shots around the shield is good as well but there is a tendency to use the shield as a counterweight and swivel the whole torso when throwing a shot, thus moving the shield out of a good defensive position. I find I do this most when throwing shots left handed.

Still going

Cancelled fighter practice last Thursday in favor of an armor workshop. Had several folks over and got a pair of dished elbows made. I got them cut and started but the young man who needed them sanded the edges and did a lot of the dishing.

Still hitting the pell 100 times a day with each hand. Had some sort of sinus thing Satuday but got them done anyway. Feeling some soreness in my inside elbow area that is a bit new. It appears to be in the muscle, not the joint so I figure it's just getting into shape.

Still need to make a new shield but am undecided about a shape. I might go with a peanut but could also stick with an oval, albeit a wider one. I can't find a long center grip shield that is period for me to use as a reference. May just have to take the artistic license and do what fits my fighting style best.

Magna Faire

I had a great day Saturday. We got onto site around 9 AM and got into armor by 9:30. I did pickup fights until the first list started. I was able to start with Sir Bartlemey and fought everyone else I could. I'd fight one or two people and have to take a break.

Before the list started I was at the spot where my pulse was elevated but not racing, I was sweating but not too bad, my vision was clear. I was tired but felt I could do one or two more fights, so I did and took a little break. Ate a hand full of chili cheese corn chips and had more water. Then went back out for one or two more. And one or two more. By the time the list started I had drunk 2 or 3 bottles of water and was saturated enough that I was making trips to the men's room.

I did well enough to go five rounds in the Sword and Mistletoe tourney. Each round was best two out of three. I got a double kill in the first round and then won the next two. I fought Matthias in the second round and was able to kill him twice. I got Sir Thomas Alfred in the third round and he beat me twice putting me into the losers bracket. I was lucky enough to get a bye fight in the fourth round and got to fight HRH Wulfstan. He challenged me to give him my best fight and I tried. I got his leg once but he won both fights. I met Sir Caius in the fifth round and he beat me twice, putting me out.

His Majesty talked with me after the bye fight and said that I had made a good impression on him at Black Axe during the pickups and he wanted to push me to fight him hard today.

Did more pick up fights before the next tournament.

The Green Knight tournament was single fight per round and single elimination, head shots don't count. I drew Baron Gwyddion (who'd just been made a Bear before the list started) and decided to try fighting him left handed to see if it would give me an advantage. He noticed it and shifted his stance. It was odd not trying for head shots and I didn't land a blow on him. He took my leg and right arm, then hit me in the right arm again and the left side of my chest. I didn't think about it until after but I should have called the second arm shot as a death since it was already gone and I apologized to him afterwards.

There was to be a third tournament but it didn't happen due to the lateness of the second tourney ending. It fell back to pick up fights and I was back to one or two more. I was privileged to fight Sir Micheale who was fighting two stick and I did OK against him. I also worked with Duke Kenneth who gave me pointers on my stance and shield manipulation. I was able to land one planned shot, the shield fake right and quick wrap from behind the shield. I also fought Baroness Leyli left handed to get her opinion of how I was doing left handed. She said it was not bad but I was moving my body from behind the shield when I was throwing shots.

I remember pickup fights with Locko, Bragg, Edris, Eric Martell, and several others whose names I don't recall. I fought until Katriona made me stop as court was in 15 minutes. I dropped my helmet, half gauntlets, gorget and elbows at the car and sat court in my armor. I didn't have a chair so I leaned against the wall, squatted, sat on the floor, and then cycled back through. Grabbed a chair towards the end but it seems to have been good to change positions so nothing seized up.

I believe this was my best fighting day ever. I believe Sir Bart and I were the first fighters on the field and while I was not the last fighter on the field, I was in the last 1/2 dozen.