Mommy, why is that house shaped like a toilet?

The owner is an activist, dear.

Final day of Høstfest. Yesterday the place was packed, meaning that the most efficient way to get from one location to another was to put on a jacket (or a cloak) and go around the outside (the weather’s chilly in Minot. This morning I had to scrape frost off my car windows). Especially if you’re wearing edged weapons, making you likely to poke people as you thread your way through the crowded walkways.

Today looks to be even more of a madhouse. The rumor is that Sissel’s two concerts today (apparently she is coming) failed to sell out, so the festival donated free tickets to personnel at the Air Force base. That means that today, when it’s a weekend too, ought to resemble the Black Hole of Calcutta around here. Assuming the occupants of the Black Hole had been wearing Norwegian sweaters and ten gallon hats, and burping rømmegrøt.

My batting average against Ragnar has sagged. As I had suspected, my winning season had been largely due to his suffering a flare-up of his arthritis. Now, he tells me, he’s feeling better, and I’m spending more time on my back in the sand.

During our final bout of the day, we are always serenaded by the Oak Ridge Boys, who are doing two shows a day just around the corner. For the rest of my life I expect I’ll associate “Elvira” with the weight of a mail shirt on my back and lecturing a crowd on the fine points of the holmgang duel.

I went to check out my seat for the concert, and it’s a much better one than the one I had the last time. High in the upper deck and to the side, but quite close to the stage. Very good. 1:00 this afternoon is the big hour.

Now if I just don’t die or sustain an injury requiring emergency medical attention in my morning duel.

Rush Limbaugh’s response to Senator Harry Reid’s attempt to censor him is to auction off the letter Mr. Reid sent to ClearChannel on eBay. Proceeds will go to The Marine Corps – Law Enforcement Foundation, which “encourages the spiritual, moral and intellectual development of children through education.” Heh, heh, heh.

I am sitting in the Viking venue as I write, having just discovered that the whole place is Wi-Fi enabled. Woo-hoo! This Viking means business, as Gary Larson said in “The Far Side.”

It’s been exhausting and a lot of fun. Thanks, thanks, thanks, to Roy Jacobsen of Dispatches from Outland who got me some help with my car in Fargo, when I needed it most.

I’ve sold a few books, and even a couple leather bookmarks I tooled. Ragnar and I are fighting three combat shows a day, and I think I’m actually almost 50/50 with him in wins and draws. We did a particularly interesting bout yesterday where I was able to disarm him when his sword caught in my shield and I was able to wrench it away by rotating the shield. This is a classic maneuver, which happens rarely (and even more rarely with me, whose reflexes are pretty slow). To our mutual delight, the fight was caught on video, and came out very well. Eventually we hope to have it posted online, and you’ll be able to marvel at my prowess.

My main concern is a rumor that Sissel is having passport trouble and may not get here for her concerts. In that case, needless to say, I will fall on my sword and this will be my last post.

Wow. This artist has cut away pages of books to reveal their contents.

The League of American Theaters and Producers is talking to the stagehands’ union, but they apparently are not seeing things eye-to-eye. I can only assume they are both arguing in good faith.

In related news, Broadway gross sales were up $1.7 million overall last weekend.

Late, but heart-felt congratulations to Terry Teachout and his new bride. Maybe I should say Hilary Dyson and her new husband. Anyway, may God bless you both.

Did you see this story on a new canyon in Texas? “A torrent of water from an overflowing lake sliced open the earth in 2002, exposing rock formations, fossils and even dinosaur footprints in just three days,” reports Michelle Roberts. The article goes on to compare this, the Canyon Lake Gorge which is 80 feet deep, to the Grand Canyon, which it says took much longer to form. I bring it up here because it is the very thing creationists point to as evidence of canyons and caves forming during the massive rush of water that flooded the earth several thousand years ago.

Being a failed intellectual, I think that’s all I can write in this post.

The fourth issue of Relief Journal is out and with it a new website. Great work!

Some people don’t know anything about manhood. Thanks to Tony Woodlief for setting them straight.

A real man, on the other hand, protects and provides for his family, and partners with his wife to train up his children in the way they should go. He isn’t necessarily gabby, but his children know in their souls that he loves them. He is patient and kind. He lays down his life for his family every day.

I’ll agree with that. Fatherhood is hardest thing I’ve ever done.