Pennsic round up
Aug. 13th, 2007 10:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mikeknPennsic 36 was a good follow up to Pennsic 35. The nice mix of activities I did last year were improved on and continued. No real progress was made on the changes I wanted to work on last year, but most of this year has been that way.
Games Tent
As usual, most of my time was spent at the Games Tent. We didn't get around to actively recruiting volunteers, so it was just the usual crew plus![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sansobel who put in some time. We did have several young guys in there who lent a hand from time to time. Hopefully we'll continue to see them and can get them to the point where we're comfortable leaving them on their own.
All of the classes went well. I had left over hand outs from all three of mine, but I continued to teach them and give them away throughout the week. It was great to teach a game, and then later see one of the players teaching it to a new group. Tarot continues to be popular, even among the younger crowd. Both it, Losing Loadum and Laugh and Lie Down got some repeat play during the week.
The rains had a pretty minimal effect on us. The big storm on Tuesday did require us to close all the walls and caused some flooding at one end of the tent.jducoeur braved the rains and made it to his 1 PM class, as did a few students. The rest of the class was filled out by folks who had gotten "trapped" in the games tent when the rain started.
Two of the classes we hosted should be moved to regular A&S tents if they are taught again. Ana's classes (our 8 year old teacher) need a quieter space 'cause she is still fairly soft spoken. Brusten's class on Brothel Games attracted a far larger crowd then we could handle, so he would do better in a larger space.
Our issues/changes list is pretty much what it usually is: We'd love to get a 20' x 30' tent, instead of the 20' x 20' we currently have. We need to get 4 tables and 32 chairs (instead of our current 3 tables and 21 chairs) from the start. (We've been able to get the extras by requesting them, so it should be just a matter of updating the right list). And of course more volunteers.
I had lots of people come and visit me during the week, some who came in and played some games, others who just did drive by hugs - both were very appreciated :) I finally got to meetrickthefightguy when he stopped in to say Hi.
Speaking of visitors, about midway through the week I started finding praying mantises in the tent. They were fairly young, only about 3" long. More then once I got to carry one out of the way, but we didn't have any luck trying to feed them crickets.
Game Gnight
Galen's second year at Pennsic was a good one. He said he was still short of his goal for the war, but he did sell a good deal more this year then he did last year.violet_amy helped him out during the first week, and I held down the fort during Midnight Madness and while he picked up his rental truck. In exchange, we got a half dozen new games (including Power Grid with two expansions, Alhambra the Dice Game, Trans Europa and Candamir)
Classes
I didn't make it to any of the nine classes I had on my list. I did make it to the meeting with the new Society Exchequer, as well as the EK Exchequer Luncheon that followed. Of course I was able to attend all the game classes I wanted :)
Shopping
I got in about as much shopping this year as I did last year. I picked up one t-shirt and two reproduction playing card decks. I want to get a copy of Guy Lourance's updated SCA atlas and map of the Known World, but I'll have to catch up with him some other time.
Households
This year I got to spend a little more time with the household.dame_margarete got most of Gryphonhaven together for lunch on Monday. Later in the evening I got together with ladyvonkulp, shadowpony and dame_margarete for some Pel and protoges catch-up time. On Tuesday I joined the folks over at Starry Knights to follow charles_midair on his way to a "duel" with faheud.
Visits and Nightlife
I actually managed to go out a few nights this war. Most of the time I was crashing around 10:30-11, but Friday night I visitedcomplexated and everyone camping at the Black Pearl auxiliary. laid was also there, having met most of them earlier in the war. We sat around the fire drinking, talking and otherwise relaxing. Made it back to camp around 3 (but still retired before violet_amy was back)
Camp
This was our second year with Eldenwood and the first year where we got to use the shower our neighbors (House Drachenstein aka The Island of Misfit Peers) set up - for only the cost of some propane. A regular hot shower sure does make up for a lot of things. As usual, I didn't spend much time in camp, and several of our camp mates had to leave early for one thing or another. Still can't beat the location.
Things I should have done but didn't
Hmm... I suppose I should have attended my Order meetings, but since we only seem to go over the polls and do nothing else, I don't see the point. I've usually already returned the poll by the time a meeting comes around. It would have been nice to go to EK court, as well as opening and closing ceremonies, but I was busy with other commitments.
Pennsic remains not a vacation, but it is turning into a nice event with little risk of burn out.
Games Tent
As usual, most of my time was spent at the Games Tent. We didn't get around to actively recruiting volunteers, so it was just the usual crew plus
sansobel who put in some time. We did have several young guys in there who lent a hand from time to time. Hopefully we'll continue to see them and can get them to the point where we're comfortable leaving them on their own. All of the classes went well. I had left over hand outs from all three of mine, but I continued to teach them and give them away throughout the week. It was great to teach a game, and then later see one of the players teaching it to a new group. Tarot continues to be popular, even among the younger crowd. Both it, Losing Loadum and Laugh and Lie Down got some repeat play during the week.
The rains had a pretty minimal effect on us. The big storm on Tuesday did require us to close all the walls and caused some flooding at one end of the tent.
jducoeur braved the rains and made it to his 1 PM class, as did a few students. The rest of the class was filled out by folks who had gotten "trapped" in the games tent when the rain started.Two of the classes we hosted should be moved to regular A&S tents if they are taught again. Ana's classes (our 8 year old teacher) need a quieter space 'cause she is still fairly soft spoken. Brusten's class on Brothel Games attracted a far larger crowd then we could handle, so he would do better in a larger space.
Our issues/changes list is pretty much what it usually is: We'd love to get a 20' x 30' tent, instead of the 20' x 20' we currently have. We need to get 4 tables and 32 chairs (instead of our current 3 tables and 21 chairs) from the start. (We've been able to get the extras by requesting them, so it should be just a matter of updating the right list). And of course more volunteers.
I had lots of people come and visit me during the week, some who came in and played some games, others who just did drive by hugs - both were very appreciated :) I finally got to meet
rickthefightguy when he stopped in to say Hi. Speaking of visitors, about midway through the week I started finding praying mantises in the tent. They were fairly young, only about 3" long. More then once I got to carry one out of the way, but we didn't have any luck trying to feed them crickets.
Game Gnight
Galen's second year at Pennsic was a good one. He said he was still short of his goal for the war, but he did sell a good deal more this year then he did last year.
violet_amy helped him out during the first week, and I held down the fort during Midnight Madness and while he picked up his rental truck. In exchange, we got a half dozen new games (including Power Grid with two expansions, Alhambra the Dice Game, Trans Europa and Candamir)Classes
I didn't make it to any of the nine classes I had on my list. I did make it to the meeting with the new Society Exchequer, as well as the EK Exchequer Luncheon that followed. Of course I was able to attend all the game classes I wanted :)
Shopping
I got in about as much shopping this year as I did last year. I picked up one t-shirt and two reproduction playing card decks. I want to get a copy of Guy Lourance's updated SCA atlas and map of the Known World, but I'll have to catch up with him some other time.
Households
This year I got to spend a little more time with the household.
dame_margarete got most of Gryphonhaven together for lunch on Monday. Later in the evening I got together with ladyvonkulp, shadowpony and dame_margarete for some Pel and protoges catch-up time. On Tuesday I joined the folks over at Starry Knights to follow charles_midair on his way to a "duel" with faheud.Visits and Nightlife
I actually managed to go out a few nights this war. Most of the time I was crashing around 10:30-11, but Friday night I visited
complexated and everyone camping at the Black Pearl auxiliary. laid was also there, having met most of them earlier in the war. We sat around the fire drinking, talking and otherwise relaxing. Made it back to camp around 3 (but still retired before violet_amy was back)Camp
This was our second year with Eldenwood and the first year where we got to use the shower our neighbors (House Drachenstein aka The Island of Misfit Peers) set up - for only the cost of some propane. A regular hot shower sure does make up for a lot of things. As usual, I didn't spend much time in camp, and several of our camp mates had to leave early for one thing or another. Still can't beat the location.
Things I should have done but didn't
Hmm... I suppose I should have attended my Order meetings, but since we only seem to go over the polls and do nothing else, I don't see the point. I've usually already returned the poll by the time a meeting comes around. It would have been nice to go to EK court, as well as opening and closing ceremonies, but I was busy with other commitments.
Pennsic remains not a vacation, but it is turning into a nice event with little risk of burn out.
