When I was growing up a charming young door to door salesman talked my Mom into buying - not one! - two complete encyclopedias. A full children's encyclopedia and an adult one.

We paid for them on a monthly basis and got a new volume every month. They were each about 20 volumes long (as I recall).

I spent years of my life flopping around in the stifling heat of the un-air-conditioned guest bedroom reading those encyclpedias. Such that when I was in high school my Dad allowed that he had certainly gotten his money's worth out of that investment.

I note this because I love that I can look up things like The Battle of Lepanto (1571) in Wikipedia. I have only the haziest bits of knowledge of that era, and most of that comes from Robert E. Howard's adventurous historical fiction. But I did remember that Cervantes had been captured by Turkish Corsairs and enslaved and it's just cool to find out he was in this last major battle between fleets which were entirely rowed instead of under sail.

The arrival of the Andalusian Alvaro de Bazán and the Catalan Joan de Cardona with the reserve was able to turn the battle, both in the Centre and in Doria's South Wing. Uluj Ali was forced to flee with 16 galleys and 24 galliots, abandoning all but one of his captures. During the course of the battle, the Ottoman Commander's ship was boarded and the Spanish tercios from 3 galleys and the Turkish janissaries from seven galleys fought on the deck of the Sultana. Twice the Spanish were repelled with great loss, but at the third attempt, with reinforcements from Alvaro de Bazán's galley, they prevailed. Müezzenzade Ali Pasha was killed and beheaded, against the wishes of Don Juan. However, when his head was displayed on a pike from the Spanish flagship, it contributed greatly to the destruction of Turkish morale. The battle concluded around 4 pm.

It's this era which really created Sword and Sorcery genre as we know it. It's the primary influence on REH, and it was also a big part of Leiber's source material for Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser.

High Fantasy derives primarily from Eddic sagas and the Arthurian stories (with a lot from Medieval Romances like Orlando Furioso). But S&S is all about the galley slaves and that Mediterranean through Ottoman feel.

I don't have to go back to work until next THURSDAY!

I sent emails to 2 of my childhood friends who may or may not be in town when I am. And then I get to have Special Guests.

You know, for all my bellyaching about xmas travel and family drama, and how I was dreading the planning of this one, it's worked out pretty damned nice.

You know, for all my bellyaching about xmas travel and family drama, and how I was dreading the planning of this one, it's worked out pretty damned nice.

Yeah, mine's shaking out pretty well (so far--I'll say "Whew!" when the week's over and I'm back home with my cat crawling all over me). I went to the Orbitz website today to see if maybe I could get my boarding pass even though it's 36 hours to the flight, not 24. Can't get that pass yet, but I was able to check the seating info on the return flight, which I wasn't able to select a seat for when I booked the flight last month. I got the last open seat, and it was an aisle one--yay! That was my one remaining concern.

OMG, this is seriously one of the funniest things I've read on the internets this year. I've changed my tagline in honor of it.

Kathy, BWAH! I can't decide whether it is very very wrong of me to want to toss that little boy in a room with Deena's Kara and a boxful of action figures just to see what happens, or oh so very right.

My Christmas vacation just officially began at 5 PM. I'm not going back to work until the 27th!

Now I'd better buy all the presents I owe people, stat.

Someone please drill into my head that since everything is packed that can be tonight (toiletries and insulin have to wait for morning and forgodsake, I'm going to my parents. I could show up with nothing and I'd be fine) I have to stop futzing and relax? I can't do any more tonight. Just can't. And I don't have to be at the airport until 11 and that's with plenty of time.

Chill.out.

OMG, this is seriously one of the funniest things I've read on the internets this year.

That is hysterically funny! Run Baby Jesus, Run!!!

that little boy in a room with Deena's Kara and a boxful of action figures just to see what happens

If this ever happens, we need video. IJS.

sarameg, fix yourself a holiday beverage of your choice and sit down and put your feet up. Personally, I've been a fan of peppermint patties for the past few weeks (hot chocolate and peppermint schnapps).

Well, I do have scotch in the cupboard. So there's that. Too bad everything is reruns or CRAP. Or I'd zone out to that. Hey, maybe the pledge drive on pbs is over...I can watch the fall of pompeii for the zillionth time (I swear it comes on a million times a year. And I always watch.)