If you live in the Northern Illinois/Southern Wisconsin area and want to see a little piece of history, head to Rockton, Illinois this weekend for the Gathering at Macktown. It's at the Macktown Forest Preserve and Golf Course. The family and I are heading that way and will be set up for the weekend to entertain folks with tales about distilling and just being a surly Scot!

Posted by: Contagion at 03:46 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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1 Has your mood for re-enacting improved?

Posted by: Petey at April 26, 2007 04:48 PM (Tkl8J)

2 Have fun with it! Here's hoping you get back into the swing of things

Posted by: Shadoglare at April 26, 2007 09:20 PM (VYxNT)

3 I may have to swing in there, just to see ya being a cranky ascot.

Posted by: That 1 Guy at April 26, 2007 09:31 PM (amJz2)

4 have fun there!

Posted by: Fab at April 27, 2007 03:49 AM (OmPxo)

5 Don't drink all the MacPhail 27.

Posted by: Harvey at April 30, 2007 05:51 AM (L7a63)

6 I hope y'all had a GREAT time! :-)

Posted by: Richmond at April 30, 2007 02:00 PM (e8QFP)

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I completely failed in my role as a family provider today. Tonight Ktreva asked me to run to the grocery store to pick up supplies for this weekend. It was a very simple task, with only a couple of meals that I actually had to buy food for. Since she had set me to this task a couple of days ago, I had the time to make a proper grocery list.

After work I stopped at the local grocery store before picking up the boys. As I walked in I realized that I had forgotten my list at home. DAMMIT! How the hell could I have done such a thing? I had planned and prepared for this trip over the last couple days. Maybe it had to do with the malaise I have toward re-enacting right now. IÂ’m not sure, but what was I going to do? I donÂ’t have the time to run home, get the list and come back. IÂ’m so screwed.

WAIT!

That was a short and simple list. IÂ’m doing the majority of the cooking; I can do this with out the list. There was nothing on there that I donÂ’t know the recipe by heart. So I started shopping. Simple cold cereal on Friday, French toast on Saturday, Burgers with fruit and vegetables Saturday night, Eggs Sunday morning. ThatÂ’s not that hard.

I grab my cart and start whistling up and down the isles.

Fruit, Check.
Vegetables, Check.
Bread, Check.
Meat, Check
Hamburger Buns, Check.
Syrup, CheckÂ…

Then a voice in my head rings out… “CONTAGION, YOU ARE FORGETTING SOMETHING!” What? No I’m not! Going down the mental list. Eggs, beer, pop, beer, cheese, Jack Daniel’s, spices, beer, cereal, milk, beer. No, it’s all there. Everything we needed, I’m not forgetting anything. I know it’s all there. I ran over the menu and the list a dozen times. No, there is nothing I’m forgetting.

But that voice in my head would not let me be. It kept harping on me. Nagging that I had indeed forgotten something. I get the boys; return home and start unloading the groceries. Putting the items that need to be kept cool in the fridge, and the rest with the re-enacting gear. Finally it dawns on me what I forgot. The most important of all re-enacting foods, the one item that just the mere mention of it will bring people to your camp. There is even a historical phrase that goes with it.

Figured out what I forgot? IÂ’ll give you a hint: it goes with Sunday breakfast.

ThatÂ’s right. I forgot to bring home the bacon.

Posted by: Contagion at 05:59 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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Anyone that has read me for a while knows that IÂ’m big into my re-enacting. Every year about this time, I start getting excited and giddy. Those of use in the circle refer to this as the ronde-flu; we just canÂ’t wait to get back out in our period clothes and canvas tents. Next weekend is my first event of the year. To be honest, I really could not care less.

I donÂ’t know whatÂ’s going on this year, but I just have the excitement and anticipation that I normally do. Part of me doesnÂ’t even want to go, thatÂ’s right I donÂ’t want to go.
IÂ’m not even sure why I feel like this. Maybe itÂ’s because IÂ’m not really in a good place mentally right now. IÂ’m still having some hellacious health issues that are not getting better. ItÂ’s to the point that IÂ’m beginning to look at my mortality. How long can I go with my stomach slowly digesting itself before it turns into something fatal?

Maybe itÂ’s because IÂ’m having personal issues at home and at work. ItÂ’s really permeating my thoughts and activities. I just canÂ’t seem to get away from it. The thought of just ignoring it all and going off and pretending all is fine and playing Seamus MacPhail, Surly Scot and distiller is just not appealing. Hell, I havenÂ’t even updated the Spoon and Blade since August.

It could be that I feel like IÂ’m obligated to head out and do this one. Bloggers might liken this to the feeling they get when they have nothing to post, but feel like they should. I know that since my heart isnÂ’t behind it, I know I wonÂ’t put on as good of a demonstration. IÂ’ve strived so hard to be a premier presenter that it bothers me that I might be sub-par.

What ever it is, I just donÂ’t know. IÂ’ve got some stuff to do before this weekend. Usually I do this with excitement. Now, IÂ’m looking at it likes itÂ’s housework. I hate housework.

Posted by: Contagion at 06:01 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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