Pennsic AAR (With Trailer)

Greetings all

I’m home mostly successfully from Pennsic.

Overall, this was probably my best Pennsic in a while. Sales were down (I’ll get to that), but I went out most nights and had a great time at bardic circles.

My bardic circle was less attended than usual because of the threat of rain. The rain’s threat was worse than its bite and just added to the mood. It also meant we had a smaller circle so more participation.

I’m counting this as the 15th one, which is close though I have no clue the first time I did it. After last year, I was unsure how many more years I’d do this, but I had such a great time this year and I changed my process, I don’t foresee it stopping soon.

I probably should have led with my change in process. This year, I paid for two stout lads to assist me during the week. This was expensive, but worth it. They helped set up, and more importantly, handled all the clean up after the bardic circle. Over the last few years with me living away from Calontir in the merchant area, this clean up process was exhausting, so much so I didn’t want to do it ever again.

Anyway, after my bardic circle, I participating in bardic circles at the Rookery, Northshield, Aethelmearc, Chalkman (more of a ceilidh), and Cirion’s (not sure the camp name). We also had two great circles in Calontir, plus the circle at Morgana’s memorial. Overall, I stayed in my tent only 1 night after my bardic circle and that was the Tuesday immediately afterward.

This is in stark contrast to the previous years, and I’m really pleased. I set an alarm to make sure I’d get moving and it worked. Between that and the help I actually enjoyed Pennsic in a way I haven’t in a long while.

I did so much bardic, I’m actually contemplating doing something I haven’t done in long time: Practice. And write new stuff. I was pretty good this year, but I can get better.

As to the store, sales were down. This was caused by a few factors outside my control.

First, the first 4 days of weather were wretched. Too hot for 3 of them and rainy for the last one. This reduced early sales by quite a bit. For me, that reduced my final sales a goodly amount because I think it meant a couple serious readthrough sales. Weather is always a question, so there we go.

Second, Gwen A’Brooke’s health issues preventing her from making her normal amount of pottery, especially the special Pennsic stuff. This was by far the biggest chunk taken out of total sales. Fortunately, this won’t happen next year and I expect a rebound.

Third, Pennsic overall was down more than 10%. I expect this to rebound as well in future years.

These 3 factors account for nearly all of the difference and there wasn’t anything I could do about it. I still made money, at least I thought I had, though not as much as in the past.

Then came the trip home. Up until the last 165 miles, it went very smoothly. Then I pulled into the Casey’s at Lebo, mile marker 149 on I-35, and my trailer lost a wheel.

I was incredibly fortunate. I was literally pulling into a convenience store, so I could sit in a gas bay waiting on the tow truck. I even like Casey’s pizza. It didn’t fall off at 75mph. I wasn’t by the side of the road. Nothing besides the trailer was hurt.

More fortune: Lebo has a tow truck and the shop was literally within site of the Casey’s. That’s where my trailer is now.

I came home Sunday night after all. We emptied the van, then went back along with Matthias and his small trailer to empty the trailer. Right now, the maximum I can lose is the trailer which sucks but isn’t the end of the world. I was contemplating a slightly bigger trailer anyway.

Again, I’m safe, my stuff is safe, all that I lost was an old, cheap trailer.

So, there you go. I had a great time at Pennsic. I’m looking forward to next year to do even more bardic, and do it even better. The only bad thing is that I’m suddenly in the market for a trailer.

See you next year!