Goombay Baby!

October 23, 2006







Another packed weekend as Fantasy Fest events kicked off and we kept busy between attending Goombay, working on our Fantasy Fest costumes and float and trying to keep up with all the normal activities weekends bring about….laundry and grass cutting and such. It makes for a tired Monday at work that’s for sure. It’s a well earned exhaustion as we had an awesome time.



Friday night, we headed out to see the author reading event at the FIU writers seminar then headed down to Bahama Village to enjoy meat on a stick and the chance to see all the people in town, because almost everyone comes to Goombay. It is a wonderful example of all that is still good in Key West. The diversity of people, entertainment, food and fun makes the festival the favorite event of many locals. As usual, our hangout was the intersection of Thomas and Petronia Streets, in front of Blue Heaven Restaurant. This happened to be the exact area where a mysterious alien spacecraft had crash landed, stranding a scouting party of Plutonian refugees who were seeking to enlist willing souls to their cause.

Plutonians

Goombay featured a ton of great Caribbean music, great food, and vendors selling all sorts of eclectic merchandise, everything from bootleg live concert CDs to African handicrafts to a variety of fine jewelry. We were out late and had a lot to eat and drink...though not so much as Howard.



Saturday, Kathy had to attend a training seminar for work, leaving me free to attend a picnic at Ft. Zack for volunteers at the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. It was a perfect chamber of commerce day. Sunny and 80, no humidity with a light ocean breeze, great for a picnic. On the way home, I went back through Goombay, which seems a totally different place in the daylight.



Saturday night was more of the same, first attending a book signing at Kelly’s Caribbean for the release of a new anthology featuring 17 writers, each doing a piece set in Miami called appropriately enough, “Miami Noir”. My friend Tom Corcoran is one of the included writers and most of them were present for the book signing. Afterwards, it was back to the Pier House for more readings, including John Dufresne & Dennis Lehane and the wrap-up party for the writer’s conference.

Michael & Dan Wakefield

The night concluded back at Goombay where it must have been a full moon, because it seemed much crazier. Thankfully my friend Nadene was there to stand in for Kathy (who opted for home and sleep) and protect me from the freaky people who seemed somehow drawn to me.



Sunday was a day of rest, if you count yard work, laundry, costume creating and watching football as rest. Well, the football part perhaps. Go Colts!