An Invasion of a "STRANGER" Kind.... NEW THREAD IS UP!! Go Thee NOW!

[All7OfUs]

Signing in for ADR fun! Love the photos of you planning!

Hi Jen!!! Great to have you signing up for duty! My kids thought I was being totally whacko with that!! but the reality is, it sadly wasn't too staged.

 

[All7OfUs]

It's that time of month again; NO, not that time of the month, it's time for the Belle Battalion's monthly ranking upgrade. For those of you who are new around these parts, each month as we get closer to our day of Victory, we give ourselves a little self-promotion. Not only is it fun, but we have a great way of counting down the time until our Week O' Freedom. Can you believe we started out so many months ago as lowly Privates??! This month weare loosening the chains of the title of lowly Lieutenant and crashing the lofty rank of Captain. Here's a bit of information I found that I thought was fascinating! Take a look:


Prior to the professionalization of the armed services of European nations subsequent to the French Revolution, a captain was a nobleman who purchased the right to head a company from the previous holder of that right. He would in turn receive money from another nobleman to serve as his lieutenant. The funding to provide for the troops came from the monarch or his government; the captain had to be responsible for it. If he was not, or was otherwise court-martialed, he would be dismissed ("cashiered"), and the monarch would receive money from another nobleman to command the company. Otherwise, the only pension for the captain was selling the right to another nobleman when he was ready to retire.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_(land)

Well now, isn't that an interesting tid bit of scooperoo? I imagine that the Belle Battalion indeed has noble blood, with which to work with here. And we are certainly purchasing through the nose to have the right to take command and enjoy our Week O' Freedom, as you can well imagine!!!

Apparently, up until our most recent history, this was a profession purchased from predecessors rather than earned. I'd like to think the Belle Battalion has both paid for AND EARNED thier right to bear this rank, and hope we can carry out our duties with prestige and honor.

Reading on, it seems that he was then expected to recruit his lieutenant, who also paid for his position. I doubt this is even going to remotely happen, but you never know. There may yet be someone out there who will pay large sums of money to us to act as our underlings. Any volunteers??

As for being responsible with the monies that our Monarch gives us, well... that's already happening, right? Finding the best flight prices (I'm pretty sure I scored a smoking good deal), monkeying with all the options for tickets, dining plans, you name it, we've crunched it. That's crunched, not scrunched- although, we do a fair amount of that too.

When we retire, we'll expect our positions purchased. And since no one is going to pay us to go away, we may be captains forever. Maybe we'll retire in the Haunted Mansion AND NEVER leave. But then again, after we're done blathering in 6 months, you may seriously consider paying us a pension in order to put a stop to our nonsense.

Carry on!!

Click Here for ADR Combat- Round #1, Hollywood Brown Derby

 

[eandesmom]

you will NOT be done blathering in 6 months.



at least you'd better not be!

 

[All7OfUs]

you will NOT be done blathering in 6 months.



at least you'd better not be!

Oh yeah. I forgot. You get the pleasure of a whole new dimension of blather!!

Do airlines change their schedules often?? I just got an e-mail that told me my flight changed (earlier) by 20 minutes. I kinda like that!

 

[jenbear123]

Do airlines change their schedules often?? I just got an e-mail that told me my flight changed (earlier) by 20 minutes. I kinda like that!

Happens ALL the time. Not always for the better

 

[All7OfUs]

Happens ALL the time. Not always for the better

I admit, I was a little nervous before I opened up the e-mail and read it. I knew it might have said 3 hours later... I was relieved it went earlier!

In 6 months time, will they do this to me over and over and over??

 

[yinyanggirls]

Your PTR is getting to be as hard to keep up with as Jordan's! I will try to play, but we'll see if I can make my guesses in time. ADRs were a big excitement for me too.

 

[tinkgurl]

Liesa, you are not on! I was just going to ask you...

It's 1:30 a.m. and I'm still doing homework...please remind me again why I wanted to get my Master's.

 

[winkers]

Love, love, love the pictures!

 

[winkers]

I will offer myself to be your underling.....I think.

 

[All7OfUs]

Your PTR is getting to be as hard to keep up with as Jordan's! I will try to play, but we'll see if I can make my guesses in time. ADRs were a big excitement for me too.

I know!! But it sure is fun nonetheless! Any guesses you make will help you win the fabulous prizes at the end of the game!

Liesa, you are not on! I was just going to ask you...

It's 1:30 a.m. and I'm still doing homework...please remind me again why I wanted to get my Master's.

I've been on and off all day.

OK, time to put my mother-hen hat on...

Reasons to put up with late nights of papers, studying, stress, lack of sleep, etc...

1) Better paying job later on

2) better chance of advancement

3) Higher level of knowledge so you can help more people

4) A huge sense of accomplishment when you are done.

5) You have the means now, you may not later

OK, is that enough?? I could come up with a few more, if that wasn't enough. Anyone else want to offer encouragement??

 

[All7OfUs]

I will offer myself to be your underling.....I think.

Thanks, Cherie!! I think they don't hold a candle to your hilarious spread of pole dancing mania, but I was having me some fun anyways!!

How much will you pay to be my lieutenant?? Dinner at the Cali??

Suuuuuuuure you dont' want to join us in Sept.??

 

[winkers]

Thanks, Cherie!! I think they don't hold a candle to your hilarious spread of pole dancing mania, but I was having me some fun anyways!!

How much will you pay to be my lieutenant?? Dinner at the Cali??

Suuuuuuuure you dont' want to join us in Sept.??

I would looooovvvveee to join you in Sept. but i don't think the head honcho (no idea what that actually means) will agree to it....bills and all that stupid stuff.

 

[Flossbolna]

Interesting stuff about the captains - I am glad that today's modern armies don't rely on noblemen handing over chash... If you have ever read Pride and Prejudice, you know what an unpleasant bunch those captains were...

On flight changes: I am a regular lurker on the transportation board, it seems flight changes are one of the most common questions asked over there. The really nasty ones are when they change you from a direct flight to a flight with a connection. The advice I picked up there (totally irrelevant to me since here in Europe flight times never really change much) is: keep checking your flight regularly to make sure that you don't miss any changes. Once you are aware of a change which you are unhappy with: research alternatives with your airline and then give them a call and ask to be rebooked on this alternative. It seems like it works for nearly everyone who at first is shocked that their direct flight has turned into a day long trip around North America.

 

[All7OfUs]

I would looooovvvveee to join you in Sept. but i don't think the head honcho (no idea what that actually means) will agree to it....bills and all that stupid stuff.

Not to mention the brand new kitchen that you'll likely still be paying on. But oh so, worth it that was!! How does the finished product look? I'll bet it's so so pretty! And all that space! And the new stove- You're going to LOVE IT!

Head honcho? Japanese? Something Native American?? No idea.

Interesting stuff about the captains - I am glad that today's modern armies don't rely on noblemen handing over chash... If you have ever read Pride and Prejudice, you know what an unpleasant bunch those captains were...

Very, very unpleasant. Isn't Wickham one of the most horrible protagonists EVER?!! I LOVE to hate him!

Believe it or not, reading this gave me a new insight into the culture here. Here one must routinely buy his job- whether it's train conductor, a clerk in a store, a teacher or doctor. I had no idea that this concept of purchasing a job ever existed outside of P&P times. Now I understand that it is actually a long-standing tradition in more places and times than here. It's still pretty odd to me though.

On flight changes: I am a regular lurker on the transportation board, it seems flight changes are one of the most common questions asked over there. The really nasty ones are when they change you from a direct flight to a flight with a connection. The advice I picked up there (totally irrelevant to me since here in Europe flight times never really change much) is: keep checking your flight regularly to make sure that you don't miss any changes. Once you are aware of a change which you are unhappy with: research alternatives with your airline and then give them a call and ask to be rebooked on this alternative. It seems like it works for nearly everyone who at first is shocked that their direct flight has turned into a day long trip around North America.

Those are superb tips! Thanks for that! I guess I shouldnt' rely on them always notifying me by e-mail, and should check at least weekly. I would be very disappointed indeed, if they move my flight up more than an hour or so. I guess they don't always re-book their passengers on convenient routes.

 

[Flossbolna]

Believe it or not, reading this gave me a new insight into the culture here. Here one must routinely buy his job- whether it's train conductor, a clerk in a store, a teacher or doctor. I had no idea that this concept of purchasing a job ever existed outside of P&P times. Now I understand that it is actually a long-standing tradition in more places and times than here. It's still pretty odd to me though.

Yes, isn't it amazing that this tradition of buying jobs has been around in Europe as well? And even if the job wasn't bought you had to have the right kind of connections. While this very often still is important today, at least society has become much more open.

In medieval times in Germany all trades were organized in guilds, yo could only work as an independent baker or butcher for example if you were a member of the guild. And they controlledt the number of members vey strict. So it was very difficult to open your own shop. The easiest way was actually to marry your former employers widow after his death since the right to the shop would go over to the widow and then through marriage to the new owner. Another interesting concept of getting a job...

Those are superb tips! Thanks for that! I guess I shouldnt' rely on them always notifying me by e-mail, and should check at least weekly. I would be very disappointed indeed, if they move my flight up more than an hour or so. I guess they don't always re-book their passengers on convenient routes.

The worst thing once happened to a friend of mine. When they changed her flight times she was supposed to arrive at the airport where she had to get a connection 30 minutes after the connecting plane would have departed... And the airline told her that they couldn't do anything about it...

 

[All7OfUs]

The easiest way was actually to marry your former employers widow after his death since the right to the shop would go over to the widow and then through marriage to the new owner. Another interesting concept of getting a job...

Takes "having connections" to a whole new level, doesn't it?!

The worst thing once happened to a friend of mine. When they changed her flight times she was supposed to arrive at the airport where she had to get a connection 30 minutes after the connecting plane would have departed... And the airline told her that they couldn't do anything about it...

That's outrageous! I suppose they had to give her a refund in the end ? At least I hope so!

 

[Flossbolna]

That's outrageous! I suppose they had to give her a refund in the end ? At least I hope so!

A refund wouldn't have helped her much, she was supposed to travel from Germany to Puerto Rico for a christmas vacation and when they told her about the flight change, the price for tickets was about double what she paid. It took them a number of phone calls until they got a supervisor who was finally able to get them on an earlier flight, but they ended up having a 6 hours lay-over in Madrid...

 

[All7OfUs]

In order to refresh your memories in preparation for the big start of our game tomorrow, I thought I'd once again list out the ADRs that we're doing battle with this week. If you'll also recall, we actually have not 1, not 2, but 3 ADR Days!!!! So, there's much fun ahead!

Now, this list has a few new surprises on it. I'll explain as I go...

The first 3 are ones you've never seen before on any of our previous lists or games. They are relative newcomers to the lineup, mainly because before, we were only planning the meals we'd be eating together- as a troop. I felt like I wanted to get those down pat and see how our schedule panned out before I gave heed to what I'd want to do on my solo days.

So, without further ado, here are the 3 that made the solo days cut:

Hollywood Brown Derby
Trail's End
Rose and Crown

Huh?? Yeah, random... Here's what I can offer in way of explanation:

Lady Lallie and Jordan did a mighty splendid job at convincing me that the Cobb Salad was worth dining with the stars. Some of you know I used to be a CM as a hostess in the Blue Bayou Restaurant at DLR. They were famous also for their Cobb Salad (in addition to the Monte Cristo sandwich), and I never had the pleasure of noshing on one. That may change soon.

Maroo is the one Jonesin' for Trails End. I can offer no explanation whatsoever? I don't know if it was the food? Maybe she just wants to see the Fort? I have no idea. I more than likely may not join her, but she will make the ADR for 2 regardless, just in case as time goes on, I change mind.

The last one for my solo time is Rose and Crown. I've read so, sooo many good reviews on this one lately. But I have to be honest here... I"m going in deep for that nommy looking Welsh Dragon. It simply sounds like something I could enjoy (like a nice warm bubble bath after a day of skiing) during Illuminations one evening. If I end up getting dinner, it may be just an appetizer.

Again, depending how finances look in a few more months, all or some of these 3 may have to go. We'll see.

Now, let's pick up the pace. All, save the very last one, you've seen before- no more surprises, I promise:

Tea @ the GF
'Ohana
Biergarten
Kona for breakfast
Teppan Edo
Beaches and Cream
Sanaa
California Grill
Boma
JIKO
and The Plaza

Yup, another surprise. Again, a couple of fun reviews, and viola, a hankering for a big, fat Reuben! Yup, love me some kraut- don't worry Maroo, you will be gone by then, so only LeeAnn will have to deal with the consequences. I'll suggest she get one too- then we'll be even.

These aren't in the order they'll appear in our upcoming game. Don't worry, that's not important; remember, I'm going to list the restaurant and the time we're aiming for. Your job is to guess whether we got it A) on time B) later than we asked OR C) earlier than we wanted.

Any more feedback on any of these places?? Especially the first 3??

 

[All7OfUs]

A refund wouldn't have helped her much, she was supposed to travel from Germany to Puerto Rico for a christmas vacation and when they told her about the flight change, the price for tickets was about double what she paid. It took them a number of phone calls until they got a supervisor who was finally able to get them on an earlier flight, but they ended up having a 6 hours lay-over in Madrid...

Asking for a supervisor is always the best course of action, I think. They have way more authority and can actually DO something. Same goes for unexpected problems at Disney. I see it all the time on the Attractions Board where folks have a problem and get results when they ask for a manager.