Cap'n Pete Straw

Broadside

More to say... I didn't get many pictiures, but I will post a few as soon as I can. I succeeded in embarrassing my son by announcing it was his birthday when the magician Thom Bedlam asked for volunteers. He got a sword thrust through his throat, and had his hand sliced off. Clearly, this made his day...he had finally become bored to death, and this refreshed his interest for a little while. I wished I had been able to catch a performance of Axel the Sot, but I was finally dragging my family around with me, and we had to go. There is only so much I can make then do.

Have returned. Now let's see if I can do any justice to this thread. First, this event has a long way to go. I see its potential, but it is not there yet. I had a good time. But if I drove, oh, let's say SIX hours to get there, I would be mightily pissed. And I did drive that far, but there were ulterior motives for the trip, not just the Festival. Bilgemunkey, you better have a better reason for making this drive. If you are meeting a group of other pirates to hang around with and party (you all -- all of you -- stood me up), this would be an excellent venue -- but that's because you would be bringing the party with you. The acts were good. The area (a regular Renaissance Faire grounds) was okay -- although this clearly needs some improvement. However, the Pirate stuff was few and far between. it was stretched much too far across the grounds, and there were large areas with absolutley nothing going on. We were there Saturday. I went with my son, William the Bloody from this Pub -- it was his 15th birthday. He wore only his pirate coat over a "BAM" t-shirt and jeans. Partly in the spirit, but enough out to be able to say he was not playing along. My wife was civilian all the way (but looked hot as usual and got totally hit on by one of the vendors, who tried bartering with me for her... and I'm not sure he was in character). Of course, I went dressed to the hilt -- hook included. The consensus was that there was not enough going on. At Bristol, you could stand in one place while characters, performers, and in essence the whole Faire seemed to come find you. Here, you really had to go look to find some way to be entertained. While the grounds were rather small (it took us only an hour to see everything except the individual performances) it was sparsely populated. I feel it could be improved by more performers, with more "bits" going on. There were unoccupied buildings and structures that could have "housed" a static bit of entertainment, or a string quarter (for instnace), or a string of people making speeches or even just reading poetry. My son summed it up well. He said that it was great for little kids. There was just enough "pirate fantasy" going on for little kids to get excited... and there were a LOT of excited little kids. But there was not enough going on for the older folk. There was a theatrical story plot running through the day, but we did not witness any aspect of it... although we were not actually seeking it out. We encountered the Governor once, and I feel he did not try to act very pompous or important (= "entertaining") ... of course, he may have been tired. Having said all that, I enjoyed myself. But then, I always do. Of course, there were few people dressed as fancy a pirate as I (and, let me tell you: they were very impressive!), and most of the kids reacted as if I were part of the show (a few asked me to stamp their form -- there was a scavager hunt to get these from character pirates, and I had to admit I was a guest like they were), and I played right back. If I had been unaccompanied, I would have liked to hang out at the pub and knocked back a few with Captain Morgan and the crowd, which would have been a lot of fun. It was okay.

Roseanne Rosannadanna

Anyone talking abut Star Wars in here? So, here is some dialogue pulled from another thread, where it did not belong: ...and then Capt Gray responded: Yes, but that was 1977 dollars. And, mind you, I made these from scratch. The Internet and one's subsequent ability to "Google" images from movies was then a long time from now in a galaxy far far into the future. So my reference images were hastily sketched in the dark from off the screen during my multiple viewings of the movie... with some sweet shots that appeared in magazines, although these were really all the same dozen pictures reprinted again and again and again. This was aggravated by the fact that the other thing I had to make from the movie was the Millennium Falcon, so I was sketching everything possible about that ship on alternate pages from the Stormtroopers. Man, I must have looked like a geek carrying a sketchpad in to see Star Wars. Every time. On this general topic, however, I probably have many memories... But these are unsorted, so I will throw one in here every time something surfaces. Okay... here's one... My one and only ever blind date was to see Star Wars at a drive-in movie; we were set up by mutual friends. No, I was not a total geek: I left the sketchpad at home. Instead, I was a TOTAL geek and wore a Luke Skywalker shirt I had made... She gave me a real strange look when I explained that I had made it myself (I was unaware that teenage guys were not supposed to know how to sew in the 70s). She was a real nice girl and all, but she had a broken arm in a real large (full-arm) cast. In hindsight, it might have been wise to sit on the OTHER side of her (in the backseat of the car and all!) but it was really so very totally awkward... and I'd rather not talk about it any more. Plus, if that wasn't bad enough, the poor girl had to sit in the backseat of a car next to a geek wearing a Luke Skywalker shirt. Ick. Another story (yes, these are all true): Some time later, I was dating this blond super-hottie. She had a fixation on Luke Skywalker / Mark Hamill. The fact that I bore some vague resemblance to him (I have been told... but not anymore) probably helped, but in the end, I guess she realized that I was not Mark Hamill. One day she broke it off with me because, she explained, she was afraid she was falling in love with me. HEY! Can anybody please explain the illogic of that to me??? Anyway, I harbored a small amount of bitterness toward Mister Hamill over this for a few years... and actually told him to his face on the one ocassion I met him in person. Poor guy.

No, it is on a website. But it is not so user-friendly. And if I am looking over bank records on-line, that takes away from the time I can be typing stupid jokes, not-so-witty comebacks, and new "Word Association" entries here in the Pub!

*Ahem* This is me not talking about Star Wars Stormtroopers or Civil War Cavalry (but there is so much more to say...) As I wait for my pattern to arrive (it is apparently speeding on its way to me...), anyone care to throw out ideas they already have for fabrics or buttons? I picked up some fancy material (I was no longer happy with the stuff I had seen earlier), although I had mentioned doing a rather "plain" thing... so why was I thinking of a fancy lining?

Oh, I absolutely agree with you... But if I do not see it listed as cashed on the first read-through (listed by chronological transaction, not sequential by check number), I have to keep looking over the numbers to be sure I did not miss it. And again. and possibly again. Not looking forward to this task.

"Beer for my Horses" on the local country music station. A few minutes ago, I was listening to myself... I called in to the radio station to comment on J.K. Rowling's refusal to hand over her one-and-only manuscript of the next Harry Potter book when boarding an international flight. Security made an exception and allowed her to carry on this one item at a time when carry-ons are forbidden. ...Actually the deejay was asking if listeners knew what item she was trying to carry-on ... I said it was a snake! She was trying to carry a snake on the plane! Doesn't she know they already made a movie out of that one? ...I guess he thought I was funny enough to put on the air.

whalebone

boobs

...And then things to start to fall into line. It is no small miracle that I found a copy of the check I sent in for the subscription. My problem was that I sent it in FEBRUARY, and was not looking for it that far back. Now I have to access the past eight months of online bank statements to verify whether or not it was cashed...

I hope I did not imply that. The "modern" hobby of scrapbooking involves some really impressive sophisticated artsy stuff, exactly along the lines you described. I have only recently (past two years) understood that some of what I have been doing (not layout... not collage... it really defies most categories) most accurately falls under the broad umbrella of this term. No, not the cutesy-ootsy stuff. I know full well what you mean by that. Another victim! Hah! Sounds more like a common malady treatd at the Yellowston National Park First Aid station

It appears no one else has confirmed attending this festival tomorrow (Saturday, September 16), alas. Should anyone from the Pub decide to attend tomorrow (not next weekend with Bilgemunkey and his new friends), please say something so we we can look for each other -- although we will be leaving at the crack of dawn for the cross-state drive. Now it looks like it will just be me, my wife, and my pirate-enthusiast son. (The girls have schedule conflicts). I expect to take some photos -- which I will post here. ATTENTION: anyone who plans on attending this festival (even the estranged Bilgemunkey): There is a $2 off admission coupon available on the event's website.

Relaxed waistband

False Ransom -- what you are describing sounds like what I call "scrapbooking" (or what is commonly considered the more modern hobby of scrapbooking). I do a lot of this, too, for various projects. And yes - it has decided advantages when trying to deal with a mistake (especially in unforgiving ink). First draft, second draft, third draft... THEN write it. And I have the bad habit of writing as fast as I can, and it keeps turning out sloppy. Maybe my final finished product will only be a draft for the NEXT draft....

In Antebellum America, the path between the external kitchen (cook house) and regular house was called the "Whisltler's Walk." Masters would insist that their slaves whistle a tune while carrying the food to prove that they were not sneaking eating any of it en route. Oddly enough, I believe he is quite specifically interested in his hand. You see, he is holding the first edition of "Ye Missives to Penthouse Forum," and has already started disrobing en route to the privvy.

He's picking his nose. In his right hand he holds a "booger box." No, wait -- he's flossing his teeth! But seriously, I need to find the picture of raiding the South American tobacco farm, and I recall having a resource with a date regarding cigar smoking by Europeans in the Americas. But I previously read the "Smoking" thread, and do not recall that I have any new information that is not already in there... And... um.... I gotta agree with Petee, if that's not snuff, that's a joint.

Okay, okay... you can hold me to this: When I get finished with my current "Log" project (one at a time, please), remind me, and I will create a fun-filled page of amputation notes, along with a "visual aid" sketch, photograph it, and post it in here. As I said (here? elsewhere?) I have been collecting Civil War medical stuff for years, and have already put a lot of thought into this stuff.

Ye need to get a couple drinks in him. Actually, I have rarely seen more smiles (in person) on any other group.

You might want to bring a sun lamp too. Ah, we'll just pretend we're in Ireland! Or Chicago! Oh... no, wait a minute...

Aw, you should already know I am more than just a tad loco. And a two-hour drive is nothing to hang out with 70+ pirates. But I will be making teh SIX-hour drive to pick up my kids and hitting the St. Louis Fstival. So I will not in any way be "local." I hope you and yours have a great time. We will miss each other by a week.

... and mineral. ... and textile. ... and... what the hell is that??

Rats: If you are going to do this, you MUST include sketches of medical observations (gaping wounds, etc.). You may wish to copy some grisly stuff from a copy of Gray's Anatomy. Pete

Sable = Sepia = Brown With a 25% coupon, you should find a good deal. But be sure to ask about unlined sketchbooks if all you find in the bookstore are lined journals. You should find a wide selection. For the record, you would not believe the great stuff you can find in a wicca store! If you are assembling, say, a collection of medicines from the GAoP, you can often obtain a hard-to-find herb or two in these stores. And crystal balls, and tarot cards, and phallus-shaped fertility candles, and incense, and crystals, and amulets....