Now, it should be known that I’m not a fan of the RenFest. It’s usually either unbearably hot and dusty, or rainy and muddy. There are usually bees EVERYWHERE. And I usually get put in the jail. I haven’t enjoyed singing “I’m a little teapot” since Cub Scouts.

The last time I’d gone, the event itself outshone its setting. ‘s wedding to . It was hot and muggy, with the sun beating down on me so hard that I thought I was going to explode. Also, it was a mistake to wear a black suit. Big mistake. Also, BEES. But, the wedding itself and the beginning of MellyHAWTness’s marriage were wonderful and important enough that it didn’t get me down.

Of course, I whined. I’d never say that I didn’t whine. Heh.

This time was totally different. It was sunny, but cool. There was a great breeze. I was wearing my Utilikilt (thanks !) and a shirt that was made for me by Izzy. Yes, it was cream colored. Yes, I wore an almost-white shirt. Loose-collared, with a lace tie. And thanks to those I went with, I was reminded to bring a walking stick for when (not if) my knees would start bothering me. I had some money to spend, I had a few goals to shop for, and I had a seven-year-old to share the experience with.

It was amazing. Absolutely fun as hell. I bought an awesome hat, a sweet journal (yes, another one) thanks to Hunter, some garlic garnish shake that’s just made of yum… okay, I might be getting ahead of myself.

The trip over was a little worrisome. I was grumpy without coffee, and McDonald’s coffee just wasn’t going to do it. Orange juice was a pleasant substitute, though. We arrived, people got finished changing, bathroom was found for younglings, and we entered the Fest (after passing by the Comcast booth). I was still dragging my feet, and visibly forcing myself to enjoy the time there. Coffee from one of the booths helped. Plunking down some money for some silly Taurean-type wooden horns to tie on my head helped. The clock ticking over to 1:00 PM really helped. I’m not sure what the primary trigger was, if there was one, but around 1:00 PM, I perked up. I started really enjoying myself.

I found myself smiling easily, instead of forcibly, and both and tapered off in their concerned proddings of “are you sure you’re all right?” I found a warhammer that I really, really wanted. Of course, not having the $200 and having kids in the house were pretty strong de-motivators for purchase. Someday, my preciousssss…

Next was eatin’ and drinkin’. I had a turkey leg and a cup of mead, which was delicious^2. Nikki’s pizza didn’t agree with her, but she was still having nausea issues, and her corset (even tied as loosely as it was) wasn’t treating her stomach very nicely. We then meandered into the wine tasting area, where we were offered sips from other friends who had taken the tour, and most of the mead was yummy there. After that? More shopping. :) My knees were complaining a bit at this point, so I was thankful for the walking stick. Normally, I’d also be sweating gallons at this point, and miserable. But the light-colored and open shirt made the fest more than bearable. I picked up a shaker of the Garlic Garni next, and then had Hunter run up to me shouting about books at the top of his lungs. He’d found a store that sold blank books, “just like you like!” I smiled ear to ear, and boy, was he right.

Now, I’m determined not to buy another notebook for a VERY long time. VERY. However, if it strikes your fancy, you can either go to the Holly RenFest, or you can go here: http://www.thejournalguy.com/ I highly recommend these books. Paper made from recycled cotton, not from trees. Natural leather covers, traditional leather cord binding. The texture alone makes me squee.

From that shop, we strolled some more, and then found a shop selling hats. Big hats. XL hats. They were a little tight, until I found the soft suede one. Fit my head like a glove. A HAT THAT FIT MY HEAD. Boom. Money on counter, hat is mine. I’ve been looking for a hat in a style like this for YEARS. So, I took off my horns of awesomeness, put on my hat, and took Hunter over to the bungee launch-a-kid-as-high-as-they’ll-go ride, which had a loooong line. I learned all about “perfect nausea” from Hunter – achieving this was his goal. After a long wait, and cheering from both and me, he met his goal, with gusto! :)

Once that was done, we split up. Nikki did more shopping, and I took Hunter back to the horn vendor to spend the last of my duckets on a pair of wooden flaming horns for him. He loved them, even after needing to re-adjust the string fairly often, and we wandered in search of his mom. Eventually, we caught up, and joined the rest of our group over in front of the Jessica Galbreth booth. This happens to be right near where we started. And so, with a little bit more fairy tile/figurine/what-have-you shopping, we all left the fest, tired and satisfied.

Oh, and, um, hungry. Those poor saps at Olive Garden never saw my kilt comin’. ;)