Saturday was the
Cairnfell Royal Visit outside Ballarat. I slept in. I was supposed to bring the Baronial Pavilion. Got out to the shipping container, realised it would be an enormous chore to lug it down the hill into the car. Rang and found it was raining at the site, so scrubbed that idea.
Arrived in time to participate in the Roses Tourney. In single combats,
I defeated
Sir Wulfram but lost to Rauf (who I had been beating up in slow work after the King corrected my technique) and His Maj, Sir Cornelius. In best-of-threes I lost to
His Maj and to Sir Felipe (but still won one bout against each). I defeated
Hanbal,
Everard &
Gwynfor. (I told all my defeated opponents to send their flowers to the Vicar: who expressed her appreciation later.) So I did much better than I was expecting. (His Maj told Sir Felipe I was quicker than I looked.) The regular
pell work and Tai Chi sword work is paying off. I need to get a lot less diffident in my footwork and body movement.
Heralded Royal Court for the first time ever, which wasn’t too bad. Forgot to ask for three cheers from the Crown Prince and Princess at the end, but Hanbal leapt into the breach. All fun. Though the body was a bit stiff, sore and tired Sunday.
That night was the Abbotsford Christmas BBQ at
splodgenoodles and
tenbears place. Collected
Dafydd and went off to a fun (if late-eating) evening. I had made a decision to essentially not do Christmas, so what as a bit diffident about the proposed gift-exchange. I scored some gourmet spreads from Dawn, a bottle of wine from
doushkasmum and a Minotaur voucher from
splodgenoodles. (This is the other thing, I am not sure I would be all that clever at picking gifts.) Also present were
sjkasabi and A.,
sacred_chao,
mr_bassman,
mrsbrown, baby Rose, T and Z.
Sunday, I was thinking of going to
Unity in Diversity but my body was so stiff, sore and tired that resting seemed more sensible. Managed to lock my car keys in the boot, so various amounts of trying to get onto the
RACV followed (I had to update my car details before I could get roadside assistance and they won't let you do that online). When I did get through to roadside assistance, attendance was prompt and efficient, getting into the car with disturbing ease.
Monday night, went out to
Arrowsreach training intending to do some practice and taking advantage of the fighting “high” after the tourney. Managed to leave my
gambeson and arming cap behind (they were drying on the line). Still, enjoyed myself with some slow work, chatting and observing the folk in armour having a good time beating each other up.
Gave Rohan/Vandel and
jmule home. Much amused and cheery chatting to a bouncy
monstah and a fairly maggoted
wystan (who was doing a fairly good Silent Bob in some of his mannerisms) when they returned from
wystan’s office Xmas party.