Everyone Is Fussing Over The Baby

I'm four or five days late...

Andy has already "yelled" at us about our journals not being in...  [I only yell because I love you - AB]  and as we speak I'm taking off my pants so I can concentrate on this month's journal.

Would you be surprised to hear that it has been a hectic time?

We last left our intrepid adventuring family as they were finishing their time in the desert. After some packing and closing down... and much debated decision to leave Heather's car in Phoenix (I'll return to sell it later... we don't need it, and it is much simpler to ride in one vehicle when a baby is on board) it was time for Scarlett's first trip.

And this one was a little more hectic than most.

We packed our house, loaded it onto the truck, and piled: baby and baby-seat, two cats and a covered catbox, beautiful mommy and her evil, tiny dog, and a suddenly claustrophobic daddy into our big Ford truck and away we went.

Heather and I had decided a while ago it was much easier, and more relaxing, to ride in just one vehicle... and that was before the arrival of our needs-to-be-at-mommy's-boob-every-two-hours daughter. And though it was a tiny bit crowded... more on that in bit, it was essentially painless... essentially.

It was the first time in a couple of years we travelled the old route across country, because it was the first time that we were driving to do our old home fair in Tampa... but first , I just have to share this photo with you - you see the strangest things as you travel this nation's highways and byways....

 

Jockey-ing for position

Also Jockeying for position

As I said before the trip was mostly painless. It was odd that since we weren't on our normal route, we didn't have all of the exits mapped out and listed... Scarlett was a champ on her first long trip... though there were a few moments when she was clearly tired of being in the chair. The cats and dog also soon became tired of the cramped quarters. London has been used to the entire truck (sometimes even MY seat) being her domain during a long trip.... And there were some moments of tension when she tried to share Scarlett's seat with her.

But the trip wasn't simple, we:

• Left Phoenix late Tuesday night
• Slept the first night in New Mexico
• Slept the second night in Texas (just outside of Huston)
• Had to have emergency truck repairs, only cost us some dough and a couple of hours
• Somewhere in the deep south on night three
• Friday before close of working hours we dropped off our trailer for yet ANOTHER round of repairs... this time in a place I actually trust in Valdosta, Georgia, right around the GA/FL state line.
• Drove the five hours down to Jef's house, stopping for Tortuga supplies and house-guest gifts along the way

Arrive at Jef's house, and after showering and drinking, off to bed...

The next two days were a haze of sweating, drinking, working, rain, rain, and more rain... including a very-odd version of our beer show under a tent in the torrential downpour. Seeing old friends and introducing them to our newest family member... at one point I had to take Scarlett behind one of the beer booths to change her diaper... so of course I changed her on the liquor boxes - she is the tiniest Tortuga after-all!

 

Rainy day finale at the BARF

Baby-changing in the bar

We had a rough day

Being a Tortuga is tiring, especially with all of the drinking... so Daddy and Daughter were very pooped by the end of the day!

It was nice to connect with our home show, see our old fans (and new... we got flashed by an internet pornstar... check her out at clubchristywild.com  [Hrm... does she need a new webmaster? - AB] ) but the real reasons I went was to see some of my oldest dearest friends...

Monday morning Heather, Scarlett and I went to breakfast with the only man who ever deserved to have me call him "Dad", David Dew... he rescheduled a bunch of meetings (he's some big-wig in the Florida democratic party) just to hang out with us and meet the baby... and then we did a GREAT crab-leg dinner with my two oldest dearest friends... You read about John many times...even to the point that if we'd had a normal wedding he'd have been my best man... I was his a few years ago... and also Ann, not only a great friend and a former sweetheart, but if we'd had that wedding she'd have been one of my groomsmen... She brought HER cool family (I adore her hubby Jason!).

The evening was a bit surreal... Here I was with two important people from my past, the folks I used to get sloppy drunk and dance all hours to punk rock and gothic music with... and now the conversation was all about diaper genies and temper tantrums and the terrible twos... what have I become? When did we all become grown-ups?

 

My best man and his family

My groomsman and her family

Scarlett was a big hit, (Ann and Jason even tried to kidnap her) and it was also great fun to connect with my dear friends... a lot of time was also spent chatting about converting my truck to run on used fryer grease... GOOD TIMES!

Now when it comes to trailer repairs, it seems that things never can go as planned... we set the whole deal up so that I would drop off our house on Friday night, which we did. And it was LOADS of fun with two cats, a small dog, a baby, a crib, a stroller, luggage, and a computer - all that jazz in the cab of an (unfortunately) open pickup truck. We spent a pleasant and easy time sequestered in one of Jef's guest bedrooms... much to my pet's consternation. And then after a fun weekend we were supposed to pick up our home on Tuesday, so we could make the four-hour jaunt to Atlanta... supposed to...

Kung Fu Girl

The drum company goes to the market

Surprise, surprise, the trailer wasn't ready... so I had to drive to Atlanta, get us a hotel (three nights, Jacuzzi room, YEAH!) we worked the next day for Jack and Heather, and the following morning (Thursday for those keeping track) I worked until noon-ish for our newest business concern in the burgeoning Tortuga Empire (almost crushing myself with a giant log!  [How come no picture of that? - AB] ) and then (again) made the long drive south to pick up my house. It was scheduled to be complete, and washed at the end of business on Thursday.

It wasn't.

I stayed with the crew working overtime two hours past closing, and then made the long drive (again) back to Atlanta, dropped our house off in the parking lot of the fair and had a fitful night's sleep next to my wife and baby back at the hotel.

Friday was setting up the house - (mostly), and failing to set up our satellite dish... no TV for the weekend. Nice weather and great crowds on our new stage... Monday The Bauman family, our drum employees, and Heather's good friend Dakota made the journey to the DeKalb Farmer's market... mmmmm loads of super fresh, super cheap food, a great lunch buffet, and a huge selection of reasonably priced wines, beers and Sake... including a bottle with a very eye-catching title. Kung Fu Girl, how cool!

Oh, I almost forgot... Friday night there was a very brief, but very intense rainstorm. And the roof of our drum booth leaks even MORE than last year. At one point Megan dragged herself out of the booth quite resembling a drowned rat... very forlorn.

 

A roof is reborn

Tuesday Jamie and I began roof repairs. Yes, I can do roofs too. (But don't tell anyone!) Actually as I explained to Jamie, there was pretty much nothing we did on this job was something I didn't know how to do... but it was all something I wouldn't attempt without his supervision. With the new roof installed, the old roof went into the dumpster via the back of our truck.

 

My former roof

Scarlett! Put your dress down!

Happy family

He's DED BOB bitches

SO that wrapped up our first week, we had student days between week to and three, and we'll have another one on this coming Thursday - between weeks three and four. The weather has been brutal and crowds are really down. During the week the weather has been gorgeous, even unseasonably cool and lovely... but weeks two and three have been miserable downpours. Sigh. We're not making any moolah, and the drum business has been hurting too.

At least I still have the important things like my wonderful family.

Well this journal is going to be a bit short. Tomorrow we're having the first in a series of themed movie nights on the back deck of the drum booth. Close Encounters of the Third Kind - Riki has never seen it - and in celebration we're having drinks, and a mashed potato bar!

Scarlett has grown significantly already... and we just noticed that when she's wearing a dress, she keeps pulling it up over her head. Heather and I are both convinced she gets the "floozy-gene" from the other.

That about wraps it up for this month, with one final note... for those of you who think that there is a real rivalry between the Tortugas and Ded Bob... check out my baby-girl in the arms of her Uncle Muggsy...