Ahoy, Mateys!

I'm finally getting back in the swing of things. The trip was a blast. We ate and drank in several different countries in Epcot. We saw most of the big time disney characters. And, we generally did the disney experience to the hilt. (Including getting fried crispy . . . both literally and alcoholically . . . by the pool one day. Viva Cabana Boys!)

But, by far, the most memorable person we saw at disney was the grown man/pirate wannabe.

The disney properties are lousy with people in disney shirts, buttons, pins, hats, and little ones dressed as their favorite princesses. But, as we were waiting to ride the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, we became fascinated with the family behind us.

It was the traditional family type . . . adult male and female and child male and female. The adult female was dressed normally enough. Frankly, I don't remember her outfit as being remarkable in anyway. The female child was wearing a child's pirate costume. . . but somewhat subtle . . . a leather vest, hat, etc . . . The male child was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. But the adult male was in full blown pirate garb. We're talking large gold hoop earring, thin line of a beard around his chin, grey fabric tied over his head and draped down to one side with a leather hat on top. He had the leather vest and the pirate pants and everything.

He also kept trying to find ways to nudge ahead of people in line . . . and was insistent that the adult female take his picture with all the pirate props that populate the "waiting" area of the ride. I also noticed that his children had "pirate names" which he repeated frequently. (I'll not post the names here since they are, in fact, children and probably innocent in the whole scheme.)

The Chick and I wondered if this were how the man was all the time. . . was this a special thing just for disney? Was the pirates ride some reward for 90 days sober? How many times did the family ride the pirate ride that afternoon? And was this some sort of sexual kick for the man and woman?

It may have been the happiest day of his life. We thought he was a tool.