It’s the third of July and this journal will be filled up with some weird stuff.
I’m sitting here – the day before Independence Day and two days before the opening of the Bristol Renaissance Festival catching up on a journal that I should have been able to get out on time. Still; it’s only the third of the month. I can’t be too mad at myself especially when I factor in that I will actually, sort of be publishing three journals this time. Well, one Journal, one “Travel log†for “Flat Stanley†and an article about our brand new shop here at Bristol. It’s late in the afternoon. I am waiting for world-record-holder Adam Winrich to arrive so I can assist him in parking his brand-new trailer. I’m wearing shorts and I promise to put on a shirt and shoes once Adam gets here. There’s a children’s fairytale series called “Happily Ever After†playing on the TV. Scarlett just explained the central drama behind King Midas’s story to me. My photos are gathered and labeled. My outline is laid out it’s time to go! Let me apologize however for one thing: Due to the vacation and all the weird, but not photographed stuff that has gone on in my almost 3 weeks off – this journal will be loaded with a bit of "fluff" and not just stories ‘bout my life.
The beginning of June saw the end of Georgia and the beginning of some … “stuffâ€
I told you in last month’s journal – I think – that we just negotiated a three year extension for our contract at the Georgia Renaissance Festival. This used to be my least-favorite show on my yearly circuit. There was a time that I would have dropped it in a heartbeat if I was ever presented with the option. Not anymore. It was with a heart filled with bittersweet that we had to say “Goodbye†to our spring show until next year – and at least two more years after that. Goodbye crowds we’ve trained over the past 14 years. Goodbye sweating like nowhere else. Goodbye movie nights. Goodbye “Y’allâ€. Goodbye DSL line  - which allows me to so-much-more quickly haunt the weird spots of the internet where I can gather odd bits of wisdom and even odder photos. It looks like Strong Women will be a recurring theme in this month’s journal. I adore strong women. I married one and I’m doing my level best to raise a tough cookie too.
We did manage to squeeze in a few last minute tasks before Georgia’s final weekend. Though not all of them were in Georgia
Charlotte – our fall home and Georgia our spring stomping grounds are close enough to one-another that when we need to we can drive up for the day just to get stuff done. We’re looking to reshoot the R-rated show – since it’s so out-of-date. We would love to use Chip Zayak – of Mooney/Zayak Films. A long time ago he shot the Robin Hood DVD for us and he used us for that AMAZING documentary about Renaissance Festivals for the show called American Docs. We’d love to have his team do the new DVD. Chip does such amazing work but he has grown far out of our budgetary capabilities. This looks like a job for KICKSTARTER!!!! Off we jaunted to Chippy’s backwoods studio near Lake Norman, NC. We shot a damned-funny bunch of segments. None of which we have seen as of yet. We have missed our original launch date for this Kickstarter project but believe me; when we launch the funding efforts The Tortuga Twins will certainly let you know! Shortly after our return I did a simpler, solo expedition for the same reason. I just did it at a different, closer studio. I visited with the great director of our Very Tortuga Christmas video and had him shoot the footage for my OWN Kickstarter project. I’ll be launching a fund-raising push - probably in October – to have you guys help me publish my Advice Column in Book form!! Again, when I need your help, I won’t keep it secret.
We had a fabulous Meet and Greet for our Fabulous Georgia Fabulous Fan Club Members (fabulous!)
So the Georgia chapter of our fan club is a special beast. It’s not as BIG as say, Minnesota, but they sure a lovely and devoted group of people.  We chose a brand new venue this year – it was a haul but we think we may go back there again. Rather than bowling we just sat around in our private, marquee designated room. We chatted, swapped stories and then had another rousing round of our Trivia contest. We were a little late getting everyone together for the photo – so the turn out looks more sparse than it actually was. Not only did we convince the entire group to salute us – we even recorded a behind the scenes video together. I feel like a proud papa influencing his children.
We take a leisurely, complicated trip to Kansas City – Now with SUPERMAN!!!
(As an aside – I am picking up writing of this Journal on a Saturday morning. Bristol is now open and I’m dressed and counting-down until my first show. I’m dressed in my “silly suit†and Scarlett, our sitter and one of the sitter’s other charges are playing on the couch behind me)
We actually managed to leave only one hour after our intended departure from Georgia – a personal best. That included yet-another set of last minute repairs. Using the new leisurely travel model – I picked a nice RV park in Kentucky that we have stayed at by happenstance several times in the past. There was one slight hiccup. Because of the last-minute nature of the building project in Bristol we were unable to make travel plans and reservations until the last minute. We just didn’t know if we’d be forced to scurry from Georgia immediately to Bristol where I’d be swinging hammers helping to build the new shop. More on that in a bit. With the way everything fell together we were able to make a trip to Kansas City after all. We were not able to secure a spot at our normal RV park - or any of two or three alternatives  in the Kansas City area – until Sunday. Hmmm. So we decided to just stay another day at the RV place in Kentucky. We never really moved in; barely opening our slides. We got to the place in Kentucky after an uneventful, easy drive and at a relatively early hour. We got settled in and only hooked-up water and electric – not bothering with sewer or satellite. We woke late and leisurely the next day and spent our Friday in the pool and going out to a dinner that wasn’t from a drive-through. We even managed to see the sequel to How To Train Your Dragon – it was delightful. The following day, Saturday we again got up and got ready in a fashion most leisurely – I even fetched some breakfast for my girls. I managed a quick repair to yet-another unexpected trailer malfunction. Saturday Night saw us in a temporary space at our normal Kansas City RV hangout.
We had a small, flat passenger on this trip.
Over the years we have posed with quite a few dolls, toys, photos and even dildos that our fans want to take our photo holding. We’ve done plenty of “Flat Stanley†paper dolls over the years too – so I’m quite familiar with the concept. For the first time ever – I was the one posing and taking photos for Stanley. My nephew in New Jersey was doing a Flat Stanley project and sent his version to me thinking I might be able to have an interesting take on the whole thing. Since he only arrived as we were leaving Atlanta, it wasn’t until this point – half way from Georgia to Missouri that we were able to do anything cool. It just so happened that not only were we driving by Metropolis Illinois – which uses the tie-in to Superman as a tourist draw – we were traversing the area during their Superman Celebration Day Festival. How COOL! I’m going to upload what I sent to Nick’s class as a supplemental journal so you can see the adventures Stanley had.
We barely got out of the car in Metropolis this time. Both Heather’s Minivan and my Ford had trailers/homes hitched to them. We had parked the house at a rest area a few miles away and continued on in the van to the heart of Metropolis. There was cosplay and events and guests, and just - what seemed like – a rip-roaring good time. It absolutely SANG to the nerds in ALL of us. We are a comic Book house. Full disclosure – we’re also much fonder of The Batman than the Big Blue Boy Scout. We absolutely plan to return to the Kentucky RV park and based from there attend - for real – the big Superman “To Do†next year.  We might do a little COSPLAY – I think I was destined to be the Joker and I have a pretty good suspicion who Heather can play (Yay!) We’ll take lots of pictures and report back next year.
Father’s Day in Kansas City
So yes, Sunday morning we woke with our home parked in its temporary parking spot and skedaddled to one of my favorite restaurants and dining experiences in the entire country. You might fairly describe Heather and I as “foodiesâ€.  One of the greatest joys in our travelling existence is that it gives us a chance to sample a lot of different restaurants in a plethora of different states. Heather not only introduced me to Dim Sum, but also to my favorite establishment serving those dumplings named “little treasures†by the Chinese. We were only in Kansas City a short time but we also managed to dine at our favorite Indian restaurant and I made the glorious pilgrimage to one of THE BEST Barbecue joints IN THE WORLD. LC’s. Mmmm LC’s.  I love this place SO Much that when it was featured on some Anthony Bourdain show – I instantly recognized it from just the briefest, tease of a flash of the smoker’s doors. I’ll spare you having to listen to me waxing rhapsodic about the amazing food from this ghetto location. I refrain partly to spare you but mostly because it’s making me drool just thinking about it. The family also managed to squeeze in a couple of photo shoots with Ann Brown our talented photographer and dear, dear, friend. Heather did some amazing stuff, Scarlett was great, even I managed to squeeze in a few BUT not the one I most wanted. I have been growing my beard out for one specific photo shoot – but even though I made arrangements early enough – the costume didn’t arrive in time. Sigh. When I get back some of the prints; Scarlett’s, Heather’s and mine – from this most-recent shoot – I’ll be sure to include them in the very next journal!
We depart Kansas City and make another low-stress trip to Bristol
It’s a mere 560 miles from Kc to Kenosha. If we were travelling with just the van we could clearly, easily do it in a day. Honestly; even pulling the house we could get up early enough and arrive as the light fades. Or we could do what we did, what we’re doing all the time now. Pick out, in advance an RV park located conveniently and head for it. We actually got to the KOA near the I 39 and I 80 junctions early enough that after we got parked and plugged in that Scarlett and I got to hit yet-another pool to unwind from the drive. I did feel a little peculiar. In the pool it was Scarlett, Me, the heavily tattooed –Daddy, and a whole bunch of sixteen and seventeen-year-old kids. Shortly after I arrived – they all cleared out. That’s unsettling. For these one-night only layovers we only extend the bedroom slide and we use the smaller bedroom TV instead of the big one in the still buttoned-up living room. We all sleep in one bed – but Scarlett has become so big, sweaty and “blanket-kicking-off-y†that we’re not sure how much longer the three of us can manage it. One of the best things about this new travel paradigm is that I can wake when I wake – long before the girls – and drink coffee and goof –off on the web while I wait for the girls to get ready. We restored the house to its travel configuration and made the short, pleasant drive to arrive in Bristol and get situated. We’ll be here until after Labor Day – almost three months I think!
We have a new shop in Bristol and it looks like a Korean Temple. Sort of.
We have been planning for a while to build here at Bristol. The opportunity was here. It’s Heather’s favorite show. And it fits as a keystone in her burgeoning retail empire. We have been collecting building concepts and ideas for a few years – and they were all discarded as Heather decided what she really wanted. It was an extreme rollercoaster pulling this project together. We had to finalize a design and get it approved. We needed to get it drawn up and secure a builder who could pull off this massive project in a very limited time frame. We needed to arrange financing; A LOT of financing. Then we had to pray that it all came together in time for Heather to sell her little heart out. It came together. It only required loan negotiations, arm twisting, fights with festival management and six or eight complete re-drawings of the plans to meet our needs and the restrictions of the festival. It also it hinged-upon three other clients canceling with our builder because they feared that their festival was going to be bought out by a casino. As the A-team so often opined; I LOVE it when a plan comes together! Somehow, fabulously – ours did. I will include a little history of the project and the finished product associated with this journal.
It’s time to warp it up.
Nope, not a misprint; I’d like to leave your minds a little twisted as I say my goodbyes for June. It’s Sunday morning, July sixth as I finish typing this. I have a parade to do in fifteen minutes and then four shows until my day is through. I’ll upload this journal after I correct typos and sprinkle some interesting hyperlinks all though it tonight after cellphone data is restored. When the faire is open there are too many demands on the limited bandwidth and you can’t get on the web. I’ll ask you to take a look at the two photos below – In case you haven’t been following the entertainment news; one of my favorite directors has cast Wonder Woman for the sequel to Man of Steel. Gal Gadot is interesting and lovely. I didn’t see her as Diana at first but I trust Snyder, he has a great eye for turning comic books into films. I also like Ms. Gadot’s take on the character and the physical demands of being the Amazon Princess. Between this, “Bat-Fleckâ€, Aquaman, and the push to create a Justice League franchise to rival Marvel’s Avengers – I’m thrilled. It’s a pretty-cool time to be a nerd isn’t it. So it’s time to Mic up, strap on my utility belt and scoot off to work. The sitter has returned to watch Scarlett but I’m a bit concerned. My daughter informed me yesterday that she is now engaged to the little boy she was playing with all day yesterday; “but not reallyâ€. (What does that even mean???)
So it starts.
Please leave me comments below – I’m curious if anyone is actually reading these!
In case you missed it...here's the link to my Bonus Journal about our new shop in Bristol.
