Neat MNRF 2008 experiences

[Obadiah Jib]

Had any great events happen out at MRF this year that you'd like to share?

Mine was spending about a half hour speaking with a group of honor students from Iowa who attended the MRF with their teacher.  They were so dedicated to this instructor I felt I just had to see what was going on (I had a few High School teachers who I liked but none whom I would put on a pedestal like they did this fellow).  It was great seeing people take an interest in their educations at a young age!

[Storm]

Actually Jib...

One of my most memorable experiences at faire came this weekend with you!..

You and I were standing in a lane talking about that great pirate book, "Under the Black Flag", when in the course of about 15-20 minutes several things happened...

1st the "sisters" approached us....Nuff said about that!...

Then that other pirate (don't know who he was) joined us...

Then the 2 guards/beef eaters showed up and that little impromptu thing started between them and the 3 of us. It didn't last but about 10 minutes, but was a lot of fun for me none the less. You carried the bit. And, I realized that my acting skills leave a lot to be desired...LoL

As I walked around the grounds later that day on 2 occasion I ran into one of those guards only to have him point at me and yell..."Rapscallion"!!!............


Of course, also this past weekend there was that whole thing about Bacardi's "gay blade" and Mad Jack that sticks in my mind too!..

[Naween]

My two faves this year:

Stopping to eat fried veggies and having two little girls around age 3-5 glomp (ie: exuberantly hug) my skirts. One of them asked me "Are you a princes?". I talked to both of them for a bit, and asked their parents if they wanted a picture. They declined, because their camera batteries had died! Luckily, our camera used the same type, so I swapped batteries with them so they could get the picture. The little girls were sooooo happy! So I'm glad I made their day AND got a pic of it for the whole family to enjoy.

2nd fave was getting to dance with the queen and rest of court despite all the lesson-times confusion. It REALLY made my fest this year, and I can't wait to learn/practice more next year!

[Nikita]

Coming back to work at Fest and:
1- Having so many friends stop in after finding where we worked!
2- Being incredibly offered space in a tent in the campground!
3- The King dropping character to ask if our lives were ok, why had we missed opening weekend, etc.
4- Getting the old job back sorta.
5- Sam Hall, as written, by the Dregs.

[TheFerret]

I'm not entirely sure if this fits here but it is a memory I won't be getting rid of for a while....

Drunk college boy takes a soap sample and eats it (after being told that it was soap). Spits it out and eats another piece (apparently I was lying; I walked away at this point). He ends up eating 6 pieces of soap (I believe only 2 were swallowed) and insisted on having his picture taken in front of our soap eaters board. He then promptly got sick in our neighbors plants. We had warned him that he was eating soap and that it wasn't going to end well. He headed towards the privies and we told one of his friends that he probably needed help. This friend said he needed to be laughed at. Said friend was wearing armor made out of Magic: The Gathering cards....

One of my happier memories happened after I held out the word "free" for a long time and this woman came up to compliment me. Turns out she was a choir director and she was impressed with my control of breath.

[Nikita]

Ferret:  CHICKEN SANDWICH....SOAP!

[Kiss-me-Kate]

My experience happened on Saturday:
Helping a little tiny girl find where the face painters are.   She was so cute and so excited to be there.  I tried to give her my Dregs chicken, but she decided not to take it.

Her excitement and the wonder of seeing fest through her eyes, just made my day.

Oh and Nikita, I am with you regarding Chad's/the Dregs rendition of Sam Hall is awesome. 

[Leyla]

Saturday Josh and I found a spot for lunch at the picnic tables near the Crown Stage.  A lovely older couple sat across from us.  I chatted them up and discovered they were from Wisconsin celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.  They'd spent the day before in Still Water and were planning on going to the MN Zoo and maybe a museum the next day.  It's great seeing couples that are still together and happy after 50 years.  The wife wandered off to the privies and I asked the husband what the secret was.  He said, "respect, love and respect for each other."  We ended up leaving before the wife came back.  I wish we'd waited so I could have seen what she had to say the secret was.

[Nikita]

Monday this past would have been my parents' 47th anniversary, had my dad lived, and Chad honored a request for Sam Hall without any humor.  I was near to tears and very, very happy to hustle back to work where I could blame the dust.  Every now and then, it's something that simple and wonderful that reminds one why you're willing to be sore til Halloween for such a wonderful month and a half with such people, who take you warts and all.

[Lady L]

A woman on Sun. said R's knight garb was the best she had seen. Then on Mon., a different woman said his other knight garb was the best garb at MNRF. Since I made most of it, that made my day. 
Another person said he looked like he was a character in a movie.
Then, I sold 2 paintings on Mon, right at the end.

[Will Gamwell]

Kids are constantly a source of amazement for me.  Just seeing the joy, wonder in their faces and hearing their laughter.

Last weekend while KJ was dancing with her wings near Bad Manor a family stopped to watch and they had a 4-6 month old boy in a front harness carrier.  Everytime she would spin with the wings, his arms and legs would fly around in excitement.  When she would stop, so would he and just stare at her like "do it again".  This continued for several minutes to the amusement of quite a few people.

Sean

[TheFerret]

Ferret:  CHICKEN SANDWICH....SOAP!

*giggles* Man, I wish I'd seen that!

[Phelyp, Lord Maydestone]

I love it when the King drops character to chat with us - we have a few good mutual friends.  He asked us how our evening out (the night prior with the crew) had been and if one in particular had behaved herself!  Then demanded hugs - dropped a few jaws.

[Naween]

Oh, one other thing that made my day was the group of nobles that were fighting over who got to have m'Lord and I! "I saw them first!", "Well, they match ME better!" etc made for a hell of a fun cannon opening!

[Nikita]

oddly. I got to "know" the king thru a gift of flasks three seasons ago and didn't really think anything about it....

last year, I knelt on a rock in the dark and injured my knee to the point of using a walking stick the next day to hobble about and I'll be damned if he didn't stop the royal exit from opening gate to ask about it - very in character but very genuine as we called to each other over about 40 feet of space, then he stopped later to ask if I was feeling better

I guess that's an "I'm a regular" moment LOL

[unknownpoet78]

Sitting in the shop, using my new fishing pole and "fishing for gypsies" (hey, it's a big fest, there's gotta be some out there somewhere).  Having several people get "caught" for the tag and release program... and having one guy loop the "tag" (cheapie wedding ring decorations from michaels) through a nose piercing!

The Ren Fest Gypsy Wildlife Foundation is now tracking your movements... enjoy!

Carly

[Obadiah Jib]

Actually Jib...

One of my most memorable experiences at faire came this weekend with you!..

You and I were standing in a lane talking about that great pirate book, "Under the Black Flag", when in the course of about 15-20 minutes several things happened...

1st the "sisters" approached us....Nuff said about that!...

Then that other pirate (don't know who he was) joined us...

Then the 2 guards/beef eaters showed up and that little impromptu thing started between them and the 3 of us. It didn't last but about 10 minutes, but was a lot of fun for me none the less. You carried the bit. And, I realized that my acting skills leave a lot to be desired...LoL

As I walked around the grounds later that day on 2 occasion I ran into one of those guards only to have him point at me and yell..."Rapscallion"!!!............


Of course, also this past weekend there was that whole thing about Bacardi's "gay blade" and Mad Jack that sticks in my mind too!..

Storm I'm glad you enjoyed it!  I did too!  The Guard and I have a bit of a history.  They either want to recruit me or see me in the gibbet!

[Storm]

Another memory from this year was opening weekend...

Gin and I hung with Sleepy and Jen most of the day.

Sleepy was in his FOP costume that day and it was "interesting" walking about 10 feet behind him and hearing the comments that people made.

A lot of them weren't very nice, and that was sad. I guess a lot of people don't really know about the place in history that FOP's played!...

[Noble Dreg]

Meeting the Fish Monger (Mongers Wife?) and hearing her silly fish jokes.  I actually got to give her one of my own!

[renren]

Watching my girls, as the various characters at fest interacted with them! ( I think Jib got the best reaction with the "dead rat" )

I was thinking that, too about Sam Hall! My favorite on that cd!