gurdymonkey | Interesting times

I toddled up to Santa Rosa for That Person's Investiture, despite gas prices, mainly because I feel the need to demonstrate that Saionji is a member of His Populace too and is not going away just 'cause He doesn't like Japanese in the SCA.

I wore kosode, nagabakama and the five yellow itsutsuginu layers from Twelfth Night. (I need to shorten the sleeves on the hitoe to make it nest better and didn't have time to do so.)

I was in the Ladies', applying white pancake in the mirror, when a very tall woman in a burgundy doublet lands at the mirror next to me and says, "Oh, wow, you're doing the whole thing!" I look over, see the white scarf tied around her arm and say, "Are you Illadore?" Dona Illadore is newly transplanted from Aethelmearc, a member of That Big Japanese Clan and clan sister to The Bushi Who Writes Me Poems. (Just found her here on LJ - turns out

illadore is a knitting fool, must introduce her to

moira_ramsay!)

Spent Last Court on the floor. It was gushy and mushy and late. I don't know why Their Highnesses were an hour late for their stepping down. Not my problem. After court I was getting up to stretch out my sleeping legs when this woman comes over to goggle over The Finery, Class C, Informal For Investiture Of Minor Princes (TM). The fairy stardust reincarnation theories about all of us notwithstanding, she seemed very nice and I pointed out the future event announcements and web links in the edition of the Tempus she was clutching.

Got to meet and talk to Marsaili, who was decked out in bottle green Elizabethan with a Most Excellent Hat. I informed her and Bacchus of the plan for a sake party at Coronet and extended invitations.

I resumed my spot on the floor for Investiture. I assumed shin (deep kneeling bow) as That Person and His Lady processed in and I HELD it for several very long minutes as they were crowned and swore fealty etc. Don't know if he saw it, don't really care, other people DID see it (big pile of bright yellow silk on the floor to the right of the fifth row is kinda hard to miss). It was done correctly. Didn't stay for First Court as it was after three by then.

I scrubbed my face, boogied home, grabbed a snack, and headed over to Oakland for Friday Night Waltz. (Yes, it's on Saturdays in Oakland. I know.) Last night's beginner's class initiated us into the confusing intricacies of cross-step waltz. Fortunately Tom is a good and diligent teacher. At one point I was partnered with an older gentleman who was having trouble hearing the downbeat on the recordings, so I offered to tap the beats on his shoulder - and did, which made concentrating on where I was putting my feet a little challenging, but actually worked quite well. Only problem with that is we're required to keep switching partners throughout the lesson so that nobody gets stuck in an error rut.

Confusing, counterintuitive, but I actually did a couple of cross-step waltzes with Joel later in the evening because Joel is a big, strong guy who leads with authority and keeps his partner out of trouble, even if it feels like one is sailing across a crowded floor at ramming speed.
I did some swing with Irving, who's gotta be in his 80's. He was amused that I knew all the words and was singing along to Van Morrison's "Moondance." Hey, I grew UP with that one. I also got a crash course in swing and cha cha from Gary.

Hmmm, Gaskell's next month....