AKA the War of Satan’s Jockstrap.
It was hot, it was muggy. Assume for the rest of this post that there is an underlying layer of sweat that will not go away because the air is too saturated for sweat to dry and too hot to stop sweating.
Saturday:
I got on site at 2:30 am middle Saturday. My beloved husband and others had made sure my tent was set up. I’d had every intention of unpacking my car, crashing in my tent, and parking after I’d slept.
What happened was:
I got to camp. I opened my trunk. I started crying the sobs of the over tired. Husband closed my trunk then hiked me up to his camp and bed. I passed out up there. Later that morning I hiked back to my camp, unpacked, got dressed, parked my car ect.
Saturday night was invitational bardic. I managed to get there on time, sit in mostly stunned silence while everyone else was performing and then do my piece. Guys? As awesome as flinging arm rings off of a tower is? Save it for daylight. There were several awesome people that helped me find the three bracelets I’d tossed into the darkness. I was also gifted a lovely armring for my performance. I trundled myself back to camp and passed out.
New items: Beautiful saxon style drinking bowl, armring, silver rosette spiral ring made by my laurel, mug carved with Pan’s face.
Sunday:
I went shopping in the afternoon and failed more than one saving throw vs stuff.
Sunday evening was the Bardic Showcase. We had a lovely turnout and I am thrilled with how smoothly it all went. All the feedback I’ve gotten from it was positive, people seemed to really enjoy the laid back less formal style that we decided to go with this year. So yay! Success! I however ran out of People and could not get to the college of performers meet and greet that I’d planned on.
New items: pottery hedgehog shield, new troubadour cup, naalbinding needle, bone weaving shuttle, bone threadwinder, silk embroidery floss, silver foil wrapped thread, gift for impending friend-spawnling, gifted wooden hedgehog beads, wooden box with a hinged mirror in the lid to hold all my SCA bling, and beautiful linen that’ll get to me after war.
Monday:
I helped march in the Eastern fencing army to the sound of war drums (organized by my counterpart). I also fought in the first dencing warpoint. This was the only time I fought (see initial comment regarding Satan’s jockstrap). I honestly don’t know if we won or not, all I know is I killed 5, died 3, and quit when the math was in my favor and before I went down from the heat. My handler was amazing. I came off the field and she handed me electrolyte water, got me to shade, got my fencing gear off me, and got cold onto my pulse points. No heat exhaustion for me! Not today anyway.
Monday night was state dinner. I dropped off the three bottles of cyser that were meant to be for the royals. I managed to get one empty bottle back, the thought is the other two were gifted. I did my piece (I once again used Beastie to give a prophesy. This time for peace since we were halfway through Pennsic.
I left state dinner after I did my piece in order to go to a wedding reception, where I saw people I haven’t seen in far too long and got drunk enough that I needed my laurel to make sure I got home and poured into my tent.
New items: inspection sticker on my fencing mask, adorable tiny raccoon figurine.
Tuesday:
Tuesday I did fuckall. I hung around camp as a lump, I napped, and I did some naalbinding. I attempted to do the ladies’ roaming kegger, I made it about 20 minutes before I ran out of People and needed to go back to camp. I went to bed Pennsic early (so around 1-2am). It was glorious.
New item: a lovely handbound leather notebook gifted by a camp mate, wrist clasps.
Wednesday:
I was supposed to do lunch with my in laws. When it got pushed back to dinner I couldn’t go. Instead I hiked up, saw my husband briefly, paid people I owed money to, attempted to buy a pen, came home with a spindle instead. I tried to resist it’s siren song, but alas I could not. My dear friend also bought me so absolutely beautiful blue wool roving which will be spun up and woven into bands for my lovely new wrist cuffs. Wednesday evening was court. Shortly before court I was gifted a lovely twisted wire ringer ring. This war’s theme was apparently “Aethelflied acquires stuff”.
Wednesday night was also court. To be honest I ducked out early. My plan was to hit the fighting households of the East and perform my minute and a half section of battle of maldon. Unfortunately I didn’t beat the rain showers and so I ended up spending the night in my tent. Working on not feeling guilty for doing either of my jobs.
New items: indigo dyed wool roving, soapstone spindle, twisted wire finger ring.
Thursday:
Had plans, did fuckall. All I did was go to Enchanted Grounds, throw down my three perfectly documentable for me pieces, then go see my husband for the evening.
Friday:
Helped with tear down until I threw my back out. Then I napped and then went up to Trothheim to witness their spectacularly awesome toasting ceremony.
Saturday:
Left site and drove home.
aethelfliedbrewbane 