Canadian Buffoon's Solo Disney Vacation - Update 07/08! pp99 - Here today gone tomorrow

[pkondz]

Ahhh...reading this brought back all of the memories of visiting Casa Loma. What a neat experience! In fact, after reading through that, I recalled that some parts of the castle were closed when we were there because they were filming something (I can't remember what).

Could've been for anything. There were other movies that were filmed there and several TV shows as well.

Now that makes me want to go dig out all of the pictures from when I was there. Of course, mine are probably not beautiful because they were taken with a 35mm camera and film

Probably better, would be my guess.
I only had my iPod with me, which doesn't exactly kick butt as a camera.

(there may be some on the DIS who aren't sure what those items are). So, naturally, that means that there was no way to review the pictures as you took them ::GASP:: Say it isn't so!

I remember recently reading an article about an iconic photograph.
(sorry, don't remember which one)
The photographer quickly took a snap and said he hurried back to the office hoping he'd gotten the shot.

I wondered if some of the younger readers would puzzle over that remark.

"Why did he have to go to the office? Did he not have wifi
and the roaming charges were too high before he could put it on instagram?"

Something has definitely been lost, though.
Before you would take hours setting up a shot
and now you just shoot a few dozen (or hundreds) until you get the one you want.

Anyway, really enjoyed the trip down memory lane, and if I can find any of my pictures I may share them for comparison purposes.

Glad you enjoyed the reminiscing.
And do share your pics! Would love to see them.

 

[pkondz]

Been lurking and following along.

Hi! And to the TR!

I love reading TRs done by fellow Canadians (a solo travellers)!

Aaaaaannnnndddd.... Now you've read this one and I've completely turned you off them, right?

I have a trip coming up in September - still deciding on whether to write a TR or not...

Looks like we'll just miss each other.
I'd rather go in September than August,
but if I did that then Kay couldn't go...

Which means I wouldn't go.

Writing a TR is a bit of work, but rewarding if you have wonderful readers
(like mine, if I do say so myself)
to join in and share with.

You should also try googling "You Gotta Eat Here!" restaurants. It's Canada's answer to DDD.

I'm not a regular watcher, but I have seen a few episodes.
Mostly the ones from Winnipeg, though.

The Ottawa restaurants featured are all very good, and I'm going to be trying out one of their recommendations in Moncton in a couple weeks (Catch 22 - yummy, freshly caught lobster!!); hopefully I won't be steered wrong

Mmmmm.... wow, that sounds good!
Hope it turns out as well as it sounds.

YGEH Winnipeg restaurants include: Blondies, Kawaii Crepe, Red Top Diner. Never been to any of them.

Kawaii Crepe. One just down the street now, but still haven't tried it.
Red Top. Been going there since I was a toddler. My dad built the "new" addition to it.
Blondies... Well... I'll drive out of my way for a good burger.
And Blondies is about as far away from my place as you can get and still be in the city.

Worst. Meal. Ever.
I ordered a bacon cheeseburger, fries with chili.
I could hear the microwave running constantly... I was the only customer at the time.
(Well, there was a small group, but they already had their food.)
Microwaved bacon, reheated "chili", which tasted awful, reheated or not.
Just disgusting. Never again.
Do they make the biggest burger? Yup. But if it tastes like dog food...

Never again.

When I'm visiting YWG friends I tend to get taken to the Forks or Earls (since there's none further east than MB).

Next time you're in town, tell them you want VJ's.
(Specically, the Special.)
They only serve burgers, hot dogs (don't recommend those, though) and fries.
But best burger in the city.
Plus it's closer to the Forks than Earls is.
(Across the street from the CN station.)
Unless messy, sloppy burgers aren't your thing.
They're not everyones.

 

[pookersmom]

You had to pick a spot with lots of snow, huh?
What took you there? (Don't answer if you don't want to.)

Welllll, at least here it snows and it melts, so it's not too miserable. But growing up we would spend every summer with our Canuckian relations and our foolish friends would be all, "Are you gonna ski up there?" Um, no, because July??

My dad was an oil and gas man back in the 70s and got moved to corporate when Anaconda was purchased by ARCO, so Denver it was. We're all still here. But just last night I was still dreaming of the million dollar condo I'm buying in Vancouver as soon as I win the lottery. It's gonna be awesome.

 

[lilpixiebabe101]

That milkshake sounds AMAZING... I could eat apple pie filling and be a happy fat camper.

The Gambler was terrible... And we got it since the DF is a Walburg fan. Nope nope nopity nope. I will recommend John Wick to anyone who will listen though!

 

[mmeb144]

Those pics look amazing on my computer! I read your update this morning on my phone. The pics looked really just meh. Bigger screen = bigger view. I can see!

I'm glad you took some pics with your ipod, otherwise we would have a pictureless report.

 

[pkondz]

And I have so few left to be frittering them away on such trifles.

I'm really concerned that a few more articles, a dash of radio, a soupçon of TV more... and poof!
The ability to speak or think... gone!

Or it’s just accentuating the deficiency that was already inherent in the populous.

Interesting observation...

I think it’s got more to do with the transition in news away from information and analysis…
toward entertainment and “perceived” drama

Or should that be:

That’d quickly suck all of the joy out of an airplane flight.
Oh wait… what joy?

If he'd opened the hatch, it would've been more than just his joy that was sucked out.

Just over there… see?
You need to pay more attention.

Where?? Oh! There!

I think that fact illustrates a different and probably more disturbing unspoken truth.

Unfortunately.... yes.

No, no…
You’ve already shown me more of Toronto than I’ve seen for myself.

Well, in that case... glad to be of service.
Although I think my photos are going to tail off now.

 

[pkondz]

I'm not going to lie...I'm going to tell the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

You mean You chopped down the Cherry tree??!?!??!

I SKIMMED!!!

After 9 days in Disney, 11 days back at work trying to get caught up and packing for our move in 94 days (and a trip to Florida before that), I just haven't been able to catch up the way I'd like.

Wellllllll.....

Okay, I guess that's a good excuse.

First and foremost... for your trip being booked to Disney.

That is absolutelya wesome and I am very, very happy for you and your DD.

Thanks!

I'm glad you straightened out the insurance on the car. We never get insurance on our cars and hate when they try to "sell" it to us.

I just totally forgot about the credit card coverage.
And then I thought "This will be the one time I get in an accident."

LOVE the pictures of the castle...absolutely stunning.

Thanks, again!

 

[pkondz]

Welllll, at least here it snows and it melts, so it's not too miserable.

What is this "melting" that you speak of?

But growing up we would spend every summer with our Canuckian relations and our foolish friends would be all, "Are you gonna ski up there?" Um, no, because July??

I remember so many stories from friends, growing up.
"We were in Disney and taking the ferry and someone asked
if this was the first time we'd seen water that wasnt' frozen."

My dad was an oil and gas man back in the 70s and got moved to corporate when Anaconda was purchased by ARCO, so Denver it was. We're all still here.

Ah. Well, that would explain it.
Possibly not as interesting as the story I concocted in my head, but..
(The family was a bank robbing team. Dad was the safe-cracker,
Mom was the muscle and the kids were henchmen (henchkids?)
and they were on the run from the law with the Mounties hot on their trail.
The only way they could escape was by hiding in the wilds of the Rockies.)

But just last night I was still dreaming of the million dollar condo I'm buying in Vancouver as soon as I win the lottery. It's gonna be awesome.

I hate to tell you this, but now, a million bucks in Vancouver just gets you a run down "starter" home.

That milkshake sounds AMAZING...

It was! Soooo good!

I could eat apple pie filling and be a happy fat camper.

The Gambler was terrible... And we got it since the DF is a Walburg fan. Nope nope nopity nope.

There was little to like about that movie.
John Goodman was good, and the ending was okay...

Wow. That's really not saying much, is it?

I will recommend John Wick to anyone who will listen though!

That one was really good! Must watch again.

Those pics look amazing on my computer!

Thanks!

I read your update this morning on my phone. The pics looked really just meh. Bigger screen = bigger view. I can see!

Now, Marie. Haven't you heard that bigger is better?

I'm glad you took some pics with your ipod, otherwise we would have a pictureless report.

So you're saying the report would suck without picture, huh?

 

[Gracefulskinny]

"Oh! I'm so sorry Mr. pkondz. I've marked your file with a note.
I don't believe I can completely remove the charge from this end,
but when you return the car, just tell them there's a note on file
and the charge will be removed.
Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Well, that was easy.

Too easy.....

And third. When I rented the car, I put it on my credit card.
You know. The one that gives me free car insurance on rentals?
Yeah. That one.
So I never needed the rental's insurance in the first place.

I asked her to take me to my first destination of the day and...
about half an hour later... I was near my quarry, but couldn't get to it.
There was construction on my route and I took a detour
which routed me into a maze of one way streets and dead-ends.

Ugh I hate when that happens.

Casa Loma is a castle nestled in the heart of Toronto.
It looks like a medieval castle that was somehow
transported over from Europe.

How neat!

During the depression, following WWI,
the city increased the property tax on Casa Loma
from $600 a year to $1,000 a month!

How would you like it if your taxes increased by 2000 percent!!!

All at once too. Yikes!

In the late 20s, the castle was run as a luxury hotel.
During prohibition, wealthy Americans would come... for the air.
Yeah. That's it. The air. Sure.

And now you're wondering if Poo Pourri is something I made up.
It's not.

I've seen that many times. Even checked out the Amazon page. I still can't believe that is a real product.

Well, for now, I'm high and dry so might as well keep touring, right?

Sir Henry would walk these floors at night.
If any boards squeaked,
he would have the workers pull up the wood and replace them.

OCD much?

Sir Henry's study has two secret passageways on either side of the fireplace.
(I could only get one in the picture.)
When the doors are closed, you'd never know they were there.
The passageway that you see leads up to the second floor,
the other leads down to the wine cellar.

That would be cool! I've always wanted a secret passageway.

So called because Sir Henry had high hopes that King George would visit.

Thought highly of himself did he?

The round room fits perfectly into one of the castle's two turrets.
The most remarkable thing (at least to me)
is that not only are the walls curved,
but so are the doors and windows.

The rain had completely stopped!
For the third day in a row, I'd completely missed getting rained on.
I think my Disney luck with the busses
has transferred over to luck with the rain.

Apparently, everything in Toronto is half an hour away from everything else.
Because once again, it took us about that much time to get there.

That can get frustrating.

I told Ruby that I'd make a run for it and pick her up in front of The Lakeview.
But by the time we finished eating and paid our bill,
the rain had finished too!

 

[KathyM2]

Toronto doesn't have a rope drop.

I think I could argue with you there lol. If you want to go to ANY tourist attraction...and not wait in long lines and have the place virtually to yourself...get there before they open lol...sorta like rope drop, no? Like for Canada's Wonderland...you need to get there a half hour early at least to find parking and get in the second they open...otherwise...intolerable lines...and no interactive queues there lol

Casa Loma is a castle nestled in the heart of Toronto.

So funny...I haven't been there since elementary school and it's like 10 minutes from my house.

It was... well it was Wendy's.

Ugh..how could you??

The Lakeview.

I used to love that place "Used to" being the key words here...

This place is open 24 hours and if it's popular,
then the oil is going to get a work out.

It's sad really. I used to go in university...way long ago...and it used to be fabulous. I think they changed the fries though...they don't look like what I remember. And so sorry about the oil thing. The food really used to be good there. That milkshake does sound amazing though.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Boom and bust

Alex… what are two of the things most greatly affected by Bikini

(both the place and the thing of course).

Oddly enough, Toronto doesn't have a rope drop.
Weird, I know.

If it’s like most cities, they have rope-up instead.
That point in the morning after which no one can get anywhere.

Also known as rush hour.

I, of course, was a perfect gentleman (as always)
and didn't rub her nose in the fact that I got an extra hour of sleep.
Nor did I gloat that I had a day of fun and frivolity planned while she
toiled under the heavy burden of work.

Perfect gent, or simply cautious diplomacy?

I might not have done those things because she would hit me if I did.
But I prefer to think it was because I was gallant.

Question answered.

Let's go with gallant.
Sure.

Wink, wink… nudge, nudge… say no more.

After seeing Ruby off to work <snicker... sorry>,
I sadly turned back to the now empty room and gleefully... uh...
I mean sadly, oh so sadly, rubbed my hands together in anticipation.
I mean regret! Rubbed my hands together with great, Great! Regret!

Chivalrous to a fault.

"I'll have to transfer you to customer service." Came the terse reply.

For they have ways of making you talk…
I mean consent...
Or would that be surrender.

Oh whatever, so what happened next?

"Oh! I'm so sorry Mr. pkondz. I've marked your file with a note.
I don't believe I can completely remove the charge from this end,
but when you return the car, just tell them there's a note on file
and the charge will be removed.

Hummmmm…

Not sure if stall tactic, or actual customer service…

Hopefully the latter …

I should have asked her to grant me the ability to walk on water,
since she was handing out miracles.

“Get me… I'm handing out wings!”

Now some of you may be thinking to yourselves,
"Sure. You saved yourself some cash.
But if you so much as scratch that car... you're in deep do-do!"

“You watch your phraseology!”

And third. When I rented the car, I put it on my credit card.
You know. The one that gives me free car insurance on rentals?

Good that you remembered that little tidbit.
Now let’s see if they actually drop the charge if a couple days.

I headed out to the car and plugged in Betty.
She seemed to like that.

Double Entendre Alert.

Casa Loma.

Interesting… didn’t know that was there.
Wonder why he chose a Spanish name for what looks so much like an English manor house?

Actually we’ve got something similar in the Carolinas…
Biltmore House.

Sir Henry was forced to sell off his art and many of his furnishings.

I do believe he would come under the category of: House Poor

In the late 20s, the castle was run as a luxury hotel.
During prohibition, wealthy Americans would come... for the air.

Because with great wealth, comes great exemption.

I suppose the front lawn isn't really what you want to see is it.
Nooo... You're going to insist I go inside and show you around, aren't you!
Fine! But it costs $24 of cold hard cash to go inside, so you owe me!

Steep, but cheaper than Biltmore

Sheesh! The things I do just for my readers.

And we appreciate it mightily.

And now you're wondering if Poo Pourri is something I made up.

No I figured the K9000 was made up.
Poo Pourri, sounds completely legit.

And it saddens me that I’ve become that jaded by marketing and pop culture.

I passed posters depicting some of the movies that had been filmed here.

Ahhh…
The Clasics.

I exited the Oak Room and entered the Great Hall....
Quite the room. Immense, really.
Too bad I didn't take a single picture of it.

Yep… too bad; especially since I didn’t take one either.

From the Great Hall, I wandered outside onto the patio overlooking the gardens.
I didn't dally as it looked like it was going to rain at any moment.

Quite the view, actually.

I saw an ark drift by.
I was glad I was inside,

I’d have been glad as well…
Besides, they’d never have allowed me on the ark in the first place.

you can just make out what looks like wasp nests hanging down.
They are actually ceramic "grape clusters" that are lit from the inside.

That’s quite the extra detail, there.

Sir Henry's study has two secret passageways on either side of the fireplace.

Very cool…
I imagine that most folks would like to have a “secret” passage of some type built into their home.

Too bad most folk don’t have the wherewithal to pull it off.

Would you feel a little bit special if this was your room as a guest???

Don’t know…
Believe I’d probably sleep on the floor and try not to touch anything.

Mary Pellatt took an interest in and became the first
Chief Commissioner of the Girl Guides of Canada.
She would hold meetings with the girls in this room.

Now that’s an Interesting detail.
Give’s one some insight on the individual, and makes them a bit less monolithic.

You can also climb up inside one of the turrets

I wouldn’t have been able to resist doing so.

You can ascend another (spiral) staircase to get to the highest point in the turret.

Again, I’d have been puffing and wheezing but I’d of had to do it.

The rain had completely stopped!
For the third day in a row, I'd completely missed getting rained on.
I think my Disney luck with the busses
has transferred over to luck with the rain.

Excellent!
And may it transfer back once you get to return.

Well, I was in Toronto, right?
The dining possibilities are practically endless!
So what did I do?
Stopped in at a Wendy's.

And Dave thanks you (well, his heirs do, but still…)

Not much more to say about it.
Glad I went. Saw some nice bikes. Bought a T-shirt. Adios.

So literally: “Been there… done that… bought the t-shirt”

Apparently, Guy Fieri has reviewed six restaurants in Toronto for his show…

…We settled on The Lakeview.

I’d have done something very similar for choosing.
As Mark likes to point out, trying a dive like that will at least result in an interesting story.

Apparently, everything in Toronto is half an hour away from everything else.
Because once again, it took us about that much time to get there.

So it has that in common with Charlotte as well, then.

We walked about a block and stepped into The Lakeview and back in time.

Does this place look cool or what???

Yes, yes it does.

We grabbed a booth, snagged some menus and perused.
I had seen two things on the show that I knew I was going to try.
Number one on that list was the Apple Pie Milkshake.
They make a vanilla milkshake... then blend in an entire slice of apple pie.

Pie ala mode…
certainly sounds intriguing

And on Guy Fieri's advice, I ordered The Lakeview Clubhouse Stack.

What can I say about this sandwich?
Well.. in a word... disappointing.

Unfortunate…

There are two potential problems I can see resulting from the kind of attention brought to a place by such shows…
1 - Increased traffic can overwhelm a mom-n-pop shop beyond their ability to cope
2 – they are generally compelled to do their best work for the camera and may not necessarily maintain that standard for the regular crowd on a typical Wednesday evening.

But even still, such places are a good bet when you have nothing else to go on.
Good that the shake made up for the old oil.

Save for your review though, I’d still have tried it as well.
May still.

But by the time we finished eating and paid our bill,
the rain had finished too!

And the streak continues.

We watched The Gambler with Mark Wahlberg.
My recommendation? Don't bother.

Duly noted (but I watch so few anyway)

Ah well. Tomorrow's another day to explore and discover.

 

[pkondz]

Too easy.....

I sense that you sense some foreboding here.

Ugh I hate when that happens.

I could freaking see the castle... but couldn't get to it!

I've seen that many times. Even checked out the Amazon page. I still can't believe that is a real product.

Oh, it's real all right.


We have some.

OCD much?

I didn't see it that way. When we built, I was there everyday.
Caught lots of mistakes before they became permanent.

That would be cool! I've always wanted a secret passageway.

Who wouldn't?!?!?

Thought highly of himself did he?

Well, the King never came, but I remember the audio guide saying a lesser royal did.
Maybe the Prince of Wales? A duke? Someone?

That can get frustrating.

Nah. With Toronto traffic sometimes.... I took half an hour as pretty good, actually.

 

[pkondz]

I think I could argue with you there lol. If you want to go to ANY tourist attraction...and not wait in long lines and have the place virtually to yourself...get there before they open lol...sorta like rope drop, no? Like for Canada's Wonderland...you need to get there a half hour early at least to find parking and get in the second they open...otherwise...intolerable lines...and no interactive queues there lol

True... but I was more or less thinking of a giant rope encircling the entire city.
With cars lined up outside the city limits.
And then at the stroke of ... six? am. the ropes fall and the cars all charge in.

So funny...I haven't been there since elementary school and it's like 10 minutes from my house.

Probably hasn't changed very much since then.

Ugh..how could you??

Simple mathematics. Allow me to demonstrate.

Let's assign Convenience the value X.
Hunger would be Y.
So the likelihood of my eating at Wendy's could be classified as X + Y.
Factor in the expense (or lack thereof) and we'll call that A,
and the unfamiliar surroundings, which we'll call Z.
So our formula would be Z (X + Y)/A = I was stupid.

See? Doesn't that make sense now?

I used to love that place "Used to" being the key words here...

It's sad really. I used to go in university...way long ago...and it used to be fabulous. I think they changed the fries though...they don't look like what I remember. And so sorry about the oil thing. The food really used to be good there. That milkshake does sound amazing though.

Did the food start going downhill? Or did you just move far enough away that it wasn't worth the effort?

 

[afwdwfan]

So some pics might be... a little fuzzy.
Just like me!

Finally! We can see the world through the eyes of pkondz.

Wait a minute... I'm not sure that's something I really want!

So naturally, Ruby declined to have anything.

NOOOO!!!!! She should have at least gotten something else to give to you! Gotta use the freebies!

We snag our bag off the carousel of fun and set out for the car rental agency.
Just once, wouldn't you like to ride along with the bags, just to see how it all works?
I would, but I find that the inevitable beatings and incarceration are a deterrent.

See, when I want to see how a baggage handling system works, I just watch Die Hard 2.

Do you look cool in a SUV?
I DON'T KNOW! I JUST TOLD YOU I'M TOO OLD!

Yes. SUV's are cool these days. That's what all the cool kids drive.

We pick one of the few cars there. A Dodge Charger.

Watch that gas cap lid...

Uh. Maybe I shouldn't use the term "break down" when I'm renting a car.

Better a rental than your own.

Well, her name isn't actually "Itchin" Betty. But it rhymes with her real name.
Besides, I like alliterations.

Love it!

Programming Itchin' Betty ahead of time = smart.
Programming her with the wrong street number = not so smart.

We easily find the theater and watch Pitch Perfect 2.
Meh. It was okay.

I thought it was fine. But the only way I could get DW to watch Jurassic World with me was when this was the second part of that double feature at the drive in.

I knew it! There are dog sleds everywhere in Canada!!!!!

It houses Ripley's Aquarium of Canada.

Cool! I've been to the one in Gatlinburg. They definitely look very similar from the pictures. Toronto must be a bit bigger though.

On the way out to the inevitable gift shop, you pass by some of the equipment
used to keep the aquarium running.
I found this to be almost as interesting as the aquarium itself.

I find it pretty fascinating as well.

We wandered in and.... pie heaven!
All sorts of pies!
And they all looked sooooo good!

Mmmmm... I'll have one of everything!

And third. When I rented the car, I put it on my credit card.
You know. The one that gives me free car insurance on rentals?
Yeah. That one.
So I never needed the rental's insurance in the first place.

And yes. If I wasn't stupid, I would've thought of that in the first place.
But then again, I find that my lack of brain cells improves the likelihood
of you finding enjoyment at my expense.

I've heard that there can be issues with the speed of CC insurance so sometimes it makes sense to have another method of insurance. But even if it would be a headache, your butt would at least be covered.

How would you like it if your taxes increased by 2000 percent!!!
I don't know about you, but I complain if it goes up by one percent.

Don't move to Indiana.

In the late 20s, the castle was run as a luxury hotel.
During prohibition, wealthy Americans would come... for the air.

The air... just like the Americans who have been making Colorado a sudden vacation spot over the last year or so?

But it costs $24 of cold hard cash to go inside, so you owe me!
Sheesh! The things I do just for my readers.

You just said you didn't plan to do a TR!

Sir Henry's study has two secret passageways on either side of the fireplace.
(I could only get one in the picture.)

Every good castle has to have secret passageways.

First of all it's at a time when few people had running water.
Second, floor to ceiling marble.

Um... yeah. The man had more money than sense. Well, until he clearly didn't have more money than sense in the end.

The dining possibilities are practically endless!
So what did I do?
Stopped in at a Wendy's.

Well, it isn't McDonalds.

I arrived at the Harley store a minute or so after eating,
looked around, got my poker chip...
and left.
Not much more to say about it.

So you didn't buy a new bike? Bummer.

It was starting to get dark again, but it wasn't raining,
so we decided to not bring the umbrella.

Uh oh...

As we were eating, it started to pour.
And as hard or harder than it had earlier in the day.

I knew it!!!!

I told Ruby that I'd make a run for it and pick her up in front of The Lakeview.
But by the time we finished eating and paid our bill,
the rain had finished too!

You just keep lucking out... your luck has got to run out eventually...

 

[KathyM2]

Did the food start going downhill? Or did you just move far enough away that it wasn't worth the effort?

I think probably a bit of both...I used to be able to walk there and I just loved their burgers and fries...sigh. So guess the food, and I think they changed the menu...and now there are sooo many good restaurants that are a lot closer to home...so...I guess that's why. Though other than the shake...your review doesn't really make me want to go back...yuk...dirty oil...ew.

 

[mmeb144]

Hey, I love your writing style! I love the pics, too. I saw a trailer for a show on Venice and thought of your awesome pics. No need to watch the show, already seen the place, via your pictures. Well, I would still like to see Castle Loma, but mainly for the secret passages.

 

[pkondz]

Alex… what are two of the things most greatly affected by Bikini

(both the place and the thing of course).

Oh, that was very well done indeed.

If it’s like most cities, they have rope-up instead.
That point in the morning after which no one can get anywhere.

Also known as rush hour.

It was very odd. I kept taking the same highway to and back
and it kept getting clogged at the same spot...
for no discernable reason.

Wink, wink… nudge, nudge… say no more.

A nod's as good as a wink to a blind bat.

Chivalrous to a fault.

I have lots of chivalry then.

Not sure if stall tactic, or actual customer service…

Stay tuned...

“Get me… I'm handing out wings!”

Ding!

“You watch your phraseology!”

Had to look that one up. Never seen it.

Should.

Good that you remembered that little tidbit.
Now let’s see if they actually drop the charge if a couple days.

I'll let you know in a couple of posts.

Double Entendre Alert.

Interesting… didn’t know that was there.
Wonder why he chose a Spanish name for what looks so much like an English manor house?

I don't know. Sounds more pretentious?

Actually we’ve got something similar in the Carolinas…
Biltmore House.

Beautiful manor. But yikes! Those prices! $400 and up for one night!

I do believe he would come under the category of: House Poor

I'm quite aquainted with that category, thank you.

Because with great wealth, comes great exemption.

Some things don't seem to change.

No I figured the K9000 was made up.
Poo Pourri, sounds completely legit.

And it saddens me that I’ve become that jaded by marketing and pop culture.

So the jade market is taking a definite upswing, then?

Ahhh…
The Clasics.

Quite the view, actually.

I wondered what the view would've been like 100 years ago.
And what he would've thought of it if he could see it now.

I’d have been glad as well…
Besides, they’d never have allowed me on the ark in the first place.

Well, of course not. You have to go two by two.

That’s quite the extra detail, there.

That's what I thought, too.

Very cool…
I imagine that most folks would like to have a “secret” passage of some type built into their home.

That seems to be the consensus.

Too bad most folk don’t have the wherewithal to pull it off.

Ah. Yes. The money aspect.
Always a thorn in your side.

Don’t know…
Believe I’d probably sleep on the floor and try not to touch anything.

Ditto.

Now that’s an Interesting detail.
Give’s one some insight on the individual, and makes them a bit less monolithic.

Oh, look. Suddenly they're human.

I wouldn’t have been able to resist doing so.

Pretty much the reason I went up.

Again, I’d have been puffing and wheezing but I’d of had to do it.

And the inevitable call to 911 would be answered with:
"Nope. We don't carry people down from turrets with spiral and narrow staircases... Good luck!"

Excellent!
And may it transfer back once you get to return.

I'm trying to hope for it without thinking about it too much so I don't jinx it.


Superstitious much???

And Dave thanks you (well, his heirs do, but still…)

Well, that Wendy's actress is pretty hot... so...

So literally: “Been there… done that… bought the t-shirt”

Thank you for noticing!

I’d have done something very similar for choosing.
As Mark likes to point out, trying a dive like that will at least result in an interesting story.

It was a close one. Almost no interest. Just tasty food.
It's almost a good thing that the oil needed changing.


I think I would've preferred fresh oil.

Pie ala mode…
certainly sounds intriguing

There are two potential problems I can see resulting from the kind of attention brought to a place by such shows…
1 - Increased traffic can overwhelm a mom-n-pop shop beyond their ability to cope
2 – they are generally compelled to do their best work for the camera and may not necessarily maintain that standard for the regular crowd on a typical Wednesday evening.

I thought much the same.
The few places I've been to haven't been busy, though.

But I know from experience, when I was a cook a million years ago,
how the manager would make us put extra in a dish
and take extra care with it if he suspected a food critic or company management.

But even still, such places are a good bet when you have nothing else to go on.
Good that the shake made up for the old oil.

That's what I figure.
And at the very least, I'd go back just for the shake.
Or order something not deep fried, I suppose.

Save for your review though, I’d still have tried it as well.
May still.

I would.

And the streak continues.

While women are legally allowed to go topless in that Province
(although, unfortunately, they seldom do)
streaking is still illegal.

 

[pkondz]

Finally! We can see the world through the eyes of pkondz.

Wait a minute... I'm not sure that's something I really want!

It really isn't.

Trust me on this.

NOOOO!!!!! She should have at least gotten something else to give to you! Gotta use the freebies!

I know, right?
I was like, "Aren't you going to order anything? You know since I paid for it?"
"Nope!"

See, when I want to see how a baggage handling system works, I just watch Die Hard 2.

But.... is that really how it works?
Or is that just Hollywood?

Maybe it's a bunch of elves doing all the sorting.


Wait. That's the North Pole.

Yes. SUV's are cool these days. That's what all the cool kids drive.

I knew it!

Watch that gas cap lid...

Don't get ahead of the story!

Better a rental than your own.

Well, yeah. I suppose... still, I don't want a rental with an issue.
I just want one that works.

I thought it was fine. But the only way I could get DW to watch Jurassic World with me was when this was the second part of that double feature at the drive in.

So there is a reason for that movie after all!

Huh.

I knew it! There are dog sleds everywhere in Canada!!!!!

Of course there are.
I don't understand your confusion?

I mean, how else would we get around?
Ski everywhere?
That would take forever!

Cool! I've been to the one in Gatlinburg. They definitely look very similar from the pictures. Toronto must be a bit bigger though.

I tried to look it up (without spending hours on it, anyway) and this is what I got.

Toronto:Floor space 135,000 sq ft - Volume of largest tank 750,000 US gal - Total volume of tanks 1,506,000 US ga
Gatlinburg: 85,000 sq ft (which, I assume is the floor space.)

Mmmmm... I'll have one of everything!

Nope. I'll have one of every one that doesn't have coconut on or in it.

But I get the sentiment.

I've heard that there can be issues with the speed of CC insurance so sometimes it makes sense to have another method of insurance. But even if it would be a headache, your butt would at least be covered.

Don't move to Indiana.

Oh boy. I'll keep that in mind, then.

The air... just like the Americans who have been making Colorado a sudden vacation spot over the last year or so?

Pretty much!

You just said you didn't plan to do a TR!

I must've had a hunch that I'd be railroaded into another one.

Every good castle has to have secret passageways.

I've been to a few in Europe, too.
And.... yep. Hidden passages.

Um... yeah. The man had more money than sense. Well, until he clearly didn't have more money than sense in the end.

I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
There were tons of people who lost it all during the depression.
From what I've read, it sounds like he came out of it okay in the long run.

Well, it isn't McDonalds.

True. It's a step up from that.
But then again... anything is.

So you didn't buy a new bike? Bummer.

No... but I did sit on one I kinda liked....

Uh oh...

Fell for that one, didja?

I knew it!!!!

Doesn't count if we're indoors!

You just keep lucking out... your luck has got to run out eventually...

Got a couple of days left... We'll see....

 

[pkondz]

I think probably a bit of both...I used to be able to walk there and I just loved their burgers and fries...sigh.

Ruby did say her burger was really good.

So guess the food, and I think they changed the menu...and now there are sooo many good restaurants that are a lot closer to home...so...I guess that's why. Though other than the shake...your review doesn't really make me want to go back...yuk...dirty oil...ew.

Yeah, dirty oil, in any restaurant is never a good thing.
And I get if you have good restaurants that are closer... well, makes sense.

Hey, I love your writing style!

Thanks, Marie!

I love the pics, too.

Thanks again!

I saw a trailer for a show on Venice and thought of your awesome pics. No need to watch the show, already seen the place, via your pictures.

Just wish it would've ended a little differently.
Plus there would've been tons more pics.

Well, I would still like to see Castle Loma, but mainly for the secret passages.

Who doesn't love secret passages?
So far... no one!

 

[pkondz]

I think I'm all caught up on the shout outs.
If I missed someone, somehow, lemme know!