Syncretic Scathach

Hi all!

I'm still around, it's just been a month and a half full of catching pretty much every cold/virus going lately, and Gentleman Scholar and I are in the process of moving -- not far, thankfully, but packing is A Process.

Ooh, this is a fun one @brightgnosis, thank you!

I fenced for years pre-pandemic. Most clubs have one or two "open" nights a week that are a lot like basketball pickup games -- anyone with equipment who wants to fence is welcome to show up, with a small fee for drop-ins who aren't already members. I really liked being a regular at one or two spots where everyone was pretty low-key and it was nice to get to hang out with a mix of school aged kids, university students on break, and retirees (it's hard to find sports that are forgiving of a broad band of ages).

Like a lot of other things, most clubs shut down at the height of COVID and were slow to re-open. I'd moved by the time things settled, and the clubs near where I am now seem to cultivate membership for folks interested in professional competition. I tried the competition scene out when I was younger and didn't really enjoy it, I'm really just interested in a fun way to exercise and chit-chatting with people who are into the same niche hobby.

Little Christmas plans for the day.

My family's yearly bash has been moved to next week to accommodate a birthday, so I have a quiet Saturday to myself with a new book and deck. I'm enjoying A Ghost in the Throat -- it's a lovely mixture of literary criticism, poetry, and memoir, and Ní Ghríofa's translation of Caoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire in the back is something I know I'll be reading again and again. I'm already looking forward to plundering the bibliography.