8/17/08 Captain Jack's Repossession Repo Cruise to PC thru TPC Part 14

[justmestace]

This will show how old I am, but along with Cheryl's Sean Connery, and speaking of crooners....I'd also take Mandy Patinkin. He has an amazing voice.

None of those young, skinny pups for me!

 

[captaincrash]

... we're saddened to learn of your loss. I remember the last time we had such a loss and my spouse was in total tears! It was heart wrenching for us as our departed critter was a 2nd anniversery of 1st date companion - and really a big lovable part of our lives. Now we have a bigger Samoyed who has somehow proven more lovable and gentle! And more shedding too.

At any rate - may we offer gentle sympathy to your family on the loss.

 

[justmestace]

So are you like your middle name??? Grace!!!

Sadly, yes. I fell in our living room...missed the one and only step that's only been there the entire 20 years we've owned this house....and severely damaged a tendon in my wrist. That was on November 7...I wore a brace on it through March....it's off now, but the wrist still isn't healed. I would have been better off to have broken it.

There was an old ditty that my Dad used to say to me....along with the idea that I, too, bounce...:
We are the girls of the Ziegfield Follies
We bounce around like rubber dollies


Hey, I don't write 'em, I just repeat 'em.....

 

[captaincrash]

This will show how old I am, but along with Cheryl's Sean Connery, and speaking of crooners....I'd also take Mandy Patinkin. He has an amazing voice.

None of those young, skinny pups for me!

Grace,

I'm learning so much about fameous actors and movies tonight. I had to google the name to see who Mandy was. And I must say the swordsman he brought to life in Princess Bride was indeed a very VERY memorable character he played! Loads of laughs!

 

[justmestace]

There really IS a Wizard of Oz museum in the middle of Nowhere Kansas. An interesting little place.

 

[brack]

Good night!

 

[justmestace]

Grace,

I'm learning so much about fameous actors and movies tonight. I had to google the name to see who Mandy was. And I must say the swordsman he brought to life in Princess Bride was indeed a very VERY memorable character he played! Loads of laughs!

Then you don't watch Criminal Minds?? And what was the doctor show he was on many moons ago?

I have one of his c.d.s and when he sings (coincidentally) Over The Rainbow....I get goosebumps!!

 

[justmestace]

'Night, Brack...sleep well!

 

[captaincrash]

Sadly, yes. I fell in our living room...missed the one and only step that's only been there the entire 20 years we've owned this house....and severely damaged a tendon in my wrist. That was on November 7...I wore a brace on it through March....it's off now, but the wrist still isn't healed. I would have been better off to have broken it.

There was an old ditty that my Dad used to say to me....along with the idea that I, too, bounce...:
We are the girls of the Ziegfield Follies
We bounce around like rubber dollies


Hey, I don't write 'em, I just repeat 'em.....

I too injured my wirst - or rather I broke my wrist in a bicycle accident some years ago - so I can truly sympathisize with you - as I don't bowl anymore due to the discomfort in that wrist.

Although you may have heard this from me before - I'll make mention that my accident broke my hip and one wrist - and I was the unlucky one of 1600 riders in a fund rising ride from LA to San Diego for Multiple Sclorosis. I'm 99% OK today - but the experience leaves me weary of being on a bike IN traffic. I still ride a little - but I'm very very cautious.

 

[captaincrash]

Good night!

G'Nite Brack...

Now I gotta wander off for a while.

I'll visit late nite as I'm still not caught up on the postings I missed while in Yosemite.​

 

[jonesing]

.... , sk8 & the jonesing...getting together..any new secrets?
interesting tales? [not mentioned]..., jonesing...no one would ever
excused him of not being "colorful"..now if we could only tempt him
out of his shell?

On that note...I'm back to having fun...

Didn't get any jonesing deep dark secrets - they are both great! Although I was relieved when he showed up without his frying pan.

I rowed for a while - never raced, just went out with DH. We joined a rowing club in San Diego. I loved the rowing, HATED carrying the stupid boat! We had a clunker of a boat, not a super-sleek super-light one.

Secrets? I don't got no stinkin' secrets... Besides, I'm sure one of the conditions of me being able to disembark in Cartagena is a prefrontal lobotomy!

Shell? Well that may take a few drinks

No, I didn't bring a

for M...not a very sporting way to welcome a visitor. But now that we've met, we're family and all bets are off!

My best friend in college was the Cockswain for our varsity crew team. She loved the job but hated the coach. He was brash, extremely sexist--the only reason they let her on the team was because she was tiny--and he was pretty abusive to anyone (think of that college basketball coach, Bobby Knight). Actually, she met one of her boyfriends on the team. uhhhh that's another story for late night on Deck 7 aft...

 

[paulasillars]

My youngest daughter goes to the Science Fiction Convention every August and was just talking earlier today about going to the one that is going to be held in Australia in 2010. She is really hoping to make a long trip of it. It is one of the places she has always wanted to go. What is the temperature like in Sydney in August. My DH was in Sydney for R&R for three days in 1968 and still talks about it.

We moved to Florida three years ago because DH had had enough of the cold. He used to work outside in all weather and the winters in Pennsylvania finally got to him. I think after three years his bones have finally completely warmed up. Hope you get a chance to warm up soon.

Barbara

I checked on Weather.com and its says the average high in Sydney is 64F where the average high where I am at the same time is 52F so Sydney is a lot warmer! LOL Orlando for the equivilent time (Feb - being the last month of winter) has an average high of 74F.

I can really see your husbands point - I feel the cold something awful too and I just dread winter. However living here has so many benefits that it just doesn't pay to move elsewhere at this point IMO.

Who knows, where I get nearer retirement, I might decide to move somewhere further north towards the equator.

As an aside, we didn't have any water at work this morning for a few hours as the pipes had frozen - its been unusually cold this past weekend.

I think this picture says it all - it was the front cover of this morning's paper http://www.stuff.co.nz/images/308024.jpg

Paula
New Zealand

 

[paulasillars]

May I ask what sort of OTHER destinations are coupled with a NZ visit - besides Australia I imagine? And would you suggest what form of in country transit - IE, would you say the trains are good... or coach system .... or I've seen RV renting as something to consider - or would you say it makes sense to rent a car and drive from point to point? Are bed and breakfasts common - and is there a common discount angle - IE, a discount service / book or AAA for the locals to snag discounts?

I kno - for someone who is not planning any visits soon - or seriously considering a visit until 2009 (!!!) I sure do have a LOT of questions....

Crash, ask as many questions as you like - I'm happy to be able to promote NZ to anyone that asks - its an amazing country!

Australia is our biggest & closest neighbour but also many people stop at some of the pacific islands - Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Tahiti are popular stops. There are direct flights from LA to Hawaii or Tahiti then onto Auckland.

Definitely a rental car or RV (we call them camper vans as they aren't the size of the ones you get in the US). The train system sucks - I think there are only 3 passenger trains per day in the South Island and the North isn't much better. Driving is easy - compared to other countries there is no traffic except for the odd flock of sheep you can drive for ages out of the cities and not see another car. Its well signposted and its hard to get lost as there are limited ways to get between cities or attractions.

Bed and Breakfasts are common as are good motels - B&Bs can be pretty pricey though. Some camp grounds offer cabins which can be good value but they can be very cold in the winter depending on the location. The YHA also have some lovely places - I stayed in a 5* backpackers once - it was fabulous!

We don't do discounting like the US so the price you see is what you pay - its a competition thing (or lack thereof). Some places offer AAA (or AA as we have here) discounts but only about 10%. Its easy to book online as most places have websites so easy to check out prices before you go too.

As for planning - well if you don't plan you don't go. People think I'm crazy booking holidays so far in advance but I don't see them doing 2-3 overseas holidays a year

Any other questions - feel free to ask!
Paula
NZ

 

[paulasillars]

The plane ride is the only thing stopping me. Twenty-two hours would kill me. I would need something to knock me out but we are still considering!! You will have to tell us it would be another chance for a TOAL .

If you can't stand the thought of the long flight you could break it up easily... A few days at Disneyland, a few days in Hawaii then onto Auckland - there done

Paula
New Zealand

 

[paulasillars]

That would be most of the guys in this group?

You mean a world beyond the congested traffic, frequent flooding, heat warnings/ozone warnings, etc.

Add me to the list too (even though I'm a little too north for Philly Burbs and too south for NYC burbs) of those wanting to visit New Zealand. Maybe when the new ships are done the Magic will do 14 day tours of Australia and New Zealand?

Ozone - what's that? Seriously we don't have any over New Zealand so skin cancer is a very real risk here. Summer burn times are about 10 minutes from 11-3pm - sunburn also is a reality in winter too on clear days.

As for a Disney Cruise around NZ & AUS - where do I sign up? Sure would beat paying for long haul airfares

Paula
New Zealand

 

[paulasillars]

OKay, we want to come, too. Can you believe that DH has family who live there (and I can't remember where - Cousin George . . .talked to him on the phone once years ago . . .LOL). We've been invited, but just can't get DH over the cost of the airfare. DH's DSis and DBIL go almost every year (they're retired . . .lucky dogs . . ).

Anyway, I think it would be an amazing field trip for the DSs. We all love Lord of the Rings and would love to see the place in the world it was filmed!

The good news is that after paying for our Panama Cruise, DH just might see NZ as cheap . . .LOL

Can't wait to meet you, Paula.

Theresa

Oh Cousin George - I know him

NZ probably isn't too expensive for those with US$ - mind you the NZ$ is the highest its been against the US *ever* in the last few weeks so probably not so cheap as in the past. I know what you mean though about the airfare - it is expensive... have you checked online at Air New Zealand and paying in NZ$? It might work out cheaper than doing it from the US. They do specials occassionally for $NZ1600 from Auckland to LAX which is about $US1250 - a lot of money, but then it is half way across the world...

Many of the LOTR and Narnia locations are easy driving distance from main centres and easily accessible. The scene in the first movie where the hobbits are hiding under the tree roots from the black horse riders (I forget what they are called) is in the middle of the botanic gardens in Wellington (capital city).

It was funny, while they were filming here, just about every one you spoke to knew someone in the movie as they used a lot of extras from small rural theatre groups. One radio station was joking that they were going to interview the one person in the country that DIDN'T know anyone in the movie.

Paula
New Zealand

 

[paulasillars]

I never thought about a cruise to Australia and New Zealand. Lets see??? If I start saving after the saving for the first Toal........

You mean you can only do one TOAL? Why didn't anyone tell me!?

I have done loads of TOAL - just to lots of different destinations at different times

WDW was my main TOAL goal when I was a child. I've been there 4 times so far now and as a DVC member am pretty sure I'm going to make that a semi-regular TOAL

But then there are all the other TOALs that I have planned too so it better be a very long life or I'll be angry!

Paula
New Zealand

 

[captaincrash]

Just out of curiosity - I checked Orbitz for air fares from LA to AUK and it runs $1,074 on United from Sept 1-10. I think this is not too bad - but that is also $4296 in are fare alone for the 4 of us... and it is also a ton of air miles too. I need to search a little more to evaluate what might be the best approach for us.

It sounds like a split visit to a couple of destinations makes sense - IE mix in a few days in Australia perhaps. I'll have to look into this further.

 

[LITTLEKID58]

GM

Presently 75 Going up to 92 here in Sunny Central FLorida

Happy Birthday



aboard to all the newbies

and prayers to everyone who is going to need it today

Have a great Monday

 

[wheelerkidz3]

good morning! for some silly reason, i said it was ok to watch my cousin's kid...bringing our total to 12 today!!