[Gpdd] [Virtual] The Black Pearl travels, Haiti, New Orleans, Florida, New York, wedding

[warmbreath at comcast.net]

Captain Jack Stumbles out of his Pigloo rather earlier than he would have 
liked the morning after the Super-Bowl Parade and Party in New Orleans, His 
eyes are streaked red and he rubs his head and stumbles over a body. It 
moves. It's Shipwreck Sam who in turn rolls over and bumps into Barnacle 
Bill. Capt'n Jack moans "hurricanes" (the official drink of New Orleans' 
Mardi Gras season). Jack goes to the wash basin and burrows his head all the 
way into the bowl, cleans up with a towel, and throws it on Sam who in turn 
does the small favor for Barnacle Bill. All three look bleary eyed but dress 
quickly. Finally Jack says "Look Alive!, men, dis be a big day." A discreet 
rap at the door is followed shortly by the entrance of Peaches, smart in her 
thigh high boots, daggers peeking out the top of most of them, Jodie da Pig, 
whose eyes rivet on Sam as she moves to his side follows. Velvet and Onyx 
glide in after and start tidying the cabin from habit, there are hurricane 
and champagne glasses, and strings of beads laying around which they add to 
their own collections. Jodie and Peaches lay out a simple breakfast of hay 
and hot hay tea and they all find themselves around the table. The deck 
heaves gently, reminding Cap'n Jack that he did indeed make it back to the 
Black Pearl but the motion robs him of his appetite. "Cant whee get some 
carrot grog" he says, dramatically lifting his hand to his brow and lowering 
his voice. Peaches says gently "dont you think you are a little over-grogged 
already". Onyx pipes up and says OK Cap'n! Whee got to the party, how in the 
heck are whee going to get to the wedding in New York on Valentines Day, 
especially with the weather bad around half the world?" Velvet passes some 
beads to Jodie, "yes, sir, it's only a few days and New York is way farthest 
away and the weather is horrible with lots of snows." Peaches worries "I 
wonder if whee have enough heavy rigging and sails, how's da ballast?" but 
nobody answers.

"It's Ok men! I got it all figured out. First you know whee had to get some 
R&R after all dat good works in Haiti, whee got da small animals started 
into a rescue train to the country an arranged for their medical needs with 
the ASPCA. It seemed to me to go from one disaster back to another one that 
was recovering, however slowly, and to honor their football achievement 
would be good for our minds, it seemed so fitting, better than going 
straight to a wedding. That way whee could lay low till the storms pass, and 
it looks like it will clear from south to north so whee may be able to scoot 
in behind and make it on time." "Maybe On time!" hoots Shipwreck Sam causing 
a reflexive cringe from Cap'n Jack, "I'm the Best Man, whee have to be on 
time." Jack says "I got dat one covered too, if the weather doesn't clear in 
time whee will grab a ride in one of those C-131's the Air Force uses to 
ferry supplies into Haiti, their return trips are mostly empty, they can fit 
this little tub into a corner, the soldiers will think it's a model ship, I 
got it all set up." "What if it doesn't work out" worries Jodie stroking 
Sammie's arm. "Well, then the wedding party members will grab a PigAir 
flight, they can get over the storm as easily as one of those C-131's. I'll 
bring the Pearl in time to pick up the Honeymooners".  "Honeymooners!!!!!!, 
what are you going on about", the rest say in unison. Captain Jack groans 
again and says very patiently "whee are taking the Honeymooners on their 
wedding trip to Hawaii", adding in a very small voice "and California. 
What's more whee are stopping tonight to see if Ann's piggies have talked 
her into sending them to the wedding, they didn't think so, she's doing some 
works and they might have to help, but I'm hoping to recruit on this leg or 
the next, whee need a bigger crew, and whee especially need a bookkeeper, 
but before you yell bookkeeper, remember to whisper" Hawaii!! they all 
scream in unison, dats just wunderful". "Hawaii!, dats a whole nuder ocean, 
my slave says its wonerful" says Sammy. Velvet chimes in "OK Jack, but why 
do whee need a bookkeeper?"  "Because you eggheads all ran up the egg cards 
shopping in Trinidad for News Years Eve dress materials and ribbons, and 
then the boars filled up theirs on fireworks, and they when whee needed ship 
supplies whee didn't have any money left and had to get day jobs, and then 
whee all had to message home for more money to run the Haiti operation, good 
ting da slaves all knew dat one was important, so whee just gotta get 
organized, ya know, dat way if whee need to run some pirating ops with da 
agents from England and Holland whee can plan in advance instead of nearly 
getting my beautiful ass thrown in da jail!!, dats why!", he says with a bit 
more emotion. "OH! and jus so you all know, Ellen's piggies are going home 
to Hawaii wit us, an maybe whee be picking up Sparkles, she can give us a 
tour of da islands."  Oh! an Jodie, you bedder check your PigAir 
reservations, as your slave messaged that you were going to da wedding from 
your Merryland home but da storm is der already so double check which way 
you and Peaches are going and let your slave know, dem slaves get all 
worried if dey dont know where you is" Onyx, you bedder do da same cus I 
read you were all going from Oz but der be big storms der too zo pick the 
safest way an tell da slave." "so lets get going, whee might have to tow da 
Pearl across Florida to make da best time, whee can go from Tampa to Orlando 
where all does military types are."  Oh Boy! more piggies, more frins, more 
crew! You did very good Cap'n" adds Peaches.
So they all push away from the table, Jodie and Peaches hang back to finish 
cleaning the room, to get it ready to move in the Honeymooners. Onyx and 
Velvet go to post ships orders and make sure everybody's ready to go. 
Captain Jack and Shipwreck Sam go out to relieve the watch, Barnacle Bill 
slips off to kitchen sure he can whip up something great for the crews 
lunch, he still just loves to cook.

Over the wheel Sam turns to Jack and says "well now that Bill has a date for 
da wedding and Jodie and I are set up, are you going to ask Baby Puff to go 
wit you to da wedding, you seem beloved of her."Well Sammy, lemee tell ya" 
he says after a long pause and a pull on his pipe (no tobacco), "I bin 
tinking allot bout tings and I gots it all figured out, I am crazy about her 
but there's a reason she is called Baby Puff......... She's still a baby, 
mind you she will be a real corker grown up and I do love her, but it came 
to me dat I luv her like a dad.  An you know dat Peaches and the Princess 
took charge of her on da voyage and dey were so patient and loving it made 
me see Peaches in a new way. You knows whee got history wit Peaches, she was 
de beloved of da Jolly Rodent and Manny da Boar, dey is like my fathers or 
Unkles. And look at her now, memmer her in Haiti, she in dose boots pulled 
out dat dagger when dat scoundrel sneaked up on me, have you seen her handle 
da Pearl, I don' tink even you have a feel for her da way dat Peaches duz. 
She can run da ship, and party all night and be a tender momma, an obviously 
Charlie and Manny loved her, I tink I been  lookin da wrong way da hole 
time, I love dat Peaches girl and if she will join me whee can adopt our 
Baby Hess an be a fambly, a real fambly, isn't dat jus somethin?  Sam looks 
at his frind and sees a little tear and hugs him but the Cap'n brusquely 
pushes him away, but winks "not in front of the crew, Sammy"  The Captain 
straightens up, sets his hat and says "Whee got a wedding get to men, heave 
ho!A pirates life for us!......