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Topic: Pissing In Wilma's Eye (a couple of pics added) (Read 1313 times) |
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Jeepgun
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Pissing In Wilma's Eye (a couple of pics added)
« on: Oct 29th, 2005, 3:21pm » |
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As I was packing my dive gear for a long-planned trip to Cozumel, Mexico, my wife asked if I was looking forward to the trip. I replied that I was looking forward to it, but not as much as I thought I should be. Little did I know what I was in for... The next morning, (Saturday the 15th) all five of us (my dive team) boarded the plane for Cozumel. As the plane descended, I was charmed by the deep azure blue of the ocean and the lush emerald green of the tropical island. After checking into the Casa Del Mar, we assembled our dive gear and met up at the dive shop. We went out for a leisurely shore dive, and then went back to the outdoor restaurant/bar for dinner and drinks. Warm breezes wafted through, as we sat beneath the thatched roof and gazed out at the sea. The next morning, (Sunday the 16th) after a light breakfast, we lugged our dive gear to the boat and our first dive was a coral wall dive. The current carried us along, and we saw an amazing abundance of marine life and corals. Our next dive took us to a calm coral garden, where there was only the slightest bit of current. We played around with lobsters, saw countless fish, and then we surfaced, washed our gear, showered, and met up for lunch at the restaurant again. That afternoon, I did some souvenir shopping. That night, we went out to a club called, "Senor Frog's," and had a great time. The next morning, (Monday the 17th) we went on another coral wall dive, and again, went through a calm coral garden... It was so beautiful, and we saw three sharks -- one of them, over ten feet long! That afternoon, we did a dive of a shipwreck of an old navy vessel, making our way through the hatches and various rooms of the ship. We emerged topside, and found that a new coral garden was beginning to bloom on the decks... It was really beautiful. (And eerie!) Tuesday was much the same as the previous two days: We dove a reef wall, and then meandered through a coral garden. I saw a barracuda that was nearly 10' long, but he remained off to one side, just observing us. Barracude are very curious and except in very rare cases, totally harmless, preferring to escape, rather than attack. (Ditto for sharks, incidentally) That afternoon, I did some more souvenir shopping. We had originally decided to do a night dive that night, but instead, the harbor, marina, and dive shop closed, and everywhere we looked, people were nailing up plywood over the windows and talking about hurricane Wilma, which was now slated to hit Cancun and the Yucatan Peninsula. Talking with the locals, no one seemed terribly concerned, and said that they expected it to be very minor. I was reassurred. If the locals weren't worried, than neither was I, although I was disappointed that we wouldn't be able to dive. That afternoon, the wind began to pick up, and the waves began to increase in size. The hotel called a meeting of all the guests, and outlined the emergency procedures that we would be undergoing, if/when things got bad. Still, it didn't seem like Wilma was going to be much more than a tropical storm for Cozumel, and that night, we met again at the restaurant for drinks and dinner. When we walked back to the hotel, we were told to meet in the lobby at 9 p.m. The wind and waves had picked up considerably, and I sent a quick email to my wife, telling her that it looked like we were going to get a piece of this hurricane, but that we were safe, and there was no need for alarm. At the meeting, we were told to bring our passports and other necessities to the lobby at 10:30. Already, lounge chairs had been taken from around the pool and set up in the basement of the Casa Del Mar -- A room that was already boarded up, with a ceiling that was only 7' high. Even under the flourescents, it looked very small and I felt a little claustrophobic. The wind had picked up in earnest, and we could hear the waves pounding and smashing harder and harder.
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« Last Edit: Nov 4th, 2005, 4:27pm by Jeepgun » |
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Jeepgun
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Re: Pissing In Wilma's Eye
« Reply #1 on: Oct 29th, 2005, 3:22pm » |
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When we assembled at 10:30, there were twenty guests, counting the five of us. The doors had been boarded up and sealed, and we began to hear what a hurricane sounded like. Little did we know that we were in for far more... All of us set about making ourselves comfortable. I found a couch to curl up on, and I read a book to help pass the time. Around midnight, the power was knocked out, and candles were lit. By this time, the storm sounded like a squadron of B-52's, a dozen freight trains, and a sound similar to the bowels of Hell opening to emit the voices of a thousand anguished souls. All of the plywood over the windows began to shake, and we could hear the sounds of shattering glass, huge booming sounds as doors were blown off of their hinges, and we could feel the concussion of the waves hammering the sea wall. As the night wore on, the staff rotated constantly, checking doors and windows, making sure we were safe. Every few hours, the moments were punctuated by new boards and supports being hammered into place. All in all, it was like being buried alive. The toilets no longer flushed, due to a kink in one of the water lines, I think. The smell of them filled the shelter, and the rain began to seep through the ceiling of the lobby and the shelter. As the water rose, it seemed like the ceiling got lower and lower. With barely any oxygen and being in complete darkness, we all slept and slept and slept. The staff put out three meals a day for us, and we ate, talked quietly, rested, played chess, read books, or slept. Mostly, we slept. Each time I lay down to sleep, I thought, "When I wake up, this will all be over." We spent a total of 43 hours in the shelter. All together, Wilma raged overhead for sixty hours straight. As the storm began to abate a little, Normando the general manager, opened one of the doors to go into an interior courtyard. I stopped him and asked if we could go out for five minutes to get some air. He said that would be okay, and with that, EVERYONE went outside. That first breath of fresh air; that first moment of daylight!! It seemed more precious and welcome than anything in the whole world. At that point, some people were allowed to go to their rooms and gather their belongings. Some of the rooms were utterly destroyed and filled with water and broken glass. We snuck up to the third floor when none of the staff were looking, and caught our first glimpse of Wilma's handiwork: Nothing prepared us for the level of utter devastation that met our eyes. The restaurant/bar was utterly destroyed. Trees had been tossed about like jackstraws, stripped and shattered, and where the highway had once been, most of it was utterly GONE, with huge slabs of asphalt, and concrete with rebar sticking out of it, shingles, tiles, boards, and bricks piled up and strewn everywhere. There was NOTHING that wasn't completely destroyed, and indeed, few structures remained. Everyone then recovered their gear and luggage from their rooms, and most of us were moved to new rooms that hadn't been harmed by the hurricane. The wind was still blasting overhead, and the rainfall was a torrential downpour. We collected water that had been squeegee'd from the floors and used it to flush the toilets. (Thank GOD!!) The staff got the generators fired up, and we had electricity. That night, we got to actually sleep in beds! The water pipe had been repaired, and we had cold water enough for showers, for the sinks to run, and to flush the toilets. How grateful we all were! The next day, after breakfast, we began to venture outside. Nothing but utter destruction, everywhere we looked. There had been a highway overpass from the hotel's pool deck, down to the dive shop. The descending set of concrete stairs on the dive shop side, were utterly gone. Looters and scavengers were picking through the rubble of offices and shops. That afternoon, on the deck where the pool was, someone managed to get a faint cellphone signal, and each of us took turns calling home and saying, "Hi! I'm alive, I'm okay, but don't know when I'll be able to make it home...."
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Jeepgun
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Re: Pissing In Wilma's Eye
« Reply #2 on: Oct 29th, 2005, 3:22pm » |
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Later that day, Martial Law was declared, alcohol sales prohibited, a curfew established, and the streets quickly filled with soldiers brandishing machine guns and military vehicles. I pulled on jeans and boots and went down to the dive shop to help them clear it out. The roof was utterly gone, the air compressor for filling dive tanks had been bashed onto its back and stuffed down into a deep hold filled with slabs of broken concrete and huge rocks that the surge had deposited. There was a locker room for dive gear, but it too was filled with rocks, sand, and huge chunks of concrete, right up to the level where the ceiling had been. I helped smash up the concrete and carry the rocks out, so that people could get to their lockers. It took seven of us all morning to clear that, and then, using a sturdy pole and ropes, several of us hoisted the air compressor out of the hole it was in, and got it propped up on a concrete wall, out of the way of everything so that we could begin cleaning and clearing out the building with sledgehammers, prybars, and shovels. One of the souvenir shops that I'd shopped at, was gone. All that remained of it was the foundation. I came across the two ladies that owned it, who had been very sweet, and they were standing in the middle of the street, shaking their heads in disbelief and saying, "It's gone.... It's gone..." With tears in my eyes, I hugged them and said, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..." It really broke my heart... The dead numbered 15, with 4 Americans among them. My dive instructor had been a paramedic for twenty years, and he and I both volunteered to remain and help out with any body recovery or first aid that was required. More than that, the authorities wanted all of the touristas OFF of the island as soon as possible, so that repair and rebuilding could begin in earnest. The airport was thoroughly trashed, and we heard the news of how bad things were in Cancun, as well. I was glad we had stayed where we were... Throughout the seemingly endless hurricane, the staff was unfailingly cheerful and every single one of them did their very best to make sure we were comfortable and fed. Many of them had no idea whether their own families were okay, or if their own homes had survived the hurricane. At first opportunity, many of them walked home. Fortunately, each of them returned and reported that their homes had taken some minor damage, but that their families were okay. The rest of the island had no phones, no electricity, no running water, and supplies at the local markets were running low. All flights out of the airport had been suspended, except for cargo planes bringing in supplies, and we'd heard that the airport itself was chest-deep underwater. On Thursday, all of us were unceremoniously loaded into a van and taken to the airport, where it was rumored that Continental Airlines was taking any and all American passengers to Houston, Texas. The airport had been cleaned up, all the water pumped out, and some of the gift shops were even open for business. A woman in our dive group bought a t-shirt, and it was still damp... As we boarded the plane, and we were welcomed by the flight attendant, a huge cheer went up from all of us. We arrived in Houston that night, dirty, tired, damp, and rumpled, but none the worse for wear. We managed to get the last seats available on a flight to Nashville, and I landed at Nashville at 11:20 p.m. to find my wife waiting for me with tears in her eyes... We arrived home around 1:30 a.m., and I took Friday off. How good it was to sleep in my own bed!! I spent Friday rinsing and washing my stinky dive gear and doing laundry. So, there's the account of the entire harrowing incident. LOL P.S. Senor Frog's was utterly destroyed. It was GONE. Not one brick of it remained. The international docks where big cruise ships had been moored were also gone, in addition to the dock we'd used to board the dive boats. The restaurant of the hotel was completely destroyed too. As we lifted off and flew over the island, every tree was completely stripped. The whole island was brown and gray.
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LeLimey
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Re: Pissing In Wilma's Eye
« Reply #3 on: Oct 29th, 2005, 3:23pm » |
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You're bad luck you little shit. Stay the hell away from me!
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Donna_D.
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Re: Pissing In Wilma's Eye
« Reply #4 on: Oct 29th, 2005, 3:31pm » |
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on Oct 29th, 2005, 3:23pm, LeLimey wrote:You're bad luck you little shit. Stay the hell away from me! |
| Yeah, Frank...don't let her fool ya. She worried her bum off about you! We all did. I love your vivid account of the whole ordeal! Made me feel like I was almost there (although I'm glad I wasn't as I am sure that basement smelled worse than a port-o-potty in the Texas sun in August.) HUGS and glad you are back safe and sound!! DD
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« Last Edit: Oct 29th, 2005, 3:35pm by Donna_D. » |
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Jonny
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Re: Pissing In Wilma's Eye
« Reply #5 on: Oct 29th, 2005, 3:40pm » |
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For some reason I think you screamed like a woman through the whole ordel.....LMMFAO BTW....you lost me after the third " I did some more souvenir shopping." LMAO!!!!! Glad your safe, Bro!!!
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Kevin_M
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Re: Pissing In Wilma's Eye
« Reply #6 on: Oct 29th, 2005, 3:55pm » |
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That hurricane sat right on top of you and didn't move while it turned around and headed back to hit Florida. At one point, overhead pictures looked right down the eye to the Cozumel airport. Glad you're ok Frank and all the people with you. Nice homecoming.
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« Last Edit: Oct 29th, 2005, 3:57pm by Kevin_M » |
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Jasmyn
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Re: Pissing In Wilma's Eye
« Reply #7 on: Oct 29th, 2005, 3:55pm » |
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Glad to see you made it home! Now get into your jeep and celebrate your luck!
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Karla
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Re: Pissing In Wilma's Eye
« Reply #8 on: Oct 29th, 2005, 4:01pm » |
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Welcome home. Glad you had some fun before the bad stuff hit. I am so glad you are ok and home now. We missed you.
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Long Haired Redneck
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Re: Pissing In Wilma's Eye
« Reply #9 on: Oct 29th, 2005, 5:20pm » |
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Dammit, told you I outta went with you Glad everything came out well, now what the hell did you buy me? Where are the good beach pics???
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BMoneeTheMoneeMan
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Re: Pissing In Wilma's Eye
« Reply #10 on: Oct 29th, 2005, 5:27pm » |
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Holy shit frank. Im glad my toilet works just thinking about it. PF wishes BMonee
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Jonny
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Re: Pissing In Wilma's Eye
« Reply #11 on: Oct 29th, 2005, 5:30pm » |
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on Oct 29th, 2005, 5:20pm, Long Haired Redneck wrote:Dammit, told you I outta went with you |
| Ha, we have a new Redneck.....welcome aboard, man!! Check the links to the left!
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Re: Pissing In Wilma's Eye
« Reply #12 on: Oct 29th, 2005, 5:36pm » |
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Wow! What a story Glad everything turned out okay UNsolved
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pattik
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Re: Pissing In Wilma's Eye
« Reply #13 on: Oct 29th, 2005, 6:12pm » |
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Whew......an amazing tale. Glad you're home, Frank.
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Re: Pissing In Wilma's Eye
« Reply #14 on: Oct 29th, 2005, 6:22pm » |
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Figured that when you finally got back here, you would post a good story. Glad to have you back in one piece ! Can't imagine how your wife felt not knowing how you were. Just tell me your NOT going to be in Florida in February....my first big trip out of the country....and I hear you attract the storms.... Again, glad your ok... Danielle
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Kris_in_SJ
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Re: Pissing In Wilma's Eye
« Reply #15 on: Oct 29th, 2005, 6:53pm » |
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So glad you're back safe and sound, Frank. That one of the most beautiful places on earth could be so totally destroyed ... I can't imagine. Went diving there myself a couple of years ago and still have wonderful memories. At least you're safe now. And home. Thanks for sharing your story. Hugs, Kris
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Jeepgun
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Re: Pissing In Wilma's Eye
« Reply #16 on: Oct 29th, 2005, 6:59pm » |
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Thanks, everyone. I'll write more, later. For now, I'm making more phone calls to my family and friends... It's good to be home. Wilma sat on my face for sixty hours... Rotten ol' WH*RE-icane!!!
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Re: Pissing In Wilma's Eye
« Reply #17 on: Oct 29th, 2005, 7:22pm » |
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Welcome back Frank. Maybe you should schedule your vacations between December and the end of May. The sound of these things is what scares me. Good to be able to live through it and leave it behind. Again, welcome home. Steve G
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Re: Pissing In Wilma's Eye
« Reply #18 on: Oct 29th, 2005, 7:23pm » |
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Wow... what a story! Glad you're home safe, Frank. hugs, nani
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Charlie
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Re: Pissing In Wilma's Eye
« Reply #19 on: Oct 29th, 2005, 8:11pm » |
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A likely story, Frank. Charlie Thanks for that. Terrific job and I'm glad you're all right.
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Re: Pissing In Wilma's Eye
« Reply #20 on: Oct 29th, 2005, 8:26pm » |
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What a hell of a trip that was! Glad you're back home safe and sound, but PLEASE, PLEASE, if ever you're coming to Canada - warn us first! It seems you attract this kind of trouble no matter where you go and I need time to stock up on supplies! Carol
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Jeepgun
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Re: Pissing In Wilma's Eye
« Reply #21 on: Oct 29th, 2005, 9:12pm » |
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LMAO, Carol! Okay: Now for the funny story! On our last dive, I surfaced first, since being the newest diver, I tend to burn through my air pretty rapidly. When I surfaced, the boat was nowhere to be seen. The current, stronger at depth, carried the rest of my dive team away. I fully inflated my BC and tilted so that I was lying on my back, looking around for the boat. The current was carrying me towards some moored cruise ships in the distance and I was within sight of land, so worst-case scenario, I could easily make a swim for it. I floated around for about 20 minutes, growing gradually more apprehensive. A different boat came by and asked what boat I was on. I told them, and they radioed to find out what was going on. After another ten minutes, my boat came by and picked me up. I was a little agitated, but figured that I must have surfaced too quickly, and that they weren't expecting me. After everyone else had been picked up and we were back at the dock, my instructor grinned at me, and said that it wasn't my fault, and that he would tell me why the boat wasn't there when I surfaced. After washing the gear, we were walking back and he told me that the dive leader for the group before us, had gone down and suddenly realized that he had to shit, so he boogied back up for the surface and the boat took off for land. Apparently, he was in the middle of taking care of business when I surfaced, and before they could pick me up, they still had to bring him back out and drop him with the rest of his original group. LMAO
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broomhilda
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Re: Pissing In Wilma's Eye
« Reply #22 on: Oct 29th, 2005, 9:35pm » |
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on Oct 29th, 2005, 8:26pm, Grandma_Sweet_Boy wrote:What a hell of a trip that was! Glad you're back home safe and sound, but PLEASE, PLEASE, if ever you're coming to Canada - warn us first! It seems you attract this kind of trouble no matter where you go and I need time to stock up on supplies! Carol |
| LMFAO I second that one!!!Welcome home Frank,we are glad you are safe and now at home, now go hug your family! Best
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Suck it up Princess...
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Kevin_M
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Re: Pissing In Wilma's Eye
« Reply #23 on: Oct 29th, 2005, 10:28pm » |
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on Oct 29th, 2005, 9:12pm, Jeepgun wrote:the dive leader for the group before us, had gone down and suddenly realized that he had to shit, Apparently, he was in the middle of taking care of business when I surfaced I floated around for about 20 minutes, I must have surfaced too quickly, and that they weren't expecting me. |
| So you're saying he took a dump and you rose to the surface and was a floater for 20 minutes. Sounds like the plumbing was working just fine before Wilma, ya little shit. I gotta go the Can-cun
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« Last Edit: Oct 29th, 2005, 10:40pm by Kevin_M » |
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Jeepgun
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Re: Pissing In Wilma's Eye
« Reply #24 on: Oct 29th, 2005, 10:35pm » |
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ROFLMAO!!! Good one, Kev! LOL
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