Monday, October 30, 2006

Pictures! Glee!





These were snapped during the Court Dancing in the mornings; these in particular are from Saturday. I'd have more, but I was too busy actually dancing Sunday to get any then.

Overall, this weekend was a fairly interesting one. A pretty good one, actually. I got free italian food Friday night. And free food is always awesome. Especially if it's offered to you by someone who keeps reminding you (during the meal even) how much they hate you. Bwa-ha-HA! The Faire weekend was really nice, if bright. Cool enough to keep me from sweating too much, but warm enough to keep everyone else from complaining. Weak bastards, all! There was a very nice (to me, anyway) breeze blowing all weekend, too. I got many compliments on my new red shirt, nearly all from the female types, and several from female types not normally in my social circles at faire. Which is just fine by me. I got to hang out with Amy at the hot tub waiting for everyone else to arrive. She plays a fool, Keena(spelling unknown), at CRF and is most often found on her head telling bad jokes. She's been doing the Rennie Life since her first year at CRF, 2004, where I first met her. She's a fantastic woman, and it was nice to get to know her a little better. Chris and I had a patron come up to us and request that we sing Seven Drunken Nights. This season is really shaping up to be an awesome one for me.

Now if only I could get the weekdays to not suck so much. Aye, there's the rub.

as i went home on a sunday night...

Lord Captain Julien Grey


Man, but don't I look smashing?

Monday, October 23, 2006

Slacker!

I really am. At least when it comes to this blog. But I tend to get out of touch with the world during the Ren-Fest season. Wear myself out during the weekend and zombie my way through the week. The festival is great, though. The kids are alright, but, being a bunch of teenagers, they can get on my nerves just a bit. It's also difficult getting the kids to respect me like they do Chris. Chris was the Sarge. Teacher, mentor, guy-to-listen-to. I'm the new guy, so to speak. So it's a lot harder to get them to listen to me. Maybe because I don't particularly want to dress them down off stage. I guess I'm still used to not having to do so. In the past, the Royal Guard/Pike Troope was made up entirely of adults. And on top of that, adults under the head of someone else. On stage, I was the captain. Back stage, someone else was responsible for everyone's behavior. Now I'm both Stage Manager AND Captain. If this were a real Guard, they'd listen or get the crap beat out of them for insubordination. Can't quite do that now. Oh well. If that's the only real complaint I have, I think I've got it pretty good.

I got a new shirt. Wow, isn't that exciting. I started thinking about getting a red shirt earlier this year. Grey and red are Captain Grey's "colors" but I've always had just a white shirt. No plans to get rid of the white one, though, because it still looks very good. And it's cotton, so nice and breathable. The new shirt is red silk. And man is it pretty. Grey is a Lord, after all, a Baron. He should have some nicer clothes. I made a leap in that direction with his doublet from a couple of years ago, a nice corduroy with silver braid accents and detachable sleeves. And The suede doublet I have now is very much lordly. And now I have a nice upper class shirt. It's the hotness. I'll get some pictures next weekend and post. But now, I have a few pictures of the kids to share with everyone! Yay!





Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Looooong week. And some change.

Wow. What a week. And some days. So.

My last post was made just after getting home from Dress Rehearsal weekend. Which went well enough, if really warm. But this past weekend, opening weekend, went fabulously. I need to remember to grab my camera to take a few pictures of the Royal Guard, and everyone else. But those kids are awesome. I don't know if I've elaborated on the kids, so I'm gonna do that. These are former students that Chris taught in his Leadership Academy at Imani Institute. These are underpriveleged kids who would never have really been able to experience the Renaissance Festival otherwise. But being Chris' kids, they're all very disciplined. Lani has (and still is, grumble grumble) made some very sharp costumes for the guys to wear. People in the cast keep coming up to Chris and me telling us how impressed they are, how great the kids are. We couldn't be more pleased with the reaction. And being, technically, production staff, we don't really have to listen to other people when they try to tell us what to do or not to do. We usually do, but only because 1) it's a legitimately good idea that's been proposed or 2) to play along and keep the waters from being too stirred up. But I've denied people, much to their chagrin (only 24 years old? What does he know?! Punk kid!), their petty power struggles on more than one occassion. Because I can. I answer to myself, Rob and Jeff. Rob being the Entertainment Director and Jeff being the Mighty Owner Guy of the whole thing.

Work's been work, but continues to be a lot less stressful and a lot more fulfilling. Especially since I don't have Scott Horton leaning heavily over my shoulder all day, every day. If he's the Manager on Deck, he'll walk about checking on the department, but it's a pain in the ass to come all the way out to Car Fi from the Manager's Bridge on the opposite corner of the store, so his visits are rare. Some days he'll get a wild hair up his ass and spend many a circuit passing Car Fi when I'm on shift, no doubt looking for something to get on my case about. Meh. I do more than my share keeping the numbers up, and Jimmy knows it. So I've got some relative immunity.

Speaking of work, I've taken to walking to and/or from work, instead of getting Chris or Lani to drive me. Not often, and usually only when I can't get a ride. But I think I might do it as a matter of fact, barring foul weather. The absolutely amazing doublet Kae made for me is a little tighter around the middle than it should be, and I need to fix that. Because I have put on a little size in the last 6-7 months. Faire will help that. I get into a mode where I eat less and do more. Which I really wish I had kept up a little better than I did. But I've been stuck in a long bout of apathy about my physical condition. Heartbreak does that to me. But it's been months. I really should have shaken myself out of it sooner, but laziness, apathy, etc. Yadda yadda yadda. Fixing it. My khakis are already fitting better and the XL Best Buy Blue Polo of Blue fits a lot better than it did four weeks ago when I first went back to Car Fi. I just need an accelerant. Like liposuction. Heh.

Back to opening weekend! The weather was awesome. For me. A lot of other people weren't happy with it. But they weren't blessed with Northern European genes that were made to handle cold and misty/rainy days. I was a little miffed that I didn't have my cloak, though. Not because I was cold and wet, but because I want to make sure I don't damage the doublet. It's suede and all. And a labor of love. So I treasure it and keep it in the best condition I can. Also? I need to get a red shirt.

I've been watching too much Stargate SG1. Damn you, torrent files. Damn you to hell!

caaaaaan...anybo-deeeeeee...find meee-heee-heee...somebody too-hoo....looooooooove

Monday, October 02, 2006

One Year

I remember. I will always remember. I will always love you.

and the greatest of these is love