Oh, where to begin? Where to begin...it's been nearly 2 weeks since I've moved into the new apartment, and now with the place in some semblance of order, I can get everyone up to date on my life over these past 2 weeks. It's been fun.
The first few days of August were just days, so it seemed. We began moving stuff into the apartment bit by bit, filling April's car up with boxes and shuffling them over here. The place was a mess. With all of our furniture still at April's parents, we slept on an air mattress. Sex on an air mattress can be very difficult--sliding EVERYWHERE. I wonder how difficult it is on a waterbed. Yeesh.
Remember nearly 2 months ago how I asked everyone to give me their thoughts on what pictures to enter in the local newspaper's annual photo competition? Well, I ended up being a winner in the final category of judging, which included pictures of things in and about Schenectady. For my prize, I got a $50 gift certificate to The Photo Lab, a local camera/photo shop near work. It's become one of my toy stores. Anyway, here's the winning pic:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v242/LLoire/Schenectady%20Photo%20Competition/000011.jpgThe picture got entered into the final judging to determine the overall winners. There were 28 pictures in the pool, 8 would be picked as final winners--1st prize got a Canon Powershot digital camera, 2nd prize got a lesser quality Canon Powershot, 3rd got a Canon Selphy photo printer, 4th got a Canon scanner, and the remaining 4 would be honorable mentions, and gets a free 12x18 enlargement of a pic of their choice. I finished as an honorable mention, which made me happy. Heck, I was happy just winning the Schenectady judging. Anything else was icing. Not bad for my first ever photo competition.
The main event took place last weekend, when it was time for the New York Renaissance Faire. Before that, we had all gathered at Dan H's house for a "reunion party," put together by Carolyn. I think I may have to purchase Apples to Apples now. What a blast that was. But now, the Faire. This year, we actually went both days of Opening Weekend (thanks in part to the 50% discount coupons for admission). April and I are actually planning 1 or 2 more trips down there before Faire ends. On Day 1 the group consisted of April, myself, her brother Ryan, Dan H, and Carolyn. I brought 15 rolls of film and my camera with me--I'd end up shooting 6 rolls in the first day. Dan had his Nikon digital SLR. It began with the Knife Throwing Show (subliminal messaging?), of which was amusing--father throwing knives at his son. Good stuff. After some exploring, we happened upon Dextre Tripp, the idiot who juggles fire, chainsaws, and apples.
One of the things everyone has to be prepared for at RenFaire is the almost definite chance that you will be hit on or flirted with by the acting troupe. Sometimes it's just 1 out of the group that everyone seems to go for--on Day 1, it was Carolyn. And the best thing to do is to play along, because it's quite fun. Also at the Faire, there is quite a showing of women wearing costumes that just look as if the boobs will fall out of those bodices. Quite delicious to watch--I think I took a total of 1 or 2 rolls' worth on boobs. Especially the belly dancing group.
So much to do, see, and buy there. Excellent day, glad to be with everyone. The only thing that marred it was right at the end, at the joust, some tourist woman was getting on our cases about being at the fence, blocking the childrens' (not hers) view. I was going to piss on her if she didn't shut up. At the joust, if you're a photographer, it is a test of your video game reflexes. Hopefully I got great joust pictures this time around--I still felt inadequate, what with a photographer next to me having a telephoto lens the length of my body, it seemed.
April fell in love with one of the actors--the one who played the role of the Shire Doctor, Dr. Ben Bleedmore. At her request, I used a roll on just him. We'll see how those come out. I think I have competition.
Day 2 would bring almost a full group: everyone (same as above, adding Dan D, Sara, and Shanna) except Carolyn. She had fallen a bit ill, and she sounded so exhausted when I called her on Sunday. She's better now, but we did miss her. I would've loved pics of all the girls dressed up. On this day, everyone dressed up (except the 2 Dans and Shanna), and the cleavage was abound. April still lusted after the Doc. Shanna filled in the role of Carolyn the previous day--the "everyone hit on her" girl. It was fun. On this day, I shot off 8 more rolls of film, which would bring the final total to 14 rolls.
YES, YOU SAW RIGHT. I TOOK OVER 300 PICS.
We'd end up splurging the rest of our designated RenFaire money--I purchased for April a necklace with a griffin, a rose. April purchased some stuff--she wants everything in the Faire, to be quite honest. As do I. I actually will begin saving up money for a costume I want there. I also met a popular artist there--Ruth Thompson, who does faeries and fantasy art, World of Warcraft stuff, etc. I purchased one of her prints, she signed it for me.
Dan H also had a splendid outing with his camera--there were two shows performed that are quite naughty and bawdy: The Wrong Show, which features Kama Sutra demonstrations, morbidly obese folk, and just totally wrong stuff. So funny. Not for kids. The show following was the Wet Chemise show.
Yes, that is exactly as it sounds. Buxom women wearing white chemises getting doused with water. For our amusement. Strategically, they put this show toward the end of the day, after everyone has had their fill of alcohol and loss of all inhibition. I didn't catch this show, I was prepping myself at the joust. Dan, however, took the wet chemise pics, and I'm awaiting his results.
Because the cost of photo developing for 14 rolls is going to be absolutely nuts, I'm developing half today, and half in 2 weeks on my next pay day. The best pics will go up on Mad Squirrel for sale and gawking, some up here and in Photobucket.
So much fun during the weekend. I was afraid that it was going to be bad, because on Friday I had fallen ill, getting another of these quick, 1-day flash fevers. I was worried that I was going to be too sick to partake of the reunion party, because I had been running a 101.8 fever, and was drugged. Luckily, the fever broke by evening, and I felt well enough to have fun.
Speaking of my health, still enjoying the Prednisone I'm on. However, tomorrow is when the fun stops--on Monday, I have said colonoscopy, and tomorrow I have to be flushed out. I will be spending the day on the toilet. WAAH. I need many hugs.
And finally, a surreal experience: last weekend, I had brought up a friend of mine in conversation with everyone, Kristen. She was someone I was friends with all through middle school and high school, and we chatted often while in New Paltz. Then for a little over 2 years, she dropped off the planet, so it seemed. Then last Tuesday, I get an email--Kristen found me on MySpace, and last night, I had my first IM chat with her since I was in New Paltz. And just had another now.
Is someone above reading my mind? I find this too surreal to be coincidental.
Anyway, that's about it. Off to roam about the day.
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