The Kingston Curse - Revised
Since this has come up in conversation - twice - in the last 24 hours, I am recycling my post (http://dubhease.livejournal.com/8191.html) from 2004.
I feel like I should be making a support group confession. "Hello, my name is Dubh and I have never been to Kingston."
I grew up in Ottawa. Once in high school, my best friend asked me if I wanted to go to Old Fort Henry. My comment was "Why?" I wasn't into military history then and probably would rather have gone to the mall. It's like for that slight, Kingston has put a curse on me.
I've been in the SCA for 10 years and although Greyfells is one of our closest cantons, I keep missing their events.
The March event (later renamed "Break the Back of Winter"):
2000 - too new to the SCA to know about it
2001 - don't remember
2002 - I was pregnant and my mom's friend wanted to have a lunch for me and some of mom's friends. (This wasn't a shower - she had one of those for me in June.) She had asked me around Christmas for okay dates. I guess I had given that one because that's the one she picked and after Greyfells announced their date mom told me that the woman would be upset if I asked her to move the lunch
2003 - I wasn't going to go, but a friend talked me into going, telling me how we'd all carpool down and it would be fun. I decided to go, as much for all the fun we were going to have in the car as the event. Three or four days before, my ride emailed me to say that on second thought, she didn't think it would be a good idea for me and my baby to go in the car with the rest of the group. So, I didn't go.
2004 - I was in Norway. The best reason ever for missing anything SCA related.)
2005 - I was at the height of extreme morning sickness (which is a misnomer since it went on all day)
2006&2007 - We went to Late Winter Shoot and couldn't go to back-to-back events
2008&2009 - I ran March Break camps and was unable to go to Late Winter Shoot or Break the Back of Winter
Baronial Muster:
(NB - I don't remember this being a big deal before 2002. And technically it isn't in Kingston either.)
2002 - I had a baby July 25.
2003 - I was supposed to go with Geoffroi, but the previous 4 weekends, I'd 1) renovated my kitchen, 2) gone camping with the youth group, 3) coordinated another church's youth group visiting ours, and 4) co-autocratted Autocrat's Day Off. Plus, I'd just gone back to my government job that week. I was exhausted and wanted a do-nothing weekend.
2004 - My daughter's second birthday fell during the event.
2005 - I was pregnant and we went to Pennsic, so going to any other camping event was a no-go
2006-present - I discovered Baronial Muster is rough camping, which I don't do. Plus between needing the third weekend for the Fair and the 4th for Grace's birthday, I would never be available for Muster even if I wanted to go.
Twelfth Nights:
2000 - My first SCA event was Hare 1999 and my second was Practicum 2000. Either I wasn't told about this, or I hadn't made enough of a commitment to the SCA to go.
2004 - Technically it was in Trenton, co-sponsored by Septentria and Greyfells. I was excited about the joint Twelfth Night. I even had a ride down with King Cennedi. But, I got sick with stomach 'flu (the sickest I've evr been in my adult life) two days before and couldn't go. I blame it on the fact that it was supposed to have been Kingston's event. :)
2008 - My husband had to work that day. I was geared up to go by myself with a 5 1/2 year old and a 2 year old. Then my father made me paranoid about driving with the kids. What would I do if the car broke down? I couldn't go for help and leave the kids. He convinced me that I should take a second adult with me. I offered rides to 2 different people who were asking for rides on the Caldrithig list. But they both found rides other than me. By the time this settled out (the day before) that no one wanted a free ride from me, I just decided not to go.
Other:
Coronation 2001 - I had a Youth Group fall kick-off event the same day.
Coronation 2005 - I had just got over having morning sickness. I had gone to the BOD meeting in Caldrithig the week before and found that half day (of sitting on a chair and then a reception) a lot to handle. I could not have handled a whole day event.
Kingdom A&S 2006 - I had had my second baby in November 2005 and it took me a while to get life back on track. By the time I did, it was too late to do anything for Pent. Since I wasn't submitting anything to Kingdom A&S and was mad at myself for not doing so, I didn't go since I would have felt guilty all day that I wasn't better organized.
Coronation 2007 - It was September and one of my closest friends was planning a trip around the world and needed people to help her every weekend to sort out her apartment. Since between 2 kids and work, my weekends are at a premium, I had that weekend free and chose to spend my time with her over Coronation.
Dance Event 2008 - I was excited about an all-dance event. I even had the day free, but site fee was $22 and too expensive for me.
Pam still talks about kidnapping me and taking me to Kingston.
I feel like I should be making a support group confession. "Hello, my name is Dubh and I have never been to Kingston."
I grew up in Ottawa. Once in high school, my best friend asked me if I wanted to go to Old Fort Henry. My comment was "Why?" I wasn't into military history then and probably would rather have gone to the mall. It's like for that slight, Kingston has put a curse on me.
I've been in the SCA for 10 years and although Greyfells is one of our closest cantons, I keep missing their events.
The March event (later renamed "Break the Back of Winter"):
2000 - too new to the SCA to know about it
2001 - don't remember
2002 - I was pregnant and my mom's friend wanted to have a lunch for me and some of mom's friends. (This wasn't a shower - she had one of those for me in June.) She had asked me around Christmas for okay dates. I guess I had given that one because that's the one she picked and after Greyfells announced their date mom told me that the woman would be upset if I asked her to move the lunch
2003 - I wasn't going to go, but a friend talked me into going, telling me how we'd all carpool down and it would be fun. I decided to go, as much for all the fun we were going to have in the car as the event. Three or four days before, my ride emailed me to say that on second thought, she didn't think it would be a good idea for me and my baby to go in the car with the rest of the group. So, I didn't go.
2004 - I was in Norway. The best reason ever for missing anything SCA related.)
2005 - I was at the height of extreme morning sickness (which is a misnomer since it went on all day)
2006&2007 - We went to Late Winter Shoot and couldn't go to back-to-back events
2008&2009 - I ran March Break camps and was unable to go to Late Winter Shoot or Break the Back of Winter
Baronial Muster:
(NB - I don't remember this being a big deal before 2002. And technically it isn't in Kingston either.)
2002 - I had a baby July 25.
2003 - I was supposed to go with Geoffroi, but the previous 4 weekends, I'd 1) renovated my kitchen, 2) gone camping with the youth group, 3) coordinated another church's youth group visiting ours, and 4) co-autocratted Autocrat's Day Off. Plus, I'd just gone back to my government job that week. I was exhausted and wanted a do-nothing weekend.
2004 - My daughter's second birthday fell during the event.
2005 - I was pregnant and we went to Pennsic, so going to any other camping event was a no-go
2006-present - I discovered Baronial Muster is rough camping, which I don't do. Plus between needing the third weekend for the Fair and the 4th for Grace's birthday, I would never be available for Muster even if I wanted to go.
Twelfth Nights:
2000 - My first SCA event was Hare 1999 and my second was Practicum 2000. Either I wasn't told about this, or I hadn't made enough of a commitment to the SCA to go.
2004 - Technically it was in Trenton, co-sponsored by Septentria and Greyfells. I was excited about the joint Twelfth Night. I even had a ride down with King Cennedi. But, I got sick with stomach 'flu (the sickest I've evr been in my adult life) two days before and couldn't go. I blame it on the fact that it was supposed to have been Kingston's event. :)
2008 - My husband had to work that day. I was geared up to go by myself with a 5 1/2 year old and a 2 year old. Then my father made me paranoid about driving with the kids. What would I do if the car broke down? I couldn't go for help and leave the kids. He convinced me that I should take a second adult with me. I offered rides to 2 different people who were asking for rides on the Caldrithig list. But they both found rides other than me. By the time this settled out (the day before) that no one wanted a free ride from me, I just decided not to go.
Other:
Coronation 2001 - I had a Youth Group fall kick-off event the same day.
Coronation 2005 - I had just got over having morning sickness. I had gone to the BOD meeting in Caldrithig the week before and found that half day (of sitting on a chair and then a reception) a lot to handle. I could not have handled a whole day event.
Kingdom A&S 2006 - I had had my second baby in November 2005 and it took me a while to get life back on track. By the time I did, it was too late to do anything for Pent. Since I wasn't submitting anything to Kingdom A&S and was mad at myself for not doing so, I didn't go since I would have felt guilty all day that I wasn't better organized.
Coronation 2007 - It was September and one of my closest friends was planning a trip around the world and needed people to help her every weekend to sort out her apartment. Since between 2 kids and work, my weekends are at a premium, I had that weekend free and chose to spend my time with her over Coronation.
Dance Event 2008 - I was excited about an all-dance event. I even had the day free, but site fee was $22 and too expensive for me.
Pam still talks about kidnapping me and taking me to Kingston.