Category: Announcements

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Crunch Time

“Say, you don’t look too good. The sight of blood bother you?”

“Only my own.”

-a brief exchange in John Wayne’s Big Jake.

I like that response, because I can usually stomach anyone else’s injuries, to an extent, while triaging my own injuries takes a good deal more mental fortitude. The fractured bone pushing against the inside of Liz’s ankle, however, was disconcerting. Fortunately I’ve had a lot of trauma training from ER nurses back in my Boy Scouts days, so a conditioned response kicked in and I was able to stabilize her skeletal structure for the trek to the hospital. Say what you will about the Boy Scouts (and I certainly have a number of my own opinions, especially the Texan troop I grew up with), but they did take measures to prepare us in advance of wilderness camping trips. I can still point out where all the major pinch points are on extremities which, given the right amount of pressure, will close an artery by squeezing it against bone. There were a number of visceral visual aids given with the addition of stage blood and some acting. Consequently, I can pride myself with having prevented a tissue rupture, which the ER doctor was very pleased didn’t happen. Husband win!

I won’t post any of the injury pics as that seems a bit ghoulish, so this is more for posterity’s sake. Here she is awaiting admittance:

Of course she didn’t look in such good humor once the adrenaline wore off, but I’ll keep those pics private for some personal memories. And the x-rays.

5 hours in the ER and a transfer to the main hospital campus and surgery and 2 days recovery. For a rotational multi-fracture. Ouchy.

What was she doing to receive such an injury? Oh just walking out to retrieve firewood in the cold and snow, AHA (against husband advice). Fortunately I went to go look for her before she went hypothermic. Sigh. The adventures we have.

Look at all that grey hair she’s giving me.

–Simon

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Goofy Gifts

But, they were wanted. We’re old enough now to want practical items while still maintaining a childish nerdy side. So here’s some highlighted Christmas gifts:

Safety first!

I wanted a rechargeable water fire extinguisher for our various wood fires. We have a fireplace, a deck solo stove, a charcoal grill, and a fire pit. If things were to get out of hand, I did not relish the idea of spraying things down with a chemical ABC extinguisher. Plus, since I can recharge this myself, it’s more fun.

No safety!

A custom gift from the sister-in-law. Everyone needs a viking hand axe, acid-etched, and engraved with runes evoking eternal feasting and battle!

Let it roll baby

We are not rock nerds. Prosaic pontification pertaining to geological aesthetics never cranked my shaft, so to speak. But machinery and pretentiousness? Absolutely!

We saw an episode of Dirty Jobs where Mike visited a hotel that offered a coin-washing service. It was a mutual curiosity, so I got Liz a tumbler. I’ll go into greater depth on a later post as some trial and error was involved. And of course don’t do this with any coins of significant monetary or collector value. But it was definitely fun!

Shiny!

–Simon

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The Tenants of Cinematic Selection (rev. 122024-1)

The Tenants have once again expanded. This time, the Holiday Provision has been added, which defines a separate selection process during holiday periods.

αPWN

The Tenants of Cinematic Selection (rev. 122024-1)

Given:

  • αPWN consists of 4 parties and are all present.
  • A singular movie candidate, when part of a series, consists of its full installment regardless of how many independent files or discs it constitutes.
  • A movie may not necessarily be completed in one session.

Procedure:

  1. If the prior session’s movie was not completed, then it must be completed before the next movie may be selected. Finish this move if applicable, then – time permitting – proceed to step 2.
  2. Roll a D4 to determine The Shuffler.
  3. Roll a D3 to determine The Selector from the remaining members of αPWN (The Selector cannot also be The Shuffler). If a D3 is not available, a D4 may be used with #4 reserved for a re-roll.
  4. The Shuffler deposits the movie option tokens from The Jar of Eligibility into a bowl and randomizes them.
  5. The Selector chooses a movie option token, with eyes closed, at random from the bowl. This choice becomes Candidate-1.
  6. αPWN may decide to veto Candidate-1 with a ¾ majority. Any token marked with a “V” cannot be vetoed. Any token marked with a “P” must undergo approval as outlined below (see Termination Provision for Minors). If Candidate-1 is part of a series, this marking only applies to its designated numbering in the sequence (the number to which it is adjacent).
    1. If veto fails then the Candidate-1 becomes The Chosen One.
    2. If veto passes then The Selector chooses a second movie option token. This choice becomes Candidate-2. Candidate-2 may not be vetoed.
      1. αPWN votes between Candidate-1 and Candidate-2. The majority vote becomes The Chosen One. Everyone must vote. The loser’s token is marked with a “V” and returned to The Jar of Eligibility. If the loser is part of a series, the “V” must be preceded with its corresponding number in the series’ sequence (e.g. “2 V”).
        1. If the vote is a tie, then a D4 is rolled to determine The Flipper. All are eligible to become The Flipper.
        2. The Flipper tosses a coin to choose between Candidate-1 and Candidate-2. The winner becomes The Chosen One. The loser’s token is marked with a “V” and returned to The Jar of Eligibility. If the loser is part of a series, the “V” must be preceded with its corresponding number in the series’ sequence (e.g. “2 V”).
  7. The Chosen One is watched and its token discarded into eternal damnation.
    1. If the Chosen One is part of a series (when its name implies such) and the last of the series has not yet been watched, then its token is marked with its numerical position in the sequence and returned to The Jar of Eligibility and the next in the series not yet watched is watched.
  8. All remaining movie option tokens not banished into eternal damnation are returned to The Jar of Eligibility by The Shuffler.

Termination Provision for Minors:

  • At any point in a movie’s viewing it may be stopped if two adult members of αPWN determine that it is not appropriate to continue in the presence of a minor. Similarly, the selection may undergo this review upon selection prior to starting the movie. The token is marked with a “P” (if not already so marked) and returned to The Jar of Eligibility. Time permitting, αPWN may then decide with full consensus to repeat the selection process.

Candidate Additions:

  • Any member of αPWN may add a new movie option token to The Jar of Eligibility.
  • Additions to The Jar of Eligibility must be done so in good faith (a movie that the majority of αPWN would want to watch).
  • Additions to The Jar of Eligibility may only be done so with all members of αPWN present.

Holiday Provision:

  • The standard selection procedure may be overridden with unanimous αPWN consent during times of holidays. This period is defined as the 7 day span prior to the holiday, the holiday itself, and the 7 day span following. The Christmas period, however, is defined as the day following Thanksgiving until and including Christmas day itself. Any movie relevant to the holiday may be chosen. αPWN must unanimously agree that:
  1. The holiday is an eligible holiday under which this provision can be invoked (Christmas is automatically eligible), and
  2. The movie in question is themed to the holiday, and
  3. All αPWN members want to watch the movie.
  • The Holiday Provision is not exempt from the Termination Provision for Minors (see above).

Tenant Modifications:

  • Any changes to these tenants may only be done so with unanimous αPWN consent.

–Simon