Ransom

As the carriage jolted along, I found myself wondering just how Jacky had managed all this, and was more than curious about how he knew so much about Havana, the Navarros, and Arab bath houses. He'd never mentioned he'd spent time in Cuba, and now he went his relaxed way around port as if it was his home town. Next to me Red Cat muttered and fidgeted within her stays, and I had to admit, I wasn't too comfortable either. Without my weapons, I felt naked and vulnerable to attack. I would have preferred to leave mine in the coach, closer to hand, rather than back at the bath house with that old besom - who'd probably sell them before we got back. I glowered at Jacky, crossed my arms over my constricted chest, and said nothing.

Earrings? Did someone say earrings? I will leave the house without makeup, wearing scruffy clothes, and flip flops, but I NEVER leave the house withour earrings. Sigh - so many earrings, and only two ears, even if there are two holes in each one. I'm kinda fond of bracelets too. Okay...I'll admit it, I just like jewelry. Real or fake, makes no matter to me, but vintage is my favorite. Hey Cat, we need to go candle and earring shopping someday!

Opening the tack room door and smelling the blend of leather and horse. Ahhhh.... The aquatic mixture surrounding a pond - damp earth, plants, moss,... A smell almost impossible to really describe, but wonderful. The smell of ozone and rain during a summer lightning storm.

Laced into our finery, Red Cat and I stood gawping at each other, still giggling like schoolgirls playing dress-up. "I feel like a stuffed sausage," I commented, pulling at the bodice of the gown, trying to adjust it to something close to comfortable - failed, and gave up. I picked up the basket containing my cleaned, but still damp clothing. The basket also held my pistol. Then I walked to the wall where my belt and cutlass hung from a hook. Grinning at Red Cat, I buckled the belt over the gown, the cutlass dangling at my side. "I'm a girl who likes her accesssories." Then I stood, arms held out. "So, how do I look?"

Just a heads up. Getting close to the end of the month. How is everyone doing? Ready to mail the books out on the 1st?

Thanks, Jill, for the tip on the Oakridge Inn. Looks fine, and not that much more than the Motel 6. I like that it has the continental breakfast. At Port Washington, that really came in handy not having to worry about paying extra for breakfast. Flogger! I'll get a flogger! Now I GOTTA go! Chain Shot and I are looking forward to meeting everyone.

Okay, after checking airfairs, it became real clear, real fast that Sept 22-23 is the weekend we'll be coming down. Discovered it's a lot cheaper to fly into Ontario than LAX. Since we'd have to rent a car anyway, it saves us several hundred dollars to drive a little further. Found a Motel 6 only 12 miles away from the event, in Camarillo, so that's cool. So, things are looking good for 22-23.

Baring our house going into escrow, which at this point seems unlikely, my husband and I are planning to attend. We want to know which weekend most of the Pub pirates will be there, as for us it's a plane trip from Grants Pass, OR down to Oxnard, then a motel room for the weekend. Anyone in the area know an inexpensive (relatively) motel close to the event? Any info would be helpful. The last time I was in Ojai, was in the early 70's! It's probably changed a bit since then.

I held up the dress Jacky had bought for me. It was white silk and lace and very fine, but the idea of having to wear it made me wince. I glanced over at Red Cat, who held a dress of pale blue silk. "This is going to be harder than I thought. But, I guess we'll have to lace each other into these contraptions if we want our supper." I looked around and found petticoats and stays, stockings and garters. Just one problem. No shoes. No nice evening slippers to match the dress. Lauging again, I said to the Cat, "Better hope no one lifts my skirts, since it appears I'll be wearing boots under this dress. Just as well. It will give me a place to hide a knife."

The movie is fun, and I have a copy of the DVD. I liked Mathew Modine, but not Geena Davis. The music was great, as were the locations, ships, battles, etc. Some of the things I thought made the movie too hoakey or over the top = A ship blowing up half a town's wharf district (Port Royal) just to catch one lady pirate. Geena's dialog, a classic case of a movie trying too hard to be cleaver. Also, she didn't seem too repulsed at having to scalp her own father in order to get his half of the map. The Halloween Grim Reaper figurehead on Dawg's ship. Looked like it was made of paper mache. And Dawg's wood-chopper sword. However, that said, it is fun to watch, and it's about pirates, so ya gotta add it to your collection, aye.

The memory of Jacky dressed like a woman had me laughing even harder. I scooped up a double handful of bubbly water and hurled it at Red Cat, while the whipped cream glob of bubbles on my head dribbled into my eyes, causing them to sting. It also caused my aim to be off, and the water missed Cat and landed with a splash at the feet of the old bath attendant. With a stream of Spanish curses she surveyed the mess Cat and I had made of her bathing area. With vigorous hand gestures, and more cursing, she motioned for us to get out of the tubs. Still laughing and covered in soapsuds, we sheepishly stood and she handed us each a large towel. With more gestures and waving of arms, she herded us through a door into another room, where we dried off, and found our fresh clothes layed out ready for us. Our dirty things were still in a basket, as were our pistols. Our cutlass belts and weapons hung from a hook on the wall. With a last shake of her fist, the old bath atttendant left us to dress, no doubt warning us to never darken her door again.

Oooh, I'll take a scone, but the rum only if it's in some hot chocolate, or better still, some chai tea with cream added with the rum. It's a bit early in the day for straight rum (Ack, I can't believe I just said that, being a pyrate and all).

Hmmm, a shelf full of dust-bunnies? I think that's right up there with collecting dryer lint.

Holds out a jar of me homemade plum chutney. "Here, try this. It goes with anything."

I took a bit off the bar of soap floating in the water, and lobbed it at Cat. It smacked her in the forehead, then dropped with a plop into the water of her bath. "Nice to know my aim is still good." Then I held my hands in front of my face, knowing return fire was sure to follow — in one form or another.

The whole scenerio made me laugh. Red Cat playing in the mist, the two Spanish ladies inching their way further down the bench and looking at two pale red heads as if we'd dropped from the moon, the old bath attendant, who hunched on the floor, and every now and then threw a ladle full of water on the hot stones, creating a hissing cloud of steam. Chuckling, I commented to Cat, "I'm starting to feel like a boiled potato." I looked down at my white skin, marked with a history of old scars, and with sweat starting to sluice away the dirt from the voyage. "Actually, I kinda look like one." I grinned at Cat again. "Feels pretty nice though, wouldn't you say? Maybe when I retire I'll open a bathhouse in London. Be kinda fun to see all the noble ladies naked as fat turnips, sweating off their stale perfume. Could charge them a fortune for the priviledge." Then a thought ccured to me, and my laughter died. "Uh, Cat, where do you think that old bessom took our pistols?"

The room was dim, steamy, and hot. An attendant took the dress from me, and as I undressed, took my dirty clothes and shoved them into a basket. The old woman then pointed to a bench, where two other women were sitting, sweat glistening on their dark skin. As I took a seat a little apart from them, my own skin lilly white other than my hands and face, I heard a skirmish in another room and a familier voice spitting and cursing. Then a steam-shrouded figure barged into the room. I grinned. "What took you so long, Cat?"

I nodded, not sure about his public bath thing, then took a deep breath and entered the door marked Senoras.

I had the dress Jacky had meant to give me months ago, bundled under my arm. He carried fresh coat and shirt. When we arrived at the bath house I paused. "Since you've already experienced this before, what should I expect? You know me, I don't like surprises, especially when I'm naked and covered in soap."

I liked sailing in the small boat, even if it was in Havana harbor. It was an almost carefree feeling, and I wished it had lasted a bit longer than it did. All too soon we were at the docks, with Spaniards peering at us, wondering who we were and what we were about. Once again I hoped Jacky knew what he was doing. If there ever was a time when I needed to trust him, this was the time. My life and my ship depended on him. A situation I was not altogether comfortable with. After he had secured the boat, I asked, "So, which way to the bath house?"

Books, teapots, vintage jewelry, Mason's "Vista" transferware in the cranberry color, jackets & shoes, to name a fraction.

I glared at him, which was hard to do with my back to him. "I think she's dumbstruck, at the moment. If Africa starts to laugh, she snap out of it. When she does, if she wants to follow us, she can take the other boat. I'm sure Nate will be more than happy to help her row. Trouble is, what do we do with him at the dinner, if he does come with her?"

***Pulls flask from coat pocket and hands it to an obviously demented Rats*** "Here, quick, take some of mine." Whew. For a second there, I thought it was a Rats rendition of "Fish Heads."

As Africa left to fetch the dress for Red Cat, I strolled to the upturned jolly boat and peered under. "Come on out, mate, you're in the clear." With his characteristic sheepish grin, Nate crawled out from under the boat. I nodded at the nice job he'd done on the small vessel. "Good work. Might make yourself useful after all." At that moment Africa returned with a ruffled bundle of apple-green silk sprigged with tiny rosees. With obviouse glee, he handed it to Red Cat. "Here you go, Cat. But, better you take off all dem pistols first. Dey don go with petticoats." His grin, if possible, got wider. Red Cat stood dumbfounded, with the bundle in her arms. Quickly, I signaled Jacky to return to the jolly boat, only to discover he was already hiding in it, waiting for me. As I settled to the oars again, I turned my head and spoke over my shoulder at him, "Bloody coward."

I have the DVD Libertine, and like the movie very much. However, I have to be in the right (?) frame of mind to watch it, as it is quite dark, especially toward the end. JD is grand, and it is a very different part to those he usually plays. Another movie that is very good, but difficult to watch in certain parts is Pan's Labyrinth. It's a Spanish movie with English subtitles, but it's so good that didn't bother me at all. The time period for that one is 1944 Spain. Maybe we need a "Random Movie Review" thread? = The preview trailers were the best part of the movie. = Maybe worth watching after DVD comes out on a 7-day rental. = Buy DVD if you can get it under $10 = See it at the theatre on a half-price day. Buy DVD if you can get it under $20 = Great Movie. See it at the theater two times, and buy DVD at any cost.