Once again, I couldn't sleep. Going to bed at three in the morning'll do that to you, as will sleeping on the floor with only a thin afghan for warmth. I woke up at six, and was the only one awake. Everyone else was dozing in their sleeping bags, so I took my afghan out on to Kielle's porch, next to the stream and thought for a bit. But even the pre-dawn California air can get a little nippy, so I went back inside to discover that JB was awake, too.
She and I talked in hushed tones about her artwork, as she was rapidly filling page after page with sketches. I sat behind her and watched her flip past a shot of Falstaff sleeping and start in on Chandri, who was sleeping next to her. She's got a very good eye for proportions and capturing things as she sees them. It was rather neat to watch her measuring out distances with her pencil in the air in front of her, then transfer those measurements to paper. I asked her if she wanted coffee, she nodded and my second day of Kitchen Nazi duty began.
It was probably the smell of coffee that got most of the people awake. Kielle's little coffeemaker was busy that morning as I poured batch after batch, washing cups that were left out the night before, trying to find spoons for everyone. I also made some Jell-O and was about to start in on pipchicks when I realized that we didn't have enough sugar. Luckily, David Amaya showed up and I sent him back out the door for sugar. More people woke up, and the line for the bathroom commenced. I got more and more disheartened when I realized that the pipchick batter wasn't responding the way it was supposed to. I mean, I've done it before... <sudden realization> It was all JB's fault! <grin*gt;
By this time, every one was awake except for Falstaff. He still lay quietly dreaming on the sofa. His feet were exposed, though. So, being the responsible den mother I was in trying to get everyone up, moving and dressed, I tickled his feet. I'm not sure if he liked it very much, but everyone else laughed. <snicker> Kitarra and Sean arrived, and then we got down to the serious business of garbing up.
I've never been to the Renaissance Faire, but I've always wanted to go and I've ALWAYS wanted to go in costume. Weeks before, I'd purchased mine at
Gold River Costumes and was excited about wearing it. Chandri, JB, Kitarra, Kielle and Hutch also were going to be in garb; Sean was already dressed and Laersyn showed up in garb as well. So while everyone else got dressed, we had to get laced, poked, prodded and stuffed into our bodices. Kielle's walk-in closet served as a changing room, and many jokes were made about "coming out of the closet". Kitarra did most of every one else's bodices, then required the help of an entire team to poke, prod, and stuff her into her new noblewoman's bodice. While they were stuffing, Laersyn and I were busy with pen and paper trying to figure out who should go in which cars. We'd get it juuuust right and then: "Oh, but what about David?" <rip, scratch out, scribble> Finally, we figured everything out, and Hutch, Pebbs, Sparks and I took off.
First stop was the gas station; you've never lived unless you've pumped gas while in Rennaissance gear. Second stop was Sparks' house where she had to change, get a swim suit and con-- I mean, get some money from her mom. I was starting to overheat, so I sat comfortably in the easy chair while Hutch and Pebbs admired Sparks' salt water aquarium. Finally, we were ready to go, and we tooled down the freeway to the Glenhelen Fairgrounds. I can't recall much of the conversation on the way there, but I do remember the rhyming game we started playing when we saw the sign that said "FAIRE".
Pebbs: Faire? Where?
Hutch: Over there.
Sparks: How's my hair?
Trisha: <stuffing> My bosom's almost bare.
We got to the gates and were greeted by Falstaff who was waving $3 off coupons. We bought our tickets, passed underneath the bridge and found ourselves back in Renaissance era England. First order of the day was to get my bodice relaced by Kitarra as I had unlaced it in order to breathe while I drove. Second stop was the rental costume place where Falstaff tried to get garb, but came away only with a cloak as he didn't have enough cash for a full costume. Cold drinks were the first thing we bought, with Hutch and I ordering our first glasses of mead for the day. Lovely stuff, that mead. We chose a place to meet at four, and then the group started to splinter. It's not surprising that JB and Ashlan were the first to go, with the Canadians quick to follow.
Kielle, Laersyn and Kitarra disappeared not long after, then Pebbs and Sparks stopped to get food and vanished. The group that was left was me, Hutch, Dandelion, Falstaff and Sean. We wandered the Faire, eyeing the crafts (Falstaff bought a pewter letter opener; I got a feather for my hat), taking part in the games (Falstaff almost managed to ring the bell; pictures on Miscellaneous Pics page), ate some food (Hutch got a turkey leg, and then she and Dandelion got fruit ice), got more mead... Boy, let me tell you it's deceptive stuff. My favorite parts of the Faire were trading bawdy insults with a woman at a pewter booth, and browsing the booths for ideas.
It was very hot that day, and silly me forgot to eat, so a small headache started to form. When four o'clock rolled around, we trudged our weary bodies back to the meeting place where I proceeded to take a brief instance of shut eye. I can only blame the mead for my decision to perform a Scottish ballad that I'd written to the tune of "The Scotsman's Song". Before long, everyone else had trickled back in, and we finally got our pictures taken as a group. Then something astonishing happened. Kielle said that she had an announcement to make, and when we turned around, Laersyn had grabbed her and was giving her the biggest dipsmooch I've ever seen outside of a chat room. Everyone applauded, and when she came back up for air, she said something that I can't reprint in good faith.
That seemed like the signal to depart back to Kielle's for swimming and for dinner. As I was not in the mood to drive, I handed Hutch my keys like a good little leftenant, and I helped her navigate the Southern California freeways back to my house where we picked up beddings and introduced Sparks, Pebbs and Hutch to my mommy. They also got to see the myriad of <gasp!> Sailor Moon posters on my wall. We stopped by Sparks' once again to look for a crêpe recipe, but couldn't find it. Oh well. Pebbs commandeered the stereo on the way home and just as we got to Kielle's, the Thong Song came on. Anyone passing by at that moment would have noticed a lavender colored car, with the doors open, rocking because four girls were busy chair dancing inside.
We bustled in, and changed quickly, Pebbs opting not to swim because of the 'do. We hurried our way over to the heated pool where Chandri, JB, Kielle, Dandelion and Falstaff were already waiting (Laersyn had to leave briefly; I still don't know why). That's when we decided on a game of X-Marco Polo: Instead of calling out "Marco" and the players responding "Polo", you had to call out the first name, and the players had to respond with the last name of the character. If you didn't know it, you had to call out "Polo". Going through the X-Men was fairly easy, as were the X-Affilates. It's when we decided to do non-X when we got to trouble.
Falstaff: Um, Helena?
<mass confusion>
Trisha: Bertinelli!
<tag!>
People started getting hungry, and even though we'd picked up food on the way there, Pebbs and Sparks decided to go out for food again. Hutch, Dandelion, Falstaff, Kielle and I adjourned to the jacuzzi where we talked for a bit, then proceeded to have the first ever Subreality Kareoke Hot Tub Night. Songs ranged from Eric Clapton's "Nobody Knows You (When You're Down and Out)" [sung by me] to Steely Dan [sung by Dandelion] to "You Must Love Me", from the Evita movie soundtrack [sung by Hutch]. But eventually we adjourned back to the apartment, some of us heading off for sushi, some of us remaining behind to continue the eclectic conversations.
When the group reconvened, it was discovered that Sparks and Pebbs couldn't spend the night, so Falstaff agreed to go with me to take them home, as it was very late at night. We bade Pebbs goodbye first, then Sparks, and as we drove, it became exceedingly obvious that I was in no shape to drive because of my headache. So, against my better judgement, I let Falstaff take us back to Kielle's. I feel blessed that we only made one wrong turn.
By the time we got back, the rest of the group were sitting in candlelight, telling horse and dog stories. I stayed up as long as I could, but sleep and bed beckoned, so I made my farewells. I would have slept soundly, if it weren't for the fact that Kielle kept waking me up, talking to me in her sleep. Damned if I can remember what she said; I hope it wasn't important.
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