**yawn** what an action filled weekend. A very enjoyable, if expensive weekend. Guess I should start with the
Renaissance Faire…
Pictures ahead, I shrunk them down a bit, but it still might take some time for dial up….
If anybody wants an original picture taken 960×1280, just let me know and I will send it to you.
Anyway, After not sleeping on Thursday night, and getting little sleep on Friday night (the moon just played havoc with me all night long) I woke up and left Pacifica around 9
AM. It was a beautiful day around the bay, esp. after escaping the fog hanging around the coast. Drove down Hwy 280 and then got onto Hwy 101 and headed to Gilroy. It was an interesting drive since I have never been down 101 pass San Jose before. About an hour later, I get to Hwy 152 East and get off. So far, I haven’t seen any signage at I am going the right way to the faire. So I’m driving inland, and I’m looking for someone in costume, or with a faire sticker on their car, or anything to let me know that I am going on the right direction. Eventually, right when I am thinking that I am going to turn around, there is a sign saying that the faire is 5 miles away at Casa de Fruta.
So soon after, I reach the faire site. Let me just say that the faire will not have to
worry about the land turning into a golf course or other development. It is out in the middle of NO WHERE. And I do mean no where. But at least it was a cool no where; while it was a nice and sunny day, it had to be one of the coldest faires I have been to since the faire was at Black Pointe site. So I went in with my ticket and headed to the rental place to get my costume. Decided on a nice swordsman costume, mainly because the shirt was clean. It also looked good with the hat that I have, The only bad thing about the costume was with the boots. They didn’t have boots anymore, but these boot covers, which covers your regular shoes. I guess they wouldn’t have been so bad if I would have worn my steel toes instead of my sneakers. Anyway, got compliments on my costume has I left and headed into the faire.
In a way, I guess the faire hasn’t changed. Alot of the shops are the same and have the same items. There is the same Nancy Chien art work that I just drool over, the same games, the same barbarian lady wearing a chain mail bra and panties (and only bra and panties). However this faire was different in a number of ways. I really did not like where the Queen’s Court was at. It seemed very small, and I passed it twice. I also passed up the Boars Head, where they usually have a sit down meal you can get w/entertainment. I don’t know, in some ways, it
just seemed a bit smaller.
However, their was nothing wrong with the ladies at the faire. **sigh** The funniest thing has to be looking at guys looking at the women in costume. It goes from the very sly look to the outright gawking. I myself am a corner looker myself, however I did catch myself doing some straight on stares and double looks.
Didn’t do that much shopping thanks to the Columbia House binge I went on. Not sure if it was a good or bad thing that I didn’t have that much money to spend. I did buy some new plumes for my hat (mix of orange/black). Had a stuffed baked potato with a beef/mushroom stew over it that was good. And I had alcohol. **sigh** Probably too much considering that the potato is all I had to eat the entire day (I know, bad Joe). had a couple of ciders, a lager, and an ale…I think. Did not get the turkey drumstick or the cinnamon almonds, which is a
disappointment. The nuts sound esp. good right now. Caught some of the shows. Saw
Moonie the Magnificent, also saw the Bold & Stupid Men show and the Queen’s
Pageant. However the biggest entertainment for me was in the games area, where I played Jenga against a faire worker. He is very good. The first time we played, I
conceded to him. Later in the afternoon, once I had gotten a supply of alcohol in me, I went back for a rematch. We had some pretty nice crowd of onlookers watching up. I swear, I love Jenga; and the best way to play it is to be a bit drunk (It allows you to swing with the bricks when they are
teetering, according to one person.)
And yes, I met people at the faire. Suzanne and Tess were town criers; Mariah was at Turkey Legs; Judy and Kimberlee (which I had thought we took a picture together, but I guess not) were working at Friends of Faire. Also saw Laura, who was working a hat booth, and her daughter Kristen, who was a
drummer in the procession. Didn’t see Brent; which makes me wonder if he is O.K. although I guess I can ask Laura if he is there or not. It might have been to far for him to goto this year.
Made my way out of the faire around 5:30p.m. I actually laid in my car for a little while before driving home. I probably should have waited a little longer, but made it home with only a hangover. Was going to stop in San Jose and goto Nickel City to play some games, but I didn’t have any money, and really wasn’t in the best of shape to play arcade games. Overall I had a good time, and I am going to try and go again at the end of the month if I can.
[Listening to: Memories in a Sea of Forgetfulness – BT – ESCM (07:40)]
