Rumple 2004: Orlando Magic

Orange County National
Winter Garden, FL

ChampionsGate
Orlando, FL

2005 Rumple Invitational
Orlando, FL
What do you say about 2005? I mean really, what do you say? This year's trip was, once again, one of a kind. We had 16 Rumplers, including a last minute replacement for the District. Months of meetings, outings, discussions and votes sent us headlong to Orlando on a direct collision course with a hurricane. History may forget, but the Rumple will not.

It's 2 days before the rumple and I am on the phone with Gun Range Jesus...

GRJ: Dude, seriously, I think we need to start taking this situation a bit more seriously. It's a @!$#ing hurricane!

Me: Gun Range, dude, it's the Rumple.

Me: I mean, what's the alternative, we all bag it up and stay home?

GRJ: Have you seen the @!$#ing radar man! We're going to Orlando, obviously, but did you see the @!$#ing radar?

Of course I had been watching the storm for days now and new exactly what it meant. We were toast. Wilma was headed for the Florida mainland and the Rumple would not flinch. As it turns out the storm stalled and came on land the day after we left with shut-down winds and rain.

After we touched down the world's most useless Rube Goldberg was set in motion. 10 of the Rumplers took over the Fox Box in Orlando's airport, drawn to the smell of beer. Moments later, 4 Rumplers bolted to gather the vans.

12 Rumplers now in tow, we rolled out to the vacation homes. We did have a little trouble locating the actual homes, but a kind sheriff gave us a personal escort to the property and kindly disregarded our use of the strip mall parking lot as a urinal as he pulled up.

Once at the houses, we needed to wait to enter the 2nd home, so we hit the liquor store and the local Taco Bell. Living the high life.

The homes themselves were proper, though we had an issue with one pool and they were a short walk away from each other. Remember that, it's important.

When we got into the 2nd house, phase two of the arrival schedule was set into motion. Gun Range lit out to get the keg and me and Gonzo went back to the airport. Cohen, VW and Tecumseh were touching down, completing our vagrant scrum.
It is now time in the story for the "when it went all wrong" moment. It is hard to look back at an event and pinpoint when we knew we were in trouble but I think for me it was just about here. Game On