October 15, 2008: I pick up “Godzilla” at its storage yard and bring it home. We start the loading and unloading to get it ready to be “Buffett Base”. As soon as the Motorhome is ready, Claudia and I start preparing the many ingredients for the main course at the show…Jeff’s soon-to-be-world-famous gumbo. At 8:00 pm, I head for the airport to pick up the kids from Texas. They show up, partially bedecked with the appropriate Buffett clothing and paraphernalia. We head for home and, after a short get-together, go to bed. After all, it is almost midnight (Texas time).
October 16, 2008: After a fabulous breakfast at Barber’s Gourmet Restaurant, we started the final loading for the trip to Cricket Amphitheater in Chula Vista. We pulled out shortly after noon. The trip was uneventful, except for a few honking forays with other RV’s headed for the same venue, all of us bedecked with the appropriate (and some not so appropriate) Jimmy Buffett regalia. We were directed to the RV parking lot and were soon parked, leveled and partying!
"Buffett Base"
Party Central
Alex and Alexis...and me
After setting up and decorating the rig, we spread out to do our own things. Mine was to observe all the stages of dress (and undress) that wandered around the parking lot.
There were several “quality sightings” and spectacular booths set up by the Parrotheads.
A Parrothead PT
A typical Parrothead booth
and another
and another
A Parrothead PT
A typical Parrothead booth
and another
and another
I shortly returned to Buffett Base to help with the meal setup. Jeff and I had a Landshark Lager,
the Landshark beer wagon
the Landshark beer wagon
Jimmy Buffett’s new beer sponsor, and got started. After about two beer’s worth of time, we were set up and ready. The Gumbo was simmering
Jeff preparing gumbo
Anticipating your furrowed brows, the recipe follows:
4 parts pineapple juice
1 part orange juice
1 part Coco Lopez
Dark rum to taste (use more as the night goes on)
The partying went on until around 7:00 pm when we all assembled for the march (stagger) to the concert. Suffice to say there were many happy people moving toward the concert entrance, some MUCH happier than others. There was also a slight “haze” that lingered over the venue that had a slight odor of burning tennis shoes. I seemed to remember it from my past law enforcement days but that was years ago and we continued on.
Our “seats” were in the nosebleed section known as “The Grass” or “The Lawn”. We brought several blankets to throw out and settled in for the wait. I somehow developed a dry mouth and bought a bottle of water from a vendor…for FIVE FREAKIN’ DOLLARS!!!!! Water…not gold…water!!! A beer was $8 and out of the question. We are in a recession in case no one has noticed! Anyway, the concert soon started. Our “seats” were now “stands” as no one sat down during the entire concert except for the one short intermission.
The concert was fabulous! Jimmy was at the top of his game. It was a terrific show and everyone was having a ball! Sometime after about 11:30 and three encores, the show ended and we all moved slowly toward the exits. Returning to the rig, we finished putting all the gear away and waited for the small rig next to me to pull out so I could move “Godzilla”.
Somewhat after midnight, my lane opened up and we headed for home. The throaty noise from inside the rig was louder than the throaty noise from outside the rig. We arrived home somewhere between 1:00 and 1:30 in the morning, as I remember. After parking the rig on the street, we walked back to the condo and hit the sack. Great night! Great party!
Jeff preparing gumbo
and the “Pain Killers” (another necessary liquid concoction at a Jimmy Buffett concert) were ready in their pump dispenser.
The Pain Killer dispenser and 4 soon-to-be victims
Anticipating your furrowed brows, the recipe follows:
4 parts pineapple juice
1 part orange juice
1 part Coco Lopez
Dark rum to taste (use more as the night goes on)
The partying went on until around 7:00 pm when we all assembled for the march (stagger) to the concert. Suffice to say there were many happy people moving toward the concert entrance, some MUCH happier than others. There was also a slight “haze” that lingered over the venue that had a slight odor of burning tennis shoes. I seemed to remember it from my past law enforcement days but that was years ago and we continued on.
Our “seats” were in the nosebleed section known as “The Grass” or “The Lawn”. We brought several blankets to throw out and settled in for the wait. I somehow developed a dry mouth and bought a bottle of water from a vendor…for FIVE FREAKIN’ DOLLARS!!!!! Water…not gold…water!!! A beer was $8 and out of the question. We are in a recession in case no one has noticed! Anyway, the concert soon started. Our “seats” were now “stands” as no one sat down during the entire concert except for the one short intermission.
The concert was fabulous! Jimmy was at the top of his game. It was a terrific show and everyone was having a ball! Sometime after about 11:30 and three encores, the show ended and we all moved slowly toward the exits. Returning to the rig, we finished putting all the gear away and waited for the small rig next to me to pull out so I could move “Godzilla”.
Somewhat after midnight, my lane opened up and we headed for home. The throaty noise from inside the rig was louder than the throaty noise from outside the rig. We arrived home somewhere between 1:00 and 1:30 in the morning, as I remember. After parking the rig on the street, we walked back to the condo and hit the sack. Great night! Great party!
1 comment:
Hi Guys,
It's about time you posted to your blog! Looks like you all had a wonderful time - not counting the drive home in the early morning hours.
Take care, Linda and Andy
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