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Veteran's Day and an Etiquette Question
2002-08-18 - 8:44 a.m.
Pennsic XXXI
Well, we're back... finally.
Pennsic wasn't my best time ever, and most of what I wanted to do didn't happen. Here's the bad and the good.... in reverse order (the last things are listed first):
1. I logged onto Diaryland and found my buddy list gone. I re-did some of it, and went to view it, and that was gone too.
2. We got home to find the cats missing. Seems they managed to get themselves locked in our bedroom for a few days (2-3); I won't say what happened to the bed... needles to say they were NOT impressed. Our bedroom door was left open, but when they start chasing each other they end up cornering off the door with enough force to slam it against the wall and the rebound will help it start to close, add to that, the a/c return is in the ceiling over that door and tends to close it all by itself pretty regularly.
3. On the way home, we start to have truck trouble. Don't ask me what the problem is, I don't have a clue. All I know is the truck hates 50 mph in 4th gear, it hesitates like crazy whether we run the a/c or not. It's fine in any other gear at any other speed, but not in 4th at 50 (I tend to shift right about there). We're hoping it's something fairly simple, but we won't know til we get it looked at.
4. No food in the house. We timed it so there wouldn't be any food left in the house while we were gone (if there's nothing in the house, it can't spoil, right?). But we forgot we'd eventually be coming home at some point and at least a snack would be a good idea. I went to the pantry and when I opened the door, I swear I thought a tumbleweed blow by. It was that empty.
5. I took a shower once we got the cats defreaked (okay, they never defreak, they just have a smaller level of freaked out to deal with), and found I have a nice sunburn. I can deal with it just fine, but I really wasn't expecting it.. I spent most of my time in camp out of the sum.
6. I bought a drop spindle and some roving in the hopes of learning another piece of the weaving puzzle, but for one reason or another, that didn't work.
7. I wasn't able to be a Lady in Waiting at Pennsic after all. I went to Pennsic thinking that since I was 30 pounds lighter and my blood sugar was better regulated that I'd be able to do some things. Well, I was horrenduously wrong. I took my medicine religiously and tested like I should, and ate on a semi-regular schedule.. but the heat, well, killed me. We had heat indexes of 103 to 117. Due to heat issues, I ended up very close to heat stroke once (thanks to the help of members in my camp, I avoided going to the E.R., but I was very close); and heat exhaustion. The bad one was on Sunday and the not so bad one was on Tuesday. Yep, right at the beginning of war week. The one on Tuesday, I made it to Chirurgeon Point, and my fellow compatriots took very good care of me. The one on Sunday, thankfully, I was camped in Chirurgeon Camp surrounded by lots of caring individuals. It was not good to say the least. I was supposed to atend her majesty on Tuesday, and ended up in Chirurgeon Point on the way to attend her, so I asked someone to get a message to her telling her that I wouldn't be able to attend that day. I got back to camp after what seemed like hours in Chirurgeon point and wrote her Majesty a letter, indicating that due to the heat I was simply too sick to do Lady in Waiting duties. I was so disappointed, I cried. I was really looking forward to being a part of all if it, and I wanted it to badly, I just didn't know what to do. I had pretty much planned my Pennsic around being useful to Her Majesty, instead, thanks to the heat and the sunlight I was pretty much bound to the GP medium (20' x 40'). We figured out that my medication might be part of the cause for the heat related issues, but stopping it wouldn't do any good, so I made myself as useful as I could during the day... I had no energy, my strength was sapped and I was miserable. War *IS* hell.
What was GOOD about Pennsic:
1. We had a short household meeting and I I got to meet other house members. We also now have 4 new Drunken Badgers! (Welcome to Myrddin, Sally, Uther, and Elizabeth!)
2. I was able to use my inkle loom and made a yellow Protege belt for someone in our household for her Protege Ceremony. Her Pelican couldn't find what he considered to be a "suitable" belt, so he bought one he didn't like and I wove one from some yellow wool I bought. It turned out lovely, and I gave it to her. Her eyes lit up and she showed it so everyone. Even her Pelican thought it was VERy nice (they were all stunned it took only two days to make it--well a day and a half.. about 10 hours or so). I hate wool, it's very fuzzy, but it was good experience and it turned out well. My love reminded me to make a short run of weaving with that yarn for my weaving CV, so I could have a record of what I did and a "hands on" piece for the next time I need to include most or all of my work in an A&S competition.
2. I had the opportunity to watch two people "do Pennsic" for the first time. Not everything was wine and roses, but they both made it through with a better understanding of War.
3. Shopping. I did manage to make it out shopping once the heat and the sun started to go down. I bought some roving and a drop spindle in the hopes of learning to spin (hopefully I'll do that someday). I also bought some combs for coming wool. (I tried that during my first year in the SCA and found it to be wonderfully calming, I've wanted a set of combs ever since...now I have to find some uncombed wool). I also had a new belt made... mine has tudor roses and bars spaced every 1.5 inches. It fits and it looks *very* nice. My love made me promise that I'd wear it for "fine" occasions and not when I'm "working" or fighting. Seems reasonable to me. The only thing I wanted but didn't buy was a double lucet. I'll get one at another event sooner or later. I've got enough to keep me busy as it is.
4. We have pictues and an idea for how to make decent chairs. We came very close to spending $225 on a pair of chairs. After looking at the chairs and talking with each other, we decided that we can and should make the chairs ourselves. We went to court and a friend had her way spiff digital camera and she let us take pictures of a few of the wooden chairs we saw there. With the tools that we have, we should be more than equipped to make a set of chairs.
5. We have offers of help for making a viking slat bed, so no more foldable bed with an air mattress. We may still use an air mattress, but at least neither of us will be sleeping uphill, nor will one of us have to "flip" so we can sleep. I love my love, but after a few days, none of us want to be that close to someone else's feet! :)
6. I got several positive coments about the blue and white parti color cotehardie I made. I think I've finally got the fitting right (or better at least).
7. Air conditioning. I'm home and I'm in the arms of cool air conditioning. Yeay me.
8. My bed. Yep, it was covered with cat hair and we had to change the sheets, disinfect and flip the mattress, but it was still home in my house in my bad. Nothing feels better after a hot, hard-scrubbing shower that to slide between cool sheets and feel the coolness against warm skin... mmmmmmmmmm.
9. Iron Chef! We arrived home and got settled in just in time to watch Iron Chef. It doesn't get much better than that.
Please don't forget to answer my survey... it's research for a small business idea... all comments appreciated, no reasonable offer refused!!! It won't take five minutes, I PROMISE!
