8/17/08 Captain Jack's Repossession Repo Cruise to PC thru TPC #7

[tom31b]

Aruba's biggest water park with pirate theme. Visible "El Corsario Gift Shop". El Corsario is spanish for pirate.

 

[tom31b]

This area of Palm Beach is called popularly Moomba Beach.

 

[tom31b]

Aruba Pix

 

[got2travel]

Is there anyone else who would like to join the group for dinner? You don't have to be traveling solo. Maybe you've got a spouse who doesn't want to do dinner.

We've got 9 of us so far. DCL says the private room is available at dinner (I thought it was only brunch). But we need a minimum of 12 to book it.

Otherwise, the only way would be to link our reservations, then have one person book it. Now the problems with that are:
1 - no way I'm linking prior to this weekend. When you are linked, if one person is in the ressie, no one else can be in it. Even more fun for our "Hassle Free Booking Day".
2 - Linking later, all the Palo slots will be gone.

I really think our best option is to try to get a few more people, then book the private room.


I've posted a poll on the pirate zone so we can narrow down a desired date. Palo Poll

Can someone give me a tutorial.......nvm......Thanks Tom

 

[PBader]

For those of you planning on booking SupperShuttle here is a discount code to use for $3 off a one way fare.

UYR59.

 

[m&m's mom]

Ya, I guess I should've specified... Between the airport and the port

Unles something something more exciting comes along, we will probably be using Super Shuttle from LAX to the San Pedro Doubletree.

 

[captaincrash]

As I mentioned last night, we had quite the ordeal at the 6th grade Math at the Mall Fieldtrip that both my DW and I attended as chaperones. I'll try to give everyone a condensed version, but it's still a long story.

We've been having difficulty with a neighbor girl and have forbidden our kids from playing with her in the past. A couple of weeks ago, we finally had the kids all agree to forgive and move on and be friends. The second chance we gave her seemed to be going well.

Out of shear luck, my DW happened to walk into the GameStop store yesterday afternoon as this neighbor girl was selling back 14 of our Nintendo DS games. (They all had our last name in permanent ink written on the back). She was going to get over $160 for them according to the sales clerk!

When the girl saw my DW walk in, she immediately confronted her and told my DW that our 13 year old son, John had given them to her. A little later the story was John had given her two and our six year old had given her the rest. There were 3 different Super Mario Brothers games as each of our boys had their own!

After we figured it out that she had taken them from us and they were not given to her by our boys, we asked the teachers what to do. They had us talk to the School Resource Officer (SRO) who called the local police. The local police said that selling merchandise that is not yours with a value of over $100 back to a pawn shop is a felony. Game Stop is considered a pawn shop. As a felony, she would have been handcuffed in front of her classmates and taken to juvenile detention.

We decided to wait and talk more to the SRO back at school. The admin and SRO recommended that charges be filed to protect ourselves in case the girl or her family retaliated. Any retaliation would be considered intimidating a witness and a felony charge could be made against her and her parents. The SRO said they would be explained this thoroughly once charged.

We slept on it and talked extensively to all three boys. We found out our youngest had put two of his favorite games in his pocket so she wouldn't take them. We asked him where they were and he said he had no idea (typical). So I went up to his room and pulled his pants out of the clothes hamper from yesterday and sure enough, there were the two games he hid from her. And this was the 6 year old who "gave" her all of the games per her own statement.

This morning we filed charges in our county against her. It's only a misdemeanor and the SRO said most likely she'd be charged with 3 different crimes and would plead one of them in exchange for community service.

Needless to say, she's not getting a third chance.

Oh and one more thing, her Mom was on the field trip with her and was going to let her sell our games back to the store. He Mom has our cell phone numbers and knew we were on the field trip!

And this is just middle school!

I read this with shock and fascination! It amazes me how this could come about. However, once last year neighbor friends of ours came to ring our door. The Mom greeted me and asked for my opinion about a problem she had. It seems she had about $600+ missing from her childrens' piggy banks... and from what she could tell the ONLY person who had been in the house was thier baby sitter. A middle school aged neighbor girl whom I did not know.

Well... I suggested her options as I saw them... 1st off I said the sum involved (if we were correct about the girl having taken it - and the sum involved) was enough to be a real crime. So if we were to simply ask the police to handle this - they would enquire and if found out that the girl had taken the money then she would be immediately be charged with a crime. Certainly a misdermeanor that would be on her permanent record.

If we were to go and ask about the fund in person - then as you presented your polite suspicions then she could adjust how she asked with how the parents would respond. And this was my recommendation. OR,... she could call and ask about it. I'll forgo how we went over the specific language involved.

It turns out our friends called and left a message on thier phone enquiring about the curiosity and suspicions involved here. And guess what... 20 minutes later one of the girls parents was at the door with over $600 in small bills and change profusely apolagizing.

My view on this is - WOW.... what a disappointment. And second... the thieving young lady should have been the one at the door returning the money. AND later - the parents should have returned to offer a personal word of thanks for not taking this to the police - as their daughter narrowly averted a permanent criminal mark - the kind that can destroy future opportunities and close certain doors.

I had to wonder though... the parents of the thieving girl were both working sorts. The Mom always traveled supposedly - and the Dad was closer to home but always busy with work. SO... what gives rise to something like this? A lack of parenting - is the daughter seeking ATTENTION? What would a middle school girl do with $600? Buy jewelry, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes.... or..... an abortion? This is no trivial sum... as it's enough to hop a jet for London on a last minute special (sometimes available with United from LA). I had to wonder how difficult this developement must be for the parents of the thieving girl - and then I had to wonder if the parents would PAUSE long enough to think through that they even HAD any problem with thier daughter?

As for YOUR situation.... I think you did the right thing. It was a tbit of a tough choice in some ways - but you choose the more conservative and protective path. I'm sure others might differ - but I see it no other way. You've had a few "issues" evidently in the past. And now on the first occassion of you being gracious again the young lady STEALS from your children.. and goes to fence the stuff - gets CAUGHT red handed - and she had the terminity to lie about it on the spot. That sort of behavior has no need for further forgiveness. It's high time for consequences to be assigned. The actions you take today shall serve to warn others who may review her record before employing her or admitting her into college.... assuming these factors are revealed when she seeks a job or higher education. I don't know much about these things thankfully I guess... so I can only imagine this event is a matter of public record - and a critical consideration when employing or reviewing a candidate for all kinds of things of merit.

AND to think... the MOM was on the field trip and was going to LET HER sell the games off. I'm not too clear on the rest of your posted conversation at the bottom there - but it sounds really sinister. Having the girl develope a record will be the right thing. Having the authorities warn this family against retaliating because it would lead to THEM further developing more violations and more of a criminal record is GOOD. .... Good for you.

May I offer my complements on your rightous strength in this matter! And may I add I'm sorry to see anyone sully thier record with such a thing. And this is coming from someone who is perpetually INNOCENT - and occasionally questioned on the matter of his INNOCENCE.... < wink >

 

[PBader]

Paula (PBader) if you happen to be catching up and haven't noticed yet, I sent you a PM . . .

Julie, I am finally getting a chance to ketchup around here.

 

[buckifan]

Hey guys - jumped on to see if this connection was a bit faster. Just left Aruba.....

Laura....hope you are having a fantastic time! You deserve it!

I am going brag on Laura for a moment.....she PM'd me before she left, and offered to cover the $175 fee DCL wanted to charge for the microphone for Mass. What a great lady!

I told her we would just do without if DCL could not donate it, and of course, now we have learned that they will. But still....that was VERY generous of Laura to offer!

 

[tom31b]

Is there anyone else who would like to join the group for dinner? You don't have to be traveling solo. Maybe you've got a spouse who doesn't want to do dinner.

We've got 9 of us so far. DCL says the private room is available at dinner (I thought it was only brunch). But we need a minimum of 12 to book it.

Otherwise, the only way would be to link our reservations, then have one person book it. Now the problems with that are:
1 - no way I'm linking prior to this weekend. When you are linked, if one person is in the ressie, no one else can be in it. Even more fun for our "Hassle Free Booking Day".
2 - Linking later, all the Palo slots will be gone.

I really think our best option is to try to get a few more people, then book the private room.


I've posted a poll on the pirate zone so we can narrow down a desired date. http://www.thepiratezone.us/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=172


Can someone give me a tutorial on how to code my link so I can say something like Palo Poll instead of the URL showing? I used to be able to do it, but it's not working for me now.

Type the words you want to link

e.g. Palo Poll

Highlight them with mouse/cursor

hit the

button

insert the URL in the box (make sure you don't get two http://)

ok on box

submit post

Palo Poll

if you quote this message, you will see the code in the above link

 

[tom31b]

Hey Roger

Still thinking about a scavenger hunt?

 

[buckifan]

For those of you planning on booking SupperShuttle here is a discount code to use for $3 off a one way fare.

UYR59.

Thanks Paula! I am trying to decide between them and Primetime.

 

[m&m's mom]

I also read David McCullough's Path Between the Seas book. Very detailed, but excellent. The French also put the bed posts in water which also bred mosquitos around the malaria/yellow fever patients. They were doomed from the start, not to mention that the establishment thought a trench dug from sea to sea like the Suez Canal would be better than locks.




I wish I did...I have a six year old who read well and would like for him have something, but the book for the older kids is probably a little advanced for him.




That's awesome. With another 13 year old boy there, he shouldn't back out!

I still cannot get through that book. I LOVE to read, but that book is so detailed I cannot see the forest for the trees.

For those of you planning on booking SupperShuttle here is a discount code to use for $3 off a one way fare.

UYR59.

They serve Supper too??? Man, I am booking! Sorry, could not resist.

 

[got2travel]

Type the words you want to link

e.g. Palo Poll

Highlight them with mouse/cursor

hit the

button

insert the URL in the box (make sure you don't get two http://)

ok on box

submit post

Palo Poll

if you quote this message, you will see the code in the above link

thanks....I used to be able to add the text after I hit the world button....now I see I need the text in my post first

 

[m&m's mom]

I wonder if I am this lucky.
I was searching for kids Keen's last week and I ran across a sale at REI.com for about $10.00 off each pair. Took the girls a couple of days to decide the color they wanted, then my CC was never next to the computer etc. Well, yesterday I go in to order them and they were no longer on sale. Then I remembered the other computer (we have over 10 in the house) still had them in my shopping cart. I tried to complete the order but kept watching the price to make sure it did not go to the current price. I now have a confirmation at the sale price. Too Cool!

 

[tom31b]

From one of the trip reports

Tomorrow is Aruba – we don’t have any excursions booked. Dinner’s theme is Taste of the Carribbean and the dress code is tropical.

 

[tom31b]

thanks....I used to be able to add the text after I hit the world button....now I see I need the text in my post first

You can hit the button first, then add text. I'm usually a few steps ahead of myself typing, so its always back and highlight....

 

[smeecanada]

Desiree....how about Captain Jack "and his" Repositioning etc......

How about:

Pirates Through The Caribbean - DCL MAGIC - August 2008

 

[GoofyontheHiSeas]

I'm reading the grown up book "The Path Between the Seas" and the French were very good at doing some dumb things relative to the diseases:

• they placed dirt around all their plants and filled it with water to keep the fire ants off, giving mosquitoes place to breed
• they believed the disease came from the dirt and there wasn't anything they could do about it (although some French scientists identified the specific variety of mosquito that was responsible for the diseases, their findings were buried by the political establishment who "knew" things better)
• they had no sewers, so filth built up in streets/alleys
• they put all their sick in common wards, so if you broke your arm, you were put in the same ward with contagious yellow fever/malaria victims. Once you were in the wards, it was basically a death sentence

I also read David McCullough's Path Between the Seas book. Very detailed, but excellent. The French also put the bed posts in water which also bred mosquitoes around the malaria/yellow fever patients. They were doomed from the start, not to mention that the establishment thought a trench dug from sea to sea like the Suez Canal would be better than locks.

I loved the thought they would tunnel the canal through the mountains!

The French were not the only ones did not have a clue about the transmission of Yellow Fever and Malaria. William Gorgas fought for years at the beginning of US occupation in an effort for mosquito control but no one would listen. It required a proclamation for Teddy Roosevelt to initiate the mosquito abatement program. I also loved de Lesseps plans of a sea level canal with tunnels. Good thing it failed. We know the Magic can fit through the arch in Cabo but one of those tunnels might have been really tight.

 

[GoofyontheHiSeas]

Hey Roger

Still thinking about a scavenger hunt?

Yes, we need to get that on the planning. I have been thinking about it but can't come up with any clues that aren't too hard or too easy. Guess we will have to form a task-force or steering committee.