AH, THE CLOWN EPISODE ...
just a quick note to myself as a reminder of the clown episode of which i was just reminded of by bill. if i didn't note it here, i may well have let funny event slip into obscurity. thank you bill for bringing it back to the foreground, it was dang funny wasn't it?
allow me to elaborate for everyone else...
during "King Kong" down here in New Zealand, there came a time when the city wanted to sink a decommissioned frigate off the southern coast of Wellington to create a reef for the diving community. it was all the rage and drew a huge HUGE crowd of onlookers who lined the coastal region and hillsides for as far as the eye could see. it was such a big event, even *I* couldn't resist. i mean really, how often do you get to see a ship being purposely sunk? see?
bill drove on that day as we headed along the coast and up to the top of the hill to paulie's house where we had a front row, unobstructed view. for some reason, bill had a clown mask in his car and since he was driving, that left me (and my love of all things clowny) free to wreak some mayhem on the crowds of people who were walking along the roadside.
it dawned on me that it was a *mask* - which meant that if i put it on, NOBODY would know it was me making a fool of myself. carte blanche kicked in as i slapped the mask over my face. BAM! i *WAS INSTANTLY* i8bozo and it felt good. i rolled the window all the way down, then glanced in the mirror to have a look at what i was about impart on the crowd. we were driving the perfect speed, n-i-c-e and s-l-o-w. i aimed my head in the direction of the plethora of passers by and let roll the most whack cackle hack laugh you've ever heard and it wasn't short by any means. talk about a startled crowd of people! bill's immediate belly laughter in the background only made it worse and spurred me on.
good stuff. we laughed long and hard after that one and i'm sure those people won't soon forget the sinking of the frigate in Wellington New Zealand.
bill's memory of that day, as he recalls it, called it 'worldwide youtube funny'. perhaps someday we'll re-enact it for the cameras and proper posterity. one can hope.