March 2005

 

Western Funky Formal Wear

Florida, Florida, Florida... Guess where I’m at. I left Arizona at 5:30 in the PM on Monday, and a scant 46 hours later I arrived in the Sunshine State. It’s good to be home again, even if I won’t be staying here for more than a couple weekends.

A lot has happened in the two months that we were in Arid-zona. Work-work-work mostly, but we did leave a little room for social activity. A little partying, yes? Funky Formal time! This is a rennie ritual held across the country: a themed dance party, really, with a no-holds-barred edge to it. This year’s theme for the Arizona festival funky was Wild Western, and the cowpolk came out in droves. Everyone was in their ten-gallon hats and cowboy boots. Yours truly spent most of his rodeo time on the dance floor whoopin’ it up with both pardners and fillies alike. Yee-haw, what a good time!

Most of our time spent in Arizona was taken up in preparation for Tortugapalooza 2: Spies [discount tickets are still available!) - AB]. Have you heard of it yet? I thought you had. Anywho, we’ve been busy tweaking scripts, shooting the last of the multimedia segments as well as working on post production of stuff already shot earlier in Florida, and drawing up the game plan for our radio/print media blitz in the Tampa Bay area. This should hit town the last half of April. Look/listen for ads in the Weekly Planet, WRBQ 104.7, 98 Rock, 101.5 the Point, and WYUU the Outlaw. We’ve already lined up morning show appearances on WYUU and WRBQ, and we’re working to slide our way into any other air-time we can get.

While in Arizona, we had a Tortuga/fan get together at Gameworks in the Arizona Mills Mall. We had fun hanging out, and plan to do other such gatherings in each of the locales that we sojoun in - keep an eye out for the invite from Sharyn Watson, head fan mistress.

 

Tortuga Fan Josh mugs for the camera

Ronn Bauman: Black-jack God

The coveted Texas Hold'em Tournament trophy belt

Also while in Arizona, I had a friend drive down from Colorado for a visit. We had a wonderful time just hanging out and doing nothing together, which provided some much-needed steam release from our collectively stressful lives. While she was in town, the Rennies in Arizona held aR.E.S.C.U. Rally in the form of a Casino Night. Now, I’m not sure what the 'R.E.S.C.U.' stands for ["Renaissance Entertainers, Services, and Crafters United" - AB], but basically it’s set up as a non-profit to collect monies for Rennies in peril (i.e. hospital bills, finding health insurance, etc.). We had a good time that night, and I played in my first Texas Hold’em tournament. Not the first to go out, neither, but I was no where’s near winning the prized trophy belt.

 

Not just another pretty face

Pink is the new rawhide

Desperate times call for desperate measures

It’s now 8:15 on a sunny Florida morning - I was up at 5:03 and at the gym by 5:30. I’ve got a lot of work to do today, and some catching up with friends. Hopefully, I’ll be able to catch some beach rays - something I promised myself I’d do this week - we’ll see. Perhaps I’ll even take in a movie or two, though probably not. Too many Tortuga tasks beckon, and I am here to answer their call. Oh yes, and I have to get my computer fixed - don’t ask. Suffice to say that I am learning a lot about the 'data recovery' biz. Prognosis is still hopeful, and I’m keeping my spirits high. What else can I do? Mope? Already done it. Whine? Always, but usually with a smile on my face. No, I think I’d rather keep moving forward and hope for the best. Confidence is high, my friends, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Happy Desert Rendezvous

This is an extra bit that I’m writing at the end because Andy (our webmastergod) told me that the first two paragraphs of this month’s journal matched last month’s journal. Basically I (again) covered the evils of Arizona in bloom, my allergies, CoQ₁₀ and Ubiquinone, with a little lesson on homeopathic treatments. But now those paragraphs are gone and I've inserted something else in their stead.

I’m almost packed for my jaunt up to the Atlanta area. I’ve had nothing but a good time staying with my friends Howard and Roberta (affectionately known as 'Bert'), but now it’s time to move on once more. I’ll be back in a week and a half for Palooza 2, and I’ll get another dose of Florida sunshine then. Never did hit the beach... maybe when I come back. I certainly hope so, ‘cause after that, I’ll be too out and about to make it back home again before October at the earliest. Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando, don’cha know.

Alright Tortuga family, that about does it for me. I’m off to Georgia, land of Waffle House and Cracker Barrel and folks that say y’all a lot. Have a great month, my Tortugaholics - I hope to see you somewhere out there over the next few months. Until then... ciao, and enjoy your beautiful lives.