The Pelican Board Walk Boogie

Wow. ... Double Wow. I'm aware that it has been a rather lengthy amount of time since I blogged, but if anything was ever worth blogging about, it is most certainly the 10th annual Board Walk Boogie. The only problem is, it's terribly hard to do it justice with words. And as the theme this year was "ten years of debauchery" you might imagine that some of the photos taken might be internet inappropriate. Simply put, it was *the* best weekend. I kept saying "I should go, I've never been, I'm gonna go." And because all my neighbors were going they thought I was for real, and so then I had to. The boat ride over there on Thursday on the alan marine charter was so lovely, totally already worth it, and the ferry ride back on Monday was even more exquisite than that (plus with way more debauchery). The weather was fan-tastic! all weekend! And Pelican does not disappoint in the least for natural beauty or friendly people. Speaking of that sunny weather, writing this back at home in Juneau right now, I do have to say that it was a weekend of super super high highpoints, and some low lowpoints, basically the only low point was getting hellishly sunburned. All my skin is peeling off right now, and I went to the doctor yesterday because my left tonsil is jutting out of my throat (in a painful kind of way), additionally I may have somehow lost the ability to eat food since everything that goes down feels like it has demon razor barbs on it, But enough with the complaining! It was all worth it! That's what you get for suppressing your immune system and not sleeping all weekend! So, highlights:
Thursday: Arriving in pelican was a total trip, I'd heard it was a party town but I didn't realize that people walk around with open drinks the entire time! I had a bowl of clam chowder to eat at the cafe once we threw our backpacks in the bunk house, and it was pretty much the best thing I've ever had. It was totally what you wanted as the night was getting started, and even funnier, I thought it was a salmon soup when I got it, because I guess I avoid clams with out thinking about it that much, and it turns out that clam chowder is the good stuff.



Thursday night we tore it up pretty hard. Boni and I got our dance on in a big way, but how could we not when there were so many good bands already going at it?! It was a joyful evening of going back and forth between the brown bar and rosies for dancing and drinking with board walk air in between. I saw this laying on the couch at rosie's: Jeremy Kane style glorious.


Then before I knew it, this was the view outside, it was getting light out and it was going on 6am, so it was time to hit the hay and close out the first night.


Friday morning, even though myself and all my bunk mates had brought far too much food, and two (2!) camp stoves between us, we all went to the cafe for breakfast. It is a decision I did not regret, as they made the best plate of corned beef hash I have ever had. Through out the weekend the cafe turned out to be a delight for many reasons though, as there was always music going on, and it's a friendly gathering place to be greeted by a crowd of people and get a cup of coffee should you be hung over or just getting up. We were directly across from it because we stayed in the old bunk house. Here was my favorite dog in pelican, a sweet little gremlin who lived at the cafe.

I went walking down on the docks later on friday, and after a lovely day of wandering around boats, watching float planes from the beach, listening to different jams going on around town, all with a brewsky or twosky in hand it proved itself to be again a very pleasant day. I worked the merchandise table for an hour I think on friday, which was the only commitment I had all weekend, how weird! at sunset boni and I walked up to the dump, I know, that girl is so romantic.. ha. It was really gorgeous up there though, you gain height and you can look back down on town, here are some shots of us being hobos up there.

As you might have guessed, friday's evening activities included music, dancing, drinking, and debauchery. I would like to think I perfected some subtle techniques of mooning on friday night, to a certain degree of hilarity. At least, they made me laugh. They were based on a solid foundation of deadpan, and were designed to make individuals wonder whether I was aware that my pants were down. Again, in either case, whether they succeeded or not, it kept me and boni entertained for hours. I guess the nudity and laughs are what stood out for this evening, it was another great success for tearing it up. This is me, alex, and meredith outside the room at the end o night.

Saturday: was terrific, although it was the day I sustained the lobstering of a life time. I was asleep in my nest on the floor when Boni climbed in through our open window to wake me up to go kayaking before the winds kicked up. I obliged in a hurry and after grabbing a cup of coffee, we were getting the kayaks off the boat in no time. Speaking of that boat, Capt. Rusty, and The lovely Stacy as seen below


were really too good to me, and were sweet dears every time I was on the boat, letting me take a kayak and feeding me spaghetti dinners. It was a nice place to visit. So, the kayaking was supremely wonderful, super calm waters, beautifully sunny skies. The wind never did kick up, and we had a great paddle. It was my first time in a kayak with the pedals and the rudder, and once I got used to it, I really liked that, way more efficient! Sadly I don't have any pics of this, I didn't bring my camera, but I will hopefully get some from the other girls later. We went out to an island aways from the beach, and along the way we saw jellies and fishies in the clear waters, and as we approached where we stopped, saw a pack of sea lions who were being very social. One of them, (my boyfriend) followed us to the other end of the island and stayed around while we were sunbathing, and got really close when linda and I took a splash in the cold water. We brought stuff for mimosas out with us, and lay naked on the rocks, it was pretty much the perfect way to start the morning. That went on for some time, and it was hard to leave our little paradise. It was of course worth it to go back, always for the awesome bands! Here's one of my favorite shots
Nate and Ike from The Wilders, Nate on the flying leap and Ike on the Stand up Bass. Nate helpfully told the crowd that he didn't know the song they were doing so he would dance instead.
Saturday was an excellent afternoon for sipping a bloody mary and listening to the the tunes, purveying the goods, and wandering around in the sun shine. We made the mistake of decking ourselves out in bras and skirts only, and thusly my pale upper alaskan body got bizurned!
This is boni getting ready to shoot the cans while we were playing carnival games.
So most of Saturday went this way, and again as you might have guessed Saturday's evening activities as planned were much in the same vein as the rest of the week, and I actually had pretty grandiose schemes for tearing it up, but then tragedy struck when I went to lay down for a preparatory nap. It was all good until boni woke me up to start the night, we went down towards the bars and as we did I noticed I was pretty shivery from my burn. Not surprising as I was Crayola red at this point, but that was the beginning of the end. Boni won the limbo, and Saturday night is the evening with the naked run and all the other contests, but I found myself down and out by the fire outside Rosies. I just declined steadily as sweet friends brought me water, and finally boni noticed my collapse and procured us a golf cart ride home down the board walk, by a sweet sweet man named Toby. (Who I never got to see and thank again.) Then Miz Parker took the best care of me and put me to bed in the bunk house, stealing matt's sleeping bag and making a far better and warmer nest for me in the floor, getting me out of the shower, and spooning me until I finally quit shivering and passed out. I will spare the gross details, but I had my glorious low moments of puking and crawling around in the dirt of pelican. It was truly awful, the worst case of sun poisoning that I can remember.

A true documentary, this is me in all my grossness. Sunday morning boni came in to check on me, and then went home early with her boat people. I slept in some more, and made a gentle day of it. I sipped a lot of water, and lived the life of shade and long sleeves, there was still plenty of good music, and... the dirty song writing contest! I had the privilege of being part of some super secret shit, and as a consequence also now have the privilege of knowing the dance from "Thriller" michael jackson stylie. The contest was super funny, good works from lots of clever minds, I didn't realize it was also a "slit yer wrist" songwriting contest as well, and so lots of sad clever too. I especially liked some of those, as well as 'gloryhole', and then finally Collette burned the house down with "Necrophilia" done to the tune of thriller, which had this whole awesome bit at the end that included a ton of dancing zombies, which I was one of. I should note that sadly my camera stopped working on Saturday night, and so I don't have any photographic evidence of any of this, but again I hope to get pictures from others. Then sometime after that little event, while having a lovely mellow evening by the far outside rosies again, something in me rallied, and I found myself back on the dance floors, and back between bars for Sunday night, and thank god because The Wilders did it up right at the brown bar, and The Gallus Bros. never stopped at rosies! I was moving a little slower to be sure, but I kept going until about 7am on Sunday before calling it quits and heading back to the bunk house. It was a really good night, and a really good morning.
Monday: Geez, still going! monday I packed, I made it to the ferry with some coffee, I did it quickly to get it over with, and I got on the ferry with no problems! *I tried to buy a ticket home at the last minute when I was still in juneau, but they were sold out! I took my chances by going to pelican anyway, and had the providence of meeting Glen, who took care of me like a real sweetheart, and let me use an extra ticket of someone who was supposed to go with him but didn't* I forgot that they have have powerful heat lamps on the solarium's of the ferry, what a glorious day! I did a little bit of laying down on the deck near the lamps, pretty much heaven, much like the rest of the weekend. And then, the next thing I knew, them dat blasted crazy musicians were going at it again on the deck with the music, and people were smoking and drinking white russians, and setting up picnics, and so of course I had to get up and get back to dancing. They played ALL the way home! Which I didn't realize we had a slow ferry and so we didn't get home til 11pm. It was just soo wonderful and encapsulated everything I love about this kind of music, and the kind of people who play it. I felt like I got a second or third lease on the weekend, and had a fantastic trip all the back. A highlight was a gorgeously beautiful indescribable (*though someone must have a pic!) sunset, watching from the boat, and dancing with devin to wagon wheel, it was pretty much the perfect way to end the weekend.
In the end, I came home a zombie, but a very happy zombie. And quite a few people made it to the "only the strong survive" gathering at the Alaskan that night. And quite a few people were at the Alaskan on Tuesday night to finally put it to bed.... what I can say, it's hard to let go. Here are a few last random pics from earlier in the week.
I love you, Pelican.
xo
a

Mu-SIC!
Dock Walking.
The Best Gang Ever.
Jeff Leff, AKA Bone-y Marone-y, who generously gave me a pair of bones to start my career.
The Beach.
Me, Meredith, Our Banana.
Tara and I are all teeth.