October 2006

Busy, busy, busy.... Finally in North Carolina where we get to relax, right? Two day work week and a five-day weekend? Ah, those were the days. I much prefer the days I’m having now. Even with not so much going on, we’re still ever-busy Tortugas.

Jef is currently down in Florida. He’s making even more money off his Jack Sparrow costume working for the Tampa Bay-based Wise Guys. Last year he cleaned up at almost every costume contest he attended, and I’m sure this year will be no different.

Ronn is gearing up for next week’s Louisiana run. (Jef and I are going, too, but this paragraph is about Ronn.) The Louisiana Renaissance Faire is opening soon, and he has to set up his various business ventures. Our longhaired little buddy is quite the entrepreneur - all growed-up and potty trained, too!

As I said, Jef and I are heading down there, too. We’re setting up the remainder of the Tortuga businesses. (Ronn’s handling the Roses biz, but this paragraph isn’t about him.) It shouldn’t take too long with all of us down there. The worst part will be the 12-hour drive there and back, but we’re traveling Tortugas - we’ve grown used to it.

Being there this time of year will afford me an opportunity that I’ve never taken advantage of, and should receive a spanking for not doing so. Halloween in the New Orleans French Quarter!

 

Jef & Sharon on Halloween

With Magic Mike at his home in the French Quarter

Spidey hanging with Kill Bill's Elle Driver at the Hooka Lounge

For years I have heard about how rennies from all over the country gather to the French Quarter for a night of naughty fun. Not quite Mardi Gras, though it is supposed to be a kickin’ good time. We’ll see if it’s as sweet as my New Year’s 2000 was there. Ronn has advised me to wear a costume so that I do not feel out of place. So far, this sounds promising.

That’s great, Riki...but what have you been doing lately?
I’m so glad you asked. Tortuga stuff, Tortuga stuff, there’s always Tortuga stuff.... But wait, there’s more.
Beyond the Wide World of Tortuga - no too far; I don’t want to get lost - there is a plethora of projects that I have been working on.

My Cloaks & Daggers book series is currently in contract negotiations with a publisher. Did I happen to mention that I’ve been working on a book series for well over a decade? It’s a fantasy thriller with an espionage twist. I’ve written 800+ pages, and there is still mucho work that needs doing. We’ve been working on this deal (the publisher, my lawyer, and I - oh my) for about six months or so, and I think we’ve almost got it ironed out... again....

 

Controlled Chaos = Creative Workspace

Working on the book

Discussing Cloaks & Daggers with Publisher-Editor Christine Lindblom and Author Struan Forbes

The reason I’m okay with the delay is that it affords me the time to work on my numerous other projects. You see, once this deal goes through, I’ll have around 90 days before the editing is done. After that, it’s rewrite time. Between that and my ever-present Tortuga tasks, I’ll have very little time for the other projects I’ve been working on.

Which is a very nice segue to....

The writing project I’ve been working on with Ms. Sarina Stone. You’ve already met her in previous journals - hell, you’ve seen pictures. Well, she began her book project a decade or so ago, and has recently brought me into it. This project is at its core a book on self-actualization, for realizing one’s full potential in the often-chaotic arena of romance. It is a fusion of American wit and Eastern philosophy, with a little quantum physics mixed in for good measure.

Did I say romance? Me? This book blends how-to/self-help with short story format, utilizing the storyline to illustrate the coaching. That’s one of the places where I come in. I’m very good at writing storyline dialogue. I also said Eastern philosophy and quantum physics. Both Sarina and I have been studying Universal Tao Chi Kung (energy work) for +10 years now, even traveling as far as Chang Mai, Thailand to train under Universal Tao director, Master Mantak Chia. That covers the Eastern philosophy.

 

Doug Kondziolka (Don Juan and Miguel) lends his talents to the Tao of Intimacy script

Sarina working on her new Mac

Being a writer - it's a Dog's Life

As far at the other, quantum physics and how it is interconnected with consciousness has become a somewhat of a hobby of mine as of late. Did you ever see the indie film What the BLEEP Do We Know!?? This movie has been a catalyst for the lion’s share of what I have been studying. This is not my sole source of reference. Audio books by physicist Fred Alan Wolf, Ph.D. and physiology/biophysics research professor Candace B. Pert, Ph.D. are included in my iTunes repertoire.

Do I really understand it? So-so, but I am in good company. As Niels Bohr (1885-1962) - awarded the 1922 Nobel Prize for work on the structure of the atom - said, "Those who are not shocked when they first come across quantum theory cannot possibly have understood it."

None of this makes me a smarter, more intelligent Tortuga...just a little weirder and more "out there." But being weird-and-out there is very "in" right now, and that’s good. Case in point: we have two publishers that have shown interest in this project and one Minneapolis-based production company that is talking to us about turning it into a short film.

When snowballs roll downhill, don’t get out of the way. Just hang on for a wild ride. It’s chaotic and it’s bumpy, but it will get you where you’re going mas rapido.

The final thing I’m going to mention at this time is a new gaming project that Tortuga Drinking Buddy Omar Abdelwahed has developed.

Agent Disco is a reality adventure game about the life of a spy - Codename: Disco. As a player, you join Disco's network of agents in missions that are part of ongoing stories. As you complete missions, the stories evolve. Your actions directly affect the outcome of your missions - and most of this plays out on your very own cell phone.

This multi-faceted game involves dynamic characters, intriguing story arcs, and videoed scenes that play out as the storyline. This is where I - and Jef, too - come in. I am involved in writing, shooting, and other levels of production for the game. Jef is similarly involved - he is also now one of the game’s stars. What can we say? He is a damned handsome man, and the camera can’t get enough of him.

 

Donna (Limey Birds) is the Agent Disco Make-Up Artist

Jef and Samantha go over their script with Omar

Omar and Ronn trade punches for the Agent Disco shoot

We will begin shooting some of Jef’s scenes right after Thanksgiving, while performing in the New Orleans, Louisiana area. Though Ronn has yet to become involved, I know that Omar has interest in dragging his fine Tortuga butt onto the project. You don’t have all that hair and charisma without people noticing and wanting you in front of the camera for their hip pet project.

If you want to find out more about this game and how it works, visit www.agentdisco.com for more information.

That’s all for now, Tortugaholics. I trust you enjoyed the open-book look at what’s going on in my life. Hope you’re having as much fun as I am, while staying only half as busy. Ciao for now - Riki.