The Saga of Pennsic 49 – the long awaited Pennsic

I will be telling this story as best I can, chronologically from my point of view. Many things were going on outside of my knowledge that I later learned about but I think it will be cleaner to learn things when I learn them.

I like plans and I had one for a long time. I was going to go to Pennsic and demonstrate what a vinegrier was. I was going to demonstrate how vinegar was sold in late Period. I worked with my friend to build a wheelbarrow. I had barrels. I had vinegar. Then COVID. I had more time to do it all better. I built a new persona, bought a new outfit, and spent more time on the project. Then another Pennsic cancelled. I had 40L of vinegar now. My mother passed away. I gained a new job. Gertie developed back issues. But the actual time was coming together.

I learned that two of the things I really want to do, I can’t. Sophia’s Improv shows are during a party I was hosting and during Midrealm Court.

My friend who was going to take some of my stuff couldn’t go. Okay. I bought a van that could pull a trailer for a reason. Time to make that happen. I had a hitch installed. I borrowed my friend’s trailer. I was taking my student so I needed more room yet. I was terrified. What if I wreck? What if I sideswipe someone? What if I get sideswiped?

Wednesday 8/3 comes around. The plan is to go to bed early and hit the road around 4:00 am. I leave work slightly early as the heavens open up. I am thinking, “crap! How am I going to get the trailer hooked up in this?” The rain lets up some. I get the van and trailer on the street except the hitch bottoms out and scraps the driveway. I call Gertie to warn her about the monsoon headed her way. She gets home late because of the storm. Then it is decided, “let’s just leave now!” Sure, why not.

Except, I forget to get the clothes I was going to wear and to get my beat up shoes. But we leave. And drive through that storm for the third time as we make it to just about Ohio. As we call about hotels, we learn most are booked. Maybe because of GenCon but maybe because of college move-in days. We do find a hotel and get ready for the next day.

Back on the road and we go through pouring rain yet again. I don’t know if it is the same storm but it sure seemed like it. We get to Troll. More rain delays us. Now troubles begin in earnest. My friend is staying up Bronwen’s Way. I take the fully loaded van and trailer up the mud/dirt roads until I can’t go up anymore. The wheels just spin. The trailer gets stuck in the ditch to the right. The van skids and gets stuck in the ditch to the left. The advice is “call the Coopers. They will send one of their tractors to get you out.” Except, when I call, the Coopers say they don’t do that anymore. Gytha sends for a brute squad from some Aethelmearcians around the corner. Turns out they are all ex-Army and some are vehicle recovery specialists. A Ford 4×4 and heavy chain later, the van and such are free and pointed DOWN Bronwen’s Way. It later turns out this was an Aethelmearc Duke who had just stepped down from the Throne!

We make it to our camp and get things set up. It took ~ 4 hours to get things set up from Trolling in. Good thing we left early. We go into “town”. I buy a beautiful leather pouch that will go with the Apple tunic idea I have. We buy some wooden chairs, a box loom, and a mirror box as well. Thursday night, there is more rain and in the middle of the night, I feel drops. I assume it is condensation. It happens with the moist breathe inside and cooler air outside.

Friday comes around. Gertie can’t sleep because the cot is slanted. I try a few things for that. The day is generally misty but too warm. I spend the day trying to find people to give them things. Someone’s bow, vinegar I brought, finding their camps, etc. Everything is muddy. Everything takes 3 times longer then it should. I drop things constantly. The heavens again open up. It is most likely because I keep telling Zeus he is an asshole.

See people kept saying that I must have pissed off Thor. Thor is often the friend of man. But Zeus? Zeus has issues. And yes I did say he was an asshole several times. I was feeling more Greek than Norse with my worship. We invoked Hermes earlier and made it here safely. As final evidence, the sheets of rain were too much for our tent and for the merchant who we bought the chairs from. The waterproofing on our tent gives out and we get inches of water in the tent. Anything paper is ruined. That meant most of my A&S display, my driving directions, etc. I mainly use dissolvable labels on my products. Those have dissolved. The bedding is soaked. Many of Gertie’s clothes are wet. The brand new leather pouch spent hours in a puddle, causing the dye to run. We frantically throw things in bins to protect them in case it rains some more.

I go to the van, drop the trailer, and we go to a hotel. The hotel has availability for the rest of the week so we reserve it, just in case. To add insult to injury, Siri’s decides to play Depeche Mode’s Wrong as I start the van. The song is about everything being wrong, “I was born in the wrong house of the wrong sign with the wrong ascendency.” You get the idea. We get a good shower and a good night’s sleep. But I had determined at this point that since there hasn’t been a Pennsic for 2 years, there are 3 years (those 2 plus the current one) of bad things that have to happen at this one.

At some point in this, I find the longship and make shields for my Mom, Maelcom, and my cat, Kalliope. They are very simple because I am not an artist!

Also at some point we make it to Hobbitronic and Froderick finally gets garb!

Saturday is spent mostly in the laundrymat. We go to camp to get everything and assess the damage. Since I determined the tent is ruined, I eventually decide to just cut the tent to let the water out. Everything is packed in the van and we go to the laundrymat. That part wasn’t too bad. Gertie needs something to eat so I go to the LJS/A&W nearby. That takes forever. They are understaffed which is not unusual. Three orders are gotten wrong and the staff is talking about how customers are scamming them. One customer is talking loudly about his very conservative political views. The ice cream floats are mostly melted but I get back to the laundrymat. I missed the Opening Ceremonies that I wanted to be part of. Most of the day, Gertie and I were saying how we weren’t going to go to Pennsic again. How maybe we should just go home. Or at least go home early. We were hot, tired, miserable, and spending money like crazy. I had also decided I didn’t have the spoons for some things. I pretty much couldn’t do the A&S display so I contact the coordinator for that and cancel. I had unofficially agreed to bartend Court. I spread the word that I am out for that.

Then back to camp. Our campmates lend us a tent. We re-set up. It is too late to cancel the hotel for this night so we will hotel it again. I do get to see Surreptitious Whiskey perform that evening. Being greeted by friends helped a lot. It really did. I wander to Sophia’s camp as well. I think she loved Froderick more than me 🙂 And that is okay.

Sunday comes around and I have a big obligation this day. The Drunken Duck was asked to serve drinks for the Newcomer’s Party. I am cranky because of the days before. I had planned to just cart my stuff to Midrealm Royal, figuring it will take 1.5 hours to do so. Gertie insists and she is right that I pack up the van and drive the stuff there. First though, I go to the A&S display.

Then to the Newcomer’s Party. I am there very early apparently and I would later learn, I made some people mad. I had 30 minutes between the end of the last party and the start of mine. With kegs and set-up, I didn’t feel I had enough time. Technically, I was responsible for the drinks only. But decisions needed to be made so I made them. Non-alcohol on one side, alcohol on the other, food in the middle, kids activities in the back. Actually, I think the party went well except for making whomever mad and forgetting Duke Talymar’s household for the “thank you’s” at last call. I did make another announcement to thank them.

As the party is winding down, Gertie asks me to get a tarot reading from Dr. Best. I am reluctant. One, I am perfectly capable of doing my own reading if I wanted one. Two, as much as I like plans, I don’t like knowing my own fortune. It is way too easy to read what you want in the cards. But she insists and I have put her through hell so far so if this is something she wants, I will do.

I center myself, spread the cards out, and draw the 5 of wands, queen of coins, and 10 of wands. Henry reads this as mostly reaching the end of one journey of creativity, gaining status, and starting a new journey of creativity. I am dubious as that is not what 5 and 10’s mean to me but it is his deck and his reading. He does comment that no one has centered themselves as long as I have. I do feel somewhat comforted by this as I am nervous about tomorrow and maybe the bad luck of the last few days have passed.

I call for last call, giving thanks to those who donated to the Duck, give a salute to Maelcolm and Verena. And correct the error of forgetting Talymar’s house. I repack the van and drive to parking. Somehow, Gertie and Jhondo make it back way later than me. We stay up for a bit and Gertie asks me to sing and I can’t remember any songs.

I think this is when I have two of the revelations I would have this War. I had been thinking about the difference between Fate and Wyrd. Let’s say you get a prophecy that you will die to a dragon. If you look at it as Fate, you avoid dragons. You do everything to not be near dragons. But somehow, despite all of this, you will end up dead by one. But if you look at it as Wyrd, then you train as hard as you can to kill dragons. Each dragon you slay is not the one destined to kill you. Until the end of it all, the biggest, baddest dragon of all comes within your reach. You fight valiantly, gloriously. Then it kiils you. You died in an epic battle that is immortalized through the ages.

The other is a conversation with Master John. He asks what my next project is. I talk about the Apple Tunic I want to do. He says, “you are really a goal oriented person, aren’t you?” I am. I need to know what I am working for. When I start a new skill, I need to know what big thing I am working for. I am willing to do the small steps but I need to see the other side of the chasm I am leaping over.

I think what what I did to make someone mad about the party is about the leftovers from the Queen’s Tea, especially the drinks. I was offered the leftover alcohol from the Queen’s Tea several times. I did say that I would try to work them in but I wanted to set up what I had brought. I have 7 kegs worth of stuff and multiple cordials. The whole point to the Drunken Duck is to promote what homebrewers are doing. Because of dry sites and such, parties like this are a rare opportunity to show what we can do. Also, I felt is was like asking an accomplished cook to work in a bag of McDonald’s hamburgers to the menu. Did I get rude? Possibly by the third time I was asked. Again, in my mind, I had 30 minutes to reset this scene and setup. I felt I was watched and on the verge of failure. I don’t expect anyone else to be responsible for my anxiety but I would be foolish to not acknowledge it myself. If you are reading this, and I insulted or was rude to you, I apologize.

Sunday is over and Monday arrives. It is now do or die time. I sent up the cart in the morning. I make it to the first class for this war. I have missed 9 classes so far! Then back to camp and to be a vinegrier. I am nervous. Will people get it? Will I fall out of character? Will I go home with 40L of vinegar? Off we go! And the cotter pins fall out. Every 10 feet or so, they fall out. Gunnar and Redi are now tasked with watching the pins. We eventually just bend the heck out of them so they can’t fall out. OH! I forgot to mention that with the rains earlier, everything I have with wood is swollen. I break one of the banner pole bases and I have a hard time gettings the fake mortise joints in the cart.

But all fears were for naught. People got it. People enjoyed it. I was less concerned that the product was liked; I had made it for a while and knew it was a good product. But people played along and got the experience. Three customers in and I knew it was successful. Each stop was a lighter cart. We hit Midrealm Royal as the Craftsperson’s Green was going on. As Gunnar said, we were “fashionably late.” It turns out Her Highness loves vinegar. Vessel is acquired and approval given.

Then we go to Aethelmearc Royal. The Harbinger greets us and takes us back to the cook. The scribes want vinegar too. Later that day, I knew I had done the thing right. I run into Roana. She mentions that Their Majesties Aethelmearc heard that I had given a real medieval experience to one of theirs and went to Their Majesties Middle to praise me! All throughout the day people are complimenting me on my outfit. I do like this outfit!

Now we get to another revelation. I had for a while being thinking about whether I have done anything meaningful in the SCA and where my self-worth was. By meaningful, I mean something specific. The SCA is better for me being in it. I don’t mean the friendships along the way. They are meaningful in themselves. For example, being Caer Gwyn’s exchequer for 7 years isn’t meaningful. Someone was going to do the job and there were no significant changes due to me doing it.

I started thinking. Sage of the RUM is an honorary degree in RUM that I helped set up. I am the first Sage of the RUM that I didn’t make. That was something. To my knowledge, I am the only vinegrier in the SCA. I just gave someone a moment of the Dream Made Real. These are meaningful. I realized that though I wanted to be a Peer still, I no longer NEEDED to be one to have worth (in my own eyes).

Monday night, I go to see some Commedia and attend the Bacchanial party. I didn’t think the Bacchanial was my kind of party. One, I can’t see anything anyway (being too short). Two, I would have preferred good conversation anyway.

Tuesday rolls around and I am feeling better about this. I have three classes to take and one to teach. Gertie is telling me that I need a new outfit for Court. I am somewhat wondering “why?” I have my swan tunic and that will be good enough. I am not going to be called up. But as word of what I did spreads and people I don’t even know tell me they enjoyed the experience or vinegar, perhaps I will be getting an award. And I am nothing if not Gertie’s dress up doll, so why not? Gunnar and I joke that we should make paper Oswyn dolls for dress up play. I go to get the jerkin altered.

My class is good but I am serving alcohol so I am not surprised.

I was supposed to go to the Sake party but we decided to stay in camp and that is when Surreptitious Whiskey came to the camp on a FyreCrawl!

Somewhere in here, one of our camp mates gets heat stroke. That was either Wednesday or Thursday, I think. Also Gertie stays in camp a few times.

Wednesday is the day I need to help take care of Gunnar. Gunnar had decided that he really needed to win the Laurel A&S competition and my job is to keep him sane. So I attend to him for a while. Other friends of ours are there and we start joking about how often I am wrong. At first, it is kinda of funny but at some point, it stops being funny to me. I didn’t say anything to anyone. I just started to realize that it wasn’t funny. Gunnar sends me away since his judges are coming. Another revelation hits. I need to change my self-talk. No wonder my brain weasels know what to say to me to bring me down; I give them their lines! This will be hard but I will try to change my self-talk.

I go to teach my vinegar class and it is PACKED! Near the beginning, Their Majesties Aethelmearc come to my class and present me with 2 “gold” guilders as payment for my services! Now I know I did something important. And I am a “professional” now that I have gotten paid. As far as I know, these were struck by His Majesty’s own hand. I am floored.

Gunnar wins the Laurel A&S competition! He is now constantly saying, “his house has done very well this war.” He is auctioning most of the jewelry for Midnight Madness. Then Midnight Madness.

We did a lot of shopping during Midnight Madness, including a Turkish outfit a piece. More money being spent. At least we had it to spend.

Thursday is Midrealm Court. More shopping to finish the new outfit I have to have. The Pennsic Independent comes out and I am in it!

With the buzz around town, the insistence on a new outfit, and such, I am 80% sure I might get an award. Possibly a King’s Chalice. What I did was pretty cool and everyone is talking about it. I believe I go to see those people I still owe vinegar to but hadn’t found yet. I also have a private tasting with Her Highness and Duchess Ainor. That goes well and I give Her Highness much of what I have left of the Sherry Amontiano vinegar. We go to Court. As is typical, virtually no one is sitting up front. We set up our chairs and wait. There is a lot of good stuff happening. Then Gunnar is called. He talks about the War Point and how his house has done very well. He talks about me a bit. I figure, “okay I guess I am getting a Chalice or something.” Then I hear the words, “I beg a boon.” I bow my head and a few tears fall. I walk up with Gertie. With all of it, I forget to hug Her Majesty. There are cheers, from many who are my friends. I am escorted to be back and hugs and “well deserved” and “it is about time” etc. Court finally is over and we go back to camp. There was a brewer’s and vinter’s party at Royal but I didn’t know about it beforehand so I don’t go. We drink mead at camp and I am mostly lost in thought.

I had gotten to be place where I didn’t need this but here it is at last. It is probably 2:00 before I get to bed. It is cold this night and Gertie is in pain.

Friday arrives. We pack up some stuff and Redi’s stuff needs to be packed up too. I want to see Wyrd Sisters tonight. Messages are coming in all day. There were some items we needed to get yet. So more shopping. I get a message from Her Majesty that I need to change the date for my elevation. So off to Royal for pleasant talk with Her Majesty and their Highnesses. Gertie wants to stay in a hotel tonight and have a decent meal. We do that before the show. Marie and Zsof (and really all of the cast) kill it. I really thought everyone did well in their roles. I am glad I could see what they have done.

Saturday we help pack out the camp and I need the Watch to move the trailer. The same person has been parked in front of the trailer most of the week and I can’t leave without the trailer. We hit the road and get home.

We will likely attend Pennsic again, probably 2025 for our next. It started off poorly and ended surreally. I did what I wanted to do and succeeded beyond hope. I have a grand party to plan. Mostly, I am glad I could pull off the vinegrier thing and that Gunnar got his win.

It turns out, the Laurelate knew for a few weeks. Gertie knew Sunday night. I hoped that it would/might happen in the future but not now. I thought I had made enough buzz at Pennsic that combat scribing was called for. I honestly didn’t know. I thought something else was happening. I appreciate everyone’s support for me and faith in me. As an oath I might take says, “if you see me taken with a weak heart, remind me of this oath I take here today.” See some of you at Crystal Ball.