The High Price of Nostalgia

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We went to an event today and I was very underwhelmed. This evening, I'm wishing we had just stayed home or better yet told them to cancel the event all together and save us all the trouble. The event was $13 per person for day-trippers (with no lunch included and no public bathrooms other than port-a-johns). We also spent $4 in tolls (and an hour and a half each way) getting to Grandy, North Carolina and back for this "local" event. Add to that the $20 we spent on lunch from the modern food vendor, $70 for the last minute truck rental to carry our pavilion and $30 in gas, and we've spent over $150 in the last 12 hours today. I knew when we pulled up to site and it said "Renaissance Festival" on the giant lit up sign out front, we should have just turned around then and gone home. Normally, I would try to be diplomatic about these sorts of things and support those in need of guidance and a clue, but it was just poor all around. There were vendors selling lawn gnomes and dog bone tree ornaments, for fuck's sake. Ok, so the ornaments were really cute and I almost bought one, but really ... I was worried this morning about my 15th century shoes with my 13th century dress and this is what I got? This is not my version of medieval reenactment and it's not really the SCA.

The good news is that , and Thyre were there to help me sit under my big ass pavilion and chitty-chat, which really helped keep me perky. Honestly, had they not been there, I would have sat in the truck and surfed the internet while Rich finished marshalling so we could go home (did I mention there were only three combatants on site?). Instead, I finished most of a hand-sewn hood and relaxed. And it wasn't that cold outside once the sun came back out, so it could have been far worse.

BUT! My best use of money all day by far was the candy I bought in the local store on site. They had all the stuff that I had when I was a little kid but they can't sell anymore because it makes us all want to smoke cigarettes while we eat Draino. So I spent $20 on candy that will probably taste much more gross than I remember but pleases me with all its old-fashionedness and nostalgia. I must admit that as an adult, seeing all those packs of "candy sticks" does make me hanker for a cigarette.