[Ansteorra] Re: Ur 1st GW

Tue Dec 25 13:03:30 PST 2001

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Ok, ok, I'll tell.  I was going to just tell Tessa, but I decide everyone should hear a first-timer's story.  GW IX (year 2000) was my first.  At the time I was living near Stargate, which was 4 hours closer than where I'm living now.  At the time my S.O. didn't play in the SCA, so I had a friend come from Middleford and get me.  We left Monday night about 9pm.  Every major city we hit from my place to the GW, we would get slightly lost.  One of the many firsts for me was to be crossing the Miss. River and being on the East side of the States.  Got pictures of it at nighttime.  Got four rolls of film from that event, need to get around to developing and posting it.  Then the last bit of highway that had to be traveled we missed the exit for, so we had to go find that.  We got to the gate about 2am and we were about the fifty-something car there.  Everyone was getting out and finding out where everyone was from.  The guys were telling their tall tales of battles and conquests, even had a few people singing.  We had to stay quiet for the most part cause our lines was on the mundane side of the gate and we didn't want to disturb the neighbors.  The sun came up before it was time to go in, so everyone watch it and the little pond beside the road had light fog.  It was a beautiful morning.  Then when time was to go in there was a mad dashing to cars.  Everyone and everything was an organized madhouse.  Hundreds trying to move into their week-long home.  Lots of helpful people keeping the cattle of people going in the right direction.  We found our plot of land on the edge of the site where they had just finished clearing trees to make more room for the growing War.  Had to clean it up a bit before putting down tent.  As I was setting up the kitchen area, I found I had made a grieve mistake, no cooking pot for our meals.  Talk about not checking my list twice or even not making one for such a big trip.  Luckily there was a town nearby and we got directions to go get supplies.  Got the supplies at the local grocery store, and then brunch at the local Subway.  We came back and our area was left alone and untouched.  Finished unloading the dragon and then put it to it's stall over in the dragon lot (open field parking).  Made note of where the nearest portopotty and water faucet were.  We got into proper clothes and then went exploring.  Found a few friends and made lots more that week.  Spent that day bugged eyed and getting whiplash from looking at everything and everyone.  That night the smells get even better with the camp cooking from everywhere.  Not a time to go on a diet.  In the quieter sections of the site, children were put to bed.  In the noiser sections, the party was just getting to rolling.  I never had an empty glass and the bottle of rum that I bought for the War was never opened that week.  Was late that night when we went to bed.  Been up 24 plus hours.  Spent the next day exploring some more.  That night, rains came early and I didn't feel up to cooking in the rain so we had dinner in the main hall.  We sat out on the back porch with others talking and smoking.  Went to bed late again and got up early in the morning.  My friend had to get ready for the revine battle.   It was fun getting to sit on the hillside and watch arrows fly though the air and hear the clashing of swords on shields.  The camp followers that watch, got to particapate as some of the archers aimmed poorly and almost got us too.  Don't remember which side won, just my friend was dragging himself up the hill and dieing at my feet.  Letted him rest before hulling his gear back to camp.  Should have had a wagon to cart it around.  There was much drinking that night to wear off the pains of battle and to salute the dead and tell tall tales.  Late night to bed and early to rise for the mass field battle that day.  That one was just pure massacre.  One of the young pole jocky got my friend good, camp docs said he was fine.  Another night of drinking.  See a pattern here?  That night wasn't so much fun.  My friend every 20 minutes when he rolled over was cussing painfully.  So bright and early the next morning, I went down the road to find one of my Amazon matrons that I knew my friend greatly respected.  You see my friend was going to do the fort battle that day and wasn't listening to me.  I waited til she got up and explained what was going to happen this day if she didn't help me get my friend to stay out of the battle.  She went with me and we woke him up.  She looked at him and proclaimed that she catches him on the field in armor there was going to be hell (pardon) to pay that day.  I was happy with that.  So we watched that one.  Later after he got home and saw the doctor, he had a couple of greenline breaks on his ribs.  Another good hit and I would be spenting more time in Mississippi than I cared for.  Another night of drinking, the greatest that week.  And worst downpour on top of it.  Sunday morning, we said to hell (pardon) with it, we uncermoniously throw everything wet in the car and trudge home with smell of starting mold and mildew.  My poor landlady thought I was adding a new room to my apartment when I set up the tent to air out.  Tons of laundry and dishes to do too.  The only sad part of the whole War was when one of the night's they had to airlift a Society member out of the battlefield, only clear space to land.  The site was eerily quiet that night.  I would not trade anything for a dry week at War.  A wet week was more alive with the spirit of history and friendship, and somethings that have no name to it.  May everyone have Good Season's Tidings.  Lift a drink to our old friends gone and to the new friends to come.  Aurore
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Tessa Nieto
  To: Aurore Gaudin
  Sent: Tuesday, December 25, 2001 9:16 AM
  Subject: Re: Ur 1st GW

  Awww...why not? *L*

  I keep hearing stories of rain that never quits,
  terrible bathrooms, hair that mildews and your clothes
  and tent being underwater. Right now, I'm about 50/50
  whether to go or not. :O) I'm not big on wet.

  What was your first Gulf War like? What were some GOOD
  things that happened? What was the best and worst
  thing about Gulf War?

  Thanks and have a great Christmas!
  Eleanor
  --- Aurore Gaudin <Aurore at hot.rr.com> wrote:
  > Hi,  I know you don't know me, but I got to
  > remembering about my first GW from a couple of years
  > ago.  You'll love it.  Don't want to spoil it much
  > more then that.  Aurore
  >

  =====
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  - - - Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary

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