Monday, August 4 – Saturday, August 9
Speed recap - mostly because I was so damn busy during the week I never had time to sit down and do a recap. That and the power issue. Basically I had no power for my laptop other than my car and my car was the general use shuttle and even if it was around we were so packed with obligations that I could not steal the time to recharge.
But enough whining.
Evening - Monday, August 4
Monday evening I was made a member of my brother's lodge, the Moose Lodge (http://scamooselodge.com). For those not paying attention, my brother is Sir Forgal Kersetter. For those still not paying attention, I’ve been back in the SCA now for four (4) years. I was active in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s to the point of fighting, being a Seneschal of my local shire (Blackthorn in the Orange Park area of Jax, FL/Trimaris), going to events, etc. Life intervened and I dropped out for the better part of 25 years before getting back in mainly to go to Pennsic with a promise to myself that I’d get authorized again for fighting and some periphery involvement. Well, I finally got off my ass and got authorized for heavy fighting in July of 2008 so now I was an authorized fighter.
Even though I’d camped with Moose Lodge since 2004 I was not eligible to be a member of the lodge no matter how much work I was doing, no matter how much I contributed, no matter what connections I had. Only authorized fighters are invited to be members of the lodge. Since I’d become authorized my brother talked with me and asked me if I had a desire to join. Of course I did. I’d met the people with whom my brother has surrounded himself; it is an honor and a privilege to be part of “the family we choose.”
So at Lodge Night on Monday, August 4, 2008, I was accepted into the household as a Man-at-Arms. The path from there is mostly up to me. Service and dedication and hard work may garner additional opportunity and that path is open. I’m fortunate to have the opportunity and I’ll have to make certain I act in a way that builds the honor of the family.
It was a good night, ending with me escorting my niece, Lady Ambra, and her friend, Elee, to various bardic circles and encampments. Yes, yes, I know, it’s a hard job to escort talented and attractive young women but someone must.
Tuesday, August 5
Tuesday was the wood’s battle and it rained off and on so we used this as an excuse to skip it and devote ourselves to various projects and prep work for Lord Tindal’s vigil. Lord, now Sir, Tindal was a squire of Forgal and was selected to be elevated to knighthood this Pennsic. Our job, aside from setting up tents for the vigil and guests, providing refreshments and materials, was to stand guard. Since I was a man-at-arms, this meant I was standing guard. Thank God I’d gotten gel inserts for my boots. My large flat feet allow me to walk forever but I can’t stand in one place more than 10 minutes without a considerable amount of pain.
The vigil lasted a good part of the night with a steady stream of visitors. We were doing a 2 on 1 off rotation and me, being the old man and not knowing anyone, used my off time to nap. Hell, my niece and her friend had been out and about until 4:00 AM and I had to fight in the morning as well as teach a class in the afternoon. Then again, I’d’ve probably napped anyway since I have a sleep deficit of about 10 years.
The vigil ended and just as we were breaking down the tents we got hit by a storm. Wet canvas is so much fun to fold and pack and the bonus is that you get to set it up again so it can dry or it will mold.
Wednesday, August 6
I pried my eyes open at around 8:30 AM, ate a hasty breakfast, got my armour on, and Cherish, another squire of Forgal, and I went down to the battle field for the town battle. Forgal had to have emergency dentistry (unrelated to anything SCAdian) so was not able to join us.
The town battle was a 1.5 hour resurrection battle. You get killed, walk to the edge of the field, and rejoin battle. On Monday I was wearing my own tabard with my own device. By Wednesday I was wearing a Mooselodge tabard. This came into play at one point rather amusingly for me. I had just rejoined battle after being killed by the bloody spearmen for the 173th time and I noticed we had a 15 foot hole in our line and that a line of three people with locked shield s were advancing and causing this hole to widen. Being a person of little sense I decided to plug the hole. Just me.
I come up to the line, lock my eyes onto these folks, get into maximum defensive position, and they stop. “Hmmmmmmmm,” I think,” they see the Mooselodge tabard and have no idea just how much I suck. Good for me.”
So I advance a step, they retreat a step. I move to the side a step; they match me. All this time the hole around me is filling with additional allies. After nearly a minute, which is just this side of forever in a battle, I take a spear thrust and have to go back to the resurrection point. But the line has been re-enforced and is advancing now so I am feeling pretty good.
Back at the resurrection point I notice quite a few people sitting down, helms off, armour loosened, obviously finished with the battle for the day. It’s only half way through the battle and I am puzzled. Then I notice the vast majority of these people are a good 20 years younger than me. If I’d of had any spare breath I would have dropped some smack talk but instead I took a sip of water, hit the rez point, and went to die some more.
It was a good battle.
My Wednesday afternoon Bo Staff class went well. It was attended by fewer people but we covered a lot more intermediate things. All in all I was very pleased with the response and attendance and will have to work next year to bring materials to hand out as well as DVDs of lessons and katas that people were just begging to buy. Prices, of course, will be kept to a minimum. Why? Think of it this way. If I have something that is easily copied, a high price will ensure it is pirated. If I price it more reasonably I will sell more of them.
I figure I will put together 4-5 DVDs each with a 20-30 minute lesson and a kata that incorporates the moves reviewed. My lessons alternate practical with presentation because I have found that is the best way to keep people interested. It’s a project for next Pennsic and, if I am lucky, before.
By the time I got back to camp, around 4:00 PM, I was dog tired. I did some chores, got some food and drink, contemplated the plans for the evening, had dinner, and took a nap. I got up around 9:00 PM, got cleaned up and went down to visit the Irish Guard for a bit and then headed off to Midnight Madness, the annual “sale.” Sale is in quotes since nothing I look at that I was interested in buying was discounted. I did pick up a couple of small things but nothing in the realm of armour or shield blanks.
Thursday, August 7
Up and eat and armour and down to the field for the bridge battle. There were three (3) bridge battles planned, each 30 minutes long. This translates into, roughly, standing around for 20 minutes hurling taunts at people followed by 10 minutes of fierce combat. It was not my favorite battle, truth be told, but I did get to act as a stop when the front line shield folks were absorbing a charge.
My shield was not large enough to allow me to be in the front line but it was large enough to brace two (2) front line shield bearers and aid them in refusing to give up ground. That is, right until the shield wall to my right collapsed and an axe man clocked me on top of the helm.
Anytime you have multiple battles it is a Last Man Standing type of thing but I felt good about my contribution.
After fighting it was straight back to camp to prepare for the Great Hafla, the camp’s annual “of course you are invited” party. The last two (2) years it has rained something fierce during the Hafla so attendance has been spotty and although we did get some showers here and there the weather was mostly grand and we, finally, got to make full use of our huge fire pit.
By full use I mean we burned every stick of wood we had and, at one time, had a bed of coals that was a good yard high and six feet in diameter. It was still smoldering through noon the next day.
Friday, August 8
Up fairly early and no one else is stirring but there is fog and rain and a general wetness. I made hot water, prepped coffee, made myself some tea, and sat for about an hour reading and eating breakfast. This was the last day for battles and was the field battle, the ones that are massive melee and although there was some initial reservations and second thoughts, we, Forgal, Cherish, and me, made it down in time for the start of the second (of five total) battle. Yes, the one time we were late was the one time the battles started on time. Go figure. The field battles are a load of fun and the first one I fought in I got some decent shots and took yet another spear to the head. The second battle I fought in I managed a couple more kills and even stayed alive, which was wonderful. The third and fourth battles for me consisted of me moving around the field, cutting people off, almost engaging, but never getting close enough to actually fight. Oh I did not just stand around and a lot of my movement aided in funneling the enemies into our troops, but I did not get to hit anyone and that made me sad.
Luckily, after the battles I did some fighting against cherish and then Forgal. And though I did get a solid face thrust in on Cherish and perhaps a leg here and there, both Forgal and Cherish beat me soundly. I’m still working to incorporate my martial arts training into a medieval style. I’ve got it intellectually, I think, but need a lot more practice to make it smooth.
Fighting done we headed back to camp for the start of breakdown. Breakdown lasted from about 2:00 PM – 9:00 PM and in that time we got all five (5) of the Pavilion tents down, the kitchen tent and storage tent down, the entertainment tent and armour tent down and all of it put into the storage trailers . This left us with the shower tent and the kitchen sinks and hot water heater.
Friday night was chilly, very much so. By the time we’d finished breakdown, had the 20 minute discussion of what to do for dinner (McDonalds), and gotten folks ready, I was actually cold and regretted not bringing a sweatshirt. After dinner I grabbed my wool and linen cloak, sat down on a bench for about 10 minutes, and decided I was toast so went to bed about 10:30.
Saturday, August 9
Up and eat and back to work. I had a 12:00 PM deadline to leave in time to get home and take my youngest to a movie but as we’d knocked most everything out the previous day this was no problem at all. Hugs all around to folks I won’t see for a year or so and hit the road.
Pennsic is a great time and I miss it already. My schedule next year is dicey but if I can’t make it for two (2) weeks I will be there for setup weekend, return home, and get in Friday evening at the latest for War week. In the meantime I’ll hit some local events, ramp up my participation in the local shire, and see what happens.
Good stuff indeed and it makes me wonder why it took me so long to get back.
Morning - Monday, August 4
First, boat races. They went well and although we did not come in first, we did beat the Aussies. I also found out that five (5) Irish Car Bombs is my limit. The sixth one and I parted ways about 30 minutes after I'd had it. And as I do not get nauseous often, I recognized the issue, went to the designated container, took car of things, and moved on. I was in a happy place but not falling down inebriated.
Oh, last thing about the boat race, I beat my man both times.
Saturday was camp chores, a tiny bit of shield shopping for me (no purchase) off to the airport to pick up a late arrival, back to camp, dinner, additional work, and a leather working project that looked great when i was done but was not as functional as I'd planed. Back to the drawing board on the whole pouch thing. I did attend my niece's concert on Saturday night, which was nice, and we walked around a bit after with her friend. They wanted a fire when we got back to camp so we sat up a bit and talked and had some God-awful cherry brandy. One sip was enough for me
Sunday was a slower day but we did not make it down for weapon's inspection. With the other work we were doing we just ran out of time. Sunday night was Atlantian Royal Bard and Sam and here friend bother wee requested. I tagged along to insert some of the verse I write in the low points and a good time was had by all. Since Monday was a War day I turned in as soon as we hit camp.
Up at 7:30 AM on Monday, get prepped for fighting, run down to inspection, get inspected (mine armor and weapons passed no worries) and then stand around and wait for the 10:00 AM battle to start around 10:45 AM.
This was my first massive melee and I had a good time. I got killed a lot, killed a few folks but as it was a gate battle my preference for movement did not happen. I had to leave the battle early to teach a 12:00 PM class and, once again, I had an overflow capacity which made me feel good. In fact, I've been asked to teach another class and I'll need to check the War schedule and try to get one together.
I did have one attendee give me a book of their poetry in appreciation and another gifted me a half gallon of orange juice. As I'd run out of water and try to avoid the communal water jugs, the OJ was muchly appreciated. Books of poems are always appreciated, of course, and I look forward to reading them soon.
Back to camp, prep for lodge night, get stopped when folks notice the scalded hand I'd managed to incur earlier in the week was blistering. I've gotten it cleaned and dressed since then and have promised to change them daily. It's my shield hand so I'm good and can continue to fight.
Tomorrow night I'm travelling with the Irish guard so that will be a great time.
Pennsic 37 Day By Day - Saturday, June 26 - Friday, August 1
OK, so not EXACTLY day by day.
Saturday - arrive at check-in around 11:00 AM. Get through Check-in around 12:15 PM. At BE (Mooselodge Actual) at 12:30 PM. Start working to set up camp around 12:31 PM. Setup camp Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Monday evening we went on a walk-about and got home around 6:30 AM. Yes, AM. You see my brother knows everyone and everyone want to talk to him and give him drinks. Me, I'm a light-weight, I had a couple of beers and a travelling rum and coke (Gabriel, the gentleman who runs a free bar, carried the ingredients and since I am Sir Forgal's brother, he insisted I have some) and then I stood around and avoided drinks. I am a light weight, after all, and we'd busted our butts all day long and I was dog tired. So after standing for a few minutes I found a bench, leaned against my Bo staff and took a nap for several hours, woke up, had a few conversations with people in various states of sobriety, moved out of the way into a further corner and napped further until it was time to walk back to camp, in daylight.
Tuesday was a late start but we made up for it by working our butts off once again. Wednesday was just a blur of work, more work and then some additional work. Thursday I got into a couple of personal projects I had wanted to get done before I’d left for Pennsic. I put my device on my shield, my tabard, and made a banner to put out in front of my tent. We also did laundry in town and I made a spare sword and in the evening we went to dinner in town and caught a movie, Hancock.
Friday was more work but lighter in nature. I got tapped to make sheaths for three spears and used some of the scrap leather I'd brought along. They turned out fairly well as I had a professionally done sheath to use as a pattern. I'd not managed to get any leather working tools for edging and did not get the cording I had wanted but, all in all, they turned out well. Another town run for food and ice and back to camp; straighten up, get ready for dinner and the boat races this evening.
Boat races? Yeah, the Irish Car Bomb types. Our team will get crushed but we will be able to watch other people get silly as we sit by and talk.
It's going to be an interesting evening.