Welcome Laura Anne Summerfield, just born this morning to my associate, Manly. Mommy, baby, Daddy and brother are all doing well and "over the moon." Looks like I will be bopping up to G'ville for a little snuggle cuddle soon.

This weekend was the trip to Crusades. I have now gone to several and I must say that the event is always quite enjoyable but I am having trouble balancing the cost with the benefit.

This isn't about money, it is about the drive and the stressors that go with that. I left at 0945 and arrived 11 hours later. I stopped once for coffee and once for BR and gas. No stops after Rocky Mount, NC because of the traffic and just wanting to push through and get there before too late at night.

The last few times I have had company or someone to drive and we have also taken a different route each time...so I knew this would be different but how hard could it be to just go straight up 95 which my family refers to as Seneschal Road? I knew there would be traffic and so I dutifully tuned in to the traffic reports near DC. Likely this is a mistake as if you are not FROM the area, you have no idea if whether the locations of the described slow downs is actually ahead of you on your route or nothing to worry about.

Thanks to several calls to Roland and from Janos, I avoided a good bit of traffic. Still, my response is to driving stress is to clutch the wheel even harder which is horrible for me the more distance I drive.

So, why go? Going to Maryland is important because I always have a lot to do there as Seneschal and I need to be able to conduct business on occasion face to face (it makes things so much easier and warmer to do so). Benefse and I also get to do some interacting (albeit briefly) with our counterparts in the East which is good for us all and I hope for Atlantia as well. I always see folks who I never get to see and this year was no different except Saturday was a blur of tasks and meetings intersperced with torn pieces of paper.

Went by to see Gyrth on the way home. May sound odd but indeed when you are all the way in Havre de Grace, fifteen minutes off 495 is still on your way home! He looked great and we had a nice chat and a few chuckles. He loved the card and was amazed and touched at the well-wishes of so many. Wait til he hears about the fundraiser.

It was good to see him looking physically well (although not quite so Ducal in his physique) and enjoy his intellect, wit and heart.

Hopefully, the last manipulation of meds will not take too many more days and he can return home to his adoring wife and son via the engineering marvel that is the ramp on their home.

Best and Worst of Crusades

BEST

Royal chicken on arrival (thanks Greg!)
Motel 6 has upgraded (thanks B)
Rapid setup (thanks Nia, Neal, Fred)
Good company especially getting to see Keilyn, Caitlyn and Ranulf)
Laughter with the Caer Mear crowd (such joyful spirits)
Coffee loving with Kim
Really good, cooperative seneschals.
Feeling the "medievalness" of being Patroness to a poet...receiveing the gift of someone's talent, spirit and heart in exchange for only kind words of support.
The best Exchequer in the Known World.
A real bed so close to site.
Gyrth's smile.
Nia mix CDs and pillows.
Soup and foam cushy happiness.
Being right up there on a baby call tree.

WORST

Seeing so many wrecks and having so many agressive drivers.
Traffic
Damp cold to start and end the day
Mold
Textmessaging assholes
Not enough room or time...ever for all you want to love and all you have to do.
Missing Mel
Pain that you can't get away from