Well the boy's work schedule is flipped flopped so I won't be getting to site as early as planned. I will still arrive in time to work the late troll shift.

I'd planned to set up my tent for the weekend, but I think I'm in caffeine withdraw because I just feel completely BLAH about packing a frigging tent.... I find tenting far more private and comfortable and I want to lay out my new oriental rugs and hang out. 

There is still plenty of cabin space and feast space left for anyone sitting on the fence. It should be a pretty laid back event... I'm looking forward to a little relaxation....

Went into town Sunday to get supplies. Spent $60 at the Giant Eagle - they have a HUGE olive Bar and have a great $19.99 fill up a big tray from it. I opted just to get some stuffed grape leaves and some black olives.

Came back to camp, and spent the afternoon painting devices on the camp trailer and added mine:



Yeah, I know a little I was off to one side trying to hide from the sun.

Dinner was fried chicken with brocilli from dessert, mashed potatoes, and brownies and a couple of beers. I cut the threshhold off my tent opening as I kept tripping over it. Master William lent me a tube of Barge cement so I have something to glue the crepe soles of my soleae together later. I began sewing up a seat cushion for my chair but went to bed shortly after dark.

The kitchen tent was furnished and stocked with equipment and Master Will & Olrun got the campfire /  cook area set up.

Lots of Partying going on. Lots of drums. People are getting settled in around us. There are only food vendors open topside and I'm eager to see them on Tuesday.



****************************************

MONDAY:
Got to trench around all the tents today. Gave myself a field manicure and pedicure. Helped set up the garden around the gate. All camp setup is now done!

 Worked some more on the seat cushion. I also did the wire armature for a roman hairpiece but forgot to take a picture. I will include on my next trip up to mystic mail because I want to document the process. Dinner was hamburgers with all the fixings beans, potato salad etc. I contributed some Pastries I bought at Giant Eagle. They have different selections than what we have in Tennessee. Interesting stuff.

Roz had some sort of sweat bee or flying ants run up her dress and sting her in a few places, but they did not feel bad very long so we think it's flying ants. Still did not get a chance to glue my shoes. So far people still in their mundanes setting up. I've not seen a single decent costume yet because no on is that together yet due to setup. I can't wait to check out some of the Roman encampments.

  
    
Here is Master Will scything the grass preparing for the cooking area. and here is a view through the gate in the evening.

It's all starting to come together...tommorrow: SHOPPING!

Today we drove up to the site. I tried to take a picture and my photo card crapped out on me so I had to buy one at Radio Shack when I went to lunch. We arrived to site about 6PM. We all trolled in. 


Here be Troll.

Roz, Master Will & Catherine stayed in a local hotel and Olrun & Myself camped out on the fighting field.


But before that we went and got beer.

There were big stadium lights (sodium?) all around the perimeter so it was hard to sleep but we could see to get around. I got about 2 hours of sleep. 

The next morning was kind of chaotic. While waiting I did go to the coopers store and got a sandwich and some chocolate milk, as I knew there would be no time later for food.  I noticed that there was good prices on camp supplies, such as the thin air mattresses and propane charges. The food was a bit steeper.



Here be the fighting field with campers clearing out the next morning

They did not give Roz any extra vehicle passes at land grab so she had to get more and have Kelly walk out to meet us on the fighting field to hand us one. But the time we got it there was a long line to exit the field which was very frustrating. We finally got to our camp spot and started unloading tents and setting them up. I was too short to be of much help with the larger tents, and ended up holding poles and sorting ropes and hammering stakes. You know, close to the ground things. Our old bridge was still there but our site was narrower, so in a Feat of Strength, he heaved the bridge up and moved it several feet over to a new center point.

So we set up all the tents, mine last, and just barely beat a short afternoon thunderstorm. I was tired and overheated an grumpy, running on two hours of sleep, and was desperate to get my tent up so I could keep my bad mood to myself. But once everything was set up and the shower running, I took a hot shower, some ibuprophen, and some caffiene, and peanut butter crackers, and I was much happier.

Next year I'm packing potassium tablets, I had leg cramps by the end of the day.

The rain got water into my tent and I had to tweak a few spots, pull the tarp back and all. This would have to be dried out later. Roz' new tent looks great:

 
Roz's Tent at night (LEFT) ....................................and My tent (Right)

Everything but my cooler fit into mine:
 

I'm really happy with my tent. once everything was in it it felt a lot better than I thought it would.

I still want to do some painting on it.

The bed was great and I slept like a log.

Well, I finally figured I would call the Army navy store and I talked to the guy there about waterproofing canvas:
He had 2 products - Neither of which was Canvak.

One they had was CERF-KOTE which they sold a lot more of than the other: On the container it says it is Paraffin Based and Contains Petroleum Distillates. And if you look below, I found this website that listed the MSDS for Canvack. They seem to have the same thing. (see Canvak MSDS at bottom of post)

Roz says Can-Vak evaporates and the fumes go away -  which sounds like parrifin petroleum, Will says it is not pariffin/petroleum...

Regardless, one gallon of the CERF-KOTE covered one roof panel and 2 wall panels of my tent. I had only planned on covering one wall panel, but the drip down from the roof panel forced me to do the wall beneath it. I just hope that "partially" covering it does not cause problems at the edges of coverage? Maybe that is why Roz said you have to cover the whole thing...duh. I'm hoping when it dries that the difference is negligible. I really hate using chemicals, but I hate being rained on too.

I'm just releived I actually got it done. I'll take down the tent before I leave if it is dry enough in the morning. Now I've got to make some peach pie or something with all those peaches in the fridge.

Oh, here is the Canvak: MSDS from 1987 (I don't know if they have changed their formula since then)
http://www.hazard.com/msds/f2/bcp/bcpjg.html
Snipped portion with ingredients...


****************************************************************

Product ID:CANVAK LIQUID WATERPROOFING MSDS Date:01/01/1987)
(SNIP)
=============  Composition/Information on Ingredients  =============

Ingred Name:NAPHTHA (PETROLEUM SPIRITS OR BENZIN)
CAS:8030-30-6
RTECS #:SE7555000
OSHA PEL:100 PPM

Ingred Name:PARAFFIN WAX
CAS:8002-74-2
RTECS #:RV0350000
OSHA PEL:2 MG/M3 (FUME)
ACGIH TLV:2 MG/M3 (FUME); 9192

Ingred Name:ZINC NAPHTHENATE (CAS# 12001-85-3)
CAS:12001-85-3
RTECS #:QK9275000

*******************************

Well I set up the tent shortly after getting off work today.






 
Here is a pic I can draw outlines of so I can design painted designs on it. In the second pic I made the boy stand inside so I could get a feel for the scale. That front flap is the only opening. But the bottom edges can be raised to aid circulation.

So after setting it up I pulled out the hose and created a rainstorm to check for leaks
Bad news:
I have 2 leaks. A spot on the wall.  And a spot on the roof:
Good news, they are relatively small (compared to the entire tent)

( Here be pics:Collapse )

So I have 2 options for repair: I can either beg borrow or buy (like ship overnight buy) some Canvak (a solvent - very heavy-duty effective stuff) from Panther Primitives, or some other place.

Or I can do a temporary fix and use this Obenauf's 16% silicone water shield -
http://www.obenaufs.com/watershield.php?osCsid=0a4368561e3f1fec76e8253bf8bf0b89

I bought a 16 oz bottle at the sporting goods store, It's in a squirt bottle and you have to put 4 layers on in a criss cross pattern and wait an hour between layers

So guess what I'll be doing tomorrow? It's too wet to do anything tonight. It will be baking hot Friday and that will lend itself nicely to applying 4 layers of the silicone if need be. Silicone is a very temporary quick fix that "kinda" works according to Roz - she recommends the Canvak instead.

So it might last through Pennsic, weather permitting.
Unless anyone has a pint of Canvak who is going to be in K-town Saturday? Then I would have to do it after this weekend and bring it back up on Packing Day.  Especially since it has to go via ground..because of the chemicals.

You know I'm just relieved that it's not near the center top of the roof. This is relatively minor in the great scheme of things and will not interfere with my cot.

I also bought some better tent stakes than what I have, (I'll be bringing both just to be safe.) I just need to decide what I'm going to do before I run up there Saturday because it's a chance to have the tent get packed into the trailer, leaving more room in the vehicle I'll be going up in. Otherwise I'll have to make a separate trip up for "packing day" (although I might do that anyway).

Well, I'm taking a late lunch break from cleaning my sewing room.

While I was cleaning up in there, I dug out all of my old Pennsic badges. 
( So I've been to Pennsic how many times???Collapse )
So why do I keep going back to Pennsic?

1. It's HUGE! It's so huge, they make you park in a separate parking area after you have unloaded, and they drive around haywagons to help people get around:

( Haywagon picsCollapse )



2. It's 2 weeks long: so people have time to set up the most awsome encampments. There are so many people, that you can find those with a similar time and place interest and make your own group camp:

( Pictures of Camp Gates...Collapse )
You sometimes come across something that adds a little something:
( This was by the roadside...Collapse )
This shrine says: 
The Scapegoat Post Of The Pennsic Hajj As Representing The Evils To Be Expelled From Our Society
Hate Arrogance  Predjudice Jealousy Thoughtlessness Ignorance


3. LOTS OF TIME FOR ACTIVITIES: to get to cook over the fire, socialize, shop, fight, dance, and take classes.

Part of the Merchant Area before Hrs. (About 250 Merchants).  BEFORE  Everything is open!
My household taking a break from Fencing
  

This is a link to a pic of the merchant area when everything is open:

http://www.pennsic.net/photos/2002/Vosh/106-0687_IMG.jpg

I'm looking forward to being there again. I just hope there are not too many gothy types running around. I don't drive 8 hours to see your PVC, thank you very much. It was much easier to ignore the bunnyfur and chainmail bikinis back in the old days. At least THOSE are made with period materials!

Well I slept about 14 hours last night. But I was *lured* I tell ya...  All that cold made me go into hibernation, I think. I can't remember the last time I slept that long. The cat finally insisted I get up and play with him.

I bought a tent last fall for SCA but only just took it out of the bag today to get measurements. I was not in the mood to set it up and do the pour water test on it., so I spread it out in betwen the living and dining room and measured seams to do the geometry to figure out all the measurements (It's a hexagon). The cat enjoyed playing with the ropes. Scanned the tent diagram and emailed  it off to my peer for pennsic.  Then I goofed off on the internet longer than I should.

Piddled around putting away dishes, and pecking away at the edges of all of my clutter. Managed to half clear off a coffee table, shelve some books, and half clean off the computer area, but not much else. Discovered the cat likes to play with bendy straws, (I really need to do a post showing all my cat's homemade toys!).

Tried to get to the SCA meeting but had some sort of montezuma's revenge, so I missed it,  which is just as well, would hate to spread a bug - though it could be the Bi-Lo pizza I ate yesterday. 

So I stopped at McKays, and left without buying anything when they started to give the 20-minute warning that they were closing...(that's a whole other rant/post), went back to said Bi-Lo to get cat food, milk, tp and q-tips, and few other things, caved and got fudge pops because they are hardly ever in stock, (I think they must not have been sold out this time because it was cold today).  I was really proud of myself for only getting one item not on the shopping list!

Oh, and I think I got a spider bite on my other hand. (another reason to get rid of all the clutter!) All in all, it was a lazy lazy day. Surprisingly I'm already sleepy tonight which is odd considering how much I slept yesterday. I've not had caffeine since this morning so maybe that's the reason.

I think I might finish up a black wool pouch I was working on last night. Part of my do something with all these darn scraps project. Might sell them. Dunno. I really need to get off my rear and work on garb. Or exercise so I would like making garb more. Or work in the garden while I can. 

I also need to make a rope bed for pennsic. I realize I have those 2x8's on the porch that I can use. Even if they are a bit on the heavy side, they will work. Now that I have my tent dimensions figured out I can know what will fit in it. The last time I made a rope bed was in 1993 I think? That was the year I got the insurance settlement from the wreck and also got my first tent. Anyhow, THIS time the bed clearance will be high enough to have rubbermaid containers be able to slide under with room to spare.

Bedding need to think about warm blankets too. I hate our microfiber blankets, I didn't even use them this winter. They hold moisture and don't really keep me warm. I'm thinking  a double layer of polar fleece. What was great was the cordoury quilt and a regular cotton quilt (though that might not work so good in humid conditions). I can't afford the amount of wool it would take to keep me warm. Although I do have an entire fleece that I might be able to felt into something...if I had time...

Ironically, this tent is similar in size to my first, so the bed will probably be similar. I'm thinking air mattress as a space and cost effective measure. I have lots of rugs to line the tent floor (Yay!) already. I need to sew up my 4 lightweight painters canvas drop cloths to use as a floor tarp underneath. They should work fine.

I'll have to devise some sort of closet  system too to fit on the flanking triangles of my bed so I can still have half the tent for a sitting area. That will be the big challenge.

But mostly I feel like I've got my foot nailed to the floor and I'm hobbling in circles trying to decide what to do first.  I love my cat but it's impossible to get anything done anymore since we got him. If I could make a baby sling he would stay in, I swear I'd put him in it just so I could get some stuff done.  I mean, how can I not pet the kitty. He's so sweet. Maybe I'm hormonal and that's why I can't say no.... see this is why I didn't have a kid.

Maybe if I were working with someone it would be more fun, but I think I'm the only one from my group going.

I did decide I'm going to clear out about half of my parlor, and then start putting all of my pennsic stuff in a pile there, along with a garnment rack so I can SEE what I'll have to wear. I'm so visual that it's the only way I'll keep everything in perspective.

So maybe if I'm good I can do a pic of the week to show you all what I did. Maybe a Sunday night Pic? We may start with a "what I have" pic.

So I guess stay tuned for Pennsic Prep posts later.