Haven’t I been the busy little Tortuga? The answer to that rhetorical question is yes.
Since we last left our intrepid heroes... (Does anybody really know what the word intrepid means? Is it really a word? Wasn’t that the name of the Vulcan ship on the original Star Trek series, which met its demise at the sinister clutches of a giant space amoeba? "Thousands of minds, crying out as one..." Yeah, that one.)
As I was saying... When last we left our intrepid heroes... where the hell were we anyway? I believe we were all on our way to la Florida.
 Tortuga Greetings from Toronto |
Riki’s Schedule - Short Form:
- Wedding
- Iowa - Contest Winner’s Dinner
- Canada - Toronto - Millionaire Mind Intensive
- Origins in Columbus
- Fourth of July in Charlotte
Yeah, that’s what my schedule looks like. How ‘bout you?
Florida was, as always, fabulous! I spent a few days in Orlando, where I stayed with the Vecciarelli family of Bunnies In Peril fame. "Oh, heavenly Orlando!" (Believe it our not, that’s a Shakespeare quote, folks. From As You Like It. See, I did learn something at USF!)
[Actually... no, it's not. Sorry. The quote is "But heavenly Rosalind!" - Act I, Scene i (Rosalind is, of course, Orlando's love interest). You might have also considered, "O poor Orlando, thou art overthrown! - Act I, Scene ii, or"...yet I hate not Orlando." - Act I, Scene ii, or even, "Why, how now, Orlando!" - Act IV, Scene i. - AB, your overly educated webmaster]
Orlando, Florida: home of Walt Disney World, Universal’s Islands of Adventure, and Johnny Phoenix’s wedding.
For those of you who know them, Johnny Phoenix and the lovely Bella dun got themselves hitched a couple ‘o weekends ago. And it musta been true love, ‘cause thar weren’t no shotgun or nuthin on the premises. It was a damned fine ceremony.
 Last Moments as a Bachelor |
 Newlyweds Mr. & Mrs. Phoenix |
 Me with Bride-2-Be Bella and her Beautiful Mother |
I drove back up to Gastonia, North Carolina and EJ, Charity, and Dylan Beam (see previous journals) to spend another day socializing before picking up Gammera (our utility trailer) and heading northward to Ohio.
I am staying with friends Todd & Ruth again as I have in the past, but I was not here long before our Council Bluffs gig sent me westward to Iowa.
Now I know what you’re thinking, but Iowa is surprisingly hip. At least, that’s been my experience.  So hip, in fact, that Riki took a couple of videos of the sort of fun that goes on in IA: [Click to watch the first .AVI video and then watch the second.]
I stepped out for whip practice. For the last year and a half, the boyz and I have been learning to whip crack, but I believe I’ve already mentioned that in journals past. Jef is still the best, but I’ve begun to close the distance between us. Unless, that is, he’s been working with his long lash of doom on a regular basis.
I usually put in 10 to 15 minutes crack practice every day or so. I’m slowly getting better (read: hitting myself less), and I’ve found that it relaxes me. Especially during those times that I’m pissy and/or stressed over something or other. I don’t recommend it for everyone, but it seems to work for me. If you do decide to pick up the talent, I advise some kind of protective eyewear, earplugs, and a light leather jacket. The eye & ear protection because you often crack awfully close to your face. The light jacket is predominantly for the first couple of weeks, when you’re just learning not to hit yourself so much.
And now... back to the story!
This year we stayed at the Country Inns & Suites; last year we were at the Harrah’s Casino. Not this time. Though our hotel was next door to another Harrah’s-owned casino named the Horseshoe, so it wasn’t too bad after all. This casino had one of the best buffets we’ve ever had the pleasure of wolfing down our food at, and we filled our plates until we burst. Yay!
Saturday night we Applebee’d it with friends and fans from all over. Chad & Tortugaland.com’s Kay Kinsey were there with their two daughters, Kristen and Ashlee. So was Jef & Sharon’s Minnesota Renaissance Festival kite cart girl, Rachel... and of course Jef and myself. Ronn & Heather opted to stay in for a quiet evening of television and cuddling... awww!
Sunday night we had our dinner with Deb Johnson, the winner of the Dinner with the Tortugas contest. She even brought along her main man Doug. What a fantastic evening - everyone had a good time! We ate at Council Bluffs’s own Caniglia, an Italian restaurant with food, atmosphere, and great service to die for. There was even pâté at the salad bar. O-o-oooui!
 Applebees' waitresses rule! |
 Chad Kinsey and his lovely daughter Ashlee |
 We're a close family |
Back to Ohio, as the song goes, for a short couple days of packing and preparation for my trip to To-ron-to! That’s right, Toronto, Ontario: the Great White North, Maple Leaf Manhattan, New York-Land at Disney World... only cleaner.
I drove in to Canada with the easiest boarder crossing that I think I’ve ever had. No "can I see your ID," no "pull over and pop your trunk." Just a "where you going" and a "how long you going to be here." Easy-peasy. A nearly one-hundred mile drive later brought me to downtown Toronto and the home of our very own Tortuga Webmaster, Andy Blau.
Andy was out of town for a few days, and he was kind enough to supply crash space for Sarina, coming in the next day via the airport, and myself. What a nice guy! In exchange, we watered his garden and took care of his cat Kismet, and three rats: Dot, Two-Dot, and Blank. More fun that it sounds and all the animals were extremely cool!
Sarina and I were in town for Peak Potentials Millionaire Mind Intensive, held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Check out T. Harv Eker’s Secrets of the Millionaire Mind book for details and free tickets (reference #383442 - yes, this one’s mine).
 See, Andy DOES have a girlfriend! |
 Sarina, kickin' it with Webmaster Andy's Rat Pack |
 New friend Zora and I safely enjoy the Millionaire Mind Intensive |
Allow me to take this opportunity to rant about Canada for a moment...
You know I love my country. Naturalized at the age of two in Tampa, Florida - I was born in Karachi, Pakistan - I am 100% behind the red, white, & blue. This doesn’t mean that I follow blindly. Yes, I’m a Republican - yes, I voted for Reagan... twice, but I have never been a "my country, right or wrong" kind of guy. I’m more a fan of the Jon Stewart, keep your eyes wide enough to see that no one tries to play fast and loose with the Constitution, way of thinking. I could go on, but right now want to talk about Canada.
What a great place to visit. This is not to imply that it wouldn’t be fabulous to live and raise a family there. Beautiful weather, day after day - at least in the summer - gorgeous people everywhere, excellent sightseeing; you really should see it for yourself. What they say about Canadians is so true. They are probably the friendliest people you will meet on the face of the planet. Wow, they were nice.
The general vibe I got from the place was so much like being home, and yet completely different. Everywhere I went carried with it the air of being "somewhere else," like a different flavor ice cream than you’re used to licking. It’s just European enough to feel like you’ve really gone somewhere else and yet familiar enough that you won’t get lost along the way. Yeah, I’ll go back... and love it... but it sure doesn’t beat coming home again. I was very happy when I crossed the border and was on my way back to Ohio... again.
 Proud but tired Poppa EJ and his son Dylan |
 Rogues Peanut Gallery |
 Too Much Queer Eye |
Right now, I’m sitting downstairs at Todd & Ruth’s, plinking away at my laptop. I’ve got today and tomorrow to do what I need to do around here, then I’m off to Columbus, Ohio for Origins International Game Expo 2006. Ah, the exciting life of a fantasy geek. If I told you I played W.O.W. last night, would you think me weird and/or a loser? I play D&D, too, though not nearly as often. Origins should be fun. Tarnished Images - Todd & Ruth’s fantasy artwork company - has a booth there. It’s a hoot to hang out, help out my friends, and people watch. Oh yeah - and I get to do some shopping, too. Have I mentioned that I like to shop? Especially for geeky-cool (beware! here there be oxymorons!) stuff. I’m sure I’ve mentioned this somewhere in my journaldom.
From Columbus, it’s southward to Charlotte, North Carolina. I’m going to spend my Fourth of July with friends Frank & Kelly DeFeo, EJ & Charity Beam, Robbie & April Messer, and Suzi & David - though the latter three couples don’t know this yet. Should be a blast!
Well, my Tortugaholics, that about brings you up to date on everything that’s happening with the Rikker. I hope that your summer is going as fantastic as mine. The Great Lakes Medieval Faire in northeast Ohio will open in about a week and a half. Stop on by and give a shout out. For those of you who can’t make it, we’ll be seeing you soon enough in Minnesota, North Carolina, and/or Louisiana. Of course, you could always look for me on W.O.W., though you will have to figure out which character is mine.
Hint: I’m the sexy one with the impish grin.
Ciao, bellos!
