Mistaken Experience

Well, time for a new post. Lets start with this. Tom just achieved an A rank in epee. I’m absolutely proud of him. Less than a year ago he was unrated in epee. Hell, he’s hardly been fencing epee for a year. Am I bitter because I’ve been fencing epee for 2 years and am currently unclassified? No way, that would be wrong. I have the 11^th to hope for. Its an E tournament. The reason I always suck at tournament is because I always do D to open rated tournaments. That and I have no one coaching me. I learned the value of coaching at tournaments when Jamie saved me from what could have possibly been the MOST embarrassing loss ever in Portland. So, no, I am nothing but happy for Tom, but to steal a line from a fellow fencer “when did Tom get that good?”. Not that he isn’t, he just got really good really fast, and lefty, he got lefty fast. I know, he’s always been a lefty, but that’s not the point, that’s not all this post is about.

So, I got my haircut today at Michael’s school of hair design and esthetics. Am I thrilled with my 6 dollar haircut? Let me put it this way, I’m ready to find other people who are as pissed off as I am and start a class action suit. You cant tell me your now out there. I mean, honestly, my hairdresser cut some of her hair and didn’t realize it until she saw a BIG chunk of brown in my sweepings. Regardless, I’m never exposing my head in public again. It was bad, very bad.

Moving right along, I seem less congested today than I was before. This doesn’t mean Cole’s off the hook. I still say he’s a big meanie for defecting his cold/cough unto myself. He says it’s from Steph from the JO’s, but that was months ago. That’s right Cole, even though you got bread, your still on the bottom of my list for people to hang around if you wish to stay healthy for another 5 minutes. If you want to know where you are on this list, e-mail me and I will let you know. Unfortunately I can not make it public, as that is an invasion of personal something or other. Of course the actual list exists, I made it myself… this morning.

So that’s about it for right now. If you have anything you would like to add, TELL ME. I still have had no comments and no e-mail from patrons. It’s so easy to make comments, and e-mails are even less committal, honestly. I just don’t get why I’m blogging everything if no one out there is telling me what they think. No, IM’s don’t really count. Feel free to IM me about it, but common, just do this for me, please?

This is just a poem i wrote for a friend on my 14 hour plane ride. It is actually one of three for three different people. Only, this is the one I like best and got around to typing. If you think this was written for you, know that Für is a hint. If that makes absolutly no since to you, then it’s not likly that I wrote it for you. This one is to the best rocky rhode ever.

Für

The sweet leady taste

I preferred when the eyes were blue

How can I even be writing this

So many names are to many names

I wish I could stop stealing these words

Just like a book of nonsense

A misfit hiding the shadows

When the coffee is too bitter to weather

When the journey seems forever

What can be the destination?

Sometimes I wish I just knew something

Anything would do, even nothing

How is it we’re on our own

And because of it never?

Because I have more thanks for never

Because never again are we alone

Never, because no matter what

Because we got it all, and we know it

And as this pen runs dry

And my paper starts running short

I have nothing more to say

Because nothing has ever got me so far

Because nothing bring us closer

Because now I’m so much closer to okay

And my pen will die just in time

Because I have nothing more to say

Von

And in my opionion, perhaps deserve it.  I know it sounds bad, but think about it.  These are the people who I think can really benefit from contributions.  No I’m not getting any money from any donation you make.  Well, you may ask yourself, why on earth are you advertise for charities?  Well, here’s my standpoint.  I don’t come from a family with alot of money.  Well, my oldest sister is another story, but I’m not the one walking around with daddy plastic, thats for sure.  Hell, I work for money, and have for a while.  I fence, that doesnt make me rich.  On the contrary, it sucks more money than anything from me.  I do it because I have to.  But back on the topic, I’m doing this because I’m the type of person who can benefit from these organizaions.  And not only me, much of this country is way less privlaged than I am.  So here is it, my list of thoes who should recieve.  Hell, If I made more money, they’d be getting it.

My number one recomendation for you donations is for underprivlidged kids who want to cook.  It was created by one of my favourite chefs, Jamie Oliver.  I’ve looked into the foundation and seen it work.  On his forums you can talk to some of the people fifteen has helped.  Its called the fifteen foundation because fifteen kids are taken to be tought how to make cooking fun and interesting so they can make it a choice for life.  I urge you to vistit even just to look. 

www.fifteenfoundation.org.uk

For now this is it, but I will keep adding more.  Remember, i want to hear about you charity and donations. 

So I went to my doctor today to get my cholesterol checked. I brought up that I haven’t been sleeping well since middle school. He said I was depressed. I told him I had problems getting up in the morning for work because I have a restless mind. He told me I needed to diet and exercise. I told him I exercise 3 or 4 times a week or 2 hours or more and have changed my diet for the last month or so. He told me he wanted to see me at 168. I told him that at 232, there was no way that was going to happen anytime soon. He told me not to starve or hurt myself. I asked him if 168 would be cutting into my muscle mass, in an unhealthy way. He told me he wanted to see me in 2 months to see if I was coming on to that 168 number he liked so much. I turned to leave. He told me if I felt like hurting myself to call him, and exercize more. I walked out the door. I so wanted to take the words of Foamy to his doorstep. These will be omited for reasons of… well, ther’re not very nice. Needless to say, I’m now looking for a new doctor that doesn’t suck so bad.

My all your appointments involve medication

Well time to say some things about me. As you all know, I’m Ethan. I’ve been running MistakenExperience for about 4 days now, thanks to Jamie of Madowl. Well, factoid 1: I’m a fencer. I’m a fencing freak. I don’t just like it a bit. I really love to fence. I have been fencing for almost three years at Seacoast Fencing Club under the choachship of Chris Pullo and Bugsy Rabitore. Alright, his first name is not Bugsy, I forget what it really is. All I know is that every one I know, he and myself included, refer to him as Bugsy. Bugsy really my coach as he gives me all my private lessons. I have been fencing epee for two years now and foil for about three. I’ve been taking private lessons for epee for about 3 months. I am unrated for all weapons that I fence (foil and epee), but don’t think that discourages me. Well, It does, but who cares. I have no problem fencing club mates at all, but when I get to tournaments, it just doesn’t seem to work. I went to Portland Saturday with Jamie and came to a bit of a conclusion. I play my opponent game. I just sit there until they hit me and use their methods against them. I don’t play with distance unless they do. I don’t use fleches unless they do. I don’t use binds unless they do. This is why I can fence better against club mates than other fencers. I feel comfortable playing my own game against club members. I realized during my first direct elimination bout in epee on Saturday how this all works. I was fencing a novice epeeist, a saberist to be honest. At the end of the first 3 minute period, the score was ties at 11. Jamie came over to me during my one minute break to coach me.

“Are you playing with distance?”

“No.”

“Why?”
“I don’t know, I never thought to.”

“Are you playing your game or his game?”

“His game.” At this point I was frowning to myself.

“Well, play your game.”

After the one minute break ended and we tested bells, I didn’t let him score another touch. 11-15 Final. I have mostly Jamie to thank for that, but I wont tell if you wont.

So that’s me and fencing right now. My other biggest hobby is paintball. I’m much better at paintball than I am at fencing. I’ve been playing for 10 years now and absolutely seriously for about 3 years. My first gun was a wall-mart special Orion. Not bad for a start. I think I was maybe 14 when I got it. It broke after 2 seasons. After that I bought a JT accelerator 5. An electronic marker. It was a big step up from my wall mart gun. new they go for a bit under $200. Well, they did then, now they can be found for $99. It lasts another 2 seasons. I traded it for an abused auto cocker. I had endless issues with it, so I converted it with a CCM pump kit. After that it was reliable as anything, and it helped to hone my skills. Now I have a truly awesome mini-mag. Warp Feed, Benchmark double trigger, 12″ all american, custom folding grip, and grand-daddy of them all, an Air America 114 cu. 3000psi adjustable output big, tank. It’s big, really big, but I love it. Right now I’m saving the cocker and putting on a kapp reflex frame, CCM front end, and maybe a turtle conversion. Paintball is my friend. If you have any questions about the sport at all, safety, advice, marker issues, feel free to PM/email me.

Finally, I love to write. I have always been an advocate of creative writing and expressive imagination. I like to write about my life experiences. Other times ideas are just born from my head dieing to be put on paper. I have issues sleeping at night, which is, for me, prime time to get some writing done. My biggest issue in writing is spelling and typing. I can do neither very well. My dyslexia is apparent but not likely to blame. Spelling errors bug me even though I make them so often. my biggest tick is finding them in things like Harry Potter. It make me feel a bit better about my ability to spell, but writing words can be hard for me. Thankfully, i can almost always read my own scribble. If you want to read more of my writing, just hold on, there is so much more to come.

Anyway, I think this is plenty about my hobbies for one post. I hope you have found yourself intrigued about something. It doesn’t have to be about me. God I hope it isn’t. Well, actually it wont bother me, just don’t stalk me. Anyway, with a cholesterol test in the morning I need to get to sleep, because I cant eat from 8pm (hour and a half ago) until after my appointment at 9:30 tomorrow, and I’m getting hungry. Oh, and I like cooking.

Oi, fencing in Portland is always a blast. Well, sometimes. Anyway, so on Wednesday at seacoast I ask Jamie if we could car pool. Nathan had to work so she couldn’t drive. She said she would go If I came down and let Nathan use my car and she would drive theirs. This was all fine. Next I asked Danielle if she was going. She said she wasn’t but only because she didn’t have a way to get there. I told her she was welcome to come with Jamie and myself. Just go and fence and get some dinner and go home completely exhausted. She said it was fine and offered to meet us at seacoast Saturday morning. Now Portland is 2 or so hours away. Tournaments usually get out around 6 pm. This means you pack a lunch and go out for dinner. Well, on Thursday when Jamie talked to Danielle about the time to meet, she said her father was going to give her a ride.  After Jamie told me about this, I proceeded to win a $10 bet that she wasn’t going at all. Jamie and me left saturday morning just before 9am.  We used the directions on the back of the schedual.  The led us to where PFC USED TO BE….  5 years ago.  Jamie wondered who wrote thoes outdated directions.  Chris Pullo, Secretary.  So this means Chris, my coach of course, is in deep crap with me.  So after being totally lost, we got there in time for me to regester an 11:30.  Regardless, it was a good time even though I only managed 20th(?) out of 35(?) fencers in the mixed foil D and something else that I never found out in mixed Epee D. There are some really good shots one seacoasts website, SeacoastFencingClub.org, courtesy of Jamie and Madowl.com. Check it out, buy a tee-shirt, feel better about YOU, support us all!

This is easily my favorite strawberry recipe, likely one of my favorite recipes. Very simple, but for safety reasons, recommended for ages 13 and up. This had been my absolute number one date food. Make it for them, they love you. Make it in front of them, they envy your talent, make it with them… well, let me just say there will be no way for them to resist you.

For two servings you will need

either 6, 8 or 10 large strawberries (don’t remove the green part), better under ripe than over

2, 6 inch rosemary skewers

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

Pinch-o-kosher salt

A bowl of melted dark chocolate (optional depending on budget and taste, fondue’ style is always cool)

Step one:

To make rosemary skewers, just take a branch of rosemary (yes, fresh rosemary, this is ABSOLUTELY necessary) roughly 6 inches long, and cut one edge on an angle so its sharp. Skewer either 3, 4, or 5 strawberries on each one. Odd numbers always present better, but 4 is the magic, cant go wrong number. If this is sorta stand aloneish, I do 5. Anyway, place a piece of wax paper on a baking sheet. Place the strawberries on the sheet or on a drying rack above said sheet. Put you small saucea or pot under med-high heat. Add the sugar, water and pinch of salt (yes, salt, just believe in me, I know what I’m doing. Remember, just a pinch, not a clump). Let your sugar boil until it becomes a nice light golden colour. This may take some time or be scary to you. The bubbles are okay, if its ready to boil over, simply take it of and reduce your heat. Now that you have your sugar nice and candied, let it cool just or 2 or 3 minutes. Here is the could-be dangerous part. Slowly and very carefully, pour the sugar over the strawberry skewers. If the candy hits your skin, run it under cool water for a while, its dangerous and it hurts! Anyway, after your successful pouring of sugar, let these cool until the sugar is hardened. An easy way to tell is to tap it with a spoon, if it sounds like glass and isn’t sticky, your ready to either dip in chocolate or serve as is. I really like this without chocolate as it sometimes overwhelms the rosemary flavor that you want. If this is your first time and you really want to try it, just dip the strawberry tips about 1/4 inch into dark chocolate. Remember not to remove the green parts of the strawberries, as they are integral parts of presentation, and serve as handles so you can feed your date. I want you all to try these. Make sure you leave a comment about your experience! Hey, take a picture and send it to me! I hope this bring as much joy to you guys as it does me!

Seeing as I have no forums, I thought I would use this as an area where I can share some of my writing. I’m working on one major novel right now. It’s called Avalon’s Diary. It follows a teenage girl on her Journey to find her friend, her place, and ultimately herself.  Here is one entry.

Wednesday, April 21

Some Birthday I’ve had. Happy sweet sixteen. Ya, FYI: I was hoping for a car for my sixteenth, not a trip out of the country. I didn’t sleep well at all. I spent the night thinking about Ivy. I tried the potatoes for breakfast. Like all the other veggies, they were very good. Today was another long day. I realized my little natural crossing wouldn’t do too well for any extended period of time. I hacked down some small, short trees. Making them into a bridge wasn’t easy. Nor was hauling them to the river. It took me a few tries to discern that my logs were too small. I chopped down some larger trees. They took considerably longer to bring down and haul to the river, considering they’re not that much bigger. They seem to be better for bridge making though. It took a long time to finally make a crossable bridge. I woke up to see the dawn break and it must have been mid-day before I finished the crossing. For lunch I had some of the dried chicken. It was good. Personally, I think he might have salted it a bit aggressively. Other than that, the chicken was pretty good, not as good as the quail, but still good. My ford is a little crude but I’m very proud of it. I found a use for the smaller trees though. Seeing as they were still rather green, they were quite pliable. Luckily, they were also long and relatively thin. I shortened some and made them into my roof. They came nowhere near finishing it but they’re a good start. I took my big quilt and used my “pseudo roof” as a frame and tied the quilt on to break the wind. I think it’ll work well unless it rains. I really need another tarp. I’ll go buy one tomorrow. I’m much to exhausted to do it tonight. I think I’ll sup and go to bed. Yes, I think that’ll have to do. I guess we’ll have to see what tomorrow will bring.

 Next I have a collection of poetry that I hope to post.  Here is a poem I wrote when I was in my freshman year still at SHS.  It was writen for a dear friend, though it may not convey the message of just dear friendship.

To you a love unconditional

A love where no winds will startle the breeze
A love where no dam will stop the flow

To you a love, a love unchanged
A love without question or variance
What a love so beautiful can be
But a love unconditional

Where is the love you might ask
Where could it be, for you can not see it
You can not imagine or touch it
Only feel, can you feel it?

If I were to crack, to slip
Would you still care?
Could you still see me in you dreams?
The love unconditional flows therein

I can’t see you there
Where could you be?
If a love unconditional is then in my heart
Deep in my chest, is something I cant live without

If I could ask for nothing more
I would ask for your love

Your love, unconditional. 
 

I know its not my best work, but I’m saving that.  So this is writing.  Please feel free to tell me what you think, I love to hear that my work is being read by anyone.  By the way, if you want a full copy of Avalon’s Diary, I’m looking for eager ears, E-mail or IM me!

So this is post number one. It feels pretty good. I find it simmilar to that feeling you get when you finaly decide to take that diffrent path to walk home. Good, in a foreign way. Anyone is to feel very free to comment if they are reading.