I had an amazing time at Ymir this year. I thoroughly enjoyed the fighting, got in some very fun pickups (which is my favorite part of any event), I got to see several very worthy people be inducted into the Peerage, and I got to spend a good deal of time hanging out with my friends.
The fighting was a lot of fun, even if my head wasn’t in the right space. With the wait while people moved their cars of the field so we could start fighting and a few other things that went on I found it very hard to focus on the fighting. I still did very well in the speed tourney, making it into the double elim. I did not do as well in the double elim as I did in the speed tourney but I know the adjustment I need to make. It was very different than the Ymir tournament that I am used to, but it was no less enjoyable. The only real drawback for me was that the tourney style that was run didn’t really allow for the personal evaluations I like to be able to do at Ymir so I will need to find another tourney where I can make those evaluations. All in all though I had a great time. I did end up missing the tavern brawl melees so I could attend a vigil but I made it back in time to watch the Free Scholar prize and get in some pickups.
One of my favorite parts of the event though was getting to spend some time chatting with people I do not get to see often. Lately it seems that when I’m at an event I’m always running to the next thing and I never get the chance to really stop and talk to my friends. It’s a bit disappointing because so many of us seem so spread out and busy now that we only get to see each other in passing at events. This event though I really tried to take more time to hang out and chat. I still didn’t get to chat for as long as I would have liked with some but it was still really nice and really enjoyable. I’m going to make a point of slowing down more at events in the future so I can spend more time chatting with the people I went to the event to see in the first place. 
The last highlight of the event was finally getting off my bum to talk with Master Eldrid about some heavy armour I’ve been meaning to commission. We talked about a helm, gauntlets, and some other small things. I want to get back out on the field with my spear for wars and I’d like to pick up a few more authorizations so I can fight in some Pas. I’m pretty excited about it.
The only low light of the event was how late it was when I left. Gaston had been onsite Friday night to guard for Melisent la Ruse’s vigil. I had decided to daytrip so I could watch the puppies and we had both decided to come home Saturday night so we could have Sunday to put stuff away and recoup. We took the dayshade down and were packed up by 5:30pm and that was the time I headed up to court. Baronial Court was ending and I felt rather guilty for not knowing that it had already started. I usually make it a point to stay for court. You never know who will be getting an award and everyone deserves to have people there to witness their recognition. Getting called into court is a very special moment, regardless of the award being given and I think it’s important to be there. But I digress. Royal Court was set up once Baronial Court ended and it started not too long thereafter, probably around 6 or 6:30pm. I enjoyed court and I was happy that I got to stay to see Andreas’s Pelican and Liva join the Order of the Laurel. Livia was the last piece of business and I left as soon as court was over. Now I expect Ymir courts to be long. There’s a lot of people and a lot of business. But leaving site at 8pm to drive 2 hours home by myself has totally made it on my Murtaugh List*. I got home and immediately told Gaston we needed to either stay on site next year or get a hotel room. My vote is for staying on site. Not only would we be waking up at the event but I would also have all evening to hang out and chat.
Sadly I forgot my camera so there aren’t any pictures. I guess that makes two low lights. Next time I’ll make sure I bring it and the Flip.
* Murtaugh List: From How I Met Your Mother. A Murtaugh List is a list of all the things you are now too old to do. It is a reference to the Lethal Weapon movies. In this series Sergeant Roger Murtaugh was Danny Glover’s character and he spends most of the movies running around saying “I’m too old for this sh**!”
