When will the smiting stop?

We departed the NC ren last weekend just as the first drops of rain

began to fall. When we arrived home, there was a message on the

answering machine "please come over and fix your tent". Hmmm, well that

wasn't going to happen. On friday we arrived back on site to find our

tent flipped upside down with the above sign taped to it. Thanks for the

help guys.

 

The tent was is fair condition so we re-set it up and went to bed. At

4am the rains came. I sat up thinking 'I have to check the tent' but it

was warm in the tent and freezing outside. At 5am I couldn't take it and

threw on pants and shoes and padded over to the site. the winds were far

worse on site, and I arrived to find the tent completely destroyed.

Unsalvadgeable. I woke rossana and she confirmed the fact. The rain was

still sporatic. We couldn't do the day wothout some kind of shelter.

There was nothing to do but get to Wal-mart and get a replacement. But

when we arrived we discovered that they didn't carry them. Fuck. But

where there is a wal-mart there are Sams clubs. We got the address and

spent the next hour trying to get to it. The town of Raleigh is built

like a big wheel, with an outer belt, and a series of spokes. These are

designed to quickly and efficiently take you away from wherever the hell

it is you need to go. I swear, this town was design to confound foreign

invaders through badly labeled and misguiding roads.

 

We eventuaaly found the Sams club, only to learn that they wouldn't open

for 30 minutes. The clock was ticking. The show opens at 10am. We

pounded on the door, flashed our membership cards, and fell on the mercy

of the manager. He took pity on us and we bought an EZ up. This is the

standerd tent for craft shows. Its well made, but not very medieval. We

threw it in the van and drove back to the site. The sky had been

lightening, but when we got back on site the rain was falling again. We

set up the tent and went for breakfast.

 

The weather changed wildly throughout the day, from sunny, to slate grey

skies, to rain, to wind. At times, we had to have customers help us hold

down the tent. How we managed to do sales was beyond me. By the end of

the day it was raining and there was a tornado watch in effect. We

called it quits. Rossana and I were wet and chilled to the bone. The

rain stopped, we dropped the tent, packed all the stock in the van and

went to change. Now we find that our camping tent has partially blown

down. We re-set it as best we can and abandon it. Fuck this event, I'm

getting a room. We check in and take hour long showers to thaw out.

turned on the tv to learn that the Pope died. Not a great day all the

way around.

Done