All The Votes Were Counted, Here's The Winner

     I have been out of it all day. I'm not really sure what it is. It could be the cough, or it could just be general exhaustion. I haven't been sleeping well lately. I wake up constantly during the night, and still rise rather early in the morning. Maybe that has just caught up with me.

     Well, I didn't get any more than that one vote for where to make a video for today, so that one vote won the prize. I went to the Ice Cream Shoppe & Cafe. It was good, and well worth going to, but I would have liked a little competition for the video that I made.



     Tomorrow turns the calendar over to October, and that means Halloween. I think I'm going to prepare early this year, and go around to several different cemeteries for my halloween video. We have a couple of rather old cemeteries in this area, and it could be interesting to just take a walk through them. I won't do it at night, since most of them don't allow admittance after dark, so this one won't be spooky, but it should be fun. I think I'll start putting that one together this week. I know of three really old cemeteries in the area, two of them on Merritt Island and one in Cocoa. They are all very small, so I should get some decent footage for a short video.

     A friend of mine enjoyed my woodworking skills for my wand stand so much, that she has asked me to attempt to make her a totem pole. I'm feeling up to the challenge. I don't know why I don't find it daunting, but I don't. I think it will be fun. There are a few problems though. I need to find a piece of wood big enough. Six feet tall, and at least a foot and a half in diameter. Then the next problem is how do I transport that.

     Here is the plan of attack once I have the wood though. I get the bulk of the wood out of the way with my chainsaw. I need to buy some chisels for the carving part of it all, and then I will use the Dremel and hand sanding for the fine tuning of it all. I'm sure I will have to do other things in order to get it all done, but I will cross those bridges when I get to them. I honestly have no idea if I can pull this off, but I'm going to give it a try. What do I have to lose other than time? I will gain so much more in knowledge having attempted it.

     I ordered the GoPro Hero 7 Black yesterday. I probably shouldn't have done it, but if the image stabilization is as good as it claims to be, it will be worth it in the end. Yesterday was the final day of preorders. It went on direct sale today, so I'm hoping to get mine this week, but it could take longer. I do plan on making a comparison video when I get it in. I will shoot video with the two different cameras I have and do side by side comparison. I'm hoping that video will be a big draw for viewers. My AGV helmet review is still the highest viewed video I have with over 5000 views on it. I think being an early video of the Hero 7 could be a big thing. I'm hoping anyway.

     I had planed to write all weekend, but my mind has just not been into it. I just haven't been in the mood to write The Patchwork Knight, that is going to have to change tomorrow though. I want to get 3 chapters done this week, so I will be forcing myself to write. I have an eye appointment on Tuesday, so that day will be pretty much shot after I go there, and then on Wednesday I am doing another review for TPR. I can maybe get a chapter in before that day as well. If I write Monday through Wednesday morning, I will hit my three chapter mark. I know the reason I'm not up for writing. I have to do some tragedy in the upcoming chapters, and I'm not sure that I'm up for it yet, but I have to be. Chapters like this always get very emotional for me. As I have said many times, I have an empathic attachment to my writing. I feel the emotions that I write about. I see the faces, and what they are going through, so this is going to be rough, but I have to do it. It is a driving force behind the story, and needs to be done.

     I'm done for today. I'm going to go make a turkey sandwich, and then vegetate in front of the TV until Fear the Walking Dead comes on. Tomorrow is a new day for writing and killing characters. Huzzah! Peace in and goodnight.

The Patchwork Knight (Chapter 46)

     We left early the next morning. I thought riding in the armor would be difficult, but it once again felt like it belonged on me. We traveled light, with only small packs that would fit on the horses. We needed to move fast along the trails to reach the villagers before any Raiders could. Our goal was to lead villagers back to the Crystal Palace, but we were ready for a fight if one arose.

     The King was true to his word, and sent some of the best Knights in the Realm with me. We were a strike force that could challenge a full army if need be.

     "Where to first Sir Gorin?"

     "I thought we would head towards your old home. There were reports of villagers hiding around the area a couple of weeks ago. It would be nice to see where you grew up."

     "To the Colsteen village then."

     It had been nearly half a year since I left my village. I traveled all over the Realm and ended up only miles away.

     "Why haven't the villagers traveled to the Palace yet? They are only a few miles away."

     "There was a report of bandits along the trails there. They have been hiding off the trails and attacking anyone that travels by. So, if you're ready for a fight Sir Patchwork, you will get one soon."

     "Bandits? With all that's going on with the Raiders invading the Realm, why would there be bandits?"

     "Bandits stalk the trails in even the best of times. With this land in chaos, it is ever more to their advantage. People are traveling the trails with all of their belongs, and are ripe for the picking."

     I couldn't believe that people could be so vile, that they would attack the defenseless in their time of most need. I could feel a rage boiling inside of me with each thought.

     "Where are they located?"

     "One of our scouts found a camp not far from your village. They are hiding in a glen near a small stream. There a 8 men that the scout could see, but more could have been hunting or watching the trails."

     "I know exactly where they are. I used to train in that glen."

     "Is that where you killed the giant wolf?"

     "It was near there, and it wasn't a giant wolf. It was just a very large one."

     "Can you lead us there without being seen?"

     "I'm not sure. I always only went from the village to there, but if you can get me to the stream I should be able to guide everyone there with little problem."

     "That should be easy enough then."

     We traveled the distance to the stream in short time. Sir Gorin ordered the men to dismount and tie their horses off near the stream so that they could water.

     "I want to scout ahead, and see what is there to prepare us. I will return in short time and set up our attack."

     "Be safe Sir Pitre."

     "Can I come with you Pitre."

     "No Rolf, you stay here, it will be much safer. I promise I won't let you miss out on any of the action."

     I entered the Euphoria and ran at a sprint without making a sound to the glen. It was as Sir Gorin said, a camp with 8 men sitting around a camp fire with small carts and bundles of goods surrounding them. The spoils of their thievery.

     Within an hour of sitting and watching, three more men walked up.

     "If you are here, who is watching the trail?"

     "There is no one coming along that trail anymore. It has been days since anyone came by. It's time to change the watch anyway."

     "You change the watch when your replacements come for you, not the other way around."

     The voice was coming from a large man that had been sitting inside a tent. He emerged when he spoke those words, and walked up to a dirty slender man that had been speaking. When he was within arms reach, he reached out and grabbed the man by his throat.

     "Now, are we going to have to have a repeat of the conversation that gave you that scar on you cheek there."

     I could see a large scar that ran from his hairline to the base of his jaw on his right cheek.

     "No sir. It's just that we...."

     "There is no just anything. You obey orders and you reap the rewards when this damned conflict is over. We are going to be rich men when this is all over, but you may not make it if you keep leaving your post before your replacement comes. Since you saw fit to leave early, you can gather the fire wood to keep this fire going tonight."

     The large man then threw the man a couple of feet from him, he then turned around and walked back to his tent.

     "I want the next three men on watch to get there NOW!"

     Three men that had been siting around the fire eating quickly got up and ran to where the men had just come from. The slender man got up from where he had landed and grabbed a small hatchet and began walking in my direction. I slunk further back into the woods and waited for him.

     We walked side by side for a few minutes without him knowing I was there. I stayed just far enough back to avoid his sight. He was mumbling the entire time, so even if I was making any noise along the floor of the wood, he wouldn't have heard me. He found a small sapling and began hacking at it, to cut it down. I slowly walked up behind him and drew my sword.

     "That sapling is going to be no good for firewood. It is too green."

     The man spun on his heels and nearly fell to the ground as he stumbled away from where my voice came from.

     "Whaaa!"

     "Shhhh. This will go much better for you if you remain silent. Are there only eleven of you, or are there more watching the trail?"

     "Huh, wha, where, did you come from?'

     "That doesn't matter, what matters is that I am pointy a rather thirsty sword at your throat and I'm asking the questions. So, do you have answers, or just more questions?"

     "Th th th there are only eleven of us. W w w w we onl only send th th th three out at a a a time."

     "Good, that is all I needed to know."

     I thrust my sword through his throat. He reached up grabbed my sword and tried to pull it from his throat. I gave no way. I watched the life drain from his eyes, and his body slide from my sword.

    "You attack the defenseless, so it was a pleasure to watch you die the same way."

     I cleaned my blade off on his coat and put it back in it's sheath. I walked back to the stream to tell the men what the camp looked like and we planned our attack.

     "I think the best think would be to surround the entire camp and then crush them all at once."

     "I agree Darius. We can send a couple of men off in the direction that their watch went, and they can sneak up behind them."

     "I'll do it. I can take all three of them."

     "Sir Constant, you can go, but you won't go it alone. We will get in place and then give you a minute to get to those other men before we attack. Rolf are you up for a challenge?"

     "I am."

     "You go along with Sir Constant and try to keep him from talking and giving your position away. If you hear our attack before you get to the tree guards on the trail, hide and wait for them to come to you. You will still have that element of surprise, because they will expect everyone to be at the camp."

     "Yes sir, Sir Darius."

     I believe we are going to make a knight out of him after all Sir Pitre."

     "I think he may already be there. His training has come along quite nicely. He hasn't entered the Swordsman's Euphoria yet, but it should happen soon."

     "Ok, let's get this over with so that we can start bringing those villagers to the safety of the palace."

     We slowly walked back to the bandit's camp site and read out around them still hidden within the trees. Sir Constance and Rolf quickly and quietly left in the direction that the guards went to the trail. We the other 13 of us waited patiently until Sir Gorin gave the signal for attack. All of our eyes were on him.

     "Attackers!" The large man had come out of his tent with a large double sided ax.

     The signal was not going to come. We all rushed in, and I made a straight line for the ax man. He turned as if he knew my attack was coming and stood in guard with his ax raised over his shoulder. I rushed in and stabbed my sword at his stomach, but he turned. As he did so, he swung his ax at my head. I slid across the ground and arched backwards, watching the blade of the ax passing inches above my face. I spun as soon as I stopped my slide and stood back up to face the large man. He was even bigger face to chest then he was from a distance. He was already spun around himself and a few feet away from me standing in that menacing guard with he large ax over his shoulder. I began to circle watching his midsection for the first movement from him. My father always told me not to watch the hands, feet, or even the eyes of an opponent. They were deceiving, but the stomach always told the truth. He jumped back. it was an attempt to draw me in for his ax swing. I didn't follow and his swing harmlessly passed far in front of me. The massive ax took the man off balance who had anticipated it lodging into my side. His feet faltered and I pounced.

     My sword bit into his head as he was falling to the ground. It wasn't the strike I wanted but it would do. A chunk of his head was cleaved away as he hit the ground. I turned my attention to the action that was going on around me. Sir Gorin and Sir Darius were taking on three men to my right, while a young Knight was standing over a fallen bandit. he quickly ran to their aid when he saw the odds against them. I continued to turn and assess the area. Everyone had a fallen bandit or one about to fall in front of them. Rolf and Sir Constance were walking back into the camp, bloodied but unharmed. A strange look was on their faces.

     "Pitre, behind you!"

     I turned to see the massive man standing with the ax fully above his head.

     "I'm going to kill you."

     The chunk of blood scalp dangled over his ear and the ax was beginning to fall straight for my head. It would cleave me in half if I didn't move fast. I threw my sword in the air, and drew my father's sword from my side. In one motion I swung it up and sliced the ax handle causing the blade to go spinning off right past my head. I spun to avoid what was left of the handle and caught my sword in my left hand. I continued my spin to come fully around. I slashed my father's sword across his belly and my sword across his throat. He dropped the ax handle and grabbed for both wounds trying to stop the bleeding. He looked at me with rage in his eyes. I drove both swords through his chest with so much force that they exited his back. A gurgling roar came from his throat as he fell to the ground. The woods fell to silence and only the scrapping of boots could be heard across the forest floor.

     "Pitre, are you ok."

      It was Rolf he had apparently run to my side after he screamed.

     "I'm fine. Is everyone unharmed?"

     Individually each man shouted out a positive reply.

     "Pitre, do you know this man?"

     "No, should I Sir Darius?"

     "This man is the most wanted bandit in all of the Realm. Even in the best of times, this man was a scourge on the King's lands. This is Black Blade. He was rumored to have some kind of magic that told him of an attack. He has never been even wounded in a battle. The Knights have been sent out for years to find this man, and here he was at the doorstep of the Crystal Palace."

     "I think you should take this ax blade Pitre. As a trophy for killing the most wanted bandit in the Realm."

     I looked at the ax blade that Sir Gorin was now holding in both hands towards me. It was nearly the size of a small shield and black as night. It didn't shine, it seemed to absorb any light that was near it.

     "I have a better idea. My father's old forge is not far from where we stand. Let's melt this blade down and give it back to the land, so that it will never harm anyone again. Then we will find those villagers."

     "A good idea indeed. Your old village will be the perfect place to camp for the night."

Story Time With Counterfeit Squirrel

     I have a couple of things to talk about, and then we will get to story time with good ol' Uncle Counterfeit Squirrel.

     I finally finished the wand stand, late last night. I think it is what I want, and it does look good with the wand in it. In final, it took about 10 coats of oil to get it to the look I wanted, so here are the pictures.

     There you have it, if full color. I wanted to get that shot from the rear so that you can see the little bit of texture I put into the back of it. Just that small little indention in the upper part of it, was a bit of a challenge. I really like the way it came out. Not bad for my first time going in hard on some wood working. All in all, it took about a week to do, and it was worth the time. I have it sitting proudly on a shelf in the room I am now in, and it looks great. It is a one of a kind, hand made, wand stand.

     I had my guitar lesson tonight. It was the first time in three weeks. I had to call out the last two weeks because of the stupid cold thing that I had. Yes, I still have the cough, but not anywhere near as bad, and it is more of an irritation in my throat that is causing it now. I think it just has to heal up, and it will be fine. My guitar teacher watched the TPR special and praised me on the work that went into it. He said it was as good as anything on TV. I think that is going a bit overboard, but I'll take it. I put a lot of time into it, so I do enjoy hearing good things about it.

     My favorite part of walking around Universal yesterday, was all the people that called out, "Hello Hufflepuff". It's a thing. I was wearing my Hufflepuff shirt and hat, so I was a bit of a spectacle, but here is the thing. I have noticed, that when this does happen, it only happens to Hufflepuffs. I don't know if it is some hidden joke amongst the staff at Universal, or if it is just Huffle Love, either way, it is still fun. I have never heard anyone call out to another house of Hogwarts. You don't hear anyone going "What's up Ravenclaw.", it just doesn't happen. The oddest part was when I was leaving I got hit with it twice. Once was outside of King's Cross, and the girl yelled out, "Hello Hufflepuff, I love your yellow swagger.". Very odd, but I liked it. The other was just before walking out the gate. All the park photographers were lined up waiting for people to get pictures of, and a young woman, just screamed out, "Hufflepuff" and started dancing around. That's when I did something completely out of character and raised my hand in the air and proclaimed, "Hufflepuff in da house.". Yeah, I know, pretty tragic right. She got a kick out of it, and began sayin that over and over as I walked by. It was a fun day, and I did get a story idea.

     It wasn't the one I had set out to get, but one did arise. I was sitting, waiting on my favorite show. The Horror Make Up Show, when I young woman walked into the waiting area. She was unique with a style I am attracted to, so I immediate noticed her. Don't get any ideas, she was far too young, but It created a story in my head. She was dressed in gothic attire, but what stood out was her eye make up. It was the only make up she had on, but it told a story. To me anyway. I pulled out my phone and opened up notes, and began writing the first sentence that popped into my head. This is how a lot of these things happen. A sentence comes to me, it is either the first sentence, or the last sentence. In this case, it was the first sentence, and no, I'm not going to share it with you. I thought about it this morning while I was lying in bed, and an entire first page and a half came to me. I wrote the entire thing in my head, and it has the potential to be something pretty good, I just have to sort out all the details, and to write that first page down.

     This is a lesson I learned a while ago. If a story is worth telling, then it is worth remembering. That is why I haven't written what I came up with down yet. I still have that first sentence, so I can come up with something new, if I have to, but I still see those pages in my head right now, so they aren't going anywhere either. This story is sticking with me, which is a good thing. I held onto The Patchwork Knight for years before I wrote anything down, and it changed from time to time, but the core of the entire thing is still there, and that is what I'm working off of right now. Which reminds, me, I need to write a few more chapters soon. I'm falling behind. Behind being 4 chapters ahead instead of 5 or 8. I'm blaming it on the cold, but this week that excuse doesn't hold weight.

    One last thing before story time. I posted the new video yesterday, and I have only gotten 1 vote on what I should do, so I'm going to post it on here, because I need more people voting or that one vote makes the decision. Here is the video, so please watch it and make your choice be known.



     Finally, it's story time. There has been a lot in the news about sexual assault, gang rape, and parties, lately. I have a tale of high school and why possibly, someone would not report being sexually assaulted, and still going to other parties.

     My school was not unlike any others at that time. You have the cliques that moved about the school and threw their designated parties. I wasn't a member of any clique, so I didn't go to parties. I did go to two separate ones, in my time in high school, and both were something I spent maybe an hour at and then left. It just wasn't my scene, and to this day, I'm not a fan of big gatherings. Anyway, whether you went to these parties or not, you heard about what happened at them. There were always stories that would come out of each and every party. A few that I remember quite well, where about certain girls at the school. They were part of the elite clique. You know the ones. The star athletes, the cheerleaders, the coolest kids at the school. The ones that everyone knew, and wanted to be. I grew up with most of those kids, and even though I wasn't in the clique, I was friendly with them, so they would tell me all the stories. You would hear this story a lot. One particular girl, and she would be different each time, would hold "court" in a bedroom, taking guy after guy for sex. When one would finish, she would send him out and have him send the next one in. I was always appalled at these stories. It wasn't until this past week that I began thinking about those stories again, and looking at them in a different way.

     The girl that was the star of the story would always seem a little different in school the following week. She would deny the story happening, but guys would go up to them and say rude things, or touch them in aggressive ways, as if the stories were true, and they couldn't wait until the next party, so they could have their turn. The girl would always lower their head and walk off in a hurry. I took the stories at face value. I knew these kids, they weren't bad people, none of them. The guys were the every guys guy. They would be nice to everyone, and not cause trouble. The girls were all the prettiest in the school, and would always have a smile and a hello for you. I had no reason to think anything else. Now though. I look at it for what it was. The stories were the cover to protect the guys, so that they could make believe that they weren't doing anything wrong, and they were only participating on what the girl wanted. The girls wouldn't say anything, because they didn't want to be out of the clique. Being popular and cool, is alluring, and it is incomprehensible of how much it hurt if you weren't. They had to weigh the option of whether they wanted to remain in the clique and get the prestige that came along with it, or be an outcast and a pariah in the face of their peers. I saw it happen to one girl. One girl stood up to what was happening, and they completely destroyed her character. She attempted suicide and that was a laughing stock of some students because she failed. She was the sweetest of girls you would ever meet, and because she didn't play the game, it nearly cost her her life. She was never part of the clique again. I could see all of this from a far and not even realize what was going on right in front of me.

     These parties were crazy, and anyone who was anyone was there. They weren't just keggers either, there was hard liquor and drugs there. One party, and there is proof of this happening. The principal of the school showed up. There was a picture in our yearbook of him with two girls and a beer in his hand. There is more to that story as well. There are two versions of this story. The first is that he had sex with one of the girls in the picture. She supposedly seduced him. The other story is a little more dark. The seduction part is is there, but she plied him with booze telling him all along that he was going to get some, until he passed out. Then with a couple of guys, they carried him to a bedroom and had her undress and take pictures with him so that they could blackmail him. That is the more likely story, because I knew one of the guys, and whenever he would pass by the principal in the halls, he would alway hold his hands up like he was taking a picture, and the principal would turn in another direction. Once again, these were the good guys. In reality, there weren't all that good, but they would have you believe that they could do no wrong.

     That is the culture that was grown then, and it is still growing strong now. I saw it and over looked it. I stopped overlooking it as I grew older, but by then it was too late. Could I have stopped any of this back then. More than likely not, but if I had opened my eyes, and really saw what was going on, I  could have made an effort to try.

     I said this before, and I'm going to say it again. We need to change the way we raise our young boys. We always teach our young girls what they need to do to avoid being a victim of rape or assault, but we never teach our boys not to do it. Being a girls shouldn't mean that the one thing you have to learn in life, is not how to not get sexually assaulted, and boys shouldn't be admonished as "boys will be boys". That is a chickenshit way out of things. It's an excuse for bad behavior. I don't have the answers, but I know where to start, and that is they way we talk to our young boys and girls. Change the dialogue, just a bit. It shouldn't be, "in order to get a girl pregnant, the boy puts his penis in the girl." It should be, "in order to make a child the girl allows the boy to put his penis inside of her." Just that small little change in dialogue changes the entire dynamic of that sentence. It is no longer the male conquers. It is the female allows a joining.

     I hope I made a point tonight. Peace in and goodnight.

Imagination Is A Wonderful Thing

     Big announcement, I'm going to Universal tomorrow. Ok, it's not really a big announcement, but I am going. I'm looking at it as a fact finding adventure tomorrow. It is all about finding stories in the world around you. I had an idea recently of doing my own wizard like story. Modern time wizards and how they would be in this world. I know that Harry Potter is somewhat modern times, but it is an oddity with the when it is in time. You could look at it as it's own reality, which it is, and that reality doesn't coincide with our own. It is similar in that things that we have, they have, but there version of them are set in a much older time than now. Does that make any sense? I know in my head it does, but I'm not sure of how to convey it properly. Anyway, that is why I'm going to just immerse myself in Diagon Alley and Hogwarts, I want to make believe that I am a wizard in a modern world and how that all relates around me.

     Have I ever mentioned that I get most of my ideas in this sort of way. It's all daydreaming and make believe, but a lot of times, I have to mimic the experience. No, not actually try to create the experience, but see it in my head as I'm walking around. Yes, I do realize that makes me sound like a psychopath, but it is all in my head. The Patchwork Knight, I had an idea for it years ago. I would walk around work and go through things in my head as I was walking around. I would see the forest and mountainsides. People in a different world would interact with me. That is how I'm able to explain the surroundings of these places. I have been purposely vague with descriptions in The Patchwork Knights and there is a reason for that, but I won't divulge that little bit of information until the very end, so you will have to wait on that, but in the meantime, that is why tomorrow is going to be my walking around in a make believe world, trying to see an entire other world within in.

       On a slightly related note. I have been continuing work on the wand stand. I finished all the sanding and stained it, and I am now in the process of oiling it. This is more than likely going to be the longest part of the whole thing. I have to put the oil on in very thin layers, and the wood soaks the oil up, and I have to put another coat on. It's going to take some time to get enough oil on it, for it to stay on the surface. Here is what it looks like at this point. Oh, and these are right after the second coat of oil, so the surface is shiny from the oil.

       I got the front and back, and the side to side shots, so you can see the entire thing. I haven't put the wand in it, since staining, so I have no idea how it looks in it. I'm hoping that it will look good, but I'm worried now, that it's going to contrast too much. I have to wait, until I'm done with all the coats of oil though. I personally, think it looks great, but I'm biased.

     I began watching a new series on Netflix, and it is great. It's an animated series called The Dragon Prince. It has a sort of Avatar the Last Airbender vibe to it, but that could just be the animation. It is about two boy princess and an elf assassin that end up being friends who are trying to stop a war between humans and elves. I can't remember which episode I'm on, I think I watched 6 of them tonight, maybe more, but it is really good. It's fun and full of action, with a really good story line.

     I have a new video going up tomorrow at noon. I'll be at Universal so I won't be able to share it until I get home though. I need your help. This video is asking for your help on what Sunday's video will be. I have three choices for you, and you can choose between them. Majority rule on this one, so the most votes gets the video. I will do the video on either Thursday, or Friday, and have it all cut and ready on Sunday morning. The video is only like 2 minutes long, so now excuses for not watching the whole thing, and giving me a vote.

     No FSOTW this week. I've been really busy with the wand stand and other things, so I haven't had time to even think about any particular song this week. You'll just have to pick your own favorite song this week. I'm off to bed, so that I can be well rested for my imaginary adventure tomorrow. Yes, I still have the cough, no it's not as bad as it was. Peace in and good night.

I'm A Master Wood Craftsman Now

     I am so tired of this cough. If I could cut my throat out, I would. Every time that I think it is on the way out, it comes back again. Today it is on a low side, which means that tomorrow it will blow up and have me with a headache and constant coughing. I'm saying this because I'm hoping that reverse psychology will work on my cough.

     I forgot to mention last week that, and this will be the last time I talk about the video, the video was shot mostly with the Canon T7i. All the still footage was shot on that Canon with the boom mic added to it for the audio. There was nothing special use other than that, and I think it all came out great. I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the audio that it captures, so I'm really looking forward to filming with it again. I just don't know when that will be. I guess I could do some talking head videos for my channel, but I don't think that will go over well with the viewers.

     I began work on a new little side project yesterday. I mentioned previously that I needed to make a wand stand for my wand. I am after all a wizard now, and my wand deserves a nice place to stay other than a box. I broke out the circular saw, which is not ideal for what I needed to do, but it's basically all I have. I cut up an old 2x4 into a basic shape that I could work with for the stand, then I got out the dual sander. I love that sander, it only cost me like $60 from Harbor Freight, and I have used it quite a bit for just little odds and ends. I worked the wood into a little more than basic shape, and added some curves to it, that weren't there from the beginning. Once I had the majority of the wood off that I wouldn't need. I broke out the Dremel. I began shaping some more, getting the most of the rough edges off, and put a deeper groove in the top for the wand to rest. Here are the pictures after the majority of the shaping was done.

     Not too bad for someone that has no idea what they are doing. It is by complete accident that the shape of the wood actually compliments the shape of the wand. That was the end of day 1. Day 2 was this morning. Oh, I forgot, I had to go out and by fine grit sand paper and stain for completing this project yesterday, but back to today. I got the sand paper out, and began the hand sanding. This is where the final shape is going to come from. I knocked even more of the sharp edges from the wood, and began getting rid of blemishes in the wood, that I had made with the Dremel. The Dremel is great, but it can be a bit unpredictable for me. I haven't spent much quality fine tuning time with it, so I got a bit sloppy. I'm not sure how much more I have to do, because as I left it today, the few blemishes that are left, add character to the piece, so I may leave them in. Although there is one spot that I want to take down a bit more. Anyway, here is the picture after the first day of hand sanding.

     I love the way the wood grain is really showing through on it. I'm hoping that when I stain it, it will come out even more. I chose a Sedona Red for the stain. I think that will compliment the brown and bone colors of the wand. I really should get a picture of the back of it for you as well. Maybe after I get the sanding done tomorrow, I will remember to do that. I didn't just leave the back flat, I wanted the flow to wrap around the entire thing. The idea, is that it should look a little like a piece of drift wood, and I think I pulled that off. I want it to look like it was shaped through natural means and not an idiot with sandpaper and a few power tools. I didn't want it to look perfectly symmetrical. I wanted those somewhat natural looking curves to it.

     I think all the hand sanding will be done tomorrow. I will let it sit for a day, and wipe it down real good to get rid of any dust particles on it, then I will start staining it. If everything goes well, I should have finished pictures for you on Thursday night.

     Tattoo update: I still haven't heard from the tattoo shop that I contacted, so I went on a little local search for another potential artist for this piece. I found one. It is an artist I have known about, but never really looked at her work, when I finally did, I was amazed by it. This week will be kind of busy, so I'm not going to worry too much about it, but next week, I might reach out to this other artist. On the studios Facebook page, which is their only web presence, they ask that you contact them through that or email to set up a consult or appointment. They are looking for the next month or so right now, so they have a busy schedule it seems. I doubt I would be able to get in for a couple of weeks at the earliest. I can wait, so that isn't a problem. At the very least, if I can get a response, that is heads and tails above what I have gotten so far. 

     I found out from this search that there are even more tattoo studios in this area than I even knew. They all have some great artist, but I'm looking for a certain style, and I have found, that it is mostly women who have that style, so I put my focus on finding the right female artist for this piece, and the others that I want. both of the woman I have found are right there, with that style and care in the quality of their artwork. There are plenty of men that could pull this off, but I want to go to a female artist because I believe that they work harder at their craft, because they are overpowered by their male counterparts. I want my artist to love what they do, and want to put a little of themselves in the piece that they do. I had that with my other artist, so I know how the work comes out, and that is what I want for my next artist.

     I watched a new series on Netflix this weekend. Maniac stars Emma Stone and Jonah Hill, and it is weird. You have to get through the first 3 episodes to get to where it picks up. I have to tell, you, the first 3 are just flat out boring, and you have no idea what is going on, but once you hit episode 4 it begins to make sense, and it gets really exciting. When the final episode comes along, you don't want it to end. The acting is superb. it is filmed in what you could assume is in modern time or maybe a few years in the future, but everyone is dressed as though they were in the 70's. It's a really odd contrast. It's modern yet periodesque. Give it a try if you are looking for something to watch, but remember, you will have to struggle through those first 3 episodes. 

     I'm putting this up very early today, in hopes that I will lay down for a nap, and never wake up. If that happens then the cough is finally gone. I will of course miss Fear the Walking Dead, but we all have to make sacrifices. Peace in and goodnight.

The Patchwork Knight (Chapter 45)

     Before I knew it, I was standing in front of all available Targen Knights, and directing them how to swing their swords. When I began with the interlocking loop, their jaws dropped. I slowed to show them step by step and they began following my movements. I switched hands so that they could mirror me like I did with Rolf and they all stopped what they were doing.

     "Why did you stop?"

     "I think I can answer that Sir Patchwork Knight. This lot hasn't seen you fight before. They didn't know about your prowess with two swords."

     One young Knights stepped forward.

     "We have only heard the tales. Is it true that you took on an entire infantry and killed every man."

     "Well."

     "It's true lad. I was there and saw it with mine own two eyes. We were there and helped, but The Patchwork Knight did all of the hard work."

     "Did you really bring Sir Parljin back to life?" Shouted another Knight from the back.

     "I..."

     "Back to work. Sir Pitre isn't here to answer your questions, he's here to teach you horse droppings how to swing those pointy things you call blades. Now follow his instruction and save the fire talk for the fire."

     "Thank you Sir Darius."

     I began again with my left hand and had them mirror my movements until they began to pick up their speed. The Knights were enthusiastic, and picked up on the movements in time, but not as quickly as Rolf or the others from the days before.

     By the end of the week, every Knight in the Realm had been in front of me to learn basic movements for controlling their swords. Every time a new bunch of Knights were in front of me, it was the same reaction. Their jaws would drop, they would ask questions about the tales, then Sir Darius would reprimand them and get them back on track. In the time I wasn't training knights, I was training Rolf. We would go through new movements each day, and then run to the bottom of the mountain, Rolf would keep pace on the way down, but I would lose him on the ascent.  I would wait for him at the top. Sometimes I would practice the movements, keeping in mind not to practice any further than 8, or a random Knight would corner me and ask me question on which tales were true and which were false.

     The days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months. I was beginning to starve for seeing the rest of the realm. I needed to leave the mountain and face the enemy. The Knights training was going well, and they were beginning to train any man that could handle a sword to add to the army. They were training like Knights but they would remain only army. I never understood the reasoning behind that, but it was the King's decision.

***

      "I'm going to finally grant your wish Pitre. It has been months since we sent out patrols. We have had scouts out and about, but they are only to report information. They have found several small pockets of villagers that have escaped the Raiders for the time being, but their time will soon run out. I'm sending you and a group of 14 men to round up as many villagers as you can."

     "When do I leave and who will be with me."

     "You will leave tomorrow morning, and Rolf will be with you of course. I'm also sending  Sir Gorin, Sir Constance, and Sir Darius with you. They all know where the villagers are hiding. The rest of your men will be some of the top Knights in the Realm. You have served me well in your short time here, but I can see that you are unhappy sitting on this mountain."

     "Thank you Your Highness, I don't mean any disrespect. I'm happy to train the men, but I feel like I'm better at your service, if I'm out there helping the people of the Realm."

     "I understand Pitre, that is why I'm sending you. Also, call me Reese. There is no need for formality when we are alone. I don't even like titles when I'm out amongst others but it's the burden of being a ruler. Before you leave, you need to stop by Galdren's forge. He has something for you."

    I had forgotten about the armor he had promised.

     "I have to say, I've seen what he has, and it is truly unique. It is truly one of a kind. I think it will suit you well.

     "Your High.. Reese, can I ask about Sir Salvor?"

     "Of course you can, what do you want to know?"

     "Would it be possible for me to speak to him? I would like to know about the day that Sir Wallace died."

     "I'm afraid that won't be possible Pitre. Sir Salvor was a strong man, but no longer. He does what he can around the Palace, but ever since he returned, fear and panic grip him. I worry that if he saw you, it would bring back terrible memories for him. That is why I'm sending Sir Gorin with you. He will be able to take you to the site of Sir Wallace's death. I'm sorry you can't learn more Pitre. It is for the best."

     Thank you Reese. I would like to know his tale, but one can live an entire life without hearing every tale the land has to offer, I will have to accept that this is one of those."

     "Are you sure that you are only, what? 15? Go now, I know that Galdren will be happy to have you. I'm sure he will want to fit you and see if there are any alterations that need made before you leave."

  ***

     I burst from the King's chambers and ran to the forge. I threw the door open and found Galdren at the furnace. He was spinning in a panicked state to look at me.

     "Aye boy, I thought a herd of horses were bursting down my door. I'm too old for you to come running in like that. You could have been the death of me."

     "Sorry Galdren. I should have been more cautious."

     "I'm guessing the King told you that i had something for you.?"

     "Yes."

     "Alright then lad, come over here."

     Gladren walked to the far side of the forge where a tarp was hanging over a large object. He walked up to it and pulled it off in a flourish. Standing next to him was a suit of armor like I had never seen. It had no helm. It had a shiny silver breast plate with a sigil on the front that was in the shape of a shield, but in four parts. The top left was a piece of the King's sigil, the white blossomed flower. the top right had a part of the Targen Knights sigil of the lion's head. The lower left had an upper case F, and the bottom right had a wolves head on it. The right arm of the armor was coated in chain mail but had no gauntlet. The left side was covered in boiled leather scale mail and ended with a plate mail gauntlet. The legs were all ring mail that had interchanging loops of gold, silver and copper. The boots where mismatched. One of a dark steel plate and the other looked like bronze. It was beautiful.

     "Why is it missing the right gauntlet?"

     "You already have that my boy. You've had it for years now."

      "Of course, how could I forget. What is that sigil in the center?"

     "That is your sigil my boy. I felt that a Patchwork Knight deserved armor and a sigil that fit him. The top is of course part of the King's sigil and the sigil of the Targen Knights. The bottom represents your father and you yourself."

     "What do you mean?"

     "The "F" is the first letter of your father's name, and the wolf is from the tale we have all heard about you killing a giant wolf to protect your friend."

     "How did you hear that tale?"

     "Your friend Rolf. He told us the tale of the girl that travels with him in the vanguard, and how she had a friend that battled a giant wolf to protect her. He also told us that you confirmed the story."

    "It's true. I was lucky, as a child."

    "I'd say your luck is still holding my boy, and you aren't that far removed from that boy. You may have grown and see quite a lot in your years, but you are still just a boy. Try and remember that."

    "I know, find some time to spend my childhood, being a child."

     "Ah, your father's words still stay with you. I'll tell you a little secret Pitre. Your father used to tell me that all the time. I was a full grown man and he was telling me that all the time during the war. Your father was the kindest man I ever knew. He always wanted everyone to be happy, and I know when the war ended, all he wanted was for fighting and battles to stay far from this land. He was good at fighting. Ah, he was great at fighting, but he never relished it. Learn from him boy. I know you want to get out there, but don't do it, only to kill Raiders."

     "I just want to help the villagers that are still out there. They need to be protected from the Raiders."

     "Aye, you are your father's son. Stay safe on your journeys Pitre, I want to have a meal with you when you return."

     "It's the first thing I'll do when I walk back to the top of this mountain."

     "Alright now boy, try this armor on, It's not meant to sit on a stand."

     Galdren helped me put the armor on. It fit, well it fit as if it were made for me.

     "Move around in it boy. Let me know if it pinches anywhere. I can adjust it before you head out tomorrow morning."

     It moved with me. no matter what move I made it felt like it was part of me. I had been knighted as a Targen Knight several months ago, but this was the first time I truly felt like a Knight of the Targen Realm. 

     "If I didn't know better, I'd say you've been wearing that armor your entire life. It doesn't hinder you at all?"

     "No, It feels like I'm wearing britches in a tunic."

     "This will do much more for you than any britches and tunic."

     "Thank you again Galdren. I don't know how I will ever repay for this, and so much more."

     "With all the I owe your father, I say we are even lad. Your father saved me more times than I can remember. Go now boy. You'll need your rest for the days that are coming. I fear for you out there, but it is where you belong, not locked up in this palace. Add to your tales, I'll look forward to hearing them."

     I embraced Galdren as a tear rolled down my cheek. He was so much like my father. I turned and walked away, going back to my chambers to get the rest that was ordered me by the King's own blacksmith.
   

When Life Throws You A Curve, Don't Pay Attention And Strike Out

     It's funny how life works some times. For the past week or so, a person that I knew a long time ago has been popping into my head. I knew her for maybe a couple of years or so, back in my surf days. We would surf together from time to time, and we even tried dating briefly. She was always very nice, but there we never really connected. I figured it out and asked her about it. It came to me that she was a lesbian, but she denied it, and it wasn't my place to force her to come out or anything like that, so I just left it, but after that conversation, we didn't talk much anymore. I'm not sure if it was me, or she was embarrassed by the conversation, or maybe it was just that never really connecting thing.

     Anyway, I had to take my mom to get her prescriptions filled yesterday. The pharmacist were all busy when we got to the counter, so we waited. I had to get a few things in order to be able to pay so I wasn't really paying attention to anyone or anything. The woman who was working the drive thru window finished first and came up to us to help. I mentioned the prescription and the name and was still tending to debit cards and what not. The woman asked a few questions, to verify that the right person was getting the prescription, and I was still dealing with cards, and simply answering the questions without looking up. The amount was tendered, and I punched in the numbers, and was handed the bag of medication. I still hadn't really looked up. I was now putting debit card away and handing the bag off to my mom to see if she wanted to carry it. The woman said something a bit odd to me. "Thank you, have a nice day, and it was good to see you again." The first two weren't odd to me, but that last part, that struck me, and as I was walking away, I turned to say that it was good to see you again as well, just out of habit, and then I saw who it was. It was that woman I knew so long ago. She had changed quite a bit, but it was definitely her.

     I did know that she was a pharmacist, but last I had heard, she had moved to somewhere in the middle of the country with her new wife. Yes, she had finally accepted who she was and had gotten married, and I would assume is much happier for it. I had wondered why she had popped into my head again, and then that happened. Maybe it was some weird cosmic outreach that was telling me that I would see her again, and it just wanted me to notice her when I did see her. I did, but it was too late in the interaction to say anything to her of substance. It was a pleasure to see her again, even in it's awkwardness on my part, but that was generally our relationship before. It was just awkward in many ways.

     I think I may finally be getting over this cough. It came back with a vengeance over the last couple of days, and really did me in. I have felt miserable yesterday and most of today. It was like a second wave of what ever this is, hit me again. I took a nap earlier in the day, and since then, my coughing has been much less. It's still there, but I can manage it a little bit more. I hope it is done, I'm tired of being in the house and not having my wits about me. This has really thrown me off track this week. I haven't written anything other then the very small blog piece that goes with the latest video for the TPR, and that want something that really need a brain to do. It was basically an intro and a wrap up with some links thrown in for good measure. I have gotten some really good feedback personally on the video, so I'm calling it a success even though it is not putting up great numbers so far. It's doing pretty good though, better than most actually, but after riding the high of the last release, this one is a let down. I won't know the real numbers on retention of viewers until tomorrow. YouTube puts those numbers up on a daily basis. Well, the adjust them on a daily basis, so I can't get real time numbers. This video is longer than all of our other ones, so if people are watching the whole thing, which I hope they are, then the retention numbers will state that. If you haven't watched the video yet, now is your chance, and I'm still begging, so please watch the video. I truly think you will enjoy it.



     I will now, say no more about the video. It is now in my past, with the exception that I will post the blog link on Facebook tomorrow at noon.

      Not speaking of the video, but related to video creation. GoPro just released their latest camera. The GoPro Hero 7 Black. Well they have three models, the black, silver, and white. Then Black is the top of the line with incredible video stabilization. I went on the site to check out the specs, and it is quite remarkable. I also looked at the price, which is surprisingly low for a new release.  Oh, it's not cheap by any means, but they most recently have released the new Heros at a hundred dollars more than this one is. They do offer a trade in option, and I could trade in one of my old ones for a hundred dollars off. I'm thinking about it, because the one that I use for most of the filming I do, has a cracked touchscreen and the view on it, is messed up because of the crack. It has caused some weird red haze to go across the screen. It has not affected the actual footage that it captures, but it is annoying when I'm filming, because I can't see everything the way I should. Now, if I did that, I would have to wait for the new camera to actually be released, they are only in pre-order right now, and there is no date for the actual release that I could find. I do have my back up Hero 5, so I wouldn't be without a camera, but I would have to go back to taking the camera out of fixtures to get all the shots I need during TPR reviews. On the bike it's no big deal. I do most of the filing with the helmet mount. I'm thinking it over, because it is a lot of money, and I can do just fine with what I have now, but there is the chance that this camera could fail at some point, and then I would be in a situation where I would actually need to get a new camera. Dilemmas, that is all it is.

     I need a good night of rest, and I'm hoping it will be tonight. The stress of today's release is over, and it is out there and will do what it will do. The cough is growing weaker and weaker, so maybe I will get that good nights sleep. Wish me luck. Peace in and goodnight.

Phase 3 Is In Full Affect

     It's official, I'm on Phase 3 of the secret project. That means that I can now tell you about it, but it's going to have to wait just a bit longer. I have a few other things that we need to discuss first.

     I did not hear from the tattoo artist that I have now messaged twice. I was going to call tomorrow to set things up, but I think now I'm just going to wait until next week. I have a few things I have to do this week now, and I don't want that to get in the way. I am a little disappointed about all of this. Either they don't check their email, or they just are ignoring it, either way, it's not a very good way to run a business.

     The cough is not gone. In fact, it got stronger today. The other symptoms that I had have left, but the cough is lingering like an unwanted guest. I am over it, and I'm ready for it to be gone, but I guess it is just going to have to run it's course. Cough drops don't help, but I've been using them anyway. I think my body has built up an immunity to them at this point. They may be holding it off for a few minutes at the very least, but it doesn't seem like it. I was coughing while sucking on one earlier tonight. I'm just going to go with positive thought, and say that I'm going to go to sleep in a little while, and I'm simply going to wake up and it will be gone. If the mind believes the body will achieve, right? I'll let you know how that goes.

     I found out a little earlier this evening, that someone I know, or have met before was arrested for vehicular manslaughter. The event took place 4 years ago, and I met this person maybe a year or two ago. They were very nice and I had a wonderful conversation with them. You would not have any thought that they were capable of something like that, but you never know a person do you. I can't say that I could fully judge someone's character from a 30 minute conversation at a party, but they seemed very nice. Goes to show you, people can have the most terrible things in their closets.

    You've waited long enough, it is now time to tell you about the secret project. A little over a month ago, I was made aware of National Pepperoni Pizza Day. My partner and I have been wanting to through a special up on the old TPR, but didn't really have an formal idea of what we wanted to do yet, then came NPPD. It is also very luck that it falls right within our normal schedule. It lands on September 20th this year, which is when we would have a normal release. What we had planned for specials, is that they could fall on off weeks, to give you more content to enjoy, but with this falling right on the day, we had to go with it. We got an idea in our heads, and went to work. We went around to some of the restaurants that got our highest reviews, and asked them if we could sit down and film a short and fun interview with them. All the ones we selected said yes. Once we had the owners in we had to go around and actually film these interviews. It's just fun goofy pizza related questions, but done in a way that really allows you to know these owners and why they are doing what they are doing.

     Filming was phase 1. It took two weeks to get all of that done, and I still didn't get some things shot that I originally wanted to, but after putting the video together, it was completely unnecessary. Phase 1 left me with over an hours worth of footage, that I had to cut down to a reasonable amount of time that people would want to watch. People now have the attention span of a gnat, so it's really tough to take over an hour and shrink it down to show what we did, and who these people are, into something that is consumable by the public. With all of that filming done last Thursday, Phase 2 was in full affect. I was able to begin on that a little early one my partner and I filmed the intro and outtro for the whole thing ( I got more on that in a second ).

     Phase 2 was cutting all the footage up and putting it together, with title breaks, and overlays and music (the music was important because it had to cover up other music that we don't have rights to) Phase 2 started right when I was coming down with this cold, or whatever it is. I had to stop after getting only half way through the project, and that took me over 5 hours of work. I say half way, but it was only half way through the first cut. I still had a lot to put in after the first cut, but the first cut was the bones of the piece for me to work around. I had to take two days off from working on it, because I just couldn't focus with my body feeling miserable. Once I felt good enough to start working on it again, I took off and did it. I'm not completely sure of the hours I put in, but it took me the best part of 3 days to finish the whole thing, and that isn't including the rendering and uploading times. I really like the way it came out. It is longer than all of our other videos, but it moves around pretty fast, and you don't feel like you are watching something that is 16 minutes long. Yes, I managed to cut over an hours worth of footage into 16 meaningful minutes, and I'm pretty proud of myself.

     That brings us to Phase 3, which is releasing the video. Now, the video won't be released until Thursday at noon New York time, but I can now give you the behind the scenes scoop on it, so that you can keep an eye out for it. This also brings me to the part where, everything is done and I worry about how it will be received. This is no like anything else we have released before. It's longer, and in a similar but different format, and it was three weeks of my life to get it from start to finish. We are coming off our most successful post yet, and I can't expect things to go that well every time, but this is something I have spent a great deal of time with, and I want it to go well, but I'm worried that people are going to see the time stamp on how long it is, and just simply ignore it. We get more views on our blog than we do on our videos, and this is very much videocentric. I did right a very short blog piece surrounding it, but it does detail what is going on in the video, so you have to watch it, if you want to know what is going on. On our reviews, we have to do a written piece to go along with the video piece, so that it makes sense to have the blog, which as I said earlier does much better than the videos.

     This has the potential to be a make or break it video for us. I think the piece is that good, but if no one watches it, it's all for nothing, so this is the part where I beg you to watch it. You don't have to go see it right when it comes out, I will post the video on her Thursday night, but please take the time to sit and watch the whole thing. It is only 16:30 of your life, and I promise you that it won't feel like it. Before you know it, it will be done and I really do think you will enjoy it. I've watched it probably 10 times now, through the whole process of getting it ready and sitting down to clear it before I render, and then watching it again once it is uploaded to make sure nothing changed in the upload process, and then previewing for my partner. It may be because it is my work, but I enjoyed it every time I watched it, and I could honestly watch it again, and I'm sure I will on Thursday. I'm not too proud to beg, so I'm going to do it one more time. Please take the time to watch this video, there is a little something special at the end, that is kind of a must see.

     Briefly before we get to FSOTW. Tonight was the finals for AGT, and it was good. There was only one act I wasn't too keen on, and that act was one that I really didn't like from the first audition. Anyway, all the other acts were outstanding, and even though I had my favorite, I don't think she will win. I think I saw the winner as it happened on the stage. There is one final dance troop on the show, and their performance was so good, that I actually said outlaid, "They just won the show." If they don't win, it will be a surprise. Others could come form behind and take it, but I'm dead set confident that they won it with that performance. The other acts, will surely go on the AGT tour for a year or so, but I really think that people should sign them right away. The two comedians could headline at clubs right now. If the trapeze act doesn't sign on with Cirque de Soleil, there is something wrong with the producers of that show. The multiple singers should get deals right away, and the magician should easily get his own show in Vegas. Oh yeah, there is the violinist, as well. That guy could get his own record deal or maybe even sign with Cirque as well. I think he would definitely fit in with that type of show. I think I covered everyone now. The results are tomorrow, so I'll tell you if I was right on Thursday.

     Favorite Song of the Week time. I could look up all the information on this amazing band from the 60's and 70's, but I'm tired and Sly was as eccentric as they come. You just want the song anyway, so here is Sly and the Family Stone with "Everyday People".



     Take the sentiment of that song and let it sink in. It seems like, everyday we all drift a little further apart from one another. I know it's hard right now, but we are all on this spinning blue and green ball together, so try just a little to be kind to one another. Peace in and goodnight.

75% ?

     It has been a very slow weekend. The last two days I did nothing of any significance, due to this illness. I can say that I'm at about 75%. Most of the aches are gone, but that irritating cough is lingering. Once that is gone, I will feel normal again. I'm hoping tomorrow will be the day that it goes away, but I know that probably isn't realistic, knowing my past bouts with coughing fits.

     Today I was able to work on the secret project, and I got the bulk of the work done. It should be fully completed by Monday, that will give me a few days in case I need to make any last minute changes to it. I have to leave that window open for a certain possibility, but it is looking more and more likely that what I will have a s a finished product on Monday will be what is finally revealed. Yeah, I'm being vague and that is because I still can't tell you about it, but it's going to be fun.

     I'm planning on getting to work on my wand stand tomorrow as well. I have an idea for a design in my head, I just have to see if I have enough wood working skills to pull it off. I'm going to form it from an old piece of 2x4 that I have, so it won't be anything too fancy, but I do want to try and put some flare into it. I will also stain it, but I haven't decided on what color yet. I'm kind of leaning to a reddish color, so that the wand will stand out when it is in it, but I'm not sure yet. I guess the wood will tell me when it is time.

     I did have a new video go live today, and it has the new title page kind of thing on it, but I did something a little different. I knew it needed something more, and that was confirmed to me by a friend of mine that gave me some good advice. I added a zoom in to it. It's not dramatic, but it gives some movement to the opening with the new theme song. Let me know if you think it passes.



     I think I went to that spot in a video before, but I wasn't sure, so I went again. It is a cool spot that not many people realize is there. Oh, I mentioned the tattoo shop I hope to get my next tattoo at. I have something to say about that.

     It is appearing to be much harder than I thought it would be, to get in there. Their website has a little message service on it, so that you can contact them, nothing else. I left a message through that on Tuesday of last week. I have not heard back from them as of yet. I went to Rayne's Instagram page and found an email address to use to contact them. I sent an email, I have not heard back from the as of yet. They have their phone number listed on their Facebook page, so that may be the way to go, but they are closed until Tuesday, so I have to wait until at least then to hear from them. If I don't hear from them on Tuesday, I will call the number on Wednesday. I was really hoping to have the consult done late last week and be planning on getting the tattoo sometime this week if her schedule was open for it. It looks like I'm going to be waiting a little longer. It's all going to be worth it though. Rayne is my one and only choice to do this, I have no other options, if she can't, then I guess I will begin searching anew, to find an artist who's work I admire as much. I am limited by distance though, otherwise I would be going to Oregon to have Heather Maranda do it. I just did a little research and Heather Maranda will be in Orlando on her tour in early November. I could try to get her to do it, but she is really sought after and very expensive. I have a number in my head of what this tattoo should cost, and I think it isn't enough for her to do it. I'll stick to my original plan for now, but if that doesn't work out, I may be trying to get an appointment with Heather. It is a bit of a dream to have her tattoo me. Her work is amazing. You can check her out by going to her Instagram here.

     Oh, back to the secret project for a second. I promise that no matter what happens with those potential changes to it, I will tell you all about it on Tuesday. Just know that this has been a great deal fo work to get this to where it is, and I still have a good deal more to do, but as I said earlier, I have the bulk of it done now.

     Since I had been sitting around doing next to nothing. I binged some Netflix. I finished watching Iron Fist season 2, and I really liked it. The villains are great. the little direction change of the story is going to be real fun for season 3, and the potential for crossovers in the rest of the Netflix Marvel Universe.

     I also watched the entire first season of Norm Macdonald Has A Show. If you have ever heard Norm's podcast, it is exactly like it. He has a guest on, it is a very loose interview and then he finishes it up with having the guest and himself read jokes that he and some writers wrote for the little segment. The best part of that, is a lot of times, the jokes are really bad, and they work because they are so bad. The first episode is with David Spade and it was a great way to start. It sets up that the show is an intentional train wreck. It's as if I had a talk show and could get guests, that is the quality of it, except that Netflix gave him a bunch of money to do it, so it's a little more polished than what I can do, but that doesn't mean that it is great quality, it is just great fun. Give it a try if you are looking for something funny to watch some night. The episodes are only a half hour long, so you really don't have to invest that much time into it. Other than David Spade, he got Jane Fonda, David Letterman, Lorne Michaels, Drew Barrymore, and a few more. If you are a fan of Norm's comedy you will love this show, it is very much him in all of it's forms.

     That's it for tonight. I'm going to go and rest from resting, and catch up on the shows that I recorded while watching Netflix. Then it is Fear the Walking Dead time. The show has been really good since Morgan joined the cast, well Lenny James. Yes I know that Morgan is just a character. Anyway, I'm out of here, peace in and goodnight.

The Patchwork Knight (Chapter 44)

     I choose a spot near the mountain lake to train Rolf. It was peaceful and sat just off the side of the palace so that there would be no onlookers to bother us.

     "I know you can handle a sword but you still have to go through all the basics. You will learn the way I did, and that was part of it. I will of course skip the cutting down of trees and hauling them up the side of a mountain."

     "Cutting down trees and hauling them up a mountain?"

     "Never mind. Show me how you hold your sword."

     Rolf pulled his sword from it's sheath and held it straight up in front of him. His grip was good, not too hard and not too soft.

     "That is perfect Rolf. I guess they did give you some training. Now show me how you slash from right to left."

     Rolf began but it lacked precision. His blade would tilt and angle so that if he was slashing someone there was a possibility that he would merely smack them with the side of the blade.

    "Ok Rolf. You need to practice precision with your slashing. I want you you to make an interlocking loop when you slash. Watch how my wrist turns and twists so that the edge of my blade is always leading the way."

    Rolf watched intently and then slowly began doing the same motion. His blade cut through the open air with the edge.

     "That's very good Rolf. Now make the loop bigger."

     Rolf looked perplexed. So I demonstrated the same movement but instead of small slashes I crossed my body from low to high and then looping around to go the other way.  Instead of leading with the blade I lead with my hand, so that the blade would slice along the path instead of hacking at an opponent. The blade began to sing as I moved the sword faster and faster. Rolf watched for a long time before he began to move his sword. I slowed my speed down and had him mirror my movement.  Soon our swords were both singing in the cool mountain air.  We were standing only feet apart without our blades ever touching.
     Before I knew it, Sir Jacob, Sir Paljin, Sir Darius, and the Princess had gathered around and began mimicking our movements. I stopped and listened to the song of the sword. It was one continuous sound coming from all the swords. They all had a look of concentration on their faces.

     "Stop!"

     "Pitre, what do you call that movement?"

     "That is only a basic move Sir Paljin. My father taught it to me soon after learning the first movement so that I would know how to properly grip the sword."

     "We never learned that as a basic of anything else. I can see the benefit of it without you even telling me about it. It allows all of your blade to come in contact with your enemy. You would slice across their torso, and not hack and get your blade stuck. It is marvelous."

     "What more can you show us Pitre."

     "I'm sorry Princess but I was only going to train Rolf. I promised him as much, and this is only basics, you and the rest of these men are far beyond any of this."

     "I dare say you are wrong Pitre. It appears we have a lot to learn from you, and not just using the Euphoria to enhance our sight."

     "If you want to follow along with basics, I won't stop you, but I'm sure you would have a better time watching the moss grow not he side of the cliff over there."

     "Go ahead then Pitre, we will follow your instruction."

     The rest of the lesson went on, and all involved seemed surprised by what I had to show as only basics. I had them do the interlocking loops more, and then taught them the proper way to block with the blade, once again leading with the hand, but using it to push the blade instead of slicing with it from side to side. They all moved in unison, even Rolf. He was better with a blade than I had thought. He had a natural talent. He never lost pace with those around him.

     After a few hours of working on the basics, which I still didn't understand why the Knights or the Princess wanted to do, I had them stop for the day. They all thanked me for the lesson, and went along on their way. All except Sir Jacob.

     "Pitre, I would be happy if you could show the rest of the Knights these techniques. I know the King would be beyond pleased. We need to learn this so that we will be better when we face the enemy again. The King is already talking about expanding the Targen Knights, so that we will have a stronger fighting force to combat the numbers of the Raiders. He would reward you handsomely for this."

     "I need no reward. I would be happy to help the Targen Knights, and the King to defeat the Raiders. Becoming a Targen Knight is all that I ever wanted to be. I will do my duty and serve the King and the Realm, but I would prefer to be out there in the Realm fighting to rid it of Mudwood's infestation."

     "I'm sure you will get your chance, but until then, I will talk to the King about this. We have been wondering how we were going to train new Knights and have them ready in time for a large scale assault on the Kingdom, in order to take it back."

     Sir Paljin left Rolf and I as ran off in the direction of the Palace. He was going to talk to the King right away.

     "You have talent with the blade Rolf."

     "That is what my instructors told me. They never showed me anything like what you just did though. It was all very simple movements that were meant to cause damage fast, but it was with reckless abandonment. The Mudwood can throw dozens of men at one of those from the Realm, so it was always get in and do as much damage as you could, and if you made it back, then you had to get ready for the next fight."

    "I guess efficiency isn't a priority when you can through thousands of men at something. Your lesson isn't over yet though. It's time for a run."

     "A run? I thought you said we weren't going to be doing things like that?"

     "I said I wasn't going to make you chop down trees and haul them up a mountain, I didn't say anything about not running. Come now. We have to get down to the bottom of the mountain trail and back up before its time for the midday meal."

     Rolf looked defeated when I said this, but he joined along with me. I started off slow, but as the miles passed under our feet on the way down, I began to speed, up. Rolf kept up with me all the way to the bottom."

     "What are you two doing down here?"

     "Sir Gorin, we are just training. I was showing Rolf how to use that sword of his properly."

     "I'm sure you could teach Sir Constant a thing or two, he really needs it."

     Sir Gorin let out a bellowing laugh and Sir Constance just looked down a little dejected.

     "It appears that I may be teaching you all a thing or two. That is, if Sir Jacob gets his way."

     "What are you talking about Sir Pitre?"

     I Then turned on my heal and began my run back up the mountain. I could hear Rolf explaining a little as I ran away from the Guardians of the Gate.

     "He just taught Sir Jacob and a few others a few moves that they had never seen."

     "What is he talking about Pitre?"

     "Come on Rolf. You want to get back before the midday meal is eaten by everyone. If you are late, you won't eat."

     Rolf quickly sprinted away from Sir Gorin who was still shouting about what Rolf had just told him.

I'm Sick

     This is going to be a short one tonight, because I'm down right miserable. I have come down with a cold or something along those lines. Sore throat, cough, sneeze, headache, spine ache. No real runny nose but light congestion, either way, I don't want to be awake any longer.

     I did finish another chapter yesterday, so that is three completed for the week, and today, I wrapped up phase 1 of the secret project. I also got a video posted and then was lambasted by a friend over not eating healthy, because I did a review of a burger. It's been an up and down week. Any way, here is the video.



     Oh yeah, I"m trying out that theme song I was talking about. It is going to be in this video and the next one for sure. I'm still trying to figure out if I should film an opening to it, or just leave it like I have it on these two videos. Your feedback would be very helpful on this one.

     If I'm feeling tomorrow, like I am today. I'm going to just lay in bed and do nothing. I do have to work on phase 2 of the secret project, but I did get a head start on it today, and managed to complete nearly half of it. As I said earlier this week, I need to be completed with phase 2 by Tuesday, and then phase 3 falls into place, and that is when I can tell you all about the secret project. It will still be a secret to anyone who doesn't read this blog, but you get the scoop before the cone. Yes, that is an ice cream reference and I'm losing my mind from whatever sickness I have. I guess that is my body telling me that I should call it a night. Peace in and goodnight.I'

Hectic Schedules Can Be Good Things

     I take my voting for AGT seriously. The second round of the semi-finals was tonight, and like last week, it was starting out bad. Last week was kind of a bust for me. I found some acts that I liked more than others, so I gave them my vote. Yes, I have the app, just so I can vote. This week, the first four acts were not semi-final material. They are all talented, but when it gets to this point in the season, the acts tend to resemble hardened professionals, and that just wasn't the case for this semi's.

     The night did pick up though, and it came to a climax with the final act of the night, which is my pick to win it all, and that is the young girl that sounds like the reincarnation of Janis Joplin. Courtney Hadwin is her name, and she is quirky and fantastic. She lets the music just take hold of her and she is going to be something special. When she is on the stage, she is the only one that matters, She works the stage and the crowd as if she were Mick Jagger. When she isn't singing though, she is the quietest little lamb in the yard. She never expected to get this far, she even said so as the show was closing. My guess, based on her little video pieces that they show, she didn't expect to make it past the audition. She talked about how she is the weird kid that no one gets. She just needed to find her audience, and I think she finally has.

     I have been outstandingly productive this week, this comes on the heels of panic. I was watching the chapters pile up on Medium and how they are quickly catching up to what I have released on here. Chapter 28 is going live on Friday on Medium and Chapter 44 I believe is going live on her on Saturday. That may seem like a big gap, but you have to consider that Medium is going 2 for every 1 on here. It froze me, and I couldn't write all of last week. Writing is funny like that, when you need to do it, you will never be able to. That is what I was going through last week, but I sat down yesterday and went back to my last completed chapter to remember what I had wrote to get my train of thought going, and boom, I was writing. I finished two chapters in one sitting and was ready to start on the next one, but I had some place to go. I will write again either tomorrow or Thursday, and hopefully get two more chapters done. If I can possibly keep this pace up, then I won't be worried when Medium catches up to here. I will be able to add a release day on here, just so I can stay ahead of Medium. I owe it to you to allow you to see the rough draft first, and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that happens.

     On to that place I had to go. Funny thing, I can't tell you about that, other than to say it involved the secret project. Tomorrow I should be 95% done with phase one of the secret project. I already began phase two, but only as far as I could go with it. I still need to hit that 95% mark before I can really work on phase two. I say 95% because there is something I will need to hit 100%, but I have to wait on other people for that, and I have no control of it. The good news is, that I can get phase two nearly completed without having phase one done, but I will need to have it all completed by Tuesday of next week, that is when phase three can begin, and I can actually tell you about what this secret project is.

     I also managed to go out and film and then edit two videos today. The first one will go up tomorrow and you can see what I thought of this burger here.

     I know you expect to hear all about it right here, but I have to get views on my videos some how, so If you want to know all about that burger and where I got it, you will just have to check it out tomorrow, or wait until I can post on here Thursday.

     As I said, I finished two videos today, the other one will come out Sunday morning, and it got me thinking, that I should be able to get a bunch of videos in the can so that can be back ahead on that. I've been staying about 4-5 chapters ahead on The Patchwork Knight, but I have fallen behind on the video, mostly because writing, and TPR has been taking up a bunch of my time. There is also the secret project that has been taking up a very large part of my time, but like I said earlier, next Tuesday should be the end of all of that, and I can get back to a somewhat normal schedule. I'm not complaining about a hectic schedule, it's just that I had to sacrifice doing somethings to keep up, and the videos were those things, but I still managed to keep up for the most part with my schedule of every Sunday and alternate Wednesdays, except of one Wednesday. From now on, until I have to actually change my schedule, I will stick to that, and have something on those days for you to see. Whether it is a really short video updating you on what's going on, or maybe a drone video, which I haven't done in some time now. I have a few ideas for some of those, so I could have 3 videos with the drone in the future. Those take a little more work, because I have to transport the drone and then set it up. The whole set-up and tear-down process adds about a half hour to the filming. Plus I have to go to location where I can fly without being disturbed or disturbing others.

     I've rather  verbose tonight, so let's get to Favorite Song of the Week. This is from, well, I'm not sure if it's a DJ or a band, but it features a bunch of other artist, so I'm going with DJ. It is LSD featuring: Sia, Diplo, Labrinth. I only really know Sia and Diplo but all together they came up with a great and catchy song. You may have heard it on a commercial on TV. I can't remember the product ate is being sold, but I can remember the song. Her is LSD, featuring all those people above with "Thunderclouds".

     Ok, I feel really stupid now. While watching the video again, I realized that LSD is the initials of the artists involve. L= Labrinth, S= Sia, D= Diplo. I can't believe I'm that dumb. I did figure it out though and that would make them a band. Ha! Anyway as if it needs to be mentioned. The dancing Sia is non other than Maddie Ziegler, the young girl that has been representing the face of Sia since the Chandelier video. I don't know if I can watch a Sia video without her in it now.

     That is all I have for you tonight. Peace in and goodnight.