Trailer Wife

We were minding our own business on Saturday morning when, out of nowhere, this white limo appears in front of the Honors College next door. In case you can't read the magnetic signage slapped on the side, it says "ARRRRficial 2009 Talk Like a Pirate Day Limo." When I got over being stunned that some one paid money for such a thing, I was accosted by two or so dozen geeky academics in costume. One man who frequents copper lane (he's a physicist, which is almost enough said) was wearing a satin overcoat, red tights and Tevas, a table scarf on his head and a wimpy felt eye patch tucked under his bifocals. It was kind of wonderful.

Turns out, the guy who created TLAPD hails from the Willamette Valley in Oregon, and had made a special trip up to Fairbanks to celebrate! So I instantly felt connected in some weird way. On the schedule was a pirate linguistics breakfast (which was taking place at the Honors College), a book signing at Barnes and Noble, a parade of pirates down University Way, all ending in a Pirate Ball in the Wood Center that evening. I badly wanted to go, if only to document the events in ironic black and white. But Sam couldn't get into the spirit. We went to Lowe's instead. Hmmm.