Author: Derek
Ward Manor Happenings 04.30.26
Garage Cleaning Happenings – We scheduled our lawn guy to come and haul some junk (including the recliner from yesterday’s post) and then power wash the driveway. Then we walked out to the neighborhood garage sale. For the last couple of years, attendance was sparse. This year? Fucking madhouse. Arranged for the lawn guy to come after the madness died down. We used the time to do some cleaning out of the garage in preparation to put together the new exercise equipment. And since it was garage sale day, we put a lot of the stuff we were going to donate down at the end of the driveway with a “FREE” sign. Which got rid of some, but not all. We did manage to get rid of a lot through donation, and a bunch more through handing down to the lawn guy’s family. He does a lot for us, so I don’t have a problem making his life easier.
Catquake Happenings – The Wife teleworks for her job, and the cats often make “guest appearances” on her calls with her coworkers. Freya, the youngest, is well known because she’s always hanging around The Wife. Freya has also been known to cause mischief. Anywhoo, last week The Wife was on a call with a coworker and for some reason, Freya decided the monitor needed investigation. The monitor with the webcam. To which, said coworker asked if The Wife was experiencing an earthquake. In reply, The Wife sent a photo of Freya’s investigations. Coworker thought this was hilarious. The joys of living and working with cats.
Hear the Tale of Derek’s Old Recliner
Y’know how some folks get sentimental about the first furniture they bought on their own? This recliner wasn’t that. It was the first furniture I bought post-divorce that wasn’t strictly functional. It – and the couch I bought with it – became important to me because it was one of the first definitive events of me coming out of my post-divorce (admittedly, self-diagnosed) depression.
I slept in that recliner many a night because of my shoulders. Other than showing comfyness, that statement wouldn’t be important – but it was. My previous girlfriend got upset over the fact that I would leave the bed to go sleep in the recliner. The Wife? She just laid down on the couch – which was admittedly also comfy – and slept next to me. She just wanted me to be comfortable. It was one of those myriad of small things that demonstrated why she was destined to become The Wife.
I moved it down to Parrish, and would continue to sleep in it. The recliner didn’t fare particularly well in a household of cats. There’s a reason pretty much all of our furniture is leather or leather-adjacent. Some new coverings helped, as there were still several nights where I slept there. When The Wife scored me a better recliner at her then-job, I was still hesitant to part with the old recliner.
When we moved to Ward Manor, the recliner went into my office. And there it truly became the domain of our cats. Our little vampire cat liked to hide under it when there was too much company for her to be downstairs. Our big orange cat used it as one of his main sleeping spots. Particularly when I was also in the office.
All good things must come to an end. Wear and tear finally caught up. Since we had someone coming to take a bunch of big items to the dump, we decided it was time. The recliner came down. Fortunately without too much hassle. A club chair that we’ve had bouncing around the house is now in its spot. The orange cat is letting us know in no uncertain terms he doesn’t like the change.
Recliner’s gone, but the memories remain.
Promise to the Magic Heart – Chapter 29
It was none other than Sasha the Mercenary who, in a most unexpected twist, ascended to the role of regent for the Crystal Blood, adopting the esteemed name of Lady Sonya. Once a soldier of considerable renown and an exceptional swordmaster, albeit not quite in the exalted leagues of Hero Marteen Madrigal or Colonel Pallus Parn, she was known among her former employers for her unwavering loyalty, though her disposition was often described as rather reticent. Who could have foreseen that this formidable warrior, devoid of any maternal inkling, would step into the role of guardian for an orphaned princess? Who could have imagined that she would navigate the treacherous labyrinth of elven politics with such finesse? Whispers abounded regarding a possible maternal bond between Lady Sonya and the enigmatic Hero Acciaio, but alas, no confirmations were forthcoming from any of the Heroes. Despite a few initial missteps, Lady Sonya has deftly mastered the art of maneuvering through the murky waters of the Diet, ensuring the protection of the Crystal Blood’s interests. In her role as a parental figure, she has done admirably well, given her circumstances. Yet, one cannot ignore the unfortunate burdens she bears—a steadfast loyalty to a capricious Crystal Blood and an affection for a lover of questionable manners. One can only speculate how much more formidable she might have been, had she not been so encumbered by these demanding influences. – Irjin Tindi, society matron, excerpt from an interview for “The Lisandra Times”
SASHA
Sasha looked down at Marteen as Selene and another cleric desperately worked to keep the swordmaster from bleeding out. From the grim expressions on their faces, they were losing the battle. Sasha had seen enough battle wounds in her life. It was a minor miracle Selene managed to bring Marteen inside the Aponte Wall alive, much less keep him alive this long. It didn’t lessen her frustration.
The Goddess damn the man, Sasha thought. Why did he have to go and nearly get himself killed? Doesn’t he know how much we need him? How much I need him? Sasha’s head snapped up at the last thought. Sasha was so damned sure she put that damned man in her past. So, where was all of this coming from? Sasha felt a warm, soft hand in hers. She looked down to see Princess Illana standing next to her. The princess was wearing a dark hooded cloak to blend in with the mass of people at the Gold Gate. Princess Illana looked up and gave Sasha a comforting smile.
“What are you doing here?” Sasha whispered, barely keeping herself from adding the “your highness” honorific. Her Crystal Guard weren’t anywhere around, and Sasha didn’t have her own weapons to protect the princess from a Purist sympathizer or a disaffected volunteer.
“Being selfish,” Princess Illana answered, with an unusual meekness. “I was hoping to see Rin when he came back.”
“The cleric told you to stay in bed,” Sasha said.
“I’m feeling better.” The princess squeezed Sasha’s hand as she looked down at Marteen. “It hurts to see him like this, doesn’t it?”
“Yes,” Sasha managed, “It will be a devastating blow to everyone if he dies. They all look up to him.” The princess looked at Sasha with knowing eyes.
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret,” the princess said, in a far too preceptive tone.
“I should go. There’s things that need to be done to help with tomorrow’s push,” Sasha said. The princess’s grip became crystal-hard.
“I’m sure Pallus and Dalan can manage right now. You need to be here with him.”
“But I can’t do anything!” Sasha snarled. “I’m just standing here helpless as he–” Sasha refused to say the last part of the sentence.
“You can stay with him,” Princess Illana said. She looked across the street as a half-dozen rangers walked through the Gold Gate. With a desperate look of her own, the princess crossed the street. She pulled one of the rangers off to the side and talked with him for a few terse moments.
Sasha mentally kicked herself. At least Sasha knew where the man she loved was. She shook her head. Damn it all, where did that come from? How many times did she tell herself that she was finally over Marteen? Her feelings about Pallus were confusing enough without throwing this into the fire.
She watched as Selene tended to Marteen. After a tense few minutes, Selene leaned back and almost fell over onto the street. Breathing hard, Selene wiped the sweat off her forehead. Sasha knelt next to Selene and cautiously put her hand on the other woman’s shoulder. Selene looked up and gave Sasha a tired smile. Sasha felt a heavy weight lift off her shoulders.
“He’ll survive,” Selene said, “Beyond that, I don’t know.” She motioned to the other cleric. “Take him to the Crystal Palace. Not the hospital. They have enough on their hands right now.” The man nodded and ordered over a stretcher team. The three carefully lifted Marteen onto the stretcher before sprinting down the street.
“I’m guessing you’re not as over him as you thought you were,” Selene said, watching her friend. Sasha managed a slight nod, not trusting herself with much more. Selene let out a tired sigh. “He does have the nasty habit of getting back in your blood.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Sasha said. Selene gently embraced her friend.
Princess Illana walked back to join them. Her steps were stilted and her face even paler than normal. Small streaks ran down her cheeks. Sasha’s relief at Marteen’s survival vanished as she saw the princess’s expression. Selene reached out and pulled the princess into a tight hug. There was an instant of resistance, and then the princess melted into Selene. Her shoulders shook with silent sobs. After a moment, Princess Illana pulled away from Selene.
“Rin?” Sasha asked, quietly. She was terrified of the answer.
“They don’t know,” Princess Illana answered, almost biting off each word. “No one has seen him or Morelli since this morning.” She took a few deep breaths, and the scared girl was replaced by the calm look of the elven empress-to-be.
“The gates are closing for the night so the Sacellum can raise the Barrier. The Goddess or Protector willing, Rin is alive out there somewhere.”
“He’s alive,” Selene answered. “We would have felt it in the medallions if he wasn’t.”
“Princess, you should go back to bed. The cleric recommended as much rest as possible. There’s nothing we can do tonight.”
“We should meet with General Lopanes and decide how to take back my city,” Princess Illana said.
“As you told me just a bit ago, Pallus can do that,” Sasha countered. “Why don’t we walk back together?”
“That would be good,” Princess Illana, sounding just a bit like her old self. Sasha was willing to let that slide. They started walking back to the Crystal Palace. Princess Illana barely made it a dozen steps before she stopped and turned back to the Aponte Wall. The princess’s calm mask slipped, and Sasha could see all the princess’s fear and anxiety. It was just the briefest of moments, but her expression broke Sasha’s heart. The moment passed, the calm facade came back up, and the to women walked back to the Crystal Palace.
Ward Manor Happenings – 04.23.26
Cat Box Happenings – The banal part of this entry is that we’ve replaced almost all of the inside cat boxes with the newer stainless steel versions that are all the rage. Mostly because we really liked the bigger boxes upstairs because they line up flush against the wall. Opens up the walkways.
That really isn’t the point of this particular entry. During the replacing, there were some messes that required mopping. Of course, we get all that done and sit down to relax. After a bit, The Wife asks where Freya, our youngest cat, is. The little mischief maker is usually hanging around with us. Then came the small squeaks. It took us a moment, but we discovered the issue. Poor little Freya managed to get herself locked up in the hall closet. Curiosity didn’t kill the cat, but it did manage to put the cat into time-out for a couple of hours.
Office Happenings – The day job informed my team that they were “consolidating” us because another service was invading – I mean, returning to the office – in our office building. This meant, instead of us having our own offices, we were going to have to shared offices. Don’t get me wrong. Our team has been very lucky having our own offices for as long as we have. And it’s not like we’re being thrown into a cube farm. Still, after having my own office for fifteen years, it’s going to be odd sharing with someone else.
Wildlife Happenings – It’s that time of the year in Florida when the gators are getting more active. We generally have one in the pond out back. Not sure if it’s the same one year to year, but we generally see one around this time. This year, we have a big one. We usually see it on the other side of the pond, but I got some good pics when it decided to sun on our side.
There’s more than one reason I keep a loaded carbine.
Old Dominion Cadets
I came across this video from the Army interviewing some of the cadets who stopped an active shooter. Permanently.
Two things stuck out to me:
- The leadership of Lt. Col Shah. His choice to counterattack gave the impetus to his students to join in. I’ve seen some chatter that the man should receive the Medal of Honor, and I can’t say I disagree.
- One of the cadets was shot, but kept fighting. Don’t stop fighting until you can’t continue.
Monday Links
I really just have a few that The Brother has sent me.
First, an article from Ars Technica on changes to Civ 7 to make it more in line with Civ 6. Because players are still choosing Civ 6 (including me). At some point, particularly after this update, I will have to just sit down and replay Civ 7. Preferably with some strategy guides on the other monitor to get some idea of how best to follow the tech and policy tracks.
Second, a neat repository of deck plans for various Star Trek ships/bases/locations.
And this is a site that will just make you feel old.
We’re going to wrap this small installment with a video from Active Self Protection. This one crossed my feeds because the aggressor claimed to be “Harry Dresden.”