Eats, Shoots, and Leaves.

Courtesy of the webcomic xkcd. If you haven't read it, go do that. But not right now...read my blog first.

Ahoy, Citizens! It is I, Captain Panda, the world's worst superhero, defender of truth, justice and all things anachronistic, here to regale you with stories of my life!

Ahem...sorry about that, I tend to wax dramatic from time to time. I meant to say 'Hello there, and welcome to my new blog!' Unlike that other blog that I do (this one here,) this blog (Eats Shoots and Leaves) is more of a traditional blog, all about me and what goes on in that crazy, mixed-up land that I call my mind.

So...where to begin...

Concerning Hobbits...

Wait...no...damn...sorry, I did it again. Hang on, I'll get it...


Concerning Myself:

My name is Brad (Codename: Panda). I am, at the moment, 26 years old. I come originally from Minnesota, but am living in Wisconsin for now. (More on that later.) In the real world, I work for Red Lobster and am studying Digital Film & Video Production.

For two months out of the year, I spend my weekends at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, doing silly things in costume and making magic happen. I have been out there for four years now, and in that time it has become much more than a job, or a hobby. It has become my home. I have met some of my closest friends out there, and have even met a couple of potential mates out there as well (note the word potential...maybe I'll get to that later). I live for this place more than anything else in my life, because it is the one place that I have felt the most loved and the most welcomed.

Yes, even when I'm doing stupid things like angering the King...

It's also where I got the nickname 'Captain Panda.' But you don't want to hear that story...

When I'm not working, and when I'm not out at the Fest, I like to sing, act, and write short stories and screenplays (obviously, if I'm studying film) I also enjoy general nerdery, reading, building models and other craft stuffs. Oh, and cooking. I love cooking.

Why, yes, that is a cookbook signed by Alton Brown, my favorite TV chef,
who I met at the Mall of America where he was signing copies of
'Feasting on Asphalt: the River Run.' How nice of you to notice.

So, that's the basics of me. Now, on to other things.

On living in Wisconsin:

About a year ago, I was living in my parents' house in Minnesota. We decided, through mutual fed-up-ness, that I needed to move out. Well, as much as I would have loved to find a one-bedroom in the Twin Cities, my financial situation pretty much made that impossible.

As luck would have it at the time, I knew someone that was going to school in Wisconsin, and was willing to take me in on a two-bedroom apartment once her lease was up. (Yes, she's a she, and no, it's not like that.) So, come June 1, I gathered up all my stuff, loaded it in a truck and hauled myself out to Wisconsin.

It's the alcoholic capital of the United States, I swear...

For the first few months there, it was all right. It was kinda nice to get away from my old life in MN and have a minor reset for a while.

Then came MN Ren Fest in August. No matter where I am or what I'm doing, for seven weekends out of the year, I'm going to be in Shakopee, MN for the Renaissance Festival. For a while, I was okay. I was wanting to hang out with people and do things outside of Fest, but I couldn't because I lived in Wisconsin. Annoying, but not really a big deal. But then came the last weekend, and the week afterwards. Something happened. (As I said, maybe I'll get to that more specifically later) And it made me hate living here.

Okay, maybe hate is the wrong word. In and of itself, Wisconsin is not a bad place to live. But my life is in Minnesota, and this incident slapped me in the face with that fact. At the moment, I feel like I'm in exile, away from my life, my friends and my loves. I will be coming back home to Minnesota in May, but that's seven months from now. I don't know how well I'll survive until then...

I'll get by with a little help from...

My Friends:

I stole this from one of my friend's blogs. Sorry, Winter.

My friends are awesome. I don't tell them that as much as I probably should, and I don't get to see most of them nearly as much as I want to, but they're awesome.

When I was in school, I didn't have much in the way of friends. Sure, there were people that I hung out with during the day and at after-school activities, but never really anyone that I spent time with outside of that. Now that I've grown up, I've been lucky enough to find true friends. I still don't have many of them, but I care for the ones I have more than anything else in the world, and will do anything for them. I am quick to forgive those that seek it, and I do not hold grudges. 

Whether they know it or not, my friends are what support me through times that are tough, and I am thankful for them. Which leads me to...

Love, or something like it:

My love life is...well, it's pretty much nonexistent. I've only ever had two actual relationships in my life, and neither one lasted more than six months.

I thought I had something, though. At the end of this year's Festival season, I thought I was going to be involved with a beautiful girl, who seemed to be into me.

Well, turns out I was wrong. Not about her being into me, but about being involved with her. Due to extraneous circumstances (i.e., me living in fucking Wisconsin) we're not together. Don't get me wrong: we're still friends, we still talk, it wasn't like our relationship collapsed. We're just not a couple.

Story of my life, really; 'I like you, but...' There's always a 'but...'

This is what sparked the whole 'I hate it here' thing. Outside of the fact that if I were living back in MN I *might* have been with her, even if there were some other reason for not being together, I would have been able to go hang out with some of my friends, have some fun, and distract myself from my bruised heart. Since I live in bum fuck nowhere, and have no friends out here outside my roommate, who is usually far too busy to hang out, I was left with my own mind for company, which was entirely unhelpful and unhealthy.

I'm starting to feel like I'm in exile out here; like my life is continuing without me. I can't wait to go home.

In the end...

That's it for the first post. You know me a little better now, I hope. I'd like to leave you with something though, before I go. Until next time, boys and girls...