Rocky Mountain Highs (a non-Disney Trip Report) - COMPLETE 2/17

[jwwi]

Great pictures! I love your TR.

 

[Poolrat]

First things first: today is Baby Drew’s birthday! Hard to believe he’s 2 years old already. I guess I can’t really call him “Baby Drew” anymore, although “Toddler Drew” has less of a ring to it.

Tornado Drew
Tasmanian Devil Drew
How did he get up There Drew
Houdini Drew

All acceptable for the toddler years.

I guess we needed to make it a little romantic, though. Maybe an impromptu re-creation of Lady & the Tramp would do the trick.

Great shot.

 

[jedijill]

Happy Birthday Baby Drew! What a great way to spend your anniversary. Its nice that you have a legal babysitter now.

Jill in CO

 

[wasnotafan]

Happy Belated to Drew though at his age what is a day or too late. Actually it is about 0.005 so I guess being a day or too late is a big deal!

I'd put my money on indigestion.

 

[GoofyFan1515]

While I work on the next update, I found this photo of Grand Prismatic Spring that I took with my iPod. I think the colors came out a little better on this one.

Gorgeous! (Or should that be craterous???)

First things first: today is Baby Drew’s birthday! Hard to believe he’s 2 years old already. I guess I can’t really call him “Baby Drew” anymore, although “Toddler Drew” has less of a ring to it.

Happy Belated Birthday Drew!!!

Oh look, Old Faithful is erupting again.

Is that maybe a little redundant???

I do know that the clock on the fireplace is largely original ironwork, with only a couple of pieces that needed to be restored over the years.

Very Cool! Right up there with the one Thomas Jefferson created at Monticello.

Here you can see the Crow’s Nest, a series of stairways and platforms leading to the roof. In the olden days, musicians would often play from here.

Well, somebody had to hit the HIGH notes.............

There’s also a staircase that leads up to the roof, where the flags of the United States and the states that form a piece of Yellowstone National Park fly every day. Each morning, a family is allowed by Bell Services to accompany them onto the roof to raise the flags over the lodge.

As long as their last name is Wallenda???

For example, you might remember our 15th anniversary dinner/evening stroll on the beach in Maui. For me, it’s not enough to just say “I love you.” I feel the need to demonstrate it.


So, we took a short walk down the road to eat a romantic dinner in the gift shop of Hamilton’s General Store.

But you digress.............

marriage is not about what you get out of it. It’s about what you put into it. If your attitude is correct, you’re there to serve your spouse. You can make any moment in the world a blissful romance if you put your heart and soul into it. After 17 years and four children together, I have no qualms in saying that life is just one joyful moment of ecstasy after another.

And it just oozes from you two!

I guess we needed to make it a little romantic, though. Maybe an impromptu re-creation of Lady & the Tramp would do the trick.

I don't remember that scene being a threesome............

 

[Dugette]

First things first: today is Baby Drew’s birthday! Hard to believe he’s 2 years old already. I guess I can’t really call him “Baby Drew” anymore, although “Toddler Drew” has less of a ring to it.

I can't believe he's already 2! Happy birthday, Drew!

How nice to have an anniversary stroll by Old Faithful! Quite a busy rest day, but worthwhile.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Tried to do that at the Wilderness Lodge but with no luck. Would have been cool.

We tried at the Wilderness Lodge too, also to no avail. Hopefully someday. That would be neat.

Glad you had an enjoyable Anniversary and Drew was definitely eying that french fry.

Now that he's older, he would definitely take a swipe at it.

Did notice that on FB.
It just felt weird wishing him a happy birthday on FB.
So I'll do it here instead.

'Cause it's not weird here, at all.

Not at all! And thanks for the birthday wishes. I told Drew you said "Happy birthday," and he said, "French fry?"

Still not old, huh?

Well, we're still taking photos...

I remember those days.
"Please Lord. Let her be asleep.... Dang it!"

The Lord never seems to answer those prayers the way I want.

Makes sense.
And I don't know why I didn't think of that before.
Of course it makes sense!

It's my TR. Of course it makes sense! Everything makes sense here.


Hello?


Bueller?

That's pretty accurate, considering it could be between 7 - 15 hours.

I agree. Not too shabby at all.

A sternly worded letter or email is in order!

I will have my secretary draft this at once! Now all I need is a secretary.

Ha! Nope. Not falling for that one.
You said it was the tallest.
You'd have to go a heck of a long way to not be able to notice it.

Well, I didn't get my username for nothing.

pfft. Guess again, dude.

Fine. Be that way.

Cool. And Old Faithful is already impressive.

I would think that the two are connected so the same forces that cause one to go...

I'm sure that's the case, but it has a separate name, so I'm counting it as another geyser.

close one.
Wait... I'm thinking you have your share of baby doody anyway.

Some days it feels like more than my fair share.

So all was not lost. Score!

Hooray?

That's a pretty common thing, actually.

Yeah, I've seen it before. But usually it's just one or two windows along the roofline.

I like that.
Never would've thought of that.

Neat little detail. I had to prove I was paying attention at least part of the time.

No thanks. I'll pass on that job.

I can't even imagine!

Cool! Too bad you didn't get the chance to do it.

Yeah, that was a bummer. But now that I know the rules, I'll definitely try next time. That would be so cool!

I guess not!

Well, they do have a fireplace.

That would totally change the character of the building.
Ruin it, if you ask me.

I'm not even sure how they could accomplish it. I guess they'd have to ruin the character of the building in order to do so. Definitely not worth it.

Unfortunately, she's well within her rights to do so.
But, yeah. It rankles. Would it have hurt to ask?

Seriously. It's just a little creepy.

Do that! Let us know what the answer is!
I'd be especially curious to know how he/she looks at you.

Next time, buddy. Next time.

I remember.

Oh, good, that means I hadn't put you to sleep yet.

Aww... that's so.... uh... what???

Cheap. The word you're looking for is "cheap".

Depends who you ask.
If it's your kids, then the answer is "yes".

There's those smiling faces!

I guess they're not quite sick of us yet!

What a terrific shot!!

Thanks! Because it really felt awkward.

I believe both of those statements.
Well, the "idiots" part I only attribute to you.

I can dig it.

Nicely said.

Thank you, sir.

Okay! Okay! I believe you!

Sheesh. You ask one little question.

It didn't get old.

Really! Wow. I would've thought by now...
"Dad, can I have a phone?"
"No."
"Dad, can I have a phone?"
"No."
"Dad, can I have a phone?"
"No."
"Dad, can I have a phone?"
"No."
"Dad, can I have a phone?"
"No."
"Dad, can I have a phone?"
"No."
"Dad, can I have a phone?"
"No."
"Dad, can I have a phone?"
"I'll think about it, okay! Enough!"




"Dad, can I have a phone?"
"No."

Usually I can point out that I'm on a government salary.

Those trees don't grow on trees you know!

Seriously, next time, take several shots.
The more the people move in the background the better.
Easy to then combine them into one shot and delete all the people.

I'll have to remember that. I am a true neophyte when it comes to photo editing. I really don't know what I'm doing.

Best. Time. Ever.

We really need to take more advantage of this!

Obvious.
Indigestion.

That seems to be the consensus. Dang it.

 

[glennbo123]

Sorry, I'm still here! Just got caught up on a couple of chapters. The report is still fantastic. Oh hey, did you see any geysers while you were in Yellowstone?

Love the french fry picture.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Great pictures! I love your TR.

Thank you! And thanks for reading!

Tornado Drew
Tasmanian Devil Drew
How did he get up There Drew
Houdini Drew

All acceptable for the toddler years.

Lately, it's "How the @#$% did he get into THAT?" Drew.

Great shot.

Thanks! I'm glad we momentarily put aside our self-consciousness.

Happy Birthday Baby Drew! What a great way to spend your anniversary. Its nice that you have a legal babysitter now.

It is! We really need to put her to work.

Happy Belated to Drew though at his age what is a day or too late. Actually it is about 0.005 so I guess being a day or too late is a big deal!

I'd put my money on indigestion.

You an everyone else, I'm guessing.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Gorgeous! (Or should that be craterous???)

Uh...well, I wouldn't use the second word to describe a woman, for starters.

Happy Belated Birthday Drew!!!

Thanks!

Is that maybe a little redundant???

Don't forget, I did file a TR from the Department of Redundancy Department.

Very Cool! Right up there with the one Thomas Jefferson created at Monticello.

You know, I have yet to see Monticello!

Well, somebody had to hit the HIGH notes.............

As long as their last name is Wallenda???

Nah, it's not so bad. Just don't look down.

But you digress.............

Um...yes.

And it just oozes from you two!

Doesn't it, though?

I don't remember that scene being a threesome............

Well, it wasn't that kind of movie.

I can't believe he's already 2! Happy birthday, Drew!

Thanks! I can't believe it's gone so fast, either.

How nice to have an anniversary stroll by Old Faithful! Quite a busy rest day, but worthwhile.

Not so restful after all. But we saw a lot.

Sorry, I'm still here! Just got caught up on a couple of chapters. The report is still fantastic. Oh hey, did you see any geysers while you were in Yellowstone?

Thanks for checking back in, Glenn! We might have seen one or two, or just the same one 5 times.

Love the french fry picture.

I'm glad, because it beats the alternative!

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Chapter 19: Since I’ve Met You, I’ve Noticed Things That I Never Knew Were There Before…Birds Singing…Dew Glistening On A Newly Formed Leaf…Stoplights…

Nice beaver!

First things first: today is Baby Drew’s birthday! Hard to believe he’s 2 years old already. I guess I can’t really call him “Baby Drew” anymore, although “Toddler Drew” has less of a ring to it.

Being as he’s entering that 2-4 range…
Terrorist Drew might somewhat appropriate.

When we last left you...

Always abandoning people.

Oh look, Old Faithful is erupting again.

Don’t change the subject.

The good news was, the long walk would give Baby Drew plenty of time to get a good afternoon nap as he rode along in the stroller.

With each wheel thudding as it rolled from one board to the next on the boardwalk…

Zzzz… <<thump. Thump>>
Zzzz… <<thump. Thump>>
“Whaaaa…” <<thump. Thump>>

Surely he was exhausted by now.

Likely, but asleep?
That’s a different question.

Guess not.

As I suspected

And stop calling me Shirley.

Wrong film…

Just think about baseball…
you’ll get through it.

A longer, taller eruption means a longer wait till the next one, and vice versa.

So… the geyser has to spend some time thinking about baseball too?
Huh, who knew?

You know, sometimes these natural phenomena are very inconvenient. It would be nice if they would take our schedules into account.

That’s why Disney replaces such things with animatronics and Imagineering.

Not wanting to be That Guy with the screaming baby in a public area, I took him out of the stroller and started taking a walk with him down the boardwalk just to change the scenery.

You’re a good man.

I figured even I wasn’t dumb enough not to notice when the geyser started erupting.

That’s a lot of figuring, right there.

Aren’t you glad I can set up lines like that for you? I set it up, you spike the ball. Have fun.

What? Were you still talking?
What was it you were you saying, again?

Anyway, you’re all wrong.

Dang!
I knew I should’a checked the “all of the above” box.

I think Grand Geyser is actually a better show than Old Faithful. The eruption lasts about twice as long, shoots higher, and you get to sit closer. Old Faithful feels very stately and gentle as it shoots water into a long, flowing plume, while Grand Geyser seems more violent.

So…
Faithfulness = G
Grandness = R

Got it

Our feet were as sore as they are when we’ve spent the day walking around Epcot.

And you didn’t even get a Grand Marnier or Grey Goose slushy for your troubles.

I took baby duty (no, not that kind of baby doody)

Whew… that was close.
Good thing you clarified that. Lord knows what the result might have been otherwise.

I didn’t hear everything that was said. But at least I got some baby snot on my shirt.

Well, we all know just who the real winner was in this situation.

And I know that many of the dormers (small windows) on the roof out front are fake.

Imagineering before the invention of Imagineering.

If you know your reservation dates, call directly to the Bell Services desk on the second Thursday of May (this is when the lodge opens for the season). Do not call the front desk—bell services handles the flags and reservations directly. Ask for a date during your reservation and they’ll try and get you slotted in for a morning on a first-come, first-serve basis. You can bet I’ll be shooting for this on our next trip. Good luck!

I’ll be holding on to that for future reference.

I’m sure it makes more economic sense to shut down for the winter rather than try and insulate the whole building.

Or, just market it as a feature and charge extra for the opportunity.
If folks will spend exorbitant amounts of money to spend the night in an Ice Hotel, then I don’t see why you can’t convince them to huddle under thirty blankets in some place as amazing as Yellowstone.

I did not get a chance to ask the tour guide how they got the building to look so much like the Wilderness Lodge in Orlando. Maybe next time.

What do you figure the odds are that he’d never heard that one before?

In any case, we absolutely loved staying here.

I’d never have been able to have guessed that this was the case.

But we’ve learned something in our years together: we’re not fancy people.

Which is why we hold you in such esteem.
Well, Julie at least.

At one point on our honeymoon, she made me take her to the Waffle House, for pete’s sake.

Scattered, smothered and covered.


(Just don’t order the coffee)

After 17 years and four children together, I have no qualms in saying that life is just one joyful moment of ecstasy after another.

As the cliché goes, a picture is worth a 1000 words.
Frame that one and hang I up in the entry way back home.

What am I, an ATM?

You got kids, sooooooo…
Yeah, you are an ATM.

Next question?

I guess we needed to make it a little romantic, though. Maybe an impromptu re-creation of Lady & the Tramp would do the trick.

Classy…



No, really.

I like how Drew is clearly trying to figure out how he can steal the french fry in that photo. And that Julie can barely tolerate being this close to me. Good times.

Those would be the hallmarks that make that such a great representation of every one of those seventeen years.

Oh, and by the way… congratulations.
May you not foul this up and succeed in keeping her from dumping you for at least seventeen more.

Hey, what can I say? We’re idiots.

Well, at least one of you.

And then I had an even more brilliant idea: if we waited there just a few minutes, with so few people around, it wouldn’t take long for the place to completely clear out. Then I could get their photo with Old Faithful by themselves—a rare opportunity!

This should work about as well as attempting to get a shot at Disney without anyone in the background.

Not these ladies. They turned away, and took photo after photo of themselves posing in front of…a few trees.

Because it wasn’t about where they were…
It was just about them.

I told my wife for the bazilliionth time in our 17 years together that I loved her, and would marry her all over again. She grunted agreement. Or it might have been indigestion.

Good burgers…

 

[Lynne G]

Awww, Belated Birthday wishes to little, well not so little, Drew. Remember those terrible 2's, but now I have teens, so I guess there's no tradeoff.

And, I must be a sucker, as my Sara has had a phone for 3 years now. I actually did it so that both my kids would call when walking home from school. Now my adult DS still calls me walking home from his last year of high school. You think the freshman DD does? No, just texts when wanted to be picked up. Best part, next time they want an updated phone, it will be on their dime.

Beautiful pictures. Watching nature blow her water is always enjoyable. That, although sometimes scary, as that means there's still a volcano under ya..

 

[pkondz]

Not at all! And thanks for the birthday wishes. I told Drew you said "Happy birthday," and he said, "French fry?"

Very astute of him to discern that as a citizen of a dual language country that he surmised I might speak French.

I will have my secretary draft this at once! Now all I need is a secretary.

Can I just have the salary that would allow me to hire a secretary?

Well, I didn't get my username for nothing.

Good point.

I'm sure that's the case, but it has a separate name, so I'm counting it as another geyser.

Of course it counts!

Yeah, that was a bummer. But now that I know the rules, I'll definitely try next time. That would be so cool!

Seriously. It's just a little creepy.

Or a lot.

Next time, buddy. Next time.

Excellent!

Oh, good, that means I hadn't put you to sleep yet.

It was just before I was nodding off.

I have amazing staying awake powers.

Cheap. The word you're looking for is "cheap".

Ah. Thanks.

Thanks! Because it really felt awkward.

I can dig it.

I would think you frequently do.

Usually I can point out that I'm on a government salary.

That should do it.

I'll have to remember that. I am a true neophyte when it comes to photo editing. I really don't know what I'm doing.

Easy. Take the shots. Ask your buddy pkondz for help.

 

[franandaj]

First things first: today is Baby Drew’s birthday! Hard to believe he’s 2 years old already. I guess I can’t really call him “Baby Drew” anymore, although “Toddler Drew” has less of a ring to it.

Well Happy Belated Birthday Drew!

Oh look, Old Faithful is erupting again.

Cool. I can tell that it wouldn't get old.

You know, sometimes these natural phenomena are very inconvenient. It would be nice if they would take our schedules into account.

Really. You've got a time schedule to meet!

I think Grand Geyser is actually a better show than Old Faithful. The eruption lasts about twice as long, shoots higher, and you get to sit closer.

Makes sense, I guess Old Faithful just has a better PR Agent.

Also, Vent Geyser is right next to it and usually erupts at the same time, so you get two for the price of one.

I like that two for the price of one, what a bargain!

we calculated that we’d hiked over 6 miles to this point. Our feet were as sore as they are when we’ve spent the day walking around Epcot. So much for the “easy” day.

I'd have been gone by the first mile!

Since Julie was really keen on the tour, I took baby duty (no, not that kind of baby doody) and kind of wandered on the periphery of the tour group.

That was very nice of you.

But at least I got some baby snot on my shirt.

And I know that many of the dormers (small windows) on the roof out front are fake. They’re largely decorative, and if you look closely, they’re not symmetrical, either. That was done as an artistic choice by the architect, Robert Reamer, to enhance the “rustic” feel of the lodge.

Cool random fact.

The lodge was built over the course of one winter, from 1903 – 1904, which is really astounding when you consider a) the massive size of the building and 2) how harsh winters in Yellowstone can be.

I can't even imagine!

In the olden days, musicians would often play from here.

Sure stick it to the musicians!

Naturally, when I learned this I wanted to see if we could experience that for ourselves. I visited the Bell Services Desk on the night of our arrival and was told that they were completely booked up.

Bummer.

I also learned that the reason the lodge isn’t open year-round is because although it was well-built (it had to have been to have lasted this long), it’s not well-insulated enough to allow for winter guests. I’m sure it makes more economic sense to shut down for the winter rather than try and insulate the whole building.

Yeah. Who would want to pay all that money to freeze AND share a bathroom!

At one point, some older woman on the tour decided to take photos of him on her phone. That rubbed me the wrong way. I don’t care how cute he is, I don’t want random strangers just taking photos of my kids. I didn’t make a scene due to the tour, but still.

I can understand that. I would never do something like that without parental consent. I saw these twins dressed as Ewoks at Disney and asked the mother if she minded if I took a picture. Her answer was, "Well they're two, they're not going to pose for you or anything, but go ahead!" It seems rude to me taking pictures of other people's children without permission, especially with everything that there is to worry about today.

So, we took a short walk down the road to eat a romantic dinner in the gift shop of Hamilton’s General Store.

Nice building!

After 17 years and four children together, I have no qualms in saying that life is just one joyful moment of ecstasy after another.

You two are so funny!

I guess we needed to make it a little romantic, though. Maybe an impromptu re-creation of Lady & the Tramp would do the trick.

I like how Drew is clearly trying to figure out how he can steal the french fry in that photo. And that Julie can barely tolerate being this close to me. Good times.

Either that or it looks like you had to do so many takes that Julie is having a hard time not cracking up!

On and on and on the photo shoot went. I don’t know how long we stood there, but it soon became obvious that this was a photo shoot on the scale of a supermodel opening a new fashion label.

That is so annoying!

Finally, we just gave up and figured we did the best we could. I tried another shot from an alternate location. It works well enough.

I like pkondz's idea of photoshopping them out. I'm not that savvy yet, but if you can get the people against a background that is somewhat large, I use the "clone stamp" tool to erase them out of the picture!

I told my wife for the bazilliionth time in our 17 years together that I loved her, and would marry her all over again. She grunted agreement. Or it might have been indigestion.

Definitely indigestion!

 

[FreezinRafiki]

OK, I'm slowly making less time for work at work and more time for disboards. I've been following along and loving your pictures and stories. They're really bringing back memories of my trip....that took place after your trip....so I'm not sure they can really be memories if they happen in the future. So I guess I'm enjoying the my memories of the premonitions that your memories are giving me.

Now I have a headache from thinking too much.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Nice beaver!

+1 But I'm starting to worry about the train of thought here...

Being as he’s entering that 2-4 range…
Terrorist Drew might somewhat appropriate.

It certainly is an apt description. He's now at the age where he gets to start learning that you don't always get what you want. Most of us take a lifetime to learn that one.

Always abandoning people.

I said I'd be right back. It always works in the movies.

Don’t change the subject.

SQUIRREL!

With each wheel thudding as it rolled from one board to the next on the boardwalk…

Zzzz… <<thump. Thump>>
Zzzz… <<thump. Thump>>
“Whaaaa…” <<thump. Thump>>

So you don't think this environment was conducive to napping?

Likely, but asleep?
That’s a different question.

As I suspected

Wrong film…

Just think about baseball…
you’ll get through it.

Well, it was the same actor.

So… the geyser has to spend some time thinking about baseball too?
Huh, who knew?

This is starting to be a runaway train of thought....

That’s why Disney replaces such things with animatronics and Imagineering.

It certainly is more reliable. That geyser behind WL is a little disappointing, though.

You’re a good man.

Why, thank you! Don't mind me, I just need to cut and save this quote for future reference.

That’s a lot of figuring, right there.

My brain hurts.

What? Were you still talking?
What was it you were you saying, again?

I don't know, weren't you listening, either?

Dang!
I knew I should’a checked the “all of the above” box.

Well, you said it was too much figuring.

So…
Faithfulness = G
Grandness = R

Got it

Where was your mind yesterday, anyway?

And you didn’t even get a Grand Marnier or Grey Goose slushy for your troubles.

Well, there were milkshakes later. It's all good.

Whew… that was close.
Good thing you clarified that. Lord knows what the result might have been otherwise.

I shudder to think about it.

Well, we all know just who the real winner was in this situation.

Imagineering before the invention of Imagineering.

Creativity should be acknowledged wherever it is found.

I’ll be holding on to that for future reference.

I hope you get the chance! I definitely want to try that.

Or, just market it as a feature and charge extra for the opportunity.
If folks will spend exorbitant amounts of money to spend the night in an Ice Hotel, then I don’t see why you can’t convince them to huddle under thirty blankets in some place as amazing as Yellowstone.

That's probably true. It might be more of an issue to find staff that wants to work in those conditions.

What do you figure the odds are that he’d never heard that one before?

Hard to say. I'm not sure how much crossover there is between hardcore Disney geeks and hardcore National Park visitors. Besides us, I mean.

I’d never have been able to have guessed that this was the case.

Did I mention it once or twice?

Which is why we hold you in such esteem.
Well, Julie at least.

Seems appropriate.

Scattered, smothered and covered.


(Just don’t order the coffee)

As @FreezinRafiki would say, it all gets scattered and splattered later.

As the cliché goes, a picture is worth a 1000 words.
Frame that one and hang I up in the entry way back home.

Just blissful and serene, isn't it?

You got kids, sooooooo…
Yeah, you are an ATM.

Next question?

My wallet hurts.

Classy…



No, really.

You keep using that word. I don't think it means what you think it means.

Those would be the hallmarks that make that such a great representation of every one of those seventeen years.

Oh, and by the way… congratulations.
May you not foul this up and succeed in keeping her from dumping you for at least seventeen more.

Thank you, sir. I'm doing my best to make sure she doesn't realize how low below her station she married.

Well, at least one of you.

Story checks out.

This should work about as well as attempting to get a shot at Disney without anyone in the background.

You're right! It did!

Because it wasn’t about where they were…
It was just about them.

I guess. That was just bizarre.

Good burgers…

Burp.

Awww, Belated Birthday wishes to little, well not so little, Drew. Remember those terrible 2's, but now I have teens, so I guess there's no tradeoff.

Just different problems to solve. Thanks to poor planning, we get to deal with a teenager AND a toddler in the house at the same time!

And, I must be a sucker, as my Sara has had a phone for 3 years now. I actually did it so that both my kids would call when walking home from school. Now my adult DS still calls me walking home from his last year of high school. You think the freshman DD does? No, just texts when wanted to be picked up. Best part, next time they want an updated phone, it will be on their dime.

I'm sure the kids would love to have phones, and there are times when it would be very convenient. But it's mostly an economic matter for us. I'm sure someday we will break down.

Beautiful pictures. Watching nature blow her water is always enjoyable. That, although sometimes scary, as that means there's still a volcano under ya..

Hey, that's what makes it such a unique place! I'm glad we got to experience it.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Very astute of him to discern that as a citizen of a dual language country that he surmised I might speak French.

Well, he is very advanced for his age.

Can I just have the salary that would allow me to hire a secretary?

Dang. I guess I was missing a step there.

Of course it counts!

Six geysers it is!

It was just before I was nodding off.

I have amazing staying awake powers.

You must, given the shifts you're being asked to work lately!

I would think you frequently do.

I am an excellent shoveler.

That should do it.

It usually cuts off any discussion of further spending.

Easy. Take the shots. Ask your buddy pkondz for help.

Hey, thanks! I might just take you up on that. Although I have been known to make use of FreezinRafiki's Ace Rendering Technologies, Inc. as well. He's

Well Happy Belated Birthday Drew!

Drew says thank you! Or he might have said "Play-doh." I'm not sure.

Cool. I can tell that it wouldn't get old.

Tell @pkondz that, will ya?

Really. You've got a time schedule to meet!

Clock's ticking!

Makes sense, I guess Old Faithful just has a better PR Agent.

Makes you wonder how it got the marketing budget.

I like that two for the price of one, what a bargain!

I'm always looking for a good deal!

I'd have been gone by the first mile!

Just because the trail is accessible, doesn't mean it's easy!

That was very nice of you.

Hey, thanks! I'd better save this quote for later, too.

Cool random fact.

I can't even imagine!

Better them than me!

Sure stick it to the musicians!

I bet it sounded pretty cool from up there, though.

Bummer.

Yeah. Who would want to pay all that money to freeze AND share a bathroom!

I bet it would still be less expensive than the other area hotels.

I can understand that. I would never do something like that without parental consent. I saw these twins dressed as Ewoks at Disney and asked the mother if she minded if I took a picture. Her answer was, "Well they're two, they're not going to pose for you or anything, but go ahead!" It seems rude to me taking pictures of other people's children without permission, especially with everything that there is to worry about today.

Agreed. You never know what people will do with their photos. Sure, I post them on FB, but I've restricted permissions as far as who gets to see them.

Nice building!

It's a neat look.

You two are so funny!

Thanks! We like to keep it real.

Either that or it looks like you had to do so many takes that Julie is having a hard time not cracking up!

You really can't have any self-consciousness when you do these sorts of gags.

That is so annoying!

No idea what was up with those people!

I like pkondz's idea of photoshopping them out. I'm not that savvy yet, but if you can get the people against a background that is somewhat large, I use the "clone stamp" tool to erase them out of the picture!

I'm even less savvy, because I have no idea what a "clone stamp" is!

Definitely indigestion!

Gee, thanks.

OK, I'm slowly making less time for work at work and more time for disboards. I've been following along and loving your pictures and stories. They're really bringing back memories of my trip....that took place after your trip....so I'm not sure they can really be memories if they happen in the future. So I guess I'm enjoying the my memories of the premonitions that your memories are giving me.

Now I have a headache from thinking too much.

Sounds like you're getting your priorities in order at work, so that's a good thing.

Thanks for following along, Barry. It was fun seeing your photos covering the same ground--fun to see you enjoying some of the same places we did, and also interesting to see where you decided to do things a little differently. Soon the roles will be reversed, since I think you guys have overtaken us in terms of the places you've visited. Then I'll be looking back on the memories of the places I haven't seen yet, and...

Man, these time-travel paradoxes are brain-benders. Pass me the beer.

 

[afwdwfan]

First things first: today is Baby Drew’s birthday! Hard to believe he’s 2 years old already. I guess I can’t really call him “Baby Drew” anymore, although “Toddler Drew” has less of a ring to it.

But he'll always be the baby of the family. Unless...

You know, sometimes these natural phenomena are very inconvenient. It would be nice if they would take our schedules into account

No kidding!

I figured even I wasn’t dumb enough not to notice when the geyser started erupting.

Ok, @Captain_Oblivious

Anyway, you’re all wrong. I did notice when Grand Geyser began to erupt, around 2:40-ish, and hustled back to watch the show.

Good thing you had Drew with you to take care of lookout duty.

I think Grand Geyser is actually a better show than Old Faithful. The eruption lasts about twice as long, shoots higher, and you get to sit closer. Old Faithful feels very stately and gentle as it shoots water into a long, flowing plume, while Grand Geyser seems more violent. Also, Vent Geyser is right next to it and usually erupts at the same time, so you get two for the price of one.

So basically you're saying water spewing geysers are kind of like explosions... more is better.

The lodge was built over the course of one winter, from 1903 – 1904, which is really astounding when you consider a) the massive size of the building and 2) how harsh winters in Yellowstone can be.

I know I've said it before, but this is just fascinating and borderline unbelievable. Even today with the new technology and equipment, I'd be shocked to see anything of that scale built that quickly.

Here you can see the Crow’s Nest, a series of stairways and platforms leading to the roof. In the olden days, musicians would often play from here. There’s also a staircase that leads up to the roof, where the flags of the United States and the states that form a piece of Yellowstone National Park fly every day. Each morning, a family is allowed by Bell Services to accompany them onto the roof to raise the flags over the lodge.

Hmmm... that sounds familiar.

If this sounds familiar, they do the same thing at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge (or at least they used to), and now you know where they got the tradition from.

I knew I've heard of that before!!!!

If you know your reservation dates, call directly to the Bell Services desk on the second Thursday of May (this is when the lodge opens for the season). Do not call the front desk—bell services handles the flags and reservations directly. Ask for a date during your reservation and they’ll try and get you slotted in for a morning on a first-come, first-serve basis. You can bet I’ll be shooting for this on our next trip. Good luck!

Cool, thanks for the info!

At one point, some older woman on the tour decided to take photos of him on her phone. That rubbed me the wrong way. I don’t care how cute he is, I don’t want random strangers just taking photos of my kids. I didn’t make a scene due to the tour, but still.

Yeah, I wouldn't be real happy about that. I always try to be mindful when I'm taking pictures to avoid "creeper" shots. I'll let a photo op go if it means I might get somebody's kid even inadvertently.

I did not get a chance to ask the tour guide how they got the building to look so much like the Wilderness Lodge in Orlando. Maybe next time.

Scotty didn't ask that?

Actually, we discovered that this place had pretty good hand-dipped ice cream and milkshakes. And this was a special occasion, so…milkshakes for everyone!

Um... well, yeah!

I like how Drew is clearly trying to figure out how he can steal the french fry in that photo. And that Julie can barely tolerate being this close to me. Good times.

Fun picture, but Drew staring down that fry is the highlight!

Hey, what can I say? We’re idiots. But we have fun. I continue to believe that I won life’s lottery when I found Julie. I get to wake up every day with a beautiful, low-maintenance, kind and sweet woman who is an amazing mother and loves traveling as much as I do. I wouldn’t change a thing.

And that's what it's all about! Finding your equal idiot.

And no, pkondz—it doesn’t get old.

But old is part of the name...

Next thing we know you're going to tell us that you aren't a captain.

Or oblivious.

We’re too cheap to buy her a phone, and you might be surprised to learn there’s no wi-fi here.

No Wi-Fi???????? How does everyone survive????????

On and on and on the photo shoot went. I don’t know how long we stood there, but it soon became obvious that this was a photo shoot on the scale of a supermodel opening a new fashion label. Here you can see them in the background, the lady in red clearly facing away from the geyser and posing in front of what must have been the most special trees in the nation while my kids demonstrate what we were all feeling.

I'm sorry they wouldn't cooperate, but it made for a good picture, regardless.

I told my wife for the bazilliionth time in our 17 years together that I loved her, and would marry her all over again. She grunted agreement. Or it might have been indigestion.


We walked, and reminisced about our years by each other's sides. And Old Faithful erupted again.

Sounds like a nice way to end the day. Happy Anniversary... you know... about half a year too late.

 

[pkondz]

Well, he is very advanced for his age.

I noticed.
Must take after his mother.

You must, given the shifts you're being asked to work lately!

<sigh>... yeah.

I am an excellent shoveler.

This one has noticed your shovelling abilities.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

+1 But I'm starting to worry about the train of thought here...

Frank Drebin would aprove.

It certainly is an apt description. He's now at the age where he gets to start learning that you don't always get what you want. Most of us take a lifetime to learn that one.

That's the third toughest lesson there is...
Best that he get to learning it.

I said I'd be right back. It always works in the movies.

Long conversations where the person driving is looking at the passenger rather than the road always work in the movies too.

SQUIRREL!

So you don't think this environment was conducive to napping?

Its like trying to nap in a moving vehicle of some type...
There are fokes that can do it, but me? I might miss something; ain't happenin'.

This is starting to be a runaway train of thought....

Well, BTMRR is my favorite coaster at Da'World...
Runaways must suit me.

Why, thank you! Don't mind me, I just need to cut and save this quote for future reference.

Feel free...
I've said that one before, 'cause it true.



Has no bearing on intelligence levels , common sense or social acceptability, but...
It is true.

My brain hurts.

Must...

Resist...

Temptation...

Too...
Easy...


Must...
Resist...

Where was your mind yesterday, anyway?

Trying desperately to escape the meanninless life that was bludgeoning it into oblivion?

Besides...
You picked the chapter title...

You keep using that word. I don't think it means what you think it means.

Thank you, sir. I'm doing my best to make sure she doesn't realize how low below her station she married.

That's the real trick, ain't it?
My lovely still hasn't figured that out either, and she's been at it longer.
If she had to have only one flaw, it's good for me that it's this one.

Burp.

I'll give that one a 6.8 on the belch-o-metric scale.
Nice decibels...
decent length...
Need to work on the resonance levels a bit.

Try it again.