Opening Day

[RenaissanceBarbie]

Remi you should text me a photo of it, I want to see!


It really was great having you guys there to play and I'm so happy you had a good time!  <3

[Kathleen MacFerno]

I'm sorry Capt Spleen but I don't think you've met me at all, seeing as how you don't know which one I am.

[Francisco Paula]

But Kathleen it was so much fun watching Spleen put his foot in his mouth.

[Kathleen MacFerno]

Well I'm glad at least a few of you guys know who I am! Or do you? What if you think you're talking to the other one right now? It shall be a perpetual mystery!

[Francisco Paula]

Oh i know which one you be young lady with the golden locks.

[CapnJack]

And now, for my excessively longwinded post.  I'd blame it on being delerious with a cold, but you all know me better than that 

Well I'd very glad to hear everyone had a good time!  My own experience on opening weekend was exceptionally odd, from beginning to end.

It all began on Thursday night when I quite suddenly began to feel a cold coming on, in a sensation rather like driving 100 MPH straight into a brick wall.  That, and several other minor irritations seemed to scream at me "DON'T GO TO FAIRE!"  But I ignored these omens and headed out to the festival anyhow.  I am always one to fly in the face of apparently bad omens, which probably explains why a lot of my life goes the way it does, heh.

I was determined to see the new gate show, but I arrived about five minutes after cannon on Saturday, and right as gate show was ending on Sunday.  Maybe next time.  The weirdest thing I encountered right away was the presence of no fewer than 3 Captain Jack Sparrows on the festival site, including Dante, the new "official" Captain Jack.  This in and of itself was not surprising.  The strange part was... I wasn't one of them!  And seeing Dante there in my place was especially weird.  Not bad necessarily, but definitely weird.

The craziest part about it though was all the people who asked me "hey, you played Jack Sparrow here before, didn't you?"  And I'm not talking workers, playtrons, and people I knew.  I mean Joe Mundane off the street.  I was very flattered by everyone saying how they missed me, but I also tried really hard to give Dante support, since he's stepping into a really hard role.

It was weird to camp up the road at the Castle Rock Campground instead of staying onsite, but kind of fun.  Except the aforementioned cold, which kept me up most of the night.  Still, I met some very cool playtrons with whom I'd never talked before, and even tasted a little of their mead to sooth my throat (oh the shock!  Oh the horror! Jack drinking???  I assure you, only half a glass, heh.)

In the end though, I found that I didn't really know what to do at faire without having to be somewhere every five minutes.  I did a lot of shopping, and a lot of talking to old friends, and even a little avoiding of other old "friends," but I didn't really play at all, which kinda' worried me.  I blame it in part on the cold, and in part on the fact that I was saddled with a big group of friends both days, who wouldn't ever let me just fly solo.  But also, I really didn't know how to play under the circumstances.  I'm really concerned that maybe I'm forgetting, and that gives me a sort of cold feeling in the pit of my stomach.  However, it may also be that it's very hard to play when you know everybody there.  Somehow it's easier for me to remain in character and come up with fun bits, and "play make-believe" like a kid does when I'm anonymous.  When people already know me as Michael, and also as Jack Sparrow, it's difficult to play Jack McCool.

By the way, a BIG thank you to everyone who DID try to play with me as Jack McCool, and who even remembered the name!  You guys rocked!

It seemed every time I turned around someone was asking me "Hey, why aren't you back this year?"  Which was nice, but also got kind of old, understandably.  So I'd like to set the record straight here, once and for all:  No, I was not let go.  YES, I did choose to leave on my own.  Why?  Many reasons.  But mainly these:

1. This being the biggest reason, hands down.  "Real Life" got in the way.  School, work, etc. became too much to focus on while giving every weekend to the festival.

2. I was worn out.  Many of you have been there much longer than I have, and are still going, but for some reason I seem to have a shorter faire fuse.  I was just spread way too thin last year, and it started to not be fun anymore.

3. I got tired of Jack Sparrow.  Not that tired, mind you.  I find I really miss him right now.  But just tired enough that I wanted to do something else for a change, and I doubted very greatly that the festival would allow me to do so, since Jack is such a big draw.

So I hope that clears it up.  Next time, hopefully fewer people will need to know.  Not that I'm angry with you if you did ask, honest.  I expected to get asked a lot.

Anyway, towards the end of Sunday my cold took a really nasty turn, and I got into one or two minor squabbles with a couple of friends (probably the result of my getting very little sleep due to said cold), and my mood turned notably sour.  It is because of this that I'd like to apologize to everyone who I may have acted surly to without meaning it.  It wasn't anything personal, I assure you.  I just felt like crap.

It was great to see everyone, and I can't wait to come back, but I'm also glad this weekend is over.  For now, it's lots of sleep and lots of fluid for me, so maybe I'll be well enough to play again eventually.

[Mischief Snicklebritches]

Im sorry you feel so lousy Cap'n  colds are sucky anyway, but when they're in the summer...its just insulting! lol. I felt much the same way you did, and thank you for finding the words I could not. I was completely at a loss of what to do not  being contractually required to be doing something every five minutes. I was like...ok...how in the heck am I going to fill 8 hours? omg.

I don't think as many people asked me about my being back or not, but a few did. I think I made it pretty evident through several means that I wasn't coming back before faire even opened. lol. Owell. But to set my record straight too...since the Cap'n did it...I was not let go either, I chose not to come back for many the same, well one of the same reasons he did. Life. grrr. My husband works for the schools here in Douglas County and has summers off, so somebody's got to bring the bacon home 

anyway, yah. It was fun times this weekend, will be back def, on saturday next week....slight possiblity on Sunday, dunno yet tho. Have to work and maybe pick up dads gf from airport, so it may not be worth getting dressed up to go.

Maybe I'll come out in civi's < gasp of horror! >

[Tanda]

Tanda-you didn't like the German Brothers?  I nearly broke a rib laughing in my corset, it hurt so good.  I don't know if I've ever laughed that hard.  We're in the middle of creating a bunch of bits for them to do with us so stay tuned! 

I wasn't impressed. They were good, just not my style. Probably because I don't know the songs they were mocking.

[CapnJack]

Yeah, I've got to say, the German Brothers made me laugh my piratey arse off.  It wasn't so much that I knew what songs they were mocking all the time (the only one I actually recognized was "Bringing Sexy Back") just the culture in general.  Plus, their physicality and the tightness of their dialogue drew me right in and had me guffawing at least once a minute.  Does anyone know how long they've been doing this act?  Because it seems really polished and professional, but I got the impression that it's fairly new.

[Demetrius]

I had some issues with the German brothers- whenever they came by they made me want to have a pretzel, I mean, what's up with that?

[Demetrius]

Yeah, I've got to say, the German Brothers made me laugh my piratey arse off.  It wasn't so much that I knew what songs they were mocking all the time (the only one I actually recognized was "Bringing Sexy Back") just the culture in general.  Plus, their physicality and the tightness of their dialogue drew me right in and had me guffawing at least once a minute.  Does anyone know how long they've been doing this act?  Because it seems really polished and professional, but I got the impression that it's fairly new.

Oh yeah, they have been doing it for about 9 seconds- they might claim 10, but I think it's more like 9. 

[Francisco Paula]

I would say they formed sometime after run of faire last year. One of the brothers was the guy selling shirts and stuff for the washing well wenches lastyear and the year before was working at the nut shop. Not the shop with the crazy people but the one with almonds, really people. If you check out there myspace there is a third one with them there so it might have been this third guy and the other doing it and the other guy joined them sometime in the last year.

[Capt Gabriela Fullpepper]

I had some issues with the German brothers- whenever they came by they made me want to have a pretzel, I mean, what's up with that?

Pretzel? I thought it would have been wienerschnitzel and beer... Ohhh that does sound yummy as wienerschnitzel was never a hotdog when I was in Germany but a breaded turkey cutlet with gravy.

[Adriana Rose]

Hehe  they call me Flower shnitzle


The first day I managed to skin my knees, twist my ankel and then we had a fantastic weekend!


Remeber guys shop 13 has roses and pretty garlands!

[RenaissanceBarbie]

I had some issues with the German brothers- whenever they came by they made me want to have a pretzel, I mean, what's up with that?

So did I, if by issues you mean laughing so hard in a corset that I nearly broke a rib.     I seriously don't know if I've ever laughed that hard.  I have an agreement with Ginny that she needs to call me Schnitzel this week via text because I've grown rather fond of it.....