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Recent News... Just for Pope Gregory... |
2001-11-05 - 5:54 p.m. I just passed Bolivia Friday, we headed out on our seven hour drive southward to Crown tournament about 9 a.m. Vague plans to meet in Richmond for lunch didn't work out, so we motored merrily along, just my adorable husband and me. Thanks to the magic of split rear seats, we made a nest in the Tahoe. Laid out the bedding like a cot for one, suitable for napping while the other drove. And thanks to the Gen futon and pillows we were transporting it was the best nest ever. So comfy. I lay in the nest, cloud watching through the Tahoe's tinted windows as we drove ever southward. Look - a duck with a bow! A dragon! A dragon coming out of an egg! Pretty, yawn, clouds, �. Zzzzz. Naptime. We switched off a little over halfway and I drove and drove down 95 to 40 towards Wilmington. Then we began the winding way towards Camp Pretty Pond site. Me: Roland, did that sign just say Bolivia? Did we just pass Bolivia? Isn't that the next continent down? This is a bad sign. We made site about 5 pm and found an exhausted Gina, Mel and Shane who had been setting pavilions on the field with much help from the kickin' Seareach staff. Luckily for us, all was done, all cabin arrangements resolved, most of the wasp infestations killed, and we quickly off-loaded while they finished the last of their own gear distribution. Then, we headed to Robert Dearath's so the exhausted portion of our cabinmates could take hot showers and locate a decent restaurant. First, it is *not* fifteen minutes from Camp Pretty Pond to Robert's house. Second, it is less than the mileage he gave us to the turn into his complex. And, finally, realize, all dark roads look in the Carolina landscape of sand and pine trees. Ten minute penalty flailing around in the dark. I walk into Rob's living room (never been there before) and stop dead with a yip of surprise. Okay, I'm afraid of Robert's television. I had no idea televisions came that large. Huge, scary, black thing. Roland and Llewyllyn eventually get the system to play a Ms. Congenality DVD (Shane: I'm getting a tan off the TV), and we are all very comfy as people took turns showering. Happily flopped in Rob's comfortable living room, bemoaning the fact we have to hunt a restaurant in the dark Carolina night where all roads look alike. I could be all about pizza. The idea meets with popular acclaim and I try to go through Rob's incredibly neat kitchen to find a phone book - when I look up and notice the Domino's magnet on the fridge. C'mon says Gina Single guy, that was a no-brainer. Gina finds Rob's Acorn so we can give Domino's an address and woo-hoo, pizza is on the way. Back to beaching in front of Ms. Congenality. I'm still all cautious about the TV Is it better for the guys if the girls are life-sized on the screen? The airline calls and tells the answering machine they need to deliver lost luggage - so Gina picks up the phone and agrees to wait to meet it. So, we left Gina and Katie starting a screening of Bring It On while the rest of us did grocery store, McDonald's for Christen (who'd called on the cell phone and begged for dinner delivery), and headed back. Life is truly like a musical, because we were so tired and punchy on the way back, we kept spontaneously bursting into song - except we couldn't remember all the verses to "Islands in the Stream" and Roland was about to slit his wrists and climb out of the car if we didn't stop. By the time we made it to site and found Francesca, Nia, Nikulai, and Calli, they must've thought we'd all gone completely mad. Cabin and sleep was a much better option. About this time, Gen and Henry pulled in, so we were all snug and too lazy to even get into garb Friday night. Saturday we were up early and away to duties. After finding cute salamanders on our cabin door (insert obligatory chorus of Here lizard, lizard, lizard) and taking the coldest shower in the world, we all managed to get dressed (thank you, Lis, for braiding my hair before I threw my brush through the screeen). Crown is a long day for the KMoL. People think I run the thing, but that's not true. I run the tournament tree, which is a considerable amount of work, and if I mess it up I will invalidate the Crown and we have to fight the entire tournament over - so, yes, pressure. But it takes lot of people to set the Crown list. The seneschal and Monarchs validate the eligibility of the entrants - with letters of intent that's mostly does that before the day. The clerk of precedence and Triton Herald have to organize the march of precendence, find everyone's registered arms, and double-check titles and honors. The Earl Marshal or the Monarchs recruit senior marshals to supervise the field. Triton organizes the heralding, which is harder than the usual tournaments because it must be called with full honors and results must be announced correctly to the crowd. Waterbearers saved the populace - with the unexpected 79 degree weather in November it was brutal - and they were everywhere watering staff and crowd, fighters and consorts. And this time we used a shield tree to reflect the pairings of each round, which meant a lot of pre-work painting all the shields and a lot of work the day of (thanks Francesca and Tergus) keep the tree up to date. Props to the heralds and runners who did a phenomenal job calling the field and keeping the MoLs up to date with the results. And thank you to the Cuan who really helped me keep the field running smoothly and the tournament paced to Their Majesties pleasure. And to my deputies, John and Ilse, who helped me run the table. And John even brought lunch for the list officers which his wife Anne served up on PPG plates. And a I'd also like to thank the Academy (just kidding - done now!) Y'all thought the KMoL ran Crown. Ha! Had you all fooled. And at the end of the day � Vivat to our new Heirs, Logan and Isabel! Sigh of relief that I can relax and socialize. Except the brutal sun gave me a horrible headache - isn't that funny? I was fine during the stress of the tournament, but afterwards sun=headache. I retired to the cabin, only to I was not alone, so Shane, Gen, and I lay around with Motrin in our systems, quietly commiserating about our headaches. My cabinmates all got up and went to court, but I feel asleep still whimpering. Shane: Theo, you going to court? Me: I'm wearing a T-shirt and half a Pelican cloak - does it look like I'm going to court? before I buried my aching head under the pillow. I'm bitter I missed welcoming the new companions of the Golden Dolphin, especially Calli! (About time! Yay for CALLI!) but it was all for the best I laid still until the urge to throw up passed. And it did. A nap, a refreshing shower and I was up and ready for an enjoyable feast - oh.my.god. Roland: I've never had a feast where I could pig out on every dish that was served. Robear, Alesia, and Cassira way out did themselves! The hall was a nice social occasion, where we learned the seafood bisque was fantastic, Christian the German does not look good in those cute 14th century hats I like (take it off, man, you look like your name is Bubba!), and Saunooke gives good shoulder rubs. After dinner, we decided to whimp out and head for a hotel - for a seriously hot shower and comfy beds. I finish my shower and Roland says he thinks there's a party room somewhere because he heard the Cuan. In fact, we find a crew playing cut-throat, girls versus guys pictionary and stayed for the next round and a half. Guys got to make up the girls words and vice versa. Making short Gina draw after Edmund the insanely tall was funny cause she couldn't reach to erase where he drew. [Okay, seriously, how do you draw 'plinth'? 'Non sequiter'? The guys were brutal in their word choices. The funny part is we wouldn't let Jessica put 'Non sequiter' in the guy's pool because it was just too cruel and wasn't even English. It was a blast.] Sunday was a long drive homeward. Again, yay for the nest and naptime while driving. I can't believe it's Monday again and I have five days or less to get ready for the U.K. trip. Arghhh! Keilyn is scouting our good cider! I can't wait to see her. � � � 
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