SPG: Changing The Lineup

Steam Powered Giraffe

One of the major signs that I am overtired and should probably get my ass to bed, apart from sometimes uncontrollable sneezing, is that I get teary over random shenanigans. Case in point, it is now 4AM and I just watched Bunny Bennett's only publicly available vlog for the third time in a row. I should also note that I really should be finished with my homework, but am not keen on the subject of EcoFemanism as written about by this particularly dry author...

In any case, I have just found out that the character of The Jon, as played by Jon Sprague, of the band Steam Powered Giraffe has been let go. Bunny explains that it was a mutual agreement, seeing as the band is trying to move forward, and Jon simply could not put in the time or the creative effort.

The Jon singing JuJu Magic

As I listened I looked through old tumblr posts dealing with Jon and all the fans who bought his hats and who will miss him terribly. I makes me sad that I will never get to see them live as they were when I first fell in love with them. I do hope that Jon does well by himself in his future endeavors, he is obviously a very creative and talented individual.

I should also note that this is the first time that I have ever been able to see one of Bunny's videos and she is super cute in her, well, girl form. I WANT TO MAKE HER PRETTY THINGS TO WEAR!! >_> Sorry fangirl moment over pretty people... If it was announced that Bunny/Rabbit would be leaving, I would be melted into a puddle of tears with a two gallon tub of sorbet and a box of Oreos. It's not that The Jon and The Spine aren't awesome. I will totally keep my eye out for Jon, but if it were say The Spine, David, who were leaving I would do the same as for Jon. If Bunny left, I would follow her, and simply keep an eye out for SPG. Did that make sense? This isn't likely to happen, I don't know why I felt that I needed to explain that.

Some day I will have enough money to become an Engineer-eteer, and be able to watch all of the Bunny Vlogs!

(You can also tell that I need sleep when I relly so heavily on spell scheck. This is the best thing I've wtrittne this entire= post, no lire, you just can't tell cause I went over the rest of itproperly.)

Woof.

I hate school. I LOVE SCHOOL!! But I haaate school. *head desk*

Five 3-credit classes. FIVE. That means 15 hours in class, then at LEAST another 15 hours outside of class working.

There are 168 hours in a week. Minus that 30 for school. 16 hours on transport to and from school. 14 for eating since I normally skip breakfast, but like to have time to linger over dinner. 56 hours of sleep if I keep to a healthy schedule. 7 hours of morning and evening routine (showering/brushing teeth/getting dressed). 1 hour for driving to and from work. 10-18 hours at work (we'll say 14). So that leaves 30 hours. 4-ish hours per day of the week of "free time", barring too much more homework, more hours (please, please, PLEASE!) from work, or something random and/or catastrophic.

Did you know that four hours is supposed to be the amount of time that you spend giving your pets attention each day so that they feel properly loved and cared for?

FAIRE Part The Second: A Fortuitous Meeting.

Last weekend of April 2012, Anime Central (Acen):

So there I was, corseted and cat-eared with nothing to do. It was Sunday and therefore the last day of the convention. Some of my friends had already left and the rest said that they would return after getting food. In the mean time, I was bored and wandering the dealers room with a boy who I'd met the night before. Neither of us wanting to take the lead in our wanderings, I decided on a few stops and then announced my intention to go hang at the Bristol Faire booth because I love Faire, miss Faire, and why the fuck not. By now, I had gained the confidence in myself to start a conversation with a random stranger so I went right up and did so. That is how I met Anne. She, in turn, pointed me to Shane. I recognized him immediately as the man who'd eaten a turkey leg from the trash, but that was really all that I remembered.

Image stolen from facebook courtesy of Bill Hillihan

"I've always wanted to work at Ren Faire," I tell him offhandedly after some conversation and funny voice impressions, "but it wasn't until this year that I looked into trying out, and by then I'd already missed them."

He then tells me that he is one of the cast directors and he is always looking for new people. He explains RenQuest to me and explains that there is also a children's version called Kid's Quest. Kid's Quest generally has a Troll, Sterling (real name, Chris), and two wizards, some combination of the Spellworthy siblings, leading the nipperkins (children) on the quest. This year they had hit a slight snag: Chris' wife had, had a baby. This meant that he might be called away at the drop of a hat and Shane wanted to make sure that Chris could do so, without leaving KQ troll-less. This is where he hoped that I could come in if I was interested and comfortable working with children. I acquired his card, and departed with my friends.

FAIRE Part The First: Stepping Onto Sacred Ground.

In the beginning, there was high school. Not actually high school, but the summer between my junior and senior years of high school. I had asked my parents about Renaissance Faire because one of my favorite comic artists had done a strip about her time going to one.

"We haven't taken you?" Mum says, "We have failed as parents."

Please understand that this is not my mother's commentary on any other parents who have not taken their children the Faire. This was simply a phrase that came up whenever my parents realized that I was a certain age and had not yet seen or done something that they considered to be a natural part of growing up, like watching Star Wars, or Brigadoon or, in this case, going to Bristol Renaissance Faire. After my parents took me the first time, I went back once more that summer with my friends. We ran around, saw shows, investigated every booth and shop, bought some clothes, and stopped in the Sun Garden to eat. That was the beginning I suppose. I was already having a great day, and then this Faire Character comes up. He scoops a still wrapped, unfinished turkey leg from the trash, and proceeds to eat it.

"EEEEEWWWWWWW! What are you doing?!" we cried. I don't know the name of this character. I don't remember why he was eating out of the trash, I don't even remember his sea cucumber joke. 

Eventually I even forgot that it was him who had encouraged us to come back and work at faire.

"he says we should come and work at Ren Faire next year!!!"
-image posted  August 2006 and forgotten until  it was rediscovered with caption August 2012

Over the next few years, I continues to return. I met and played with characters such as Jane the Phoole, Robin Hood, Little John, Will Scarlett, I had my favorite Fantastikals (fairies) who I would go visit and specific shops that I always stopped in to look at. In 2009 I managed to squeeze out the $100 for a season pass and spent every weekend that I could running around. Many times I was too shy to talk directly to people so I'd watch or play with the silent characters. Then next year, however, I was short on both time and money, and before I knew it, the season had ended. The next year, I was out of state and therefore was unable to visit. Each summer that I missed Faire winter would arrive with the disappointed feeling of something missing.

Even Jesus Had Manners

The other day I saw that a woman had dropped something and not noticed. So I picked it up for her.

"Oh, praise THE LORD!" she says.

Um sure, I've never been called "lord" before, but I suppose I could get used to it…

Sarcasm aside, I actually find it kind of rude. This "Lord" creature did not pick up your pencil case. I did. Adding a simple "Thanks" pointed my way would have sufficed. Actually I would have accepted a vague nod and/or grunt. Giving a shout out to your god is not a viable substitute for "Thank you" and completely ignores the person who just did you a favor.