You've probably noticed that I haven't been updating the other "blog" that I maintain. I haven't permanently neglected that site or the story. It's just taking a lot more time to write a chapter these days. I'm doing my best to finish the story. Hopefully, I'll get it done before NaNoWriMo 2007 begins. So that's the situation for that. Now on to the purpose of this post. A Day at Ye Olde Ren Fest.
I'm sure that many of you have been to a Renaissance Festival of some sort. Or you have visited a place that has a "medieval" theme to it. Of course, most Renaissance Festivals and Fairs are not the most historically accurate events. Then again, if everything was historically accurate, one would not be having much fun. There would not be any oversized turkey legs to eat, shows to watch, or not much at all. Everyone would be toiling in the fields for a feudal lord or at church. Not that fun at all. Nor is it very entertaining to anyone. Unless of course, you like that kind of stuff.
I visited the KC Ren Fest, located by the Verizon Amphitheater on Saturday. The parking lot is crap. If they spent a little more money on paving the damn parking lot, more people would come to the concerts. I've never seen such big freaking ruts and holes in a parking lot before. Except in pictures of war zones. Maybe some of the worse parts of inner cities. Anyways...
It was pleasant and not too hot, unlike the last time I went there. Lots of shade.
The prices were still the same...which means it's generally overpriced. $2.50 for a 20oz bottle of soda is steep. Then again, it's the Ren Fest. For any special event, it's gonig to cost you money and lots of it.
I spent a lot of time walking around, absorbing the pseudo-Middle Ages athmosphere. I might have gotten a bit too much of it. The smoke that is.
I kind of wonder how anyone can wear those period costumes (very loose usage of the term "period") and not get uncomfortable. Of course, they probably are feeling uncomfortable. The men liked the costumes the women were wearing for obvious reasons that need not be explained if you've seen them.
I had lots of fun insulting street performers. Any time you can use "They'd need a lot more beer to find you attractive" is always fun.
And I also saw men in kilts do traditional Highland Games activities. Things like carrying a 140 pound rock for two minutes. Or toss a damn caber. This makes me wonder who the hell would be crazy enough to do stuff like that and call it fun. That must have made for an interesting conversation.
"MacDonald, what do you say we toss a caber?"
"Brilliant! And we throw it so it looks pretty and elegant MacDuff?"
"Brilliant! What about carrying a stone and seeing how far you can carry it?"
"Brilliant! And what about tossing a weight?"
"Brilliant! Let's get all the clans together in the Highlands and call it the Highland Games?"
"Brilliant! Where's the whiskey?"
Of course, these activities served a purpose. Strength, endurance, stamina, martial skills like spear throwing and so forth. But you'd have to be crazy in a way. Or drunk. Or a little bit of both. I'm not sure. I left with the idea that you'd have to be a Scottish person to come up with that.
So that's what I did at the KC Ren Fest on Saturday. It wasn't so bad.
Leaving the parking lot, however, was not good. Especially when a Missouri driver decides to make up imaginary exits and nearly hits your car. Or when they find the idea of using the turn signal to be a step forward in evolution. Or when they actually go when the light is green and stop when it's red.
That's all for now.
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