Action from the set of Pirates of the Caribbean 4, On Stranger Tides....in Deppth

The location: He'eai Pier, Kaneohe, HI
The scene: The set of Pirates of the Caribbean 4, On Stranger Tides
The dates: July 27, July 28, July 29th, July 31st and the holy grail of all days...Aug 4th
The reason: Two words - Johnny Depp

My first day of obsessively following (as Joe pointed out - stalking sounds bad) was July 27th. I moseyed over to He'eai Pier after work because I had heard the Black Pearl was at the dock for the final weeks of filming. Little did I know, everyone and their brother were also going to be there because the location was all over the news just as I was getting out of work. There were a bunch of gawkers, just like myself, cruising all over the pier and taking pictures of this, that and everything in between. After all, it's not every day a movie is filmed in one's backyard. I hung out for a couple hours, which to most may seem like a lot, but for me it's a drop in the bucket of time to burn until Joe comes home. I took some decent pictures of the ship and waited to hear that no actors were going to be on set that night *sigh*. So I packed it in for the evening, determined to go back the following day.

July 28th: aka Day 2 of Obsessively Following/Watching the set and crew of Pirates 4. I drove over to the set after a long, grueling day at work yet again and got myself a great position against the barrier. I was perfectly content chatting it up with my fellow Pirate fans and snapping the occasional photo. After about 3 hours, I was just about to head for home when things started to happen....very suspicious things. The pier lights went dark, the smoke machines were starting to send smoke billowing out of their stacks, and the security guards started walking the line of fans, carefully monitoring for any crazies. I should say, any easily identifiable crazies. I suspect most hide theirs, just like I do. Well, wouldn't you know, some of the crew wheeled out this huge 4 light spotlight and set that bad boy up, blaring its lights so bright that the sun would've been put to shame. Literally, in 10 minutes, I was having hot flashes so bad that I contemplated jumped into the fishy, dirty water at the pier to keep from crawling out of my skin!

The security guards started coming up the line saying "Johnny will be here in about 10 minutes. Please don't push or shove or get out of control. He will be arriving in an SUV, which will slow down and he will have the window down so you can all take pictures as he drives by. After you have your pictures, please leave so we can continue filming." There were only about 100 people there, if that. It was a small crowd. There was no real barrier. It was a bunch of those triangular "no parking signs" that were placed about 10' apart, with yellow "caution" tape holding them together. And I use that term loosely. It was ghetto fabulous. The air was electric and the tension almost palpable as the SUV pulled into the parking lot. The crowd gasped in unison...and then the SUV stopped. IT STOPPED. The door opened and one pirate dressed leg came out, and then another, and it was Capt. Jack Sparrow, live and in person. Johnny Depp had the SUV stop so he could get out and walk the line to greet the fans (crazies like me) who had waited, some for most of their day. He was gracious and seemed to genuinely appreciate that the fans were all lined up to see him. There were no handshakes, no autographs, but lots of smiles, "thank you" and bowing. It was incredible.

July 29th: Repeat July 28th only with more fans and crazies. They had put up an actual barrier by this point - a meager attempt at crowd control. Oh, I did meet a cute couple from Poland and this was where they spent their last night. After Johnny walked by, the girl Monica (I think), completely lost her crap and started crying. It made me laugh. Only Johnny Depp can bring together a Polish couple, a girl from NH, 3 Asian women with “I Love Johnny” signs, and hundreds of others. It was definitely a motley crew. (No, not the band, but they are freakin’ awesome!)

July 30th: Even a stalker needs a day off.

July 31st: With a night off, an "obsessive follower" can get an early start. And I did. I was on the set by 7:15, chatting it up with a security guard I met a few days earlier. Fast forward, he introduced me to a driver on the set, who I hung out with for a bit and then was invited to go up to Queen Anne's Revenge - the ship Johnny and Penelope (Cruz) are filming on. I have to say, it felt pretty bad-ass driving past all the other spectators, up to where only the crew is allowed. I hopped out, and was able to walk right up to QAR. The security guard offered to snap some pics of me, which I found amusing, but nice. Then, I was offered the chance to go aboard. Let me think about this...an invite onto the ship Johnny Depp was on a mere few hours before...um, okay. I got to walk around, take pictures, walk up the different stairways, touch things - it was so surreal!

Fast forward a few days to present day: August 4th. I left work, went to the gym, moseyed home for some dinner and then thought to myself "why are you spending another night home when Johnny Depp is 20 minutes away?!" Naturally, I listened to my inner crazy because opportunities like this don't happen every day. In fact, every day that goes by is one less opportunity to see Captain Jack a stone's throw from me. I packed up the camera, grabbed my hoodie and drove back down to the pier. However, by this point, it was apparent that hundreds of other people had the same intention. There were more people there than ever before and I soon found out why. Turns out, my new favorite pirate has been walking the line...and shaking hands with the fans. I about wet my pants like a puppy in his new home. I waited a short 1.5 hours and then it happened....Johnny arrived, par for course, dressed as Capt. Jack Sparrow. He was walking very slowly, stopping to chat with fans and shake their hands. And then, he was about 3 feet away and getting closer...and closer....and then finally it happened. Johnny Depp had my hand cupped in his and held it for a brief 5-6 seconds, before moving down the line. It was...indescribable. Literally, no words can describe the pure awesomeness (except maybe that word, because it is, in itself, that awesome) of having Johnny Depp hold one's hand. And in all actuality, his hand was soft, yet semi-clammy. Maybe even A-list celebrities get nervous....

While my brief encounter with Johnny Depp was a once in a lifetime experience that rivals most other experiences in my life, I can honestly say it doesn't earn the top spot. It certainly has made the top 3. My previous list was 1. Joe 2. Cheese 3. Tyra Banks. My current list is 1. Joe 2.Cheese 3. Johnny Depp. Actually, I think Johnny Depp and Cabot Cheese may be tied for 2nd. That’s yet to be determined.

I fully intend on doing more "obsessive following" so be sure and stay tuned the crazy shenanigans that are bound to arise from such activities....