Canadian Buffoon's DISmeet vacation - 09/14 - Bowled Over

[pkondz]

Beautiful! I hope she had fun.

Thank you! And...

She did!

 

[pkondz]

Which is certainly better then dropping it off a cliff on The 101.
Not as entertaining - to be sure - but monetarily more prudent.

Hey! That's me you're talking about....



oh.

Not a hypercar fan, myself.
You can have ‘em.

Now, were we looking at some low-slung roadsters from somewhere between say 1935 through about 1965, then I’d likely have more of an opinion

So... what would you pick then?

(Surprisingly, there aren’t any readily available GIFs from one of those encounters)

Wow! Does that bring back memories!

So…
Did you take the McLaurin or the Lambo

Nissan.

Close...
Very close.

Very appropriate!
You know she's learning
to be a pilot, right?

City Slickers attempting to use country directions?
This is not going to be pretty…

Who you calling a city slicker?
Despite that incident with the wife's
country uncle.... You haven't heard that?


We went out to visit her aunt and uncle
out in the country.
We got out of the car and I noticed
something odd about the cattle.
So I asked her uncle why the cows
didn't have horns.
He was very patient and explained.
"Well, some cattle are born without horns,
some cattle are de-horned.
Some cattle lose their horns.
But the reasons those cattle don't
have horns is because they're horses."

A murky and tenuous thing?

Yep.

Otherwise you’d be posting this on a slightly different verity of web-site

(one of which I’ve never seen – mind you – but have heard tell of)

So, did you remember to card them before serving the drinks?
Some municipalities are rather picky about that little detail.

Nope. I was just the hired help.
I left the legalities up to the hostess.

Friends, Romans, fellow Dis-ers;
I’ve come to drink Creaser, not to praise him.
The evil that these drinks do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their celery sticks;
So let it be with Caesar.

<slow clap>

Probably more due to the wariness over the presenter of the gift in question rather than the gift itself.

Yeah, I kinda assumed that.
But she was too polite to say.

Ahhhh, not a big fan of tomato juice
Pretty sure clamato juice shan’t be much of an improvement.

Hmm... then you may not
like this.

But then again you may.
It's different enough.
(But similar enough too.)

You’re still “It”!

Don’t y’all know how this game is played?

I’ll bet you think we’re under the al-fluence of inc-ohol …

I wonder who first coined that?

Said our parents…

And their parents…

And their parents before them…

And…

And our kids will...

And their kids after them...

And...

Or as some Brits might refer to it…
The Loo.


(hey, you’re the one that wrote it that way)

A few caught that.

A variation of a Low Country Boil.

Just spread out on a California table.

And that's exactly what it was called.

Here, it’s generally done outdoors and spread out on a board resting across a couple of saw horses.
The real benefit of that method is that once the kicking, stabbing and mallet cracking commences, the action can naturally devolve into a full on tag-team mud wrestling bout just as nature intended it to.

And everyone wants to see that, right?

Sweet. I'm in.

Wait... who am I wrestling?

Assuming that one of them hadn’t just purposely insulted his closest allies beforehand.

100% no comment!

Sheesh!

Probably ought to try the mud wrestling aspect of it before making a final decision.
Could be worth the scars.

Like I said... what's she look like?

Oh, is that what you call it?
An extravaganza?

So…
The Bloody Saturday Extravaganza
The Watts Extravaganza
The Stonewall Extravaganza

I get it.
Live and learn.

See? Educational TR here.

Well, I’ll be…
We actually have one of those critters near where I live.
And here I though Cali was so much more sophisticated.

(oh, and the bill-of-fare is quite good at that one too).

I only found out after I posted
that others have them too.
Had no idea.

But what about the snakes?
You didn’t step on Reggie did you?

Nah. Me and Reggie are buds.

Cheese fondue has become a Christmas Eve tradition at our house.

Really! I like that!

Yep, the Veggies are particularly good (not that my son would know).

For a real mind bender, dip a piece of a good hard cheese into the melted cheese

Mind. Blown.

Oh dear, not again…
We just can’t take y’all anywhere, can we?

Nope.

But everyone knew that already.

Good thing you were in a restaurant rather than a theater.
Otherwise we might have been dealing with a serious moral dilemma.

Sorry, didn't get this one?

Oh, you mean an actual scullery type bus boy.
Never mind, carry on…

And... at work, so can't see the video.

So long as it’s an interesting shade of paint.
Then, I suppose it might be doable.

Umber.

Somewhat like attending an NHRA event.
Except, entry to the pit area is generally included there.
Watching a crew completely tear down and rebuild an eight-liter supercharged V8 in between heats can be quite entertaining. Kind’a like watching a precision hurricane; arms, bodies, tools, parts, all flailing about frenetically in every direction.

Pit entry is another ticket.
I've done it and.... it's boring.
They only let you on it after
all the cars are gone.

Similar to what that mud wrestling scenario could be…
(but with less precision in that case)

I dunno. Some of those shots
to the nether region can be
pretty precise.

That’s a cool story.
I love when folks are able (as well as willing) to go out of their way to make someone else’s day.

Me too!

Like having “The Yellow Jersey”.
Or painting a target on your back…

same concept.

Yep.
Except.... it's well nigh
impossible to repeat.

At least it was a shirt cannon and not a Hot Dog Cannon or someone might have really gotten hurt.
https://www.today.com/food/woman-hit-face-hot-dog-cannon-phillie-phanatic-t131547

I hope she at least got a free
hot dog out of it!

#worth_it.

All of us I assume, but you know what they say about assuming…

It makes an *** out of you?

I’d likely have gone ahead and bored everyone (being vindictive as I am).

Bore away!


That sounds like some kind of
plumber's joke.
Or a miner.

That…
Is a really cool, idea.
Good job on the city’s part, there.

I know, right??

You’re alter ego: once at least.
You’re business logo: not this time.
(but the resolution on my monitor is a mite suspect)

Just the one.

 

[pkondz]

Congratulations! She looks beautiful!

Thank you! And yes she does!

 

[pkondz]

Ok, so this has nothing whatsoever to do with your TR. But....when seeing a Calvin & Hobbes comic strip, I just have to share my favorite.

View attachment 333420

Kim

Love that.
And... I feel that way at work
some times.

 

[juniorbugman]

So I had a reply all ready to go and lost it in the cyber world so I will just post part of it again without quoting.
You want a McClaren car - here is one here. Just google lego mcclaren and pages will load about how it was built.
Quite a feat of work.

 

[pkondz]

So I had a reply all ready to go and lost it in the cyber world so I will just post part of it again without quoting.
You want a McClaren car - here is one here. Just google lego mcclaren and pages will load about how it was built.
Quite a feat of work.View attachment 333600

But how will it do in a
Canadian winter???

 

[docsoliday1]

But how will it do in a
Canadian winter???

It will freeze like everything and everyone else.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Hey! That's me you're talking about....

Naaa…
I’d have expected you to jump off the bike first…

This is an Action-Adventure TR after all.

So... what would you pick then?

Tell ya’ what…
I’ll discuss that one in a separate post
(so that it will be easier for everyone else to ignore it)

Wow! Does that bring back memories!

It also fairly well locks us into a specific age bracket…

But I can live with that.

Nissan.

Close...
Very close.

Got’s me four of them bad boys.
Very nearly as hot as a hyper-car, all of ‘em.
(especially the mini-van )

Very appropriate!
You know she's learning
to be a pilot, right?

There are very few instances in life
where an apropos WB/Loony Toons image cannot be found.

We went out to visit her aunt and uncle
out in the country.
We got out of the car and I noticed
something odd about the cattle.
So I asked her uncle why the cows
didn't have horns.
He was very patient and explained.
"Well, some cattle are born without horns,
some cattle are de-horned.
Some cattle lose their horns.
But the reasons those cattle don't
have horns is because they're horses."

Case and point…

Love the story, though.

<slow clap>

Hay, Shakespeare did the writing.
I’m just old enough to remember a line or two.

Hmm... then you may not
like this.

But then again you may.
It's different enough.
(But similar enough too.)

Hard to say…
There is a particular flavor note that is resident in both raw tomatoes and tomato juice that I absolutely dislike (to put it mildly). Interestingly though, as soon as you apply either a bit of heat or an amount of acid, it completely disappears and then tomatoes are among the most luscious parts of any dish. Never tried Clamato (as it doesn’t sound very appetizing, if I’m honest), but I suspect that the brine might knock out that flavor profile that I find so repulsive. As such, it might need to be tried at some point. Don’t know; will have to think on that one.

I wonder who first coined that?

I’m sure it’s older then both me and dirt combined (which would be right old indeed), but…
the first “character” I specifically remember uttering it was actually “Lamont Sanford”
(odd, I know, but believe it or not…)

Sweet. I'm in.

Wait... who am I wrestling?

Depends on who you invite to dinner, now don’t it?

Really! I like that!

Fondue and “A Christmas Story” on the blue-ray set to repeat.
Add in some good “drinks” and you’ve got one very fine Crim’ma Eve.

Oh, then Coffee and Orange Rolls for Breakfast the next morning while we’re plunging into the cornucopia quivering with desire and the ecstasy of unbridled avarice.

Sorry, didn't get this one?

Not surprised.
It was a rather poor riff on the notion of yelling “fire” in a crowded movie house.

See…
Told ya’ that Shakespeare was a better writer then I am.

And... at work, so can't see the video.

No big loss either.
There was a minor band back in the 80s called “The Bus Boys”
They performed one of their better tunes in a scene from the film “48 Hours” and that’s all that is.

(Again, probably not my single best reference)

It makes an *** out of you?

There is no shortage of folks who have described me in this manner.

I hope she at least got a free
hot dog out of it!

#worth_it.

Apparently the team and the “Fanatic” personally reached out to her almost immediately.
I’d say she’s a really good sport and a rather tolerant person, as she didn’t even bother to sue them.

Bore away!


That sounds like some kind of
plumber's joke.
Or a miner.

I might be beneath you…
But NOTHING is beneath me!

(as my next post will illustrate)

 

[pkondz]

It will freeze like everything and everyone else.

But when you tap it and
it shatters (like everything else)
will it break into shards
or perfect Lego blocks?

 

[pkondz]

Naaa…
I’d have expected you to jump off the bike first…

This is an Action-Adventure TR after all.

Nope. Not jumping off.
Either my parachute
or pop up hang glider
will come into play.

Tell ya’ what…
I’ll discuss that one in a separate post
(so that it will be easier for everyone else to ignore it)

Standing by.

It also fairly well locks us into a specific age bracket…

But I can live with that.

Got’s me four of them bad boys.
Very nearly as hot as a hyper-car, all of ‘em.
(especially the mini-van )

Four!
Then again...
Until recently we had
three Hondas, so...
(oldest DD took one)

There are very few instances in life
where an apropos WB/Loony Toons image cannot be found.

Truth.

Case and point…

Love the story, though.

Thanks.
Remember that one.
Majestic steed.

Hay, Shakespeare did the writing.
I’m just old enough to remember a line or two.

I'm old enough to have
forgotten them all!

Hard to say…
There is a particular flavor note that is resident in both raw tomatoes and tomato juice that I absolutely dislike (to put it mildly). Interestingly though, as soon as you apply either a bit of heat or an amount of acid, it completely disappears and then tomatoes are among the most luscious parts of any dish. Never tried Clamato (as it doesn’t sound very appetizing, if I’m honest), but I suspect that the brine might knock out that flavor profile that I find so repulsive. As such, it might need to be tried at some point. Don’t know; will have to think on that one.

It might be okay.
It does taste like tomato juice...
and it doesn't.
What it does not taste like
is fishy or like clams.

I’m sure it’s older then both me and dirt combined (which would be right old indeed), but…
the first “character” I specifically remember uttering it was actually “Lamont Sanford”
(odd, I know, but believe it or not…)

Then I probably saw that episode.
Now that song is in my head.

Depends on who you invite to dinner, now don’t it?

Fondue and “A Christmas Story” on the blue-ray set to repeat.
Add in some good “drinks” and you’ve got one very fine Crim’ma Eve.

Perfect evening!

Oh, then Coffee and Orange Rolls for Breakfast the next morning while we’re plunging into the cornucopia quivering with desire and the ecstasy of unbridled avarice.

But what are orange rolls?

Not surprised.
It was a rather poor riff on the notion of yelling “fire” in a crowded movie house.

See…
Told ya’ that Shakespeare was a better writer then I am.

Ah! Gotcha.

No big loss either.
There was a minor band back in the 80s called “The Bus Boys”
They performed one of their better tunes in a scene from the film “48 Hours” and that’s all that is.

(Again, probably not my single best reference)

I think I saw 48 hours once....
And maybe not all of it.

There is no shortage of folks who have described me in this manner.

Yuss! I'm in the club!

Apparently the team and the “Fanatic” personally reached out to her almost immediately.
I’d say she’s a really good sport and a rather tolerant person, as she didn’t even bother to sue them.

Saw that.
They should give her free
hot dogs for life.
Why not?

I might be beneath you…
But NOTHING is beneath me!

(as my next post will illustrate)

Standing by.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

So... what would you pick then?

Well you asked…


But no one else need be assaulted by my thoughts on this.
So I’ll make it easy to ignore.

Spoiler: I said: IGNORE this you fools!!!

Like I said, not a big fan of mid-engine “Hyper-cars” or “supper –Cars” either.
I see the appeal; they are designed specifically for the nine-year-old in all of us.

But I like ‘em a bit older and drawn with a different eye…
Like say, the eye that drew the line on this 1939 Mercedes 450-K



Front engined, bob tailed, slung low and rather more sinuous…



Like that Allard J2


They don’t have to be European, specifically.
Either a 1936 Auburn 851, or a 1938 Cord 812 would fit the bill…





(oh, and strangely enough, the Cord was front wheel drive which was odd for 1938)


Granted, those are both a bit larger and heavier (insert favorite American weight joke here).
English roadsters are more lightly built and agile, and so more suited to narrow roads and hilly terrain. Something like a 51-ish MG TD fits that bill…




Of course, the Germans were capable of building similar little road burners…


Things like that 1938 BMW 328 come to mind.

But it would be hard to beat a truly classy Jag for elegant lines, quick response and the ability to just carry you away...


That 57 Jaguar XK-140 will do just nicely.

Of course, the same builders came up with one of the most iconic of roadsters in the mid-60s…



But good as those are (and they are very good)...
when looking at more modern design ques I’m still drawn to slightly older body lines.
Case in point…



The 55 Mercedes-Benz SL -190.

But I’ve completely ignored the Italians up to now (which is actually not true as many of those other bodies were designed by Italians), but there is reason for this. Enzo Ferrari himself said that aerodynamics if only for those that don’t know how to build engines. As such, he stuck to the lines of racers and rarely delved into touring cars. But even Ferrari would bend his rules from time to time and reluctantly give us something like this…


The Ferrari 250 "California"

If I had to, I could settle for one of those (without the vanity-tag that read: “NRVOUS”, of course).

But...
given unlimited funds I’d more likely be going after either the 450-K or the XK-140.










And now…
For something even more unnecessary.
It occurs to me that I forgot to reply back to your commentary on my first post.
Think I’ll let that go for now, but you did ask me a question at one point.
(so this is your fault as well, but at least it’s also hidden away for the protection of the masses)

It was, without a doubt,
awesome to visit it.

But, what is unique about it?

There are five retired carriers that are open to the public...
Yorktown (CV-10)
Intrepid (CV-11)
Hornet (CV-12)
Lexington (CV-16)
Midway (CVB-41)


Of those, the first four are sisters. They’re all Essex class “short-hull” carriers laid down prior to 1943, all are WW-II veterans and all underwent similar conversions and modernizations over time. Meaning that while the exhibits on board will vary somewhat (and that’s a good enough reason for me to want to see them all), the ships themselves will be nearly identical in layout and general character.

Now, the Midway is a different animal. Not commissioned until a couple weeks after the war ended, it was a departure from the standard design of the others and foreshadowed the “supper Carriers” that were to become the current US standard. It is the first US ship ever built that cannot transit the Panama Canal. It’s just too wide. The ships of that group were so much larger than their predecessors in fact that the Navy decided at first to create a new hull classification for them (that’s the “CVB” bit of her hull Number in parenthesis up there in the list. Having served longer (at 47 years) and more consistently in front line roles then the older ship, the Midway’s final configuration and general layout are also closer to that of the more modern fleet carries (of which there are only two left that could be preserved, and It’s doubtful they will be).

I warned you...

 

[pkondz]

But no one else need be assaulted by my thoughts on this.
So I’ll make it easy to ignore.

Of all those... dang,
you have good car tasted...
Anyways, I really like
the Ferrari.
After that?
Hard to pick, but maybe
the Jag?



As for the carriers,
I was aware that the
Midway was post WWII.
Having said that...

I'd love to see a carrier
that actually fought in
the battle of midway.

 

[pkondz]

Sorry gang,
I'm trying to get an
update up for you guys.
Been.... a little busy.
Since May 18th,
I've worked 41 shifts
in the last 43 days.
By the time vacation
arrives (please Lord,
let me make it that far)
it will be 50 shifts in 53 days.


But I'm trying. Honest I am.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

I'd love to see a carrier
that actually fought in
the battle of midway.

Well...
That will be a bit of a problem.

Of the three US carriers at Midway (all sisters by the way)
Yorktown (CV-5) was lost there (but so were all 4 IJN carriers on site so it levels out a mite).
And Hornet (CV-8) was lost later that year in the Solomon Islands (specifically the battle of Santa Cruz).

Now, both of those ship were replaced by new carries that were already under construction but had their names changed prior to launching (CV-10 Bon Homme Richard became Yorktown and CV-12 Kearsarge became Hornet). Both of those ships served throughout the rest of the conflict, survived and are both open to the public today (one in Charleston, SC and the other in Corpus Christi, TX)

The third sister: Enterprise (CV-6), survived the war but couldn’t survive Congress, and was scrapped in 1958. Oddly though there is a small piece of Enterprise left sitting in a small park by some little league ball fields in River Vale, New Jersey...

That name plate sitting over to the right in the image was cut from the ship’s stern during the scrapping process and is all that remains of the most decorated ship in US Navy history. So that’s as close as you’ll get to an actual Midway survivor.



I told you I was vindictive enough to bore everyone senseless.
That’ll learn ya’ not to be asking me questions
(or worse, offering me opportunities to pipe up – it’s just not good for anyone).

 

[pkondz]

Well...
That will be a bit of a problem.

Of the three US carriers at Midway (all sisters by the way)
Yorktown (CV-5) was lost there (but so were all 4 IJN carriers on site so it levels out a mite).
And Hornet (CV-8) was lost later that year in the Solomon Islands (specifically the battle of Santa Cruz).

Now, both of those ship were replaced by new carries that were already under construction but had their names changed prior to launching (CV-10 Bon Homme Richard became Yorktown and CV-12 Kearsarge became Hornet). Both of those ships served throughout the rest of the conflict, survived and are both open to the public today (one in Charleston, SC and the other in Corpus Christi, TX)

The third sister: Enterprise (CV-6), survived the war but couldn’t survive Congress, and was scrapped in 1958. Oddly though there is a small piece of Enterprise left sitting in a small park by some little league ball fields in River Vale, New Jersey...

That name plate sitting over to the right in the image was cut from the ship’s stern during the scrapping process and is all that remains of the most decorated ship in US Navy history. So that’s as close as you’ll get to an actual Midway survivor.



I told you I was vindictive enough to bore everyone senseless.
That’ll learn ya’ not to be asking me questions
(or worse, offering me opportunities to pipe up – it’s just not good for anyone).

Well... crap.
I saw the names and got
all excited.

Tragic.

 

[franandaj]

I'm just looking for the next chapter.

 

[pkondz]

I'm just looking for the next chapter.

Working on it Alison. Almost done.
Hopefully by tonight.
But... dang, I've been busy.

 

[pkondz]

Sashay Is Better Than Saunter

Now that race weekend
is officially in the books,
there's absolutely nothing
left to do in Los Angeles.
Zip. Nada. Nil.


Oh, wait... there's this one thing:

Some sort of...
theme park.


I was traveling solo,
but I wasn't touring solo.
I was meeting Alison, Liesa
and Kari again.
I had to get a park ticket
and so did Liesa, so we met up there
at (of course) rope drop.

But by the time we got our tickets,
the rope had been dropped
and there was a fairly sizeable line
to get in.


People should automatically
move aside when I approach.
It's just something that needs
to happen.
Don't you agree??


Kari had her tickets already
so we were going to meet her
inside the park... somewhere.
I don't remember now.
Pretty sure it was Main Street-ish.

While Liesa and I were standing in line,
I kept looking at all the paving stones...

And I couldn't figure out what I was looking at!
I mean... okay, I can see Snoozing Trollop's castle,
but what the heck is that other thing.

Now I will freely admit that I am not particularly
educated on all things Disneyland.
Why should I? I never expected to go
to Disneyland, so studying seemed...
pointless.

But I'm here now, and...
what is that???
I pointed it out to Liesa.
I mean, she used to work here.
So of course she would know
right away, right?

"The Matterhorn?"

She had no clue!
Okay, so I wasn't the only one.

"No, it doesn't have that bend
at the top." I replied.

Is it a ghost? Haunted Mansion related?
No, that doesn't make sense...

I took the above photo and resolved
to ask Alison later.
I consider her our local expert.

Later, when we were all together,
I showed her the photo...
And she didn't know either!

Kari saved the day.
She glanced over,
and immediately said:
"Grizzly Peak"

(thanks Google!)

Well, to be fair,
I still (after two visits!)
have yet to see this!

I need to look up more.

I don't know what
the others' excuses are.



Okay, back to the present.
Or at least the present
that is now in the past
but what I will presently
talk about...

uh...

Okay, there's me and Liesa.
Outside.
In line.


We looked at the ground,
then we looked up
and passed underneath this:

Honey! I'm home!


Well.... Disneyland doesn't feel
quite as "home" as Disneyworld...

But it is growing on me!

Right away, (at least this is how I feel)
you're transported into an idyllic
Everytown, circa 1950.
Where everybody knows your name
and they're always glad you came...

(Wait... that's Cheers.
Still... the sentiment applies.)

And no one has a care in the world.
(And then they charge you
twelve bucks for a Coke.)

Right away, my eye got caught
by a pretty floral display.
After a visit to the first aid
station, they pronounced my eye
saved and I set out once more.
This time I avoided having my eye
caught and just took a photo.

Liesa took a similar photo
(which I stole off her TR,
just for comparison.
Great minds think alike!
Or at least I got lucky
and thought like her.)

And the reason I posted that was because...

Ah, a true master at work.
What's she shooting?
Maybe I should take a pic too.

So I did.


Okay! Time to see the castle!
Time to explore!
Time to find Kari,
and let's get this party started!


"coffee."

What's that?

"coffee."

You want coffee, Liesa?

"coffee."

Well, we're in Disney and
we really should get...

"Coffee."

How about we find Kari and...

"Coffee."

... maybe get the jump on some rides...

"Coffee."

I'm sensing you want coffee, first?

"Coffee!"

Are you sure it can't wait, because...

"COFFEE!!!!"


So anyway, I thought we might
stop in case anyone wanted
a coffee or something.

We got in line at the glorified Starbucks
and while we were waiting, we spotted
Kari waiting off to the side.

We hadn't said we'd be stopping
in Starbucks, but apparently she
knows Liesa better than I do.

Once Liesa got her coffee on,
we headed out and sashayed
off to the castle.
Well, I sashayed.
I believe the others sauntered.

Now I really don't mind those
who saunter.
Like a virtuoso
doesn't mind listening
to a high school band.
You see the possibility
of advancement
and you wish them well.

A saunter is something that
almost anyone can do.
A true sashay takes years
of dedication and practice
and few master.

The tiny castle:

We arrived at the castle and
made a hard left into Adventureland.

I was simply going with the flow,
wherever the ladies led me,
I was sure to go.

And when Liesa pointed out
that there was a grand total
of two people in line for Dole whips...

Hello, my beauty.
I don't come here often.
Mind if I pick you up?

Since Liesa was smart enough
to point out that the next time
we came this way, the line
would be fairly formidable,
I let her have some of my float.

I know. I know.
I'm an amazingly generous
human being and probably
deserve saint-hood.

Just don't get any ideas.
This was a one-time offer.
Unless I'm touring with you
and you have a brilliant idea.


Then maybe.
But probably not.


Libations in hand, we headed
to the best ride in Disney.
Some of you may disagree.
You may think Guardians,
or Radiator Springs Racers
is better. Or perhaps you're an
old school Peter Pan or Pirates fan.

Well, you're wrong.
HM is the best ride.

I must admit, that while my
heart belongs to the MK version,
I do like the grounds at DL.
Nice variety and change
from what I'm more accustomed to.

Inside, it's fairly familiar.
Although there are some
very distinct differences.

Ahhh.... the best.


Afterwards... well, we could
have left after that,
but the ladies insisted
on going on the lesser rides
and seeing other attractions.

I know we did Pirates next...
and since it's far superior
to the MK version,
I put my camera away and
just enjoyed it.


For whatever reason,
possibly because none of us
had done it?
(I certainly hadn't.)
We decided to take a spin
on the Mark Twain.

I am particularly pleased
they named the riverboat
after an author who
brought that era to life
for generations of readers.

Mark Twain is, as you may know,
a pen name for Samuel Clemens.
He picked the name from
steamboat vernacular.
A crewman would lower a Marked
rope (marked in fathoms or six-foot intervals)
into the water and if the
water was deep or deeper than
the second mark, or Twain mark,
that meant it was deep enough
and safe enough for the ship.
The crewman would call out
"Mark Twain!"
The captain would know
they were safe.
And thus endeth the educational
component of this chapter.


I parted company with the ladies
and explored the ship.
It really is pretty.

I'm going to go out on a limb
and say that all these people
are Disney veterans.
Best seat in the house.

Continued Next Post​

 

[pkondz]

Continued From Previous Post​

I found the ladies on the top deck
and joined them there.

Having never done this before,
I was pleasantly surprised
at how much I enjoyed
sitting back and watching
the scenery glide by.

Another thing I've never done.
In either park.
Tom Sawyer Island.
Of course now that the paintbrush
is a thing of the past,
it should be a bit less crowded.

We all noticed that Splash
was up and running.
We resolved to do that next.
Kari was especially thrilled
since she'd been trying all
weekend to ride it
and it had been down.

At one point, through the trees,
I noticed the train making
its circuit.
I thought "Photo op!"
And took this photo.

Hmmm... Nope. Too many trees.
Try again...

Not quite.
Still too many trees.

Oooohhh... close!
And bonus! It's on the bridge!
Now! Now! Perfect shot coming up!

Liesa!!!!!

Well, ya gotta hand it to her,
she knows a good photo op
when she sees it too.

Mostly though, I just relaxed
and watched the world go by.
I did take one more photo.
I got a kick out of this:

Maybe a good thing that it isn't
visible from the train.
Although if that beaver keeps
going, they'll find out soon enough.

We arrived safely back at the dock
and disembarked.

You deplane,
but don't deboat.
You disembark.
Is this a throwback
to when ships were all
wood construction?
Or when dogs ruled
the seas?



Just a theory.


After our boat/ship/bark ride,
we headed over to Splash.
I was going to be a gentleman
and ride in the back
and let the ladies take the front
and get soaked.
I mean, that's where all the fun is, right?

But, alas, just as we had made
our way through the entire queue,
and were approaching the last corner...

They announced that the ride was down.
Again.
And as far as I know...
it stayed down for the rest of the day.

I was disappointed.
In two trips, I had yet
to ride that.

A reason to go back!


The ladies decided that it
was time to get their churro on.
And then I made a fatal error.
I'd had one in MK and hadn't
been impressed.
So I passed on it and left it
to them.

But I've since learned that the
DL versions are far superior.

Ah well... guess I'll just have to
go again and see?

And yet another reason to go back!


Despite pleas from Disney
to throw out their churro,
the ladies finished it anyway.

I find it odd that Disney
would encourage this.
Don't you?

Hmmm...
I guess what they're really
doing is encouraging you
to buy more.

Not long afterwards, Alison joined us.
Not entirely sure where we met, now.
But I do know we decided to take the train
from New Orleans Square and ride it
around to Main St.

I didn't want to go, since I'd seen what
the beavers had been up to,
but my male ego couldn't let the ladies
show me up.


I wonder how many men have died
over the centuries because
they were too proud (aka: stupid)
to just say "Nope!"


With great trepidation,
I boarded the train
and we set out.

The next two photos show something
that Alison pointed out to me.
For as long as there have been
trains at Disney...
they've always turned right.
When they expanded DL,
they had to make
the train go around it.
This marked the first time
that the train turned left.

I stopped taking photos
for a bit and just enjoyed the ride.
I took one more snap, though,
before we de-trained....

Fine. Disembarked...
at Main St.

(Actually... I did take
more photos.
At one point, the train
passes an indoor diorama.
I took photos... and none
turned out.
I'd need my better camera,
my fast lens and a high ISO.)

Arriving at Main St.
it was time to put the
feed bag on.
And we all had to
do what Liesa wanted,
whether we wanted to or not.


Okay... we all wanted to.
But it was her choice...
One that we all wanted, too.

We trooped to the Plaza
and we ordered two
dinners of fried chicken
and we split them between us.
It worked out quite well,
and no one left hungry.

Dang, that's some mighty
fine fried chicken!

Afterwards, with full tummies,
what better way to digest
than to go on a very herky jerky
Indiana Jones Adventure?

We bounced and jerked
and laughed and...

Surprisingly, nobody puked.

I'll call that a win.


And I'll also call that
a good place to leave off.
Because next, we left the park
and made the long voyage
to a completely different place...




In case you missed it:

Marvin looks a little
lost, don't you think?



Coming up: Part II.



And... did you see it?

Adventure Time​

 

[Steppesister]

You make me out to be a very hard-headed, opinionated person.

At least I'm right.