Things I learned

The story of the weekend, in bulleted list format, because that's the amount of brain power I can muster at the moment!

What I learned this time, at the Texas Renaissance Festival (and associated roadtrip)

1. My car seats 5. However, it only holds 3 tarts* & their associated luggage for a weekend trip.
2. Sharing music makes the drive seem to go by faster. There was: Terence Trent D'Arby, The Bobs, Juno Reactor, Ludo, Beats Antique... I'm probably missing something, but those were the main highlights in the "oh, have you heard *this*?" game.
3. A suitcase full of other suitcases will weigh just enough to convince you that it's actually the suitcase that you packed full of costuming that happens to be the same color, shape & only 2" larger. This will lead to shocked gasping when you open your suitcase upon arriving 200+ miles south to find that you have no costuming what so ever.
4. Always pack your real-world clothes & toilettries in a separate bag. That way, you'll have clean clothes, socks, underwear & stuff to be clean & good smelling even though you don't have a costume.
5. Good friends are the ones who see you in your normal clothes backstage before the Faire starts and hand you spare costuming, mug and pouches to make it through the day, even though you were perfectly content to just walk around in jeans and a t-shirt.
6. Ginger of Faire Paire makes amazing hudge-hiding dresses. There is no hiding a hudge that has been expanded due to pregnancy. I felt visably pregnant for the first time, but I still think it's only obvious to my friends, because they know me. To the rest of the world, I'm just pudgy.
7. For the first time, friends asked to touch my belly. I was surprised that I was ok with it. I thought I was still hung up on not being roundly pregnant, or that what's visible still isn't baby yet, but turns out, it was ok. I felt... good. It was affirming, not hurtful, so that was really neat, and quite unexpected.
8. Also, I totally love that even my friends who are firmly anti-having-babies themselves are totally excited, supportive & loving this baby. That's pretty damn cool.
9. I am content to just smell the booze other people are drinking. It doesn't drive me crazy that I can't have any as long as I can sniff the stuff other people are drinking near me. Thanks Kyle & Krys!
10. When the crowd reaches a record-breaking 42,088 people, there is no leaving until well after the final cannon has sounded, even if you get to your car more than an hour before it goes off.
11. When stuck in a parking lot for 2 hours, there will be singing. Someone will start humming a part to practice, and then it snowballs until you're having an impromptu rehearsal/performance, in the dark, for yourselves. It was... wonderful!
12. Sometimes, it really does take a village just to get dressed and make sure your hair & make-up are where you want them to be. As a whole, QAL seems to be moving towards more vibrant and dramatic eye make-up, and this weekend, we got lots of compliments on looks we've been perfecting. Also, there is such a thing as the perfect red lipstick, and when you find it, you share it. (Sephora has one called "The Red" which worked really well for several of our ladies. I'll stick with MAC's Heartless, which is sadly a limited edition.)
13. There is always some new thing in the Mad Girl Clothing line that we have to try on.

I have other things to say, but they have to percolate a bit first. So there you go! TRF in a nutshell.

*Did I ever explain the Tart thing? At our faire, the ladies of Queen Anne's Lace, the ladies I sing with--our characters work at The Pounding Heart, House of Tarts: Where your every appetite is satisfied, nudgenudge, winkwink. So, we refer to the ladies of the Pounding Heart as Tarts. There, explained?