Spring War Practice weekend

[damont]

In which plans are made, changed, and as usual fail to survive intact when reality hits. But no worries, it all turns out okay in the end.

When I first started looking at my calendar for this month, I had pencilled in Æthelmearc Coronation for the weekend just past. Over time, however, I decided that I'd be better off going to EKSR Spring War Practice instead. As the weekend approached I was wondering whether I wanted to go at all... it seemed that the event was going to be a place where my friends present would all clump up into little clumps that didn't include me, and I'd be left out. What was more, the weather forecast was fugly and the prospect of camping in a little nylon tent was massively unappealing. (Having only been to Spring War Practice once before, and that just during the day, I honestly didn't know that there were more than ten screenhouse-cabins, plus the Lodge, with summercamp beds in them; I'd never seen them, and the event announcement was a bit vague.)

So, on Thursday I was feeling very fragile and very close to crawling into a dark hole and pulling the sod cover shut for a while. My blue funk was interrupted by a message from blaisedec requesting a rescue run, so I picked him up and took him to meet nostasia in order that they might get to choir practice on time. I ended up going to choir practice as well. Later that evening, the gentle encouragement of a few certain people (you know who you are, and thanks) plus the knowledge that I had Birch Beer to hand over, persuaded me to go up to the event after all... but I hadn't packed yet.

Friday, I was going through email and LJ and getting as caught up as I could get before heading out for the weekend, when montuos informed me that she was having abdominal pains. The symptoms seemd to indicate appendicitis. She waited until quittin' time at work, and headed over to the hospital. I met up with her there. Several hours later I was still there, not having had anything to drink since breakfast, much less had lunch, much less had dinner. And I still hadn't packed. But when it became clear that she was going to be in the hospital at least overnight, montuos kicked me out, told me to go get liquids and food into my system, get some sleep, and go up to Spring War Practice anyway dammit (or words to that effect). Well, she was in the hospital for *two* nights, and yes it was her appendix, and she's out of the hospital now, sans appendix. (See here and here for bits of aftermath.)

What with everything going on, I didn't reach the site until shortly after noon on Saturday. Had enough time to check in, change, and load up my plate with lunch before bunnyjadwiga's class on medieval sallets (salads) and pottages. Spent some time after that looking for nazrynn, who didn't make the event, but did manage to visit a bit with math5 and loosecanon in the kitchen. Also got to talk briefly with fosveny, kyleri, giselle0002, and amykb before court started.

HRM Brion started court with announcements that Æthelmearc and Atlantia had both pledged to ally with the East this year (no surprise at all, considering who's on the thrones of each). But then he went on to say "And I have also talked with His Majesty Felix of the Midrealm..." and titters broke out in many spots in the audience. Apparently I'm not the only one who took his parallel construction and ran with it along the lines of "...and The Midrealm will also be fighting for the East this year." Wouldn't *that* be something... Other highlights of court: Genevieve's "What?" in a very Miss-Piggy-suspicious tone of voice when her name got called; "the local Jadwiga" (as opposed to bunnyjadwiga sitting right behind her) not catching that she's just been called, until a bunch of us said "That's *you*! Get up!"; and of course, Samuel getting inducted into the Silver Crescent.

In the Rec Hall before/during/after court I managed to talk with alphaggek and bunnyjadwiga, and math5 lent me her phone to get an update on montuos's condition. I also got to see edelweiss68 for the first time since October -- and that was a nice scroll you did! (At least from the distance I was sitting at...) Dinner with bunnyjadwiga and amykb followed, after which we went back to the camp and caught the last hour-and-change of a party. Finally got to see siobhan1214 if only briefly.

I had gotten sleeping space, so I crashed out until it was almost time for breakfast on Sunday morning. I appeared to be one of the first folks up so I didn't have to wait to take my shower. During breakfast I got to sit for a little bit with giselle0002, baronadhemar, siobhan1214, and merricke. Then stayed to clean up the site. On the way home I figured out that I'd stayed around as a way to wind down with people around, rather than going home by myself without winding down first.

It was a good event, though it would have been better if I could have gotten there Friday evening... but stuff happens. I just wish I'd had more time to talk to everyone, especially kyleri, fosveny, giselle0002, and siobhan1214. But I did get the birch beer delivered to Siobhan... *next* time maybe we'll have time to sit down and drink some!

Comments

[math5.livejournal.com]

Apparently I'm not the only one who took his parallel construction and ran with it along the lines of "...and The Midrealm will also be fighting for the East this year."
I admit I went there too :)
It was nice to see you. And it was probably a good idea to wind down before going home.

[loosecanon.livejournal.com]

My mind went that way as well.

[edelweiss68.livejournal.com]

Thankies about the scroll! :D And 'twas so nice to see you again! Wish we'd had more time to hang out!! :D

[loosecanon.livejournal.com]

It was great to run into you. I wish Montuos a speedy full recovery, and hope you have a less stressful time.
Glad you got home safely.

[montuos]

Thanks; fortunately, the montuos has a past history of healing well and swiftly from surgery. And the dr_zrfq is much less fragile now than before the weekend. :)

[loosecanon.livejournal.com]

I am terribly relieved. May this be the end of your troubles.

[math5.livejournal.com]

Good, then keep with your tradition of healing well and swiftly :)

[montuos]

I do indeed plan on that! :)

[h3salthea.livejournal.com]

Glad to hear you had a good time, despite the weather...

...see if we can improve on that last bit for EKWC...

Glad to hear your Lady came thru her surgery as good as she has! My best wishes on her speedy recovery(hope she finds stuff she can eat that she *likes*)

[montuos]

Thanks. :) It's not so much a matter of finding foods I like, as it is finding foods I feel like eating, though. Right now I have amazingly little appetite. It was actually easier in the hospital; they set food down in front of me, and I ate it*, because I knew I needed food, having had nothing solid since Thursday night.

*Except the banana pudding. There is nothing on earth that could persuade me to eat fake banana anything ever again; real banana is bad enough! :P

[amykb.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you made it.