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Posted to r.m.h on July 20, 1999 About the time Hoppy #85 was pulling Slimefest#1 together, I was invited to visit Seattle for a weekend by my friend, Andrea. So I got in touch w/Madman #88, swore him to secrecy in case my plans went south, and tried to coordinate matters. Andrea was a bit concerned when I told her we would be visiting the Slugs, including someone named Snarl and Madman ... but she's a sport when all is said and done. The downside to all of this was I had to fly to Seattle, so that meant no bike. At any rate, on Saturday Andrea and I arose early and drove out to the country to meet Madman and the lovely Mrs. Madman, Candace (who, it would appear, married significantly below her station in life, for some reason). After scoping out the pan on the stand and the cracked frame and enjoying the Madman family's hospitality, we followed the Man out to the campsite through the drizzle. Upon arriving within 300-400 yards of the park, we started to see traces of a diluted, gelatinous substance .... It sorta quivered in the breeze and had a faintly phosphorescent quality to it .... Spooky!! What was originally just small streams of the stuff, became mounds and small ponds .... IT WAS SLIME!! I knew we were getting close. As we rounded a turn on this dirt road, we were finally able to see Slug central. There was a group of them huddled around a campfire trying to keep dry and warm. Now others have written of this meet and damned the rain showers, but be very thankful folks. That many slugs in one spot can generate a tremendous amount of slime …. It was only the rain diluting the prodigious output that prevented a natural disaster in the PNW rivaling Mt. St. Helen. Like all meetings of netscum, it's always great to finally eyeball the folks you've known only digitally. Snarl #67 and Jeanne, Hoppy and Patty, Heekster and the missus, Randy Skurr, Slowhand the Ever-Smilin' Slug, Dirty Harry and the Great Banana Slug, Dennis Peterson … and I know I've forgotten a few ... My apologies. And lest we forget, MaGGie da Queen of da Slugs was there also, reigning over her subjects. I immediately submitted an offering of Slug fuel produced in Loretto, KY, and Andrea and I were welcomed. After the obligatory lie-telling around the fire, we headed out to breakfast in Black Diamond ... Snarl and Jeanne rode with us in Andrea's car. They are fine folk .... Jeanne is particularly a sweety. At the restaurant/bakery, MaGGie sat with us and we enjoyed a wonderful buncha food ... Eggs, biscuits and gravy with sausage bits as big as your thumbnail, toast, bacon, slice of watermelon ... righteous!! By this time, the general consensus was to bag the rest of the day ... A ride around the volcano just didn't seem to be advisable given the weather and fog. So folks began to make their way home. We went back to the campsite for a couple of post-breakfast pulls on a bottle of Elijah Craig that was sitting unattended, some general hanging out among the stragglers, and to help folks break camp. Also got to see Snarl's '36 Knuck ... It's a sweetie, by God! Andrea and I offered to transport MaGGie's stuff back to Madman's so she could get that 3d gear buzzzzzzzzz on the back of Snarl's knuck. Left the Snarl family, and then a few minutes later we left MaGGie and the Madman and Candace. A fine day with fine folk! Wish it could have been longer!!
Barry #36 |