I motored down to the Baltimore Fencing Center for the Choco Therapy Open, as planned, and got there with plenty of time to spare. I warmed up with Brooke Sirico from DCFC, who is a nice fencer, and felt that even if that was the only bout I got with a woman it was worth it.

The foil event was still in pools, though, and they finished up the pools and much of the DE's before they started the sabre. Jamie Met was there to referee, and he's a solid sabre ref, but that was it, and we had four pools. Various others of us who were fencing the event - Ian, Chris and I - were asked to ref, and they flighted the pools. I refereed the pool with Ian in it, and he refereed me. So it wasn't the refereed event I was hoping for, but as usual when I go there, it was very pleasant, and the fencers and the fencing were relatively smooth and light-handed, even though it was about half U's.

I had a nicely varied pool, with a couple of women in it including a veteran (Diane Trice), so it was good practice. I have to look at the results to remember who I fenced, because it has all merged together and I can't remember who I refereed and who I fenced. Ah, here it is: James Cameron and Diane Trice from DCFC, Glenn Langan from True Grit, Jessica Shapiro from USNA, and Little Riggins from NIH

As things fell out, I ended up winning my pool and came out seeded first. I refereed several bouts in the 32 and kept going into the 16, only stopping when it was time for me to fence in the 16. I understood that my job, as one of the two B's (Brooke was the other), was to get in the eight, and I did so by defeating Joseph Ingrao from Maryland Fencing Club. But then I still felt okay, despite not being able to eat properly because I started out with butterflies and continued on with butterflies, and I just kept going.

My second bout was Eli Polston from DCFC. My bout in the four was Brooke. I ended up with Julio Robles from Rockville Fencing Academy in the gold medal bout; he's from Bolivia and was a very flashy fencer fond of lots of tempo changes, attacks in prep, beat attacks, and jump-and-duck parries. I knew what to do with him but ended up losing by 4 or 5 touches.

If I had won, I would have re-earned my B, and I was just as glad I didn't, though I certainly would like to have won the bout. I've never actually had a C rating. I earned a D at my first NAC umpty-ump years ago, and a B in Division II a year or two later, and then an A in the Division I-A, so I've never had a C (or an E, either). But I would like to be able to do Division II again.

I had a dreadful hamburger and french fries and a banana at a turnpike rest stop, but at least I ate something.

Here's the thing: I couldn't eat properly, because everything I took with me turned my stomach. I've been ill until a couple of days ago, with one of my post-cold miseries where I feel as if I ought to be in the hospital (my lungs and bronchia are damnably sensitive). I haven't been lifting or getting much aerobic work. But damned if I'm not in pretty good shape. My legs were good. I credit the bosu ball work I've been doing.

My balance still isn't there, though. I get on guard and if I'm not perfectly positioned, sometimes I sort of fall over. It's pretty silly.