Freaking the mundanes

[AnyuBoo]

There are a couple of moments I can remember.  One is from a couple of years ago.  Hubby and I were at the annual "Frankenfeast" in Frankenmuth, MI.  After the feast itself, there's a couple of hours before the dancing starts when all the rennies do a walk about town.  Hubby and I were in noble garb (he in a very lavish doublet and I in a velvet court gown) strolling around.  Several mundanes stopped us to ask to take our picture, but the best was one little girl who walked up to me with huge eyes and asked, "Are you the queen of Germany?"     (For those that don't know, Frankenmuth was originally settled by Germans and is built in a Bavarian style.)

The other was just a few days ago at this year's Frankenfeast.  I was at the Friday night pre-party (the feast is always on Saturday) chatting with a new friend.  As we were chatting away, two other rennie friends were sitting in the same booth talking to each other.  They're both guys (this point must be made), and after shaking hands, they got so involved in whatever they were chatting about that they never let go.  Our waitress was a trainee, so I suspect she hasn't really encountered the likes of us before.  She came to remove an empty wine glass, and had to reach over the guys' clasped hands to get it.  She didn't say a word, but the look on her face was priceless.  We all had a good chuckle about it.    She got a full dose of pirate craziness on Saturday night, though, as she was one of the waitresses working during the dancing. 

[tiberiusflynn]

Alright, let's see who remembers this commercial.

I believe it was back in 1989, we were doing a one-weekend festival, the "Wichita Falls Medieval Fantasy Faire".  Exiting the hotel on Sunday morning, we passed by the restaurant area where everyone was having breakfast.  One elderly couple looked on in ever-growing astonishment at the parade of colourfully-garbed performers passing by.  As I was at the end of the line, Gramma poked Grampa repeatedly and pointed at me.

Decked out in my brightest and best, topped off with an enormous golden Imperial Crown, without stopping, I quipped, "Do try the margarine!"

The wave of laughter that rolled across the restaurant!

Wichita Falls had a fantasy faire? Man, I grew up there, do they still have it? I never heard of it.....

[LadyStitch]

This is something the pink pirate wanted me to pass along.

"I was going bowling with a group of friends.  Just for kicks I wear my kilt.  I'm at the restroom sink combing the tangles out of my shoulder  length hair.  In walks a guy who shouts, "Oh sweet 'jebuz' I'm in the wrong bathroom!'  Then he see's my face with it's full van dyke beard, and starts laughing.  The guy told me, 'I saw the skirt, and I saw the hair, and thought I had really screwed up.' 

[Elennare]

It's not exactly faire related, but I definately startled a mundane this morning...

Last night I henna'd my hand.  At Starbucks this morning, when I was checking out I reached for my change w/the henna'd hand, palm up.  The guy at the register jumped and yelled "hello!" when he noticed the henna.  No further comments or questions from him, though, just a slightly quizical look.  Definately the strangest reaction to henna I've seen.  I honestly have no idea what was going through his mind. *shrug*

[GirlChris]

Stage combat practice.

Local park.

Yes.

[justsomeguytn]

It's not exactly faire related, but I definately startled a mundane this morning...

Last night I henna'd my hand.  At Starbucks this morning, when I was checking out I reached for my change w/the henna'd hand, palm up.  The guy at the register jumped and yelled "hello!" when he noticed the henna.  No further comments or questions from him, though, just a slightly quizical look.  Definately the strangest reaction to henna I've seen.  I honestly have no idea what was going through his mind. *shrug*

Since Elennare is going to mention a non faire occurance.  A few weekends ago I went to see Kick weed puller at a local theater.  A guy that looked like a preacher was in the line next to me buying tickets for "letters from God".  Just as he's handing the girl his money I say "Kick weed puller, at 7:30".  He coughs, turns, and stares at me.


Judge not lest ye be judged, padre.

[DonaCatalina]

This happens so regularly that it probably doesn't count:

Fabric Clerk : So what are you going to make with all this?
Me : Doublet and slops.
Fabric Clerk : What?
Me : whips out photo of Don Juan in his finery.
Fabric Clerk : ah.....okkkkkkk.

[LadyStitch]

This happens so regularly that it probably doesn't count:

Fabric Clerk : So what are you going to make with all this?
Me : Doublet and slops.
Fabric Clerk : What?
Me : whips out photo of Don Juan in his finery.
Fabric Clerk : ah.....okkkkkkk.

Try explaining...

Fabric clerk is rolling out 5 yards of pastel pink silk. They are still bolts of magenta pink mincro sude, and feather trim in our basket.  Fabric clerk: "What is this for?"
Me: "A pirate coat."
Clerk: "Ahh you will look lovely in it."
Me: " It isn't for me."
Clerk: "Oh, then your customer will love it."
Me: "Not for a customer, him." Point at my DH who is trying to decide between the persian pink trim or the darker black/plum and pink trim. 
Clerk: "Oh well....I would hope there is a story behind this.   

Trust me I know how you feel.

[Merlin the Elder]

One time...at band camp... ooops!

When we go to Scarby each year, we have a couple of friends that travel with us. It is somewhat of a tradition of ours to have breakfast, at least once, at the Chisum Grill on the square in downtown Waxahachie. We usually are on the way to the village when we stop, so we are already garbed. (You would be amazed at the people who look at you like you're nuts, have never been to the faire, and this is happening in their town! Go figure!)

On one of our early morning visits—it was a Sunday—we had an unusually large contingent from Little Rock, and I was wearing my gray wizardly robes. As we were heading out the door, a woman rushed up to me. "I just had to tell you," she said, "my 4 year-old son looked at you, then looked at me and asked, 'Mommy, is that God?'" Since nothing could be further from the truth, I laughed and replied, "Not hardly, ma'am!"

[Hausfrau Monica]

I finally get to add to this thread...this is our second faire season.

My son (doublet, leather pants, boots and floopy hat with huge blue feather), his girlfriend (low noble garb a la princess) and I (toned down wench since it was kids day) had finished faire for the day.  I needed groceries so I said to the faire organizer that we were going to do shopping in garb and could we have some programs to help plug the faire.  We get to the parking lot...and overhear..."are they Mennonites?"  We enter the store amid tons of stares and several people approach..."and what play is this for?"  We laughed our way through the store.  One elderly lady kept poking her head around the end of the aisle to keep watching us.  We had a blast!  Sadly, so few people even knew that there was a medieval faire in their own back yard.

Also at the faire my son and I had our hands hennaed.  Both of us have enjoyed the comments about them today as well.  Almost every one assumed we had been to an Indian wedding though...too sad!

[VIII]

Alright, let's see who remembers this commercial.

I believe it was back in 1989, we were doing a one-weekend festival, the "Wichita Falls Medieval Fantasy Faire".  Exiting the hotel on Sunday morning, we passed by the restaurant area where everyone was having breakfast.  One elderly couple looked on in ever-growing astonishment at the parade of colourfully-garbed performers passing by.  As I was at the end of the line, Gramma poked Grampa repeatedly and pointed at me.

Decked out in my brightest and best, topped off with an enormous golden Imperial Crown, without stopping, I quipped, "Do try the margarine!"

The wave of laughter that rolled across the restaurant!

Wichita Falls had a fantasy faire? Man, I grew up there, do they still have it? I never heard of it.....

Unfortunately it was a one-time, one-weekend event back in 1989 (I think?) never to be repeated again *sigh* 

[Capt Robertsgrave Thighbiter]

OK for those who know The Brigands, we travel in an old Astro Van, made up to look like a ship, HMS Hellion ( check our website for more pics of it).  thebrigands.com

We constantly get asked if it came like that!  And of course , our answer is" Yeah, it was a special option that year. Didn't you see the Nautica option at the dealer?"  About half get the joke, the other half walk away, shaking thier heads and wondering why THEY didnt order it like that too.

[Lady Christina de Pond]

coming from Garf the other weekend we stop at steak and shake i love steak and shake and well while sitting there we waited a while when a girl comes over and says sorry your waiter is busy i'll take your drink order well apparently my costume had him freaked out so bad that our waiter never showed the girl had to take our order and bring it to us as well.

[Rosamundi]

/Pollyanna moment

This may be hokey, but when I'm garbed (playtron), I always feel I should be an ambassador for Renfest culture. I think this is a guilty holdover from theater days where they drilled into us that you never-never-never-EVER wear a costume in public.

So, when out and about, my renbuddies and I try to go out of my way to be extra-smiley and spread the "it's really fun and you should just run on down today and check it out" message to store clerks, hotel bellhops, gas station attendants, little kids (if their parents aren't too creeped out), and anyone else who is willing to chat.

/end Pollyanna moment

Now back to my regularly scheduled snarkiness.

[squiregaby]

I have a new story!....well they weren't exactly mundanes...and it WAS at faire but still....I freaked them out


So sunday last I was able to attend the royal joust at the colorado show.  At the end of the show after the evil Sir Roderick had met his demise, Don Mitri, second to Sir William was making an attempt to retrieve his banner from it's holder on the fence when his horse shied away from it.  Seeing something that needed to be done I raced over to it and handed it up to him.  There were some patrons behind me that looked at me funny.....