Final Stop – Trimarian Coronation

Saturday morning began with an adrenaline-jolt to the heart, as a chamber-maid came pounding on our door at 5:45. Yes, we had requested a wake-up call at that hour, and yes, we were staying in an early 20^th century hotel. But still, I didn’t expect the ambience to be quite so… um… “authentic”. I sprung out of bed to get close enough to the door to let Consuela (or whomever), know that we were up. Aiiiyeeee!!!!!

 

After the craziness of an exhausting trip, we were not in the best of shape, truth be told. Both Paul and kdmorin  were fighting a losing battle against a nasty cough and sinus thang, and I had only (foolishly) gotten to bed about 3 hours prior to the jolt of our wake-up call. (but DAMN what a fun night!!!!) My brain had not fully turned on when I had to say to myself, “did I put on pj’s before goin’ to bed last night, or am I standing here butt-nekkid in front of Chi-Chi-Po?” Fortunately, my auto-pilot HAD indeed kicked in the night before three hours earlier, as I realized I was in my jammies. Whew!

 

After quickly dressing and grabbing breakfast in the serenely beautiful and gilded Spanish-style lobby of the hotel, we gathered the rest of our luggage and stuffed ourselves into the Clown Car. The morning seemed so surreal to this now-California boy. The parking lot was so strangely empty. The morning so oddly calm and quiet. Clear skies revealed a cerulean blue overhead, and the dawning light so bright and so intense as to cast a plein aire shadow across Ybor. So much about Ybor City had changed since I was last there a decade ago – just enough remained for me to recognize, but enough had changed to seem foreign. Add on, of course, that I am not the same person that I was when I lived there. I’d like to think that I kept my more pleasant qualities, but ditched a lot of the uptight, and unhappy aspects that I used to carry with me back in the day. And as usual, I would have to say that the biggest reason for that is my hubby. I loves the Paul!

 

Driving to the middle of nowhere-Ocala was, like most of our trip, surreal. I had not made this drive before. Whether fueled by the adrenaline-rush of the early-morning-door-banging, or just pure excitement, I drove while my other two sickly companions drifted off into half-slumber. The drive went by pleasantly, as we found ourselves surrounded by (flat) fields, (flat) pastures, (flat) forests, and eventually the site itself. Like so much of our trip, nothing seemed familiar upon our arrival. I recognized no one at gate, and no one around where we parked. Yet, upon our arrival to pay our fees, two smiling and familiar faces greeted us upon arrival. Again, so much had changed, but there was JUST enough familiarity to provide connection and joy.

 

I guess I have been in Caid long enough now that everything else seems strange. The court seemed strange – not in a bad way, just different. The sites, the sounds, the styles, the processes and procedures – just alien in a way. As for familiar faces, that too was surreal. I met up with near and dear friends with whom I picked up immediately again as if it were just yesterday that we saw each other last. So without further ado, and in no particular order, here are my top fav’s:

 

Friends: GODS, I miss my east-coast peeps! It is somewhat odd. I think that here in SoCal I have more friends than I had in Florida. But some of the friendships that I have in Florida are more intense than many that I have out here. Maybe it is because we have known each other for so long and have been through so much together. (Gods only know how much the likes of Columella, Leonidas, Daimhin, Bela, MC, Octavio, etc., etc., etc. all held me up when I fell down!) It is incredibly pleasant to know that some bonds are simply not possible to break.

 

Laughs: Slapstick laughing. I miss that! There is something about weekend events where we get a chance to plop down in a cabin after a full day and work and feasting etc., etc., and then just jab, and chuckle, and laugh. We don’t get much chance to do that in Caid – at least not in the same way. I miss it.

 

Today vs. 10 years ago: Trimaris honestly did not appear to be the same Kingdom that I remember. No big shock there. All things change. Perspective changes. People change. Yet, I was a bit surprised at the changes that I saw, the shifts in some dynamics, etc., etc.

 

Chatting with my grandkids: Caid doesn’t carry as strong a sense of “family lineage” as east-coast Kingdoms, I believe. And that is something that I have always had trouble with here. On the one hand, I believe in assimilating as much as possible. Nobody likes a “well, back in my old Kingdom, we…”, but on the other hand, the sense of handed-down lineage is one of the reasons I joined this game, damnit! And I’m not going to change that! I love taking associates. I take pride in my own lineage, and by the gods, I will continue that tradition in Caid whether it annoys some of the old dragons or not. Seeing former associates of mine, and their associates, etc., etc., etc., brought me a huge amount of joy.

 

Touching base with Wyvernwoode: since I was Barone, there have been three sets of landed nobles. I think the longest conversation that I have had with the current sitting pair was this last weekend. They were relatively new to the game when I stepped down, and we didn’t really know each other. I am confused and dismayed at the various happenings and politics of the Barony of today (has that really ever changed?). I don’t know what happened behind closed doors, and frankly do not want to muddy the waters any more than they have already been muddied. Yet, one thing I think we can all agree on – that particular Barony has faced many “challenges” spanning back 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, 20 years… oh heck, maybe ever since the beginning? Maybe there is something in the water of the Hillsborough River? In any case, it seems like some excrement always seems to hit the oscillating device. That makes me sad. Regardless of what happened, why it happened, etc., I admire the current sitting nobles for holding their heads high when given matter-of-fact news from the monarch of the time. Without recounting any more than I already have, I’ll just sum it up with five words: “Been there. Done that. Sucks!” So we talked. And I listened. I hope for the best. I don’t know who did what to whom and when, and frankly don’t care. I just have one request for the universe – may those who work hard for the good of all be rewarded; and may those who work selfishly and AGAINST the progress of the selfless get their just desserts. Nuff said.

 

The Virgin: Some of the silliest things become tradition. Who knew that playing night-time bocce to gain possession of the sacred relic containing the statue of the Virgin of Guadeloupe would become a tradition? And who knew – the combined team of me and Daimhin would score him his first victory as keeper of the Virgin. Soooo silly!

 

My first Pelican meeting: I have very mixed emotions about this. I cannot get over the irony of attending my first Pelican meeting and having it be in Trimaris – the very Kingdom that, from what I understand, came really close to recommending me… until the excrement hit the oscillating device. I’ll be very direct in stating that the very last slap in the face that I received from Trimaris came from a Pelican who made a negative revelation to me at a breakfast the Sunday morning following my very last event. I was hurt. I was furious. And I was struck to the core. Just when I thought I couldn’t get another kick-in-the-teeth, BOOM! Such a political pronouncement made me very angry and bitter for a long time. Yet years later, attending my first meeting, I was greeted with open-arms, and in the words of at least one person from whom I did NOT expect to be greeted in a happy manner, “Congratulations! Too bad this came at least ten years later than it should have been.” I almost cried. I almost cried a LOT! I didn’t expect that. I couldn’t have expected that. Um…wow!

 

Going to this first meeting taught me, loud and clear, that I still have personal issues to work through if I’m going to be productive and helpful to the Order here in Caid, which is what I want to be. I guess as lessons go, that is a good one to have learned, right? One day at a time, I guess. I hope my Caidan cousins are patient with me. I’m gonna hit some potholes as I drive this new road.

 

What an amazing trip! Now to return to my regular day-to-day life. But first… some major catch-up sleep!