Intro
Working hard in Carolina
My Unicorn Award
Greetings, Tortugaholics! Welcome to the October rendition of Riki’s Journal! Impressed, aren’t you. I’m flying cross-country again, and that affords me the time to work on said journal. It’ll take me up to a week to crank everything I want to say out, but that should put me in before the deadline. I might even get to be the first Tortuga Twin (of six) to get his journal in. Not a big deal to you, but this illustrious pole position comes with bragging rights and moral high ground.
FYI: It’s now October 28, and I am a couple days overdue for my journal. Jon got his in first, but I haven’t heard a peep from the other Tortugas. I’ll get my journal in today—barring any unforeseen calamity. Wish me luck!
We Tortuga types are currently three weekends into the Carolina Renaissance Festival. We have four more to go before driving southwest to Hammond, Louisiana for the Louisiana Renaissance Festival. So, without further ado (or doo-doo, depending on how much you like my writing style), allow me to regale you with tales of my adventures in the Land of Riki.
The Unicorn Award
Brisk weather, exhilarating stage shows, and fond farewells punctuate the final weekend of theMinnesota Renaissance Festival. This year followed suit as we raised the bar on off-the-hook Tortuga shows and made new friends along the way. There was one difference, however. This year your Tortuga Twins became the recipients of the prestigious Minnesota Renaissance Festival’s Unicorn Award.
Unicorn Award
Recipients have participated as entertainers a minimum of 10 years. Given to those people whose talent and love of performing personify the magic of Festival. Who, with their special gifts continue to ensure the artistic quality of the festival year in, year out, and all year ‘round.
Tongue in cheek, I think of we Tortuga Twins as the “black sheep” of the Ren Fest circuit. Naughty-bawdy scoundrels with the audacity to say and do things not thought proper at most family-friendly faires. (Or is that just the R-Rated Show?) Though adored by our fans, we are considered a guilty pleasure for those peers who have actually seen any of our many shows. Please understand—we never expected to be nominated, let alone win the bloody thing!
Needless to say, we are touched and honored by this recognition of the comedic art we have been creating for over twenty years now. You like us. You really like us! Thank you. From the bottom of our now three-sizes larger hearts, thank you.
Eric & Janene...and McKenna makes three
Meet McKenna
Proud Momma Janene
Family Portrait with Eric playing Xbox
Blue
Spartacus and Butswana
Traveling betwixt Minnesota and North Carolina, I stopped off to see a couple friends of mine and meet the newest edition to their family. I have known Eric & Janene Michael since late last century. This year, I had the pleasure of meeting their daughter, McKenna. A beautiful, blue-eyed, bouncy baby, she stole my heart the moment I saw her.
I only spent one evening with my favorite Michaels, but it was long enough to get reacquainted with a very dear part of my extended family. Eric and I yukked it up, goofing around as usual and playing Xbox 360. This would seal the deal on me saving up and buying my own 360 a few weeks later.
Janene and I chatted about the joys of parenthood (no sarcasm—really really) and their life inPennsylvania. She is enjoying being a mother. Both she and Eric agree that they’re finally doing what they’ve always wanted—living life on their terms and raising a family. I realize now how much I’ve missed having them around, and I hope to be seeing them again very soon.
Queen City Quixotic
Hellooo, Charlotte, North Carolina! The Tortuga Twins are back in their ole stomping grounds. Record-breaking crowds came out to the woods of Huntersville the first weekend to enjoy a mouth full of laughter and a few hours of medieval escapism.
This marks the 16th season that we Tortugas have performed at the Carolina Renaissance Festival. Fifteen years ago, we set foot into these here woods. A decade and a half is long enough to have formed friendships, added to or extended Tortuga Family, and set down enough roots to call another place home. Maybe we’ll all move here someday. . . . Or, am I merely waxing quixotic?
Arizona Trippin’
Scrappy & Heather at the Dog Park
A New Friend!
The Pumpkin Patch
Art is Sticky
Pumpkin Guts
My 1st Carving
Creative Lady
Heather's Masterpiece at Night
Jealous, aren't you?
It has been a month since Heather and I have been face-to-face (not to mention other parts of our anatomy). It is not an easy thing being separated from the ones we love. Whether the distance is between us and friends, family, or our significant others, we do what we can to keep that spark of familiarity alive. For Heather and I, that means traveling back and forth between Mesa, Arizonaand wherever the hell I happen to be at the time.
For this brief visit we did easy-peasy coupley things. Whether it was taking her dog, Scrappy, to the Dog Park, going to the gym together, or carving pumpkins by the light of Edward Scissorhands, we made sure we had a faboo time. Sometimes just a mixture of each other’s company and light-hearted events are enough to make good memories. But, now I have to deal with yet another month of separation. That, I can tell you, is not fun.
Outro
That’s all for now, Tortugaholics. I’ll be back in another thirty or so. Make sure you go out and have adventures of your own. Until then, see you at the Festival!
