I think I'm gonna call this journal "Zombies, plague, plague, zombies and plague."
Let's see; today is the final hour of January 5th… I'm late, cold, sick have a killer headache… and I'm the healthiest one! This journal is late, and has to carry from just before Thanksgiving until January first, so I better get going… again—"Zombies, plague, plague, zombies and plague"—but it started off fine enough.
Scarlett and Xander
Heather didn't have to work during the Louisiana show, and more as a favor than anything else she decided that while she was watching our baby, she would go ahead and watch the child of Travis and Alisha—also known as Pirate Shantyman and Bonnie Lass. Their young son 'Xander is about four months older thanour little peanut, and it was very interesting to see the differences in development, their interaction, and really just how cute they were… I prefer my kid. No, really.
Xander was funny, but even funnier was watching my little angel of a daughter tackle him to kiss him… Uh, what? Where did she get that kind of behavior, mommy? Heather, with the patience of a saint, watched both children for the full seven days we worked that fair… I merely did shows and drank a lot. A lot. For the first time in a few years we actually got to get a weekend in before having to prepare for Thanksgiving, so that was a treat. As I mentioned last journal, our first T-day was at my mother's, and (two days later) our second was at the home of the ever gracious and welcoming Hausers! Their house was huge, loads of great people were in attendance, even Jef's wife Sharon made the trip out for the event. Thanksgiving at House Hauser from the amazing table, to the wonderful guests, from the hospitality of Bob and Jamie, to the amount of food… this is Thanksgiving. Scarlett was both entertained, and was entertaining… there were guns to shoot (and given the time, I'll try to put together a video of that) TV to watch, and much drinking to do… in my case too much. I fell asleep during dinner and my normally patient wife had to drive my drunk-ass home before she was ready to go… sigh.
For the final weekend of Louisiana, and even a few days before, our dear friend Sharyn Watson came for her first visit to New Orleans. Riki met Heather, Scarlett and I as we gave Sharyn a guided tour of one of our favorite cities. We did all the important stuff: Café Au Lait and Beignets at Café Du Monde… posing outside Jean Lafitte's on Bourbon Street took Sharyn to her first "Adult Store" posed my daughter with what surely must be her daddy and his gay lover (well look at Riki and I), lunch at Pat O'Briens, Oystres on Bourbon… and to top the afternoon off running first into my "sister" Allison Williams, and eventually most of the cool kids from the Lousiana Renaissance Festival cast.
The Thanksgiving spread
Working the corner
We finished the 08 season as we have for the past 8 or 9 years now… with a crashing drunken r-rated show in the pub in the bayou, with fireworks, and with a great sigh of satisfaction. Mad props to Jef and Riki… since I didn't have to do a single bit of load out of our various Tortuga props, gear, concessions stock or sound equipment… thanks! But I still had a Dungeon, Maze, and Test of Strength to pack down… but since the fair ended on December 7th and we didn't have to be anywhere for awhile… I took my time. As it turned out I took a little too much time.
Clunk or Woof?
The original plan was: finish the LA show, pack down our various games and shops, and make the twenty minute jaunt to my mother's for a relaxing three week stay on her ridiculous plantation… really, plantation… our pack down was leisurely… I had hoped to get everything done and get us moved to her driveway before the rain and cold was supposed to hit. We didn't rush, and even discovered a surprise or two: I unplugged the subwoofer and went to stow it for the trip, and it "clunked". Clunked? - Clunked… Upon closer inspection—and with Scarlett's assistance, I determined that One of the Five residents of the Bauman Fifth-wheel trailer had placed one of Scarlett's adorable wooden toys inside the acoustic outlet (big hole) in the speaker, where (incidentally) it would stay for over a month, and require the disassembly and re-assembly of the speaker… have I mentioned I love being a dad?
"Zombies, plague, plague, zombies and plague"—don't worry we're getting to that… the breakdown went well, the packing-up (mystery toy insertion not withstanding) went well… but too slowly… I had to finish in the rain, pull the trailer out through the slippery mud (thank god for Four Wheel Drive)and in the pouring rain, drive the twenty minutes to Mom's.
Now those that have been following my misadventures for a while will remember that my mother's fiancé has built a huge plantation-style home… but he did it in the swamps of Louisiana! When we stayed there two years ago, I wired an outlet outside the shop (blowing up my microwave due to poorly trained electricians in the process) but got stuck twice in the crayfish filled mud… The final time requiring a rather expensive tow-truck call to pull our truck-and-trailer out. The plan this time was to stay in the newly-paved driveway, run an extension cord to the outlet I'd previously wired… (of course it was now on the wrong side of the building) and stay safe and dry that way. Since it was a very narrow driveway, and I needed to do some stunt driving to turn the trailer around we decided to wait until morning to try. Might as well just stay in the plantation right?
"Zombies, plague, plague, zombies and plague"—We've established that I'm a nerd, right? As I write this I'm watching a particularly bad Zombie film that I hope you'll never encounter (Automation Transfusion) a really, really stupid zombie film. I have a great friend who is my comic book hook-up, as well as our Au Pair in Georgia. Holly turned me onto this creppy, wonderful Zombie-comic called The Walking Dead. As I left the LA site, I was deeply ensconced in the tribulations of a small band of survivors outside Atlanta… very much caught-up in the mood. Heather Scarlett, and I had a pleasant, if a tad smothering evening at my mother's, and retired to one of the four guest rooms to await the coming of morning, heat, light, and better weather… we only got a small portion of our hopes fulfilled.
We woke to a house very cold, and unnaturally quiet. Snow had fallen in the Bayou… lots of snow, eight inches of snow! But the snow had also taken out the power lines. It was cold, isolated, no power… and with my mindset, I was looking for weapons to combat the impending hordes of the undead. The power ended-up only being off for 26 hours, (Which I still contend is two days Heather!) and it was another two days after that before we could finally get our house turned around, plugged in and move back to our home. Some small part of me wished that the snow had stuck around long enough to make an actuall "White Christmas" but that part of me was disappointed; the weather see-sawed between frickin-cold, and sweaty/sticky several times during our stay… sometime just during the course of one day! Still; it was beautiful while it lasted.
Eventually, the snow melted, the power was restored, the house was aligned and we moved in. My mother couldn't understand why we chose to live in our trailer as opposed to their mansion… but the answer was: It's our house… our cats, our dishes… we can be loud as we like, naughty as we like… We had our TV, and it was a much better system. It was home.
Winter Wonderland
Snow in the Bayou?
Scarlett is growing like a weed, and becoming more mobile, curious and independent every day… for us this is wonderful magical and frustrating, for the cats… it is pure hell on earth. Our daughter LOOOO-oooVes the kitties… London is learning to tolerate her attentions, where as Berlin has learned to avoid her. But wait…
Nice Kitty!
Where's the Kitty?
"Zombies, plague, plague, zombies and plague"—we've covered the first Z—word… now let's talk about the first disease: Shortly before Christmas I came down with a horrendous stomach bug. Horrendous, simply awful plague-like-squirting-from-both-ends-pooping-water stomach bug.
*shudder*
All the cool plans, socializing, burlesque shows and nights in New Orleans went right… down the toilet. It gets worse; a day-and-a-half after this plague hits me, our dear friend Dakota stops by en-route between Florida and her winter home in Arizona. The plan was to meet her in the quarter, show her around, drink a bit… these plans too went down the toilet… I ended-up cloistered in our trailer in the vain attempt to prevent Dakota from catching this funk. She and Heather retired to the apartment on the property to watch a movie. About an hour later Heather all-but crawled back into the trailer… she'd suddenly been stuck with the vile plague as well. Even Dakota didn't dodge the bullet, though I never hugged her, kissed her, or shook her hand. Shortly after she left the bayou she had to pull over in New Mexico with the puking, and the pooping. Her father, the Amazing Don Juan, actually hooked his flat-bed trailer up to the family's truck and drove out to New Mex to rescue her… what a man!
*shudder*
We think, in retrospect we caught the bug from Scarlett, who was a bit run down and producing really cool diapers… There was a point where Heather and I were collapsed on our couch, in pain, barely able to move without aching, or exploding… I looked over to her and said "We've had muchmore fun on this couch".
*shudder*
"Zombies, plague, plague, zombies and plague"—It gets better you know. We finally, as a family recovered right before Christmas, which was good, because we had presents to open, and my brother, and his huge family to welcome for Christmas.
Christmas Collage
Heather made a ham, and all the fixin's… Heather did most of the cooking for both our little family and my mother's while we were there… we had a smallish Christmas Celebration/Present opening on Christmas eve, Scarlett's first She loved the tree, and like the new toys… even if it did take her a bit to get the idea of wrapping… I got to tell you; I think her favorite part was the bows. At one point she grabbed a bow in her mouth, and took-off like a dog under the table (growling the whole way) with it.
The next morning (Christmas) I drove our massive truck about 40 miles away to fetch my brother, his wife, and four of his children from the truck stop in Slidell. Richard is an over-the-road trucker and had arranged his runs so he could come visit for X-mas, and still get paid. As I was on the way to get him, I noticed a bit of a tickle in my throat.
The Family
"Zombies, plague, plague, zombies and plague"—Christmas morning was pretty cool. Seven of my brother's nine children were there, and my one kid, Heather, Richard, his wife, My mom, her fiancé… there were and ass-load of Baumans there (and as near as we can figure the first time Mom, Richard and I were together for xmas in 20 years or more!)
There was food and family and presents and love… and a tiny tickle in my throat. "Zombies, plague, plague, zombies and plague"—eventually I had to drive Richard and his family back to his truck so they could continue on their way. During the drive back I started to feel a real cold coming on.
The original plan was to leave the next morning, do the 15 hour drive to Kansas City, and spend a week partying and eating there. But this second plague had different ideas. My cold worsened, then Heather got it, in the end we were delayed from departing for three whole days, (and I was still only functioning at about 80 percent). The trip was pleasant, though cold… especially when I had to run our electrical cable late night at the campground… Brrrrr! Finally we arrived in KC only to face another onset of this fricking plague…
I almost forgot! The second Zombie! Inspired by my comic books, and the icy desolation I broke out an old Xbox game called Dead Rising. A zombie game set in a mall. For Christmas my super-cool wife got me "Left 4 Dead" an amazing and intense Zombie game. Sharyn Watson got me some books, including Plague of the Dead (zombies) and Day By Day Armageddon (zombies)—by the way, Thanks a zillion oodles Sharyn! It was a very Zombie Christmas.
So… Zombies, plague, plague, zombies and plague… which leaves only, one more plague. We arrived in KC at our usual campground, moved in, rigged for winter and the three of us went to Bob and Ann's to celebrate New Year's and hang with some of our favorite folks in the world. As the year changed, and midnight rolled around, I got to kiss the two most amazing women in the world; Heather and Scarlett.
The next day—plague struck one more time. My cold had turned to bronchitis, and sinusitis. Heather was struck first by bronchitis and the by some weird stomach ailment, finally even the baby got ill - and there is nothing so heart-rending as hearing your tiny daughter cough and then cry. *sigh*
I'm wrapping this journal up now. All Baumans have been to the doctor, are on prescriptions for their various ailments, and are seemingly on the mend. Heather got hit really hard just yesterday, but seems to have bounced back. Our departure from KC has been delayed at least three days, and we've only managed one meal out, and two brief evenings at Bob and Ann's… though we have rented a lot of Blockbuster.
In two days we'll depart for Apache Junction, where we have too much going on to even begin to mention… back in the saddle again. I am excited to face 2009, I have an amazing life, and amazing partner, and I am entranced with every little thing my amazing daughter does… I wish you all the best in the coming year…
Ciao for Now!
PS. Still working my way through Zombie books… remember, aim for the head!
