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<livejournal>
<entry>
<itemid>105254</itemid>
<eventtime>2009-10-06 00:54:00</eventtime>
<logtime>2009-10-06 04:54:49</logtime>
<subject>The Wake</subject>
<event>
A figure walks in, not flamboyant or rude simply entering. He is about ;6'5", 250lbs, with brown hair and brown eyes. He wears a black T-shirt with the words, "My Name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my Father, Prepare to Die" written on it. He also has tennis shoes and jeans on. The figure walks up to the edge of the bar and orders a shot of whiskey. That, in and of itself is a statement, and a statement that would not have been possible without the intervention of the honored. Then, as the figure is so often wont to do, he spoke. "My name is Tom Ricks. I got to know Mark Argyle in April of 1996. At first I thought the game was a bit of a joke...Magic...in Star Trek? My character application consisted of a single word, literally 'Probability Alteration.' No background, no personality, nothing. And then this guy, this guy who I never met, who I never even talked to on the telephone, proceeds to weave this impossible tale. It had its ups, its downs, its ins, its outs. I laughed, I cried, I grew angry and I did heroic things. It was just a game, and yet to me it was more than that. It offered me an out in a time when I needed it. He breathed so much life and power into his characters that they took on a life of their own. I am a better man because of Mark Argyle. He helped me see the world in new ways, take a broader perspective on things. He helped me solve one of the most impossible riddles in my entire life, and come out ahead of it. For me, this saga ended two years ago...and that was the last I'd heard from Mark until I flashed him a couple of months ago....he didn't seem happy. There's a part of me that makes me realize that I should have done more perhaps, but then there's a part of me that thinks that Mark would have considered that stupidity. Still, even now, he's made me a better man. I need to talk to people more. Do more. And I'll do it, because he also taught me the importance of reaching out and trying to make your dreams come true. Story teller, poet, games maker, actor, podcaster, warrior, friend and world maker. He was all of that and more. I will never forget you, and I will always carry the lessons you carried for me. I am honored to have known you and despite hostile or irreverent philosophies, I know that you are in a better place. Hell, you might even be moving between realities just like your alter ego. God speed Mark Argyle. God be with you and your loved ones right now." And then the figure slams the whiskey, and sits down.
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<entry>
<itemid>105475</itemid>
<eventtime>2009-10-09 01:49:00</eventtime>
<logtime>2009-10-09 06:00:48</logtime>
<subject>Crossing the Ocean</subject>
<event>
by Emmit Other The knight was shocked one morning To find the tower bare The night had come and stolen His love and lady fair Some say then That she had herself besought Others say his negligence This awful thing had wrought. The knight had borne too much To let it go at that He would learn the craft of sailing And brave flooding Erarat. The knight had crossed a desert That would kill most any man The sun burning brilliant and deadly Killing nations, hoard or clan. They say that those who cross the desert And live to tell the tale Gain the wisdom of the sun And the food of Gods with Ale. There is some measure to this truth But make no mistake on this The oasis in the desert Is limited in its bliss The sands it hold swirl in glass Blown by the fires of the sun That force the rivers of time onward No man's path is done. The knight then through the crags he passed And busted out of prison. The fires of the desert Had baked his skin in prism The steel of swords is folded Then and back again It yields layer upon layer This now forged his skin. The prison could not hold him And neither could the crags But desert wisdom taught him The folly of the man that brags Thus on to the city he rode Swift and true To the blacksmith there did he find He paid then for knowledge And trade in might in kind The blacksmith taught him forging And the knight fought a war or two But when he was then learned In the craft of vessles all most true The knight then built a forge Hotter than the sun To build a golden vessel Armed with crystal blooded gun To cross an ocean vaster Than the dark side of the moon And more unknown than any lake Or river or sea that man had sailed He knew that time would soon run out And fought against the clock The ocean was unknowable And still he yielded no common stock A desert he had crossed alone Though now he had a crew The clockwork men bedeviled him The kracken then he slew But all the will and will and will Could not cross this time alone He had true courage then to find Without the outcome certain To sail over the edge of the world Beyond the mortal curtain To have faith in a higher power Was tough for some to bear And yet there was little choice The universe did not care Success or failure mattered That was all there was The knight unleashed the engine And sailed on and on because His love was worth any price And any ocean crossed Though waves the size of mountains The enchanted ship was tossed. The answer is not written in stone But the knight, he does not yield His sword, his heart, His honor, are all his simple shield. He loves her. And he will find her. And that is all there is to say. For sometimes its the journey That chooses ere our way.
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<entry>
<itemid>106243</itemid>
<eventtime>2009-10-27 18:54:00</eventtime>
<logtime>2009-10-27 22:54:34</logtime>
<subject>Focha Ricks</subject>
<event>
Focha Ricks, my paternal grandmother, died last night. She died in her sleep and she was surrounded by loved ones. She had slowly lost a bit of her memory, I am told, in her latter years. I was happy to be able to help my family (my Father and his children) make a video to remind her about who were are and tell her that we love her at our last family reunion. It had been about 6 years since I last saw her. I think that the first lesson she taught me was the importance of record keeping. Grandma used to maintain the family circle letters like clock work. Some memories are worth keeping. Half the blogs I keep, I keep for my own records, not necessarily because anyone reads them. These family circle letters also taught me the importance of family gatherings and family rituals. I was raised to believe family’s are eternal and are one of the only things that last in the world. I still hold family to be of paramount importance. Her letters always talked about the meals that she ate in great detail. This taught me a lot of things. It taught me the importance of putting details into the writing I do, finding little anecdotes and latches that help people connect with it. It also, ironically, helped me understand the importance of enjoying a good movie. Despite the speed at which I eat my meals, I do enjoy their taste and do what I can to relish the experience as an experience itself. Its part of enjoying life for what it is. Grandma Ricks put great stock in the importance of her pioneer ancestors. She was a direct descendant of Edward Partidge, one of the founding leaders of the Mormon church. At many family reunions we were told tales about the great things our ancestors did. This taught me about the importance of passing on traditions and oral family lore. It also taught me to respect those who have come before us and to recognize the great sacrifices that they have made. This in turn has helped me to understand the importance of history. Even now, when I study a thing, I first study its history. Knowing about the history of a person or organization helps you put it in the proper context of everything else it does. Grandma was a powerful woman, but also a quiet one. She was, beyond doubt, a stoic. This taught me that sometimes finding the diplomatic solution to solve a problem will get more results than a more belligerent approach. I might not always remember this lesson, but it is nevertheless an important one to me. Grandma also taught me the importance of equity and dependability with her Christmas gifts. I was rather surprised to learn that they didn’t always receive Thank You’s when they sent them, but I was glad that I had been able to do so. Most important of all, I am glad that I got to know her, both as a youth and in my second awakening of Adulthood. All of my many selves have respected her and the role that she has been able to play in her life and in family affairs. She is worthy of respect and will be missed.
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