10 Days in October: Argle-Bargle or Foofarah? UPDATED: POSTS #984 & 995!!!

[skippyman111]

"But the important thing was that I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didn’t have white onions because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones..."

Oops! Looks like I was channeling Grampa Simpson there for a minute...that happens whenever I start to get all hazy and nostalgiac.

My fav quote is:

The Metric System is a tool of the devil!

Great Trippie! You have a fan in Texas now

And yes, i watched that cardinals series. There isn't a team in North Texas that actually plays baseball. We have a new stadium that my tax dollars helped pay for, but I have yet to see a team show up there

 

[A fat english gent]

Love it! Love it! Love it! You're doing a great job. I am so enjoying reading this trippie....

We say farty, too! Please remember when you meet us that we sound a lot dumber than we actually are!

I think I will keep track of how many times someone on the cruise asks me to repeat myself!

PARDON.....

Do we really want to cruise with these loon tunes?...HELL YER,CAN'T WAIT...IS IT TIME TO GO YET....

PS...Paige ask rob would he be interested a little swap shop deal,i collect regimental memorabilia from around the world,you know stuff t-shirts badges let me know if he's interested,don't worry i not asking for an apache or anything....

 

[zweihund]

You know, I never thought I had an accent until I stayed abroad for awhile in Scotland (for school) and I called home only to discover that my dear Aunt had added not only one but TWO syllables to the word "hi" - it was ghastly.

The best part was that I tried so hard after that to disguise my pseudo-southern accent that, combined with the slight singsong lilt I had acquired while living there, many of the natives started asking me if I was Irish.



Great installments!

 

[Guy Incognito]

You guys crack me up.

Really, you do.

 

[50 years Too!]

Brenda,

I say "aaiggg"; "eh-gg" is the socially accepted way of saying it in the NW.
Do people "rasle" or "wrestle" there? That's another one. How about "purty"?
My father's people are from England. IS that where it comes from?

 

[oybolshoi]

My fav quote is:

The Metric System is a tool of the devil!

Great Trippie! You have a fan in Texas now

And yes, i watched that cardinals series. There isn't a team in North Texas that actually plays baseball. We have a new stadium that my tax dollars helped pay for, but I have yet to see a team show up there

Skippyman - I forgot all about the metric system!
Thanks for reading and congrats on your 100th post - hope MLB comes to you sometime very soon.

PARDON.....

Do we really want to cruise with these loon tunes?...HELL YER,CAN'T WAIT...IS IT TIME TO GO YET....

PS...Paige ask rob would he be interested a little swap shop deal,i collect regimental memorabilia from around the world,you know stuff t-shirts badges let me know if he's interested,don't worry i not asking for an apache or anything....

AFEG - It's all part of our somewhat questionable charm.

You know, I never thought I had an accent until I stayed abroad for awhile in Scotland (for school) and I called home only to discover that my dear Aunt had added not only one but TWO syllables to the word "hi" - it was ghastly.

The best part was that I tried so hard after that to disguise my pseudo-southern accent that, combined with the slight singsong lilt I had acquired while living there, many of the natives started asking me if I was Irish.



Great installments!

Erica, thanks for stopping by. Two syllable "hi"...yep, been there, heard that. The things that happen to the English language...sad, really, if it weren't so entertaining.

You guys crack me up.

Hey, your first post! Thanks for reading, Guy...if that's really your name.

 

[oybolshoi]

Brenda,

I say "aaiggg"; "eh-gg" is the socially accepted way of saying it in the NW.
Do people "rasle" or "wrestle" there? That's another one. How about "purty"?
My father's people are from England. IS that where it comes from?

Is this just funny or what? It's hard to take the "aaiggg" out of a midwesterner...like I said earlier I catch myself saying it a lot. But I look at it like this - it's a heck of a lot better than calling a piano a "pie-ann-o."

I don't hear "rasle" or "purty" very much here, but when I went to college for a few years in Springfield, MO I did run across some students who pronounced them that way.

Thanks again for reading - Jason and I love it when someone takes the time to acknowledge our geode!

 

[50 years Too!]

I've never heard pie-an-o!
But my grandmother used to say Misoura!
You are so witty, my daughter has your humor.
When she comes home spring break I'll direct her to your trip report.

 

[animal_dreams]

I just wanted to let you know that I somehow randomly stumbled on your food report last night and spent a good three hours reading it! I couldn't put it down! And tonight I just spent at least an hour reading your trip report so far. You're a great writer; these are so entertaining. (The Simpson's references definitely help. If you weren't married and I weren't a straight girl, I would totally choo-choo-choose you. )

And also, we have the same birthday! Yay Libras!

 

[Karen Mouse]

Here I am for my daily does of argle bargle and where is it - come on woman get writing...anyone would think you had a life outside the Dis

 

[oybolshoi]

I've never heard pie-an-o!
But my grandmother used to say Misoura!
You are so witty, my daughter has your humor.
When she comes home spring break I'll direct her to your trip report.

My mom is the guilty person: Pie-an-o...surp for syrup...ox-again for oxygen...oh the list is endless!

Thanks again for reading and for your kind comments - hope your trip goes well and everyone stays healthy!

I just wanted to let you know that I somehow randomly stumbled on your food report last night and spent a good three hours reading it! I couldn't put it down! And tonight I just spent at least an hour reading your trip report so far. You're a great writer; these are so entertaining. (The Simpson's references definitely help. If you weren't married and I weren't a straight girl, I would totally choo-choo-choose you. )

And also, we have the same birthday! Yay Libras!

Awesome! The same birthday...hey, you don't think maybe we're the same person, do you?

Glad to hear you liked the food report - I had a lot of fun with that one and it's nice to hear that others enjoyed it. Thanks for reading!!

Choo-choo-choose...

"Do you like stuff?"

Here I am for my daily does of argle bargle and where is it - come on woman get writing...anyone would think you had a life outside the Dis

I'm such a slacker...I promise to update tonight, is that acceptable?

 

[oybolshoi]

Friday, October 20th - There's a Grimace-Shaped Cloud on the Horizon...

Continuing with our theme of WDW resort exploration, jumping off the bus at the Carriage House seemed like a good way to find out what Saratoga Springs really has to offer. We were also very interested in resort-food, as in "where can we get some???"

As you may have gathered, especially those of you who "know" me, Jay and I own at the BCV as well as at SSR - we've only ever stayed at BCV and have been spoiled by its central location and plethora of tasty food and beverage options. ***Extra points for me if I use plethora in a trippie!! I only need 780 more points for a mochaccino - woohoo!!***

I blame myself for our lack of preparedness...and Jay blames me, too. It's my job to know things...to plan for contingencies...to have food and alcohol within easy walking distance. I attribute my failures primarily to dealing with cruddy health all year - I only called in sick at work when in the ER or when recovering from surgery, but Super-Hepped-Up-On-Narcotic-Pain-Killer-Woman can only do so much...something was bound to slip through the cracks. I realize now that food and water should not be the items that slip through said cracks.

But really, it wasn't so bad. We were only staying at SSR for three nights before relocating to our vacation home of choice. We made many mental and written notes to ensure that our upcoming stay at SSR in May 2007 would involve a grocery store stop before check-in as well as careful transporation planning.

Saratoga Springs is actually a lovely property, but my goodness is it huge! And very spread out. Although our villa in Congress Park was a 5-10 minute walk from the Carriage House and about a 10-15 minute walk from Downtown Disney, there were many areas of the resort that were far more removed. We thought our location was actually quite good for what we needed, which was quick and easy access to DTD.

Here are some pictures of Saratoga Springs, because that's what I promised you in a previous installment. This is the front of our building - Congress Park. Directly in the rear of this building is the lake and then DTD on the opposite side. There is a path that winds around the left side of the building through some great landscaping that eventually intersects with the main walkway around the lake which leads over to DTD. Whew - that was a mouthful!

This next picture is one we took of a completely different cluster of vacation homes as we were walking back to our villa from the Carriage House area. Keep in mind that this is only one small example of just how large the property really is - there are clusters like this all over the place.

The main resort pool at the Carriage House - we took this from the second level, just behind the water slide that is hidden within these "rocks." This pool was too far from our villa for us to really want to use it, and quite frankly we prefer the "quiet" pools anyway. But it's a nicely themed pool area - lots of space, and it's very close to Artists Palette which is the primary feeding pen / watering hole at SSR.

Artists Palette serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner - we only stopped for a light lunch - and it's pretty much what you'd expect for any place that's designed to serve large numbers of patrons quickly within a resort setting. There is also a marketplace and gift shop that sell the typical foodstuffs, sundries, and souvenirs that we've all come to expect from our visits to WDW. One thing that I liked about AP is that it has a lot of seating room and it is filled with light - the windows in the dining area look out over the pool complex. We really thought that the blown glass light fixtures were a neat touch (blurry photo brought to you courtesy of astigmatism...just when you think you've focused, you haven't).

There is also a table service restaurant located in this same building - The Turf Club - and we did go take a look at their menu, but nothing sounded very appealing to us. On another visit we will probably give it a try just to see what it's like. There is great lounge area outside of the Turf Club with a small bar, big screen TV, comfy chairs, and pool tables. Looks like a fun place to hang out in the evenings...if you don't have to hire a Sherpa to guide you from your villa back over to the Carriage House.


Oooooh, here's a shot of the resort's lobby just as you walk in through the main doors:

TBC...getting close to picture limit!

 

[oybolshoi]

Friday, October 20th - That Grimace-Shaped Cloud is Getting Closer...

Jason and I are tired of exploring...we need some laziness at the pool to restore ourselves before spending the evening over at Raglan Road. We wander back to the room to change into our fashionable pool gear only to find to our horrified surprise -

Wait just a minute...I feel that I must warn those of you of a more delicate sensibility that the following passage and photograph may be one of the most shocking, if not the most shocking you've ever come across on the DIS, let alone in the real world.

If you choose to skip this next portion I'll understand completely; if not, proceed with caution.

Those of you who travel with mascots, let this be a lesson - never leave them alone in the room, especially when there are scantily clad washcloth floozies just waiting for a chance to lead them astray.

My God, he didn't even take off his mouse ears! Where are his manners???










Would you like to see how we calmed our overwrought nerves? We went to the quiet pool, which stayed quiet almost the entire time we were there. One of the things I really enjoyed about this pool is that the water is heated - the smaller pools at BCV are not heated and in October that can make for chilly swimming (or in my case no swimming at all). There is also a great view of DTD from this pool, which makes lounging even more enjoyable in my opinion.

Same pool, different perspective:

And, if you happen to be walking along the pathway to DTD this is what you would see as you walked past the entrance to the pool area:

Downtown Disney and the lake are directly behind me in this shot and I am actually facing the pool area. Another cool thing that I didn't take a picture of is an overhang that is also behind me. It's a nice seating area that juts out close to the lake and there are big wooden rocking chairs placed there so that guests can plop, rock, and watch should they so choose. I adore the plop, rock, and watch stations at WDW resorts!!


Soon, it is time to go back to the room and get cleaned up for dinner. Jay and I are really looking forward to trying Raglan Road, especially because this is our last night without the parental unit - enjoy your freedom kids, because tomorrow afternoon the shackles of family togetherness arrive on Southwest Airlines.

A sober self-portrait - and by sober I mean we haven't started drinking yet:

You guys are familiar with that Chumbawumba song Tubthumping, right? Well, on our way over to Raglan Road Jay and I amused overselves by singing Homer Simpson's version of the song, which goes something like this:

"I take a whiskey drink, I take a chocolate drink, and when I have to pee, I use the kitchen sink! I sing the song that reminds me I'm a urinating guy."

Sometimes we are just too funny, and other times, like this one, I think maybe it's not such a bad thing that we can't have kids.

Anyway...for those of you who have read my dining reviews, I don't want this to turn into a re-hash of something you've already plowed through. Here is the link to the Raglan Road portion of that review for anyone who is interested:

A Fine Time Was Had By All Post #38...scroll down past the AP review for Raglan Road.

I will say this...we went into Raglan Road with no pre-conceived notions other than thinking that the menu sounded tasty and we loved the idea of live Irish music. As with anything at WDW you hear both good and bad - it's all so subjective that you really have to take it with a block of salt (about the size of a salt-lick, actually).

We've never been to Ireland and have no idea just how authentic the decor, food, or entertainment at RR really are. We accepted it all in the spirit with which it was offered. And then we had some spirits...

A really nice couple seated next to us offered to take a picture of Jason, me, and our booze. What you see is a beer flight and a whisky flight...after we each already had a drink while waiting in the bar for our table.

We had a great evening - the food, booze, music, and service were all top notch and we have every intention of going back in May. I'll close out the day (finally) with this, which still has the power to reduce both my husband and me to hysterical squeaking and tear-shedding:

This is signage from Earl of Sandwich, which we must have passed a dozen times during the last three days. During the sober, daylight hours this sign never even registered with us. But at night that bright neon glow, enhanced by lots of alcohol, dares you to question exactly what it is that's being offered up for the public delectation.

Hot roast beef smoothies???

If anyone reading this trippie (surely someone is reading?) has partaken of the house specialty shown in the above photograph, please share your experience and opinion with us here. Jay and I are especially interested to know how you came to choose such a unique item.

And so ends Day 3.

Tomorrow is Saturday...we're moving over to the Beach Club Villas...the Grimace will be arriving...and we can finally start using those Park Hoppers!! Theme park bliss is just a hangover away!!

Thanks again for stopping by to read - for those of you who continue to acknowledge our geode, we offer you our special thanks.

 

[Guy Incognito]

Friday, October 20th - That Grimace-Shaped Cloud is Getting Closer...


You guys are familiar with that Chumbawumba song Tubthumping, right? Well, on our way over to Raglan Road Jay and I amused overselves by singing Homer Simpson's version of the song, which goes something like this:

"I take a a whiskey drink, I take a chocolate drink, and when I have to pee, I use the kitchen sink! I sing the song that reminds me I'm a urinating guy."

"I get knocked down! I get knocked down again! You are never gonna knock me down!"

Go Homer!

Love it - The Simpsons references are a riot!

 

[A fat english gent]

Did we say you could go to bed?....

 

[Karen Mouse]

That beer flight looks mighty appealing

Is the floozy still with Plankton or was it a one night stand?

 

[A fat english gent]

Nice one Karen...;-)

 

[A fat english gent]

Must Keep this couple away from wife and DD....they have some issues that the women in my life wouldn't need any encouragement to join in with...

 

[oybolshoi]

That beer flight looks mighty appealing

Is the floozy still with Plankton or was it a one night stand?

Raglan Road actually offers four beer flights and we were tempted to try them all but I convinced Jason that we should do a whisky flight instead since we've never really tried the stuff. Next time I think we'll stick with the beer. The whisky, to quote Ralph Wiggum, "tastes like burning."

Karen, it was definitely a one-nighter. Plankton later informed us that he was refining his recruiting technique for the army of evil minions he would need for his WDW takeover attempt.

Must Keep this couple away from wife and DD....they have some issues that the women in my life wouldn't need any encouragement to join in with...

AFEG...you always crack me up! I'm telling your wife and DD about the martini tastings at Sessions and the Martini flight in Diversions, so there!

 

[oybolshoi]

"I get knocked down! I get knocked down again! You are never gonna knock me down!"

Go Homer!

Love it - The Simpsons references are a riot!

I'm intrigued by your DIS name and your apparent knowledge of all things Simpson...