The Blackrock Medieval Summerfest is the latest faire on our roster. This month we perform there and I get to spend some time in Minnesota. Then it’s off to Wisconsin to do the Bristol Faire and then head back to Minneapolis for the Minnesota Renaissance Festival.
So, this month I headed to Michigan to do the Blackrock Medieval Summerfest. While there I will be stopping by the Michigan Renaissance Festival site to do some work on the Lotion Candle booth there. It’s about 10 hours from Minneapolis to Kalamazoo. A simple drive by our standards.
Once in Michigan I hooked up with the guys to start work on the Maze. If I hadn’t mentioned it we own the maze attraction at this faire. Last year it took us 3 days to install at Silverleaf. This year we’re hoping it will be less, especially with all three of us and Jon Wray of the Blue Team.
We were right! We put up the Maze in a record one day!! Awesome! That means we actually get a day off before having to get ready to perform. I still have to set up the Lotion Candle Tent after all. The lotion Candle tent went up quickly too, by the way.
Opening weekend of Blackrock was a little slow. But, that’s to be expected for a first year show. After the opening weekend I drove back to Minneapolis to pick up Jessica. Who’s Jessica you ask??? She is the new love in my life! But that’s a story for another time. 😉
The second weekend went well enough. Jessica worked Lotion Candles and me and the boys rocked the house! Even as small a house as it was. Let’s hope the upward trend on the gate extends into the last weekend.
After the end of the second weekend I put Jessica on a plane back to Minnesota and Jon Wray and I headed to Holly to the site of the Michigan Renaissance Festival. We’re going to replace the roof on the lotion Candle booth there.
Tearing off the old roof was easy enough. It was a corrugated Fiberglass. I saved it as I thought it might be usable to cover the back patio deck later on. Now we had to prep the area for the OSB sheets that would support the new shingle roof.
The OSB was a little harder to put up. Jon is a little guy and incapable of lifting heavy 4 X 8 foot sheets up to the roof, so that was up to me. We still knocked it out quickly. Then I ran into a little snag.
About halfway through our second day on the job site I bit by something. I’m thinking a spider. Hopefully not a Brown Recluse or Black Widow, but it sure hurt like a bitch! It felt like someone put out a cigarette on my arm. Fucker!
I just kept working. What’s the point of stopping, right? Right. But then the swelling began. The bite got red and then started to radiate out from there, getting redder with swelling to follow. Hammering became a chore with the swelling and pain, but I couldn’t stop. We had to finish this job and get back to Kalamazoo for the last weekend of Blackrock.
The next morning I decided to find an Urgent Care facility. If this was a nastier spider bite I better get it looked at after all. They gave me a prescription for antibiotics and pain killers. There didn’t seem to be any necrosis around the wound so it was looking less like a Brown Recluse bite. But, the swelling and redness was still increasing. No more time to mess around though, we have to get back to work!
On our way around town I kept seeing this beautiful RV. I decided to check it out. It could be something that could come in handy soon. But again… this is a story for another time. Curious yet?? LOL
We managed to finish around 5pm on the 3rd day. I was hoping to finish in 1-1/2 to 2 days but all things considered we managed just fine and the job looks great! We headed back to Kalamazoo and prepared for the last weekend of Blackrock.
The last weekend of the show was fabulous! Great attendance, happy guests and good sales. This could be a great little show in years to come. *Fingers Crossed*
Now it’s time to get back to Minneapolis for a week off and then prepare for Bristol. But wait! There’s more! On the way back to Minneapolis after packing up the Lotion Candle booth I decided to meet Riki at Old Chicago for dinner before the ten hour drive back. I was tired of fast food after all.
I ordered a salad and their Chicken Mac and Cheese. The salad came I had a bite and it tasted strange. So I sent it back and didn’t replace it. One bite was enough to turn me off. I ate my Chicken and Cheese and went on my merry way.
About 2 hours into my drive my stomach started cramping up. I figured it was just because I ate too fast and hadn’t eaten well the whole trip. Boy was I wrong! I needed to get to a bathroom and fast!
When I finally made it to a gas station it was all I could do to make it to the bathroom. My fate was about to be filled with vomiting and diarrhea. Huzzah!! Funny…when you’re vomiting it kinda sounds like a hearty Huzzah! LOL
After my innards settled down I got back on the road. It wasn’t fun… my stomach was still upset, I was nauseous and getting dizzy. I made the turn around the lower part of Lake Michigan and into Illinois and decided I wouldn’t make the trip tonight. I got a hotel and turned in for the night.
My night was filled with fever, cold chills, vomiting and more diarrhea. I really wanted to die! I didn’t get a wink of sleep. It may be time to go to the hospital.
In the morning I looked for another Urgent Care facility. I found a larger one that was well rated and larger than the last tiny town facility I went to. Geez… two Urgent Cares in as many days.
The staff of the facility was super nice! Props go out to everyone from admissions to nursing and my doctor. I was so dehydrated they gave me two liters of I.V. fluids! After that and some anti nausea meds they sent me on my way. Thanks to all that kept me alive!
The drive back was not fun but at least I made it! It was probably the longest 7 hours of my life and took another couple days before I started feeling normal. It’s amazing how a little bacteria can fuck up your world!!!
Anyway, I’m feeling better and excited to get to Kenosha to do the Bristol Faire. I hope to see you there!!!... TTFN!
