Flooding The Zone ~ With Renaissance Festival Fun

 

By the time you read this Post we will have gone to the Renaissance Festival on a Sunday.   We're taking Two Vehicles, since The Son and Them might wanna stay and last longer than Yours Truly.  I don't know how long I'll be able to Hang this Year, since I'm still recovering from The Stupid Stroke Pre-Christmas Near Death Drama.  Princess T already told me she's leaving whenever I want to, since, she mostly wants to go to Dress Up and Look Medieval Cute and Fierce, which, she will.  *LOL and Winks*  She and The Daughter are agonizing over their Ensembles to wear there and fussed with Wardrobe all Day on Saturday in preparation. *Smiles*

  All Images on this Post are Courtesy of and Credited to my Talented Brother Syd, the Professional Photographer, who does Press for various Renaissance Festivals.  Nobody covers it better IMO, and he knows everyone, so gets the candid access into their World at these Faires.  So, enjoy my Brother's Superb Eye Candy Coverage of them, which will supersede any I take there since I'm an Amateur Photographer with a shitty Camera.  *LOL*  He's gonna really Take you There on the Journey, vicariously.   So you can experience the Essence of the Participants, even if you prefer to just be a Spectator and Costumes or Re-Enactments of Fantasies really aren't your Jam.  Our Family thoroughly enjoys it and gets into it, some Years I've worn Costumes, this Year I won't, since, I don't have one that fits.  *Le Sigh and LOL*

Saturday I actually had trouble Motivating to even get out of my Jammies by Noon and do the few Errands we Needed to do, let alone think about getting into a Costume this Weekend!  So, I'm only Hoping I am more Animated on Sunday, we'll see?   I got my Saturday shit done and was back Home by 2:00 p.m. for The Son to fire up the BBQ and grill the pre-marinated Meat I'd bought at the Carniceria, with the freshly Daily made Tortillas.  That were so freshly made, they were too Hot to Hold and I was juggling the packages to get them to the Truck without burning my Hands.  *LOL*  But, damn are they good, charred over an Open Fire and the Carniceria has them in a big Blue Ice Chest keeping Hot and only Charge a couple Bucks for a Dozen.  I bought 3 Dozen since we'll go thru them just that fast.  And I ate a Plain piping Hot one immediately after getting into the Truck.  *Smiles*

I'd be remiss if I didn't include at least one Photo of my Brother at a Gig doing Press for the Festivals, since I'm Cribbing all his Imagery for my Ren Blog Post Hook and Draw.  *LOL, Thanks Baby Brother, now I'm Borrowing YOUR shit... Winks*   We're very close and always have been, he's so much Fun to Hang with.   He's a riot and has a lot of other Professional Photographer Friends who are also doing Media Gigs there and often go Ham about taking crazy Pixs of one another.  Someone probably dared him to Kiss the Llama.   She seems into it.  *LMAO*  He once was covering the Arizona Renaissance Festival and that was actually the very first time I'd ever been to one in all the Years I'd lived here.  Which, that was Crazy, and getting Media Access Passes we were treated like Royalty since my Brother knew everyone with being the Press for many Years covering National Faires.  Now, with his failing Health he mostly does the West Coast ones only now.

I know the last Post was Dark and Heavy, with just A Lot, so I'll keep this one Lighter and Fluffier.  *Winks*  Our Day of Escapism on Sunday is much needed right now, to just pretend and play that we're in a Fantasy World of Medieval Modernism is just Fun.  The Costumes people wear and often make are spectacular.   Our Gals will be dressing up but I don't really have anything Costume like to wear to the Theme of this particular Weekend.  Every Weekend they run it has a different Theme.  Attendees don't have to match it or they can wear any kind of Costume they desire.  People come in their Anime, and Cosplay Outfits too.  It's Chivalry and Champions Weekend we're attending.  So, I expect a lot of Knights and Medieval Costumes too.  March will usher in Pirates, Wizards, Time Travelers, Celtics, and Vikings until it's a Wrap.  Usually there's Fairies, Gypsies, Fortune Tellers and Steampunk, but I didn't see those Themes Listed this Year... tho' Princess T said they will have them, they Listed it differently.

And I got enuf Visual Blog Fodder of Renaissance to last a few Posts now, mostly Thanks to my Brother.  So we're Good on Creating some Fluff of Life Blog Posts as a Welcome Fantasy Escape and Distraction from Real Life Fuckery.  *Whew*  Of which there is too much of and it's Flooded The Zone.   So, I'm Flooding The Zone with some Renaissance Festival Fun, you can Thank me Later.   Let it Take You Away like a Calgon Bath Commercial. *Winks*   Some of the Participants go Ham real Well in front of the Lens at the Festivals, others are more self conscious and probably not used to the Attention.  Tho', to be sure, if you're Dressing Up, expect that you'll attract some Attention, probably WANT people to Notice you, so, it shouldn't be a Surprise to you.  *LOL and an Eye Roll*   

Princess T gets asked to be Photographed a lot at these Events, natch.  And complimented, tho' Personality Wise she's an Introvert and has Social Anxiety, Fashion Wise she's a total Extrovert.   I swear if she's Dressed Up her whole Personality changes and she literally Transforms into another Being.   I suspect a lot of these folks do from their Daily Lives, when they're in Character and Costume, it can be an Alter Ego.  LATER:  It's The Morning Of and getting this Show on the Road proves to be challenging, I should have woke everyone up at 5:00 a.m. instead of at 6:00 a.m. coz it's past 8:00 a.m. now and Princess T only has her Makeup on and isn't in Costume yet!  Oy vey!  I actually dressed up, I decided on a simple ensemble of a Crocheted Sepia colored Gypsy Maxi with Tan Leggings under it and a Rust colored T-Shirt under it, looks Medieval enuf with my Dreadlocks and some Primitive Silver and Amber Jewelry.

We got The Man all set up for his Super Bowl Sunday with his Buffet Spread he picked out when I took him Grocery Shopping for it on Saturday.  The Son is Recording the Game so he can watch it later when we get back.  The Man will be Happy to not have anyone bothering him during the Super Bowl and he'll be Fine for the amount of time we'll be gone.   Our Hope was, since it is Super Bowl Sunday, perhaps a lot of people will forego the Renaissance Festival so as not to miss it?  And perhaps the Crowds will be somewhat less?  It's a stretch, since, most people who like the Festivals aren't necessarily your Garden Variety Sports Fans.  *Bwahahahaha*   Now, if there was a Cosplay Convention going on, perhaps it would vie for the same Crowds?   *LOL*   I mean, does this Guy look like he Lives for the Super Bowl?   I think not.  Samurai or Martial Arts Fights... mebbe?  *LMAOROTF*

I have a lot of Cool Dreadlock Jewelry, most of which I bought from previous Renaissance Festivals, since you do see a lot of Dreadheads there and they are often Selling Stuff in the Shops.  *LOL*   But, only this Twist works anymore coz most of my Dreadlocks are now too phat and thick to use the Jewelry that used to fit on Micro-Locs.   I always assumed mine would stay thin unless I let them Congo and grow together, but, nope, don't know how but they get bigger around every Year I have them, whether Congoed or not.   I did get the initial 60+ of them down to 17, which has taken Years to combine some with one another in a pleasing looking way and strengthen them as they get heavier and longer.   I doubt Micro-Dreads would have supported the weight of how heavy and long they now are and cutting them is like cutting fucking Rope, so, that's not happening.  *LOL*

  

Princess T and I were taking Pixs before leaving and The Daughter said we couldn't take hers coz she's putting her Makeup on in the Truck coz it's a long drive and a long Magical process to look Cute at her Age.  *LMAOROTF*   The Son is taking a separate Vehicle so he can Smoke on the way there and leave whenever he's ready to in case I can't Hang as long as the Young folks do?   I don't know if he's picking Rosa up or not, he hasn't mentioned if she could go or not, a lot of his Friends are now on mandatory overtime with no Days Off.  I know she wanted to attend with us again like she did last Year, it was her first time and she thoroughly enjoyed herself.   The Daughter had never been before either until last Year and said she knows why we make it a Tradition and Ritual now to.   I'm just Sad the Young Prince couldn't join us.  If he arrives in March he could since it runs 'til the end of next Month.

The Man asked why we weren't taking a Pix of him after I finally got The Son and The Daughter to pose for some Pixs?   So, I took a Pix of him in his Media Chair with one of his Deli Trays readying for Super Bowl.  *LOL*   He's Golden so long as he's got his Buffet Spread of Deli Meats, Cheeses and Crackers.  *Smiles*   I got some Fruit Bowls and Veggie Trays, but those usually get consumed by the Kiddos and I, The Man is not gonna make that his first choice to consume.  *Le Sigh*  I had taken him to a "Rudy's" BBQ for a Pulled Pork Sammie and it was Tempting to get a Mixed BBQ Tray of Meats there for Super Bowl Sunday... we still might on the way Home.   Lots of Guys were there getting them and they did look Ahhhmazing, you could choose any 3 Meats for the Tinfoil Tray Buffet Special they had going on.   And you could opt for the Sides to go with it for an Upgrade.

Now Princess T is ready and it's her Mother who is Last... as always... to roll out the Door.  *Le Sigh*  Even when she was in Pre-School we had to have a Rule that she could NOT be Last.  She could be First or anywhere in the Middle, but if she could be Last you were never gonna get anywhere on Time and not all be held up waiting on her.  *Le Sigh*  I should have mentioned earlier that she had to be ready before her Daughter, since, Princess T can take forever to roll out the Door and hold everyone up waiting on her too.   So, getting that Show on the Road I already knew was gonna be an Ordeal.   The Son is like me, he can be ready in 5 Minutes flat.   The Man, also an Ordeal, you have to prepare him way in advance for doing anything and having him not become distracted and discombobulated enuf you could lose your Mind keeping his focused and on track.   He will piddle with shit in the Side Door of the Truck with the Door hanging open until you threaten to put it in gear anyway and not Care if he falls out!   *Winks*

He's resistant to buckling up too and putting his Seatbelt on in a timely manner.   Even tho' his damned TBI was due to a catastrophic wreck he was in where someone T-Boned him in an Intersection Years ago and he had to be Life Flighted from the Scene and ended up in a Level One Trauma Hospital, then a Neurological Hospital and finally a Rehab Nursing Home for a total of 9 Months.  Yet, he will still get obstinate about putting his Seatbelt on until I jerk the Truck by slamming on the Brake as I'm backing out of the Driveway, then he'll buckle up immediately!  *Bwahahahaha*  Gleefully saying, "Hang on Fucker, we're going for a Ride!"   *Snicker*   He can be very Dramatic when I'm Driving and the Kiddos will Laugh like Hell at him hanging on to the Handles near the Roof of the Truck White Knuckling it sometimes.  It's very exaggerated, I'm not THAT bad a Driver.  *LOL* 

MUCH LATER:   We're already Home from the Renaissance Festival, we stayed for Four Hours and I Hung as long as the Kiddos.  I was very Proud of myself coz both Girls Tapped Out before I did actually.  It was a nice Day and 79 Degrees with a Cooler Breeze, not too Crowded with it being a Super Bowl Sunday, which was what I'd Hoped for actually.  It was well attended but without the Traffic Jam going there or the long Lines to get something to eat and drink.  In fact, this Year they gave Seniors a Free Drink Coupon for a Non-Alcoholic Beverage.  Getting there took an Hour longer only becoz the City had curiously Closed both Freeways that you use to get there and we had no idea that both I-10 and the 60 were Closed and we had to take Surface Streets until it opened up way Southeast.

The Granddaughter had Google Maps Open to re-route us and she has trouble Reading so it was hilarious.  I was to turn on Baseline, and she said it like Vaseline with a B and I'm dying Laughing and we teased her about that all day.   I can see Why she Read it as she did tho', since Vaseline is pronounced differently than Base Line would be pronounced and the only difference is the First Letter in both Words.  *LOL*  We got there without any heavy Traffic tho', which is a first, even tho' we arrived 40 Minutes after Opening, even tho' we'd left early enuf to get there way before Opening if the Freeways hadn't been Closed.  There were lotsa Roads in the Cities Closed for Street Parties for Super Bowl tho', like Mill Avenue in the Historic Part of Tempe.  We ate Lunch there at the Renaissance Festival since they have good Food and it's inexpensive for what you get. 

The Son and I had the Fish and Chips, you get a huge half a Fish Fillet and some Rally's Type Battered Seasoned Fries for only $9.  The Daughter got Onion Rings and their Smoked Gouda Mac N Cheese, each only $5 each and delicious.  Princess T had the Roasted Corn on the Cob $4.  I bought another Renaissance Hair Twist that is bigger to accommodate how thick/phat my Dreads have now gotten.  It has a Claddagh Charm on it and is Goldtone Color with etchings on the Twist.  The Vendor puts it in your Hair for you, she said it's so much easier to install them in Dreadlocks and have them snug than in any other Hair.  Tho' I'll wait and use my Photos I took for the next Post, I have included a Below, a few Pixs down, of my new Hair Twist.   The Son bought an Essential Oil to wear, it smelled so good on him.

Princess T got no less than half a Dozen people tell her she looked Stunning, same Word everyone used.  Since she and I were walking side by side, it was so Tempting as a Joke for me to respond instead of her, "Oh, Thank You!"   And Princess T was Laughing out Loud when I kept saying, you think they're saying that to ME or You?  *Bwahahahaha*  And when large Groups of Young Single Men walked by us all of their Collective Heads would Turn to look at her and do a doubt take, Mouths agape, The Son would Laugh, saying, Guys are SO Obvious!  *LOL*  So, I've also included just a couple of Sneak Peeks of all of us so you can see what we wore.  The Son took these I'm Sharing with his Phone Camera and is now using the one of he and I as his New Book Of Faces Profile Pix.  *Awwwwwww*

I just Love my New Hair Twist, you can see the difference in circumference from the one I bought Years ago that now only fits on my thinnest Dreads, which, I don't have too many of those now so I rarely wear it anymore.  They have a size even wider than this for when my Dreads get even larger, but most Twists were the small ones that wouldn't work for me anymore but work on Non-Dreadlocked Hair.  The Man could wear them in his Beard too but I haven't been able to convince him to yet.  *Winks and LOL*   For Regular Non-Dreaded Hair there's a Hat Pin sort of thing that often comes with them but you can't shove that thru a Dreadlock.  It would be like trying to shove a Pin thru a Cowboy Rope.  *LOL*   We all had such a good time together, even tho' The Son's Friend Rosa couldn't come after all, she had to Work.  There were other Friends of the Kids that wanted to come but we didn't really want a large group.  You have to compromise too much if a lot of people are in tow. 

I'd told all the Kids they could stay longer if I Tapped Out first, but, I didn't.   Princess T did and her Mom shortly thereafter.  They unanimously Agreed in advance that when One of us was ready to leave and had decided we'd had enuf Fun, all of us would Agree to leave.  *Smiles*   I got out of Breath a couple times and my Heart racing, so we took it easy in spurts and sat down and People Watched quite a bit.  People were gracious about being Photographed.  My Downloaded Pixs look Okay, not as spectacular as those my Brother Shared of coarse, but, not too bad that I won't Share some of them.  I ended up taking 106 Pixs while there.   They'd reconfigured several of the Booths and Stores since last Year.   In the Past you always knew the exact same location your favorite Vendors would be, now they've mixed it up so we had to keep referring to the Map.

We'd looked for Krisi Bigsmiles, the Gal who convinced me to get Dreadlocks many Moons ago now.  She's always at the Henna Tent doing Mehndi, but was MIA this Year.   Last Year my Dreads had gotten as long as hers and she's had hers for Decades, so I was told mine are growing very fast, which, they are.  Oddly, before getting Dreadlocks my Hair grew slowly and was fragile so would often break, which mebbe accounted for it seeming not to grow due to the breakage?   Now it's stronger and healthier I'm seeing finally how fast it really does grow.  Now, when I was Young it grew fast and often got down past my Hips, even to my Knees before I'd have it cut shorter.

I know Kristi is Okay since she recently Posted on FB this Month, but, don't know Why she wasn't there?  Or mebbe she was and just getting something to Eat and taking a Break.  I always stop by and say Hey to her and Thank her for convincing me Dreadlocks would Work for me, I owe her a Debt of Gratitude for that.   I'd always wanted them, but just was reluctant for too long to actually get them and now I wouldn't have my Hair any other way.   The new Hair growth which I call the Don King Fuzzies looks Crazy sometimes until they Loc Up into a Dreadlock, I HAD to include a Pix that Princess T took of me at Dinner after we left the Renaissance Festival and went to "Rice Paper" to show you how Crazy my Hair got with the Windows down in the Truck and speeding down the Freeway section that was still Open.  I had no Idea I looked that Crazy until AFTER she took the Pix and I'm like OMG, Why didn't you tell me?!  I look like I just Invented something... ala: Einstein!   *Bwahahahaha*

 

We had our Beyond Cute Gay Waiter/Bartender, who was Serving us, he's absolutely Gorgeous and has the best Dimples... and I was Ordering looking all Crazy like this before she said anything!!!  *Le Sigh*   When Princess T was little she had a huge Crush on him and he'd let her sit up at the Bar with a 7-Up with Maraschino Cherries in it and she felt so Grown Up and Special.   He's watched her Grow Up and he looks exactly the same, he's Ageless and so damned Adorable.   She'd be mortified if I asked him to take a Pix with her, so I haven't ever.  *Smiles*  And, now she's Old enuf to realize he's not a Straight Guy... tho' she Joked he's not the only Gay Guy she's had a Major Crush on.  *Smiles*   She actually gets as many Compliments on how Beautiful she is from other Girls as she does from Guys.  *LOL*

She'd 'Borrowed' a bunch of my Religious Vintage Jewelry to wear around her Neck and had disassembled some of my Rosaries to wear around the Skirt!   *Gasp!*   It did look Cute and she Promised to reassemble them later.  *Whew*   She likes to make up her Wardrobe and just Buy things from Chazzas and then Modify it all.   The Knee High Boots she wore this day had high Heels and I don't know how she didn't turn an Ankle in them and take a Fall on the Gravel?  *Smiles*   She did her Mani in the Truck on the way there and put the Nails on and added the Embellishments to them.   The Daughter put her Makeup on in The Son's Car on the way there too.  Otherwise we'd of been waiting on those Gals to get ready for at least another 1.5 Hours or more!  *Eye Roll*

I watched the Super Bowl Halftime and Kendrick Lamar was a very Odd Choice of Artist, he's quite controversial, as are his Lyrics.  The Son was thinking, won't they have to Dub most of the Lyrics and not let him actually say all the Profanity and Offensive shit?  But, they didn't.  It really is Hood Music that all the Gang Bangers in the Old Barrio would be listening to... so, Yeah, Surprised he was the "Interesting" Choice.   And I personally felt, this seemed like the Perfect Middle Finger to this Administration and knowing The Orange Racist was there and would HATE it.  *Bwahahaha*   They even had Samuel L. Jackson dressed up as Uncle Sam and I'm just Surprised he didn't let a "Motherfucker" fly too!!!  Which would have been more hilarious actually.  *LMAOROTF*

    

It is speculated that Jay-Z, the Executive Producer of the NFL Half-Time Performances and Entertainment Strategist, intentionally chose Kendrick becoz of his opposition to Anti-Blackness, a stance Jay Z has also consistently taken.  I thought so even before I Googled how the Choice was made.  It seemed Obvious to me as to Why.  And I LOVED it.   Yeah, it was very Ghetto and Gangsta for sure... and exactly Why I think it was a Fuck You to this Administration and all the MAGA, which, regardless that it's not Music I'd ever listen to, I hadda Love that aspect of the performance.  You KNEW it was Baiting the Racists of Amerikkka! *Bwahaha*   And, I KNOW it will be talked about as being too Loud, too Ghetto, too Controversial... which, pretty sure is the exact response desired to be elicited due to how backwards the MAGA Movement is taking America and making discrimination and extreme prejudices prevalent again.

I hadn't wanted to make this a particularly Wordy Post, but more of a Fantasy Scape Visually heavy with Renaissance Eye Candy one instead.  So, just now enjoy the rest of the Visuals 'til you get to The End, that I've crammed in here for your Enjoyment and to decompress from any of the Issues Of Life you might be Dealing with and Worried about...  Enjoy... 

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Some Light-Heartedness and just plain Fun from the Arizona Desert... Dawn... The Bohemian