4/29/06 Eastern Magic...We're Going!!!!!

[castlegazer]

OK - so who is tech savvy?

a DIS'r made a logo for their staterooms and I have determined we need a logo.

Any thoughts, suggestions???

I have a door sign made (not printed) that is a pirate theme with antique maps of Massachusetts and of St. Martin ) I can't post it because I am blocked from image web sites at work.

 

[castlegazer]

Well, apparently I killed the thread with that last post, so here's another that may get things back to normal around here:

Couple of Beers

A philosophy professor stood before his class with some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a "VERY LARGE" and empty mayonnaise jar. He proceeded to fill it with rocks, which were about 2 inches in diameter. He filled the jar to the top!


He then asked the students if the jar was full. They said, "Yes."

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into thejar. They rolled into place, all around the rocks. He shook the jar lightly. This allowed him to pour more pebbles in, until they were up to the top of the jar.

He again asked the students if the jar was full. They said, "Yes."

The professor then picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled the spaces between the pebbles.

He asked once more if the jar was full. The students wondered what the right answer was this time, wondering what else could be poured into the jar.

The professor then produced two cans of beer from under the table and proceeded to pour their entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty spaces in the sand. The students mumbled.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The rocks are the important things -- your family, your partner, your health, and your children. Things, that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car.

The sand is everything else. The small stuff.

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks! The same goes for your life. If you spend all of your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal. Take care of the rocks first . . . the things that really matter . ..then the pebbles.

Set your priorities. The rest is just sand (the little stuff)!" One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled and said, "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of beers."

 

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

CG,

I have seen that one before, a very wise way to live your life. Sorry I was unable to respond to the last post, but I haven't figure out how to do it with my Blackberry. The door magnet is very cool, that definately would make everyone stand out.

Well I am just getting done with my second night on the road, so I have to check out and go sell something. BTW the U.P. of Michigan is beatufil this time of year.

Tom

 

[castlegazer]

My parents always wax poetic about the UP. I will one day get up there to see what its all about. They tell me that where we lived in the Berkshires of Mass was very similar and made them feel less home sick. My father was the Chamber President in Petosky. Hopefully I am spelling that right. I love my Petosky rocks! Can you still get them???

 

[castlegazer]

OK - Page three is just completely unacceptable.



I am so excited for liftoff - I have seen many liftoff down in Florida from our condo on Cocoa Beach. Normally we see them at 3 am - so this is pretty cool. I wish I could have my son watch it. He loves rockets and space stuff. I want him to be an astronaut!

 

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

CG,

You still can get the Petoskey stone, it is the state rock if you can believe we have one of those. I am in Petoskey with the family right now looking out at lake Michigan, your father would be proud because it is a Chamber of Commerce day in Northern Michigan.

I was telling the Queen that we only have like 276 days left till the cruise, she was shocked but it is still tough to concentrate when we still have Vegas, Disney and Vero Beach before we go. I am sure it won't be long until this thing is hopping and everyone is participating.

Gotta go.

Tom

 

[castlegazer]

The Petoskey Stone[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] [/font][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]is a coral that lived 350 million years ago during the Devonian age when the northern part of Michigan was covered with a sea of warm water. The scientific name is Hexagonaria percarinata; sloss (Hexagonaria meaning having six sides). [/font]

The soft living tissue [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]of the corallite was called polyp. At the center of the polyp was the food intake opening or mouth. This dark spot, or the eye of the corallite, has been filled with silt or mud that petrified after falling into the openings. Surrounding the opening were tentacles that were used for gathering food and drawing the food into the mouth. This living corallite thrived on plankton which lived in the warm sea. [/font]

Calcite, silica and other minerals [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]have replaced the original elements in each cell. Each chamber or corallite at one time was a living marine animal that grew in colonies. The Petoskey stone is also known as a colony coral. [/font]​

WHERE CAN THE PETOSKEY STONE BE FOUND?

The Petoskey stone [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]can be found in Michigan from the shores of Traverse City across the state to Alpena. It can be found in gravel pits, on road beds, and mainly on the shores of Lake Michigan around the Petoskey area. [/font]

Early spring is a good time [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]to look for the stone after the ice has melted along the shore. Each year as the ice of Lake Michigan breaks up and the wind shifts the ice back and forth, it pushes a new crop of fossils to shore. During the summer months the best time to look for the stone is after a wind storm or during a mist rain when the stones will show the fossil pattern more clearly. [/font]

WHY PETOSKEY STONE?

The city of Petoskey [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]was named after an Ottawa Indian Chief, Chief Pet-O-Sega. "Pet-O-Sega" means the "Rays of the Rising Sun". The eye of the stone is seen as the sun, and the lines or tentacles are seen as the rays radiating from the sun. [/font]
The stone was named Petoskey [font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]because of the abundance of them found on the shores of Little Traverse Bay. In 1965 the State of Michigan adopted the Petoskey stone as Michigan's state stone. [/font]​

HOW TO IDENTIFY A PETOSKEY STONE

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Keeping in mind the scientific name, [/font][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Hexagonaria, helps when looking for the stone. Its six sided pattern will allow you to identify it from other fossils. The pattern of the Petoskey stone fossil can be as little as 1/6 of an inch or larger. There are different grades of the stone from a porous soft stone to a very unique harder one. The stone can be found in many different variations from a whole Petoskey specimen to only a portion of the stone being "Petoskey". Being a fossil it is naturally soft and can have many imperfections such as cracks and other mineral deposits mixed in.

A Petoskey stone found on the beach can be smooth, and the fossil can be very distinct. This is not only because of the wave action of the water, but because the stones have been tumbled and rolled against other stones and smoothed by the sand. The pitted, rougher stones are usually found on shore or inland. [/font]​

 

[castlegazer]

It really does look beautiful!

Its funny, my Dad would love that they are having Chamber Day. My husband went into Chamber work too - he now is an executive director of a regional economic development organization - but he's still associated with Chambers.

 

[hydster]

PAGE TWO??????????????What gives??????????????????????

Just hijacking your thread and to give it a little boost to the front again.

Tom and Julie...You have to keep this baby alive and kicking!!!
I so wish we were going just to have a fun reunion but we are going to somewhere like Antigua or Anguilla instead in February. No cruising for us!! I am jealous of all of you going though!

I do have to say that we are going to get the "you guys suck twice award" here because unfortunately it looks like Vegas is a no go for us as well with you guys! We are driving to DL with the kids in Sept and then going to Vegas the end of October for the phlocking of parrots to sin city. Can't get weekend or mid week babysitters twice in 1 month. We have to mostly rely on Ryan's parents to watch our kids for us when we go and I don't think she'll be up for 2 in 1 month. Ryan's brother has a soon to be 2 yr old who is currently undergoing chemo for A.L.L. (a type of childhood Leukemia) so his mom is taking care of their other 3 kids a lot! I don't think she's up for ours that many times.

9 Months for you guys! It's getting shorter and shorter!!

Have fun!
Hydster

 

[castlegazer]

I know, we're page two losers most days.

thanks hydster.

 

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

CG,

I know I haven't kept up my end in the last couple of weeks, but I will try harder. I have been traveling so much that it makes it hard, but I am not one for excuses so that will be the last.

Heidi sorry to hear about Monkeyboys brothers child, that has to be tough to deal with. I hope that you have fun at the Parrot head convention, the closest that we will come is, Jimmy Buffet night at the local Lansing Lugnut baseball game, for which by the way I secured 4 seats right on the 3rd base dugout. I know, I know, a very tough ticket, but I do have connections.

I have to work, so I'm out!!!

Tom

 

[castlegazer]

I haven't been bumping the thread either - stop taking my jabbing as a personal attack mista


Man, I had the coolest pics from the Magic in that last post - they must have figured out I was trying to steal bandwidth. I was trying to give us all a little mental siesta.

Oh, well, I will try and find more.

 

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

Can it get any hotter?? Well we have 93 days until Disney so I am getting my fingers ready for the CRT dialing that will start on Sunday, wish us luck. When have been 14 times I think since 2000 and have only missed the breakfast twice, both of those were last minute trips.

I have to mow 2 acres of grass this afternoon so please wish for cooler weather.

Tom

 

[BLBCB]

Just came across this thread so I thought I'd join in. We are on the April 29, 2006 Eastern cruise too. This thread needs a bumping up I think.

 

[BLBCB]

Finally got some time to read a bit more of the thread. You better watch out with the "Great White North" stuff. I'm pretty sure you weren't even in the "North". I just moved down to southern Manitoba, but I used to live at the end of a dead-end road. Yep, the furthest north you can actually drive in most of Canada (not counting the Yukon/Alaska highway). Now that is the Great White North. The more I read, the more I'm really looking forward to meeting all of you! You sound like fun people. There are five of us BTW. DH, DD (14), DD (12), DS (11). Anybody else with kids around that age?

 

[PhillyJen2006]

Hi Gang!

I thas been awhile, but I have some excellent news to report! The Philly Jen/Head Gear Pat/ Mermaid Patty & Mike along with our kids are officially booked on the cruise! I haven't been online lately cause in order to afford it I had to disconnect our phone, internet, electric, water...move into a cardboard box in our backyard, sell our cars(I love my bike), and learn to love SPAM but DAM/nit This cruise is worth it!!!

And the good news is we don't have eight thousand days to count down now...just a little over 10 months... That will be a piece of cake!

Anyway, I have to go...just wanted to say a quick hello!
For the newbies, our kids will be 8.5 7.5 5 5


Hope all is well!
PJ

 

[PhillyJen2006]

Oh one more thing, we have booked adjoining Cat 6 Verandah cabins and we will be flying the Martini Pirate Flag from our balcony!!! HGP has a few new concoctions including a yummy peach martini and a chocolate martini!

PJ

 

[BLBCB]

As sad as this is to admit, I'm 36 and I've never had a martini in my life. The key lime recipe keeps getting mentioned on here, but so far no recipe. And as for these other kinds, anything made with chocolate has to be good! I need some of these recipes so I can practice at home.

 

[OHJulie]

BLBCL,

Welcome - I have DS who is 12 and a DD(9). My niece will also be on the cruise and she just turned 13.

Martini's HUH? I have just recently tried them again - cosmo. is my current favorite. Look forward to sharing some with you!

Julie

 

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

Philly Jen in the house, and welcome aboard BLBCL, it looks as if this thing might start hopping.

I will chat later, a lot going on at work.

Tom