Since I set up the basics for this blog and promptly forgot all about it, my life has changed more than a little – and, for once, almost entirely for the better. I’m only a few semesters away from wrapping up my long-delayed bachelor’s degree and moving on to a “real” career, I have more friends than I think I have at any point in the last ten years, I’m slowly getting back into decent physical condition, and I’ve returned to the Society for Creative Anachronism after nine years away.
Last weekend I attended the Shire of Talmere’s “Lusty Month of May” event, back in harness as Friar Thomas the Penitent. It was like going home after far too long away, and it felt wonderful. I met (or, in a few cases, re-met) many very interesting people, developed a burning determination to gear up for rapier combat and swash some bucklers, enjoyed the most excellent feast, caroused mightily, and even started getting my extremely rusty flirting skills back on line (although, alas, not enough to keep a certain scoundrel from making off with the lady I was hitting on in a too-subdued fashion). In a lot of ways, I feel like a part of my life that I’ve been missing for a very long time is back where it belongs. I’ve already dug my tin whistle stuff out of the depths of the closet, and I’m even fiddling about with calligraphy and other things that a proper medieval clergyman should know about.
Anyway, when I started planning for this I worked out a long-term plan for getting properly geared up. When I was in the SCA the first time around I always wanted to have a good looking, more-or-less period campsite at big events but never had the resources to do anything about it. Now, with a bit more financial flexibility and much better planning skills, I’ve been looking at Panther tents and the like…expensive, but good quality and the kind of stylishness I want. Sometime during the Saturday late-afternoon laziness last weekend before feast setup, when I was occupying the side porch at the main hall people-watching and “guarding” the ice machine, I had an Idea. It was one of those ideas that stuck in my head, even though I ws pretty certain that I wouldn’t really be able to do anything about it. However, after looking into things it’s apparently not going to be impossible at all. More expensive than a Panther, but cooler in many ways and not necessarily nearly as expensive as I thought it would be – especially if I get my old scrounging skills kicked back in. And, best of all, it gives me a major project to work on over the next year. I’m always happiest when I have something cool cooking.
With a bit of luck and a lot of work, this time next year I’ll be hitting the road to medieval events and the interesting weekend trips that I love so much with my own Gypsy Vardo. The design from The New Gypsy Caravan at http://www.amvardo.com/caravan/ seems like it’ll be absolutely perfect – lightweight enough to haul with my truck or its eventual replacement, very cool looking (and I’m already combing other vardo sites for trim and decoration ideas), more comfortable than sleeping in a tent or most state park cabin beds, nice and dry in wind and rain and other unpleasantness, roomy enough for myself and a lady friend should I happen to find one, and the best thing ever for the spring wanderlust that I always end up with. I’m going to make a game out of rounding up materials as inexpensively as possible, although with my lack of power tools and the skills to use ‘em I’ll almost certainly be going for the kit version. The actual trailer part is going to be a challenge, but that’s where the scrounging skills come in!
So, from now until the vardo is finished, painted, and on the road that’s going to be my “big” Small Adventure. One of my goals for this project is to make some sort of progress on it every week, even if it’s just going to be research and pricing materials while I get some operating funds built up, and I’ll be sharing that progress here. In between I’ll have plenty of other adventures too – I’m jumping back into the Current Middle Ages with both feet, and there’s plenty of other stuff that I’d like to do this spring and summer. The Festival Wind is blowing, and it’s most definitely time to roam!
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