Speaking of Travel

Liz: You can read in the car?

Runner: Yeah...

Liz: I can't read in the car.... I become illiterate in the car.

Me: -insane laughter-

- - - - - - 

Lance: You guys have fun at home... Don't do anything I wouldn't do... and if you do, name it Lance.

Renaissance Faire

Friday:

Around 6 _PM the roomies and I piled into Liz's mother's vehicle. Well, it seems that I am allergic to every vehicle that my family does not own, because in that two hour-ish ride, I was nauseous. In fact, the sensation hit me almost immediately after I sat down. So, I put my head against the window, and prepared myself by drinking Mountain Dew every time I felt bile build up in my throat. I know - gross, however, you're still reading which means you care about what I'm saying. If you stopped reading, well... Your bad. So we drove for a while until it was about 7:40_PM, at which point in time Liz telephoned a place called Nick's. She ordered a plain and a pepperoni pizza... Let me tell you, Nick knows his way around a tasty pie. Liz told us they would be delicious - they were. So, we ate at her apartment and then we all took out our laptops -because college students don't go anywhere without their main source of networking - and played on those borrowing internet from a person called 'Russy'. Around eleven or so, we all went to bed, so...we did.

Saturday:

I woke up around eight o'clock _AM to an amazing breakfast of eggs, and bacon and little muffins and orange juice... It so scrumptious compared to the lack of breakfast I usually consume. So, we ate and piled into the vehicle again for a drive into New York. Every so often [- and when I say this, I mean almost every car we saw -] we would wave to the vehicles around us. While we were in Jersey, North Jersey, no one waved, though, when we crossed into New York, people started to wave back to us. We had a lot of fun, and yes, I was nauseous there, too.

So, we weren't dropped off at the proper place - like, we didn't park and walk to the Faire. We were dropped off in the middle of the street and Liz, Runner, Audrina and I walked across the street and into the Faire while Liz's mother drove away - she then left us to our own devices. The first thing we did was buy our tickets, which were twenty dollars - because we're all adults. We then were told to go through the 'Fr~r~r~ront' gate (roll your R's when you say that, then you'll hear how she spoke to us). Well, we went through the frrrront gate and saw - whoa, i'm totally drawing a blank... oh yeah!- Gallows! I think... No... The big wooden thing where people who slandered or whatever stick their heads and hands into the wholes... STOCKS! Yes, that's what they're called. We saw them, so, Audrina and I were like 'Uh, lets do this!' So, I was in the stocks for being a Spiteful Gossip, and she was in for being a Nagging Shrew. They were good times.

After that photo was taken, we were on our way somewhere when all of a sudden we heard a whistle and people laughing and clapping. So, we were drawn to the amusement and found ourselves at 'Curious Magic' in the Silver Swan Stage. It was hysterical. There was a man and a woman, both dressed in Renaissance garb, playing with fire and and the 'ox of Death'... The girl had to be placed in the Box of Death, and the guy put all kinds of blades inside... No tricks at all, we got to see after the show was over - she had contorted herself in the most uncomfortable position... After that, we worked our way back through the crowd and sat back in the bleacher seats for the act that we had scheduled to see conveniently at the Silver Swan Stage. We got the furthest seats, directly in the center - amazing. 

Enter: Dextre Tripp. He is a tight-rope walker, except he said the rope he used was loose, or something. He did all kinds of neat things... Balanced a chainsaw on his chin, which - ironically - was bound with medical tape, he balanced Audrina on a chair he had balanced on a chair while he did a handstand on them... I'm trying to get a picture... Use your imaginations. Then, he sat on a chair on the loose tight-rope... It was so awesome. He played with fire on this guy, Bob's, shoulders... And, and, and he was funny! He told us it was because he was a middle child... that they'd "do anything for attention, just watch us! Look at me!" Those were some amazing times, right there...

Then... We went and watched a human chess match, which - in the program - is called the Sheriff's Chess Match. We taunted the other sides of the field while we waited.. the taunt I remember? 'Hey Baker! Why pay for the flour when we can get the buns for free?' and then my side went 'Hot sticky buns, Mmm Mmm.' and another side went 'And the Yeast!' Good times, taunting each other. Then the chess match proceeded and Robin Hood filtered out of the woodwork, and he became the King of the White side of the chess board, and the Sheriff of Nottingham was the Black King on the black side of the chess board. When a side went to capture the square everyone had to 'clear the board' and then those two people fought. Every so often, someone would be replaced with another person until all of a sudden, people were replaced and Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham were on the field. They fought, words were spoken and a Drama began as the chess match ended with a 'Re-Do'. The game was supposed to be presented before the Queen, and she happened to arrive as Robin and S.o.N were just ending the battle... Maid Marian asked if they could re-enact the match at a later time. The Queen agreed, so did S.o.N and Robin and the spectators (including the roomies and myself) walked away, waiting for the next event.

The next event was the Joust! The Gaming Joust where we learned that there are two bad guys in the Renaissance town of Sterling. The one we all know, the Sheriff of Nottingham and a newcomer, Captain Guy DeGuisborne - who happens to be the Captain of the Guard. Well, Robin Hood and Will Scarlett rode for the Green Team, and DeGuisborne rode for the blue team - however, none of that matters because the team in gold won. This was, though, the first time my posse encountered Davie Radish, grower and prevayer of Turnips and turnip based products. Well, after we were finished meeting him, we all bought pennants that supported the horses as well as the rider whose side we happened to be sitting on. Did we have a chant? Yes. Do I remember it? - clears throat - 'Roses are Red. Our guy is Blue. Get in his way, he'll run you through! Gizzy gizzt gizzyy, oi oi oi. Gizzy gizzy gizzy oi oi oi!' 

After the joust we went and roamed the Faire for a bit...

On our way around the Faire we found a lovely spot where we got Iced Chai Tea... which tasted like Ginger Snaps...but in beverage form... It was DELICIOUS! And then we each got Henna tattoos. Mine is a moon, and what looks to be the blazing sun behind it and some stars... If you move yours eyes to the right, you will see the picture... However, if your computer hates you, you may not see the picture... That would be disappointing. 

Now, if you move your eyes to the left, you will see yet another Henna tattoo. This arm and henna stain belong to Liz. It is a throwing knife, you see with the letters 'S + A'. Now, I believe the proper thoughts would be 'Why does Liz, whose name most certainly not begin with an 'S' or an 'A' have those letters on her arm?' Well, that is because they stand for Stewart and Arnold. They are knife throwers who were not at the Faire, and the act Liz was so very much looking forward to. 'Did she get a strange look when she got this henna from the woman giving them?' What a strange question to ask! Of course she did not. The Henna woman gave it to her for free because she, along with Liz, wished for the knife throwers to return. In fact, we wrote e-mails to the people who hire and such with the people. That made no sense. We e-mailed the people who run the Faire, asking them to re-hire the knife throwers for next year. If we haven't already, we will soon. Anyway, while we were getting our hennas, I was an idiot and smudged mine! You can't really tell, because the woman who did them is a genie...  Anyway... Then we left the henna people...

And then! After we got our hennas we made our way back to the Human Chess match, which this time was called the 'Royal Chess Match'. In this one, several things happened... I, however, will not tell you the plot lines at all because I would hate to ruin it for you. I will just tell you horrible things happened, the Queen was besmirched and Robin Hood became furious and worried all at once and ran away after the Sheriff of Nottingham. And then we ran after Robin Hood, to see if we could grab a picture with him because we're girls who happen to think he is attractive [sans Audrina, who complained a bit...] Well, when we finally found him, he and the Sheriff of Nottingham and Guy DeGuisborne and Maid Marian(M.M.) a'scufflin' on Robin's Bridge! Well, I won't tell you what happens, but in the end, the Sheriff and the Captain of the Guard walk away, leaving Robin and his Merry Men [sans M.M.] on the bridge. Well, the Sheriff left first, followed by his men and most of the guards, making the Captain leave last. Well as he turned to go, a little kid in the front of the crowd that had gathered, stepped in front of DeGuisborne with his little double sided plastic axe and his little fakey plastic chain mail and little helmet. The two stared at each other until DeGuisborne walked around him, but it was the cutest thing I had seen that day (besides Will Scarlett). Robin then made a little speech... and then the crowd disbanded as Robin and the Merry Men ran away into the forest.

Naturally, we ran after him - still on our photo mission. However, we couldn't catch him because, well... He ran, and we had to push through people and small children with little gnashing teeth and plastic swords and a stick or two... Actually, I just made that up - but there were children! So, we tried to find him again and wound up at the jousting area again, which, incidentally was where we needed to be for the next event, the 'Joust Spectacular' and the 'Royal Joust'. Well, that's where we split it. Liz and I grabbed seats in front of the left side of the jousting area, while Runner and Audrina went to get beverages and a pet. A pet which I will not speak of because it's precious. However, I will tell you he goes by many names including: Sebastian, Sebastian Houdini, Sebs, Soubini, Frog, Froggie, Robin, Robin Hood, M.R. Hood, and Mr. Hood. Nothing in there will give you the species of Sebs... no, he's not a frog... Aaanyway...

We separated and Liz and I grabbed seats. Well, it just so happens that our entertainment didn't cease. All throughout the Faire were merchant people, selling their crazy wares: musical things, crazy fruit things...and of course, Pickles. Well, it seems that right before our section was a stop and refill station for the pickle truck. Also, I may have not mentioned yet, that Liz is quite like me in the sense that I will amuse myself with anything and everything around me. So, with that in mind, it will be easy to see what we will do with just a few more sentences. Every time the Pickle Man got a tip, he would shout 'HUZZAH!' Well.. that's all that needs to be said. After every tip he got, he'd shout, then Liz and I would echo him....loudly. He looked for us the first time we echoed him, and he called us his cheerleaders. It was good times... asked us if we had 'nibbled on one of his pickles...' Dirty man...silly...good times. We did that for  quite a while until the show before us began. After we had our time with the Pickle Man, a woman came up and told us that we were on someone called Dudley's side. Well, we had already saved seats and such and had made ourselves comfortable where we were. So, when she told us the chant for Dudley was simply 'Dudley Do-Right' we switched it up, because we were going to cheer for Robin Hood no matter what. So, while everyone was muttered 'Dudley Do-Right' we (the four of us) were shouting 'DUDLY DO-WRONG!' It was good times... She scowled at us... Fantastic times...

Well, before the joust was a 'traveling theatre group' and before them, someone who announced it all... Well, he told us again that our side was for Dudley...He heard our chant and then pointed to the group of all the people on the bleacher seats. Well, if I get pointed at, my natural instinct is to point back... So, I did. Well, Sir Ivanhoe pointed back again, but like, slammed his finger in the air. Challenged, I bobbed my head back and forth and muttered 'Wanna mess?' Thinking I had won that easily was stupid. The man on the other side of the fence hopped said fence and stood on it, pointing until the music began to play. Called me trouble, and the woman who taught us the chant agreed.

Then, we all watched some crazy reenactment of the Frog Prince... It was weird... I didn't really like it... And then people were knighted and a Joust happened and it was all quite fantastical... I was on the edge of my wooden seat almost the entire time... It was so much fun! Well, after the joust and the end of the entire story of Robin Hood for that day, everyone walked away. So, we began to walk away to get our pictures for 'Picturing Ourselves In the Renaissance.' However, I get easily distracted, and saw a woman on the inside of the jousting ring handing out 'shards of the lances' that were used. I called them sticks, and she abruptly corrected me with shards...so, that's why it's in quotes. So, I asked her if Robin Hood would come back out, because we still wanted that picture. She said that he would come out the back door behind the Jousting Arena...So, we - instead of doing the pictures right away - meandered toward the back of the jousting place. 

We waited for a little bit until someone I recognized came out of the back door... DAVIE! Davie Radish! Well, I snagged him up and shouted 'Dave!' He looked slightly stunned, but smiled anyway and came toward us. "What can I do for you ladies?" he said. Well, I said 'do you know if Robin Hood is back there?' He thought for a moment and told us to 'stay put' and he would check. After a few moments, Davie came out and shook his head, and then he told us to 'stay right 'ere. I will facilitate Robin Hood'. Well, we waited for a few moments until we saw a big smile on a returning Davie Radish, smiley drawn-on hoe bouncing in the air as if he were leading some sort of parade. Instantly, our faces fell - there was no Robin Hood to be found! However, Davie's smile grew brighter as our faces lit up as Robin Hood rounded the corner, Maid Marian on his arm, both following the bouncing hoe. Well, we then got a picture with Davie, and he said he was glad to help such 'lovely ladies', and then he disappeared. Lovely fellow, really...

So now, we had what we had wanted all day long! We got a picture with Robin Hood, taken by Maid Marian. We were about to embark on conversation when all of a sudden, Liz shouts 'Will Scarlett!' We all turn, and sure enough a surprised, and shocked Will Scarlett came over to us - we were still by the exit door, so...we were sort of stalking everyone who came out. No biggie. Well, we got a picture with the guys.

Let me tell you something really quickly. It was cold - it got cold very quickly as soon as 5 o'clock hit. So, when Robin Hood put his hand on the back of my neck, it was like a shock. He was very warm, very, very warm. I was giddy, to say the least. So, soon after that, Will Scarlett disappeared off to do something or another, and the roomies and Robin Hood and Maid Marian made a 'Friendship Circle', and we talked for about fifteen minutes. We spoke for a few moments, and he said that he remembered us. That we were the loudest ones cheering for him - which made sense, since we were on his opponents side... It was amazing. And now, I'm going into story mode... Here we go!

Liz was talking about next year, how we were going to come back and dress up and talk to people. And I said that we were and that we had already practiced our accents. Robin Hood looked slightly impressed, so suddenly he says 'let's here 'em'. Liz and I looked at each other like he had just asked us to stand on our heads or something. However, he was amazing to look at, so we did. Liz went first, and Robin was impressed and said that she was 'really good'. Then he looked at me and said 'now you'. So, I gave him my accent and he said I was good, too! He said 'instead of just dressing up and talking to people, why don't [we] just work there, and get paid to dress up and talk to people.' And then I don't remember what happened, but I wanted to tell a story about something and I got interrupted by something, and apparently, Robin Hood wanted to know what I was going to say because after the interruption was over, he said 'go ahead, Darling.'

I swear, my heart stopped. I started in a few words, and everything in my mind shut down. 'He called me 'Darling',' I muttered. 'I knew she'd catch that,' Liz said. Robin Hood only grinned and chuckled as I regained what was left of my composure and told him my story - I think it was about Demetri Martin, and how he should look him up some day, that we was a very funny comedian. Robin Hood told us stories, too! He said how a couple of weeks ago, and then backtracked saying that the events of the day was the first time it had ever happened. So, I offered 'once, in this dream you had...' He smiled, and went on with his story about how a couple weekends ago a woman ran around to all of the groups during the joust thing, and got everyone to cheer for Robin Hood instead of the people they were supposed to... And then, he switched into a scottish accent because I think we were still talking about them or something... But his accent was fantastic! He said his name wasn't really Robin Hood, that he was Angus and he snuck in and killed Robin Hood, stole his costume and has been parading around like Robin Hood the whole day... Very funny... Good times...

After our conversation was over, we all shook hands... and for the strangest reason, I still remained turned around from the group and Robin Hood and Maid Marian turned away. Their backs were to me, but Robin Hood looked back and winked at me. Instantly I grinned and turned around to see if my group was still there. Nope - they were at least three steps away from me.

So, not only did I get a picture with Robin Hood, I shook his hand, he put his hand on my shoulders, he called me darling and he Winked. At. Me! So exciting. 

After that, we got our picture in the Renaissance time-period clothing as Royalty, of course... We all saw how sun burnt we had gotten... It was a whole lot of fun, really it was...

We are going to do it next year... We will... It'll be awesome... Working at the 'RenFaire'... amazing. I had the best time... -swoon-

Quotes

Me: - has smudged her henna- -gasp!- Oh no! Oh no! I'm an idiot!

Henna Woman: No, no. C'mere, I can fix this. We once had a kid who got a dragon, and we told him and his parents that he couldn't touch it or anything for ten minutes. He smudged it not once, not twice but three times.

Me: Whoa...

Henna Woman: Yeah. -completes henna...again- Now, I want you to repeat after me. 'I will not touch this henna'

Me: - holds arm away from body- I will not touch this henna.

Henna Woman: 'Or the Henna lady will find me, tie me up and roast me on a open spit.'

Me: -blank stare- 'Or bad things will happen.'

-leaving the Faire-

Me: - sees a RenFaire man shaking a stick around waist level- - I stare-

Stick Man: - stares back-

-We hold eye contact until I've got my head looking back at him as we (the roomies and I) near the exit.

Me: - sticks out tongue-

Stick Man: Ah ha! I knew it!

Me: O.O;; what?

Stick Man: I knew I sensed trouble in you!

Liz: What?

Stick Man: She stuck her tongue out at me! She's a trouble maker.

Me: You're waving a stick...you held eye contact....

Stick Man: -looks at my friends, they look like they are going to defend me- You're lucky to have friends like these.

Me: Yeah, I know...

-noise way behind us-

Stick Man: Trouble!

Me: Yeah, you should probably put a stop to that...

Stick Man: I can't, I can only sense where it is! -runs off-

Liz: What-

Me: -grins- I stuck my tongue out at him... He kept my eye contact the whole time we were walking... -shrug- Instinct...

Such amazing times. I recommend Renaissance Faires... Go to everyone you are around.... Look at everything - it's amazing. I love Robin Hood.... I'll try and get some pictures up when I go home for the weekend... If not, use your imaginations.... Yeah....I had a lovely time.... -sigh-

Robin Hood called me Darling...and winked...

^_6;; Jereality

Suspense For You!

Alright, I will be posting about the Renaissance Faire tomorrow after my class... It will be amazing, you'll see....

^_6

--Edit--

So maybe, I will post about it today. I was very tired yesterday.... So I slept after I got back from my class... I promise, though, you guys are first on my agenda when I get back from english... Pinky Promise!

-Jereality

A Side Note

Eight AM is wayyyy to earlier for a Bio lab... Just thought you all should know. I'm not a fan of waking up this early to sit in a double Bio lab session. Thrilled? Not in the least. I think after my Computer Applications I'm going to eat lunch...and then move on to Bio Lecture - where I have a test, and then after that I have Skills for College... that ends at 5:20-ish, I think. After that I think I"ll be able to get a real post in... Unless I"m bogged down with homework... Then you'll just have to use your imaginations to figure out what I"m doing. I'll give you some things to put in those imagination scenes: Me(Jereality), books, a computer, a chair, 18 bottles of various Mountain Dews, and Sour Patch Kids.

-If I had time....Mountain Dew and Sour Patch Kids would have links on them... however... I have a class at eight o'clock that I need to finish getting ready for.-

I'll put links on them later.

Enjoy your sleeping!!

^_6;;Jereality

College Teached Me Good Things

Yo! At the current moment in time, I am listening to Barenaked Ladies. It's the live album they did - it's called, uh... Rock Spectacle (Live). It's the only album of theirs that I have.... It's quite fantastic, really. So, yeah - that's what I'm doing. Now, the real thing that should be going through the minds of everyone reading this should be: 'Jereality is in college now... Shouldn't she be doing some sort of work to further benefit her stay there?'

Ah, and you are correct!  What I should be doing - instead of rocking out with my amazing BOSE headphones that will only allow me to hear the music and nothing else - is my English 1 paper. Well, I just want you to all be aware of the assignment and how I came up with my lovely topic. Well, we were prompted by our Professor, Dave, to think of something based on our literacy. Well, he also told us that you can be literate about anything. I happen to be literate in the writing field, and Dave is literate in reading the happenings in a forest, and another young adult in my class was literate on plant behavior. Well, it seems I am also literate - not only in the Writing sense - but in reading people. It's an uncanny ability, to be sure - however, it doesn't seem to work over the phone. Which is where the topic for my Literacy Narrative came to be. The whole thing is about how I hate the phone because I can't see the person on the other line. I don't know if they understand me, and I often can't see what they're trying to project because I'm missing important components of the story because I'm not there to see the gestures needed to get the proper point across.

But now I'm torn. You see, I hate the phone, but I love to text and IM people. I believe this is true for me because instead of getting half of the detail I receive nothing - just text. No hidden voice inflections necessary, no idle chatter in the background of the conversations that I can't discern - nothing. It seems I require all the detail or none at all in conversations - not the half detailed stuff I get over phone calls.

Hold on... Dinner....

Alright - I'm back. Dinner this evening was a Buffalo Panini - which is actually, in fact, a Quesadilla shell with buffalo chicken, hot sauce and bleu cheese... I've drifted from the earlier conversation with you all... I no longer wish to speak of phone calls... I wish instead, to speak of...well, there are several things... The Blood Drive that I'm super excited for and only have 3 hours and 12 minutes - 11 minutes now -, or the mess Vincenzo made for his own dinner... which was delicious, by the way... Or I could discuss the ramifications on the economics of the college dorm life fixated upon the usage of mac and cheese as a currency. 

See? I can use large words without sounding like a nitwit. Go, Me! -insert sigh here- Regardless of anything I said in the blurb about what I will talk about, I will decide now. I will talk about how I enjoy college. My roomies are lovely people. Runner, whose desk is lodged beside mine on the right-hand side is one of the sweetest people I have ever met. Her personality is similar to that of Qualms', and it's lovely because I miss Qualms. My other room mate, Liz [who just recently celebrated her birthday] reminds me of Sibling, who I miss quite terribly... That's okay though, because I have a habit of going home on the weekends and speaking with her over the internet via iChat (AIM for Macs). And then there is my other roomie.... Audrina... She...um. Reminds me a little bit of Where's-Your-Logic-At.... with standard, Hollywood Prom Queen/Head Cheerleader rolled in as well... Whatever - we all get along and it's awesome. And when we don't get along, well, that hasn't quite happened yet. We do have an alliance, though.... A secret alliance which I dare not speak about because by uttering certain things I'd be condemning myself to a watery death...

That's not true... I plan on living forever. Like Highlander... you'd have to lop off my head for me to die... By doing that you'd be getting all of my power through lightning... Which, if that happens, I hope electrocutes you. Harsh? Well, you just killed me - so, we're even. Okay, I'm going to write my paper a bit more... and look over the Bio stuff because I have an exam on Wednesday.... and I have a Functions exam tomorrow - which will be a piece of chocolate cake - mostly because it's easy peasy. If you have an question for me, please leave them at the desk. Thanks for dropping by!

Quote of the Day

-Enter scene... I'm opening a package of gum. Liz's hand appears by my side, her eyes glued to her own computer.

Me: -tosses an entire pack of gum in her hand

Her: Oh!

Me: What?

Her: I didn't know I was getting gum

Me: o.O

Her: I just heard you opening something... I wanted some...

Me: What if it was arsenic tablets?

Her: -shrug-

Remember:

Sharing is caring...unless it's Herpes...

^_6;;Jereality

_{I know you're all curious.... Vincenzo[Runner's boyfriend] works in the kitchen in the place we call 'The Pub'. Today, for dinner, he made a philly cheesesteak sans (without) a roll... He put it in a little container and added hot sauce and had that... Runner, Liz and Audrina were disgusted... I didn't care... He made me taste it to tell them it was good... They didn't believe me... Ah well.... Woo, Advanced Palate.... ?}