As a Courtesy to Your Fellow Patrons,
Please Leave All Electronic Devices and Projectile Pastries with Our Pie Check Department
Formal Dress Required
Continued from Vol. II, No. 5.
Please Leave All Electronic Devices and Projectile Pastries with Our Pie Check Department
Formal Dress Required
Continued from Vol. II, No. 5.
A new volume! How marvelous. Anyone for a pot of tea? Some cakes?
A piece of chocolate brownie and a small glass of milk would be simply fabulous, Piggy. Thank you.
Any funny April Fool’s Day pranks that you have either done or had done to you?
I simply request that, even with the inevitable and enjoyable events that are sure to take place tomorrow, the GAPA(s) leave the college tread open for those of us that hear back tomorrow?
Don’t worry. We aren’t planning to close anything this time.
2.1- No? Sad.
Yay! New thread! PIggy, I would enjoy some chocolate cakes and tea, please.
FTDPSay hyway ishay everthinghay inhay Igpay Atinlay odaytay? Ihay on’tday indmay, I’mhay ustjay onderingway.
4- Ofhay oursecay.
Hanktay ouyay *eatshay akescay andhay rinksday eatay*
n-ǝɯ-ʞɔጝ snoıɹǝs ɐ pǝǝu I ˙ɐǝʇ ƃuoʃoo ɟo sdnɔ 0⇂ ǝʞıʃ p؛ㄥ⇂ᄅ8#⅋I 'ʎƃƃıԀ
Right away. That is, assuming I am reading your request correctly.
Thanks, Piggy. Something peculiar happened to that post, but you understood anyhow.
Oh, well done, Piggy! I would have completely misinterpreted the bit about “ǝʞ”. It’s so ambiguous unless you’re fully aware of the context.
May I have some tea? The MB addiction is getting worse: I’ve feigned ill (gasp), then gotten up early (double gasp), tried to work things out using a PC (okay, maybe not *gasp*) and…
Wheeeeeee! *lol*
You may indeed, addicted one.
Bleh. Just bleh. Oh, and dumb cats. Bleh and dumb cats. Do you have anything to perk me up, Piggy?
Ugh. I need cheering up. Piggy, may I have a peppermint hot chocolate and some ricotta ravioli please?
Could I have a Ginger Beer please?
I’d love a cup of coffee or something else caffeinated, if you please.
9- I have anything your heart desires.
10- Of course you may.
11- Ah, an excellent choice. I think I’ll have one myself.
12- I suppose I do please. Cream or sugar?
Need. Chocolate. Preferably dark, but milk is good too. Also, I’ll have some ricotta ravioli too, please. Thank you!
Piggy…can I please have some Simon Pearce-style Asian chicken with lemon and infusions of whatever? Never mind, just some chicken, please.
14- Just some chicken. Sure.
Thank you for the tea, Piggy.
What’s the weather like in various locations of MBers? *racks brain for better topic*
Sunny and warm! *hugs sun* *is burned* Ow…
I’ve just come back from vacation in Sri Lanka, so my arms are still completely burnt and the peeling makes it look as if I have some sort of contagious skin disease (Obsessed much? Yes.). It’s way cooler here obviously, but the sun is also shining.
Right here it’s 57 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny. Bit of a breeze, too.
Warm and very spring-y. A little bit chilly in the shade, though, but very nice out in the sun where I am.
May I have some lemonade, Piggy?
It is… 71 degrees Fahrenheight. There’s no such thing as spring where I live. It’s just winter…. then BOOM! Summer.
It really is! My exact thoughts. Seems as though there’s no shade. Ever.
Ginger, I’ve got too much shade here. You’re just on the wrong side of town.
Hah. Suppose direct sunlight never hurt anyone…… Well at least not a living being. But, I believe I am.
It’s spring here! Not the wet kind, but the nice kind! Outside, it’s warm (75 degrees Fahrenheit) and sunny, with not to many clouds.
May I have a glass of lemonade too?
Hot and humid! Surprise, surprise.
Actually, it’s raining right now. A tree just fell over outside our building.
I come in the moment I hear a Star Trek quote. “Wow, I really need to see the old Star Trek,” I mutter. “What? We’re all mad here, of course I was talking to myself. Could I have a hot chocolate?”
As for the weather, cold but sunny.
Could I have a cream soda?
All right, a pitcher of lemonade and a cream soda.
I don’t know what truffles are. If they taste good, may I have some?
Either mushrooms or chocolate. I’ve never had the fungus variety, but the chocolate kind is excellent.
Um, yes, I meant the fungus variety. I understand they come in black or white.
I want some of each please.
*thoughtful silence*
I walk in, look for a comfortable seat and find one, ignoring the stares of others.
“What, what’s the- oh, right.” I remove my space helmet and set it down on the nearest table. “Sorry. Just trying to get into the spirit of things. A lime bubbly for myself and for Selenium if she comes by. For Yuri Gagarin, for John Young, for Bob Crippen, and for everybody else dedicated to reaching mostly harmlessly for the heavens.”
“‘Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before,'” I spout absentmindedly.
“Here’s to Goddard, to Tsiolkovsky, to Oberth, to von Braun, to Alan Shephard and John Glenn and all those pioneers.”
“I’ll drink to that, Piggy, I’ll drink to that.”
“Ah, I thought I saw a Star Trek quote yesterday in the Recent Comments bar. I was on my iPod Touch while watching Star Trek with my sister and my dad. It took a lot of self-control not to burst out laughing. Piggy, may I have some water with apple cider vinegar mixed in?”
I’m a day too late, as I had to go to sleep by the time I had posted the comment, but I walk in anyway and join KaiYves at her table, where a lime bubbly is waiting to be drunk. ‘To Yuri Gagarin and all who followed in his footsteps and try to reach infinity and beyond.’
23- Er, I suppose so. *is unsure that would taste good*
It does. I love it.
Why does the heading have a German greeting? Just vundering avout eet.
It’s not German, it’s Icelandic. Because that´s where we’re going to take over the world from, remember?
There was a bunch of Icelandic art at the museum yesterday. There was this map of Iceland with a bunch of little sayings glued to it. One of them was “Pronouns detain me”. I laughed.
i would like a chai tea with cinnamon, chocolate truffles, and garlic naam.
Yum, drinks. Could I have a peppermint milkshake, please?
*curtsies*
*swishes skirts around*
27- A chai tea with garlic in it?
27.1- Of course you could, as long as you don’t knock any of the baubles off the credenza with your skirts.
*puts all the baubles on the couches and then twirls around*
28- Mm, a chai tea with garlic. Delicious.
May I have green tea and garlic bread?
How does one make garlic bread green, exactly?
Ah, intentional misinterpretation. Always funny.
Could I have some garlic bread and olive oil to dip it in, please? Thank you.
Oooh, same for me, p*ease.
Can I have a choclate hpb so i can eat it, therefore destroing it? And a plain chai tea with extra chai extract.
30- A marvelous choice.
31- A chocolate HPB? I’ll see if I have any.
Feather’s mentioned chocolate covered HPBs…
I’d like a Dandelion and burdock.
The usual staff members have stepped out for a moment, but I can fill in temporarily. One dandelion and burdock, coming right up! And welcome to MuseBlog, Muse Academy, and the H&H.
Could I perhaps have a cup of Greek yogurt and some honey to mix into it?
35- Indeed. Would you like any granola or grapes? I find those to be marvelous additions to all types of yoghurt.
36- To tell you the truth, I’ve never had Greek yogurt with anything other than honey or jam mixed in, but I’d like to give the grapes a try.
Could I have a dish of ice cream? Chocolate, just melting, and smooth as you could possibly make it? In a plain bowl, that feels comforting from the normalness? Something that you should have when you’ve had an awful day?
Smoother than silk, somehow sentimental, and softly soothing in a sad situation. Here you are.
Thank you very much. It’s very comforting.
This is why I love MB. Everyone on here is there to comfort you. And you can always be there to comfort people.
May I have some very strong green tea? I find it to be quite relaxing, and right now I really need to relax for a little while. *listens to Clair de Lune on repeat*
You may indeed. Anything to eat?
No, thank you for offering though.
Hhhhh….. (<-sighing noise) I wish there was something I could be good at. Music is the only thing I want to do in life but I'm scared, scared that I'll never be any good, never acheive any of my goals….
That was extremely off-topic… Sorry.
You’re not alone, fireh, everyone is afraid en is not good enough; that’s part of the territory, no matter if you’re just starting out or at the top of your profession. Don’t let the fear win. The ones who make it are the ones who keep at it. I speak from both observation and experience. My fear caused me to miss a lot of opportunities. It took me many years to reach the point where I was more afraid of never finding out what I could do than I was of finding out I wasn’t any good.
It will help, too, if you become more of a friend to yourself. If you want to excel in music or in any creative field, you have to be willing to make LOTS of mistakes. If you beat yourself up over them, you’ll destroy your confidence, and miss important opportunities for discovery and creative growth. So many things you say sound exactly like what I said to myself over the years, and it took a lot of work to compensate for the damage. You’re the only who can change the messages you tell yourself.
With music, the only person you have to please is yourself. If you enjoy what you do, you are good, you have achieved a goal. Comparing yourself to others never does any good–there’s always someone “better”. If you enjoy music, than make it. That’s the only purpose of art.
*brews a pot of rooibos*
May I have some green tea and a piece of cranberry pie? Thanks
Indeed you may. It’s nice to have a customer.
Sorry, I kind of forgot about this thread.
*curls up on armchair in corner and goes to sleep*
*leans over the glass counter* Hey! Could I have one of those delicious cream cheese chocolate chip muffins?
I ahvent’ been in here in forever!
G’morning, all. Except for those of you for whom it is not morning, obviously. Do you have vanilla tea? And may I please have quite a lot of sugar to go with it? (I like my tea sugary, what can I say.)
So, how have things been lately?
Good evening, everyone. (
) I would like to order a dish of cookies ‘n cream ice cream, please. Thank you!
I would like a Chai tea, warm, extra extract.
42- Sure thing. I may have one myself.
43- We have more kinds of tea than your mind could comprehend. We’re in the Oasis, after all.
44- An excellent choice.
I think today’s special tea should be gyokuro, the word that tripped up the National Spelling Bee finalist from Puerto Rico.
I refuse to drink that. Julianna is a friend of mine (We were in the 2008 bee together), and I’d hate to drink the word a friend missed. Also, it was an impossible word: It breaks Japanese spelling rules, and there was no way she could have studied it. (It had never been in a National Spelling Bee before and wasn’t on any of the obvious lists to study.) This could lead to a rant about how much the word list sucked this year, but I’ll stop.
speller: I understand. Parts of that bee were painful to watch, and “gyokuro” was high on the list. But I’m not sure whether boycotting it or drinking gyokuro tea is a better way to express solidarity with Julianna (who did seem very nice).
I also squirmed while Laura Newcombe struggled with the moderator’s ultra-French pronunciation of kolng-feez-REE. She’s Canadian, she’s probably been to innumerable confiseries, but she hadn’t a clue what he was saying. Fortunately, she didn’t seem to mind too much (maybe because she’s 11), but not all the kids were as resilient.
It’s not the pronouncer’s fault. It’s the dictionary’s fault.Webster’s Third was written in the 60’s and has iffy pronunciations, but the pronouncer can only give those pronunciations.I know that the word I missed in 2008 had a fairly common pronunciation that wasn’t listed in the dictionary that definitely would have helped me get the word.
And speaking as a speller, I know that most spellers would rather not acknowledge that the word they missed exists. (Of course, Orthodox Jewish women don’t wear wigs…)
They used to.
Wear wigs, I mean.
speller:
I see. No gyokuro tea, then. Earl Grey, hot!
I remember that after her Bee, Emmatheduck vowed lifelong antipathy not only toward the word that tripped her up but toward the language it came from. I hope she has relented; French is hard to avoid, and it’s very nice in many ways.
Might I order some chai tea as well? Spicier than sweet, please. Thank you!
May I have lemon meruinqe pie? whole? Thank you.
45- Mm, chai. I’ll have it right out.
48- I like mine that way as well. And you’re welcome.
49- You can have pie one slice at a time. I do not allow grotesque overeating in this establishment. (Incidentally, it’s spelled “meringue”.)
* I was gonna use half for pie war, and cut the rest*
Pie throwing is also prohibited.
*sips tea*
Such a loverly evening this is. *eats ehr muffin*
*pops in* Hi everybody! I already posted a long, nostalgic post on the Random Thread, so I will just request something to cheer me up. Preferably dark chocolate, but anything that will get my spirits up would be gladly accepted.
Haven’t had much time to stop by this lovely establishment. I see that the barkeep is doing his job very well. Could I have some Earl Grey tea? With a some bread and butter? Thank you.
53- *whisks out full range of cheery foods*
54- I thank you for the compliment, as untrue as it may be. Here’s your order.
Do you have any mint plants growing here for the tea? Mint is much better right off the plant. If so, I’d like green tea with mint.
We do indeed have some mint plants out back. I’ll have your tea out in a jiff.
CHeese please?
With ease.
Thank you, Piggy. *sips dark hot chocolate* Ah…
Could I please have some peppermint tea and a slice of pumpkin pie? Thanks
Could I please have my celebratory sundae?
59- Good choices.
60- All right. Let’s hope MB doesn’t have another occasion for sundaes!
Can I have the celebratory sundae? And what was it for?
Yes, you can have a sundae. It was for the successful revival of MuseBlog after a server outage yesterday.
The Cream Soda is looking very appealing….. But I’ve already fixed my self a pot of Tea :'( Tea it ’tis then.
Hello there! I don’t believe I’ve had a chance to welcome you to MuseBlog yet.
*ahem*
Welcome!
There, that’s all taken care of. I do hope you enjoy your stay immensely.
*coughcough* No, I’m not laughing at all. Not at all.
Piggy, is there any green tea available at the moment? If not, then coffee will suit me fine. I need something with caffeine to neutralize my sugar migraine.
I don’t believe I’ve welcomed you either – so here it is! Welcome to MB!
*pies very discreetly so as not to disrupt others in the H&H* (Is that even possible?)
Probably not, but Thank you very much for the Welcoming! I’m very glad I listened to Fireh, and started commenting. *Hates to admit I was weary about signing-up on here, and now love it. Knowing that’s exactly what Fireh told me would happen*
Haha.
*is triumphant* I told you so!
34- A Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster?!? Personally, I think Earl Grey is better.
May I request a
Pan-Galactic Gargle BlasterOn second thought, I think I’d prefer a cup of Earl Grey tea.63.1.1- Nasty cough you’ve got there. I’ll fetch you some tea.
64- Yes, I do think Earl Gray would better suit this establishment.
Hate terribly to intrude on my welcome, but may I have a Crumpet?
It’s no intrusion at all. I don’t get enough business here.
The H&H is in a difficult position. During the school year, people are too busy to come in, and during the summer, everyone is on vacation. Still, it’s an invaluable resource to those who need it.
I would think that this would be the perfect place in which to do schoolwork, but apparently MuseBlog disagrees.
I’m with you. I used to do most of my writing in diners and cafés. (Alas, no tea rooms available.) Times — and media — have changed, however, and it’s hard to find such islands of tranquility in the Tangible Territories that will accommodate a widescreen monitor…. But in a virtual tea room one can still take the time to write longhand.
Piggy, could I please have two chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk? Thank you.
Piggy, I’d like something chocolatey, preferably with slagroom.
67- Indeed. What sort of milk do you prefer?
68- Perhaps a slice of French silk pie?
Piggy, does the H&H happen to have a Scone of Stone?
Well, if you explain it I’m sure I can pick some up at one of the other shops in the Oasis.
I believe a Scone of Stone is just a Scone comprised of Stone. Any type of stone will do.
Any scone will turn into a rock if you leave it in the oven long enough.
Optimatum is punning on the Stone of Scone, a slab of sandstone used for centuries in the coronation ceremonies of British kings and queens. It’s named after Scone, the Scottish town where it used to reside. (The muffinlike cakes called scones aren’t named after the town; their name comes from Dutch.)
Here’s a linguistic oddity I learned in my travels: In Scotland, the cakes are pronounced “scons,” but the name of the town is pronounced “Scoon.” What’s more, the “stone” in the phrase “Stone of Scone” is pronounced “stane,” the old Scottish form of the word. So in America you can read about the Stone of Scone while eating a scone, and all the words will rhyme; but in Scotland, you’d be reading about the Stane of Scoon while eating a scon. (Further complication: Scots don’t usually call it the Stone of Scone; they call it the Stone of Destiny.)
</pedantic_GAPA_lecture>
Wow. That’s really cool… See? You learn something new every day.
Actually, that’s incorrect. Sorry…
What is incorrect? The information about the oven, the pronunciation, or the pun? Or all of it? I’m pretty sure that at least some of it is true.
Most of it is probably correct, but I really have no idea. I just meant that I wasn’t making a pun about the Stone of Scone. (I was actually referencing something called a Scone of Stone that was in some book I read recently.)
Oh, The Fifth Elephant. But Terry Pratchett’s Scone of Stone was definitely a parody of (and pun on) the Stone of Scone. Typically Pratchettish humor.
Oh, that was what it was from. *whacks bad memory*
Isn’t the last line of MacBeth “Henceforth to Scoon?”
“So thanks to all at once and to each one,
Whom we invite to see us crown’d at Scone.”
(Malcolm, having vanquished Macbeth, invites everyone to his coronation.)
I knew it was about going to Scone, I just couldn’t remember the exact words.
If there are any available, I would like some pikelets with lime marmalade.
Lady Bunniful, do you mind if I use part of your H&H drawing for a flag?
That’s fine with me. I’d be honored. Is the picture large enough to work with? I can upload larger versions or the separate objects if that makes it easier to use. I also have an alternate version of the banner for a shop I’ve been thinking about:
OOOOOoooh.
AAAAAaaah.
A shop? What will it sell?
*is excited*
Thank you very much. A separate version of the picture/tapestry of the Muses on the far wall would be ideal. (It doesn’t have to be larger, though; smaller might actually be better. The size is constrained to 150 x 100 pixels.
That’s tiny for a complex design! Not sure how well this will work, but here’s a first go.:
Also tried it without the border:
These are each 150 pixels wide, with heights of 74 and 65 pixels, respectively. I flattened the perspective and played around with the contrast to try to make the content more visible at the small size. It can be easily tweaked if you have other preferences. The border can be straightened more, if it better suits your needs, but it seems a little more flag-like with the irregular shape.
Yeah, the requirements of the NationStates regional flag are kind of unpleasant. Thanks, I appreciate it.
NationStates… I should go back on there.
Yes, you should. HHFFL and TGK have been dead for months now.
You’re quite welcome. Besides, it gave me a chance to try out some new Photoshop tricks I just learned. Hope it works out.
I would be willing to run the shop if you need me to. I would really enjoy doing it. I wouldn’t just stop posting because I would have a very important reason to stay.
Sorry, mas0n, the spam filter didn’t like your posts for some reason. No idea why.
I actually meant a real shop, well, a real virtual shop, but a virtual virtual shop might be something to think about, too…
Selling what sorts of things? H&H paraphernalia? Foodstuffs? Books?
That sounds awesome.
Books. It HAS to be. At least some.
Oh, ok. Feels disappointed, but happy at the same time. If you decide to do a virtual one I would be happy to run it though.
I wonder what a virtual real shop would be…
A shop, online, that sold real stuff? Or is that a real virtual shop?
The opposite of that would be a real shop that sold virtual stuff, which would be nigh impossible to keep in business.
Actually, what they could do is sell passwords that get you things on MMORPGs
Well, isn’t a software store essentially a real shop that sells virtual stuff?
Would this “shop” people are speaking of have any resemblance to the short-lived Oasis Mirage thread?
Perhaps it may be a new manifestation of Musery Loves Company.
Piggy: If Rebbeca would be willing to do a shop like I thought she would, and if she lets me run it. Would you be willing to make it Hare & Hedgepig Tearoom and Emporium. We would both get more customers, but I’m saying all this knowing it probably won’t happen.
I think it’s a shop that sells actual things, so I highly doubt she’ll let a non-GAPA “run” it or anything. Sorry.
No. I’m saying if she did it like I thought. Where its a shop like your teashop.
Rebbeca or Robert: It doesn’t have to have the same name as Rebbeca’s idea. I just am really pumped up this idea. It would be an early birthday present. My post is becoming annoying, so I’ll stop.
(72, 73) Goodness, I didn’t realize my little offhand comment would set off such a discussion. The story is that for some time I’ve been trying to set up a CafePress shop for my (offblog) designs, but with everything else going on, I have yet to progress much past the store front.
Meanwhile, that does not preclude a virtual virtual shop. The little village of New Reykjavik certainly boasts of more than one establishment to serve the students of Muse Academy. How do you think it would work? Would it be worth trying?
I’m not sure it would get much business–the H&H is perpetually quiet, and it was designed as a place for conversation.
Maybe they could buy pretend things after they grab a snack from the tea shop, or they could buy stuff for video games with like virtual points or something. It could just be an add-on to the tea shop.
SFTDP: They could also get suff for their names on MB.
Many British schools have (or used to have — my information might not be up to date) a “tuck shop” where students could buy candy and small useful items. And ports used to have chandlers’ shops, which sold gear and things for sailors. The new emporium might be a combination of the two and sell things to Muse Academy students (including those preparing for adventures on the RPG threads).
Robert: Thats brilliant. That is a great idea. I wouldn’t have thought of selling items that would help in other threads. It could also sell ammo pies and what not.
And perhaps cards for playing Paker with.
Rebbeca or Robert: Would you guys please considers this idea.
Patience, grasshopper! Astonishingly, the GAPAs have Real Jobs and Other Important Things they need to attend to.
Wise Sensi Piggy. Very wise thinking.
*sensei
Furthermore, Rebecca’s situation has been complicated this week by an apoplectic work computer which now awaits a brain transplant, so she has been sidelined for large chunks of the past several days. Possibly the next couple of days as well.
Behold, the beneficent GAPAs have granted your request.
(Now, please start spelling Rebecca’s name correctly. It has one b and two cs, not the other way around.)
I am very grateful of the gift which you have given me. Take a complimentery Muse Academy Pie Bomb.
Oh, I’m really sorry. I guess I spell it way because I have a friend named Rebbeca with 2 b’s. I’m really sorry, Rebecca.
It would be cool if you could virtual tour the H&H. Can I have a Chai tea? And a blueberry muffin?
A tou would be cool. Here’s your order.
Good evening, one and all!
My favourite wung tells me that people have been wondering where I’ve got to. The answer, dears, is that I’m having a wonderful life, but it leaves little time for blogging, musewise or otherwise.
Today, however, I have been cajoled, persuaded, blackmailed and generally manhandled in the direction of the Hare and Hedgepig. So here I am.
I would like a pot of jasmine, I think, Piggy, and a currant scone. Have the wung with the grey fripperies bring it, if you would. I promised to discuss logical positivism with him.
Now, would anyone like to tell me the most exciting parts of what’s been happening in my absence?
I found a wung! I will name it… Mint. It’s mint green with white stars!
You’re imagining it, child. Wungs don’t have a colour. Well, they do, but only when you’re not looking at them.
No… as in, thats what color paint i dipped her in.
That’s a bit cruel. Besides, she won’t stay that way very long. I’m surprised the paint even stuck.
Well, she pointed at purple but…
Unless – unless –
Could it be my old mate Minty? Minty Green?
We dropped him down the back of the sideboard several years ago. We assumed he’d evaporated like all good wungs, but it’s just possible that he rematerialised at a random point. Where did you find him?
Hello, PB&J! Interesting things? I can’t imagine why you think they’d happen here…..*shifty eyes*
It’s so good to see you, Master Baker! The wung will be out shortly–I believe he’s picking up an order of tea leaves at the moment. Off the top of my head I can’t think of many exciting things around these parts that occurred in your privation. How has life been for you, in addition to busy? Still playing in your shawm band, I presume?
The shawm band is trogging along nicely, thank you, Piggy. And the Victorian band.
For all those who may be interested, and the others who are just being polite, here’s an abridged version of a list of my recent activities that I emailed earlier to Ebeth. She is the one to thank (or berate) for my sudden reappearance on MuseBlog.
*hasty cutting, pasting and editing*
Just completed a medieval gittern and delivered it to the client, who is
suitably overjoyed. It’s now his special friend, and he doesn’t even put it down to answer the phone. Another gittern is half finished, and I need to start a renaissance guitar, because that has to be finished by the end of July. And there are two harps to follow, and then a decent renaissance guitar for ME.
I’m close to completing a little website for Cheltenham Museum. They’re running a project with local schools. They’ve picked a painting from their collection, and they’re getting teachers to design activities around it – everything from the obvious art activities, through interpreting what’s going on in the painting, to growing vegetables, because it contains a vegetable patch. Once they’ve developed and assessed some example activities, the website will become a teachers’ resource, so that children in schools hundreds of miles from Cheltenham can view the painting and take part in the project.
I’m also close to completing a computerised information point for Sandwell Valley Country Park. The main page is a big map of the site, and there are clickable links to information on anything remotely interesting, like the remains of a WWII anti-aircraft battery, slowly crumbling on top of one of the hills.
On Friday night I was in Georgian gear, playing for the officers’ mess at RAF High Wycombe. It was their annual summer bash, and they decided on a Venetian masked ball. The elite fly boys aren’t exactly strapped for cash, so it was lavish. Lots of gorgeous, expensive ball gowns, filled with gorgeous, expensive women, hanging on the arms of dashing young officers in uniform, and all in Venetian masks. They had a live band, a barbecue, an entirely gratuitous flautist, and us in full costume playing Handel and Telemann in the Pudding Room. Oh, and they imported a fairground, with a big wheel, dodgems, and various side stalls. High Wycombe is a long way. I got to bed at 3am.
On Saturday night, I was back in Elizabethan gear, playing for the 80th
birthday of a retired judge, in the perfectly manicured garden of a large
and rambling town house in Stanton, one of the prettiest of the Cotswold villages. There was a pig roast, more gorgeous dresses… well, you get the idea. Got to bed at 2pm.
Meanwhile, my aged father is in hospital, so I’m visiting him every day I’m not gallivanting.
So that’s why I haven’t been dropping in to the H&H.
*Wistful sigh* That sounds like a marvelous life…
Well, it’s better than working for a living.
Ahoy, Paul! In your excitement, you’ve been dropping your GAP-ic italics. Mind ’em, please. I’ll be offline for a while and won’t be able to keep picking up after you.
Oops! So I have. Ta, Robert.
One forgets, you know…
it’s what happens when you cruelly abandon us
just kidding, you have been doing exciting things! you are excused.
Thank you, Ebeth. I shall endeavour to maintain a presence on the blog, and I know you will poke me if I forget.
Paul! Great to see you around! I’m sure you know already how envious I am of all you extraordinary-sounding activities, they sound just so awesome! I also offer my condolences in regards to your father.
Thanks for dropping in again! It’s always lovely to hear from you.
The secret of life is to decide what you want to do, then persuade people to pay you to do it. I don’t know how I’ve got away with it this long.
I do hope your father finds himself in better health soon. I also hope you find yourself marginally less busy soon–we all miss you greatly.
I’ve been pondering whether I should purchase a psaltery kit from you, Paul. Obviously I can’t for the time being, since you’re so busy, but I think I could afford one. If I were to win the lottery I’d obviously buy a hurdy-gurdy, but at the present time I don’t have several thousand dollars lying around. Alack.
I hereby make a commitment. The psaltery kits shall return to my website before the end of this year. If I should break this solemn vow, every MuseBlogger with more than 30 posts shall be entitled to strike me across the brow with a wet fish of their choice.
A wet fish?
Sorry. Greetings, Sir Baker! (what? f+h happens to be bored. Don’t look at en funny, she’s tired!) I am happy that you have returned to the blog, even if temporarily.
…..Could someone teach me how to talk Olde English?
Greetings!
How old do you want your English?
This is Old English :
Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum,
þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon,
hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.
Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum,
monegum mægþum, meodosetla ofteah,
egsode eorlas. Syððan ærest wearð
feasceaft funden, he þæs frofre gebad,
weox under wolcnum, weorðmyndum þah,
oðþæt him æghwylc þara ymbsittendra
ofer hronrade hyran scolde,
gomban gyldan. þæt wæs god cyning!
Middle English :
Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote
And bathed every veyne in swich licour,
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halfe cours yronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye,
That slepen al the nyght with open eye-
(So priketh hem Nature in hir corages);
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages
And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes
To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;
And specially from every shires ende
Of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende,
The hooly blisful martir for to seke
That hem hath holpen, whan that they were seeke.
Early Modern :
I know him, madam: at a marriage-feast,
Between Lord Perigort and the beauteous heir
Of Jaques Falconbridge, solemnized
In Normandy, saw I this Longaville:
A man of sovereign parts he is esteem’d;
Well fitted in arts, glorious in arms:
Nothing becomes him ill that he would well.
The only soil of his fair virtue’s gloss,
If virtue’s gloss will stain with any soil,
Is a sharp wit matched with too blunt a will;
Whose edge hath power to cut, whose will still wills
It should none spare that come within his power.
My mother bought Canterbury Tales for me, an awesome version that contains the original text and the translation, and I’m trying to read the original text without looking at the translation.
if there’s a glossary, use it. and read out loud, or at least mouth the words. a lot of them are just modern english with weird spellings. that’s how i did it
No glossary; just original, and translation.
Oh, and my Dad seems OK. He had to have an oeration to remove a blood clot from his leg (which is no joke at the age of 89). It all went well, and he’s now “under observation” – which means he gets to do nothing much for several days, apart from being pampered by pretty nurses.
Nice to see/meet you. *curtsies*
Likewise. Charmed, I’m sure.
I’m glad to hear, Paul, your vow to reinstate the kits. I would imagine them to be marvelous Christmas gifts, which incidentally will most likely be my plan of acquisition. And if you don’t get around to it, I shall quickly choose a fish. I hope your father makes a full recovery as soon as possible.
A chai please. Does anyone still remember me? I haven’t been on in like, more than six months. Wow.
I remember you. Here’s your chai.
Thanks Piggy. I can always count on this place to cheer me up whenever I need cheering.
I had a tooth extraction today. Got three of my teeth removed. I am still happy today and ready for anything!
Why did you have to get three teeth removed? That doesn’t sound like any fun at all.
Ouuuuch. * non-painful choklit *
It wasn’t any fun. At least the novocaine shot worked.
Lightbulb!We need a Muse Hpb lab thread. Chai tea please? And a triple chocolate celebration sundae? And a slice of celebration lemon meringue pie? My nana got cable! In secret from mom, but still!
XD
Why, a Crumpet and Cream Soda sounds to die for. Could you spare me one each, Piggy?
85- Quite a bit of sugar you’ll have there. But I suppose that’s not my problem.
86- I suppose I could.
Would you happen to have any licorice tea? If not, then a cup of Earl Grey would be very good as well.
Or perhaps I’ll have a Crumpet and a Cream Soda as well, as the combination sounds delicious. Maybe I’ll soak the Crumpet in the Cream Soda. What would that taste like, I wonder?
What about a Crumpet with some Ginger Beer? That might be an interesting combination too.
There are probably lots of things that go with crumpets, but I will always go with crumpets and a nice cup of tea.
Can I have a Crumpet and Lemon Curd? (Do you have any curd? I suppose a plain Scone will do if not.) I’ve had quite the day….
*fetches all orders and asks wungs to make more crumpets*
92-Thank you Piggy. How is Colorado?
Hello, Piggy. Lime bubblies all around and a toast to Neil, Buzz, Mike and everyone who helped them get there!
93- Quite froody, thank you.
94- Hear, hear!
Drink up! To a fond memory and a swift return!
Tell me, does the H&H have a Reading Room? It doesn’t have to be official, just a relatively quiet room with a table, some comfortable chairs, and perhaps a supply of freshly sharpened pencils.
While it’s possible to read here, if you require a bit more privacy or a lot of pencils…back in the corner there, behind that clump of potted plants, can you see the stairway? It leads to a little nook overlooking the garden. Space enough for a table and a couple of chairs. The window seat is nice, too, if you need some staring-into-space time.
I would like…what would I like?
Some nice bread pudding, please.
Bread pudding? Me, Too!
Is there any Propusion Pudding? Please say no.
If you mean Propulsion Pudding, then no. Though it does regulate your digestive system quite nicely.
All right, everyone! Please, don’t be alarmed. Everything is under…
Oh, drat, I seem to have dropped one of the diagrams. Igor, would you pick that up for me? Thank you…
Anyway. We’ve been avoiding talking about it for several threads, but I have a pressing need for it now. I have in fact designed a receptacle capable of containing it for the required length of time; I don’t need it for long, but I have the feeling you’ll be glad of me taking it off your hands. If you need it back (deity of choice forbid), I will be happy to return it.
Igor? Open the cupboard.
W-what are you talking about? Take what off our hands? I have no–unless… no, it couldn’t be that. That’s far too dangerous to transport anywhere. That cupboard shall not be opened.
((Incidentally, “several threads” is more than two years ago now, if my memory serves me right.))
We can do it with minimal risk to reality. Trust me!
Even if that were true, a marmalade explosion would be entirely unavoidable, and I will not have this tea room destroyed.
…Very well. I’ll respect your wishes. I’ll just have to find another power source…
You can always attempt to recreate the original incident–just create a vortex and a vacuum and superimpose one on the other. There’s a shop just down the road that sells secondhand Paker sets.
W-what? What are we talking about? *is confuzzled*
On a slightly more upbeat note, I’m going to Dorney Park today for camp! We’re going to go on a bunch of roller-coasters and water rides and go in the wave pool!
Also, did you know if you major in Physics, you go to Disneyworld?
What a lovely summer day, I think I’d like some lemonade. *relaxes*
Sure thing.
Lovely summer day? HA? Not in Cincinnati. Rain, Rain, Rain, Rain Rain. Which is good I guess because we haven’t had rain for awhile but… I need a cup of Earl Grey.
Oh, I love rain. It just finished raining here, too. Large thunderstorm that took out the power… It was rather amazing.
Whenever I think of rain I think of that song from Bambi… ‘Drip drip drop little april shower….” and then I have to go to the bathroom.
And whenever I hear about Bambi (ever since yesterday), I think of AVPS.
May I have a cream soda and a cucumber sandwich please?
100.2- Earl Grey, coming right up.
101- Of course. But just a single cucumber sandwich? (They’re finger sandwiches, roughly two bites’ worth. I’ll bring you a plate of them.)
Why thank you. *sips soda and eats cucumber sandwich*
*sips tea* how is everyones Friday the 13th going?
My 13th was splendid. I went to see Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and had cinnamon pretzel sticks. Piggy, does this fine establishment have the correct ingredients to create such a treat?
((TFATF42:
We have your birthday listed as May 15, 1996. It seems that’s a mistake. If so, we’re very sorry, and please tell us the correct date so we can change our records.))
No, that is correct. Why did it seem like I was implying the 13th was my birthday?
This is probably a dumb question, but why is the Hedgpig carrying a bagpipe (or something)? I know the bunny is carrying a paintbrush and artist’s palette because The Lady Bunniful is awesome at artistry, but why the bagpipes (or something)? Does Paul play the bagpipes (or something)?
Paul Baker does indeed play the bagpipes, among many other instruments.
The drawing originated in response to Master Baker’s musings upon an appropriate house badge for Muse Academy. As luck would have it, we just chanced this morning upon some video of our Renaissance GAPA at work:
By the way, the dance about 5 minutes into the video is called the Branle de Chevaux (Horses’ Branle) from Thoinot Arbeau’s “Orchesographie” of 1589.
This is so epic!
Isn’t it, though? We finally get to see Paul in action.
And the hedgehog….The hedgehog looks *exactly* like PB&J, just thought that ought to be mentioned.
The hedgepig is brilliant. He’s my alter ego.
I really do want some wasabi and tempura tofu right now…
fried food are going to kill me someday.I eat them to much.
Good evening, poppets. Or whatever time it happens to be where you are.
A pot of Earl Grey, please, and a currant scone with clotted cream. Hold the jam, please. I’m watching my waistline.
I just thought I’d make a mad dash over to the H&H to see what’s happening, and here I find The Infamous Video displayed on the wall. So now you all know what it is that I do.
I shall now sink into this comfy armchair, eat scones, and contemplate life.
And at some point, I must consult the Head Wung about the supply of olives. But not until the clotted cream has taken full effect.
See what happens when your back is turned!
By coincidence, I am just finishing a cup of Earl Grey at this very moment.
Could I get some hot chocolate with extra whipped cream please? And a plate of chocolate chip cookies. Thank you!
107- Of course.
Cool video.
Looking back on Who’s Posted How Much, I’ve posted more on Castle than on eragon while having only been Castle for 6 months. Not even.
So how has school been going for everyone? Staying busy, I presume?
School’s been okay for me…Algebra has the most homework for me, but it’s really just plowing through the problems. Latin is okay. It could be funner, if Jelly would just shut up. The rest of my classes all have awesome teachers, so it balances out.
I’ve been very pleased with most of my classes, but there are a few that I’m just not sure about. My dad says I’m very demanding of my teachers…I suppose he’s right.
*sigh* Homework, homework…
I’m getting the most in Latin. At least the class is going fast enough…
Piggy…I love cucumber finger sandwiches…please bring me six or seven plates of them.
Yarr.
I’ll take a glass of maple syrup with a slice of chocolate pie.
I will not give you a glass of maple syrup. Perhaps a glass of milk instead?
Ok, I’ll take a glass of chocolate milk and a piece of chocolate pie (antithrowing pie). I’m on a diet that only allows you to eat unhealthy foods.
Could I have some Wung Buttons with Lime Marmalade please? I feel like having something new.
Sure thing. Anything to drink?
I’d like to have some Dandelion and Burdock mixed with Fresh Peppermint Tea please.
Just dashed in for a pot of something and a little plate of delights. Tell the head wung to surprise me, please, Piggy. But don’t let him do the dance. It’s just distressing.
Now, then. The aspidistra in the alcove. It’s perfectly healthy, but it’s looking rather tired, somehow. Should we replace it? Prune it? Decorate it? Suggestions, please.
I recommend we send it on holiday to somewhere warm and unhurried.
Hmmmm…. The Caribbean, perhaps? It would enjoy that. But we’d need to replace it temporarily. I wonder if the Head Wung would care to insert an advertisement in the aspidistra press?
Yay! We got our laptops today! We can’t take them home yet, but they’re still amazing! Macbooks! May I please have some cream soda, a plate of cucumber sandwiches, some victoria sponge cakes, and a cup of fresh peppermint tea please?
Paul- One of the more bookish wungs was asking for an opportunity to practice writing. I’ll ask en to write up a short request.
Mikazuki- Rather a bizarre combination of tastes, but all right.
Thank you. *sips tea*
We have bookish wungs? This is ominous. They often turn very peculiar when they get bookish.
May I have a cup of tea?
Of course. Is there a certain variety in particular you’d like, or should I surprise you?
Surprise me.
All right. We just got in a shipment of Huo Shan Huang Ya–I’ll have the wungs brew a pot of that for you.
Can I have a cup of apple-grape juice please?
*shudders* The stinkbugs…there was one in the car today. By brother screamed and flailed around until he squished it. They’re all over my bedroom window…I’m afraid.
Paul- Don’t worry too much, their bookishness extends only to reading written instructions as well as writing brief notices for me.
LBK- You may indeed have juice. I’m sorry for your apparent stinkbug infestation.
May I please have 2 plates of cucumber sandwiches and some cakes with jam? The weather here is lovely, how about elsewhere?
here where i live, the weather is ghastly
Mikazuki- Of course.
The whether where I live is beginning to become lovely, just turning to autumn.
May I have a cup of Earl Grey tea? I’d like to look important.
Perhaps something a little more interesting so you can sound important explaining it? I have some Da Hong Pao (probably the most expensive tea in the world) from the Hare & Hedgepig’s own hidden tea fields.
there appears to be a wung on my head
May I have a chocolate chip cookie please?
*coughdangijustlostthegamecoughcough*
Could I have some Fresh Peppermint Tea and an apple scone?
127- Of course. Glass of milk?
128- Good choice. The apples this year are marvelous.
Could I please have a chai tea, hold the H2Oand the warmest, sweetest pastry? Thank you. There is only 1 muser in my class. Time to print those bookmarks.
*sighs*
*Opens The Lost Hero*
Oh, look! he said Cake!
Sure thing. One dehydrated tea and one superlative danish, coming right up.
Could I have some raspberry tea with honey and a few cinnamon kolourakia?
Well, it’s not Easter yet, but all right.
They keep forever if they’re stored properly.
Piggy, may I have a honey lemon tea? It does wonders for my cold…
(I just had about two mugs, but it’s too good…)
May I have some chocolate eclairs and a glass of milk please? I’m not sure where to take my story now.
Sure. As for where to take your story, maybe you could introduce a new character–you seem to be getting rid of characters left and right. You may need replacements at this rate.
Quite right. I’m just about to have a murder take place, too.
Business seems to be picking up since NaNoWriMo started.
(At Muse Academy, naturally, there’s no conflict between NaNo and school. During November you can write a novel for course credit.)
Hello everyone. May I have a glass of warm milk and a cookie? I’m not much for tea, myself.
As for my story…I just introduced the main bad guy. He has no motive as of now, and his name is Professor Bentbrood.
Yes! I have a general plot! And everyone is going to die fairly soon! And the main antagoinst will be lack of storage space! (digital, that is)
SFTDP, but could I have a mug of Earl Grey and some sushi, please? Thank you!
*sips milk* Well, I just had a battle scene. Nobody died, but I wouldn’t recommend it before eating. Also, my lovely lunatic went into demented raving mode.
LBK- Excellent choice. Chocolate chip?
Enceladus- Rather an unpleasant-sounding combination, but all right.
Yes please. Thanks.
Wow, fast moderation. Thank you GAPAs!
May I please have a cup of white tea with a bit of cream and sugar? I have a cough. A bad cough. And I’m stuck on my NaNo. I hate having dramatic scenes, “Oh, he died!” “Oh no!” but of course I have to…bleh. *coughs*
Your dramatic scenes don’t have to be death scenes. Verbal arguments can be much more dramatic than deaths, if written correctly.
Here’s your tea.
Thank you. Let me rephrase that. I hate having to do dramatic death scenes. *coughs* *sips tea*
I will have whatever you have in excess of today. I’m not feeling picky
May I have some earl grey tea with crumpets, Piggy?
May I have a cup of hot chocolate with cream and a nice block of aged gouda?
140- How about some apricot scones? The wungs just baked a batch.
141- I assume the crumpets are on the side, not in the tea itself?
142- I can’t say I quite enjoy the chocolate-cheese combination, but I suppose de gustibus non est disputandum.
Yes. Outside of the tea.
May I please have a couple plates of Victorian Sponge Cakes? I rather like them. And possibly some white tangerine tea? Thank you.
Angels overthrew God and started a democracy in Heaven.(In my NaNo.) And then my lunatic character, Arabella, got voted to be the president of the underworld, as she made a bargain with the devil while she had a mental illness and now she can’t ever go to Heaven, even though the angels cured her. So now she has to go defeat the devil. (It’s complicated…) I am having a lot of fun right now, as I am drawing a map of the underworld. But I ‘m hungry. Hence the sponge cakes.
143-
Can’t say I really care for apricots, but I’ve known the wungs to be good cooks. Thank you.
Warmest, chocolate-y things avalible, please. A warm chocolate-y drink and a warm chocolate-y pastery, please. Danke.
Most chocolate-y pastry and drink avalible! Please! Fluffy too!
Sorry for the double send, my PC went insane.
147- A fluffy pastry and drink? I’ll try my best.
I’ll have whatever Pie Girl is having, please.
143) THe two best tasting foods on the planet! You can’t go wrong!
I believe I’m going to have some cocoa. Would anyone else like some?
Yes, I’ll join you in a cocoa. Shall we be decadent, and get the head wung to fish out the littel silver cocoa pot with the ormolu stand?
May I have some escargots? I need to sleep today.
Yes, I think the silver pot would be lovely. I’ll have them bring out the Qing porcelain cups as well.
Enceladus, were those two statements somehow related? In any case, I’ll have the wungs cook up a plate for you.
I’ll also have some fluffy cocoa, with whipped cream on top if you please.
Just watched Toy Story 1 and 2~ ^.^ Oh, how I love BUzz and his obliviousness.
The wungs have recently invented a white cocoa recipe that feels like silk and tastes like dark chocolate. Perhaps you’d like to try that?
It sounds like nectar. I’d love some.
Oh yes, please!
May I have a crumpet and a cup of Earl Gray?
Of course. Here you are.
Thank you very sweetly, Piggy.
Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.
Manners. Good ones. Please.
Sorry! And thank you for saying please! You get used to talking like that when you go around on starships a lot. Let me rephrase my request:
May I please have some lovely, hot, Earl Grey tea? Thank you so much!
Of course! And since you asked so nicely, I’ll have the wungs brew the Earl Grey from the private stores.
Piggy, may I please have a large cup of very hot chocolate? It’s cold out there. *shivers*
Mmmmmm! Delicious! Ooobarific tea! Thanks!(x42)
Piggy, may I have a cup of Earl Gray and a scone today? I have not had the easiest of days, unfortunately.
Piggy, I’ve been meaning to ask for ages- what’s your avatar? And may I have a vanilla cupcake and some peppermint tea, please?
I believe it is 19th-century US senator John C. Calhoun.
Jinx!
Ninja’d!
160- Sure. Sorry your day wasn’t great.
161- What? Surely you must mean “who”? It’s John C. Calhoun. The cupcakes will just be a few minutes.
Okay, who. Ah. I was kind of thinking the “pit of despair” guy from The Princess Bride.
The Albino was my avatar for a while.
Excuse me while I go change my avatar to an R(odent)of U(nusual)S(ize)
later: maybe not…
could I please have some extra chocolate, chocolate cake with chocolate chips and chocolate frosting with chocolate shavings on top and chocolate ice cream on the side?
hopefully, I wont bounce off the walls too much…