Long: -79.801657

(Cayman Brac)

….Sexy Sister went too far…

the crew came to find their boat renamed… from Sexy Sister to Dunyer Sister… I’m not one to gossip, so you didn’t hear this from me… but something went down last night.

This morning the balloons went flying (i think in a last ditch effort to defend what’s left of her honor) And she did redeem herself by winning the treasure hunt! The crew will be treated to a special dessert made by the unbelievable chef Gregory and his staff who are feeding us like royalty.

I found myself on Soul Sister today, men of great experience and knowledge (Geezer Boat)  mentoring our new recipients.

Jimmy Cruz (a pole vaulting accident caused his paraplegia) and his very cute girlfriend Malisa are having a great time diving, though if their bags don’t arrive soon they are going to wear the pink off of their trip shirts!

Malisa received a special cake on board for completing her open water certification… on her head!  They are still trying to get the raw egg off the back of the boat.

Drew Richards (who recovered from major trama after a helicopter crash) is the dive buddy of Jerry Hamilton (who survived a morter attack and suffers from drop foot and leg and hip injuries.)  They are first in the water and busy trying to help out everyone else on the boat.

Repeat offenders Chris Hull and Jane Scott are also on this boat showing our new recipients how its done, your smiles say it all!

I’ll give this boat an A for creativity… for those participating in the “Deep Dive Challenge” they turned in this picture of 100 feet (childrens feet) as proof of their dives to their sponsors today.

KNOTTY SISTER comes in as the boat with the most pledges, winning a trip to Little Cayman… while Ed Shearer wins the pirate who pillaged the most for the cause.( and scored an hour massage at the spa!)

In all the Deep Dive Challenge drew more than 10K in donations!  THANK YOU!!!

I leave you tonight with the winner of “Bling Bingo”….

Leland stole the show…. a nice warm up to tomorrow’s “Miss Dive Pirate Contest and Wheelchair Floatila”

T. the Terrible

Long: -79.801657

(Cayman Brac)

Walk at your own risk…

You couldn’t get to the boats today without the threat of getting hit with an icy cold water balloon… pirates must have started very early preparing for today’s launch….

While the newbies lobbed balloons, Buccaneer Barb pulled the big guns out of secret storage… water cannons made over the years for the serious pummeling of pirates  (can you tell which ones are engineers!)

While the balloons were flying overhead, the boats were officially renamed for the week… taking half the crew to get the bungee cords, etc.

After a great day of diving everyone was treated to the Manager’s Party… a welcome party by Brac Reef Beach Resort and Reef Divers II.   They treat us like royalty while we are here, and as a thank you for all they do for us, Dive Pirates board member Jose Grinan had both BRBR and Reef Divers II recognized by Congressman Al Green.  Jose presented them with flags flown over the US Capitol in honor of their service to all injured military and all recipients of the Dive Pirates Foundation.

Afterwords, yes… MINUTE to WIN IT!  Brac Reef fielded a team this year, and lost in the tie breaker to Knotty Sister, who enjoyed extra GROG tickets for Rum Punch.

I leave you tonight with a fun little video put together by Park McRitchie, a fun wrap up of yesterday’s kick-off.

T. the Terrible

Boat Leaders (Captians! as Jack Sparrow would say) gathered in front of the boats today to claim their flag  which will be be proudly flown and threatened daily by other boats’ pirates…. the games begin…

Over slightly choppy seas I voyaged out with Sexy Sister (as it will be officially renamed tomorrow)

to dive with our new divers Shane Bliss and Daniel Burney.

Shane (who suffered foot, knee and back injuries due to a landslide during military training) was excited to cool off and take the pressure off of his ankles, and was a natural in the water.

 I’m calling this picture his zen moment.

Daneil (a former Marine Corp helicopter mechanic who had a major car accident on base fracturing his back) did great too on his first Brac dive, loving the terrapin he saw in an around the coral fingers of Terrapin Reef and happy to share is stories after surfacing.

We also had last year’s recipient Matt Richardson back for his third voyage to Cayman Brac… he can’t get enough of it. Diving with Buccaneer Barb the choppy surface didn’t phase him…

The rest of the motley crew bid you… later…. it’s Spurs vs. Heat and it’s on with all of us from San Antonio vs our Florida mates… this isn’t going to be pretty either way!  Go Spurs!

T. the Terrible…

it doesn’t matter how many bags you lug, or the long flights, there’s nothing like seeking people you haven’t seen in a year who are so much like family that you just start again where you left off… then there are the new crew members  whom I’ve had the privilage of working with all year preparing for today, and now I get to meet them face to face… a real honor.

In Texas cowboys are “tough enough to wear pink”… Pirates, even tougher.  We made a statement though airports, etc… however the most creative ensemble goes to D’Art Bebel and his “twister” shorts and neon socks.

He said last year he was the new guy, this year he is all in!

We’ll see how crazy it gets with Bling Bingo and Ms. Dive Pirate’s contest around the corner.

Tomorrow we hit the boats,

until then, guard everything!

The thieving pirates are already plotting their evil ways!  I arrived to find someone hiding in my bed, thank God it was a bunch of pillows and a beach ball!

T.

While we are kicking off this trip, chapters are gearing up for next year!

 I am excited to tell you about our Chapter in Omaha Nebraska celebrating its 3rd anniversary as a dive center Saturday with a summer concert, diving seminars, underwater poker tournament and more. They are using the event as a fundraiser to support their 2014 first student, more details as that develops. If that isn’t enough, their Springfield MO dive center will follow suit on June 29th.

DiVentures, send pictures to share with the crew!

Last blog I shared a picture of a water balloon fight between boats, and one of our past recipients emailed back to say “thanks, I’ve now made that my background picture on my ipad to remind me of my friends and all the fun…” That just made my day! There will be more pictures and daily blogs starting tomorrow as we set sail for Cayman Brac.

For those of you not with us your membership, volunteerism, prayers, etc. have made this trip possible and we thank you!

Keeping it short, got to make my next flight…

See you in pink tomorrow….

T. the Terrible

Miss Dive Pirates Contest:

I’ve included a picture or two from last year, so you can truly appreciate the effort that goes into this event… the light sabers, the boas…. The Buckee’s boxer shorts…. Anything goes!

 Bling Bingo:

A new adventure, we’ve all enjoyed playing Bingo led by “Bling”(aka Marlin)… a dear one of the resort who is always dressed to impress… cool shades, latest baseball cap and plenty of hardware about the neck and fingers….well we’ve decided to make it a contest who can out-bling the master.

Color Contest:

The coloring book you received in your goodie bag… that is part of your in-flight entertainment, and could be your ticket to earning some swag. We’ll gather up the pages that are just pictures to color and have an independent panel judge your artwork.

Daily Barrages of Balloons:

Yes water guns, water balloons (biodegradable only) horseplay is allowed within reason.

Ok, here’s you mom moment: bring your passport, sunglasses, sunscreen, read your trip packet again and make sure you have everything, because your mama isnt’ there to pack you!

For those of you not on the trip, I will be sending daily blogs of our adventure, please respond by email, chime in, the smack is not only entertaining, but great fodder for the next day on the boats. I will share it with the crew,

Keep Going! One more week to get pledges!

The one with the most pledges could get a nice treatment at the resort Spa! Talk it up with your boat (you have their emails now) and see if your boat can win a trip to dive the wall at Little Cayman!

T. the Terrible

 Bloody Pirate knows how to score some booty! She’ll be outfitted in the best pirate gear with a Commodore Membership for the money she squirreled away in her pirate piggy bank! Thanks Trudy!

Our other big players were:

Chris Hocker
Jesse Cannon
Phil Riggs of Texan Scuba
Karen Zammitti of Bamboo Reef Enterprises
Ed Ceisla of Woods and Water Sports
Ed Fink of Woodbridge Scuba
Andrew Moblo of Moby’s Dive Shop

Thank you to all of you who kept our name out there, and collected a few dollars to help others.

 Feel left out???

The deep dive challenge is in full swing and the one with the most pledges could get a nice treatment at the resort Spa! Talk it up with your boat (you have their emails now) and see if your boat can win a trip to dive the wall at Little Cayman!

Matching Funds

How cool is it when the company you work for will match your good efforts??!!? Do you even know if your employer offers such a thing??? Find out! Thanks to Bank of America and Exxon Mobile many of our small fundraisers delivered an extra punch! The North California Chapter is the latest to take advantage of this and has money in the bank for it’s recipients next year!

Thanks to all of you who have leveraged your employers good efforts with your own to get more pirates in the water.

Show me the money!

Ok, I didn’t intend for this whole edition of the blog to be about money, but I got an email that my recent internet shopping (purchasing fun stuff for the trip, etc.) has made the Dive Pirates about $23. Ok, that’s not stellar, but I did nothing extra and made a little coin. Thanks to all of you who

shop with IGive , and for those of you who haven’t started, it’s really quick and painless.

2 weeks and counting!

T. the Terrible

I heard that the Kolb kids donned their pink shirts and wore them to school, so I guess we have passed the cool test! Now the games are on to make a statement with matching shoes!
Barbara Facebooked her find this week, and Sophie was emailing out a link to the ones she found… loud is in!

Pennies for pirates…
those of you with pirate piggy banks, let me know your totals next Tuesday! I will announce a winner on next week’s blog!

This Memorial Day Weekend
no matter what you do, remember you are able to do it because of the many people who have gone before us, and continue to serve today protecting our freedoms.

Theresa the Terrible

I just couldn’t sit still at my desk today, so I decided to start packing!  Just the fun stuff for our activity nights, etc.

You may have noticed that we had an activity book and crayons in your packet… forgot to mention in the materials but this is for your in-flight amusement… and the pages can be entered for a coloring contest while on the island.

un unwritten tradition… different traveler groups from different home cities:  (Dallas, Houston, San Antonio) or family groups, etc. got together and had a group bandana for travel…. not a have to thing to do, just to let you know anything goes!

Pennies for pirates Challenge… one more week to go!

I have learned over the years that many of you scoundrels go diving over Memorial Day Weekend, therefore you have not been at your Dive Centers, or home ,etc. to report in  about your banks… SO… I will ask you that by Wednesday, May 29 I either need a total that you have collected in your piggy bank (that you can send in by check to Dive Pirates) or if you just don’t want to count out your booty you can send the bank to me and I will count…. and I will declare the winner of the Commodore Membership (includes Pirate jacket, shirt, hat, mesh bag, yada yada yada) on the blog May 31. 

On a final note (pun intended) I am off to hear my son’s spring band concert, and they have been learning the theme to Pirates of the Caribbean!!! how cool is that!

Theresa the Terrible

Can’t believe it’s Friday Pirates! A week ago I was meeting four of our recipients and cooking on the patio of Mammoth Lake Scuba, who graciously hosted our training and held a fundraiser for us.

Meet Beth Rossin-Dietert, she won the underwater pirate run, and a new go-pro! Thank you Ryan and Mammoth Lake Scuba! Great Texas diving for those of you who haven’t ventured down yet.

A big thank you to Chris Johnson, Mark Parker, Fred Cordes, Sophie Wimberley, Kevin Conner and Barbara Thompson for spending their weekend training, and to Janet Pitts for helping put together a great BBQ. And most of all, thank you to our recipients, Jimmy Cruz, Shane Bliss, Jerry Hamilton, and Drew Richards for taking the time and trusting us with training.

Next Door in Sweeny, TX…

Two people who I hoped to see while near Mammoth Lake, Roger Nelson (2012 recipient) and his brother-in-law and dive buddy Robert Hammond… well they were a little busy welcoming Robert  Liam Hammond to this world. Congrats Robert, his wife Ginger, and Uncle Roger! Enjoy every minute!

5 weeks away….

It’s going to be a fun group on the “We’re Brac” trip, and this weekend we will be sending out your trip packets. READ through everything! Then if you have any questions, call or email me.

Have a great weekend and don’t forget to call your mother, It’s Mother’s Day… be sure to cut her in on the booty.

Theresa the Terrible