Pirates in Paradise 2009 - Key West, Fl
Photo: Jessica Bagley
Chapter 9th, 12/7 -Packing up, leaving, and other sad
things. Although they are at least balanced with bits of levity. (So you
may want to skip around and find those bits.)
These journals are always a bit melancholy on the last day, with everyone hugging, kissing and slobbering on each other - things of which your ship's surgeon is not usually a fan. But I hugged and slobbered with the best of them because it's sad to see the PiP family going their separate ways after a riotous weekend.
I arrived at the fort scouting for someone to breakfast with (scrambled eggs…), but everyone was busy packing gear and loading cars. So I tried not to get in anyone's way - well, not too much. Diosa was walking around offering people coffee, which is something you don't have to offer me twice. She even gave me a cup (since mine was packed) and offered a variety of sweat breads. It's the nicest Diosa has ever been to me. I should have recorded it on video as proof.
Photo: Mary Diamond
I helped Mary and Mark pack the Minicooper. OK,
'helped' is being generous, but I stood around and talked and helped to
lug Mary's sea chest into the back. It was a neat chest with some really cool
half rope/half leather-wrapped handles. As we jostled and wedged the chest
in, Mark noted that Mary could not get a bigger sea chest. I said,
"You just need a bigger car." He said he probably would have one
next year because he claimed to be "hard on cars" requiring him to get
a new one every three years or so. I learned that he used to have a Porche.
Having owned a Delorean for eleven years, we talked about the joys and
expenses of owning collector cars.
Left: Mark and someone much more useful than I am packing the Mini.
Photo: madPete
Photo: Jessica Bagley
Shay of the Keys (left) appeared and began the two hour process of
saying goodbye to everyone. She's one of those people who
make friends quickly. I asked her when she was going to invite me to her
place in Key Largo and
she replied, "When are you coming down?" She's like that. Vintage Sailor
(right) talked about bringing his sailboat next year
and heading to Fort Jefferson after PiP with a handful of people. I hope he does - I'd sure like to try
that.
Of course, no event is complete without seeing how many different ways Kate and Michael Bagley can abuse Lob, their traveling stuffed monkey. Having had such horrific adventures last year, I've no doubt Lob was genuinely looking forward to this year's trip. He probably crawled as far back under the bed and as deeply into the far corner as the walls would permit in anticipation. So let's not leave without reviewing Lob's progress this year.
 Photo: Jessica Bagley |
 Photo: Jessica Bagley |
 Photo: Jessica Bagley |
Above left, Lob and a cannon - a traditional Lob pose, although he is usually inside the cannon. Above center, Lob is nestled...well, um. here is Lob hanging...out...with Diosa. Above right, Lob gets some Cross affection. A pretty tame year for ol' Lob this year...or is it?
Photo: Jessica Bagley
Photo: Jessica Bagley
Left: Stynky assaults Lob in front of the Jessis. (Perhaps Lob said
something about his Busby Berkley hat?)
Right: Sgt. Johnson preparing to commit hari kari through Lob. (Or maybe that would be better called, 'hairy kari"?)
Lob escapes from his torturer and goes on the offensive! Yes, like a wild & crazy Animal Planet show, it's 'When Lob Attacks!' (below left). This will never do, so Lob is attacked!! ( below center). Somehow he escapes this horrific fate...only to go from the frying pan into the fire. Yes, it's Hamish and the dreaded baby spittle! (I think Lob should gnaw a hole in the baseboard under the bed before PiP '10 hits...)
 Photo: Jessica Bagley |
 Photo: Jessica Bagley |
 Photo: Jessica Bagley |
Photo: Sherry Walp
The fort wall as seen from the path - repeatedly.
Needing a ride, I wandered around hoping to find someone who could take me
to the airport. Many folks had trailers to haul and I didn't want to put
to the
trouble of trying to get to my hotel, which was straight down the street
coming from the fort, but which the city had wisely decided to make inaccessible via the use of one way streets.
Fayma tentatively volunteered to give me a ride if I couldn't find another, so I walked over to the fort for the second time this morning. This actually leads to a tale of intrigue involving my literally jogging between the fort and the encampment several times so I could get good and sweaty for the future enjoyment of all my fellow plane passengers.
On my third, or possibly fifth trip back towards the campsite, Fayma actually called me to let me know that Shay was waiting at the fort, willing to give me a ride. So back I went. On the plus side, I did get my exercise for the year – there's nothing like jogging in the hot Key West sun for you when you're dressed for December Michigan weather.
Photo: Some bunch of rabid tourists
After sorting that out, Shay took me to get my bag from the hotel (which
involved several left turns with her trailer) and going right down busy
Duvall Street. Traveling! Adventure! Yay!
She asked me to navigate. I explained my repeated attempts at navigation this weekend, so she grabbed the map and got us there herself. (She did like my suggestion of taking the road along the Atlantic side of Key West, though.)
You know, if they can do it several times a day, I guess Shay can do it just as well... but I'm still glad it was her and not me.
Photo: Mission
Photo: Mission
At the airport, I had my annual bowl of conch chowder at the Conch
Flyer airport restaurant (left), as is my tradition when flying
out of Key West. I recommend it if you're flying.
I was a little disappointed to discover that they built a new restaurant that's as airy and spacious as the old one was claustrophobic and cramped. (I miss the old one.)
On the plus side, they did have free internet and they had some really neat accouterments like propeller barstools (right).
I had planned to get there pretty early, so I wound up sitting in the Conch Flyer for quite awhile. Fortunately the place was empty, so I figured I was ok dawdling over diet soda in there. This gave me time to think about the weekend, the Journal and the fact that it was really missing a romantic angle. All good stories have to have a romantic angle and, even though this is not a good story, I felt I should add one anyway. (Yes, in one of the weakest lead-ins to a bunch of photos unrelated to the journal text, I decided to add romance to the Surgeon's Journal . Ok, that's a complete and total lie, but I have some photos that run along that line of thought and, by God, I'm going to use them.)
 Photo: Sherry Walp |
 Photo: Sherry Walp |
Photo: Sherry Walp
|
  Photo: Jamaica Rose of NQG Mag. |
Let us begin with the (no doubt) fascinating romantical-like relationship between Crudbeard and Bloody Barbara - above. (Actually, until someone told me, I didn't even realize that was Bloody Barbara!) These photos are supposed to be the punishing of the British which took place after the Sunday battle. (I guess Barbara was a pirate, although I don't actually remember her being on the pirate's side...hmm.) She seems to be enjoying her role a great deal, but you know how it is - different strokes (heh) for different folks! I do love those WWII German soldier sunglasses, though. A nice touch - I've personally coveted a pair ever since seeing them in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. So there you have your first romantic...um, entanglement. But wait, like the Ginsu knife commercials (which is so appropriate here), there's more!
 Photo: Jessica Bagley |
 Photo: Jessica Bagley |
 Photo: Jessica Bagley |
Photo: Jessica Bagley
Yes, in great literary works, there is nothing that is
quite so fascinating as a good romantic triangle. I understand these often
add good romantic tension to your story. Michael has occasionally been heard by your author to
utter comments about his second wife, Red Jessi. It probably works out
rather well because his first wife also happens to be named Jessica
(although her maiden name is Kate...or something. Try not to think about
it.) so he only has to remember one name. In these pictures (above
and at right), we see a nice simple photo story of how sunny
and wonderful the whole two wife thing really can be. Ah, love. (This all
makes such a nice break from the normal diet of violence and battle that
usually plague these sorry journals.)
Of course, I would be remiss in just discussing the romantic sort of love. Good stories also feature other sorts of love. For example, there is the love between one twin sibling and another (Mae and Brig, below left), the love for a mother and her child like Salty and Hamish (below center) and the love of a man for his monkey (below right) which is...er...well...let's just leave it at that.
Photo: Mission
|
 (Photo: William Pace |
 Photo: Jessica Bagley |
Wait, I have a phone call...(What?! Ok, fine.) Well, the Legion for Decency and Positive Crap has asked me to provide some 'functional' examples of romantic love, so I thought I'd pop a few more photos in. (Before I get taken to court.) Some love relationships are fine examples of matrimony like Gentleman Scotty and his wife of the Archangel crew seen (below left) sharing a smooch. Then we have young couples like vendor extraordinaire Greg and Sherry (below center). Finally there is the rutting lust of Stynky and Bawdy Be (below right) which provides us with a great example of... Wait, there's another phone call. (WHAT? Be ready for court NEXT WEEK? But I've got an appointment to have my back hair removed then!) Er, um...just forget I said anything. Let's just move on with the narrative...
Photo: Nicole Andreyko
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 Photo: Sherry Walp |
 Photo: Nicole Andreyko |
Photo: Nicole Andreyko
M.A. d'Dogge. Do you suppose he has trouble getting airport security?
While waiting for my connecting flight in Miasmi, I saw Master
Aloisius d'Dogge standing at
the gate. He asked me what I thought and I'm happy to report that I
thought it was great.
There was a bit more to our role with slightly stricter rules of behavior and the added task of a few volunteer jobs, but it wasn't really that bad. The 1am - 3am shift with Red Jessi, with my brain running on fumes and my mouth just running, watching the millipedes on parade was actually one my highlights for the trip.
Plus pitching in makes you feel like you're giving something back to the fort - which gives us so much.