It’s Friday morning, September, 23. We have re-vamped our schedule for our journals, and if I don’t get this in by the 25th - well then it doesn’t go in until the 15th... Jef’s is already in, maybe Riki’s too... I can’t be the solo ‘ball-dropper’
Also, it’s Friday, I am dressed in my silly suit, it is Student Friday/'Freebie-Friday' sort of a student day, but not really. Not like AZ where it is solely for children, and there are thousands. Nor a real-day, with oodles of grown-ups to drink and spend money... it is a weird mix.
Largely it is a huge waste of time.
Further, Heather is driving in (again) for the final weekend of Minnesota. She is quite an enthusiastic, energetic girl... keeps me busy, keeps me honest. Tonight we’re going to a burlesque show downtown... Saturday a party and hot tubbing with friends... so I don’t know if I get any time to write this weekend. Oh and lest we forget, I really should pack to leave on Monday for Charlotte.
This morning, I’m watching The Daily Show, getting ready to leave in just a few minutes... what should I tell you about this time?
- Heather, of course,
- My trip to Kansas City
- The Run-up to Palooza - pain-in-the-ass rehearsals
- Ten Seconds of Harmony ... parties, gameworks
- Stress and new toys...
- The Wizard
- It’s Palooza time!
Heather - naw, we’ll save that for last... I am a bit concerned however, with me having a real-live honest-to-goodness girlfriend; I won’t be having all the threesomes, and escapades to write about anymore. Trust me, she keeps me happy, (and tired) but I don’t think I should give you too many details of Heather-and-I at home... she’d spank me (and not in the fun way!)
Will you still be interested gentle reader, in reading my story if it doesn’t involve Penthouse Forum stories?
Well let us get on with it:
So I first met Heather about 16 years ago in Kansas City. I was dating Elizabeth back then, and Heather was CUTE, and young... I flirted with her anyway, which instantly created animosity on her part towards me... maybe in some future journal I will relate our rather interesting history... but for now, suffice it to say Heather’s home is Kansas City.
It was also the first place Riki and I worked (as the Tortuga Twins) all those years ago. I had a lot of great memories there... so when Heather asked me to come visit her home this time, I agreed.
When I arrived, she had left me a sweet note on her pillow. (Awww) She has a great sense of style.
A lot of cool things were accomplished that trip, I met some of Heather’s cool friends. One of whom is going to be shooting photos of us one day. Quite a talented photographer, one who shoots my girl a lot, and a cool chick too... I got a tour of her house and studio, including the cool props and costume closet. Awesome.
 Heather left a note on her bed |
 The photo studio |
 Costumes and Props |
What else? Met the girlfriend’s bosses, ate at some cool KC restaurants - ironically enough, one of which was New Orleans-themed... the day after the hurricane struck. Delivered flowers to Heather’s work, and ordered my new TV. (More on that later)
Went out to dinner with Heather’s best friend and her husband. We were all friends years ago... and it was nice to catch up with them as well. Also pretty cool because Ken is an Über-nerd. And I now have all kinds of DVDs from him, some of which aren’t even available to the commercial world yet. (Yay nerds!)
 Tom Davies |
 Just after the table-top escapade |
 CREEPY CLOWN...! |
 Deane, Riki and Jef at a Palooza rehearsal (in my trailer) |
I only made the one trip to KC... mostly because I just didn’t have nay spare time... what was eating up all of my hours this time? TortugaPalooza 2 of course. We knew the show already, but there were still freshening up rehearsal to do, scouting the after-party site, re-vamping the website to reflect the updates... including learning how to create a flash-animation for Café Lurcat ('Flash' is a program for adding animation to websites: compact, fast-loading and versatile.) We had some re-writes to do, some updates to email to help further sales... you know, stuff like that. We also had to meet and coordinate with our film crew... it is our intent to make this the best DVD we’ve ever made...
Some of the rehearsals were just walk thrus, some took place on a stage at the festival some were just we twins, and some include Dean (our villain). I’m not gonna write too much about the show itself, that’s for next journal... so stay tuned.
Another cool accomplishment this year, we grew our friendship with Ten Seconds Of Harmony. They are this incredible, funny musical group that works with us at the Minnesota fair. Great group of boys, talented and funny.
It was also a Year of Parties; Jef’s birthday (expensive, but fun) took place at a very nice, upscale restaurant in Eden Prairie. Our good friend (and haberdasher) Ken Wilson was there... he is quite the wine connoisseur and the biggest reason our bill was so huge. But we did get to experience some great wines.
Bruce’s birthday, (a singer from TSOH) at Gameworks, downtown Minneapolis. Interestingly enough, Gameworks is located in the same complex as this hip, contemporary bar. For some reason, this bar was very popular with the young, hot Asian girl crowd. Outside the bar was a constant collection of groups of beautiful Asian hotties. I called the club "Asian-girl-a-rama". Kind of ironic, I discover this place AFTER I already have my hot Asian babe! We got to be good friends with Bruce, his very hot (and cool!) wife Melissa, Eric, Jeff, and to a lesser extent Nate and Clay.
An old friend of mine, (a girl I used to date) Cheryl, was also at this party... not as my date, but as a friend of Sharon. (As well as her Esthetician, and bikini-waxer!)
 Ken, Suzi, and you-know-who |
 Bruce and Riki at the party |
 Cheryl and Jef |
But wait, there was so much more stress around than that. Palooza 2 both in Minneapolis and in Charlotte. Web site updates. Stress with Hurricanes and $3 gas, and five new holes in the side of my trailer. Why?
I got this great idea that I would use the new visa card I accidentally got to purchase a new and ridiculously huge TV. A 42 inch flat-screen. (HD!) I could justify it in a bunch of ways: I had received a grand in gift cards that were set to expire. There is no interest on my new card for six months. I had TV envy after seeing Jef’s... whatever. But unfortunately, I had a carpenter come over and remove some of the factory installed cabinets in my house and mount a bracket to wall-mount my TV. They used too-long screws, and they went right through my inside wall thru to the outside. (Sigh) More moolah I will have to spend when I get to Charlotte.
The TV is too large, silly, and I can’t really afford it... but I LOVE it. And it will work out eventually. It just feels weird after all of this time to actually be carrying any credit card debt again.
I also spent more money on my truck... but this time at least, it wasn’t for repairs.
I thought about how I wanted to introduce this next section; how’s this:
I have written in the past that one of the mistakes so many people make is that they treat life like it was a book or a movie... and they were the 'Star'. It is a silly, impractical thing to do... and should be avoided.
That being said: I do think of my life that way! I am the Hero of this Story.
Now, a common theme in literature is The Wizard. The skilled and talented individual who with his arcane knowledge helps our hero along on his quest. Merlin, Obi wan, Gandalf... to name just a few... Our Wizard in Minnesota?
Chad Kinsey, our truck-accessory Guru.
Chad is a great guy, a fan (and now a friend) his wife Kay is the chapter head for Minnesota... he did some work for Riki and Jef last year, and got to hang out with us a little (okay, more with them than with me). I got him to do some sprucing up on my truck Gunther this year, Better mirrors for towing, and (a great surprise gift from he, his wife, and Layna our fan-club president) a back-up sensor system for both truck and trailer... In theory this SHOULD prevent any further boo-boos like in Ohio this year.
Let me take this opportunity to publicly thank Chad, Kay and Layna (Cindy too I think) ... (did I miss or forget anyone else who was involved kids?) for the great and thoughtful gift.
I notice that I am less socially-adept than Riki and Jef, more private, more frequently alone (but not usually lonely 🙂 ) One of the things I have noticed, and appreciated is the sense of community growing up here in the Fan club, and on Tortugaland. It feels really great to be the cause of this. We didn’t do anything... we’re just the nucleus around which these great people have formed... I’m glad we have not only encompassed but also befriended such amazing folks as Chad and Kay, Bob and Linda, Layna, Cindy... man too many to mention. I am once again feeling blessed to be part of this all.
This year I tried to be more social... (Heather helped too - she makes friends very easily) and I am glad of gaining the great new friends.
At last it was time for Palooza 2. I have been asked not to write about it until next month’s journal.
It is now one hour and forty minutes past the due date for the journal... (don’t tell Andy). I wrote about another page and a half a while ago, and while spell checking it my computer froze, and I lost the work. (Damn you Gates!)
I wrote some nice things about Heather... but haven’t I written enough about her for now?
I did write that as pretty as she is, I am far more moved by her mind, her company. There are times when we literally find ourselves on the floor from laughing with and at each other. I’m pretty crazy about her.
I have to choose and label some photos and upload this damn thing... so it’s (past) time to end.
In next month's startling episode:
- More Heather Gloating
- TortugaPalooza 2 performance
- The Minnesota Recap
- Charlotte Begins
Peace!
