I'm very much looking forward to visiting the faire next weekend.  Alas, it is the final weekend, but I'll be attending my very first faire wedding.  I'm excited.  I've already pulled out the various odds and ends for my garb and now I must wait one more week before I don my corset and make merry for the second and last time this season.

I have to say, this Faire season went by so fast.  I finally got to attend last weekend for Oktober Fest, which was a lot of fun.  I was so happy to be finally dressed up and weaving amongst the costumed crowds that I fairly vibrated with joy haha.  I was a little disappointed that fewer people had taken the time to dress up, but it was good to be there nonetheless.  I enjoyed checking out the lovely T&A wandering about the faire as young, built blonde girls tried their hands at being the St. Pauli girl though I have to admit, I was again disappointed that not as many large breasted women chose to show off their prized cleavage last weekend.  I'm hoping for more big breasts next weekend haha.  Give me chunky, long haired men in garb, sexy big breasted women in corsets, and a constant flow of alcohol and I'm happy as a lark :D

The Mediaeval Baebes will also be peforming next weekend, which I'm very pleased I'll be able to see.  I can't wait!

The joust...joust...joust...



Gentle peasants and busty wenches, please join me in cheering on Sir Geoffrey of Snevil!  Huzzah!




And, of course, raise thy voices in a fond huzzah for gentle Sir Jonathan of Sgoodia. Huzzah!




The goodly knights take their positions as the lovely Princess Blandly of Flatchester greets each with a warm smile and words of encouragement.  Only one knight shall walk away from this field today victorious, only one knight shall take the hand of Princess Blandly in marriage and his rightful place on the throne of our fair kingdom.



Billy the peasant presents the lances to the knights.  Thank you, Billy.




And they're off!






Ooooh, they missed! Close call...Close Call!





The Princess does not look happy.  She came here to see blood, not fey men tickling each other!



Meanwhile, the crowd cheers.  Huzzah!  This match sure is exciting!



And they're off for the second pass!  Huzzah!



Oh no! Sir Geoffrey is hit!



Sir Geoffrey has been unseated! He has lost the Princess and the kingdom!  What a loser!



The crowd goes wild!  Huzzah!  Sir Jonathan of Sgoodia wins the hand of the fair Princess Blandly of Flatchester!




The happy couple embraces warmly in the tender light of chivalrous victory as Sir Geoffry's evicerated corpse is removed from the field.  Congratulations, Sir Jonathan!  We greet you as our new king!



Hail good Sir Jonathan of Sgoodia, our new king!  We place our lives in your smarmy hands!


Yes, this is what I do in my spare time.

Anyway.

I'm giving serious consideration to pursuing my Master's of Library Science degree online. My bachelor's degree in English just isn't cutting it for me financially, and getting my Masters online might be my best option to get out of this hole I've dug for myself. As it is right now, I have no transportation to go to the University of Maryland or Catholic University, the two closest library science schools, and I certainly don't have the money to take the train to get to either place, so online coursework would be the easiest thing for me. Plus I'd have an excuse to continue working only part-time here at the University of Baltimore while I worked on getting my MLS.

Yes, it would mean approximately $40,000 more in loans, which would probably work out to about $300 more a month a month in loan repayments when I finish the program, but I think I could swing it if I were making approximately $40,000 a year as a librarian.

Hmmm.

Drexel seems to have one of the better online MLS programs around. I want to get some more information before I jump in, but I'll probably be going with Drexel. I'm a little nervous about doing everything completely online though. Anyone have any experience with online classes?

Here at the library, we tend to get a lot of homeless people walking in off the street to use the restrooms and huddle in the stacks, particularly on very cold or very warm days. A few piss themselves standing in front of the Circulation desk, and others hang around the basement bathrooms, spying on patrons while they are...making use of the facilities. There are a few regulars--the guy twitchy guy with a bundle of news papers who always asks if he may use the restroom, the really short guy who likes to look at porn in the second floor computer lab--but one of the more interesting homeless regulars is this one guy who claims to have "hit it big" by landing a gospel recording contract. He comes in every couple of months to talk loudly about his work as a gospel song writer and as an Elvis impersonator, and everyone at the Circulation desk listens politely while he shouts out his plans to build a brand new homeless shelter for his buddies and cure cancer. When I first met him in November, I had decided to give George the benefit of the doubt and believe that it really was possible, that he really HAD made it as a song writer and was finally putting his life together, but today...today he showed me a letter signed by Jesus.

After describing the huge party he was going to have on February 3rd, and how he was going to make this library famous because he writes all his songs here, George pulled out a letter and handed it to me, saying "Even Jesus said I could stay at the Hyatt!" The words, "George Bower wants to stay at the Hyatt. Please let him stay there. Sincerely, Jesus" were scribbled on a piece of white printer paper in a spidery scrawl with a black pen. With a smile firlmly planted on my face, I handed him back his letter and congratulated him again on his success. He then grinned at me, grabbed up his belongings, and shouted to me as he walked away that he hoped he'd see me and my family at his big celebration party in February. It nearly broke my heart.