Traveling to see Jimmy Buffett all over the world, you start to meet the various characters that make up a tailgate—whether it be a clown, a Batman, or the blonde surfer who puts “numbers” on everyone’s arm to show how many times they’ve seen Jimmy live.
Among that large group of phriends, I found a phamily: the “Potato Gang.”
You might wonder what potatoes and Jimmy Buffett have in common. That one thing is Key West. During COVID, a group of us who had begun traveling together—sharing Airbnbs and adventures from all over the country—phlocked down to the southernmost point during what was dubbed “Faux MOTM,” since MOTM was canceled.
We spent the week together laughing, drinking, sharing Jimmy stories, and visiting his old haunts. One day, we ended up at Pinchers for 2-for-1 drinks. When one of the guys went to the bathroom, they noticed boxes of potatoes just outside the restroom… and suddenly, a potato appeared on our table. Before long, four or five potatoes had made their way into our possession.
Throughout the rest of the week, we stealthily hid potatoes all over the house—in the coffee pot, in the fridge, by the pool—laughing every time one was discovered.
After driving back to Fort Lauderdale for a night before my flight home, I was repacking my luggage when I found, tucked away in a Margaritaville bag, a single potato. I laughed and posted on Facebook about what an amazing trip we had, and I dubbed my phamily “The Potato Gang.”
That name has stuck now for nearly six years. To this day, we chat daily in our group, connect on the Marco Polo app, and still travel together—not just to Jimmy Buffett concerts, but to each other’s homes for house concerts. We go on cruises, and sometimes we come together simply because we miss each other.
In this pic starting front row left to right
Eileen Pachuta, Cara Shaffer, Kara Brown, Bill Hegg, Myself, Trey Reedy
next row
Denny, The Flamingo Man, Brown, Cheryl Kuropos, Ginny Hayes-Bennett, Tina Truhol, Amanda Reedy, Sherri Wolford, Darius Brehm
next row
Michael (I don't know his last name), Dr Matt Corcoron, Richie Reeves, Greg Calhoun, Rick Truhol, Mike Brown, Carla Moore, Jamey "Hat" Adams.
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