Balfar's Challenge Recap

Balfar's Challenge was this past weekend.  I had scheduled some pickup fights last week, as I was not planning on participating in the melees.  I had my gear packed up on Friday night.  Saturday morning, I left the house early to pick up Edana.  I got to her place around 7 and we were onsite and parked at 9:30.  I am very glad we got there early, so we could get parking that was close.

After trolling in, I got dressed in as many layers as I could be comfortable in.  It was cold, windy, and it drizzled every now and again.  I had the popup with me, but took it down when the winds decided to shift.  This was after it broke the two next to me, picking up one and tossing it into the parking lot.  Thankfully it didn't damage any of the cars there.

1. After getting suited up and ready, I fought Don Robert Earlson.  It was a very fun, challenging series of passes.  
2. They I fought Alastair Tucker with my feder.  He took his longsword.  He is quickly becoming one of those people that I plan to seek out and fence at all opportunities.  He's a very fun fight.
3. Next up as Master Caine Ramsey.  Like always, a very fun fight.  He told me I was leaning way in, as he could not remember the last time he ever had a clean shot at my head.
4. I then did a single pass with Don (to become Master later that day) Llewellyn Walsh as part of his vigil.  I had him on range and was able to catch his shot with my hand and deflect it out of the way.  He is a great addition to the peerage and I am very proud of my nephew.
5. Master Remy Delemontagne da Gascogne was my next fight.  I was getting control of his blade but then as he pointed out, I was doing nothing with it.  I was trying to force him to attack or react, and then counter from there, but I was not doing such a good job.  By that point the flied of mud had gotten worse, and not wanting to move my feet much, I was not taking advantage where I could have.  Lesson learned, now to try and implement it.
6. Dona Lilias de Cheryngton was my next opponent.  For some reason, I kept getting bound by her offhand.  Maybe I had been relying on my dagger to much on the close that day.  I'm not sure why I kept winding up where I did not want to be.  I wish I had video of it.
7. My last opponent of the day was Don Brendan Firebow.  A spirited set of bouts with an opponent who knows me well, and whom I know just as well.  We are very evenly matched overall.  Again, I was finding his blade but not gaining on it.  HE showed me a few things, and I hope to put that into practice.

While fencing Don Brendan, my right foot started to cramp, which means that shortly thereafter my ankle would be done for the day.  I took a break, hoping to be able to fence more.  I wanted to pick some more fights, but instead helped Sir Antonio run some authorizations.  I was hoping to get some passes with him, but after the authorization bout i fought against Oscar, I was toast.  It started to drizzle more, so I packed my gear away in the car, and grabbed an ice pack for the ankle.  

While the melee drills were going on, I was able to give Oliva and Dominico a little advice from the sidelines.  

All packed up, my ankle was starting to throb, so I was just waiting for Edana to be ready to go.  While I would have loved to stay for court, between the ankle, the long drive, and the weather, I just wanted to be on my way.  We were making good time getting home but hunger had hit, so while stopped for a bathroom break at a rest area, I checked on places to eat in Stamford, CT.   We wound up at a place called: Bedford Hall.  The food was delicious.  Edana and I bouth ordered the same things: Onion Soup and Shrimp and Grits.  We split the fried Brussels sprouts appetizer and a dessert.  If I am ever passing through that way again and I am hungry, I will be sure to go back.

http://www.bedfordhallstamford.com/

Traffic was thankfully not too bad, even on the Cross Bronx.  We made it back to her place where I dropped her off and then I was home around 10:45 after stopping for gas.  Glad to be home, I popped some Advil and then off to sleep I went.

I missed a lot of people I had hoped to get some passes with.  I hope to catch them and more next time I am out at an event... and oh look, I will be at Crown Tournament and I hear there is a place for fencing pickups.  I plan to bring my gear so if you are going and want to fence, please let me know.

Upcoming: Balfar's Challenge

I am looking forward to Balfar's Challenge this weekend.  My plan is to do all thepickups I can.  I have "picked" fights with people who I don't get to see or fence often.  I am planning to skip the melees to preserve my ankle and knee.  Let's see how this works out.

Brain Dump

I need to do a bit of a brain dump so the stress doesn't get to me too much. 

Wednesday night at fencing practice, I was feeling well.  I had some good fights with Lissa, with both of us using curved blades.  I had some great passes with Andre .  I was enjoying my passes with Thomas DeCastellan, until I wasn't.  My leg shifted over the ankle and I was done for.  Just when I start to feel good and am getting back into the swing of things, something happens to hamper any progress.  It is so damn frustrating.  My legs were finally feeling better after Mudthaw.

In non-fencing news, work is going well, if not a little slow at the moment.  My projects are all in a state where they are on autopilot after this weekend's go live.  Thankfully that went smoothly  It's about thing that went smooth all weekend. 

Saturday was my neice's play.  We went and saw he in a production of Matlida.  It was very cute.  Afterwards, we went to my parent's house to help clean some things up that we had left.  Evan was not looking too good or feeling too well.  He went inside and laid down.  We left to come home in the late afternoon.  He fell asleep in the car, and his breathing, even while asleep, was rapid and shallow.  This is on top of the persistant cough he has had for a while.  When we got home, he ate a little, but his breathing was still rapid.  Checking his o2 level, it was a bit low, so we gave him a nebulizer treatment.  Afterwards, his o2 levels had little response to the neb and he was running a fever.  So we packed up some stuff and off to the pediatric ER we went.

We got there a little after 9 PM.  After taking his vitals, they took a chest x-ray and then started another nebulizer.  His levels were not coming up to normal.  They gave him a steroid and antibiotics.  A second neb treatment and a little while later, he vomitted.  They started him on oxygen.  I ran home to get him some clean PJs, and get some more caffine for Jennie and I.  At some point earlier, Murray had come by with coffee and iced tea for us. 

They admitted him and finally moved him up to a room around 3:00 AM.  Jennie was going to stay with him, so I went home to try and get some sleep.  I got about 3 hours of sleep, took a shower, packed some more stuff and headed to the hospital.  I picked up some munchkins and coffee.  When I got there, Evan was awake.  His o2 level was still low.  Overnight, they gave him two nebulizers while he was asleep.  My parents came down to spend time with him and us, providing support. 

At his 2 PM breathing treatment, they switched to an inhaler, now every 4 hours; instead of the nebulizer every 2.  The inhaler is much easier and a whole lot faster.  At this point, his o2 levels were starting to come back into the low end of the normal range.  By the 6 PM check in and breathing treatment by the doctor and the respiratory tech, they were satisified with the progress and the doctor was going to get the discharge paperwork together.  Unfortunately, the local pharmacy we used was already closed, so Jennie had to go out early on Monday to get his medications.  Exhausted when we finally got home, I ordered some food from the local pizza place, as we were just too wiped out to cook at home. 

Monday, I had to report for jury duty.  Thankfully, they filled the panel before I was selected.  I wore my Waldorf and Statler t-shirt as selected by my friends on Facebook.  I really did not want to be there.  Worst part was, I was not allowed to use my phone or computer while I was in the courtroom, so I could not check on work.  Heck, I could not even check Facebook or read from my kindle account. 

Evan had a follow up with his primary care office today.  He's got a follow up with an allergist in May to try and figure out what is causing this and maybe what we can do to prevent it from occuring again, as this is the third year in a row we have taken him to the ER with similar symptoms in the early spring. 

Between the 4 prescriptions from the hospital and the doctor, it was over $400.  I cannot wait to see what the hospital bill and doctor visits is going to be. 

I am exhausted and stressed from this all.  I am constantly worried about my little man now.