Canadian Buffoon's Back to Front Vacation - Update! 05/18 - Falling Down

[pkondz]

Heh, I consider every day I'm not dead a successful day.

Well... there is that.

Gross.

Yup. ick.

Grosser. By a factor of a billion.

Also correct.
I find spiders fascinating...

From a distance.

A great big distance.

Not nearly as fast as I'd have been on my way out.

And, we've just hit rock bottom.

Translucent bacon.
A step backwards for mankind.

So, they have a leg up on EPCOT.

Nothing is as bad as Epcot.

So pretty!!

Those are hands down the coolest things ever.

Aren't they though?
They almost look like the result
of the sci-fi prop department.

Who knew?! Neat factoid.

But not one to be envied.

Gar! What a great variety going on!

I like Gar. At the aquarium
at the Mall of America,
they've got some massive
alligator gars.
Cool to see!

Whoa! I'm very impressed.

Truly an amazing sight.

I love when I hear about someone taking the time to just slow down and take in the experience of being completely awestruck by Creation or a situation. That's what life is about.

I've had many occasions where
I've wanted to slow down,
but due to circumstances,
not been able to.
I was very glad to have the time,
this time.

So neat you got to see that!

I had no idea I would!
It's not advertised as part
of the experience.

But, I have to wonder, how on earth do they get enough food?! You'd think they'd need like bags and bags and BAGS of food.

That's a good question.
If I go back, I'll be sure to ask!

 

[pkondz]

Those scare me a bit. Lots of cash outlay is risky.

That's why it took me so long
to pull the trigger and buy.
I had to make sure of my dates
before doing that.

Very sure.

Finally! What an ordeal!

It was quite the rollercoaster,
that's for sure!

This is an ominous sign!

Yup.
I wasn't overly surprised.

I learned later, in the changeroom,
that she's not very experienced.
Her husband has all kids of qualifications,
but she just does it because he does.

And I give her a lot of credit for that.

Thanks for that explanation of how it all works. I'd heard of this technology, but was clueless about how it all works.

It was really interesting.
I couldn't believe how long
you could stay under
without running out of air.

Yeah, that's a disqualifier for me.

You're just itty bitty!

I think I'd have reserved that statement for the spider encounter.

yeah, this doesn't surprise me.

No, not really.
I didn't write it in the update,
but neither she nor the father (or FIL)
lasted the entire dive.
I guess they just had too much trouble.

NICE photo!!

I can't take credit of course.
But I do like it.

I'll say- no understatement!

Nope!
I've never gotten that
close ever before!

Well, then, I hope you get to! Love those dreams!

I hope so too!
We'll see!

 

[pkondz]

I’ve been lurking & reading. Just not commenting

Still... Nice to see you again.

 

[pkondz]

No, but you had been robbed of your space by other... intruders.

I just didn't know it yet.
Probably a good thing.


Possibly... not.

Thank goodness this isn't the case for humans - my mom already uses the "I gave birth to you" line on me far too often, imagine if she could end that sentence "for 4-6 days"!?!?!?

That's a HARD PASS for me!

Okay. Mark Tracy down for
"No" for the boat...
She'll be in the water, instead.

YOLO!

Well... yeah!

Somewhere on the interwebs someone else typed up that exact same story to share with friends, except he or she had a very different ending The great ticket battle of 2018, pkondz victorious

 

[franandaj]

Where was that, Alison?

it was in Auckland New Zealand. I remember when we went there in 1999 they promoted that they were the premiere place that had a over aquarium thingy. Since then all kinds ill f pmaces now have them.

Maybe eventually?
Right now it's still too
expensive.

But prices are slowly coming down.

OK I don't remember why I quoted this. I'm losing my mind.

Nope!
DW bought the Elton John ticket.
I just had to get there.
(Birthday, Christmas, Anniversary gift)

I don't get this. You and DW have separate money? . I have no money. Everything Fran and I have is based on her investments and she has shared them with me, so we are completely entangled. We are one in as so far as money.

 

[docsoliday1]

I learned later, in the changeroom,
that she's not very experienced.
Her husband has all kids of qualifications,
but she just does it because he does.

And I give her a lot of credit for that.

Why does the merits of his offspring matter?


I know it's a typo, just struck me as quite funny.

Either she's very brave or very crazy. I'm going with the former.

It was really interesting.
I couldn't believe how long
you could stay under
without running out of air.

That would be cool, but then you'd have to be more cognizant of a sufficiently slow ascent.

I hope so too!
We'll see!

If I still lived there I'd be hoping as well(selfishly). As of now, I'm hoping for you...sounds like you really enjoyed it.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I find not dying a good key.

Well, it certainly beats the alternative.

...it would certainly be more fun!
(Not the burning alive part,
the using it part.)

I would love to try a flamethrower sometime. If only they were legal.

I have done those.
And did consider it for this one.
I've grown lazy in my advancing years.

I think I've written one Trip Advisor review in my lifetime. I'm pretty lazy about it, too.

Look familiar?

Wow, that's a great shot. Somebody really has a good eye.

Try it in the thank.

Nah, I'd be too busy screwing with the equipment because I didn't read the directions.

Not at all surprised.
It's really incredible, isn't it?

Loved it there.

You'd be safe.
Apparently a whale shark's throat,
is only the size of a quarter.

So... you'd just get stuck in its mouth.

Huh. I had no idea. That's fascinating.

Might try again this fall,
if all the stars align

Cool!

You can't see it in that picture.
It's under the canister.
They turn it off for your first dive.
That's to encourage you to return.

Well, where's the fun in that?

That's called "a drowner".

I suspect that the older gentleman
wasn't getting used to it.
He'd wave over the guide
(this happened several times)
and she'd calm him down,
make him switch to open circuit
(which is like normal SCUBA.)
Breathe in. Breathe out.
Again. In... Out...
Then switch back to closed circuit.

I was pretty impressed with her, actually.

Sounds like she was a good one.

Three times. But the third time
was an accident.


I think.

Broke the stick on that one.

Pointy end first.

And she didn't let go.

I knew it!

Mark, I'm telling you.
It really was.
It really was.

I believe you. Really happy that you got to experience this.

One of the ironies of the situation.
Because I am solo, I can take the
few hours to do this and not have to
worry what my travel partner is doing.
i.e. Are they bored? Wanting to leave?

And yet... when you get out of the water...
There's no one to share it with.

I haven't done much solo travel myself. But I understand.

 

[LeiaIsAPrincess2]

I like Gar. At the aquarium
at the Mall of America,
they've got some massive
alligator gars.
Cool to see!

Aren't they amazing?! We should have a DisMeet the next time you pass through, I live across the highway from MOA

 

[pkondz]

it was in Auckland New Zealand. I remember when we went there in 1999 they promoted that they were the premiere place that had a over aquarium thingy. Since then all kinds ill f pmaces now have them.

Niiiice. I'd love to get to New Zealand.
Little bit tougher to drive to, though...

OK I don't remember why I quoted this. I'm losing my mind.

Ha! Get in line, lady.

I sure miss seeing you
(and Fran too!)
I need to come back out
and see you guys again.

I don't get this. You and DW have separate money? . I have no money. Everything Fran and I have is based on her investments and she has shared them with me, so we are completely entangled. We are one in as so far as money.

Well... yes, but no.

All our money goes into
joint accounts.
But we keep them separate
on paper so that if one wants
a personal item, the other
won't feel like "Hey! You're
spending "my" money."

Sort of.

 

[pkondz]

Why does the merits of his offspring matter?


I know it's a typo, just struck me as quite funny.

Typo?
Oh, no. His kids are really
good at diving.

Or is that driving.

Scribing.
They're god writers.

No, really. Godlike.


No! Not Godlike.
Got milk.

It's a dairy pun.
It's barely a pun.

Either she's very brave or very crazy. I'm going with the former.

Sure. Benefit of the doubt and all...

That would be cool, but then you'd have to be more cognizant of a sufficiently slow ascent.

Definitely.
And that's the danger.
While the system does work
to adjust the gasses for you
(so I've read),
you could easily extend your
bottom time well past the
decompression times.

If I still lived there I'd be hoping as well(selfishly).

As of now, I'm hoping for you...sounds like you really enjoyed it.

 

[pkondz]

Well, it certainly beats the alternative.

Living it up?

I would love to try a flamethrower sometime. If only they were legal.

I found this on the web.
So.... no claims as to the
veracity of the info.

"Believe it or not, there are no federal laws governing private ownership of flamethrowers or flamethrower-like devices (they’re considered “extended-reach torches”). It all comes down to individual state laws, and for the most part, everybody is surprisingly pretty chill with you bringing the heat. Only two states in the country restrict the devices: California and Maryland. They’re completely banned in Maryland, and can only be obtained in California with a permit issued by the State Fire Marshal"

Wow, that's a great shot. Somebody really has a good eye.

Yes. I agree completely.

Nah, I'd be too busy screwing with the equipment because I didn't read the directions.

You did mention that.

Huh. I had no idea. That's fascinating.

And very comforting.

Trust me.

Well, where's the fun in that?

The returning.

Sounds like she was a good one.

I was pretty impressed with
how she could calm him down
and coach him through it.

Broke the stick on that one.

I don't call it
my "stick".

I believe you. Really happy that you got to experience this.

 

[pkondz]

Aren't they amazing?!

But not sure how I'd feel
coming up on one unawares.
(Either it or me)

We should have a DisMeet the next time you pass through, I live across the highway from MOA

Sure!
I drive through there
all the time!

 

[Self_resqing_princz]

An accident?
How so?

Accident because I was just skimming and didn't expect to see him!


So that's what got
his attention!

 

[Terra Nova guy]

Wow, that was a real best of times/worst of times kind of day!

The hotel sounds like you were lucky to get out alive. Bugs in the room really gross me out. We get a few earwigs or spiders at home now and then and I am the resident bug killer. I can't say I do it with bravado. I stop short of screaming like a girl and throwing the tissue at it. But I manage to get the job done.

The aquarium is incredible! I've heard of it before. I don't know that I will ever find myself in Georgia, but I would certainly have to keep it in mind. Although I am not a diver, I appreciate what an awesome experience that must have been.

Oh, I did see it this time, although it took me a bit. Good to see you sponsoring well deserving attractions.

 

[pkondz]

Accident because I was just skimming and didn't expect to see him!

Best kind!

 

[pkondz]

Wow, that was a real best of times/worst of times kind of day!

Very much so!

The hotel sounds like you were lucky to get out alive. Bugs in the room really gross me out.

I don't want any bugs
in my hotel room!
I consider that a major
fail on the part of the hotel.

We get a few earwigs or spiders at home now and then and I am the resident bug killer. I can't say I do it with bravado. I stop short of screaming like a girl and throwing the tissue at it. But I manage to get the job done.

We don't really have big
bugs here.
The few I have to kill
give me the heebie-jeebies,
but I do it all the same.

The aquarium is incredible! I've heard of it before. I don't know that I will ever find myself in Georgia, but I would certainly have to keep it in mind.

I don't talk about it much,
but the dolphin show was
quite good as well.
I'd say it's worth a visit
for the whale sharks alone,
but the rest is very well done, too.

Although I am not a diver, I appreciate what an awesome experience that must have been.

It was incredible!
Wish it wasn't quite so pricey...
but I'd pay it again.

Oh, I did see it this time, although it took me a bit. Good to see you sponsoring well deserving attractions.

You'd think I'd get a discount.

 

[pkondz]

Paradise Lost

After I swam with the fish
and didn't wind up swimming
with the fishes,
I made a quick couple of stops
at some Harley shops,
then made my way to
Mazzy's Sports Bar & Grill.

I had originally planned
on dining elsewhere that evening,
but I was informed by Doc
(@docsoliday1 ) that the best
pot roast around was to be found
at Mazzy's.
He also told me they had pool tables.

Well... twist my arm...
Good food and a chance to relax
and shoot some pool?


Heck yeah!


While I was conversing with Doc,
Ariana (@Pluto0809 ) was also
trying to set up a meet.
Since they both lived nearby,
it made sense to meet them both.

I know I arrived about 4:15pm,
but don't recall if that was the
assigned meet time or not.
I don't remember for sure,
but since I didn't note if I was late,
I'm gonna go out on a limb
and say I wasn't.
I walked in and Doc was
already there.

We exchanged hugs.
Manly hugs, of course.
Like... really macho.


Seriously macho.


Right away, we hit it off.
I won't go into details,
but there are certain aspects
of both our lives that we have
in common. Almost eerily so.

It was very... comforting
to find a kindred spirit.


Doc went above and beyond in making
me feel welcome.
He had brought a few gifts and
even colour coordinated the gift bag
in Marvin the Martian colours.

Inside were very thoughtful keepsakes.
A fridge magnet, an Ariel pin (Hello!),
and a little tin of mints and playing cards
as Georgia souvenirs.

Thanks Doc... very nice of you
and much appreciated!

But that's not all!
Doc had just recently come
back from WDW.

And... well...

He freaking brought me
Zebra Domes!!!


ZEEEEBRRAAAA DOOOOOMMMMEEESSSS people!!!!

Oh. My. Gawd.

Folks?
You really don't have to bring
me gifts when we meet.
Whether it's the first time,
or the ninth.
(I expect an anniversary gift
for our 10th meeting though.
I believe that would be tin
or aluminum.)

And you certainly don't have
to bring gifts for you to
be my friend.


BUT ZEBRA DOMES SURE HELPS!


ahem.




We chatted for a bit
and then Ariana arrived
about half an hour after
I did and the party really
started!


Ariana is just about the sweetest
gal you're likely to meet.

I can't speak for her,
but I know that I was
immediately delighted
to meet her.

After quick introductions all 'round
(Doc and Ariana hadn't previously
met either), we all settled in for
some high-stakes pool.

Did we play for money?
Please... Nothing so plebeian.

Prizes?
Really? How uninspiring.

Disney tickets?
Okay, now you're just
being silly.
You know how expensive
those are!

No... we played for something
much more valuable.

Honour!
(Well... okay.
I played for honour,
they played for honor.)


The server came and took
our orders (pot roast
all around and an order
of rings for Doc and me) and we
got busy playing some serious pool.

We played three games.
I won the first game...
and I won the second game...
And Doc had been eliminated
in the third and I had the
advantage when the food arrived.

Hunger apparently wins over honour
(and apparently, today at least,
honour wins over honor...
but u already knew that) and we
abandoned the game and descended
like vultures on our carrion.
(No... not the bags we bring on planes.)

The rings were quite good, but...

... Doc was right.
The pot roast was
really good.

(Not as good as mine,
but... yes, very good. )

We had just finished up
when the bad thing happened...

The server brought the bill.


I don't know why restaurants
do that.
You're supposed to have
a nice meal, and a pleasant
time out, but...
Then they go and ruin it
by making you pay.

The server apologized and
tried to lessen the blow
by way of taking our photo.


It wasn't enough.

You'll note that while my plate
is completely clean,
Ariana's plate has all the corn
left on it.
This is because she is a bad girl.

And everyone I've talked to
about her agrees with me.


Around 7:00pm, I had to
take my leave.
It had already been a long
day fraught with dangerous
creatures... and that was
just at the hotel!
I still had a four-hour drive
ahead of me and the
road was calling.


I don't know how it got my number.


Doc and Ariana,
it was really great
meeting you guys.
I hope we can again.
I'm sure we will!


The drive up to Bowling Green
(where I had elected to overnight)
wasn't an easy one.
I was already tired,
having only gotten about five
hours of sleep the previous night
and then had a full day already.
It was made a little better
by having Zebra Domes to eat.
I didn't eat them all
on that drive... but I did
put a serious dent
in my stock!
Eventually I arrived at the hotel,
checked in and fell gratefully
into bed.


The next morning came too early.
Someone really needs to look
into this.
We need a way to push back
early mornings to a more
respectable afternoon.

The alarm woke me at 5:30am
and I was on the road by 6:30am.
I had miles to cross and people to meet.

I was just outside of Bowling Green
when it happened.
I don't know if I had the beginning
of a very mild cold, a slight allergic
reaction to something, or just the sniffles.
In any event, I reached over for a
Kleenex and blew my nose.

So... when you dive, water exerts
pressure on your body.
Really there's pressure both
inside and out.
You're breathing compressed
gasses that have to expand
at some point.
If a diver ascends too quickly,
the gasses expand just like
when you open a bottle of pop.
This is preventable by slowing
your ascent. Sometimes a lot.

When I blew my nose,
I guess I... over pressurized (?)
the Eustachian canal in my
left ear.
And because I had a bit of
a stuffed nose, and perhaps
as a bit of residual effects
from the dive...
I gave myself a bit of a
case of vertigo.
All of a sudden, my brain
was telling my eyes
(or vice versa)
that the highway that
I was driving along at
around sixty miles an hour,
was tilted forty-five degrees
on its side.

I quickly worked my jaw
and it went away fairly soon.

Slightly disconcerting.
I don't recommend it as a hobby.


I arrived at my first stop,
a Harley store, a little after 9:00am.
I was pleased to find myself
ahead of schedule.
As opposed to upside down in
a ditch as a result of trying
to drive up a slanted highway.

Poker-chip in hand I set out
for the second Harley shop
of the day.
As I drove through Louisville, KY
I spotted some bits of debris
in and beside the road.
Soon, I came across
an entire rear bumper assembly
off a pick-up truck lying on
the shoulder.

Moments later, as I was just
starting to pass a semi-trailer,
I spotted a five gallon pail
rolling across the highway.

Similar to this one: (bottle for scale)

I could tell right away that it
was going to roll out of my lane
and I wouldn't hit it.

But...

It would wind up under the
semi's wheels.
And I also figured what would
happen if I slowed down.

I accelerated and...
Sure enough, the pail
rolled under the semi's
wheels and shot out from
under them!
Right at my car!

Luckily, I'd sped up and
instead of taking the bucket
through the front windshield
or driver-side window,
it just nicked the body-work
behind the rear window,
above the gas cap.
It was a glancing blow
that only left a slight mark
on the car.


Undeterred, I drove on,
arriving at my second Harley
shop a few minutes later a
little after 9:30am.
Unfortunately, it didn't open
until 10:00am so I had to wait.

Second poker-chip of the day
acquired I drove on towards
Indianapolis.


I'd gotten some poker-chips
in Indianapolis the previous year
(you can read about that one here)
but had missed one.

The first time I'd been to Indy,
I'd gone to The race. I went with
a friend and we decided to try
Cheeseburger in Paradise afterwards
for dinner.
By sheer fluke, it just so happened
that when I looked it up...
it was right next door to my hotel.
My room looked out onto it!

Last year, when I went to get a
poker-chip, my GPS took me to...
Cheeseburger in Paradise.
No Harley shop in sight.


And I forgot about it.


So this year, when I followed
my trusty GPS to Southside Harley...

I wound up at...
Cheeseburger in Paradise.
Again!


The chain is defunct now
and the restaurant sat abandoned.

I was almost glad.

The burgers weren't very good, either.


I was running late for my next stop
so didn't waste too much time moping.

I arrived at Rick's Café Boatyard
about ten minutes late.
Glenda (@thumper* ) and
Rebecca (@Self_resqing_princz )
were already there waiting.

I'm really sorry to have kept
both you ladies waiting.

We were led to our table
and... like what happens
with so many DISmeets...
We all started chatting
like we'd been friends
for years.
And, I suppose in a way,
we were.
Friends we have yet to meet.


We ordered I food and I had
a raspberry sweet tea,
which actually tasted like Canadian
iced tea, so that's a plus.
I also had the seafood chowder,
that, despite the potatoes being
just slightly undercooked,
was excellent.
At Glenda's suggestion,
I ordered a teriyaki chicken
with tomato rice.
I'm glad I took her advice
as it was very good!

We were all happily chatting
and eating away when all of a
sudden, Glenda or Rebecca blurted
out "You haven't taken a photo
of your food for the TR!"

Dang it!

So... this is all you get:

(There was a crooked man, who had a crooked fork, so took a crooked photo...)

I'm very sorry for the
trip reporting fail.
Glenda documented
my apologetic pout.

At one point, they asked me
if I'd stopped at Southside Harley.
I told them that Southside Harley,
as far as Betty, my GPS knew,
was actually a closed up
Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant.
They told me that it's across the street.

I foresee a third attempt at this elusive
poker-chip some time in my future.


After chatting for about two hours,
I had to take my leave.
I had another DISmeet lined
up and a three and a half hour
drive to get there.

Ladies?
So very nice to have met you both!
I very much enjoyed spending
some time with both of you
and hope to see you again
maybe sometime in the future.

Three and a half hours later
found me mired in Chicago
rush hour traffic.
I finally arrived at my destination
one hour late.

This isn't my first time
experiencing Chicago traffic.
But you'd think by now,
I'd factor it in.

I eventually arrived at
Nebo and Smidgy's house.
As some of you may know,
Nebo has had some serious
health issues over the past
little while.
I'm happy to report that
while his eyesight is poor,
his sense of humour is sharp.

As always, we got along famously.
I'm not sure, but I think Smidgy
bought some Coke just for me.
I didn't even say anything and
the first thing I knew, I was being
handed a glass.
They know me.

We chatted for a while and then talked
about where to go for dinner.
Smidgy suggested a good pizza place
and who am I to say no to that!


Years ago, when Nebo was writing,
he wrote TRs that always began
and ended in their trusty Hyundai Santa Fe.
One story told of a blinding rainstorm
that they drove through.

I made this for Nebo and he used
it for his Avatar here on the DIS.

I was actually pretty excited to
pile into that very vehicle
as we drove off to the restaurant.

We ordered a 'Za and some breaded
mushrooms for an appetizer.

After what seemed like a long wait,
we asked the server if it would be
much longer.
The server admitted that he forgot
to put in our order.
Pretty understandable since the
restaurant was almost empty.



We did eventually get our food,
it wasn't really that long at all.
Either that or we were so busy
yapping that we didn't really
notice the time going by.

Here's our favourite duo.
(Don't mind the Frankenstein
head over Smidgy's head.
I guess they decorated early
for Halloween.)

And the prerequisite
food porn photo.
(I learned my lesson
from earlier in the day.)

The mushrooms were tasty
and the pizza was quite good.
And if you're wondering why
we didn't get a Chicago deep dish...
It's because I've already done that
a few times.
"Normal" pizza was just fine by me.


I'm a little fuzzy about something, though...
After the meal, they remembered
how much I'd liked the pizza puff
I'd had the previous year.
They insisted on driving over
and getting me one for the road.

And I have no recollection of
eating it.
I don't know if I left it behind,
or left it in the hotel or what.
I may have eaten it...
but I think I would've remembered?




Once again, time marched on
and it was time to leave.
It was getting on to 8:00pm
and I still had two more hours
to go to the hotel.

And I had one last surprise gift.
Diane had gone to the trouble
of baking me some chocolate
chip cookies!
She's such a thoughtful person.

As I drove off in the night,
I came upon the first of
three toll booths that I
needed to stop and pay.
A thought occurred.
Being a toll booth attendant
must be a lonely job?
I mean... sure you "meet"
people all day long, but...
you don't really interact
other than to say
"Have a nice day", right?

I rolled up to the first booth
and handed the attendant
the requisite cash.
"Would you like a cookie?" I asked.
The attendant laughed and said
he was trying to diet.
But he thanked me anyway.
The second attendant also
laughed, but accepted the offer.
She seemed pretty pleased
with her prize.
The third attendant declined,
but thanked me for the offer.


The hotel that night wasn't
on my top ten list.
The carpet hadn't been vacuumed
and there was no soap or shampoo.
But considering that there were no
roaches or lightning quick spiders,
I considered it an improvement.

I woke up once in the night
(or morning)
when my watch alarm went
off at 3:00am.
First time that's ever happened.
I must've somehow bumped it
and activated it.
I was less than impressed.
Thankfully I fell back asleep
and slept in til 8:00am.
A refreshing change from
my last few days.


I drove the last eleven hours
without incident or relatable
event.
There's just not that much
to see in that neck of the woods.
Heck, not even woods.
Even the border crossing
was uneventful.
"Oh, it's you again.
Go poop, for crying out loud."




After driving over 5,250 miles
(over 8,450kms), having several
wonderful DISmeets and
a few adventures along the way,
I arrived back home.


When do I get to leave again??


Maps for this update:

Poker-chips collected on this trip:

The glass sculpture that
my mom gave me that
@Tracy161 wanted to see:

In case you didn't see it:

Did you see it in this chapter?

Coming up... First day of...
My road trip west to the
Northwest Mouse Meet!
Day 1... Trip almost ends the first day.

Chapter 12. Is This Kansas?​

 

[Pluto0809]

Since they both lived nearby,
it made sense to meet them both.

And then as soon as I meet Doc, he goes and moves to Orlando!

He freaking brought me
Zebra Domes!!!

This was just so awesome! I have yet to try them but I'm a little hesitant to do so. I'm really not a fan of white chocolate.

Ariana is just about the sweetest
gal you're likely to meet.

Awww, I'm blushing.

We played three games.
I won the first game...
and I won the second game...
And Doc had been eliminated
in the third and I had the
advantage when the food arrived.

And you would have won the third game too. I suck at pool.

Ariana's plate has all the corn
left on it.
This is because she is a bad girl.

And everyone I've talked to
about her agrees with me.

Corn is only acceptable to me if it's on the cob. You know, that weird pickiness thing I have going!

Doc and Ariana,
it was really great
meeting you guys.
I hope we can again.
I'm sure we will!

It definitely was a wonderful night! We will meet again in May for sure!

All of a sudden, my brain
was telling my eyes
(or vice versa)
that the highway that
I was driving along at
around sixty miles an hour,
was tilted forty-five degrees
on its side.

Yikes, that sounds so scary!

I accelerated and...
Sure enough, the pail
rolled under the semi's
wheels and shot out from
under them!
Right at my car!

Man, you have all the bad luck with things jumping out at your car!

We were all happily chatting
and eating away when all of a
sudden, Glenda or Rebecca blurted
out "You haven't taken a photo
of your food for the TR!"

I'm happy to report that
while his eyesight is poor,
his sense of humour is sharp.

I really loved reading his TRs. They were always so entertaining.

The server admitted that he forgot
to put in our order.
Pretty understandable since the
restaurant was almost empty.

You had one job....

But considering that there were no
roaches or lightning quick spiders,
I considered it an improvement.

I'll take a slightly dirty carpet over spiders and roaches any day!

Poker-chips collected on this trip:

Wow! That is quite a haul! Do you have a specific way you display them all? I'm picturing a bunch of the framed together and hanging on a wall for some reason.

In case you didn't see it:

I finally did find that one but it took me about 10 times through the photos. I think it was just my old eyes.

Did you see it in this chapter?

Yep! But surprisingly not till the second time through. Guess I was concentrating too much on reading the text the first time around.

 

[docsoliday1]

Paradise Lost

After I swam with the fish
and didn't wind up swimming
with the fishes,
I made a quick couple of stops
at some Harley shops,
then made my way to
Mazzy's Sports Bar & Grill.

I had originally planned
on dining elsewhere that evening,
but I was informed by Doc
(@docsoliday1 ) that the best
pot roast around was to be found
at Mazzy's.
He also told me they had pool tables.

Well... twist my arm...
Good food and a chance to relax
and shoot some pool?


Heck yeah!

In a pool, shoot some pool. Make up your mind!

While I was conversing with Doc,
Ariana (@Pluto0809 ) was also
trying to set up a meet.
Since they both lived nearby,
it made sense to meet them both.

The cool thing is it was a double Dismeet for me also. Although Ariana lived only minutes from me, we hadn't been able to sync up prior to that. I think she had her reservations about me. Rightly so, but usually it's AFTER people meet me I have problems.

I know I arrived about 4:15pm,
but don't recall if that was the
assigned meet time or not.
I don't remember for sure,
but since I didn't note if I was late,
I'm gonna go out on a limb
and say I wasn't.
I walked in and Doc was
already there.

No no no, get off that limb.
Actually, I can't remember if we said 4 or 4:15, but since I like to shoot pool (although I couldn't prove it that day), I got there early.

We exchanged hugs.
Manly hugs, of course.
Like... really macho.


Seriously macho.

Like chewing nails and spitting them out macho.

Right away, we hit it off.
I won't go into details,
but there are certain aspects
of both our lives that we have
in common. Almost eerily so.

It was very... comforting
to find a kindred spirit.

Normally I'd try some witty (or in my case half witty) response here, but it was a great visit from the get go. I already felt like I knew you well enough from your TRs, but was really glad to get the in person opportunity.

Doc went above and beyond in making
me feel welcome.
He had brought a few gifts and
even colour coordinated the gift bag
in Marvin the Martian colours.

Inside were very thoughtful keepsakes.
A fridge magnet, an Ariel pin (Hello!),
and a little tin of mints and playing cards
as Georgia souvenirs.

Thanks Doc... very nice of you
and much appreciated!

I felt it only fitting for someone going out of their way to meet up with me and fitting me into their p0ker ch1p collecting agenda. Seriously, I appreciated the opportunity to meet up with you. Just wish it could have been longer, but I knew you had a long drive ahead of you.

But that's not all!
Doc had just recently come
back from WDW.

And... well...

He freaking brought me
Zebra Domes!!!


ZEEEEBRRAAAA DOOOOOMMMMEEESSSS people!!!!

I know I already told you sorry for their appearance, but I had transported back to GA and then put in freezer. I was more concerned with preserving their taste so the looks suffered a bit.

Oh. My. Gawd.

Folks?
You really don't have to bring
me gifts when we meet.
Whether it's the first time,
or the ninth.
(I expect an anniversary gift
for our 10th meeting though.
I believe that would be tin
or aluminum.)

And you certainly don't have
to bring gifts for you to
be my friend.


BUT ZEBRA DOMES SURE HELPS!

There's a big difference in thinking it's expected vs. WANTING to treat a friend. Again, with our interactions on the Dis, I already considered you as a friend and wanted to show you Southern hospitality.
Let's not forget...you brought gifts to us ALSO!!!! I wasn't a big fan of the ketchup chips. They weren't horrible, but not fantastic either. Some of that chocolate, though. Wow!

We chatted for a bit
and then Ariana arrived
about half an hour after
I did and the party really
started!


Ariana is just about the sweetest
gal you're likely to meet.

I'm glad I finally got to meet her. I just was a tad disappointed she waited until after the football game was over when we were literally surrounded by TVs.

I can't speak for her,
but I know that I was
immediately delighted
to meet her.

You can't speak for me either, but essentially you just did...agreed and ditto.

Honour!
(Well... okay.
I played for honour,
they played for honor.)

I sir, played for embarrassment. I'm actually a good player, but that day...not at all. Y'all whupped me. That's Southern for whipped in case you were wondering.

like vultures on our carrion.
(No... not the bags we bring on planes.)

Glad it didn't taste like either version of carrion.

... Doc was right.
The pot roast was
really good.

Wait, could you repeat that???

We had just finished up
when the bad thing happened...

The server brought the bill.

What our illustrious TR writer is also failing to tell you, his dear readers, it he quickly snatched up said bill and refused to let us pay. As with the gifts, that was truly unnecessary, but thank you again PK.

The server apologized and
tried to lessen the blow
by way of taking our photo.

Sad thing is, we'd been there long enough (or just the correct time) so the bozo taking our picture wasn't actually our server. Our server (She was pretty good) had left. He on the other hand seemed more worried about getting a certain sign in the background behind us than the picture of us. That's why I have the look on my face...I was thinking really??? We want a picture of us, not the stupid sign.

At least there's two good looking people in that photo. Was expecting you to photoshop me out so as not to scare your readers.

Around 7:00pm, I had to
take my leave.
It had already been a long
day fraught with dangerous
creatures... and that was
just at the hotel!
I still had a four-hour drive
ahead of me and the
road was calling.

Funny thing...it wasn't until you mentioned them in your TR that I knew about your hotel "experience" and creatures from the black lagoon (actually I think Mark said the pool was green)

I don't know how it got my number.

Oops sorry. Didn't realize you didn't want me to give it out.

Doc and Ariana,
it was really great
meeting you guys.
I hope we can again.
I'm sure we will!

It was fantastic meeting you both as well. Give me a shout any time you're in Orlando.

The drive up to Bowling Green
(where I had elected to overnight)
wasn't an easy one.
I was already tired,
having only gotten about five
hours of sleep the previous night

Glad I called it quits when I did. I knew you had a long drive in front of you, but I hadn't known about your ordeal the previous night. As much as I wanted to keep visiting, I wanted to let you get on your way. Still kicking myself that I forgot to take you for ice cream first. It was literally 5 minutes down the road.

The next morning came too early.
Someone really needs to look
into this.
We need a way to push back
early mornings to a more
respectable afternoon.

Pretty sure all mornings come too early. Wish someone would fix that.


I'm going to stop here. Have to go into work tomorrow and it's past my bed time. I wanted to do this from a real computer though. Too hard to multiquote on a phone and too much too type on that stupid keyboard that insists on "correcting" my correct words and leaving my typos alone.

Wow...p0ker ch1p is a banned word now??? Tried to post and it wouldn't let me because of those words.

 

[docsoliday1]

And then as soon as I meet Doc, he goes and moves to Orlando!

But!!!!

Any time you come down, I can hop over (well if work doesn't get in the way).

This was just so awesome! I have yet to try them but I'm a little hesitant to do so. I'm really not a fan of white chocolate.

You don't taste the white chocolate as much as the regular chocolate and the filling. I love white chocolate and if it had more white chocolate taste, I'd like 'em more.

Awww, I'm blushing.

So, the truth makes you blush?

Okay...you live in GA.

You like to run.

You are a pluto nut.

You like color coordinating your outfits and bags.

You don't like corn off the cob.

The blushometer should be pegged now!

I finally did find that one but it took me about 10 times through the photos. I think it was just my old eyes.



Yep! But surprisingly not till the second time through. Guess I was concentrating too much on reading the text the first time around.

I noticed right away, but couldn't see on previous one on my phone. I tried zooming into that photo because I thought the color of the text looked different, but couldn't see on phone.