tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-97314082011-06-08T01:09:56.870-05:00Insight into the world of a Father, Husband, Living Historian/Re-enactor, friend and businessman and the struggle for them to co-exist in the same person.Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.comBlogger1511100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1118277175921569512005-06-08T19:27:00.000-05:002005-06-08T19:32:55.926-05:00

...you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here!Miasmatic Review blogger is closed. I've had enough and it's time to move on. You've all been great and supportive since my unexpected discovery into the blogosphere, but I felt my time here was done.So thanks to the questionable parentage of Harvey I was able to get a MuNu site. If you want to keep up with the misadventures of My Family,

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1118258627495154612005-06-08T16:21:00.000-05:002005-06-08T14:23:47.503-05:00

Did you ever have one of those days that isn’t technically a bad day, yet it is. It’s not bad in that anyone I know died or was hurt. Yet it was bad because you where annoyed and stressed out the whole damn day. Well I had that day yesterday. When I woke up, I knew it was going to be bad and it just slid down hill from there. I have days like this from time to time. They make me want to quit my

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1118077849127251952005-06-06T12:58:00.000-05:002005-06-06T12:29:07.990-05:00

Over at Ogre's I saw this post where he was talking about the Empathy Quotient test. He said he scored a 4 and I was feeling all high and mighty. I thought to myself even I'm not that bad. So I took the test... and scored a 2. A lowly 2?!?!?!?!According to this test if you score:0-32 = You have a lower then Average ability for understanding how other people feel and responding appropriately. Most

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1118074080700349972005-06-06T12:53:00.000-05:002005-06-06T11:08:00.706-05:00

I think this last weekend was the most relaxing weekend I’ve had in close to two years. We also kept our streak of wet canvas alive, as we were rained on. My wife, Clone and I did an event we had never done before. It wasn’t a rendezvous; it was a black powder shoot. This shoot was unlike anything I had ever done before. The first difference was that there was a section for modern camping (motor

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1117827214837193302005-06-03T16:32:00.000-05:002005-06-03T14:33:34.843-05:00

I have an interesting dilemma here at work. One I’ve never faced before. I have two minions fighting over who is my new best friend. I told them about my leaving Clan Chattan. They knew that most of my friends were members. Therefore, in their logical world, since I left the group, all my friends are going to ostracize me. This brought on the fight over who is my new best friend. I have hung out

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1117817546317226352005-06-03T12:51:00.000-05:002005-06-03T11:54:57.576-05:00

A part of my newfound freedom as a re-enactor, I have decided to make a change in my persona. Yesterday I was given some information that led me to some relatively cheep copper stills. I am purchasing one and starting over as Seamus MacPhail, Indian Agent… er wait, no, wrong profession. I am going to start portraying a distiller. It is something that happened rather frequently back then, yet you

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1117730450109176692005-06-02T12:39:00.000-05:002005-06-02T11:40:50.113-05:00

I did it. After much deliberation, I resigned my position with my re-enacting group. That had to be one of the hardest things I have done in a long time. I am hoping that they will see it for what it is, and not an attack. I’m sure at least one or two members are going to get mad and hold it against me. I hope I’m wrong, but that seems to be par for the course when dealing with people.If that

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1117643827741458672005-06-01T12:54:00.000-05:002005-06-01T11:37:07.746-05:00

I’m trying to get into a couple of new re-enactments this year. One of them is a pretty exclusive event. You have to be invited to get in. If you are not invited, then you can petition for an invitation. I have a couple of friends that have told me that I really should try to do this event. From everything, I hear it sounds like I would have a great time.Last night I looked up the information and

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1117595433948014942005-05-31T22:06:00.000-05:002005-05-31T22:10:33.953-05:00

Over at The Spoon and Blade I have up the complete review of the Fort Koshkonong Rendezvous. If you are even remotely curious, you should go check it out. Plus there is a really cute picture of Clone in his gentleman's outfit. I know, I'm biased. But everyone said he was cute over the weekend!I've also put up the latest Mortar Maiden. Ms. June is ready for you to view. How can you go wrong with

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1117559678988687202005-05-31T12:58:00.000-05:002005-05-31T12:14:38.996-05:00

I hate the first day back to work after a rendezvous. It seems to drag on forever. I ‘m tired and my muscles are sore from the packing and unpacking, but it’s a good kind of soreness. I sit at my desk trying to work, but all I can think about is the fun I had over the weekend. The activities I did and the people I talked with at the range or around the campfire. I cannot keep my head out of the

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1117222734267281992005-05-27T15:36:00.000-05:002005-05-27T14:38:54.273-05:00

Some of my minions decided they wanted to go to lunch with me today. They felt that we should all go to a local buffet. I don’t mind a buffet, but there are so many places I would rather eat. I wasn’t going to be picky about it, so I said it was fine. Bad things always happen to me at a buffet. At first, they wanted me to drive. They changed their minds when they saw that my truck was loaded for

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1117212990872032772005-05-27T12:50:00.000-05:002005-05-27T11:56:30.883-05:00

I’m in a mood today. I almost feel sorry for some of my minions. I don’t know what is up with me, I’m excited about my re-enactment, my inventory looks good, my father is fine and I think I actually caught my wife flirting with me (I’m so dense I normally don’t notice). Yet I’m walking around here with a storm cloud hanging over me. I’m getting ready to tear into someone most heinously.It’s

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1117196659549971972005-05-27T06:14:00.000-05:002005-05-27T07:24:19.563-05:00

I have yet another reason to be thankful for my freakish genetic metabolism. The theory that there is reptilian blood flowing through our veins is once again circulating through the medical profession.My father went in for his surgery yesterday, he's fine, all is well with the world. There was a small vein that is closing off that is causing the problems, it is doing no real damage and it will

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1117110929757695292005-05-26T06:33:00.000-05:002005-05-26T07:36:30.716-05:00

You were destined to have a Red Lightsaber.Red is the color of fire and blood, so it isassociated with energy, war, danger, strength,power, and determination as well as passion anddesire. You have seen the Strength and Power ofthe Dark Side of the Force and have you thirstfor more of it. What Colored Lightsaber Would You Have? brought to you by QuizillaWhat's funny is that I was lightsaber

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1117108330703388532005-05-26T06:24:00.000-05:002005-05-26T11:54:15.820-05:00

My father had a heart attack yesterday afternoon. He has been hospitalized since. Today they are going to do surgery on him. This is his third heart attack in 5 years. He's had stints and a bypass done already. They think his problem right now is that scar tissue built up around one of the stints effectively clogging the artery. He is doing fine, I spoke with him this morning already. They don't

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1117041368298764772005-05-25T13:09:00.000-05:002005-05-25T12:16:08.296-05:00

I don't know if I will be able to take another trip into harms way this week for all of your entertainment, but I am working on it. If anyone has any idea's as to places you would like me to visit and review, please leave it in the comments.I retain the right to have final decision on my destination and time frame to be spent there. Not all suggestions will be used. Especially if the suggestion

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1117040939856060832005-05-25T13:06:00.000-05:002005-05-25T12:08:59.866-05:00

I’m a glutton for punishment. I finally got around to starting work on my MuNu site yesterday. I took a class in College that briefly went over HTML and website design. That was over 10 years ago and I haven’t touched a book or taken another class on it since. When I started this blog, I played around with the templates and just kept tinkering until things looked the way I wanted them. I taught

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1117036569769244922005-05-25T12:54:00.000-05:002005-05-25T10:56:09.773-05:00

I didn’t mean to do it. It just happened. I was weak, the opportunity came along and I did something I never thought I would do. I cheated on my wife.At least that is what she told me this morning, that I had cheated on her. Apparently, she had a really vivid dream involving my sexual adventures with another woman. At this point, I want to state for the records that I have never and will never

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1116963122813634292005-05-24T16:23:00.000-05:002005-05-24T14:32:02.826-05:00

It is that time again, ‘vous time! I have one of my re-enactments this weekend. I’m stoked. I’m about done repairing stuff from last time, such as Clone’s wagon. It threw a wheel at Macktown. I don’t know whom, if anyone, from my group is going. The last couple of people I spoke with pretty much said they were NOT going. Even my oldest boy backed out of going. He decided he would rather go to a

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1116952272983713802005-05-24T12:49:00.000-05:002005-05-24T11:35:33.480-05:00

Clone received a jungle climber outdoor toy by Little Tikes for his birthday. There wasn’t a chance for me to try to assemble it until last night. After mowing the lawn, I dragged this box of plastic formed parts from my basement outside to assemble said climbing toy. I figured this would take me the better part of an hour to get together. I was wrong… by an hour. It took me two hours. I’m not

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1116866162005969562005-05-23T00:39:00.000-05:002005-05-23T11:36:02.023-05:00

I had a fun weekend. I want to thank everyone for their suggestions for a hostess gift; there were many great ideas. My friend e-mailed me back right before we left and said that his wife did drink and she prefers a White Zinfandel. I don’t know squat about Zinfandels since I don’t like them, the only white I really enjoy is a Chardonnay. Since there was not enough time to poll all of you, I just

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1116619549294347772005-05-20T15:52:00.000-05:002005-05-20T15:05:49.300-05:00

It’s funny how some things work out. Yesterday a guy knocked on my front door. I was on the computer (of course), so my wife answered it. I didn’t catch the beginning of the conversation, but I caught my wife say to the guy, “My husband owns it.” Now, me being a normally distrusting individual, I had little warning bells going off in my head. So I get up from the computer and go to the door.

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1116608267664466542005-05-20T12:42:00.000-05:002005-05-20T12:00:55.126-05:00

One of my Blog Dad-pa’s (Harvey of Bad Example) is lamenting the fact that he is not the number one search for filthy lies Glenn Reynolds. In his comments, poor Harvey states that he has written more filthy lies about Glenn Reynolds then have been written by Frank J at IMAO.Why would this hurt Harvey so? It confused me. I spent the last 24 hours pondering this. Trying to discover what hidden part

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1116532104458643872005-05-19T15:45:00.000-05:002005-05-19T14:48:24.486-05:00

Today my employer sent me to a CPR/AED (Automated External Defibrillator) class as part of my being on the Emergency Response Team (ERT). I was just put on the ERT team in the last month. This is part of my being a Mentor and setting a better example to the minions. I’ve worked here for almost 6 years they never once asked me to be on the ERT team until now. However, this time when they asked

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1116448077905191322005-05-18T15:45:00.000-05:002005-05-18T15:27:57.913-05:00

A new Super Wallyworld opened up in my town today replacing the old Wallyworld that was located right next door. I hate Wallyworld; I hate it with a passion. I will go out of my way to shop at any other store, even if it is more expensive. The only time I, shop there anymore is if I absolutely cannot find an item I’m looking for anywhere else.Today however I decided I am going to go to the new

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1116430160707002872005-05-18T12:37:00.000-05:002005-05-18T10:29:20.716-05:00

I need your help, it’s pretty obvious by now that the social graces are not one of my strong personality traits. We are going to visit a friend of mine in the suburbs of Chicago for the weekend and he and his wife invited us to stay with them instead of getting a hotel. Usually when I am invited somewhere for dinner or in this case for the weekend, I like to bring a nice bottle of wine, Scotch or

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1116374466572158792005-05-17T18:47:00.000-05:002005-05-18T16:50:59.003-05:00

I was doing my evening browsing of various blogs when over at I hate my Cubicle they had a link to the commercial for TBS's "The Real Gilligan's Island, season 2". Now I didn't watch the first season, I had no interest in seeing the second season. However, any red blooded heterosexual male needs to check out the commercial for it, and any woman that is either into the "Arts" or thinking of

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1116346115599388932005-05-17T12:40:00.000-05:002005-05-17T11:08:35.606-05:00

For once I get to post a story about Grau instead of him posting about me, well okay it’s about his Elderspawn. For those of you that are new, or slow on the uptake, Grau and I are both re-enactors. We belong to the same group, so we do a lot of events together. Since we both have kids we tend to bring the childerbeasts along with us. There is another guy in our group that also has a child, and

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1116260834484443442005-05-16T00:45:00.000-05:002005-05-16T11:27:14.490-05:00

This weekend I took my questionable parenting style to yet another level. I was supposed to go out this weekend, but as my previous post details I was not able to go. We were heading out and had already bought the beer/alcohol we were going to take with to the surprise party. The hostess throwing the party had asked the guests to BYOB. She didn’t think she’d be able to squirrel away enough for

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1116120439840639512005-05-14T20:16:00.000-05:002005-05-14T20:27:19.856-05:00

It's Saturday night and I'm home. Why? Because my family has come down the flu or some other illness that makes stomachs act up. Thankfully, I have a genetically freaky immune system so I don't get sick very often. Therefore, I'm watching after Clone while my wife tries to get her stomach to settle down.We had big plans for today. My wife and I were supposed to go to a surprise party for a friend

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1116001223424024002005-05-13T13:10:00.000-05:002005-05-13T11:20:56.556-05:00

Army Wife Toddler Mom wanted to do an about me post, so she asked people for questions. I was nice enough to ask her:“What is the most embarrassing thing you've done while drinking? Detailsplease, if it involves another woman we want pictures.”She kind of answers it in this post. Plus, she didn’t have any pictures. To be a good sport I decided to share one of my drinking stories BEFORE Grau

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1115995977994848062005-05-13T00:49:00.000-05:002005-05-13T09:52:58.000-05:00

Over at Iowa Geek, Jody has her war story of dealing with UPS. Some of you may remember when I received my shipment of black powder I had to go out to UPS to pick it up. There is a reason why. UPS is NOT allowed to leave anything at my house for any reason.In 2001, I ordered my Musket from Dixie Gun Works. I spent a nice chunk of change to get the exact musket I wanted, including manufacturer and

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1115918268402680192005-05-12T12:45:00.000-05:002005-05-12T12:17:48.410-05:00

Have you ever eaten something and later thought to yourself, “hmmm, I probably shouldn’t have eaten that?” Well I did that today, and I’m paying for it now.This morning Boopie is sick yet again. He had the urge to ‘gurge and let it flow. Now before you go giving him too much sympathy, he gets sick all the time. He has taught himself to cough until he tosses his cookies. Why would he do this? It

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1115901609139396822005-05-12T06:37:00.000-05:002005-05-12T07:44:08.226-05:00

Your Deadly SinsLust: 100%Envy: 80%Wrath: 80%Greed: 40%Pride: 40%Gluttony: 0%Sloth: 0%Chance You'll Go to Hell: 49%You'll die from overexertion. *wink*How Sinful Are You?Found this over at Not Exactly Rocket Science. I had to take it, people tell me to go to hell daily so I want to see how I ranked.I've joked with friends for years that I was going to hell and had chartered a bus to take them all

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1115838191000427352005-05-11T16:02:00.000-05:002005-05-11T14:03:11.016-05:00

Saturday, at the blogmeet, the topic of my stalker was brought up. I cannot remember how we got there, and I know I didn’t go into detail at the time, but I’ve been thinking about it since. Therefore, I am going to share this anecdote with all of you.I had been working in Law Enforcement for a while when this lady in her mid 20’s came into the station wanting to file a police report about a

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1115754760357555572005-05-10T15:51:00.000-05:002005-05-10T14:52:40.366-05:00

I’m one of those people that need some kind of mental stimulation to stay awake. This can be a good or a bad thing. When I have to work long hours, as long as I am busy, I don’t need much sleep. With my job, if I weren’t busy I wouldn’t be working long hours. I can go for long periods with minimal amounts of sleep, as long as I am mentally stimulated. The other side to this is that I can fall

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1115740353554022382005-05-10T12:51:00.000-05:002005-05-11T09:38:19.820-05:00

I know I have been remiss in posting this, however it took me 2 days of therapy (IE my wife telling me to get off my lazy arse) to get up the nerve to describe the trauma inflicted upon me last Saturday. This is my story of how it went.I finally decided that I was going to go to the Blogmeet on Friday evening. I entertained the idea of wearing my signature Kilt and Packer Jersey but then I

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1115406757948493052005-05-06T16:11:00.000-05:002005-05-07T06:18:57.350-05:00

There is supposed to be a blogmeet this Saturday here in Northern Illinois. I’ve been kicking around whether or not I’m going to go. I even went OCD and made a list of pro’s and con’s. I have less then 3 hours to decide on what I’m going to do. It is quite a conundrum, an enigma…. A puzzle if you will.Besides this blogmeet there are other things I want to do that also fall on this weekend. This

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1115403249390091992005-05-06T12:43:00.000-05:002005-05-06T13:14:09.396-05:00

Today is Boopies Birthday. If you remember, I was having a hard time finding him a present. Well I did the best I could, and it was pretty sub par. We gave him his gifts last night as he is going to spend the weekend with his biological father.First, I found a really cool chair that is designed to play video games in. He had this inflatable beanbag like chair that he used to sit in to play his

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1115383641283242472005-05-06T06:44:00.000-05:002005-05-06T07:50:59.980-05:00

Machelle of Quality Weenie is celebrating her 10 year Anniversary with her husband today. Go over and congratulate them on ten years and read the story on how they met.Congratulations again on surviving 10 years of marriage.

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1115323773205680532005-05-05T16:07:00.000-05:002005-05-05T15:09:33.213-05:00

Bou hit me with this meme, everyone else thinks it’s wrong, others think it’s disgusting. I personally think it is just another annoying meme. I’m going to do this one because Bou is my Blog moma-sis. However, I am going to put her in a really crappy blog nursing home when she gets older since this is the second meme she’s hit me with this year. (Grumble) If she lived closer then a two-day drive,

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1115224732097290252005-05-04T12:44:00.000-05:002005-05-04T11:38:52.106-05:00

I have been a parent for a while now. My oldest is going to be 12, the youngest is two. Yet, I am still surprised by things that I have to say to my kids. I understand that many parents make statements they would never say before, but I’ve had some really strange ones in the last two weeks. Some of the more unusual ones are:“Don’t tackle the tent!”“Stop head butting the couch” (As the child is

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1115209663107811462005-05-04T06:25:00.000-05:002005-05-04T07:27:43.143-05:00

For all of you interested in women with artillary, I have the latest Mortar Maiden up at the Spoon and Blade. This lass needs a round of applause for her willingness to pose. She was the only one willing to bare flesh on a windy day with the outside temp at about 40 Degrees. I can honestly say she almost froze her bippy off.

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1115152062422137112005-05-03T15:45:00.000-05:002005-05-03T15:27:42.426-05:00

I like football; I get to at least one Green Bay Packer game a year. This year I already have tickets for the Browns/Packer game on Sept 18th. I am number 1051 on the waiting list for season tickets. (I know I’m closer but I’m waiting for the official notification to get to me before I update my number). My wife understands that from pre-season to the Pro-Bowl, I’m a football junky and our

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1115064529504594072005-05-02T15:35:00.000-05:002005-05-02T16:33:21.386-05:00

Okay, by now you should have figured out that I have a bit of a mean/cruel streak to me. I admit I find humor in other people’s pain and humiliation. It isn’t uncommon to hear me say, “That’s funny in that ‘it happened to someone else’ kind of way.” Most of my minions know about this streak and are not surprised when they see me take some kind of pleasure in one of their coworkers anguish. I even

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1115052095744797432005-05-02T12:39:00.000-05:002005-05-02T14:13:32.893-05:00

I’ve concluded that the technical development and support areas for my place of employment are all crack junkies. We have a program that is supposed to be innovative technology to track our incoming calls and inventory. When it was originally introduced, we were told that we would have real time reports, easy to use and train interfacing, simple tracking functions and an increase of productivity.

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1114816388712734412005-04-29T18:06:00.000-05:002005-04-29T18:13:08.713-05:00

Oh yeah! After 6 weeks of waiting my new toy finally arrived! My doglock Blunderbuss. This baby feels just as nice as the first time I picked one up. I was hoping to have it for last weekend, but it didn't arrive. Now however I'm ready to load her with brass tacks and unload a hell fire never before witnessed in my neighborhood before!I took a great picture of me holding it with a D-cell battery

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1114806608443848742005-04-29T15:46:00.000-05:002005-04-29T15:30:08.446-05:00

I think my job is trying to get me to quit. This morning my manager pulled me aside and started going over various personal goals they would like me to attain. At first, everything was okay, but then they dropped a bombshell on me. They… They want… (Gulp) They want me to be a mentor. (Waiting for the gasping to stop) I KNOW! I couldn’t believe it either. They want me to take classes on how to do

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1114790570866867322005-04-29T12:38:00.000-05:002005-04-29T11:02:50.870-05:00

Has anyone besides me noticed a disturbing lack of a certain someone in the blogosphere? I’m talking about Alex of Alex in Wonderland. He has not made a post in a while now. I find this kind of disturbing since he just moved into his new accommodations. I know that when most men get a new toy or house they tend to play with, tinker or make changes to it. Well Alex hasn’t done any of that. In

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1114709127275432992005-04-28T12:45:00.000-05:002005-04-28T12:25:27.280-05:00

Good lord, I’ve turned into one of THOSE fathers. I’m having a hard time understanding and dealing with my oldest boy, Boopie. I keep trying to get him interested or letting him experience things that I enjoy, but he’s so apathetic I can’t tell if he likes something or not. Last year I took him to the Green Bay Packer vs. Jacksonville Jaguars game in Lambeau field. All he did was complain the

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1114705938322070272005-04-28T12:31:00.000-05:002005-04-28T11:32:18.323-05:00

I finally saw my doctor about my leg cramps. He examined my legs and everything appears to be normal. No blood clots, no abnormal veins, nothing unusual. He advised me that some people just are prone to cramps. He wrote me a prescription for this medication that is supposed to help prevent them from occurring. I’ll have to wait and see what kind of effect they have on me. Hopefully it will be the

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1114620040848036292005-04-27T12:33:00.000-05:002005-04-27T11:43:15.903-05:00

Sissy of And What Next nailed me with the Meme that Ogre made. I don’t know what I did to her that deserved this, but one day I’ll get even! She says it’s because I suggested she started re-enacting. What is so bad about that? Do you have any idea what the market value for a single female that re-enacts is on the circuit? She’d have the pick of the guys to go after. I can’t count how many

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1114545089005635202005-04-26T15:49:00.000-05:002005-04-26T14:51:29.010-05:00

Bou was talking about shooting over at her blog. It started me thinking about this last weekend. I had never fired my Musket live before this weekend. I had plans to do it but something always came up to prevent it from happening. My Brown Bess is a .75 caliber flintlock smooth bore muzzleloader made by Davide Pedersole in Italy. The barrel is 42 inches long with an overall length of 58 ¼ inches

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1114462330073396182005-04-25T15:52:00.000-05:002005-04-25T15:52:10.076-05:00

Did you all miss me? I know, you didn't even realize I was gone. Over at the Spoon and Blade there are pictures and stories about this weekend.I had a lot of fun, I'm pretty sore today. My muscles and joints are really what are giving me a problem. I had a good time this weekend despite the weather.I think there is something going on with my group. There seemed to be a lot of tension in camp over

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1114101472929080902005-04-21T12:36:00.000-05:002005-04-21T11:37:52.930-05:00

This is it folks, my last post before I leave for the weekend. I should be back by Monday afternoon to regale you all with tales of my weekend. I’m sure you are all tired of hearing how antsy I am over this weekend, so I’m going to let it go.I spent some time last night going through the archives of some of my favorite bloggers. Focusing mainly on periods before I started reading them. I’m trying

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1114086058176995842005-04-21T07:11:00.000-05:002005-04-21T07:20:58.176-05:00

Half of my last post disappeared. So I'll repost it here. I swear it was there yesterday. Anyways here is the second half of the Blunderbuss Story!I was happy, all was right with the world, my blunderbuss had made it through customs! Then the dark cloud of reality sunk in. It was just delivered to the dealer on 04/20/05. Even if he overnighted it, the earliest it could get here is 04/21/05.

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1114014056476723832005-04-20T12:40:00.000-05:002005-04-20T11:20:56.476-05:00

When I went to the Kalamazoo Living History Show last month, I ordered a blunderbuss for myself. I felt I needed another toy to play with that burns powder. It was bought in hopes of using it this weekend. The guy I ordered it from originally told me I should have it by this weekend with out a problem. Well, guess what? There’s a problem!Sixteen days ago, I wrote my dealer to check on the status,

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1114009930419792072005-04-20T12:33:00.000-05:002005-04-20T14:53:50.643-05:00

The other night my family and I where sitting around the dinner table having our normal dinner conversation.My wife and I to the kids, “Clone, Don’t throw food on the floor.”“Boopie, EAT!” (Boopie is the only kid I know that refuses to eat; it takes him 30 plus minutes to eat a hamburger. He will stare off into space with a mouth full of food and not chew it unless you remind him.)“Clone, Stop

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1113915735344440472005-04-19T06:59:00.000-05:002005-04-19T08:02:15.346-05:00

Since I consider most of you family, I thought I would share this with you all:Living Will I, ___________, being of sound mind and body, do not wish to be kept alive indefinitely by artificial means. Under no circumstances should my fate be put in the hands of ethically challenged politicians who couldn't pass ninth-grade biology if their lives depended on it. If a reasonable amount of time

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1113870765741465012005-04-18T19:29:00.000-05:002005-04-18T19:36:41.806-05:00

Trekkie Appreciator Survey Says... You scored 63 % You like Star Trek and have obviously watched more than a couple ofepisodes or movies, but you don't live or breathe the world (read: youprobably don't go to your local McDonalds in your Klingon gear - notthat there's anything wrong with that...). Excellent! You've managed totread the fine line between sci-fi buff and Star Trek nerd (

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1113835245774550392005-04-18T12:38:00.000-05:002005-04-18T14:46:36.316-05:00

Some of you may recall that I've been having a problem with leg cramps. Well I've hit a new level of cramp torture.Since 3 am Sunday morning, I have had a leg cramp. That’s right, one long leg cramp that has been broken up by bits of tolerability and soreness that comes from over using a muscle. I’ve been drinking water by the gallon. In all seriousness I’ve probably drank close the 4 gallons of

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1113841045573276742005-04-18T12:35:00.000-05:002005-04-18T13:42:40.886-05:00

For the first time in close to two months, I had a relaxing weekend. Saturday I spent the morning just playing a game on the computer and getting some small stuff done around the house. Saturday evening however was the kicker. A night filled with Beef, Babes, Booze and Blood!I went to a friend from works house Saturday night to watch the Ultimate Fighting Championship on pay per view. The event

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1113666021827178122005-04-16T11:11:00.000-05:002005-04-16T10:40:21.830-05:00

Last year Graumagus sent forth the fiery cross declaring today shall be henceforth known as "Jacobite Day". As a clansmen of Grau's it is my duty, honor, nay privilege to go forth and help in the recognition of the Second annual Jacobite Day.On April 16th, 1746 the battle of Culloden took place. This was the bloodiest and most horrific part of Scottish history. The genocide that followed led to

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1113657761224516952005-04-16T08:19:00.000-05:002005-04-16T08:25:31.423-05:00

Grau, trying to prove again to Bou that we don't have accents, found this quiz. Of course I'm another one she accuses of having an accent. And as we all know, Midwesterners are considered accentless in America. So I thought I would take this and see what it has to say.Your Linguistic Profile:90% General American English5% Midwestern5% Upper Midwestern0% Dixie0% YankeeWhat Kind of American English

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1113596513983442452005-04-15T15:40:00.000-05:002005-04-15T15:21:53.986-05:00

Today we are going to go discus Canvas. Canvas generically refers to any item (mainly tents) made out of, you guessed it, canvas. Canvas is a firm closely woven cloth usually of linen, hemp or cotton. In my opinion, the best tents are Canvas tents. They are strong, durable and down right rugged. Now of course if you are trying to back pack go nylon. My wall tent weighs 49 pounds dry and that’s

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1113578741944083512005-04-15T00:21:00.000-05:002005-04-15T19:18:08.850-05:00

Six years ago, I bought my house. At that time I was working in Law Enforcement, mainly nights. That left my wife at home alone with our oldest boy. Working in Law Enforcement I learned there is no alarm system or Security Company that is as good at protecting a house like a dog is. Nobody likes to mess with a dog. Therefore, I went to the local pound and found the perfect dog; a black lab,

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1113506880336720102005-04-14T15:35:00.000-05:002005-04-14T14:28:00.336-05:00

Today’s re-enacting term of the day is IRONSIrons: Generically used to describe any metal camp tools, utensils and accoutrement used. Especially since most of it is made out of iron. There are different types of Irons. (ex. I need to load the irons into my truck last so the mud can wash off in the rain.)Fire Irons: These are the various metal items used with the campfire. These include the grates

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1113405030699661442005-04-13T12:30:00.000-05:002005-04-13T17:18:46.060-05:00

Since my re-enacting season is starting in just over a week, I thought I would share some terminology with my readers. I know that I and other re-enactors use slang and lingo that is unique to our world. Therefore, to help my readers to have a better understanding of what I’m saying, I am going to post various words each day over the next week. Today’s sample comes from Macgregor Games’ Glossary.

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1113344606533148772005-04-12T17:28:00.000-05:002005-04-13T10:44:15.840-05:00

Harvey of Bad Example did a whole post on when to and when not to do a trackback. This led to a conversation about how to install the auto detection code for Haloscan. The code allows programs that use an auto detection feature for trackback pings to work with blogs that have installed Haloscan comments. This code doesn’t really help bloggers like myself; I still have to do the manual trackbacks.

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1113326234183715572005-04-12T12:30:00.000-05:002005-04-12T12:17:14.183-05:00

I was out looking at blogs I don’t check daily, when I found a post over at Ninjababes’ Ramble that caught my interest, Whisky School. I checked the link out and this sounds like it would be right up my alley. You get to spend three days learning hands on how the distilling process works by making whisky in Scotland. As part of it, you get to keep 9 liters of the whisky you made, after it ages. I

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1113238940843416992005-04-11T12:46:00.000-05:002005-04-11T12:02:20.846-05:00

I spent the weekend working my arse off preparing for my re-enactments. Around 7:00 last night, I had decided I was done for the weekend and sat down to watch some TV. This lasted just long enough for me to find something for me to work on while I sat there. I started to take apart my Kentucky pistol and clean in the lock. That was when my oldest boy, Boopie, came in and asked if I wanted him to

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1113144129267115942005-04-10T09:59:00.000-05:002005-04-10T12:21:53.036-05:00

I spent most of the day yesterday working on my re-enactment gear. I finished dying my frock a darker green and my white knee breeches black. I also finished my possibles bag. While working on these I watched the DVDs of the Pioneer House series with my wife. It’s about 21st century people spending 5 months living in an 1883 lifestyle on the Montana Frontier. I love shows like this, to look at

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1113063091132823282005-04-09T12:30:00.000-05:002005-04-10T10:08:52.810-05:00

Today is a day of great joy, or sorrow depending on how you view it, for it is the 6th anniversary of Harvey of Bad Example and his Beloved Wife, TNT of Smiling Dynamite. In light of this occasion I thought I would give a brief cliff notes farce history of their courtship and what led to their marriage.This tale of lust love started way back, a long time ago. But we'’ll skip ancient history and

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1112980301274226142005-04-08T12:35:00.000-05:002005-04-08T12:11:41.276-05:00

I have always carried a knife of some kind since I was 7 years old. I even remember getting my first pocketknife; a yellow handled king-fisher. My Grandfather bought it for me one time when I was camping with him. I used to carry it around everywhere, until my mother took it away from me. Since that time, I carried various different knives including a gravity blade, switchblade, stiletto, and

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1112963784473821802005-04-08T07:00:00.000-05:002005-04-08T10:53:03.263-05:00

I tried posting some stuff last night while on a break from my cleaning/repairing. However no matter what, inevitably, I would get an error message; "Page contains no data". My irritation reached a boiling point. I spent an hour longer then I should have trying to figure out if it was my computer causing the problem or Blogger. I noticed other blogs on blogger were able to post, so I thought it

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1112910706893387252005-04-08T06:04:00.000-05:002005-04-08T07:51:42.460-05:00

I've eaten some nasty stuff. I've eaten things that normal humans know better then to put in their mouths. I once ate a pizza that had been left under my dorm room bed for a month. I'll pretty much try to eat any type of food once. However, I've found something that will make me pause and think... no, I really have no desire to try this. Yet, at the same time my curiosity gets to me. If I find a

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1112903984980769712005-04-07T15:49:00.000-05:002005-04-07T14:59:44.983-05:00

In 12 days I will have to finish repairing and packing all of my re-enactment gear into boxes, making sure everything is read to go. My wife and I need to make sure all of our costuming is washed and packed. I need to make sure all the equipment is in working condition and that the repairs I needed where done. We need to have the inventory of supplies for the weekend filled; including food and

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1112891386878280982005-04-07T12:30:00.000-05:002005-04-07T11:29:46.880-05:00

I would just like to take this time to publicly thank Ith of Absinth and Cookies for putting together the Gathering of the Blogs. I personally enjoyed not only participating in it, but also reading everyone else’s posts regarding Scotland. There where a couple of pranksters out there that will need a thorough pummeling for their posts. They know who they are, so I won’t be mentioning them here. :

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1112796495765052782005-04-06T23:59:00.000-05:002005-04-06T15:11:22.330-05:00

Today is Tartan Day. I will be making a larger post tonight regarding it. For now I'm going to link all of my Gathering of the Blogs posts I've made at this time.RecipesMinced Callops Colcannon Barley with MushroomsWhat is a Jacobite?Part 1Part 2Part 3Part 4Highland Fashion ShowJust for a picture of me in a modern kilt, go to Who am I.For More Posts regarding Scotland and Tartan Day; follow the

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1112816681449674952005-04-06T15:42:00.000-05:002005-04-06T14:44:41.450-05:00

From the dawn of time I came… Well okay not really, but I couldn’t pass up a chance to quote Highlander. Since today is Tartan day, I thought I would share some of my Scottish ancestors that came here to America.Back in 1836 my Great, Great, Great Grandfather on my mothers side left Scotland and was one of the First settlers in Northern Illinois. According to the stories that had been passed on

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1112715887348422042005-04-05T12:35:00.000-05:002005-04-05T10:48:33.083-05:00

I have found the perfect job for me. I just have to move my family to Norway!OSLO, Norway - Help wanted: Vikings. Must be friendly, tourist-oriented andinterested in ancient Norse traditions. According to this article, they are looking for people to portray Vikings for history presentations. You all know I portray a Scot when doing my re-enactments. However the other half of my blood line is

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1112448914874040482005-04-05T10:04:00.000-05:002005-04-05T10:46:51.220-05:00

We have our first responder to my questions.Alex of Alex in Wonderland does a wonderful job of answering my BS questions. Go read his answers and you wont be disappointed. Although I do have to disagree with him on his responses regarding liver. Liver is damn good, especially with onions and bacon!(Looks expectantly at VW and Machelle...) C'mon they've been up almost 16 hours now! Get with the

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1112658533852907362005-04-04T18:55:00.000-05:002005-04-04T18:48:53.856-05:00

Back in December of 96 I was driving an old POS Ford Fairmont. It was a used car I bought dirt-cheap. I only had it for like 2 years before it died, I don't even think I have a picture of it to be honest with you. At the end of December it died on my way to work, the engine died and it would cost more to fix it then it was worth. So at that time I bought be a brand spanking new Ford Ranger XLT. I

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1112639367082963722005-04-04T15:35:00.000-05:002005-04-04T13:29:27.086-05:00

I was invited to a NASCAR/Wrestlemania party yesterday by some of my minions from work. Originally I wasn’t going to go. I’m not into NASCAR and the last time I followed wrastlin’ was when I was a freshman in high school. Neither really holds my interest. My minions gave me grief that I never go to any of the parties they invite me to, so I thought, “What the heck, what else do I have to do?” (

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1112447872114715452005-04-02T07:25:00.000-06:002005-04-02T07:23:08.803-06:00

In Part 3 of “What is a Jacobite” for the Gathering of the Blogs, we left off with the Scots retreating from the fields of Culloden Moor. However the Battle was not done.WARNING: Graphic scenes of violence will be described in this section. History isn’t always pretty, and this chapter of it was down right ugly. The Duke of Cumberland, henceforth referred to as Butcher Cumberland or The Butcher,

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1112410190524703182005-04-01T20:50:00.000-06:002005-04-01T20:49:50.526-06:00

For the Gathering of the Blogs we are to do a Scottish Fashion Show. I thought I had a better picture of me in the great kilt. However this was the best I could find that didn't need scanning in. I'm wearing a traditional 9 yard great kilt with a suede doublet. This picture was taken when I was doing a kid's day demonstration back in 2000. That is a two handed claymore that I'm showing off! I'm

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1112378008677211412005-04-01T12:38:00.000-06:002005-04-02T07:09:18.440-06:00

When answering the interrogation meme that Oddybobo fried me with. I said I would not interview anyone unless they asked to be interviewed. Well I had three individuals that where disturbed enough to actually volunteer to let me, Contagion, to put them to the question, torture, ask them questions. I tried warning these volunteers that my questions are not going to be quite normal, so here we

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1112312241760287112005-03-31T17:40:00.000-06:002005-03-31T17:42:20.180-06:00

Bouddica talks about her kids being beans in a pie. Then in my last Carnival of the Campfires recipe I made the comment that I would take requests. Well Bou being the smart alec that she is said she wanted a bean pie. So as an obedient blog offspring I found this: Pinto Bean Pie 1 lb ground beef (cooked and drain) 1 cup onion (chopped) 1 cup green pepper (chopped) 1

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1112311200514337572005-03-31T17:31:00.000-06:002005-03-31T17:20:00.520-06:00

For today’s Gathering of the Blogs I am going to do part 3 of “What is a Jacobite?” Today’s tale will be different as this will be my own story* and not a recount of past battles. Today I tell my story and what started to be a long journey to here in the Colonies.The fifth Jacobite rebellion.Back in 1744 Bonnie Prince Charlie (Charles Edward Stuart, The Young Pretender), son of James VIII with a

Seamus MacPhailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00914493386585972796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1112286364383741262005-03-31T12:23:00.000-06:002005-03-31T11:14:10.333-06:00

Welcome to the next installment of What is a Jacobite for the Gathering of the Blogs. Hopefully after yesterday’s post you have a better idea of what a Jacobite is. Yet, there is much more to come. I’ve only started telling this story. Today we are going to go over the third and fourth Jacobite uprising.In 1715 the Earl of Mar, John Erskine (Also known later on as “Bobbing John” due to his

Seamus MacPhailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00914493386585972796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1112236248827315882005-03-30T20:37:00.000-06:002005-03-30T20:31:02.176-06:00

It is time for the Carnival of the Campfires and Gathering of the Blogs nightly recipe. I have an extensive collection of Scottish recipes and many campfire recipes. If any of you are looking for a hard to find one and or would like me to convert your favorite recipe to campfire cooking, just say so in the comments. I’ll be all over it like plaid on a kilt.Tonight’s Highland delicacy will be:

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1112210670216009652005-03-30T15:33:00.000-06:002005-03-31T11:15:17.786-06:00

In order to tell this story properly, Contagion has let me tell it. Let me introduce myself, I’m Seamus MacPhail, Contagion’s alter ego from 1756. For the Gathering of the Blogs he needs to make various posts regarding and related to Scots and their history. He thought it would be best to do a “What is a Jacobite.” Well since I am a Jacobite, this was probably one of the smarter decisions he has

Seamus MacPhailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00914493386585972796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1112137597043223202005-03-29T17:33:00.000-06:002005-03-29T17:20:38.846-06:00

Time for another Carnival of the Campfires and Gathering of the Blogs cross post. I’ll be making these all week so I hope you all are ready for some good Scottish cooking!In my post about Minced Callops I mentioned how I thought it was best with Colcannon. Well, so as to not be a tease, I decided I would post it next. Now this one takes more time to make, but trust me it is worth it. It’s easy to

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1112115620049942402005-03-29T12:52:00.001-06:002005-03-30T10:28:01.713-06:00

Oddybobo decided she was going to tag me with this interrogation meme that is going around. I keep telling everyone I’m shy, thus I have problems answering them. However she decided that I had avoided this long enough and captured me. I was going to hold off posting this for a month or two in order to see if it would be forgotten. But then that wouldn’t be nice of me, and apparently she really

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1112051168187716612005-03-28T17:34:00.000-06:002005-03-28T19:02:31.856-06:00

I have to make a post for each and I thought to myself, "I'm a Scottish re-enactor, I can do both on the same post." This was a favorite in our group for a long time. However to feed a group of 16, you need to make a lot of this. This is some of the most delicious and filling dishes I've ever had. So much to my wife's chagrin I'm giving up a much sought after Highland Recipe.Minced

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1112040420455402592005-03-28T15:33:00.000-06:002005-03-28T14:37:52.236-06:00

Okay, I thought Darth Vader as a spokesman for Cheez-its was brilliant. Today, however, while at the gas station I see these! That’s right folks. Darth is now selling chocolate, M&M’s to be precise.They had two different varieties of M&Ms. there was the Jedi Mix and the Darth Mix, The Darth mix having a dark chocolate inside instead of milk chocolate. The best part… the tag tine for the Darth Mix

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1112032333748588922005-03-28T12:48:00.000-06:002005-03-28T11:53:35.163-06:00

What a long weekend. Saturday we had a birthday party for Clone. I’m glad he only turned two and it didn’t mean a lot to him. Most of the kids invited either didn’t show or got sick and had to cancel. Grau showed up with his spawn (as he refers to them). Other then that it was my oldest boy Boopie, my parents, grandmother and sister. At the age of two, Clone didn’t really know what was going on,

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1112026745218433842005-03-28T10:13:00.000-06:002005-03-28T10:30:44.686-06:00

Okay, I obviously have played around a LOT with my template. Well I was bored and checking out various things last week, when I noticed I've received very few search engine hits. So I thought I'd play a little. I wasn't expecting a lot since I am a new blog and all. Well when I googled "Miasmatic Review" everyone else that has mentioned or linked to me showed up. I was nowhere to be found. So I

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1111848803528599682005-03-26T08:28:00.000-06:002005-03-26T11:45:50.796-06:00

Okay, I was at the store the other day and saw these:Who'd'a thunk that the greatest Movie villain of all time would be the perfect spokesman for a snack cracker? I mean c'mon this is great stuff! You can get your cheesy yummy goodness AND converted to the dark side all at the same time!I also like how on the box it looks like Darth Vader is using the force to propel the tiny snack crackers at

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9731408.post-1111846432426047512005-03-26T07:21:00.000-06:002005-03-26T08:13:52.430-06:00

It appears my blog momma-sis, Boudicca, is up to it again. This time however she has made it personal. Instead of trying to prove through facts and documented research what I have stated in these posts does not apply to Fredweena, she has started mud slinging. I'm extremely disappointed as I thought she was better then that.First she wonders, legitimately, if there is college courses on the

Contagionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18247082489343057341noreply@blogger.com0