08/15/2009 -Eastern- Tortola Treasure Seekers

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Ever since we got back from that cruise a couple weeks ago we've been running around doin' all kinds of errands and so on. I've been spending some of my free time catching up on the August sailing thread. As you kno... hey put on a lot of "fluff" while I wuz at sea... and it seems a number of entertaining comments were made in reference to me. SO they're sort of egging me on to wander backwards and dig fer it.

At any rate - on what we have planned fer christmas... I bought a Prime Rib to cook for Christmas eve = and we're spending it with friends and family in a modest dinner. One of the families has a parent who is fighting cancer and they're realy close to us... so we're hangin' mostly with them on Christmas eve. Afterwards, we're doing San Diego with the Zoo, animal park and Lego land. Then we have a New Years eve away from home south of Anaheim (Disneyland country) for a few days and meeting up with really close family (Cousins) from Honolulu. They're coming into town fer San Diego and Disneyland. So - in a departure from our usual gig - which is to hit Hawaii to spend the holidays with family we're staying closer to home - mostly because we saw Alicia's Mom and Dad in Boston at Thanksgiving when we were visiting the new baby. Here's a couple pictures of me holding our latest addition to the family - ONE day old Braedon in these photos:

New babies reaffirm our faith in family, I tell ya!​

Oooo... it seems we're recanting concert histories of a sort ....

Among the ones I can recall having seen are :

George Benson
(1st concert ever + several more since)

Al Green
Al Jarreau (several concerts)
America
Anita Baker
Basia
Blondie
Boston
Cher
Chicago
Chuck Mangione
David Bowie
Depeche Mode
Dionne Warwick with Burt Bacharach
(Burt was drunk and terrible)
Donna Summer
Duran Duran
Eagles
Earth Wind & Fire
Fleetwood Mac
Flock of Seagulls
Harry Chaplin
Hiroshima (several concerts)
James Taylor
Kealii Reichel (several concerts)
Kenny G
(saw "G" in a couple concerts + he lives in my area now - attends a local church too)
Linda Ronstadt
Lionel Richie
Luther Vandross
Manhatten transfer (several concerts)
Michael Bolton
Natalie Cole
Pat Benatar
Paul Simon
Ray Charles
Spyro gyra (several concerts)
Steely Dan
The 5th Dimension
The 4 Tops (Magic Mountain)
The Cure
The Doobie Borthers
The Go Gos
The Spinners
Village People

​

I guess we've seen a lot of concerts in our days. Living in LA and having a paying job at my parents' business allowed me to go to a few. Plus I used to subscribe at the Greek theater - so we sort of HAD to buy 4-6 concerts every year for a decade plus. Now we do Jazz concerts - and in particular Jazz Trax at Catalina Island every year. Plus an occasional jazz festival elsewhere - plus 2-4 concerts at the Hollywood Bowl every year.

Great pictures, lovely family, and thats not a concert lists thats a double CD Album.

 

[caitlinsdad]

Being in Ct We didn't have the same availabity of artists unless you wanted to venture into the pit of NYC back in 70's and 80's.

I had many more I could have listed but I didn't want to remember how old I am getting

 

[caitlinsdad]

Something we did on the Double dip cruise,
The Weekly countdown until our cruise.
So in that sprit I give you the weekly countdown

86 weeks until the August 15 th, 2009 cruise

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Being in Ct We didn't have the same availabity of artists unless you wanted to venture into the pit of NYC back in 70's and 80's.

I had many more I could have listed but I didn't want to remember how old I am getting

Old? whats that?

 

[kritter]

Ever since we got back from that cruise a couple weeks ago we've been running around doin' all kinds of errands and so on. I've been spending some of my free time catching up on the August sailing thread. As you kno... hey put on a lot of "fluff" while I wuz at sea... and it seems a number of entertaining comments were made in reference to me. SO they're sort of egging me on to wander backwards and dig fer it.

At any rate - on what we have planned fer christmas... I bought a Prime Rib to cook for Christmas eve = and we're spending it with friends and family in a modest dinner. One of the families has a parent who is fighting cancer and they're realy close to us... so we're hangin' mostly with them on Christmas eve. Afterwards, we're doing San Diego with the Zoo, animal park and Lego land. Then we have a New Years eve away from home south of Anaheim (Disneyland country) for a few days and meeting up with really close family (Cousins) from Honolulu. They're coming into town fer San Diego and Disneyland. So - in a departure from our usual gig - which is to hit Hawaii to spend the holidays with family we're staying closer to home - mostly because we saw Alicia's Mom and Dad in Boston at Thanksgiving when we were visiting the new baby. Here's a couple pictures of me holding our latest addition to the family - ONE day old Braedon in these photos:

New babies reaffirm our faith in family, I tell ya!​

Very Cute pictures. Looks like a Beautiful Baby!!!!!!!!!

 

[kritter]

Something we did on the Double dip cruise,
The Weekly countdown until our cruise.
So in that sprit I give you the weekly countdown

86 weeks until the August 15 th, 2009 cruise

UGH!!!!!!!!!! That is a LOOOOOOOONG TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[captaincrash]

Being in Ct We didn't have the same availabity of artists unless you wanted to venture into the pit of NYC back in 70's and 80's.

I had many more I could have listed but I didn't want to remember how old I am getting

I kno what ya mean....

... fter I got started while seat beside my spouse here we started musing... "we've been around a bit". Even so, this is a partial list - with a couple concerts seen by only me. As Kristen and Andrew know - I've been with my spouse for 24 years so there's virtually no history with anyone else. Virtually none... as I often quip I've never kissed another young lady nor hand another young ladies hand. And my spouse knows that is a "thing" with me - as when "going out" with other young ladies I would not hold handsor kiss unless "we had a thing going".

Ooo.... and other than the big venue" productions.... My spouse and I have not seen many generally regarded "superstars". Some of which I would love to have seen (which we could have caught) but missed include Stevie Wonder, The Moody Blues, The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Placido Domingo, Wierd Al Yankovic <wink> and so on.

At any rate, yeah... although I have a lengthy list of sorts - I've rarely seen any large scale "specticle" type concerts in arenas or stadiums. All were in smaller venues or even club scale settings. The largest concerts (aside from Hollywood Bowl performances) were Cher (actually at the Bowl - but spectacular in stage craft and ambition), Pat Benatar (LA Sports Arena) and the Cure (The Forum). The most intimate concerts included Kenny G where we had front and center orchestra pit seats twice and all of our recent Jazz Trax festival concerts where we subscribe to front row seats. Below are a few images from his past Octobers' Jazz concerts - and above are images from Cher a couple years ago.

Locally, we have a venue called "The Canyon" which still hosts intimate concerts with hot bands from the 80s and 90s. I guess these performers must reside somewhere near by seein' as they have so many at just this club playing (I suspect).

 

[kritter]

I kno what ya mean....

... fter I got started while seat beside my spouse here we started musing... "we've been around a bit". Even so, this is a partial list - with a couple concerts seen by only me. As Kristen and Andrew know - I've been with my spouse for 24 years so there's virtually no history with anyone else. Virtually none... as I often quip I've never kissed another young lady nor hand another young ladies hand. And my spouse knows that is a "thing" with me - as when "going out" with other young ladies I would not hold handsor kiss unless "we had a thing going".

You and Alicia are a special couple. What a wonderful history the two of you have. YOur one of a kind Crash!!!!!!!Twenty four years WOW!!! Bruce and I are going to be married for fourteen and we were together for three years before we were married....So we only are seventeen years. Gosh, that is a looooong time.........

Your up early Crash!!!!!!

 

[caitlinsdad]

UGH!!!!!!!!!! That is a LOOOOOOOONG TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!

86 weeks looks better than the 20 months or 600 plus days my other counters are showing
Just think this time next week we will be under 600 days to go
Plenty of time to save and pay off the cruise and save lots of money for the excursions . The Rum factory in Tortola will be calling

 

[caitlinsdad]

You and Alicia are a special couple. What a wonderful history the two of you have. YOur one of a kind Crash!!!!!!!Twenty four years WOW!!! Bruce and I are going to be married for fourteen and we were together for three years before we were married....So we only are seventeen years. Gosh, that is a looooong time.........

Your up early Crash!!!!!!

This year was our 18th Anniversary.

In 2009, about a two months before the cruise. we will have just celebrated our 20th Anniversary

 

[kritter]

86 weeks looks better than the 20 months or 600 plus days my other counters are showing
Just think this time next week we will be under 600 days to go
Plenty of time to save and pay off the cruise and save lots of money for the excursions . The Rum factory in Tortola will be calling

It just sounds looong I guess.
I am just glad now that my Oct. cruise is in the single digits for months away. I booked that one just as far out as this one is.. I gues the time is going by. I just wish it was sooner that we sailed the cold weather makes me want to be somewhere warm..
The Rum Factory sounds neat. Wish I could go. But I think my little darlings are going to want to go to the beach....

Just got a Christmas Card from my TA she sent us a twenty-five dollars gift card for Disney can be used on the Cruise too.....She is the BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[kritter]

This year was our 18th Anniversary.

In 2009, about a two months before the cruise. we will have just celebrated our 20th Anniversary

WOW!!!! Congrats!! On this cruise we will celebrate 15 years........

 

[captaincrash]

UGH!!!!!!!!!! That is a LOOOOOOOONG TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!

K....

< wink >​

 

[kritter]

K....

< wink >​

Love it.. SO very True!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[captaincrash]

It just sounds looong I guess.
I am just glad now that my Oct. cruise is in the single digits for months away. I booked that one just as far out as this one is.. I gues the time is going by. I just wish it was sooner that we sailed the cold weather makes me want to be somewhere warm..
The Rum Factory sounds neat. Wish I could go. But I think my little darlings are going to want to go to the beach....

Just got a Christmas Card from my TA she sent us a twenty-five dollars gift card for Disney can be used on the Cruise too.....She is the BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, K...

... we're sort of fishing fer somthing ta do in our calandar fer next year too. Except it's not necessarily warm stuff. We were about to plan a winter visit to Yosemite - a time supposedly free of the crowds with a visual beauty that transcends the usual. We have 4-5 families considering the trip with 2 firm for the deal. Aside from that - sailing in the early summer is a possibility for us - but we have that voyage in August - so we usually try to spread our travels out a bit - seein' as it is sometimes exhausting - and the time allows us to savor the memories and process digital images. < wink > Aside from that I have a Vegas trip in January - guys only - to visit the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and hang out a bit. Then around new years we have family visiting from Honolulu - so it's Disneyland and attractions around San Diego being hit in a week or so.

Simple destinations I've developed a "hankerin'" ta visit are Canadian places not seen before and maybe Mexico. We've had some friends return recently with charming stories of pleasant times and such. However, it's just at the chattin' stage now.



When and where are you thinking of traveling next?

 

[captaincrash]

WOW!!!! Congrats!! On this cruise we will celebrate 15 years........

August will almost mark the 25th anniversery of our first date for Alicia and I. I think we're docking a week short of it - but I think we'll mark the occasion privately.

< snif >

Now if you'll pardon me a few moments - I gotta git some breakfast fer me an' my daughter who's been warming me under a blanket as I type and she watches Curious George...​

 

[kritter]

Yeah, K...

... we're sort of fishing fer somthing ta do in our calandar fer next year too. Except it's not necessarily warm stuff. We were about to plan a winter visit to Yosemite - a time supposedly free of the crowds with a visual beauty that transcends the usual. We have 4-5 families considering the trip with 2 firm for the deal. Aside from that - sailing in the early summer is a possibility for us - but we have that voyage in August - so we usually try to spread our travels out a bit - seein' as it is sometimes exhausting - and the time allows us to savor the memories and process digital images. < wink > Aside from that I have a Vegas trip in January - guys only - to visit the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and hang out a bit. Then around new years we have family visiting from Honolulu - so it's Disneyland and attractions around San Diego being hit in a week or so.

Simple destinations I've developed a "hankerin'" ta visit are Canadian places not seen before and maybe Mexico. We've had some friends return recently with charming stories of pleasant times and such. However, it's just at the chattin' stage now.



When and where are you thinking of traveling next?

Well next years travels include: April School Vacation to our second home SSR at WDW...for a week only..

Then in late June--into July we are going to Florida for two solid weeks. Ten days at SSR and WDW then six days at Vero Beach in Florida. Our Orlando honeymooon friends will be joining us at Vero Beach we have a two bedroom place. Then Oct. we will be going to WDW the Wed. before our cruise and then doing the seven night cruise....As you can see next years trips all involve Disney but that is what happens when your husband continues to add onto to DVC..Now we have a ton of points so that is next year. Then we have the cruise planned for 09.. Waiting for you to say that you'll book.. If you contact my TA she will give you the best onboard credit plus then she will give you the group rate for the cruise and then you get either a group welcome cocktail reception or Palo's Brunch plus free in room stateroom gifts.We have a grouped booked under her for our October Cruise and she is great. Wish we could get a group together for this cruise. Our cruise price has dropped twice since we booked with her due to the size of the group.....The whole group got their priced reduced twice thus far...

Ok so that is our plans for 08 we will be going to NYC a few times to visit since the kids love going into the city. Plus, they love going to American Girl.

Now that DVC will be in Hawaii we will be planning a trip so we will stop in Cali. before going there. But that Property is not going to be ready next year at least I do not think sooo....

I bet your glad that you asked,...LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[kritter]

August will almost mark the 25th anniversery of our first date for Alicia and I. I think we're docking a week short of it - but I think we'll mark the occasion privately.

< snif >

Now if you'll pardon me a few moments - I gotta git some breakfast fer me an' my daughter who's been warming me under a blanket as I type and she watches Curious George...​

Oh my girls were warming me this morning too. That is how we start each morning together...

Our first date was June 10th and three years later we got married on June 11th....


Where was your first date???I know there must be a story behind this one....LOL!!!!!!!Should I be scared that I asked????

 

[nikkistevej]

Oh gosh you are going to be busy busy busy.......

I see in your sign. that your going to AKV. in four months. When exactly are you going. We are going to SSR in April.....Kristin

We're always crazy busy during this season. I will be at AKV May 4-10, this will be my first DVC stay, we bought into it, when we were on our cruise in September. I am so excited, I heard now they are going to have a Pirate and Princess Party when we are there- so now we are doing that! My DD loves pirates!
Back to the concert thing, I had an ultimate concert experience. After 9/11- there was a benefit concert in Washington DC called "United we Stand"(40 min from me- with no traffic), all of these artists were there, alot just showed up and did some of there best songs. It went on for about 9 hours. Some of the groups were: Aerosmith, Michael Jackson James Brown, Pink, Al Green, Destiny's Child, P Diddy, Aerosmith, 'NSYNC, Goo Goo Dolls, Train, Mariah Carey, Usher, Rod Stewart, Kiss, Backstreet Boys, Ricky Martin, Train, Huey Lewis and the News, Carole King. There was also lots of actors that stopped by to talk as well. It was an awesome experience!! My 2 BF's went with me. My DH didn't go, and if I didn't have pictures of it, he wouldn't have believed us that all of those stars were there.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Well Crash and me booked the 2008 E/bound repo on January 31st 2007, and we still have eight months to go for that one! Nearly one year down!

At least after the Panama crossing, it will be less than a year for this one.