A Little Compliment Never Hurts

Last weekend I went out the Georgia Renaissance Festival for the first time.  It was kind of cool out, and rainy, and muddy, and I went alone.  I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy myself, but I figured that if I didn't, I could blame it on the crummy weather and just try again later with some friends.

I had a great time.

Since it was icky outside, it wasn't very busy.  I could walk around without bumping into people, which is always nice.  I didn't have to worry about being too hot.  I could take my time browsing the stalls and shops, and not worry about being in anyone's way.  It took the better part of four hours to make one circuit of the place, and that was without stopping everywhere.

The shows were entertaining, too - rather adult humor, even in front of kidlets, but since I had no kidlets along, I didn't really care ;)  I'd definitely like to go back and intentionally seek out some performances, rather than just stumbling upon them.

I actually spent about an hour at one shop, though I had planned to just ask a quick question and leave.  They sold boots, and I always have a heck of a time finding boots.  I have teeny, tiny little feet (I usually wear kids' shoes, and at best, a woman's 5), but big ol' calves from much tap dancing.  Trying to find boots is tough work.

So I stopped in, and looked.  The guy (Brian) told me that  I really needed to try the boots on to see how they fit.  And I did.  Rather, I let him put me into a boot.  And wow.  It was awesome.  Of course, the top edges just barely met, so if I get a pair, I'll have to special order them so they can be made wide enough, but still.  It was nice to see that I'm not that far off from the standard sizing.

What was even nicer, though, was when Brian asked to play dress-up with me. (And yes, that's what he called it.)  He disappeared into the back, and came out with an armful of things for me to try on - long leather vests, a corset-style vest, a coat, a wrap shirt - all made of such soft, lovely leather.

Even better than all the lovely things, though, was what he said to me: "You've got the body of a real woman.  That's an hourglass figure."

I think that might have been the best I've felt about myself in weeks.

So thanks, Brian.  You made my day. (Sorry I couldn't afford the $500 boots!)

Bats?

I think I saw bats outside. It certainly didn't look like a bird... it was just after dusk, and the thing kept flying in circles. It was moving really quickly, but not very high up. It wasn't chirping or anything, although I suppose birds don't always chirp as they fly around.

It didn't fly like a bird, though. It seemed less graceful, more frenetic. I tried to strain and see if the wings looked like they were covered in feathers, or if they had that more transparent quality, but, well, it was after dusk and the thing wouldn't stay still!

I googled Georgia bats, and it seems that there are a lot of species that can be found here, so it's entirely possible. Little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) are common, and according to the stats that I found, they're about the right size for the critters I saw.

So I may have seen a real, live bat. Another first! Did I mention that I saw my first real, live lightning bug here? And unintentionally killed one on my bathroom door? (Loved the glowy guts!)