I went from sleeping on the floor in a sleeping bag for just a few hours on Friday, to sleeping in a tent on a floaty pool raft in a sleeping bag for just a few hours on Saturday, with incredible amounts of junkfood-eating, bodice-wearing, uncomfortable-shoe-walking, party-having, dusty, camping fun in between.
The Renaissance Faire was awesome, as always. We set up our tent in the middle of the camping grounds, put our canopy beside it, donned our medieval garb and headed over to the grounds mid Saturday afternoon. I am not ashamed to admit that I spent most of the first day shopping. I'm really not. The best part of the Faire, as I was telling Eia and Liz today, is that it's literally just like normal fairs (the vendors, the fried food, the drinking, the parties, etc.) only we do it all while simultaneously playing dress-up. So yes, world; all you prying and judgmental eyes: I DID spend $50 on a new black and gold patterned bodice. And I like it. Because it's form fitting. And my other ones were too big. So there.
And I did buy a new claddagh ring. And a lather satchel for my belt. And a pickle, from the pickle wench. And a turkey leg.
So, we had a blast. Serendipitous as it may be, a campful of boys pitched their tent right beside ours, and we had a great time hanging out with them after we'd come back from the grounds. We spent most of the night trying to remember exactly how many people in the group were named Tyler, finishing off the obscene amounts of honey mead everyone seemed to be purchasing, giving each other code names (examples being Harriet the Spy, Nighthawk, Agent Cody Banks, The Slayer, Iceman and Theodore Roosevelt) and wearing 3D sunglasses (in the dark) with all of our period appropriate outfits.
This was the first year I was actually over 21 while attending the Faire, so I got to see what all the fuss was about at the Tavern parties I've been hearing about for years -- it was pretty much like any other party, except we were closer to the source of the alcohol and there was a little wooden fence around us keeping out the minors. We still sang Disney songs at the top of our lungs (which actually attracted new friends rather than drove other tavern-goers away, surprisingly) and only half our group even remembered taking the shuttle back to our camp in the morning (I was among the remembering, for the record).
Highlights from today (the second day of Faire) included: eating a delicious crepe for breakfast that made me feel like I was back in Paris, witnessing a tiny little girl in a fairy costume wearing a helmet and totally taking down a grown Barbarian with a foam mace, seeing a cat with wings, seeing a dog in a masquerade mask, buying a wand holster, and seeing incredibly attractive equestrian men with long ponytails and no shirts do backflips while standing up on a moving horse.
The Renaissance Faire is one of my favorite times of the year. I had so much fun with all my friends that came with me, and I love how just going always ensures you'll make new friends. We left today about an hour before closing, and I can't even tell you how wonderful my hot shower felt after two straight days of dirt/dust. But I already can't wait until next year.
Now I am absolutely burnt out and plan to spend the rest of my evening on the couch watching Buffy.
Last google search: "shoulder cat"
Chipotle burritos: 17
