OPENING DAY!!!!!! Part 2

I was having a great time talking to customers and enjoying not being restricted as a Maid. The morning went unbelievably fast and soon it was time for Progress*. We headed out to Horse Tourney, I was in the back for the first time since I was in Household*, and having a blast laughing with the girls. The drums were behind us and I have their beat memorized, for one since I’ve heard it every faire day for 14 years and two because it’s so simple. At a certain spot in the beat we will typically call out Huzzah! And being in the great mood that I was I added a little hop to my huzzah’s, and as we approached tourney, I hopped one last time and my left ankle said to me “NOOOOOO WAYYYYY LADY!!!! I HATE YOU!!!!!” And completely gave out on me in a weird wobbly, twisty mess.


I actually managed not to fall and I thought at first that it was something I could just walk off. My left ankle has been week for years now and has given out on me before, but never anything like this. It was aching pretty bad, but I thought for sure it was nothing. Until my vision literally started to black out, and I thought I might throw up. And I thought “Oh fuck, I think I broke my ankle.” During all this progress had thankfully stopped to drop of the queen to tourney and we were disbanding. At that point I just remember trying to walk without vomiting when Kristin came up to me saying something in character, and I just interrupted her to ask her to help me walk and find a place to sit down. When I finally sat my vision had returned and I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to throw up, but I realized I was sweating like crazy. Kelly fanned me off and did a quick check on my ankle, which hadn’t swollen yet. I thought if I just rested a bit I’d be fine, but I knew something wasn’t right.

With help, I hobbled back to glade. I sat out in glade for a small bit determined that I would be fine with some rest, before finally going backstage to survey the damage. I sat in my chair lifted my skirts to get my shoe and sock off to reveal a softball attached to my ankle. It was HUGE! Colleen got some ice and kept it iced for a while and Terri slathered some sort of cream on it. . I managed to make it back out for glade stop and sat at Laura’s tent for a good hour or so with ice on my ankle talking to Malcolm, always an interesting conversation there. Before finally deciding to go backstage. I rested for a bit until Cory and Michelle helped me change. Michelle very kindly went and got my car and brought it up as close as she could to save me the walk. Thankfully it was my left ankle so I could drive home.

I spent Sunday on the couch with my wonderful hubby helping me. Monday I went to the doc and it was confirmed that it wasn’t broken or fractured and he even thinks I should be able to do faire this weekend. Yay! But that is my story of my 2010 Opening Day. Started of awesome, ended not so awesome. Except for the wonderful ladies and gentlemen that helped me out that afternoon. Their kindness and caring was just so awesome and part of the reason I do faire to begin with.

Since my first day at faire this year was short there aren’t a lot of pictures, and no full ones of my dress, at least that I’ve found yet, but I did find these two and I think they are fabulous. These guys make me look so good!

Picture By Joe Foley

She was crying because she was hungry, so I distracted her with her own beauty. :)

Photo by Gar Travis

Those are the infamous feathers. So pretty though!!!! :) (the feathers, I'm ok)

P.S. Sorry this post is so long, detailed and possibly boring. I promise not to go into so much detail in the future, I just wanted to give a good picture, and I talk way too much.

*Progress: This is the Queen’s parade around the faire, it usually starts just after lunch and goes for the rest of the day, but the first trip to Tourney and then to Main Stage is the biggest part of the parade.



*Household: These wonderful actors and actresses portray the attendants to the Derby House (the town hosts) and run around like crazy to make us look good.