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MD part sette, just in the nick of time!
It’s been a hot and humid one. Exhausted still over 24 hours later, so events, order, people, times and more will be mis-remembered. Caveats in place, let’s see what we can remember.
OH, WHILE YOU ARE HERE
I went to drop off my supplies on Friday during the day and when I went to return the key for the costume house to the office, I was stopped by the ED and she asked me if I could come in a bit earlier than my normal time as Fox 45 had asked to do a last minute promo from site on Saturday morning. The Powers that Be took the 6:00 am spot, one of the crafters was taking on 6:30, I was 7:00 and Johnny Fox would be 7:30. They wanted someone who could speak English, so Mustardseed was out, so I recommended Stupina. I confirmed that Stupina can give good information and details when she isn’t being distracted AND she is the much easier costume to get into then switch out of in the am. Once I confirm details, I head into site to drop clean bottles and new Fairy Juice at the wall for tomorrow. Then, home and back to a late business meeting that ended later than I wanted. I crawled into bed as soon as I could.
WHERE’D THE SUN GO?
I get to site around 6:10 am and am “carded” by security where I let them know I am here for the promo. I drive in and get a normal parking spot, then head to the office to get the key after dropping off my bag of stuff. There are Smith’s already working on site before the sun comes up. One notes that no, he really doesn’t sleep until the end of the festival. I am not surprised. Another Smith greets me in the office and asks me to stay a moment to see if the show’s talent needs a hand. After a rather amusing story, I find out she does and head into the main office to help her lace up into her court gown. Sadly, she was misinformed and was told to put her hoop on last. We made it work, but I am glad I’ve been doing this long enough so I could make her look well put together, even if she does turn sideways. She heads up to the site while I head to the costume house, collect my bags and put Stupina on.
YOU LEARN SOMETHING NEW
I head up to site to see where they are. They are at the Glass Dragon booth and the master glassworker is showing her how he melts a dragon around an egg. I’d not stopped to really look in there before (afraid Stupina might break something). Once they are done, I take a quick walk through and notice some of the amazing glasswork in the back of the store…and the pieces outside the show are pointed out to me by one who knows them well. Impressive. As the camera man is doing some follow up shots, Amber and I head to the front of the fair to figure out where she wants to do our segment. We end up choosing Gatehouse Stage. While we are waiting till it’s our time, I chat with her a bit and start my morning stretching. The ED arrives and confirms I should be talking about the kids shows and available treats for little ones (like free pony rides). They want me to do something more skill based, so MrS#1 heads down for my uke, which the ED returns to me. Amber does her quick bit and then I join her on the stage for the segment. I think I got the info across, but I am still thinking my uke playing just sucks. Eh, its cute and comedy and its mostly to sing her out of the segment. “Revel Grove I am coming back again” gets sung for the first time this season.
BACK TO THE START
Once the segment is done, we head our separate ways and I go to the costume house to switch out my clothing for the fairy gear then lock it up, take the key back to the office and head up to gatehouse to start my morning as if I had just gotten there. Finish stretching, vocal warm up, then make up and hair. I am back on normal schedule, just a bit ahead…and a bit tired. I see Richard and leave there normal time while he stretches. Then, I am off to the Costume House again to finish the odds and ends of the dressing period. I am halfway done to start, so I am able to head out early and get to the Lyric in time to run a song with one gent. Once done, it’s time to run another song with some ladies and attempt to record it. We are not successful, but hey, L and R, Yeah, you! I saw the dancing swords behind the video…you made me laugh. Morning meeting comes too quick and we agree to meet later in the day to make it work.
CHANGING OF THE GUARD
Amongst the thank yous for those who came in last night for the lottery drawing and this morning who woke before the dawn, we have notes to go over as we are missing two of our directors, some of whom have lines. It’s also time to introduce a number of new acts, including Sirena who were warming up as we all arrived. Some people were coming out of their booths to see who it was that sounded so lovely so early. Once all the notes and details and other stuff are over, we BEEP and head to gate. I set down my mug of water and hit the privy before we open. I share my daily honey drop with SMKen then stretch a bit and climb up on the fountain as the cannon booms.
WELCOMING THE THRONGS
Its crowded today, VERY crowded. The crowd takes around 18 minutes to flow in. This is the first day it’s been this heavy. Intense, but fun. I am posing for pics, doing tours, making fun of Knuckles, but William M is not there at the start. Seems that Irish Weekend means that the McCoy family needs to do silly crazy family things. He shows up eventually and the hellos commence. We have JUST BARELY finished the first onslaught and there are lots of people still pouring in. I let them know I will head outside and go to grab programs. I sit with my back to the sun and put the programs on my head. The ticket person takes some of my programs from me, which makes me sad, but she replaces them later with those and more, so all is well. I probably go through 4 or so stacks of programs pretty quickly. I am amused at how many think I am just holding the programs on my head for looks and that I an not offering them out. Guys, they aren’t lightweight, PLEASE take them. Once the second bunch are done, I head in and head to the chair.
WAKE UP
I am posing, but I am also finding myself yawning a bit more than I want to be. I know once I get more water I will be better. But for now, I will just sweat and smile. I am grateful for my umbrella, which is keeping off some of the sun. It’s already sticky and warm. I am surprised the dust isn’t worse, but I expect that will happen as the day progresses. I get some people who want me to look at them and others who want “candids.” Soon enough, it’s time to head into the village. I know that he isn’t there, but I stop by Piland’s and get some water then head to my tree. Today, the song that keeps echoing is “till there was you.” There are the standards, being Irish weekend, lots of Red is the Rose. Good stuff all around. People stop by, often I see a kid in a stroller make eye contact and become entranced staring at me even after they stroller has passed and he has to turn around strangely. It’s very sweet. Time passes and I head down the food court and find a man with very short hair. I sit and chitter with a family and show them shows to see. I wander to the sun bowl and out quickly as the heat is awful. I do hear some modern Irish music playing as I head back to the shade. The court people aren’t there yet, so I move on. I had left props at my hiding space yesterday, but I am not sure if they made it safely where I need them, so I head to the climbing wall area a bit early. I see a positive nod from Dan and know my things are where they need to be, so I head to the bench to enjoy some time with the patrons. People are amused by my seat. Some only see the wings, others the front view. I make sure not to sing too loudly though as I am near the Psaltery guy and don’t want to affect his business.
MELON AND MAYHEM
I get my props and reset them for today’s show. I head toward the stage a moment early and see a friend and her two coworkers. I chitter and glow at them with many hugs, even for people I don’t know. Soon enough, I have to hit the stage as the ladies are getting ready to leave. I see something at the end of their show and let Faith know I have something to show her later. I am not sure she gets it (found out she didn’t later) but that’s ok. I set up and begin the show. Today, I get a decent house with good energy. I get a big bald black guy who is trying to get his son to be the papa bear…um, no, that means it’s you. He is sweating a lot. After I get him and am arranging Mama Bear, I see he has pulled out his Iphone and is taking pics on the stage. He hides it as I come up glowering at him. He behaves after that. The rest of the cast is good and I get a young gent to be Goldilocks. He plays well and the audience loves him for it. The show goes well and it’s nice to be able to drink the non-floaty liquid, though sadly, it tastes gross…this Gatorade is not as tolerable as the similarly colored Powerade. Ah well.
COLD AGAIN?
I take back my props and head over to the wall to deliver the goods. Then, up the Hill of Doom. The heat is kicking my ass and I am back to having issues on the hill. Not as bad as opening weekend, but bleah. I do stop to chat and give directions or the like, but get back to the costume house pretty quickly. The AC that was almost too warm last week is now freezing. It’s a relief to be sure. While I change costume and clean off my face, I am stabilizing body temperature. I am done early and get out to set my props, guzzle my last water for a while, then get a lozenge in my throat so I don’t dry out. I head to my chair and there is someone in it briefly, but they leave and I can sit in it. I sit upside down with my legs up the back and my head off the seat. This is not great as I am now letting all the blood rush to my head. I stay there for about a minute or so then have to turn back. Next I curl up and get quite bendy. This is still visually amusing.
FEMININE WHILES?
Today, my reader is the Russian, Nikolai Petrov. He lets me cry a bit too long so that when he asks the audience if he should help me, they really want him to. They are feeling bad for me. We have some fun with the book and the audience is full and fun (who knows, they might have heard me on the news this morning. No props break and my Bob, while he wants to be called Joe, is pretty fun to play with. Once the show is over, I clear the stage, pack the props while sitting, and hurry back to the costume house with my awkward box. I head into the costume house and put them away. I am starting to switch into Columbina when LadyCyd comes in and we work on a song that we had been trying to get filmed. As we are working, we discover one of the court ladies in the hottest/heaviest of the dresses has begun to overheat. She is getting gatoraded water but is sitting outside. We drag her and her Gatorade inside to the cool. Someone runs for ice, Another gets a blanket for if she gets lightheaded. We find out one of the fiddlers is a medical doctor and comes in to give us the ice for her pressure points. She drinks, tries the tissue salts, which she is doing ok with, eats a few grapes and just lets the ice and the cool air get her back to normal. Soon enough, her color is getting better and she is almost ready to hit the streets.
MUSICAL TRANSLATION
We are looking to add another violinist, but are limited as to when he can learn it or do it. I am trying to get myself dressed and out on street but find a moment to record the song for him before I head out. Timing is short now so drop off my props and go grab a steak on a stake and sit with a few patrons and chat with them while I eat. Some have been watching “Baby” and are fascinated by him…others hide the other way. We all have that push me pull you effect I suppose. I finish my meal and head to the main food court to chat with a few people. Its enjoyable conversation and I wander back to grab my props (after letting a few people know about the new ATM) then head to the stage. SM Dave is there and mics me up. I place my uke on the stage, in a hidden shelf, then head into the audience and find a few people who are ready for some musical fun. The show runs relatively well with me picking on friend’s friends as well as some other patrons. The bar is crowded, but with a lot of people who are there to drink and talk, not to see a show. It’s a tough crowd and hard for some to hear. There are some faces who are very intent though, and one after the show, one comes up and gives me a very dear compliment. I don’t know who he is or if I will see him again, but it was nice to know that my hard work affected someone.
SNACKIES AND PRETTY WORDS
I gather my props and carry my sweaty self to the costume house to drop my props off and get more water. I don’t much want to leave the AC, but a cold banana is calling me. I see the Ditty Sister and give her the comments I had earlier. She is amused. I head out and pass the poets on the way letting them know I will be back soon. I go to my bannananana place and ask them for my regular. They all know it now. The lady in the back is adding a LOT of marshmallow because it often drips off to her. I get a mostly white banana. Its kinda funny…and more obscene looking for it. I touch base with the lady next door, see an old friend who lives far away now, then head out to the boys. I actually share bits of my monstrosity with them and they approve. Today’s poetry is amusing and I do not win EVERY poem I end up throwing at them, just most. I do try to host more than play though. It is getting darker and harder to see. We do our last round of poems and hear the BOOM. The day is done and we head downhill. Tonight, we are to meet an old friend for dinner. He arrives and it’s an emotional hello, especially when he meets his “son.” I have to take care of some business myself and step aside to do so. Dinner is festive and tasty. I am exhausted though and have to get home to rest.
STILL IN THE SOUP
Sunday morning, sleeping in later is nice, but it’s still muggy in the morning. I grab brekkies and am at site a bit early. I am after the sound guys, but they have some of the craziest hours, after the powers that are. I hit the stage and start stretching. Soon Richard is there and we catch up while I prep. I head to the costume house thinking I am running late, but Stitch is arriving when I am, so timing is perfect. I grab my stuff and get dressed. I wing outside with help then head to the Lyric. Today, I set my props, run some music, then start to record a second song. We get most of the way through it when cast call is called and I can’t finish it. Ah well. Off to morning meeting. Yesterday was the busiest day of the season so far…yeah, we could all have told you that. Today, who knows. Another day without the director types, but we are doing ok. BOOM and away we go.
MORNING SHENNANIGANS
I head to the gate and get stretching help. I give out my SMRob honey and drink more water after I hit the privy for the last time this am. Then, off to the Boom and gate we go. Crowds are still pouring in, but not as bad as yesterday. The boys strand me on the fountain to head up and call to the crowd on top of the gate… I am somewhat sad and head out with 4 stacks of programs that are gone rather quickly. People are always amazed that I can move with them on me and not have them fall. I am getting better each day. Today, there are some imbalances, but I don’t lose any of them…and then they are gone. I head in to my chair and smile and wave at the nice people. I give out some ribbons and on a rarer occasion a stone. Those always come with wishes. Time passes and I have more pictures and conversations. Soon enough, it’s time to head in to get something very special.
MANY YEARS IN THE MAKING
So around 3 years ago, a loyal fan gifted me with a stone for my birthday. It was a glorious peridot. I felt that it needed to be set rather than to sit loosely in my drawer, so I went to Piland to create a design. A number of weeks later, he had it for me to approve. And then, the waiting started. I was trying to pay it off, he was trying to find time to make it. This continued for a while until this year I finally paid it off and he finally found the time to finish it. He had me close my eyes as he pulled it out and I heard the staff gasp out loud. When I opened my eyes, I understood why. It is a stunning piece all hand done. No, I won’t tell you how much it cost, but it’s worth every penny. He even added a Tsavorite Garnet to make it look balanced along with the smaller second peridot the same gent gifted me with a different year. The piece is stunning. For this one morning, Mustardseed glittered in style. I showed it off to the nearby booths and bubbled.
MUSIC MAKES THE HEART GROW WARMER, AS DO JEWELS
I sit to sing under my tree and remember that I needed to get something, so I paid for a special gift for another friend and then sat down and sang more. Eventually it was time to wander, but I added in a bit of extra time so that I could make a few stops to brag. Most oohed and aahed. I was nervous though as I had to stop by the privies and was terrified I would lose it in there. UGR. I did fine. I finish wandering near some nobles, then to the boardwalk to sit and sing. I make people smile as they walk by. I see R and J again, but they are not near enough to sing with me. They dressed more coolly today though than yesterday. I finish my last tune and head to get my props. I am up the hill a bit and wander down in time for the last song and to see that they took my advice. It makes me smile. Once they are finished, I take the stage and start the show. I have a great group today with goldilocks being a very playful adult male. I thought he would be great, but went for his friend as he had a camera. The friend wouldn’t come up, but I seamlessly went back to my first choice. He was FABOO! As were my other bears. Great audience, great cast. It made me happy. Once done, I packed up, returned my props and then headed up the evil hill.
SWTICHIES AND SWEATIES
I get back to the costume house eventually and pull off the cold clothing (only because the cool air on my sweat make them chilly and me shiver. I switch out, clean the face, drink some water and head out. I am a bit later today but not by much. I hit the street and see the lady who will be reading for me as I am enjoying my chair and the patrons who are amused by the strange lady (um, me). When it’s time for the show to start, I am pleased to see a decent crowd and a less decent Bob, but good enough. Molly McCoy is amusing and very helpful. I am feeling the sweaties still and after I clear the stage, I pull off my face relatively quickly. WHEW. I pack the props and then bring them down the hill. I let one of the actress touch my face and she panics when she feels the warmth. Welcome to mask work. I peel off my layers and pack them home to wash…its just too icky.
PRETTIFIING
I pull out the makeup and use the stuff that supposedly takes red out of your skin…bwahahahah. Yeah, not this much red. I do all my layers and fancify then cinch up while some others come in to keep another lady company. Eh, I’m dressed, I don’t care. I am up and ready to go with more water and my props. I get more meat and say mildly offensive things to the young gent that makes everyone burst out laughing. We both agree not to tell his mom. I head to sit and eat with a group new to fest. I make some recommendations based on the types of shows they like. I finish and head into the main food court and find more groups to chat with. I have gotten into a nice conversation with a group and suddenly realize that I am running very late. Like minutes before I start late. I speed away, grab my props and get to the stage in time. I don’t have time to walk the crowd, but at least I can be mic’ed up and have a drink of water before I start.
FRIENDLY FACES
There are many in the crowd who I can tell are here for me. Others who just sat to eat. They half pay attention, but they do sing along. I don’t have as many men there as I would like, but I do have enough and pull up a costumed gent to be my client. He is sweet and amused as is his lady. I get them to clap and sing along, which makes me happy. As the show ends, the lady comes up to purchase a CD as hers had gotten stolen. I am glad to oblige and let her know where she can get the second should she have the funds in the future. I take my props back and already feel the start of a breeze. Whew! I head over to get my banana, then to the poets. As we perform, a zephyrus (yeah , let’s use those big words, even if I can’t spell them correctly) breeze comes up and makes me feel joyous relief. I am grateful for the respite. It’s getting darker, but our energy is up as the sweat is drying and we are feeling human again. A young girl chooses the word “Grace”. The gents think it’s her name…this time it’s not, but they amuse us. We get Orange 3 times…guys, don’t bother, they ALL have poems with orange…give it up. We do get a few fun words, a gent who wants to go toe to toe with the poets, then suddenly, we boom and it’s time to go home.
IS THAT ME
There is much laundry this weekend. BLEAH it STINKS. I fill my bag to overflowing with my laundry, but that’s my responsibility. Tonight, I am meeting with SMLiz, the Countess, Nicolas and son, JQ and Deborah Rose. She learns a lot about our craziness and we even try to entertain her and not scare her too much. We exchange CDs. I explain to her that Red is the Rose is Loch Lomond with different lyrics. We get hot towels and strawberry ice cream and naughty fortune cookies. And Tom takes my tamari and makes my food special so I don’t get sick. I am so glad to know he is being accommodating and am happy to say I will be able to return. Deborah ends her night with two lovely lilac colored roses and some fun stories to take home. What a sweet lady. And what a great end to the weekend.
This weekend, is a wash, literally, with all the rain that is promised. But I will still be there performing and getting myself all wet. Join me.
Stupina’s guest readers are:
Saturday, Ciaran McCoy
Sunday, Nicolas Sneed
Only two weekends left. Don’t miss out!
OH, WHILE YOU ARE HERE
I went to drop off my supplies on Friday during the day and when I went to return the key for the costume house to the office, I was stopped by the ED and she asked me if I could come in a bit earlier than my normal time as Fox 45 had asked to do a last minute promo from site on Saturday morning. The Powers that Be took the 6:00 am spot, one of the crafters was taking on 6:30, I was 7:00 and Johnny Fox would be 7:30. They wanted someone who could speak English, so Mustardseed was out, so I recommended Stupina. I confirmed that Stupina can give good information and details when she isn’t being distracted AND she is the much easier costume to get into then switch out of in the am. Once I confirm details, I head into site to drop clean bottles and new Fairy Juice at the wall for tomorrow. Then, home and back to a late business meeting that ended later than I wanted. I crawled into bed as soon as I could.
WHERE’D THE SUN GO?
I get to site around 6:10 am and am “carded” by security where I let them know I am here for the promo. I drive in and get a normal parking spot, then head to the office to get the key after dropping off my bag of stuff. There are Smith’s already working on site before the sun comes up. One notes that no, he really doesn’t sleep until the end of the festival. I am not surprised. Another Smith greets me in the office and asks me to stay a moment to see if the show’s talent needs a hand. After a rather amusing story, I find out she does and head into the main office to help her lace up into her court gown. Sadly, she was misinformed and was told to put her hoop on last. We made it work, but I am glad I’ve been doing this long enough so I could make her look well put together, even if she does turn sideways. She heads up to the site while I head to the costume house, collect my bags and put Stupina on.
YOU LEARN SOMETHING NEW
I head up to site to see where they are. They are at the Glass Dragon booth and the master glassworker is showing her how he melts a dragon around an egg. I’d not stopped to really look in there before (afraid Stupina might break something). Once they are done, I take a quick walk through and notice some of the amazing glasswork in the back of the store…and the pieces outside the show are pointed out to me by one who knows them well. Impressive. As the camera man is doing some follow up shots, Amber and I head to the front of the fair to figure out where she wants to do our segment. We end up choosing Gatehouse Stage. While we are waiting till it’s our time, I chat with her a bit and start my morning stretching. The ED arrives and confirms I should be talking about the kids shows and available treats for little ones (like free pony rides). They want me to do something more skill based, so MrS#1 heads down for my uke, which the ED returns to me. Amber does her quick bit and then I join her on the stage for the segment. I think I got the info across, but I am still thinking my uke playing just sucks. Eh, its cute and comedy and its mostly to sing her out of the segment. “Revel Grove I am coming back again” gets sung for the first time this season.
BACK TO THE START
Once the segment is done, we head our separate ways and I go to the costume house to switch out my clothing for the fairy gear then lock it up, take the key back to the office and head up to gatehouse to start my morning as if I had just gotten there. Finish stretching, vocal warm up, then make up and hair. I am back on normal schedule, just a bit ahead…and a bit tired. I see Richard and leave there normal time while he stretches. Then, I am off to the Costume House again to finish the odds and ends of the dressing period. I am halfway done to start, so I am able to head out early and get to the Lyric in time to run a song with one gent. Once done, it’s time to run another song with some ladies and attempt to record it. We are not successful, but hey, L and R, Yeah, you! I saw the dancing swords behind the video…you made me laugh. Morning meeting comes too quick and we agree to meet later in the day to make it work.
CHANGING OF THE GUARD
Amongst the thank yous for those who came in last night for the lottery drawing and this morning who woke before the dawn, we have notes to go over as we are missing two of our directors, some of whom have lines. It’s also time to introduce a number of new acts, including Sirena who were warming up as we all arrived. Some people were coming out of their booths to see who it was that sounded so lovely so early. Once all the notes and details and other stuff are over, we BEEP and head to gate. I set down my mug of water and hit the privy before we open. I share my daily honey drop with SMKen then stretch a bit and climb up on the fountain as the cannon booms.
WELCOMING THE THRONGS
Its crowded today, VERY crowded. The crowd takes around 18 minutes to flow in. This is the first day it’s been this heavy. Intense, but fun. I am posing for pics, doing tours, making fun of Knuckles, but William M is not there at the start. Seems that Irish Weekend means that the McCoy family needs to do silly crazy family things. He shows up eventually and the hellos commence. We have JUST BARELY finished the first onslaught and there are lots of people still pouring in. I let them know I will head outside and go to grab programs. I sit with my back to the sun and put the programs on my head. The ticket person takes some of my programs from me, which makes me sad, but she replaces them later with those and more, so all is well. I probably go through 4 or so stacks of programs pretty quickly. I am amused at how many think I am just holding the programs on my head for looks and that I an not offering them out. Guys, they aren’t lightweight, PLEASE take them. Once the second bunch are done, I head in and head to the chair.
WAKE UP
I am posing, but I am also finding myself yawning a bit more than I want to be. I know once I get more water I will be better. But for now, I will just sweat and smile. I am grateful for my umbrella, which is keeping off some of the sun. It’s already sticky and warm. I am surprised the dust isn’t worse, but I expect that will happen as the day progresses. I get some people who want me to look at them and others who want “candids.” Soon enough, it’s time to head into the village. I know that he isn’t there, but I stop by Piland’s and get some water then head to my tree. Today, the song that keeps echoing is “till there was you.” There are the standards, being Irish weekend, lots of Red is the Rose. Good stuff all around. People stop by, often I see a kid in a stroller make eye contact and become entranced staring at me even after they stroller has passed and he has to turn around strangely. It’s very sweet. Time passes and I head down the food court and find a man with very short hair. I sit and chitter with a family and show them shows to see. I wander to the sun bowl and out quickly as the heat is awful. I do hear some modern Irish music playing as I head back to the shade. The court people aren’t there yet, so I move on. I had left props at my hiding space yesterday, but I am not sure if they made it safely where I need them, so I head to the climbing wall area a bit early. I see a positive nod from Dan and know my things are where they need to be, so I head to the bench to enjoy some time with the patrons. People are amused by my seat. Some only see the wings, others the front view. I make sure not to sing too loudly though as I am near the Psaltery guy and don’t want to affect his business.
MELON AND MAYHEM
I get my props and reset them for today’s show. I head toward the stage a moment early and see a friend and her two coworkers. I chitter and glow at them with many hugs, even for people I don’t know. Soon enough, I have to hit the stage as the ladies are getting ready to leave. I see something at the end of their show and let Faith know I have something to show her later. I am not sure she gets it (found out she didn’t later) but that’s ok. I set up and begin the show. Today, I get a decent house with good energy. I get a big bald black guy who is trying to get his son to be the papa bear…um, no, that means it’s you. He is sweating a lot. After I get him and am arranging Mama Bear, I see he has pulled out his Iphone and is taking pics on the stage. He hides it as I come up glowering at him. He behaves after that. The rest of the cast is good and I get a young gent to be Goldilocks. He plays well and the audience loves him for it. The show goes well and it’s nice to be able to drink the non-floaty liquid, though sadly, it tastes gross…this Gatorade is not as tolerable as the similarly colored Powerade. Ah well.
COLD AGAIN?
I take back my props and head over to the wall to deliver the goods. Then, up the Hill of Doom. The heat is kicking my ass and I am back to having issues on the hill. Not as bad as opening weekend, but bleah. I do stop to chat and give directions or the like, but get back to the costume house pretty quickly. The AC that was almost too warm last week is now freezing. It’s a relief to be sure. While I change costume and clean off my face, I am stabilizing body temperature. I am done early and get out to set my props, guzzle my last water for a while, then get a lozenge in my throat so I don’t dry out. I head to my chair and there is someone in it briefly, but they leave and I can sit in it. I sit upside down with my legs up the back and my head off the seat. This is not great as I am now letting all the blood rush to my head. I stay there for about a minute or so then have to turn back. Next I curl up and get quite bendy. This is still visually amusing.
FEMININE WHILES?
Today, my reader is the Russian, Nikolai Petrov. He lets me cry a bit too long so that when he asks the audience if he should help me, they really want him to. They are feeling bad for me. We have some fun with the book and the audience is full and fun (who knows, they might have heard me on the news this morning. No props break and my Bob, while he wants to be called Joe, is pretty fun to play with. Once the show is over, I clear the stage, pack the props while sitting, and hurry back to the costume house with my awkward box. I head into the costume house and put them away. I am starting to switch into Columbina when LadyCyd comes in and we work on a song that we had been trying to get filmed. As we are working, we discover one of the court ladies in the hottest/heaviest of the dresses has begun to overheat. She is getting gatoraded water but is sitting outside. We drag her and her Gatorade inside to the cool. Someone runs for ice, Another gets a blanket for if she gets lightheaded. We find out one of the fiddlers is a medical doctor and comes in to give us the ice for her pressure points. She drinks, tries the tissue salts, which she is doing ok with, eats a few grapes and just lets the ice and the cool air get her back to normal. Soon enough, her color is getting better and she is almost ready to hit the streets.
MUSICAL TRANSLATION
We are looking to add another violinist, but are limited as to when he can learn it or do it. I am trying to get myself dressed and out on street but find a moment to record the song for him before I head out. Timing is short now so drop off my props and go grab a steak on a stake and sit with a few patrons and chat with them while I eat. Some have been watching “Baby” and are fascinated by him…others hide the other way. We all have that push me pull you effect I suppose. I finish my meal and head to the main food court to chat with a few people. Its enjoyable conversation and I wander back to grab my props (after letting a few people know about the new ATM) then head to the stage. SM Dave is there and mics me up. I place my uke on the stage, in a hidden shelf, then head into the audience and find a few people who are ready for some musical fun. The show runs relatively well with me picking on friend’s friends as well as some other patrons. The bar is crowded, but with a lot of people who are there to drink and talk, not to see a show. It’s a tough crowd and hard for some to hear. There are some faces who are very intent though, and one after the show, one comes up and gives me a very dear compliment. I don’t know who he is or if I will see him again, but it was nice to know that my hard work affected someone.
SNACKIES AND PRETTY WORDS
I gather my props and carry my sweaty self to the costume house to drop my props off and get more water. I don’t much want to leave the AC, but a cold banana is calling me. I see the Ditty Sister and give her the comments I had earlier. She is amused. I head out and pass the poets on the way letting them know I will be back soon. I go to my bannananana place and ask them for my regular. They all know it now. The lady in the back is adding a LOT of marshmallow because it often drips off to her. I get a mostly white banana. Its kinda funny…and more obscene looking for it. I touch base with the lady next door, see an old friend who lives far away now, then head out to the boys. I actually share bits of my monstrosity with them and they approve. Today’s poetry is amusing and I do not win EVERY poem I end up throwing at them, just most. I do try to host more than play though. It is getting darker and harder to see. We do our last round of poems and hear the BOOM. The day is done and we head downhill. Tonight, we are to meet an old friend for dinner. He arrives and it’s an emotional hello, especially when he meets his “son.” I have to take care of some business myself and step aside to do so. Dinner is festive and tasty. I am exhausted though and have to get home to rest.
STILL IN THE SOUP
Sunday morning, sleeping in later is nice, but it’s still muggy in the morning. I grab brekkies and am at site a bit early. I am after the sound guys, but they have some of the craziest hours, after the powers that are. I hit the stage and start stretching. Soon Richard is there and we catch up while I prep. I head to the costume house thinking I am running late, but Stitch is arriving when I am, so timing is perfect. I grab my stuff and get dressed. I wing outside with help then head to the Lyric. Today, I set my props, run some music, then start to record a second song. We get most of the way through it when cast call is called and I can’t finish it. Ah well. Off to morning meeting. Yesterday was the busiest day of the season so far…yeah, we could all have told you that. Today, who knows. Another day without the director types, but we are doing ok. BOOM and away we go.
MORNING SHENNANIGANS
I head to the gate and get stretching help. I give out my SMRob honey and drink more water after I hit the privy for the last time this am. Then, off to the Boom and gate we go. Crowds are still pouring in, but not as bad as yesterday. The boys strand me on the fountain to head up and call to the crowd on top of the gate… I am somewhat sad and head out with 4 stacks of programs that are gone rather quickly. People are always amazed that I can move with them on me and not have them fall. I am getting better each day. Today, there are some imbalances, but I don’t lose any of them…and then they are gone. I head in to my chair and smile and wave at the nice people. I give out some ribbons and on a rarer occasion a stone. Those always come with wishes. Time passes and I have more pictures and conversations. Soon enough, it’s time to head in to get something very special.
MANY YEARS IN THE MAKING
So around 3 years ago, a loyal fan gifted me with a stone for my birthday. It was a glorious peridot. I felt that it needed to be set rather than to sit loosely in my drawer, so I went to Piland to create a design. A number of weeks later, he had it for me to approve. And then, the waiting started. I was trying to pay it off, he was trying to find time to make it. This continued for a while until this year I finally paid it off and he finally found the time to finish it. He had me close my eyes as he pulled it out and I heard the staff gasp out loud. When I opened my eyes, I understood why. It is a stunning piece all hand done. No, I won’t tell you how much it cost, but it’s worth every penny. He even added a Tsavorite Garnet to make it look balanced along with the smaller second peridot the same gent gifted me with a different year. The piece is stunning. For this one morning, Mustardseed glittered in style. I showed it off to the nearby booths and bubbled.
MUSIC MAKES THE HEART GROW WARMER, AS DO JEWELS
I sit to sing under my tree and remember that I needed to get something, so I paid for a special gift for another friend and then sat down and sang more. Eventually it was time to wander, but I added in a bit of extra time so that I could make a few stops to brag. Most oohed and aahed. I was nervous though as I had to stop by the privies and was terrified I would lose it in there. UGR. I did fine. I finish wandering near some nobles, then to the boardwalk to sit and sing. I make people smile as they walk by. I see R and J again, but they are not near enough to sing with me. They dressed more coolly today though than yesterday. I finish my last tune and head to get my props. I am up the hill a bit and wander down in time for the last song and to see that they took my advice. It makes me smile. Once they are finished, I take the stage and start the show. I have a great group today with goldilocks being a very playful adult male. I thought he would be great, but went for his friend as he had a camera. The friend wouldn’t come up, but I seamlessly went back to my first choice. He was FABOO! As were my other bears. Great audience, great cast. It made me happy. Once done, I packed up, returned my props and then headed up the evil hill.
SWTICHIES AND SWEATIES
I get back to the costume house eventually and pull off the cold clothing (only because the cool air on my sweat make them chilly and me shiver. I switch out, clean the face, drink some water and head out. I am a bit later today but not by much. I hit the street and see the lady who will be reading for me as I am enjoying my chair and the patrons who are amused by the strange lady (um, me). When it’s time for the show to start, I am pleased to see a decent crowd and a less decent Bob, but good enough. Molly McCoy is amusing and very helpful. I am feeling the sweaties still and after I clear the stage, I pull off my face relatively quickly. WHEW. I pack the props and then bring them down the hill. I let one of the actress touch my face and she panics when she feels the warmth. Welcome to mask work. I peel off my layers and pack them home to wash…its just too icky.
PRETTIFIING
I pull out the makeup and use the stuff that supposedly takes red out of your skin…bwahahahah. Yeah, not this much red. I do all my layers and fancify then cinch up while some others come in to keep another lady company. Eh, I’m dressed, I don’t care. I am up and ready to go with more water and my props. I get more meat and say mildly offensive things to the young gent that makes everyone burst out laughing. We both agree not to tell his mom. I head to sit and eat with a group new to fest. I make some recommendations based on the types of shows they like. I finish and head into the main food court and find more groups to chat with. I have gotten into a nice conversation with a group and suddenly realize that I am running very late. Like minutes before I start late. I speed away, grab my props and get to the stage in time. I don’t have time to walk the crowd, but at least I can be mic’ed up and have a drink of water before I start.
FRIENDLY FACES
There are many in the crowd who I can tell are here for me. Others who just sat to eat. They half pay attention, but they do sing along. I don’t have as many men there as I would like, but I do have enough and pull up a costumed gent to be my client. He is sweet and amused as is his lady. I get them to clap and sing along, which makes me happy. As the show ends, the lady comes up to purchase a CD as hers had gotten stolen. I am glad to oblige and let her know where she can get the second should she have the funds in the future. I take my props back and already feel the start of a breeze. Whew! I head over to get my banana, then to the poets. As we perform, a zephyrus (yeah , let’s use those big words, even if I can’t spell them correctly) breeze comes up and makes me feel joyous relief. I am grateful for the respite. It’s getting darker, but our energy is up as the sweat is drying and we are feeling human again. A young girl chooses the word “Grace”. The gents think it’s her name…this time it’s not, but they amuse us. We get Orange 3 times…guys, don’t bother, they ALL have poems with orange…give it up. We do get a few fun words, a gent who wants to go toe to toe with the poets, then suddenly, we boom and it’s time to go home.
IS THAT ME
There is much laundry this weekend. BLEAH it STINKS. I fill my bag to overflowing with my laundry, but that’s my responsibility. Tonight, I am meeting with SMLiz, the Countess, Nicolas and son, JQ and Deborah Rose. She learns a lot about our craziness and we even try to entertain her and not scare her too much. We exchange CDs. I explain to her that Red is the Rose is Loch Lomond with different lyrics. We get hot towels and strawberry ice cream and naughty fortune cookies. And Tom takes my tamari and makes my food special so I don’t get sick. I am so glad to know he is being accommodating and am happy to say I will be able to return. Deborah ends her night with two lovely lilac colored roses and some fun stories to take home. What a sweet lady. And what a great end to the weekend.
This weekend, is a wash, literally, with all the rain that is promised. But I will still be there performing and getting myself all wet. Join me.
Stupina’s guest readers are:
Saturday, Ciaran McCoy
Sunday, Nicolas Sneed
Only two weekends left. Don’t miss out!