![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
One Weekend in January
Friday consisted of me going to work late and leaving early, on account of my back is still fucked up. I have some prescription meds from the last time I sprained my back and I took some with lunch. This proved to be a bit of an error as I was useless at work by 2pm. I went home and passed out until 7. Then I got up and went to archery - I didn't shoot any, but I did get some decent socialization in.
Calgary's big SCA event - Montengarde 12th Night - was Saturday. It was pretty good. Not great, not terrible, but certainly better than OK. And the best thing about it? I didn't have to run it.
I was worried about the hall, but my worries didn't come true. Another weekend and they might have come true, as the hall was not quite full to capacity, but we also had a lot of no-shows. An Edmonton snowstorm caused a lot of out-of-towners to cancel. Get 300 people in that hall and it would have been pretty tight.
Of course, my real objection is that it was in Airdrie - picking sites with no transit access is a good way to exclude people. Did it happen this time? I know there were a handful of locals that I expected to see that weren't there. Was that due to the distance or some combination of prior commitments/poverty/weather/apathy? I don't know. It wasn't many though.
Mostly, I'd like an acknowledgment that this is an important consideration. "Yes, we're going to exclude some people, but in return we gain [a better kitchen | cheaper rent | larger facility ]." Instead I usually get blank stares. It doesn't affect me personally - I know plenty of people in the SCA and I have my own car - but there was a time when neither of those conditions were true. My first half dozen events were all traveled to via transit.
In the end, the hall did the job. It certainly looked nice, the kitchen seemed adequate to our needs, the bathrooms were clean and functional. It was close enough to the highway that people could drive to the site easily.
The archery was decent. MacDuff (our current Dragonblinder) ran what appeared to be his first tournament and it was well received. We had a low turnout, but I expect that was largely due to the inclement weather. I personally shot like ass, but I blame the fact that I haven't really sighted in my new equipment, and having a sprained back makes drawing a bow difficult.
The back sprain also interfered with me making myself useful at the event. By the time an event is actually underway, about the only help people need is physical, and I wasn't up to any sort of physical work.
Mostly what I did was be social. I chatted with lots of folks I don't get to see that often and had a good time doing so.
Highlights:
Oh, and the fact that I felt completely useless the whole time I was there. Couldn't shoot worth beans, couldn't help set up or clean up. Couldn't really move around as much as I'd have liked. That and the constant low-level pain exhausted my mental batteries. These batteries, as long-time readers know, are what keep the demons of depression at bay. Thankfully there was nothing triggering at the event or I'd have slipped into an incident. As I said, I had a good time. Still, when you start thinking "Why would anyone like you, you're not doing anything", it's time to go and rest.
This really was my first local event in a long time where I wasn't important. I wasn't an officer, I wasn't the event steward, I was just one amongst the hoi polloi. The question for me now is, are you no longer active in the SCA, or is this just a brief rest before jumping back into the fray? The next year will tell.
Sunday was spent recharging the batteries. This meant being a couch potato. I never left the house, drank half a case of diet coke, and watched 16 episodes of "Modern Family" (I fully intend on watching another 8 tonight). I also learned exciting and joyous news from some friends, but it's up to them to announce it rather then I.
To summarize: 12th Night was good and I've been sitting on my ass recuperating.
Calgary's big SCA event - Montengarde 12th Night - was Saturday. It was pretty good. Not great, not terrible, but certainly better than OK. And the best thing about it? I didn't have to run it.
I was worried about the hall, but my worries didn't come true. Another weekend and they might have come true, as the hall was not quite full to capacity, but we also had a lot of no-shows. An Edmonton snowstorm caused a lot of out-of-towners to cancel. Get 300 people in that hall and it would have been pretty tight.
Of course, my real objection is that it was in Airdrie - picking sites with no transit access is a good way to exclude people. Did it happen this time? I know there were a handful of locals that I expected to see that weren't there. Was that due to the distance or some combination of prior commitments/poverty/weather/apathy? I don't know. It wasn't many though.
Mostly, I'd like an acknowledgment that this is an important consideration. "Yes, we're going to exclude some people, but in return we gain [a better kitchen | cheaper rent | larger facility ]." Instead I usually get blank stares. It doesn't affect me personally - I know plenty of people in the SCA and I have my own car - but there was a time when neither of those conditions were true. My first half dozen events were all traveled to via transit.
In the end, the hall did the job. It certainly looked nice, the kitchen seemed adequate to our needs, the bathrooms were clean and functional. It was close enough to the highway that people could drive to the site easily.
The archery was decent. MacDuff (our current Dragonblinder) ran what appeared to be his first tournament and it was well received. We had a low turnout, but I expect that was largely due to the inclement weather. I personally shot like ass, but I blame the fact that I haven't really sighted in my new equipment, and having a sprained back makes drawing a bow difficult.
The back sprain also interfered with me making myself useful at the event. By the time an event is actually underway, about the only help people need is physical, and I wasn't up to any sort of physical work.
Mostly what I did was be social. I chatted with lots of folks I don't get to see that often and had a good time doing so.
Highlights:
- Kirk and
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mommaquilter's last Montengarde event as Prince and Princess of Avacal. - Blue becoming the new Emerald Rose (A&S champ), ishansonofbrand becoming the new Dragonblade (Rapier champ). The slow Fine Lame coup of Montengarde continues - one championship at a time.
- ishansonofbrand and ES being sweet on each other. Compatible happy people together makes me smile.
- AC and garething took intermediate and master in the archery tournament.
- Lots of awards for the deserving.
Oh, and the fact that I felt completely useless the whole time I was there. Couldn't shoot worth beans, couldn't help set up or clean up. Couldn't really move around as much as I'd have liked. That and the constant low-level pain exhausted my mental batteries. These batteries, as long-time readers know, are what keep the demons of depression at bay. Thankfully there was nothing triggering at the event or I'd have slipped into an incident. As I said, I had a good time. Still, when you start thinking "Why would anyone like you, you're not doing anything", it's time to go and rest.
This really was my first local event in a long time where I wasn't important. I wasn't an officer, I wasn't the event steward, I was just one amongst the hoi polloi. The question for me now is, are you no longer active in the SCA, or is this just a brief rest before jumping back into the fray? The next year will tell.
Sunday was spent recharging the batteries. This meant being a couch potato. I never left the house, drank half a case of diet coke, and watched 16 episodes of "Modern Family" (I fully intend on watching another 8 tonight). I also learned exciting and joyous news from some friends, but it's up to them to announce it rather then I.
To summarize: 12th Night was good and I've been sitting on my ass recuperating.
no subject
no subject
no subject
And sorry for the rushed hello's earlier in the event. But as soon as I was half set up I had people rush the table. I think I sat down for a total of 10 minutes the entire time my table was running.. LOL
no subject
no subject
pretty girlsbeautiful women like you andno subject
Also, though I know I'm calling the kettle black: its not a crime to go to an event and just have fun- you don't have to help at every event every time. (That you felt bad for 'not being useful' to me would say that you really need to take some time for yourself an just *play* at events for a while.)
no subject
Or maybe Wayne and Elias are engaging in sweaty hair-covered man-love.
I enjoy helping people. Today I get to help them visualize something horrible.
no subject
that image is even worse than Blue in drag....
***CRINGE***
Brain Scrub! STAT!
no subject
Jerk.
no subject
no subject