All I Got Was A Lousy T-Shirt. . .(SleepyD's WetnWild Shower Fan Club -16 Feb 07)

[UtahMama]

I was sent here by the LINK! I couldn't help myself!
You ALWAYS make me laugh...and this is no exception!

I really want to cruise now! THANKS ALOT!

Love,
UtahMama

 

[Stinasmom]

I'm hooked! Can't wait for more!

 

[DocLovesDis]

Hi D,
Well I finally saw the little link in your siggie among all the humor so here I am. I am ready to set sail!!

Get on the boat and tell ALL tales.

Oh. You KNOW this TR is useless without pho-toes.

Hello Doc!

Hi, jamal! Hey, the cruise forums can be interesting, too. They're just like the regular forums. . .only on water!

I'm hooked! Can't wait for more!

I'm prodding! I'm prodding! He decided to take a day off. Look for more tomorrow!

 

[firstmickey]

Since a few of you have requested links to my previous TR from the WDW trip in June mentioned in this TR, I've hastily attached the links. The report was from my superdupersecretagent days with the "company."

Sleepydog Does Disney - Day 1</B>

Sleepydog Does Disney - Day 2</B>

Sleepydog Does Disney - Days 3 & 4</B>

Sleepydog Does Disney - Day 5 and Day 6: The Final Moments</B>

Sleepydog's Supery-Dupery Secret Agent Blog on Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique</B>

You're just trying to distract us since you didnt write anything new today! We are SOOOO on to you!

 

[sleepydog25]

​

The aroma from the Kenyan AA coffee (fresh ground that morning, naturally) filled the kitchen, jostling for room with the nervous excitement we shared about the upcoming drive. . .a 10-hour drive. It was either that or pay three times the amount it would cost us to drive (including our first night’s hotel room expense). As we packed our last few items, Doc uttered those inevitable words: “I need you to pack a few things for me.” Uh-oh. I glanced to where she was pointing.

“ALL of that?!” I was mildly incredulous. Just mildly.

“Yeah!” she scoffed, laughing at my feigned indignity. . .only, it wasn’t feigned.



In prepping for our trip, she had asked if we should carry a few snacks to take into the shows on board the ship. I thought, sure. Not for an instant did I know we’d be taking enough for us and the families seated around us and for the cast party afterward. My god, the bag weighed more than my clothes! And that wasn’t all. We had travel-sized containers (and some that weren’t) of things such as shampoo, toothpaste, and deodorant. . .and more: conditioner, mouthwash, talc powder, ibuprofen, toothbrushes, hair spray, hair gel, hair mousse, hair net, nail clippers, file, scissors, soap, perfume, ear plugs, gum, tape, gauze, band-aids, Pepto-bismol, glass cleaner, wrinkle release spray, hand sanitizer, Tide stain remover stick, sunscreen, hand lotion, body lotion, Nyquil, Dayquil, vitamins, Bonine, razors, pill cutter, Tums, nasal spray, Safe Sea (sunblock that also provides protection against sea lice—I kid you not!). . .okay, I’ll stop. But, you get the idea, right? (I immediately thought of opening up a black market shop on the Wonder—“Pssst! Need some antacid? Two for a dollar.” I could so be the Ferengi, Quark.) Using a dolly, I took my newly (jam) packed suitcase downstairs for loading into the Pilot. Sadly, Doc’s suitcase still weighed more than mine. I thought briefly about handing out an insurance card along with my tip to the porter. Still, we were packed and ready to go. Only one small task remained.



Princess was heading to school. And we had to say goodbye. Now, understand this trip was only for five days, and Princess would be staying with Mumma and Paappa with whom she had spent several nights before. She would be safe, secure, and having a great deal of fun with them. She knew we were going on a cruise, too, though somehow it never quite slipped out of our mouths that it was a Disney cruise. Oops. Nonetheless, Princess was abundantly happy that morning in her inimitable style: bouncy, cheerful, and ever optimistic. She was eager for school just so Paappa could come pick her up and let her run wild in the playground after classes. We shared a big hug, a long kiss, and several “I love you’s.” As much as this was an adult trip for us—for the first time in over six years—it was even more of a poignant realization that Princess was growing up.

This is a "Turn off the d*** camera and let's hit the road!" kind of smile. . .you know what I'm talking about. . .

Precisely at 8:48 a.m., with a temperature of 49F and sunny skies, Doc and I drove down the hill from our house. And drove. . .and drove. . .and drove some more. Here’s how this worked, taken from a conversation early in our planning.
“Woohoo!” Doc cried. “I got Depp. . .I mean, I got POTC on DVD. And The American President.”

“I’m thrilled beyond words, dear.”

“What else can I watch?” she asked.

“Well, there’s a whole buttload of TV shows you’ve DVR’d. . .”

“Noooo! I mean, what else for the trip?” she interrupted. “See, you’re gonna be driving. . .I’m gonna be watching movies.”



So, there we were speeding down I-95, and I can only imagine the looks we were getting from other drivers as they saw some woman in the back seat laughing her a** off while the man in front is grooving to music. The Pilot has wireless headphones for the viewers in the back two rows which allows them to watch a DVD while the driver can listen to the radio or CDs. It’s a bit unnerving to be concentrating on the road while hearing cackles and snorts from the back seat for no apparent reason.



The trip down was uneventful, otherwise. . .except for the lovebugs. I ain’t talking the Herbie kind, either. I don’t know what they call these little critters in other states, but where I grew up in east Texas, we called them lovebugs. Why? Because they seem to be copulating all the time. And in their mutual bliss they are completely oblivious to death streaking toward them at 80 mph. My god, they’re everywhere this time of year! They make bunnies look sterile. And they made my Pilot look as though it had zits. . .hundreds upon hundreds of zits. What bloody purpose do these suckers serve, anyhow? They stink to high heaven; they don’t match unless you think black and orange are a good idea outside of Halloween; and you’d think if they were fodder for birds, the skies would be dark with winged creatures. All I know is when we arrived in Ron Jon, FL--oops, I mean Cocoa Beach—at the Hilton, I dubbed the Pilot “Fuzzy Wuzzy.”



For those of you wondering about where to stay overnight before boarding a Disney cruise, there are many options in CocoaBeach and the surrounding area. One of the more popular places is the Radisson Resort less than a mile from the port. It was full. . .a couple of months ahead, in fact. Well, we can recommend the Hilton. It’s fairly new, very clean, very friendly, and sits. . .on. . .the. . .beach. We got there at 7 p.m. and were walking hand-in-hand along the lovely beach just as the sun was settling in for the evening in the western sky.



Of course, you gotta have a place to eat on the night before, and we had heard Grills Seafood Deck and Tiki Bar was good, plus we had a 10% online coupon they offered. Grills sits in the port terminal on the water, and as they claim in their advertising, come join them and watch the cruise ships go out. Getting there was another thing. Sometimes Doc’s instincts for directions aren’t much good, while at other times they’re downright awful. Okay, so I tease. . .a little. We turn off A1A into the terminal area and have only one choice—left or right. We chose right. We chose incorrectly. And it was dark. Very. You need to know where to smuggle illicit goods into the country? We found it. Mental note: Contact Homeland Security. I kept expecting Tubbs and Crockett in their pastel t-shirts and rayon jackets to pull us over at any minute with guns drawn and choppers hovering over us: “No, officer, I do not know where that suitcase full of candy and travel-sized amenities came from! Ask her!” I didn’t really get worried until we passed a man looking a lot like Rod Serling.



So, we went back the way we came until we neared the original intersection of choice, and Doc inexplicably said, “go straight.” Now, we’ve been married long enough that I know not to trust her orienteering instincts. On the other hand, we’ve been married long enough that I also know not to argue with her when she’s in “the zone.” She was in the zone. So, I went. . .straight. And five minutes later, we got our first look at where we wanted to go. . .the next morning! To be fair, Doc was working with an online map that apparently was drawn by a drunken gnome. Again, we backtrack and chose the only other option left to us—that initial left turn. Miraculously, we were parked and walking into Grills three minutes later. As we approached, there was a Don Ho wannabe on the lanai singing, “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” while shooting us with his forefinger extended and his thumb in the air as if to say, “Hey, dudes!” We had entered karaoke hell.



As it turned out, Dude Man was THE entertainment that night. . .they had actually paid him to play. When asked if we wanted to sit inside or out, we startled our hostess with an in unision, “Inside!” Actually, the atmosphere was pretty cool—very nautical, Jimmy Buffett-ish, casual, yet brimming with confidence of honest-to-gosh good food. And it was. As this isn’t a food review report, I’ll suffice it to say our meals were both excellent, especially my sushi-grade, sesame-seared tuna with wasabi and pickled ginger. We highly recommend this place. Oh, and try their Double O drink.



Soon after our meal, and minus any confusion on getting back to the hotel, we settled in. The first day of the voyage was nearly here. After months of planning, searching, researching, lists, and reservation-making, our very first cruise was mere hours away. And here to comfort us, in lieu of Princess, were ZippiDee and DooDah. She had given them to us: one for me and one for Doc. Princess told us that they would keep us from missing her so much, and that they would be good company in bed with us each night.

As if that wasn’t sweet enough, Princess had given both of us a “book” of drawings she had made to read to Zip and Doo before going to sleep every night. With those comforting thoughts (and a call to Princess, of course), off to bed we went. . .zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz



Tune in Monday for Day 2: Whadda You Mean We’re Too Early?!

 

[drebert]

Doc, you are beautful!

Why are you hanging out with this guy? Pity?

J/K This post was awesome! However, there is still a lack of pictures of a sleepydog!

 

[HaleyB]

Doc, you are beautful!

Why are you hanging out with this guy? Pity?

J/K This post was awesome! However, there is still a lack of pictures of a sleepydog!

What, feet don't count?

 

[Grammyof2]

Ummmmm, Dog??? This was actually a good read. Did you write it????

Now, do we get on the boat in the AM????? I read one other cruise report so I am in the know as to where the sunrises

This was great and the Doc, a beauty. Let's see more pics and not of your toenails, kay.

BTW, Karaoke makes me want to as well as a coupon for 10% off

 

[RoyalVizier]

Yay to getting to the night before!!

I agree... more pics!

 

[tink38]

Ummmmm, Dog??? This was actually a good read. Did you write it????

Now, do we get on the boat in the AM????? I read one other cruise report so I am in the know as to where the sunrises

This was great and the Doc, a beauty. Let's see more pics and not of your toenails, kay.

BTW, Karaoke makes me want to as well as a coupon for 10% off

I agree! Dawg. You married "up", dude.

 

[lexmelinda]

1. And in their mutual bliss they are completely oblivious to death streaking toward them at 80 mph. AND 2.To be fair, Doc was working with an online map that apparently was drawn by a drunken gnome.

My two personal favorites here....laugh-out-loud-good stuff.

Well, we can recommend the Hilton. It’s fairly new, very clean, very friendly, and sits. . .on. . .the. . .beach.

Stayed there on my honeymoon so maybe not that new but definitely well located. In fact we were married very near by in Merritt Island. But again I ask.........is there a cruise in here somewhere?

 

[firstmickey]

We chose incorrectly. And it was dark. Very. You need to know where to smuggle illicit goods into the country? We found it. Mental note: Contact Homeland Security. I kept expecting Tubbs and Crockett in their pastel t-shirts and rayon jackets to pull us over at any minute with guns drawn and choppers hovering over us: “No, officer, I do not know where that suitcase full of candy and travel-sized amenities came from! Ask her!” I didn’t really get worried until we passed a man looking a lot like Rod Serling.

Now that's funny!

As if that wasn’t sweet enough, Princess had given both of us a “book” of drawings she had made to read to Zip and Doo before going to sleep every night.

Awwwwwwwwwwwww....how sweet!

 

[sleepydog25]

You are lucky you got away with just painted toenails.

Okay, that nearly made me spew a fine cabernet all over the screen. No fair! And, yes, you are correct. Methinks I won't remain so lucky in the future.

Reading your so-called report gave me the best laugh I've had in a week. Your pacing would never make it in broadcast journalism, but I love your wording, teasing and humor. Bravo!

No, I don't have the 60-90 second soundbite thing down, and as "some woman I may know" intoned, this is how I tell stories. I'm Irish. I blarney. . .a lot. . .

NO YOU DINNINT!

Yes, Lucy, we did. . .I'll 'splain it to you as we go along. . .

YOU

WENT

WITHOUT

PRINCESS!!!!

Shhhhhhh. . .not so loudly. . .some may not have figured it out yet.

Grams, 1stMick: Whadda you mean "now we get the REAL scoop?" Am I not a believable guy? I mean, who else would bare his toes in front of strangers such as I did? Doesn't that count for something? Sheesh. Next time I guess you're gonna want to see the Spidey undies, eh? Note to self: stop thinking out loud when drinking wine.

Glad I found this thread before it got to 40 pages!

Yeah, or you might have had to go buy a 'puter with more memory! lol

Sleep & Doc! Thanks for great report (and verification) so far . . . love your creative application of the English language.

Many thanks for your kind words. Hang on. . .Doc says, "yes, that is what I mean, too."

Hi D,
Well I finally saw the little link in your siggie among all the humor so here I am. I am ready to set sail!!

Get on the boat and tell ALL tales.

Oh. You KNOW this TR is useless without pho-toes.

Hello Doc!

Did I actually say we were going to sail? My bad.

It's more like, "Get on the boat and tell 90% of the tales." Trust me.

Doc says, "Good evening. Thank you for your kind salutation and warm greetings that elevate my spirits." Okay, she actually said, "Yo, jam-mama!"

And yes, a wedding at WDW is her wish as well.

For the love of pete, don't give her anymore ideas! Did you not see what she did to my feet!?

You wash but don't fold? That's just wrong...get to folding....and writing this trip report. I'm beginning to wonder if you actually went on a cruise.

Et tu, lex? For the record, I do not hate to fold clothes and wash dishes. I am politically opposed. I seek asylum from them.

I was sent here by the LINK! I couldn't help myself!
You ALWAYS make me laugh...and this is no exception!

I really want to cruise now! THANKS ALOT!

Love,
UtahMama

Uma, have I not asked you to stop making fun of my feet? I can't help it if I have the Sasquatch gene. . .

And. You're welcome. I suggest you go on the 10 or 11-day Mediterranean cruise. . .it costs more. . .

I'm hooked! Can't wait for more!

I'm like mold. . .

J/K This post was awesome! However, there is still a lack of pictures of a sleepydog!

You think there might be a reason for this? You've seen my feet; do you really believe the world is ready for my face?

What, feet don't count?

You got my back! Just like on MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. . .

I agree! Dawg. You married "up", dude.

Oh, great! Now I've started an "I love Doc" fan club. . .just my luck. . .

Last edited by firstmickey : Today at 07:41 PM. Reason: Monday???? hellloooooo???? that's two days away? Maybe three?

Only you are married to the DIS. And what are you using, maelstrom math?

To RV, Grammygramgram, dawn8226, and lexluthor: Pics and the actual cruise report ARE coming. . .at some point. . .in the not-too-distant-future. . .promise. . .

 

[pppiglet]

Pics and the actual cruise report ARE coming. . .at some point. . .in the not-too-distant-future. . .promise. . .

Ok....RoyalVizier promised he'd write again in 3 days on one of his replies on his TR and it was more like 1-2 weeks! We can't have that happen again. As long as you can check in once a day or so I think we can hang! (well most of us anyways....you might have a few irrate readers to deal with though!)

 

[Bethipooh4]

For the love of pete, don't give her anymore ideas! Did you not see what she did to my feet!?

Sorry, I personally think our darling DD is scoping out her plans for a wedding when we go to WDW this Dec. I pity her poor BF. And daddy's wallet. I will send pics so you can have a peek into your future

[] Pics and the actual cruise report ARE coming. . .at some point. . .in the not-too-distant-future. . .promise. . .[/size][/font][/QUOTE]


You mean I have to wait for more?? Oh no say it isn't so.....

 

[RoyalVizier]

Ok....RoyalVizier promised he'd write again in 3 days on one of his replies on his TR and it was more like 1-2 weeks! We can't have that happen again.

Sleepydog... a word of advice from someone who knows. DO NOT let a 72 hour time span go by without posting an installment of your trippie. If you can't post an installment in that time frame, post something... anything. Beg for forgiveness, and whatever you do... don't threaten to give up and throw in the towel before the trippie is complete. Take it from me. You'll become riddled with guilt over the angst that you've caused your readers and you'll also develop a horrendous rash. You don't want that.

 

[sleepydog25]

Sleepydog... a word of advice from someone who knows. DO NOT let a 72 hour time span go by without posting an installment of your trippie. If you can't post an installment in that time frame, post something... anything. Beg for forgiveness, and whatever you do... don't threaten to give up and throw in the towel before the trippie is complete. Take it from me. You'll become riddled with guilt over the angst that you've caused your readers and you'll also develop a horrendous rash. You don't want that.

My primary thought in waiting until Monday was that the boards tend to be slower on the weekend. Plus, the break would give me time to catch up on ignored tasks around the house such as, say, the 3 Cs: clothes, cleaning, cooking. Still, I see there has been some trauma in your life and your words ring sincere. I will take your words to heart and post an interim update over the weekend, perhaps. So, how's your rash doing?

Sorry, I personally think our darling DD is scoping out her plans for a wedding when we go to WDW this Dec. I pity her poor BF. And daddy's wallet. I will send pics so you can have a peek into your future

It's that "daddy's wallet" thing that has me worried.

Ok....RoyalVizier promised he'd write again in 3 days on one of his replies on his TR and it was more like 1-2 weeks! We can't have that happen again. As long as you can check in once a day or so I think we can hang! (well most of us anyways....you might have a few irrate readers to deal with though!)

And I see that he is mentally scarred from that dereliction of duty. . .have you heard he has a rash?

 

[horsegirl]

DOC!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are a beauty! And welcome officially to the Dis, but we know you have been on for a while....

No wonder princess is such a beauty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ANd I think it is great you two went alone! I bet she had just as great a time getting spoiled by her mumma and pappa....

Dawg. Why is there no quote from Doc? Ehem....a little respect for the numero uno queen!

I just have to say this....I hate crusies. The thought of them. Why would people want to put on fancy clothes, gorge themselves until their waistbands are too tight in said finerie and then get seasick!!!!!!!!!!!! Remember to lean over the LEWARD side!

Okay, all that being said....I could be converted to the whole cruising thing. Well, what I mean is, at least reading a trippie or two on the crusie boards. And heck, I logged over 12,000 miles at sea....in my time. So maybe, just maybe, I want be converted by your literary genius.

There were too many funny things to quote...needless to say I had to put down my Kona, to read this....

Keep it up you dashing bon vivant!!!!!!!!

 

[firstmickey]

Hey! That was false advertising. You posted this morning that there was a new installment. And there most definitely was NOT!

 

[sleepydog25]

DOC!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are a beauty! And welcome officially to the Dis, but we know you have been on for a while....

No wonder princess is such a beauty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ANd I think it is great you two went alone! I bet she had just as great a time getting spoiled by her mumma and pappa....

Dawg. Why is there no quote from Doc? Ehem....a little respect for the numero uno queen!

I just have to say this....I hate crusies. The thought of them. Why would people want to put on fancy clothes, gorge themselves until their waistbands are too tight in said finerie and then get seasick!!!!!!!!!!!! Remember to lean over the LEWARD side!

Okay, all that being said....I could be converted to the whole cruising thing. Well, what I mean is, at least reading a trippie or two on the crusie boards. And heck, I logged over 12,000 miles at sea....in my time. So maybe, just maybe, I want be converted by your literary genius.

There were too many funny things to quote...needless to say I had to put down my Kona, to read this....

Keep it up you dashing bon vivant!!!!!!!!

You are correct in that there is no quote from Doc (though I did mention her in one of my replies). I make amends below:

1. yes, I am a lucky woman to have sleepy in my life.

Hey! That was false advertising. You posted this morning that there was a new installment. And there most definitely was NOT!

Mea culpa, mea culpa. In my original post I included the phrase "from yesterday's posting." I thought it seemed unwieldy, grammatically speaking, so I left it out figuring anyone who saw the time of my post would pick up on the fact that I could not possibly function well enough that early in the morning--pre-coffee--to write a lucid installment to my TR and would, therefore, assume I meant yesterday. It was an abject failure of mine to realize that those who would be reading said post might also have incoherent thought patterns before their coffee kicked in. I won't let it happen again. . .