Fantastic:
1. conceived or appearing as if conceived by an unrestrained imagination; fanciful or capricious, as persons or their ideas or actions; extravagantly fanciful; marvelous
2. My trip to the Louisiana Renaissance Festival
One of my many super adventures during the Thanksgiving holidays was to journey across Lake Pontchartrain to the magical (not really) world of Hammond, LA, which hosts a truly fantastic renaissance festival every November.
I was EXTREMELY excited about this trip for several reasons:
1. We were commuting in this fantastic vintage chariot with two of our most fantastic new New Orleans friends, T and Z!
2. I love costumes. I would live in costumes instead of cloths (aka: boring costumes) if it wouldn't run me the risk of being arrested or committed. Evidence A: This photo of me from 1983, wearing my favorite "I Dream of Jeanie" costume on Christmas morning.
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| Check out that fantastic E.T. suitcase! Man, how I wish I still had that thing! |
3. I'm obsessed with carnivals, nomadic tribes, pioneers, and other transient, outside-between-under society cultures!
I love the hell out of carnies. When I was a kid, I wanted to be one. Basically, for me, circus life was everything real life wasn't; carnivals were the only place real magic still existed. Clearly, I don't have such innocent notions any longer (I watch way too many documentaries), but I'm still fascinated (in a more anthropological way) with the people who adopt these hinterlandish lives...and food served on carts!
If there is "carny" food anywhere around, you can bet I'm going to find it! And there is plenty to be had at faire!
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| Ye Olde Cotton Candy |
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| Yep, it's all fried. |
4. I have been craving a giant turkey leg for months!.....Let me preface:
On March 8th of this year (Mardi Gras for all you non-locals), I quit smoking (after the parades and parties were over, of course). I smoked for nearly 20 years and "being a smoker" was a major point of identity and pride for me.
Ok, rewind a bit: In the summer of 1996, I became a vegetarian; and I remained a strict veg until 2009 when I caved to the urge for seafood before my Costa Rican wedding. Ok, fast forward to this year again...
I carefully planned my quitting strategy, a fabulous combination of mental effort and meticulous preparation...well, and I sequestered myself inside the house for 3 days...ANYwho, I needed something more. The early days of quitting made me an uber-consumer; all I wanted to do was eat! I needed something in my diet more satisfying than vegetables or grilled fish that wouldn't completely corrode my insides (gummy bears and cake, mostly)..
SO, I traded my smoker personae for a meat-eating one. And the faire offered the perfect combination of meats and carny-ness to appease my carnivorous needs! Today, I'm 9 months cigarette-free and a bit heavier, but LOVING EVERY FANTASTIC
MINUTE OF IT!!!
5. Some of my favorite fabulously fantastic people were there! Besides me and B, and T and Z (haha, I made a rhyme), some old and new friends were there to make us feel welcome!
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| B and our friend DF |
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| Pirate T, Bonnie, and Robin Hood at the WHISKY TASTING!!! |
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| Nothing says "welcome" like a pickle! |
Heck, yeah! The Renaissance Festival was a fabulous blast! I'm definitely going back next year, and I'm already scouting fabrics for a wicked fantastic costume! Huzzah!
