Cap'n Pete Straw

The cartoon? Or are you living across from an electrical supply grid?

Sunny skies, warm (70s), and beautiful here in the desert of Petra, Jordan, where the sun is just this moment setting behind the mountains directly across from my hotel room window. With the sun set, the temperature will now plummet, and it shall be in the 40s or possibly 30s within a couple hours.

Greetings from the Middle East! I am in my hotel in Petra, Jordan. I am located less than 5 minutes walk from the front gate of the Fabled Lost City of Petra, and just walked the Siq, past the Treasury, to the Theatre this morning. If that means nothing, Google images with those names (add "Petra" to these words to get the proper "Treasury", for example). I fee like shooting over to the "What Are You Listgening To" topic to add "An Arabic version of Entertainment Tonight", which is blasting out the of the television next to me. So much to purchase here... so very little is actual Pirate stuff. And the prices are not the best -- I can find a lot of this much cheaper in the States. For those who have seen my Middle East hand-crafted non-firing flintlock (it is pictured elsewhere in the Pub), they have those here in great supply. However, the blunderbuss cost JD 325. That's the same price as a working blunderbuss! Screw that! I picked up a nice little pan primer. Also a belly-dancer outfit for my 17-year-old daughter (down, boys), some toy camels, head scarf & band for my son... and took ten rolls of film thus far. Egypt in two days. Regards to you all!

I have been extremely busy -- too busy to spend much time here in the Pub. I leave for Jordan in Four days, so it's a quick FareWell to all. I shall be back before very long, hopefully weighed down by an enviable quantity of riches from the Far East. Or Mid-East, actually. Photos upon my return! Promise!

(All, in unison): "Governor Washington!?!" (sorry... I guess you had to be there)

Review this topic thread from the beginning, and I believe there are a number of photos... at least some that I posted (note -- they will not have been posted before June 2006). There is also another thread somewhere in the RAIDS section about this event that has some photos -- if I recall correctly. Okay, I went back and checked -- my pictures from this event are on PAGE 8 of this topic thread. Not all that many, but that's becasue I was too busy being photographed than taking pictures of others.

Wednesday Addams (first thing that came to mind)

Many, many years ago, I was being chased by a tiger (through a suburban neighborhood!) in a dream, and could not escape. Finally made it into a house but (as always happens in my dreams) the door, when shut, would not fill the doorway, and the tiger was able to get in. I could not begin to comprehend being eaten alive, so I grabbed a gun and decided to wake myself up, so I shot myself in the stomach. And I woke up with what felt like a bullet wound to the gut. Yes, in hindsight, I realize it might have been more efective to shoot the tiger. Actually, I only realized that now as I typed this. Yes, you best only PM it to me. Recall carefully everything that happened. Type slowly... Don't leave out a single detail.

Rabbit season

I have been picking up these books at flea markets and off of eBay for several months. I have most of them... but not all. I am really not anxious about picking up the few that I do not own, but I have to review my master list before that statement is set in stone. I have multiple copies of The Pirates (this was the first issue released as the discounted promo for the series, so there are LOTS of copies out there), and The Spanish Main. I think the best in the series is either The Whalers, or The Explorers. But for sheer reading enjoyment, I think the narrative in The Windjammers is the most thrilling. I also snagged the promotional poster for the series, released with the first volume, of Pirate Ships.

Getting out my fine-tipped black Sharpie to draw a Hitler mustache on that photo...

Nothin yet to add... Trying to get my photos from this event uploaded soon, and didn't want this slipping too far into teh archives.

Review this topic thread from the beginning, and I believe there are a number of photos... at least some that I posted (note -- they will not have been posted before June 2006). There is also another thread somewhere in the RAIDS section about this event that has some photos -- if I recall correctly.

Adultery

UPDATE: My personal Grogtini recipe (posted earlier) is mighty fine indeed with 1 part of Captain Morgan Spiced Rum to 3 parts Captain Morgan's Tattoo Rum (easy ratio if based on 4 shots rum) with other proportions according to the recipe. Mighty fine indeed.

More Articles added to the pile today. Soon I need to concentrate on staining them all ... perhaps over the holiday weekend I will find some justification to make myself 60 cups of tea. Look at me ... preparing for this June event since before November. Barely seven months to go now, and I am already acknowledging it will not be enough time to do what needs to be done. I hope my two ships (Fool's Gold and Archangel) will be able to find a time for some common activity together -- i.e.: drinks and/or dinner. Looks to be a good time. Last year, Saturday worked well for a mid-event dinner. -------------------------- By the way -- completely change of topic -- my Grogtini recipe (posted elsewhere) is mighty fine indeed with 1 part of Captain Morgan Spiced Rum to 3 parts Captain Morgan's Tattoo Rum (easy ratio if based on 4 shots rum) with other proportions according to the recipe. Mighty fine indeed. I think I'll drunkenly swagger (stagger?) over to that thread and post this update.... ... And maybe it's the Grogtinis but, man, I miss you all. Maybe it's not the Grogtinis. Happy Thanksgiving to ALL my Pirate Friends -- whether or not you be on the collective crews of the Archangel and/or Fool's Gold ... or Pirate Brethren ... or EVERYONE.

ACTUALLY, Mister March and I had them all -- Grant, Lee, Custer, and others -- talking like pirates after the sun went down... and after the Apple Jell-O Shots went down.

My wife and I took my oldest daughter in 2000; we stayed a week. My sister was living there at the time (her husband got a 2-year gig working in Scotland), so we stayed with her. I would have to review rail maps to remember exactly where we were -- I recall it was less than an hour to ride via rail into Edinburgh. I was able to stand on ground walked by my direct ancestors, documented in my carefully researched family history. Good Times.

The previous two times I grew a mustache, when I removed it, I left that signature bit in the middle to see the Hitler Effect. All the while, I was rather nervous that a sudden fire would force me out into the street with a Hitler mustache.

Last year, the crew of the Fool's Gold all went out to dinner at one of the local restaurants. They set up a long table in the middle of the room to seat us all, and I must admit we offered a bit of entertainment to our fellow diners in spite of ourselves. It would be more fun if others were actually EXPECTING us to entertain, and my crewmates might not keep trying to shush me up! I now have three pairs, and a set of leg irons. But I keep all the keys. Better bring extra aspirin. Perhaps it is hard for me to be objective, but having both Rats and me around at the same time ... I fear the only thing I can compare it to is like having two of me around. You. Have. Been. Warned. Hey! FG Crew! See? Are you reading this? This is what I am all on about. Granted it was a lot of work, but I know we pleased every single kid who signed up... but here is the long-awaited public acknowledgement that we also impressed the organizers. Expand our role if we must, but what we did wasn't broken, so there seems little need in fixing it. And to bring some of our ship's private business out into the open, I repeat that we should consider offering additional (three instead of two?) signing stations to manage the crowd and better meet the public demand (Argh! I need to print more of these blasted Articles!). And if we feel our "bit" is a little demanding on our limited personnel (despite our undoubtedly being the single largest pirate crew ever, what with the hundreds of new recruits we signed up last year!), I would be willing to bet that certain members from other crews would be willing to "Guest Star" one of our watches, if we were willing to extend the invitation. But that's a crew decision. Remember, they were looking for choreographed hand-to-hand fighting between pirates and locals during the Invasion.

Studied the violin/fiddle for years, but never became more than a beginner. My greatest growthspurt was when I worked with my daughter everyday to learn the instrument, and I was always just a little bit better than her... then I stopped practicing while insisting she continue. She is now a virtuoso and I remain a beginner. A lesson learned far too late in life. I can play a few very (very!) simple tunes on the piano. The only instrument I have mastered is the jaw harp. I can play it without chipping my teeth (most people cannot master that step) and can do the whole resonance volume thing. I plan to purchase a set of bagpipes (call me a fool now!) and try to master what is considered the most difficult instrument to learn. Payback to myself for not keeping up with the violin.

I'm a Pepper, he's a Pepper, She's a Pepper, they are Peppers, wouldn't you like to be a Pepper, too?

Actually, yes. In the morning, I was afraid I would be haunted by regret if I did not try to write down as much as possible, so I did. But there was so much vivid detail that slipped away evven as I tried to record it all. There is some sort of running mythos in many of my dreams. I have running plots that suddenly resurface after being forgotton for many years. Some are rather novel, and some are downright terrifying. The creepiest is (I have never admitted this before) in one of the running dream sub-plots, I once murdered someone and hastily disposed of the body. I cannot remember when this dream first occured, but I had not dreamed about in a few decades. With the recent resurgence of CSI television shows, evidence of my past dream-murder has been resurfacing in some recent dreams. In these new dreams, I remember that I am the guilty party (although I cannot remember the person, nor why the crime was committed), and am terrified that I will be caught -- there were a few notable close calls in the past five years or so. I believe there is no dream-statute of limitations for dream-murder; I plan to continue evading the dream-police and stay out of dream-prison.

When I was last in London, in all the English pubs, you could order either Guinness, or "Extra Chilled" Guinness, which was apparently kept that way to satisfy the taste of the American tourists. Our first round was an experimental round of bitters (noncarbonated and barely room temperature)... after that, it was "Extra Chilled" Guinness the whole time. I'll try the local custom at least once, but if I don't fall in love with it, it's back to what I like (actually, it was my earlier stay in Scotland when I first became hooked on Guiness!). And one last note... The cans of Guinness Stout in my refrigerator all are clearly labeled: "SERVE EXTRA COLD". Who am I to argue?

It's a different Abe. The one who does Minooka is Max (I forget his last name), and the one who does Greenbush is Fritz (again... no last name). The photo is of another Abe altogether.