Month: June 2022

Sorry I Have Been Out

/ Ed Raby Sr / 1 Comment

Happy Freya’s Day!

It’s been a week since I have written but massive introspection and a busy schedule will do that to you. I have been looking at my life and what I am doing. and I am trying to discover my passions. It seems they are very much like the seasons that change at times. The busy schedule included but was not limited to a Zoom session of professional development, taking my last test for certification, and getting two of my teeth fixed. Busy week.

I have mixed feelings right now about being home in Michigan. It very much a love situaiton having so much time with my family but I feel like I am cozying up with the old at times and find myself longing for the new. I am well aware that this time mas very much about practicality. I didn’t want to spend two months alone in Houston. On the flip side, inflation has kind of robbed me of some of my plans.

I do want to get to writing fiction and I am really in a Urban Fantasy mood right now so The Grey Wayfarer Pub and something else will be front and center. Hopefully, see you tomorrow, but my teeth are still a little sore.

I remain.

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher.  The Grey Wayfarer.

Skal!!!

I Am A Northman

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Freya’s Day!

I know we are a long way from snow and ice season here in Michigan. I also know the movie Northman has been recently released and No, I haven’t seen it. But this really isn’t about either of these things but more of a personal reflection. I have done a lot of literal walking the last couple of weeks on the trails close to my current place of residence recently and this has given me a lot of time to think.

The more time I spend here in my home state, the more I realize this is my true home and always will be. I just don’t feel as close to myself down in Houston as I do here. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate Texas, it’s just I have never been a cowboy type. I am more of Woods, Hills, and Snow type cut right from the medieval world. I want my cabin in the woods, not an apartment in a big city.

That’s why the more time I spend at home, the more I my plan to spend one more year in Texas, finish my training, mentorship, get one more year of experience, and then transfer home. Here to my home state – Northern Michigan. I am a Northman.

This next year feels more like an upcoming raid. True Northman Viking Style.

I remain.

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher.  The Grey Wayfarer.

Skal!!!

“Staffing” – The Grey Wayfarer Pub – Episode 4

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Odin’s Day!

Many years ago, I hired my first employee for my old pub. Tequila was her name and she became my first barmaid. This was long before my involvement with the Silver Shields. In the ned, she became a good friend, partner, lover, and wife. When she died at the hands of the last vampires, I lost it. She and my other wife Constance died almost at the exact moment. The Vampires didn’t turn them or even try to turn them, they just straight-up killed them.

This time, hiring the love of my life was probably a remote possibility. Mostly because the whole hiring process this time was a bit of a sham. The Silver Shields were basically screening the personnel. I got to pick my team myself, but there was no one on the list that wasn’t an agent. I felt bad because there were some local applicants, but they had little to no experience so realistically I wouldn’t have hired them anyway.

So I was balancing two things with each applicant. I needed certain things to keep the pub a viable business – a second bartender when I was out, a couple barmaids, and someone to play a regular patron but was also part of the team for the other concern. A team of agents that could investigate and deal with supernatural activity in our little city here. The beauty of this was of course that they didn’t need to be human. The fact is unless you are exposed to the supernatural world or become aware of it, most paranormal people look like humans. Wierd humans, but humans nonetheless. This increased my options.

So after looking through 100s of applicants and interviewing about ten of them via Zoom, I picked my team.

  1. My bartender was going to be an ogre. – he was about a foot taller than me (short for an ogre) but his nature made him a perfect bouncer as well as a bartender. He had both alchemical knowledge and as an Ogre a large amount of resistance to magic, and disease and was tough as steel. He preferred however a submachine gun as a weapon. So I liked him already. My Muscle Agent but not a stupid one.
  2. My acting patron agent was human and female. She however was also a werewolf. She was an interesting case of a woman who was to be blunt as sexy as Miss Wine on my wall. Her dress in most of the photos reminded me of old-time spy thrillers of the pulp variety. It explained her favorite weapons – a Beretta and an old-fashioned dagger. Both strapped to her hips under her dress. Her beast form was savage and if possible sexy as well for a werewolf. My Stealth Agent.
  3. Barmaid One was also female but she was also a Fae. There are a lot of different types of fae. I have personally dealt with a dryad and pixies up close, but this one seemed like she was somewhere in between. She was also an accomplished scholar in science as well as magic. I gathered she had lived a long time. My Knowledge Agent. Actually more like an oracle as if she didn’t know it off the top of her head, she could research it. From computer science to summoning magic. As a fae, she also would be a magic-user.
  4. That left one need – transport and crafting. My Technical Agent. What I found was a human woman to fill Barmaid Two. She also would double as my bar food cook as well. But mostly she was simply resourceful by all accounts. Need a truck – she could find it. Need a howitzer – she would get one. She then had enough knowledge to modify that howitzer so it could fit in the back of the truck. Her red hair of course sealed the deal.

Now all that was left was to wait for their arrival. As each one did both the pub and our operations would start to come to life.

I remain.

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher.  The Grey Wayfarer.

Skal!!!

Changing the Rotation

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Tyr’s Day!

I want to write more fiction on this blog, but I also don’t want to lose the journal aspect of it. In order to do this, I think a new rotation might be in order where I go back and forth to make sure I get the things I want. So let’s see what we can do.

  1. Routine Check-In: A post to check in on my habits and goals and whether or not I am making Progress
  2. Poetry Day – Write a Poem.
  3. Norse Mythology Post
  4. Grey Wayfarer Pub Post
  5. Nine Noble Virtues Post
  6. Fiction Post – I haven’t decided yet what to do, but if all else fails I can do another Pub Post.
  7. Love, Sex, and Relationships Post
  8. Same as #6

This adds two more days of fiction writing at the expense of a journal post. It also doesn’t fit into a nice seven-day rotation but so what? Tomorrow I am going to begin with Number 4, and go from there.

I remain.

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher.  The Grey Wayfarer.

Skal!!!

Sorry for the Absence

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment
Happy Mani’s Day!

I am sorry for the recent few days I have been absent. It kind of was hard to even think of what to say on Friday as it would have been my 33rd wedding anniversary. Then it just kind of went The Grey after that. I did realize that I think I have more of a desire to write fiction on this blog so I might change the lineup for more of that. See what happens tomorrow.

I remain.

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher.  The Grey Wayfarer.

Skal!!!

“Naming Day” – The Grey Wayfarer Pub – Episode 3

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Thor’s Day!

It’s been a month since last I wrote. I have been busy and now is the time to journal the results.

First I Had to personally move into the top-floor apartment. It was actually a simple affair with a single bedroom for my king-sized bed with some room to spare and a fairly spacious bathroom next to that. The entire front was an open loft-like arrangement with a kitchen, dining nook, and a living area which I devoted to my books a reading chair, and a sofa for guests. No Television. Comfortable and functional. Honestly, I spend very little time here except to get some sleep, eat, and do some reading at the end of the day.

The basement is more of my second home now. It is my alchemy lab in truth now. Several tables with chemical and alchemical apparatus covering them. One whole wall is now devoted to ingredients for my potions. Part of it though is my brewing equipment for my own alcoholic beverages. In particular, I have chosen to go with Mead. Mead is expensive and for good reason – honey. But I have discovered one thing about it as well. Because the ingredients are in some senses precious – the potions I make with mead have been shall we say more potent.

Now the real trick to alchemy is the magic part. It has to be drawn from your own inner philosophy and inner most beliefs. Theology does not work for me anymore and is quite frankly unstable as nitroglycerin as far as results. It’s the fact that theology is made up for the most part and lives in a double fantasy of sorts. It requires a lot of cheats and leaps of logic to get it to even be usable and even then its effects can be quite weird. It’s why the cure for vampirism eventually failed as theology is my magic force that doesn’t hold the magic that well. The cure had a shelf life and then the magic didn’t work at all once I didn’t believe.

So as I am setting up my lab I was also experimenting with products to sell and I have found that from a physical base form point of view mead is damn good at holding magic and tends to actually act as an enhancer of magical effect. So my mead production began at once. Thankfully the base magic I add to it makes the fermentation process go even faster. The base magic in general is the simple philosophy of living a virtuous life. The basic effect of the mead is that it quickens thought and reflection as well as having enough kick to knock a frost giant on his ass.

The rest of the magic is to take this base mead and add different ingredients and effects to make it more specialized. I have a lot of experimenting to do but the alchemy is working again and for that, I am thankful as I want a local brew to sell.

The bar itself is now nearly complete. Stools are redressed in grey vinal with a silver sheen and the five booths are much the same. The bar is restocked and the small cooking alcove is fixed up and stocked as well. I redid the bathrooms as they were pretty much trashed. I basically made two unisex bathrooms with nice fixtures and set up to do pretty much everything regardless of the sex of the occupant. I am just thinking ahead on that I suppose.

Finally, I added some touches from the old pub. I had my silver shield and shotgun shipped in and placed them under the bar. The painting of Miss Wine from the Pub. Her naked reclining form fits right at home here in the pub. Last I knew she had left the US to take an undisclosed job for the Shields. It must have been pretty hush-hush as even I couldn’t get info on it and I have pretty high clearance. That said, the painting was done by a man who knew his oils and made her beautiful and restful. Last, of all, I put up a small sign next to the painting – “Clothing Optional”. Some things will never change for me.

Outside there now hangs a sign which up to today was covered to prevent it from being read. But today I removed it as it is the official naming day for the pub. Both sides have the same scene of an old man traveling a path. Above him fly two ravens and two wolves are on the path with him. The word along the top and bottom: “The Grey Wayfarer”. Not so coincidentally, this is also the name of my new Mead “Grey Wayfarer Mead”.

I am happy with the place and the grand opening is in two weeks. Now all I need to do is hire some staff.

Author’s Notes:

Starting something new, forward in the timeline, but returning as something low-powered is tough unless there is a good explanation.

In this case, it is the bartender who has changed. He is having to rediscover and rebuild and so his power is diminished and his friends are scattered requiring him to make new ones (although some old characters might make a guest appearance). This means the change is causing a reset.

I remain.

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher.  The Grey Wayfarer.

Skal!!!

Nine Noble Virtues – “Discipline”

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Odin’s Day!

Discipline – “I do what is necessary and right of my own accord without bribe or threat.”

I know of no person who has accomplished anything without discipline. Discipline I doing the right and necessary things over and over again. A person does this not because they are bribed or coerced, but because simply that they are the right things to do, they are necessary to do.

For me, the focus has shifted to being a little more specific. To do the right and necessary things out of habit. Daily habit. This means coming up with routines.

As overall virtue, discipline helps us all in more than the daily accomplishments of life. Its connection with honor is unmistakable as doing what is right without bribe or threat is also an aspect of honor. The habits of a person’s life lead to a disciplined life of honor. It is one of those virtues that crosses over into a lot of areas.

Discipline can also be shared with others. Discipline is given as a virtue to others through training, teaching, and instruction. None of us learn from others without accepting their discipline of what they tell us to do.

I remain.

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher.  The Grey Wayfarer.

Skal!!!

Norse Mythology – Odin’s Horse – “Sleipnir”

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Tyr’s Day!

I am not much for horses. I prefer to walk or drive a car. But mythology has Odin possessing a horse which is a product of Loki being a mare and the builder’s horse in one of the stories being a stallion that impregnates him. Loki gave birth to Sleipnir, a horse with eight legs and considered the best of all horses. Odin rides Sleipnir during the Wild Hunt and he is the only known horse that can ride into Helheim and come back.

Based on this mythology, the Vikings most certainly valued horses for their speed and endurance. You don’t see Vikings with calvary that I am aware of but you do see them being used to delivering messages and the occasional rescue. Mostly Vikings fought on foot or with their longships. The longship was their mode of transport which made them truly one of the first effective amphibious assault warriors as well as using their ship to engage in hit and run tactics. Horses seem to be more specialized for them.

Odin doesn’t start out with Sleipnir as in some of the stories he flies being able to transform himself into flying birds. Transport isn’t the issue for Odin. Sleipnir seems to be an addition to Odin’s menagerie but it does make me wonder if Odin rode in the early stories of the Wild Hunt or did he just go on foot.

There are practical things in life that change for us. Sometimes gaining something new gains us abilities we didn’t have before. For me, I suppose this is best seen in the fact that I don’t run from new technology. I actually enjoy it. Perhaps it is my way of adding Sleipnir to my life. My apartment is a slightly smart one with Alexa, smart lights, and a camera for security. I don’t know specifically what Sleipnir would be to me other than this. Maybe I will think of something that makes philosophical sense at a later time.

I remain.

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher.  The Grey Wayfarer.

Skal!!!

The Missing Interim

/ Ed Raby Sr / 1 Comment

Happy Mani’s Day!

A recent comment got me thinking that I should provide a post with more details about the gap time between February 28, 2021, and May 2, 2022. A lot of things happened but If I were to highlight a few things they would concern my marriage, career, and living situation.

My marriage at the time of Feb 2021 was on the rocks. I was deeply dissatisfied that I wasn’t being supported in a good career move for myself but it involved moving from Michigan to Texas and my wife didn’t want to do that. It actually pointed to a greater problem that had been growing for years which basically was about priorities and emotional support.

Probably more basically, it was about the fact once the kids were gone my priority shifted to my marriage and my wife continued to remain with her kids and later grandkids. I felt I was slipping down her priority list to the point I was getting her leftover time. We had two different priorities and two different objectives. It was a problem compounded by trying on my part to get counseling but on the other hand, my wife did not want to go to counseling. I finally asked for a divorce in April 2021.

I actually waited a month to file and there was a clerical error so the hearing was delayed to September 21, 2021, a judge granted my petition and I became single again after 32 years. I won’t say I liked it, but at the same time, if I am going to be married to someone I expect the same level of priority I give them. Someone who will deal with our relationship issues and emotionally support me when I am having a rough time.

A result was a freedom to pursue something I had been working on since before COVID. Teaching certification in the state of Texas. I finished the basics and found a job at a large High school near Houston. I loaded up my Jeep Patriot with everything that I had and moved. It’s now one school year later and I love teaching. Hopefully, I will find a better subject than the one I now teach, but you have to pay your dues.

My living situation is often lonely right now as I come home to an empty apartment. I miss Michigan, but they didn’t have alternative teaching certification when I started. My best bet is to finish the certification process, finish my second year of teaching so my mentorship is finished, and then transfer back to Michigan.

The one thing that has improved for me is income and that has led to a lot of thinking as to how to use it. Mostly though I have more time to myself and that is a double-edged sword. But that is a post for a different day.

I remain.

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher.  The Grey Wayfarer.

Skal!!!

Summer Time

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Sol’s Day!

I have found myself back home in Michigan and I need to do so much in a short time. That said most of it is appointments. It’s the wait time in between that needs filling. Order can be a little flexible on this as it is mostly about getting certain things to happen.

Health: I have started walking every day. I am trying to get my time back up so that hiking is more of a reasonable possibility. It’s actually going better than expected. My old gym is getting used and my diet is more restrictive so I am expecting to lose some weight over the next few weeks.

Reading/Writing: I am going to spend some time reading more every day. I of course am writing each day at this point. trying to find my muse.

Career: By the end of June I want all my training completed that’s still left online and to be ready in some respects with a plan for next year. I have one formal test to take late this month I need to pass so I am studying for that.

Camping: I am trying to get my camping gear tested and ready. The tent is working out and I have lighting and a solar power generator pack coming for testing. I need a few things like a small stove for cooking. etc.

Hopefully, with all this preparation, I will be able to return to Michigan next summer and spend time with a base camp and day hike life at that time.

I remain.

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher.  The Grey Wayfarer.

Skal!!!