CrazyCholeBlack

^ Rum in my tea please. Vodka goes in the lemonade. < I'm happier with this garb than I have ever been with any other project (well except maybe the 20's Great Gatsby stuff). That *never* happens! V Glass half full, half empty or break the glass!

I'm THERE! But I think I'd wear a helmet, just cause it looks like it gets so close to the ground & that would make me nervous without a helmet.

so what's special about flying fish? I've only had your standard Moose Club Friday Fish Fry fish before.

I can't stop imagining Red Cat with whipped cream on her whiskers waving a cutlass at anyone who tries to take her mocha away.

Mr. Red Wake, pirate phone stalker I can find my own number in 3 words on Google. Geeze, so much for internet privacy

this is a very strange idea but I kind of like it. The part about finding someone phone number in the real world though, sounds more like Pirate Prank Calls to me. What would a pirate prank call be?

^ Sweet, I've got a terrible sweet tooth. < My sewing list is always 4 in planning for every 1 I finish. The length is starting to get scary! V do you know how to sew?

^ It would be shorter to answer why I'm not. < Dry run of my (finally) finished "common woman" clothes tomorrow then everything goes in the box for Friday! V Do you try things out ahead of time or not?

today it's cold matzo balls with jelly & hot tea. I should get sick more often. The food is great

Just happened to pick up a copy of Scientific American Reports special issue on food today which features a little article about the shifts in "food theory" between the 16th - early 18th centuries. Haven't gotten to far into it (or taken my notes) but from what I skimmed it looks pretty interesting & gives some good ideas for more areas to research.

holey old thread batman. I'm not big on smells. To many are used these days. With everyone loaded with soaps & detergents & perfumes & everything it's just overwhelming & I stop smelling anything in all the mess. I like the smell of fresh turned dirt, cut grass & hay, the smell the air gets in the summer right before it's going to rain. I like lemon, orange & wintergreen or peppermint. I love the smell of pure beeswax. For a man, I like a guy who smells like he's been working outside in the sun be it on land or water Although around here you don't want to smell like the river Personally, I wear ylang-ylang oil on the rare occasion that I go out. Otherwise I smell like lye soap & mint. My hands almost always smell like shea butter & almond oil from the cream I put on them. Pretty simple I guess.

yum, especially after they've soaked up all the broth. Can you believe the little swab won't touch them. Eh, more for me!

Jane took three steps to follow before pausing. She turned to the other women with a confused shrug. Blond head swiveled to follow the departing Ransom, then to look out at the distant Relentless, bobbing on the dull waves. For once Jane was completely baffled. She couldn't make heads or tales out of Mr. Tar's recent behavior, a fact that unsettled her more than the behavior itself. Sure the pending treasure hunt was risky, but he seemed to be paranoid beyond reason and so suddenly. The thin pink lip was tugged nervously, the disappearing shadow of the other captain followed with a frown. While Jane was in no hurry to sleep aboard the Rakehell, she also knew that Ransom's offer was as close to an acceptance of the sailing arrangements as she would hear. If she didn't take it, there was no telling whether the space would be waiting come morning. With another shrug to Silkie & Red Cat, Jane gathered her heavy skirts in one hand, worn shoes pounding on the dock as she raced to catch up with Ransom.

A big steaming bowl of veggie soup, with carrots, celery, onions & matzo balls. With orange juice, hot peppermint tea & chocolate chip cookies for desert. I'm drowning this cold once and for all!

Dorian said it best, so I'll simply repeat his wisdom Since the kids are too young to say it themselves, let me say it for them. THANK YOU!

^ I have about as much tact as a cannonball. < My mom promised to take me to to get a bowl of liver dumpling soup from my favorite German place before RF! Now I'm even more anxious to get down there. V on a scale of 1-10 (1 being low) how patient are you?

A wave of despair swept over Jane as the seedy Inn came into view. The building was battered, barely remaining standing thanks to the storm. A large portion of the roof had collapsed, taking with it her rented attic room and much of the Inn’s second floor. The street surrounding the Inn was dry, but showed signs of being flooded only a few hours earlier. Perhaps it had been too much to expect both herself and her belongings to survive the storm. Jane slipped around through the back alley, dodging stray branches and other debris. The rear door sat half on its hinges, mud spilling into the building through the gap. Quietly she slipped through the space, navigating the dim interior with ease. Before Ioan could follow her, she spun around to face him, glaring in frustration. Her fowl mood wasn’t up to tolerating his dog at heels routine much longer. “Captain didn’t say ye ‘ad ta be on my heels! Jest stay ‘ere fer once.” A thin finger jabbed at his chest to make the point clear

Jane was about to slip quietly down a side alley when she noticed a spark of white against the dim night sky. Feet quickened down the docks until she was sure of what she saw, the Relentless, setting sail on the slight evening breeze. "Damn me!" The girl swore, spinning on a heel. If Ransom was angry with Mr. Tar for his attempted "orders", there was no telling what she'd think knowing he was sailing without them. In short order Jane reached the Pub, rushing up to the three women gathered at the bar. She stood half behind Red Cat, hoping the other's quick reflexes to prevent the other captain from making any rash moves. "Yer not gonta like this un." Jane started, her breath huffing from the run. Three pairs of eyes swiveled around to regard the girl. "I jest saw tha Relentless setting a fair amount o sail. She looks ta be headin fer open water."

^ I'd give myself a 4-5. I tend to say what I think regardless. To me it's more important to be honest than to just tell people what they want to hear, even if that means being a little rough sometimes. < Really wants to go to RF2 but thinks that it would be better to just stay home. It's not like I have any reason to be there or like I'll be missed. V social butterfly or antisocial freak?

^ because it's the only one that's the same as on another forum I visit. < I want something pretty and I'm stuck with being practical. *sigh* V pretty or practical?

"Red Cat, it weren't no letter o' mark, ye can't plunder Starbucks. Just give 'em the letter o' credit an ask 'em fer a mocha, luv." if ye can't plunder it, why is it called stARRRRbucks? (try as I might I couldn't find the pirated SB logo that I know I've seen before)

Right this second, nuthin & my stomach ain't too happy about that. I had to walk away from The Kate because all that good looking food was torture.

Jane knew better than to get in Ransom's way when the woman was fuming. Let Red Cat deal with the red headed captain's fire. Instead of returning to the pub, Jane slipped off to her favorite secret haunt for a drink and a much needed sleep. Come morning there would be endless preparations and plans, until then she intended to enjoy her last free hours on land.

Jane's good mood evaporated like morning fog as Jacky made his crew announcement. Why did he want Red Cat & Roberts separated? Since when was Silkie included in the crew, they hadn't even discussed that yet? Why would she need to bunk in the captain's cabin when any dry corner would do just fine? His plan seemed to create more problems than it solved. The pale brow furrowed, trying to untangle the sudden knot that Mr Tar had created. None of his plan seemed right to her. Jane cringed as Ransom stormed off, shaking the entire wall of the pub as she slammed through the door. Almost the minute she was out of sight Jacky turned to Red Cat & rescinded his previous arrangements. He even ended the brief conversation with "an order". It was then that Jane realized it hadn't been about the ship assignment at all, but about leadership. Her jaw dropped slightly as she looked about in utter awe before breaking into a deep laugh. "Twas a test! Damn me!" her hand slammed on her knee, shoulders still shaking with laugher. Jane couldn't help but admire their new leader for his cleverness. Inwardly though she resolved to keep a closer eye on him, just in case he tried to pull another test over their eyes.

Despite telling Ioan that it would only be one stop, Jane led them to two. At first she wove a random path, turning down alleys and back streets until Ioan was sure she was trying to loose him. She slogged through the debris strewn streets, climbing over fallen tree limbs and timber walls, never once turning to see if he still followed. She kept up a brisk pace, secretly hoping that her shadow would ignore his orders and leave her to her own devices. He was a pirate after all, regardless of what he said about “quick escapes”. What ever happened to those tales of lawless villains the other sailors had told, or were they merely made up stories to scare the younger mates. Jane stopped dead in her tracks as she turned yet another corner, jerked from her wandering thoughts, by a large crowd. “Wot’s this now?” Jane questioned a pudgy fellow in front of her. They weren’t far from where the Anna Rae had been docked. Her brow furrowed as she stood on the balls of her feet, trying to see over the shoulders of the gawkers. “Sum fool thunk tah keep ‘is ship ona docks durn tha storm. She done half sunk n tore up tha dock sumfin bad. Thay tryin ta pull ‘er free now.” He replied, turning a round face to her briefly before looking back at the organized chaos around the wrecked ship. Realization dawned on Jane, green eyes going round as she stood flat on her feet again. Impatiently she shoved past the man, nearly knocking him over in her haste to see the damage. Deep down she knew it was the merchantman, but until she’d see it, she couldn’t fully believe it. Reaching the front of the mob Jane came to another abrupt halt. There, half sunk, a gaping hole in her side, lay the remains of the Anna Rae. The unrelenting wind had forced her against her moorings. A gash had been torn in an area Jane remembered as already damaged. The high water filled that void, half drowning the poor ship with only the dock to hold her above water. Two of the three masts were in splinters, tangled in the once hard working lines. A small salvage crew swarmed around the hulk, securing guide lines and clearing rubble in preparation for separating the vessel from the shore. “Blasted fool.” Jane muttered, dropping her eyes with a resigned sigh before turning on her heel and pushing back into the throng of onlookers. It was over, the past two years of her life, gone in a matter of days. Just like the previous chapter of her life had changed overnight. She felt incapable of making a slow transition, doomed to suffer the changes in life with no warning.