serinde

Got home, started packing etc. Kasia called saying she was running late (quelle surprise!), but that was okay because it gave me time to do more eyelets. We left at about 8:30 and arrived in West Yarmouth at 1am. A long drive in a fair amount of rain, but I did not mind it in spite of exhaustion, as Kasia and I haven't had a chance to really sit down and talk in, heck, years. Smug gratification: the main group left at 6 or 6:30 and got there about ten minutes before we did. We set up the sweatshop in one of the rooms; I finished my dress first, so I got to go to bed at 4am (but had also won the booby prize of having to get up with the fighters at 8am so I could direct them in setting up Daria's vigil). For comparison, Daria went to bed at maybe 4:30 or 5, Beth and Kasia at 7:30, and El didn't sleep at all...but then, they all ended up with sleeves for their gamurre. Still, my dress was fabulous. Ha. (Poor Padma forgot her garb! Ack! Fortunately she could fit into one of Daria's spare dresses.)

Theme of the day was "hurry up and wait". Or, more accurately perhaps, "wait and then hurry up". We stood around for the better part of an hour waiting to be told where we should set up, then scrambled around trying to get it all done in time--and then had to scramble into our clothes and book it for the other end of the (very large) site, so Their Majesties could send her off to her vigil. And then walk her back to the vigil spot. My kingdom for a horse!

During the vigil, I did a bit of shopping (I had no Renaissance-suitable jewelry, but also Kasia and Erik persuaded me to buy a beaded snood) and then helped El work on the shiny new banner of Daria's arms that we wanted to have ready for the ceremony. About that time, my back started absolutely killing me. Things were proceeding at a reasonable clip when suddenly we were told that Royal Court would be moved up an hour. Run in circles, scream and shout (because we would also have to shlep all our shit down to the battlefield, see previous other-end-of-site comment). So I finished the banner edges while El went to sort other stuff. Then word came back that they were moving Court to the mess hall, right where we were. Well, that's better. Of course, it turned out that Daria was last on the agenda, so although we were ready at the beginning of Court we had 2+ hours to stand around at twitch.

(They gave Greta a Writ for her Laurel right before. As the Queen said, "you don't think we'd do Kamilla and leave you behind, do you?" I wonder if maybe she did think that, late at night...but anyways, we got her cold. *smirk* She's getting done at Southern Region War Camp next month, so I foresee another mad scramble for that.)

Immediately after court, I changed, grabbed my stuff, and dashed to the car (it had been pouring rain for about an hour and a half at this point). It was already 8:30 and I wanted to get on the road ASAP. Unfortunately by this time I was seriously exhausted, and I made some dumb errors getting back to the highway, so for all intents and purposes it was 9pm before I was really on the road--and that, with no food or water handy to me.

The drive back got pretty grim at one point, as I was dehydrated, low blood sugar, utterly exhausted and running out of gas just at the point where the rain started coming down so hard you could barely see. And Rhode Island for reasons that escape me does not put notifications for gas stations by exits, mostly--just food and lodging. I got off at one that claimed to have a gas station, but it was closed, so I pulled into a Wendy's to eat, drink, pee, and generally re-center my brain. It was closed. At 10pm on a Saturday night. I ask you!

After a bit of internal howling, I made it two exits further, which boasted a 24-hour gas station. I filled up, bought water, emptied my personal tank (one thing about Burning Man--you never fear a gas-station restroom again, because you have seen far worse), and grabbed a power shake out of the trunk. Felt much better. Shortly after that, the rain eased up to merely "heavy", I threw Manowar into the stereo, and started making good time while bellowing along at the top of my lungs. My brain in its infinite wisdom has recycled lots of perfectly useful neurons, but chose to hang on to all the lyrics to all the songs on "Fighting the World". Go figure.

I got home at about 1:30, which is not at all bad considering the weather, came inside, fell over, slept til 11. Today, very tired (though not sleepy) and my back does not so much hurt as feel like it's been crumpled up and thrown in the wastebasket. Must start planning for Toronto. Gaaah. "Remember, it's a VACATION" must be my mantra.