... and I'm a bubble junkie.

So, I've now had three sessions in the water total, and it is getting easier. I still have some issues to work through and many skills to learn, but I think I can safely say that I am really enjoying the experience of scuba diving. Heck, I recalled the other day that I had a dream of diving. I am really looking forward to going further and learning more about diving. I hope to be able to take some of the more advanced classes - Advanced Scuba, Nitrox, Underwater photography, rescue diver and wreck diving. Not bad for someone who was terrified of the whole concept of having my life depend on a small hose that kept me supplied with air while under water.

My next challenge is to face down my fear of heights. To do this, I'm going to be learning to rappel. *gulp* We'll have to see how that goes.

If you see little bubbles while underwater, it means you are not holding your breath and that is a good thing.

So, last night was my second scuba class - and the first night in the water on air. I must be honest though. When it cam to wearing my mask with the snorkel and submerging... my monkey brain freaked. I have had near drowning experiences when I was growing up and it was no fun. So I had a lot to overcome in this first step. That and my claustrophobia. Those two things combined made for an interesting 20 minutes while I overcame my fear... and not too quietly I might add. I was actually making small whimpering sounds as I worked my way past my fear.

I think part of my difficulty was that my mask tended to leak and I was not ready for that. So, here I was, with my mask on, snorkel in submerging underwater, making an effort to breathe normally. Then I start feeling water coming up into my mask around my nose. My monkey brain freaked out and I had to get my head above the water, so that I could clear my mask. This was part of trying to learn to flood and clear my mask. The first step though, was getting my head underwater. I eventually did it... never once did I think about giving it up as a lost cause. I wanted to get past this hurdle because I really do want to learn to scuba dive.

After awhile (i have no idea how long it took) I was able to successfully submerge without freaking out... remembering to breathe the whole time. Yep! I was breathing underwater. Well, I was wearing the snorkel. *grin* But, I was successful in both flooding my mask and then clearing it. 'Course, I got plenty of practice in the clearing part, because I still have some issues with having water in my mask. 

After a bit, we put on our buoyancy compensators (BCs) and repeated the exercise of submerging and continuing to breathe regularly while on the bottled air. I was able to do this, even though I still had/have to deal with the issue of water in my mask. Oh! At one point, Iactually took my mask off underwater - and successfully put it back on. It was intense. Once I had the mask off and opened my eyes underwater, I couldn't see! Normally I wear glasses and not contacts. When I took off the mask, because of the physics of the light/water interaction, I was no longer able to see clearly. I couldn't even make out my hand at the end of my arm. So, now I know that if I lose my mask underwater, I had better start heading to the surface (slowly) because i'm literally blind without it. This is not good. I couldn't evem make out the figure of my dive instructor who was right in front of me. It was rather scary.

Well, I've taken the plunge and joined the A&S 50 Challenge. Eeek!

I'm still not totally, 100% sure about this. I don't really know if I can do it, or if I have enough "lined up" to make a total of 50 things.

Hmmm.....

Sheep breeds research
Teaching class at Pennsic on sheep breeds in early medieval period (5th - 7th century Northern Scotland & Scandinavia and Northern Europe)
Spinning wool for the "magnum opus/octopus"

So, does that count as three or only two? Or more?

*confused boggle*

So, I just received my Summer 2009 issue of Spin-Off in the post today. As is my wont, I was glancing through it, skimming article titles. Lo and behold, I find on page 64 an article written by Carol Huebscher Rhoades (in Madison, WI) on Villsau sheep. The article is titled Villsau: Norway's Ancient Wild Sheep. Guess what's getting added to my list of resources as an article. Mind you, her focus and mine are a bit different. ;) But it's all good. :) Her article includes a pattern for making mittens made of handspun villsau yarn.

The fun thing is she shows two smples of the wool in the two colors she used for her mittens. I have a couple of other colors for my sampler (including a rooed sample - not shorn). *squee!*

So, things have now hit the "official" stage. I have just sent in my SCA resume to the current Kingdom Web Minister - to comply with the formalities required by Curia. This is also known as "following protocols" for a change of officer at this particular level. Not that the protocols are any different for any other level be it local or baronial.

It's just now hitting me (ok, it hit me last night when I got the e-mail from Rocco) that I'm actually going to be stepping up to a Kingdom level office. Now comes the jitters and self-doubts. What if I don't do a good job? What if I can't handle it? What if I'm not good enough?

Mind you, I know a lot of this is just nervousness. I mean, after all, it's what I've been working toward since this past November when I answered a forum post where Rocco was looking for an "administrative assistant" and became part of the web team. I've known for awhile that I was going to be stepping up the plate, as it were, once Rocco decided when he wanted to step down from the office. It's just that now, for some reason, as it's coming down to the wire, I'm "getting scared" of the prospect.

My brain, sometimes it scares me. :-p

Well, I've gone back to reading Plants & People in Ancient Scotland by Camilla Dickson & James Dickson.

This book uses paleobotany in conjunction with archaeology. So far, I'm just now getting to the time period of the Roman occupation at the Antonine Wall. So we have covered the the inhabitation from the Neolithic through the late Bronze Age and into the Iron Ages.

Since I don't have the book sitting next to me to double check things, I think I'll stop here.

Well, I just received word that my copy of Sea Change is currently out of stock here in the US. It will be about six to eight weeks for a copy to arrive from the UK. :( At this point, I'm not sure if it will get here in time for me to get it read in time to utilize it for my class at Pennsic as I had hoped. Oh well. When in doubt, drop five yards and punt!

I *finally*!!!!!!eleventy!! was able to order my copy of Sea Change: Orkney and Northern Europe in the Later Iron Age AD 300-800!!! I have some good hopes for it since one of the editors is Anna Ritchie, who is rather respected in the field of Pictish research.

Here's hoping this bit bears good fruit!! I can't wait for it to get here!

To all of us Mothers, here's to a day of happiness.

Gods above and below how I hate "Mom's Weekend." The weekend before Mother's Day, OU has its annual Mom's Weekend. This is the weekend when women in my age group, come to town to ostensibly spend it with their "dear little ones" who have made it to college. This weekend historically is the best one for lawyers. Mom's, in their 40's and who still think they are "hawt" become drunk, disorderly and many end up in the beds of their son's friends. *shudder*

It pains me to see a woman in her 40's, who hasn't really taken care of herself through diet/exercise wearing something that she pulled out of her daughter's closet. *shudder cringe* It's worse when said Mom/daughter pair belong to the same sorority. Geh. Some things just should never be seen...

And the stupid. Oh by all that is reprehensible... the stupid knows no bounds. 'Nuff said.

I can not wait until this weekend is over.