After 14 years of living in my Grandfather's home, we have purchased a home of our own. To my Klingon activities that means a corner of the basement where I can hang my Klingon posters, prints, weapons and banners. But, more importantly, is the potential for the return of Kordite's Metal Things.

Two years ago I was let go from my foundry job at the Carnegie Science Center. I had been making castings of Klingon medals and weapons in aluminum and taking them to conventions. Without that equipment and no place in my Grandfather's home to even consider placing such things, I was unable to continue.

But, in the back yard of my new home is a structure that was once a barn for horses kept by the original owners. The roof has collapsed and the walls have fallen over but the concrete slab is intact and all the cinder block remains. It can be rebuilt.

Then, I will be able to transform it into a foundry and workshop. It will take a great deal of time (perhaps years) and not a small amount of money but the potential is there, just waiting for the opportunity to put it all together.

See? I told you Kordite's Metal Things would be reborn.

This was a very special Camp Dover for me this year. Kitara (Angela Gilbert) a friend from the West Coast who I had dragged, kicking and screaming into KAG, came for a visit.

Aside from that, I suppose, it was a typical Dover. Plenty of partying and politics. I again taught a klin zha class and left the banquet just after dinner so as to avoid the speech making. Late night involved another trip to the Denny's for food and conversation with Kuuriis and K'Jett.

Next year, Dover's 10 aniversary, looks to be huge.

Last year at around this time, I left the Dark Justice. I had gotten fed up with some of the things my captain was doing and my culpability in the whole thing so I quit.

Almost immediately following that, at the Year Games, SIS Hegh (Steve Murtaugh) told me that he was the Dark Justice's new Executive Officer and, as soon as the captain moved on (that was expected in several years as he would be graduating from school and so on) I would be welcomed back as Commanding Officer.

Well, although the circumstances didn't quite pan out as expected, Kerge is gone and I am invited back to command the Dark Justice.

My first order of business was to organize the annual fireworks picnic at the Carnegie Science Center on the Fourth of July. I really missed going last year and it was good to see many of my old crewmates again. My return as CO has even brought Mek'tor (Matt Henkel) back to the ship. He had had enough of Kerge long before I did.

The 2000 Year Games is over and it was a victorious weekend.

The weather was perfect. The sun was out and it was nice and warm but duck into the shade and it was pleasantly cool. That sort of thing made the pool a bit on the cool side but just sit in the sun for a while and you're all set.

The thing this year was kilts. Lots of kilts. I decided I wasn't going to wear a kilt but instead built a Roman tunic in Centurion red with the typical soldier's belt. I wanted to build a full lorica segmentata but didn't have the chance to complete it. My comment was "With all these kilted barbarians around, I am, at least, civilized." Kurriis's response to that was "Bite my ass, Roman." K'Jett wanted me to wear it all day, saying that I have the best legs of any Klingon, but I changed into regular shorts about midway through the day. Now, the shorts I had on showed even more of my legs than the tunic did but I think she was hoping to see more leg than even that.

I participated in most events. I skipped the Targ Toss because I generally know how far I can chuck a targ and by the time it would have been my turn in line, the top three positions were already out beyond my range. I was out of the first round of shields, my tunic showing the spectators quite a lot more than leg when I fell. I was out in the first round of the mace battle as well and again showing more that I should like to show when I fell. It was for these reasons that I chose to change out of the tunic. On the other hand, most of the other events didn't risk quite so much exposure.

My daughter K'Tar (April), after much pressure, participated in the kids division of the mace battle. I thought that last year would be her last in the kids division but it apparently wasn't. She was the only female and her being a red belt in Tang Soo Do showed. She was in a good solid stance and swinging hard. A one point she missed and the mace swung around quite wide. She shifted her hand, allowed the weapon to spin over her head and dropped back down into a perfect mirror of her previous stance, eliciting an appreciative "Oooooohhhhh" from the audience. She didn't win that round, however, because her foot eventually stepped outside the circle but she did well enough to take 3rd overall.

The Tribble Toss was a new and very difficult game. You have 5 tribbles that you need to throw through some holes in a piece of plywood 30 feet distant. I got one out of 5. But, that was enough because, in the first round no one got any more than one. The chant became, "wa', wa', wa'." The second round moved us up to 15 feet and 3 tribbles. Again, I got one but no one else was able to get more than that. The second round had whittled the numbers down some but still no one could throw any better than one. And so it went, increasing the numbers of tribbles thrown per round to 4 and then 5 and eliminating those that got zero, until finally there was one person who got two and two of us with one each. There was a toss-off and I got one and the other missed. Thus, I took second. Next year the game will be modified somewhat to allow the better possibility of a single round of elimination.

In the Rom Raid I took third, and my daughter took second (again, after much pressure).

And, for Cry of the Warrior, I again sang the last stanza of taHjaj wo'. I was lung-bustingly long and, as I began to tumble into the pool, I made an attempt to get some air into my lungs before impacting the water. *smack* Too late. I only took about half a mouthful of water into my lungs but the effort was good enough to win me 1st place this year. Next year I'll have to choose something different.

Last year, the camp owner said he would have us a pig roast. This year there was no roasting pig but he promised one for next year. My consort knows someone who does pig roasts professionally so perhaps we will be able to make it happen.

Dinner was good, even without the roast pig. Steak and lots of it. Marinated with a quart of Worchestershire sauce and some secret ingredients in a large cooler. There could have been more garlic, though.

The after-dinner activities involved Klin Zha. I taught K'Jett how to play and she thoroughly beat my ass. Again, I admit that I am only an average player because I am most often teaching others. And, I suppose that because I was teaching K'Jett, my mind was not well enough on the game itself. I made many mistakes. I have noticed about Klin Zha that nearly every piece lost is because of a stupid mistake. Sure, there is the occasional sacrifice but, for the most part, loosing any piece is a mistake.

I played several games and, in the end, it's "decided" that I took second. (The decision was based on not wanting to have to play more games either late at night or early in the morning to decide the issue conclusively.)

And, because I was playing Klin Zha, I again missed the Great Lies of Battle completely which is too bad. This year was dominated by stories of "stupid users calling the help desk" and, in that, I had quite a few stories available. I think next year I'll push to play Klin Zha all weekend. A game or two on Friday night, a game during the lunch break on Saturday and then a few games on Saturday night would allow more people to play, a better chance to determine an actual winner and a chance for me to get in on the Great Lies of Battle.

This year, I decided not to go skinny dipping in the pool at 3 in the morning. Mostly, I think it was because I was very tired on the long drive in and wanted to make some attempt to avoid that on the way home. In the end, that didn't quite work out that way but it was worth a shot.

Sunday morning, I wandered down to the main campsite and Kuuriis was cutting glue sticks for the backs of the awards. He asked me my waist size. He needed to double check his figures to be absolutely but I had essentially won the belt of the SuvwI' pIn'a'. I had won more medals than anyone else. Hoody hoo!

Of course that means I will have to go next year (not that there was any question of that) so that I can either defend my title or pass the belt onto the next SuvwI' pIn'a'.

We've also sort of figured that we either need a bigger vehicle or a second one to carry all the stuff. And, since I'm not ready to buy a new vehicle (I'd need an increase in income to support the payments on the kind of vehicle I want), we'll have to go to the multi-vehicle plan. I want to have a full campsite area next year with a campfire, banners, anti-bug methods, places to fit, a constant supply of food and, of course, more Dark Justice crew. This year, myself and my immediate family were all that were in attendance. If we can get a fair sized group we could take up two camping areas, one to pack all the tents and vehicles and the other to be spread out as a social area.

We again participated in the Bayer Haunted Trail. There is a surprising amount of joy that can be derived from making an aggressive lunge at teenage girls and have them scream. Then, when they are standing there and claiming not to be afraid, to advance on them again and have them scream again anyway

Another weekend brings a fund raising dance for the National Lupus Foundation and several private parties to attend. WQED had also invited us to a special Sci-Fi Saturday fund raising taping for Dr. Who with the 7th Doctor, Sylvester McCoy. Their mistake is that they didn't want anyone in costume. With all of us already in costume and makeup and with other places to go we weren't prepared to strip it all off just for half an hour of air time. Otherwise, they could have had half a dozen Klingons. Their loss.

At Dover, I spoke with Klingon costume goddess QI'Dar and decided to have her make me a uniform. I no longer fit in the vinyl one my consort and I constructed in 1998. No, I haven't gotten fat. Going to the gym has broadened my chest and vinyl is not very forgiving when it comes to body changes of any kind. So, with the decision made and the checks sent off, I had to meet with QI'Dar for a proper fitting. Her being in Illinois and me in Pennsylvania, there are not any easy opportunities. Indi-con was as near a middle ground as could be had.

I made the 8 hour drive in 7 hours.

Indi-con is a very media con. That is, there are dealers and guests on stage. There's a base admission but, if you want to see the guest on stage you have to pay extra and, if you want to see one of the other guests on stage, you have to pay even more. And, the only way to get an autograph is to have paid the fee to see them on stage . Not being an autograph collector, I saved myself the money.

Claudia Christian did come around late on Saturday to share some Romulan Ale. She declared it tasted like Fago.

http://www.tasigh.org/kordite/events-2000.html -- Revised: 18 May 2002 Copyright © 2002 Kevin A. Geiselman