The return of the Jolly Rodgers in 2010...

Good bye Packer football - hello training season! It's time to get into shape and get motivated and prepped for the upcoming running/biking/swimming season! And it's time for the Jolly Rodgers to rise from the ashes. So, to kick the season off, a 'strategic planning' session/party was decreed.

I was anxious about the Jolly Rodgers party. This is a group of people who have met maybe once or twice before…not at all in some cases. And their significant others. And a smattering of ages. And, these are all serious athletes – bikers; runners; swimmers; triathletes (sprints to IM). Fine tuned – in shape - extreme athletes, in some cases. Or so I thought. Now, after the event, I can say that the majority are drunkards as well! What was there to be anxious about - these are my type of people! I’m afraid Packer tailgate parties have just morphed into Jolly Rodgers ‘strategic’ planning sessions – where nothing gets done and people drink and eat to excess. How did this happen?? Really, I was done with partying and sub par behavior after last week and ta daaaaaaa, here it was again…it’s following me!! Help! Run! Get it off of me!

Rick, Becky, Katie, Mitch, Angie and Kevin. I met Rick at triathlon class two years ago (very serious when he competes and always kicks butt) - Becky is his fiancee and she is an absolute joy (and our team massage therapist now); Katie rode Race the Lake last year and won second place in her age group - wooo wooo; I met Mitch at triathlon class last year and he also rode Race the Lake and is a giant - he's 6'7"...I wonder why my neck always hurts when I'm around him for any length of time; Angie is Mitch's wife - they have the cutest three children who love to go and cheer their daddy on; Kevin - you know him.

Stacy and Sara - I met these two lovely ladies at triathlon class two years ago and they have been in my life ever since. I cannot hold a candle to Stacy, the mayor of Oshkosh. And Sara, kicked our butts in the pool last year while very pregnant - it was that super human baby propulsion edge she had.

My thought process was that we’d chitty chat and kinda go over the business at hand (training; events we were participating in throughout the year; jersey discussion; yoga classes; coaching with Renne, etc.) and then proceed to the party. Unfortunately, the meeting part never seemed to come to fruition. I’d yell over the din and get a few responses. And then I’d ask another question – same thing. Then I mentioned the new waivers that you have to sign before doing any of the triathlons and no one but Rick and Katie took interest. I gave up! The scoundrels were onto drinking and eating and merriment. So much for my ‘strategic planning’ session of the night. But, we are pirates and have our own agendas so I guess nothing surprised me.

Angie and Mitch - absolutely wonderful people. Mitch is the one who asked immediately upon arriving on Saturday night if we were doing Sambuca shots. Well, well, well! Maybe Sambuca is going to be the year-round shot of choice? I think Angie is the real team leader here...as it should be!


Ryan and Suzi - who I met at triathlon class last year and their new baby, Julianna. Ryan did Race the Lake with us last year and partied with us after on Bechaud Beach (post Race the Lake headquarters). More great people!!

Dave and Michelle. I met Michelle two years ago at tri class. She is another one the 'girls' that have become a big part of my life. Sara, Stacy, Michelle and I - like to train; love to have a cocktail. Dave and Michelle have also surfaced at Packer games.

But that was ok because this was just a good, old fashioned party! And everyone knows that I love a party – especially when I get to cook and put it on. So I went all out. There was enough food to feed a small country – or a group of hungry athletes.

Becky, Rick, Stacy, Maurice (who rode with the Jolly Rodgers last year), David (Stacy's better half) and Greg (Maurice's better half who we are going to pester relentlessly until he does Race the Lake with us). I'm just going to say that this end of the kitchen island was definitely partying like rockstars. Maurice was worried about falling over the railing to the living room below. No accidents of any type to report. Whew!

And plenty o’ alcohol. I kinda knew something wasn’t right when I was at Festival Foods on Friday morning and I had not one; not two; not three, but four workers ‘comment’ on my cart contents. “Hmmm, you must be having a party?” “Can I come to your party?” “There aren’t going to be kids at this party?” Now what kind of comment was that last one? Stop looking at my stuff, would you?


The newest member of the Jolly Rodgers - Julianna and me, Captain Jack. Perhaps she'll be riding her big wheel in the kids race the day before Race the Lake this year??

Here's part of the entire crew! Aarrrrrrhhhh!!!

So lots of food; lots of beer; lots of wine; rum punch and a special shot.


Maurice was applying the Raspberry Honey Mustard Pretzel dip as 'cologne' behind his ears. More red wine, Mo?

Think of the last time you had rum punch – you were probably in the islands somewhere and normally, the rum they put in it is swill so you wake up with the WORST stinkin hangover in the world and you vow ‘I will never drink rum punch again.’ How could I not serve rum punch – especially with the loose pirate theme we were playing off. But I used better rum than swill. That would have been just rude.

Renne is our triathlon coach and an amazing athlete. The word 'driven' describes her to a T. Here, she explains to Michelle how rum punch did NOT make her run faster or stronger at High Cliff 1/2 Ironman last year. Michelle is doing Ironman Wisconsin (September 12th and we'll all be there) so she makes a note NOT to use rum punch as her hydration choice for that day. I think rum punch is a good idea for the rest of us though, on September 12th, don't you? I wish we had a team secretary to make notes.


Being the hostess, I also had to dress up. And in hindsight, I should have made it a costume party because most people said ‘why didn’t you tell us to dress up?’once I met them at the door. That’s the spirit I like. So the big old boots came out, white shirt, red sash; bandana; plastic knives (sad as it is, we had all the necessary costume accessories right here – that is sad, huh – but no surprise again). So I was all decked out and loving every minute of it. I like dressing like a pirate. Maybe I’ll start doing it when I begin my sales calls this spring…just to mix it up? Maybe? Maybe not?

Would you buy gourmet food from this woman? Stacy says hell yes!!

Everyone arrived almost together – as if on cue. I was impressed. And everyone brought MORE alcohol. Despite my pleas to bring nothing. So now we have wine and booze for another party down the road – but that one will have an agenda added to it. In fact, no booze will be served until the meeting is adjourned. Someone’s gottta be captain right? Katherine Buzzkill…clap, clap, clap, clap, clap.

Lots of laughs and good stories. Many replays of Race the Lake last year. Discussions on being bigger and better and BADDER this year. And then the ‘magic shot’ that I came up with. There is a new aged rum out there called “Pyrat.” Yup, you pronounce it PIRATE. How could I not get this? Seriously.

Katie and Stacy drool over the Pyrat rum. I told Katie we'd find her a 'pirate mate' for the season so I'm on the lookout for her. She'd like someone who looks like Johnny Depp - as opposed to John Wayne. So noted.

Well, it’s rum. It’s not spiced or coconut-y or anything like that. Just plain old rum. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum. That kind of rum. It said to serve it with a twist of lemon. Well, I had lime – close enough.

Angie, Becky, Katie and Mitch - salut!!!

Sara tries to pawn off her 5th shot of Pyrat rum on Maurice. Michelle and Stacy and Greg and Jodi (another Race the Laker from last year) exert peer pressure. Maurice stands his ground and says NO WAY!!

So we distributed the ‘booty’ amongst the pirates and toasted to the Jolly Rodgers in 2010. Here is what people thought of my rum shot…

Sara likes it!! A lot! That's why she did five of these bad boys!


Stacy says 'it tastes like *ss.'


Maurice recalls his days of growing up in Trinidad & Tobago and remembers why he hates rum!

Well, after that shot, did it get LOUD. Really loud. I’m kinda glad it was winter and the windows were shut tight because you can hear people sneeze in our house if you’re standing on the road in front of it. There are no secrets here on Sam Crest Lane – especially at N9470. But loud always means a good time is being had by all.

David is Stacy's husband. He's been known to frequent Jim's County Line to play the now renowned 'fan game.' He likes the prizes as much as I do. Or so I'm told. This is after Stacy was doing handstands on my Bosu ball in my office. Nimble little minx, isn't she?

I was on my best behavior because I was the hostess and captain and all that jazz and I had to be sure everyone had whatever it was they needed.


Renne, our fearless leader, and her pupils. I think she's got her work cut out for her this year. Where did we take a wrong turn?

More rum punch? More food? Water? Another shot? Just tell me what you want, and I’ll do my darndest to get it for you.

Sara, Stacy and Michelle - the bag ladies. Leaving the party with their swag!

The discussion went from biking to running to football to family to Lady GaGa (this was later in the evening – imagine that?) to some folks talking in tongues or some Caribbean dialect as the night progressed. We discussed our places of employment and the oddities that occur there; discussed food; talked about how good my two girls were (Sadie and Sophie - they really are great party-going dogs) - no topic was off limits (except biking - hmmm?)

Boots on the floor! Boots on the floor! Kinda like 'pants on the ground?' Greg had a word with Stacy after this re: etiquette at a pirate party.

What was the best is that everyone kept a designated driver – bravo, bravo. Besides, they were in the middle of nowhere and were freaked out because we have no street lights here in Pickett and it was dark on Saturday night. The only thing that might accost you out here is a feral cat or some dude who looks like Jack Nicholson in The Shining. No wait, that’s Kevin with his beard – you’re all fine. No need to worry.

There are no words....

The last pirates vacated the premises around 11:30. Kevin, my party assistant, had been over-served and had to be at work at 8 am for a project deadline. HAHAHA! I learned the next day that a few other lowly deck hands were also feeling less than spectacular and spent the day on their sofas – getting bed sores. Success! My gauge is always if someone feels crappy, that is the sign of a good party.

So we’ll do it again and this time with a purpose. These are all fun and wonderful people and this group of pirates is going to be one kick *ss team come August 22nd. And we are ALWAYS looking for new recruits so please, spread the word!! But you gotta be fun!! That's our only requirement! Until then, everyone will be off with other activities this winter. Our first tentative event looks like the Paper Discovery Duathlon on May 2nd. Ahoy, the Jolly Rodgers will ride again!!!