Yekrats.com: Scotto’s Seafud Shanty

Since going to Vegas last month, I’ve kinda got a renewed interest in magic. (Illusion, sleight-of-hand, etc.) Vegas is a Mecca of magic, and I visited a real magic store. (I didn’t get a chance to see a magic show I was planning to see because I was strung out and a little sickly.)

Since then I’ve (re)tought myself the “Twisting the Aces” trick knowing a few sleights from my “Purdue Magic Club” days. I’m also working on a “Three Fly” routine (also called “Coins Across”) which makes coins magically travel from one hand to another. It requires some tricky finger gyrations that my hands are not used to doing. So that’s taking a lot of practice to learn a new motor skill.

I needed to upgrade my WordPress to version 2.7, so I thought I might as well update the theme of my blog. I’ve never done that before! I found out it’s pretty easy in WP, but you need to download the file, and upload it to a special directory, and Voila!

I’ve been accused of having a boring blog, but I don’t think this helps much.

This past week I switched my Masonic affiliation from my childhood city of Hillsboro to my local city of Dayton. It was a difference between driving nearly an hour to go to a lodge meeting, and going three (small city) blocks, which I could usually walk.

(Please note that if you are a good buddy of mine and gave me a good recommendation, thank you. I never expected them to call on my references, but I guess they might have. I heard that “two of my references were called.” I’m sorry for any inconvenience. Those guys were thorough, I guess.)

This is and was a very painful decision for me. Hillsboro was the lodge that I “grew up” in. I was Master of the lodge in Hillsboro three times over the past 8 years, and I really learned a lot, mostly under the tutelage of my father-in-law, who is also a member there. I was also a member with at least two of my former scoutmasters, who saw me through to my Eagle Scout award.

I was a dedicated member, and all those miles were really adding up. We had 12 regular meetings a year, then add in an inspection/audit/instructional lodge meeting, plus the Fountain County-wide all-day ceremony, plus a few extra meetings to induct new members — well, it all really added up. Even more frustrating was the fact that (though I hate to admit it) my former lodge was moribund. Every once in a while I went to a meeting, and a quorum of 7 members was not able to be reached, and no meeting was able to be conducted. I drove an hour to show up, but the regular members who were local could not? (sigh) During this summer, I figured that I was paying about $15 per month on gas to show up to a meeting which sometimes didn’t occur.

All of those are great reasons, but I know that without me, it’s going to be even harder for them to make a quorum. So, I feel guilty for having to leave. But guilt was not a good enough reason to keep me there.

Hey folks.

I’m sorry about the long bit of nothing coming out of this blog. I’ve been surprisingly busy lately. You know how time just gets away from you?

In November I took a business trip to Vegas for more training. I had a bit of fun, but not too much. I learned that all casinos that I’ve been to seem to have a smell. I couldn’t put my finger on it at first: Sweet, but not tobacco or purfume, because I smell that too. Then I finally figured it out: whiskey. (I ordered an Irish whiskey from an authentic Irish bar which had been shipped over brick by brick, and then it hit me what the smell was. Also in Vegas I got to see the Dancing Waters of the Belaggio, and paid a visit to a magic store, and made a return visit to the Pinball Hall of Fame museum.  I noted that the casino-hotel I stayed at seemed strangely dead and quiet. Maybe it’s the economy.

I’ve also been wasting some free time playing a game on Brettspielwelt (German Internet board game site). I’ve been playing a lot of “Dominion” which has a really nice interface. I played it at Gencon, and thought it was OK, but playing on-line (having the computer take care of the counting and shuffling) really kicks it up a notch.

I’ve also got some biggie art projects for Protospiel geeks which has been taking up much of my free blogging time in mornings. But I think that is coming to an end nearing the end of the year. Ahhh, more time to loaf and blog.