A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean

I want to go back to the island,
Where the shrimp boats
. .tie up to the pilin'.
Give me oysters and beer
. .for dinner ev'ry day of the year,
And I'll feel fine, I'll feel fine.

Two hundred and two days ago my friends and I all went online to TicketMonster and started clicking away like test rats beating on the food bar trying to get a treat. It’s an annual ritual for us and this year, unlike last, we were eminently successful.

Last year, when we tried to buy tickets only one out of six of us got through and we were forced to get our tickets to the show on the aftermarket. This, of course, sucked major monkey balls since the price automatically doubles.

This year? Well this year all of us got through and we found ourselves with 36 tickets to tomorrow’s Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band show at Nissan. The bus to the show starts loading at 1:30. Yeah, I said "bus." Four years ago we all decided we all made enough money to rent a bus to take us to-and-from the concert eliminating the need for a DD. Also, it gave us our own private bathroom. A much treasured luxury in the parking lot of Nissan Pavilion.

'Cause I want to be there,
I want to go back down and lie beside the sea there.
With a tin cup for a chalice
Fill it up with good red wine,
And I'm-a chewin' on a honeysuckle vine.

I’ve lost count to the number of Buffett shows I’ve been to, but this year is either 13 or 14. Every one is different (even though many of the same songs are played), and every one is special. Special because I’m there with my best friends, some of the people I love the most in the world.

So, if you too are headed out to the show tomorrow, I’ll see you there and maybe we can share a beer or two. If you’re not, well, the pirate has looked at 60 and if you’ve ever wondered why he sells out all his shows you’re running out of chances to see why.

Yes, and now you heard my strange proposal;
Get that pack gear on and let's move.
I want to be there before the day
Tries to steal away and leave us behind;
I've made up my mind

- selected lyrics from the song Tin Cup Chalice, one of my favs.

TMI Thursday: The strangers

It's TMI Thursday my friends. For more stories that will entertain and disgust you at the same time go to LiLu’s place for this week's full list. And now, on to the fun!

If possible, this falls into the “cute” TMI category.

A couple years back my friends and I decided we needed a better way to get to the Jimmy Buffett concert. As much fun as it was driving out to whatever venue he was playing at, it generally lost its luster as we sat, and sat…and sat in lines reaching into the next state waiting to exit the parking lot.

So we hit upon a plan. There were enough of us now, and we all had sufficiently well-enough paying jobs (some more than others) that we decided now was the time to rent a bus to take us to Margaritaville. Sweetening the pot, one of our friends, The Doc, offered to pay for half the price of the rental. His logic being it was worth the grand or so he kicked in (about what he makes in four hours in the ER on a Friday night) to see all his friends have a good time.

Who are we to argue?

A joke: What’s the difference between Deadheads and Parrotheads? Parrotheads have 401ks.

Anyway, during the past four years the plan has been a roaring success. No fuss, no muss, no hassle getting to-and-from the show and, best of all, no lines for the bathroom.

The last part cannot be overstated. For the boys it’s not too much of an issue, but I’m thinking since Doc got married he may have a better idea of how the world works from the next porta-shitter over. At least his world, that is.

At one point during the tail-gate, far enough into the beer and tequila I felt the need to relieve myself; I headed inside to the head.

The “Occupied” sign was up in the latch so I enjoyed the AC while I waited.

And waited.

Finally, “Occupied” flipped to “Vacant” and the door opened to reveal not one, but two smiling people (boy and girl, just to clarify).

Two smiling people still in the process of adjusting their leis, grass skirts, zippers and bikini top.

Two smiling people I’d never, ever before, in my entire life, seen.

I had to applaud them and their audacity as they left our rented bus.