What the dickens! A dickens of a time!

Attended the Dickens Fair at the San Francisco Cow Palace today by the generosity of TigerDan from the FTE forum - thanks for the comp. tickets. We were some of the first people there who were spectators, as opposed to costumed (?) participants and the latter may have outnumbered the former. Since we were there early, we got to see the "anticipatory set" in which the participants playing characters from the novels were introduced. Other cool things - ¡Dan's band!; the corset shop windows; the sugared almonds whose smell always makes me weak in the knees and for which I can never resist paying the $4.75 at these things. Um ... OK, wait, lest you think I attend every ye olde event that comes to town, by never and "these things" I mean both times! Or four. Anyway, the atmosphere of the Dickens Fair was very much like the Renaissance Faire or the NorCal Pirate Festival. Varrrh, ye got me - I went to the Pirate Festival twice! We can have nice (?) things! In fact, the Pirate Festival trumps the Dickens Fair for one reason - henna tattoo booth.

Vallejo Waterfront

No, the "Ren Faire" does not get a link. Nor have I ever worn a costume to any of these events. Neither my geekiness nor the arms I use to embrace it stretch that far, despite the pangs of regret I sometimes feel at not having at least busted out an all-purpose corset and peasant blouse.