[Northkeep] Fighter practice

[Miles Grey]

I will miss fighter practice again.  In order to get in enough hours so I
can take off on Friday to drive down to Coronation, I have to work late
tonight.

It's a bit depressing to miss practice because I've finished my first
sword and padded and strapped my helmet, so I could have been using at
least a little bit of my own gear.  I've also located a few more pieces of
armor to borrow, though the arms are a bit large on me (I'm told it's Sir
Owen's old armor - his biceps are just a tad larger than mine).  I still
lack gauntlets (half or full), and would prefer to have a few more pieces
(shoulders, chest), and need a shield.  A friend from Bryn Gwlad may have
a shield he can pass along to me, and I'm also working on making a curved
plywood shield (which will let me make 2-3 different shapes and sizes to
try).  For a while, a tabard will be a necessity, too.

I should have finished a shield over the long weekend but I let myself get
distracted.  With Coronation this weekend, that means it will have to wait
until the next weekend (during which I also hope to start my July batch of
mead).  Had I been just a little more aggressive in putting armor
together, I'd have been equipped to enter King's Champion.  Now I might
just have to attend Lughnasad so I will have managed at least one Tourney
before Gothic.  (The Black Star doesn't have Lady of the Lake, but the
online calendar does and the information for it is on the Aldersruhe
website; this is confusing.)

Until next week,
  Miles Grey