2005-10-24 - 6:30 a.m.
Shop 'til you drop.
...And that new entry turned out to be quite a bit later. Between a mild bout of food poisoning and a sudden upswing in the amount of work I have on my desk, last week fell by the roadside, and nothing much except work got done. (especially here on D-land.) On a positive note, due to a sudden influx of mailings with vital information, it looks like I won't have to go to Minnesota to use the copier machine there after all. Good things come in multiple packages, even if it means that there's less time for mucking about updating my diary. The weekend made up for the week, though. Friday was a fencing demo at a school in Baltimore, which reminded me that while I *can* fight, it's still a bad idea to do it too much in one evening. I am *still* taking extra painkillers. Other than the pain, it was nice - very cute (and polite!) kids, and a chance to play without a mask (only with Bob). Saturday was spent at the Annapolis Mall spending too much money (buying a portable keyboard that rolls up into a little 1-lb package that is most convenient to carry, some stuff from the toy store and Crabtree & Evelyn), then tootling over to West Annapolis and stocking up on nostalgically good English candy and snacks. While I think my mother would have fainted at the amount of candy I purchased, it lasts well, and I just don't drive down to Annapolis that often. ...Except for this weekend, where Sunday was also spent near Annapolis at the Maryland Renaissance Festival (last day of the last 'fest weekend of the year) with Alan and Gen, who fortunately came in a separate car, since we waited in a line of cars for over an hour to get in, and they got there half an hour before us. It was still worth it - we got some nice (expensive) stuff, and I ate way too many deep fried bread products. It was "wrong" day, which meant there were slightly more stupidly dressed people than usual, but not so's you'd really notice. There's this thing about renfests that seems to snap a vital connective thingy in the brain, so that people think that really any vaguely fantasy-ish outfit is the perfect thing to wear for the day. Now, I'm not knocking anyone's desire to dress up (considering that's what I spend half *my* time doing), and if it makes your heart sing, go ahead. ...But I am a bit surprised by the number of people who choose outfits that are not in the *least* bit flattering in colour, fit, or style. The fairy dress with the Uggs comes to mind. Or the prom dress with the ends trailing in the mud. But especially anyone wearing a large cloak over jeans and a Heavy Metal Band t-shirt. Honestly, do people *really* look in the mirror, think "wow! This is the *Bee's Knees* of outfits!"? I mean, some (not all) of these outfits were obviously put together with great care and no little financial investment - and complete lack of taste. If the bodice thingy that you spent $300 on is a colour that makes you look like a camel with legionnaire's disease, why would you buy it? Particularly when that exact same bodice is available in a considerably more flattering colour? Moving on to the large number of people dressed in gothy outfits (the fact that I dress all in black doesn't really make me stand out at the 'fest), if you weigh almost three hundred pounds, perhaps the tight plaid mini-skirt and sheer fishnets is not the look for you. The corset was a nice touch, but I was unwilling to stand too close since those Frederick's of Hollywood corsets are really bustiers, and they can only take so much strain before they explosively decompress, and flying rivets kill more than two people every year. It's a good idea to know the facts before you embark on a dangerous course of corset. Despite (or perhaps, in part because) of the bad fashion, I had a rather good time. A small group is more fun at a place like that, since you can split and regroup with minimum fuss, and there's no waiting around for half an hour for someone who's wandered off. The peasant bread gets a big thumbs up as always, as do the waffle cone sundaes, since they use a pretty good raspberry sauce on the stuff, unlike the gelatinous canned fruit pie goop they ladle onto the peasant bread if you're foolish enough to pay the extra 75 cents (don't). Bob bought me a beautiful silver and Iolite ring, and I bought him a leather mantle that's rather fetching (and should be appearing at an event sometime in the future). We also got a green hat and some delightful feather hat pins from Tall Toad, and a pretty green embossed velvet corset from Noblesse Oblige (10% off). I saw my ex (he didn't see me), and he looks exactly the same (maybe slightly fatter and greyer, and with the most appallingly humourous bag hat). It seems that Alice the Fishwife is no longer working there, and in general, the street acts seemed a little lackluster, but that may have been last-day-of-the-'fest burnout. Even the Pirates Royale were a little boring, sadly (their lineup has changed, so I think they're not doing some of the old songs, and the new ones were... okay). With all that, you'd think I'd have had a mediocre time, but it's never a dull time at the 'fest when you're with friends that don't whine. All in all, a fine weekend. I have new feathers and a corset, some interesting bruises, and my credit cards are screaming.
Dorsal - Ventral
Funnier than me: James Lileks disclaimer!
all words copyright Laura Mellin 2000-2005
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