CSE-- Pg. 74 SATAN'S HAMMER, Ch.18, pg.160 "Goodnight Sweetheart" epilogue

[laura74]

I’m so behind. Two chapters behind!

50 bucks, plus t ax and "resort fee". Always love the resort fee, fees.
"Excuse me, what is the resort fee for?"

"Oh, use of the pool, wi-fi, continental breakfast, parking, things like that."
"Ok, I won't use the pool or the wi-fi, and I'll park across the street at the Hardee's,,,,"

HE didn't let me finish, "But you still have the continental breakfast."

"Your brochure" and I pulled it forward again in front of him, "says right here, Free Continental Breakfast". I had him
and I could'nt wait to watch him squirm now;

uh uh, not to be.

"It is free, it's included in the resort fee!"

I’m angry for you. That’s so smarmy.

"Is too!" she yelled at me.

"Is not" I cleverly replied.

Nyeh, Nyeh.

Now, you realize that it is going to be with extra self control employed not to gloat or give an "I told you so" comment, or even an " I told you so" look, and i didn't.

Good for you!

But not because of any great benevolence in my behavior, sorry to say.

Or not.

But before we left the lobby again this time, a woman came behind the counter and told us not to worry about he Mexicans, they have to get out at nine oclock so they won't keep us up late tonight making noise.

That sounds like a pretty un-PC statement, doesn’t it?

No, I am not one to have a beer at a rest area in the afternoon

People do that?

The pool area wasn't too bad if you don't mind being surrounded by concrete and parking lots.
And,,,,,

And 632 Mexican children next to us in the playground and sprinkler area all screaming in Spanish, whos parents are in the banquet hall.

And a Waffle House.

Dinner was Subway sandwiches I bought yesterday, a BMT for her, and the cold cut trio for yours truly, along with cottage cheese and CHEETOHS!

Don’t the sandwiches get all soggy?

Nebo likes Cheetohs,,, especially the crunchy ones.
I love eating them in bed at night on vacation when she is trying to sleep, it sounds like Godzilla stomping through a Japan where everybody is made out of fortune cookies.
And they all have that little slip of paper sticking out of their collars:
"Today is your lucky day, you are about to be stomped flat!"

LOL!

It was also not your usual vending machine, for this one actually dispensed ice cream, in different forms and shapes.
Well, I kept it company for a bit and bought a Heath Bar out of it.
No, I didn't want one at the time, but I thought if I didn't wait TOO long, it would be ok for a while in the cooler.

This thought pattern ranks right up there with, "It's Birmingham, how bad can rush hour be?"

This is Heath Bar ice cream that you put in the cooler? In July? In the south?

"Diane, what did you use to wash the windshield with?"

" I couldn't find the Windex, so I used vinegar and water,"she told me.

As I was peering through the streaks trying to find my lane I kind of lost it:

"What?"
"You used a salad dressing to wash the windows with?"
"What, were we out of Thousand Island?"

"Steve, any housecleaner will tell you that vinegar is the best thing to use for washing windows."

Sounds logical to me, Smidgy.

Dinner was the other half of the subs again, and then I remembered something.
Can anybody tell me what this is?

These things have got to be soggy by now! Maybe you should have busted out the cold cheeseburgers.

Final cost with tax, 43. 50, that's more like it! Now, let's go find our room.

Amazing deal!

I found our room, and it was just like they said, right across from the pool. Only one problem, it was right under a staircase.

Did you have to listen to people going up and down the stairs all night?

It so reminds me of the Wisconsin Dells,, lots of ways to spend money and it was fun to wat ch people do just that trying the EXTREME rides out front. You know, like bungee jumping things and free fall and giant swings, all for at least 30 bucks a pop.

I love watching those. They have them in Six Flags.

"They just stared at me, really, I even went up to the deli and asked and it was like they never heard of rye bread."

Wow! Really?

Last time we stayed her, last year, we were told we were getting a great upgrade to a studio with a savannah view.
Most standard studio DVC rooms are basically pool view rooms.

As Smidgy was jumping for joy, I asked where the room was, and Smidgy immediately remembered our last experience checking in here, and reality rushed back in on her and me as well. Now, to try to get it out of her where, exactly, the room she want to give us is. and after much hemming and hawwing, and more hemming,,, it turned out to be in the next county, at the very end of the zebra trail.

I think I’d rather walk and get to see animals on the savannah rather than yellow jackets at the pool.

But with my back starting to act up from 3 days of driving, I nipped that in the bud once we were settled, and really got comfortable laying there looking around, and reading my cheery book about the end of the world.

Hey, it's no worse than reading Hunger Games the last trip!

Doesn’t everyone enjoy reading dystopian nightmares on a Disney vacation?

And I got back just in time for the yellow jackets to make their grand appearance. Shoot, never occurred to me that they were still on the menu

To torment you

Smidgy took one look around and went, "Oh my God!"
And she got all misty eyed.
As she put it, it was like it was her Dad's way of saying everything's all right this time, now enjoy your stay here and don't worry about anything. Well, she can probably say her feelings better than I can right now, but I definately caught what she meant at the time.

There was a part of me that hoped for just this occurance to happen, and why I wanted to reject the savannah room, no matter where it was located, just to see if given the opportunity, this could happen.

And it did!

Aw. Cool story.

If you remember the Oil's Well report, she was Turtle Lady reincarnated.

I remember Turtle Lady!

It was going to be a very nice morning sitting down here, the worst part about it?

It was one day closer to the Hammer!

Oh no!

Great chapters Nebo!

 

[cp'ersmom]

132,853 1/4
great to finally "meet" Smidgy! I expected a higher voice (no not from above) and your accent isn't a thick as Nebo's

You'd think with all the displaced New Yawkers down there they'd have a wide variety of rye bread!

When I was a poor young newly living in sin in Albuquerque, we used to go to the Ponderosa, share a salad bar and steel silverware. Did I just type that outloud?

Amazing on getting the same room, your Dad was definitely sending a sign. I remember once, shortly after my Uncle, who was like a father to me, passed, I was driving to work, this bird was flying along side my car desperately trying to keep up. It was really strange but I felt like it was my Uncle trying to tell me he was ok. I will never forget that feeling.

Ok so we have Nebo and Smidgy checked into the very dark animal filled AKL and Satan's hammer is about to drop. Do I sense something involving suing Disney about to happen?

 

[smidgy]

That sounds like a pretty un-PC statement, doesn’t it?

um, actually, she was responding to my question/concern. I asked what was going on in the little banquet hall connected to the lobby and was told a Quinciera. at the VFW, we rent out our hall for these OFTEN, so I KNOW how loud and unruly they often become.(just a fact.. they do)








This is Heath Bar ice cream that you put in the cooler? In July? In the south?

he thought that would be a good idea





Did you have to listen to people going up and down the stairs all night?

a couple times, but not as often as you would think.
!

132,853 1/4
great to finally "meet" Smidgy! I expected a higher voice (no not from above) and your accent isn't a thick as Nebo's

You'd think with all the displaced New Yawkers down there they'd have a wide variety of rye bread!

When I was a poor young newly living in sin in Albuquerque, we used to go to the Ponderosa, share a salad bar and steel silverware. Did I just type that outloud?

Amazing on getting the same room, your Dad was definitely sending a sign. I remember once, shortly after my Uncle, who was like a father to me, passed, I was driving to work, this bird was flying along side my car desperately trying to keep up. It was really strange but I felt like it was my Uncle trying to tell me he was ok. I will never forget that feeling.

Ok so we have Nebo and Smidgy checked into the very dark animal filled AKL and Satan's hammer is about to drop. Do I sense something involving suing Disney about to happen?

I do NOT have an accent!!!!(where's the "stomping foot smilie?)

thanks everyone, for your responses to my "message from Heaven"!

 

[GrandBob]

When I was a poor young newly living in sin in Albuquerque, we used to go to the Ponderosa, share a salad bar and steel silverware. Did I just type that outloud?

Nothing wrong with that. Nope, not at all. My DW and I share steel silverware all the time. Usually stainless steel.

Ponderosa! Do they really still exist? Really? I haven't heard about Ponderosa since I moved to the left coast in 1976. And I travel back to Chicago at least yearly.

Brings back memories. My first wife and I (not the same as my 2nd wife, unlike some people around here) got married while still undergraduates at University of Illinois. Rented a one-level duplex off campus, directly behind a Ponderosa. Got to know the owner quite well. He even paid us $25 once, a princely sum back in 1971, to wash and wax his car. And use salad oil to freshen his vinyl roof! Anyway, we used to get leftovers after they closed for the evening. Never steak, of course, but other stuff. Once they badly estimated how many baked potatoes they needed. We must have brought home 50 of them! Had baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, potato salad, potato pancakes, etc, for a week, until they went bad

Good times. They really still exist? Really? They weren't very good even then, 40 years ago.

-Bob

 

[OhMari]

Aw, Diane, glad you could find peace with the room. Sorry about your dad again.

My guess on the Santa Fe 178480.

Nebo-it is dark in the AKL. I think the imagineers forgot about lighting, so they just let it be.

 

[nebo]

176,543 is my guess

Don't ask for whom the hammer falls, it falls for thee... the suspense is killing me!

Awesome angel hug to get the same room. If I was a math whiz and could figure out the odds of getting the same room by chance I'd guess it was 6 trillion to 1 (roughly )

Please don't give up on the Hammer, it is definately getting closer, and I can't wait to relive it and talk about it again!

Now, to go ahead and kind of ruin something.
On further thought, it really wasn't astronomical odds on getting the same room again.

It had to be on the fifthe floor, that's where the DVC rooms are in AKL Jambo House. Then of course, a certain number are only standard studios, knocking down the overall number again. I'm going to guess there are about 80 standard rooms, studios available, so your looking agt about a 1 in 80 chance situation.
But still......

My guess - 167500. How many of you were expecting disaster when Nebo got off the elevator and found himself in The Twilght Zone?

I will say it freaked me out. And I had a little light on my keychain for just these emergencies,,,,,,
that somehow disappeared> I looked for it,, that's when I found out it was missing,,, no idea where or what happened to it.

My vote on the Santa Fe is 123,123.
Very sweet, getting the same room. A few weeks after my mom died last September, I went to visit DH at a conference at Asilomar, near Monterey. I ended up walking on a beach I had been to with my family as a child, and where I had one of the best memories of my mom. I laughed and cried and called my brother to say God and Mom had let me know she was safely home.

That's great Danny, I love when you can relax in thoughts like that and not feel dumb about doing it.

132,853 1/4
great to finally "meet" Smidgy! I expected a higher voice (no not from above) and your accent isn't a thick as Nebo's

you are half right,, Diane does have a deep voice, I had a thing for agent 99,,,,but you are , um, mistaken on the accent thing. I have no idea if Smidgy has one, but I do know that I certainly do NOT.



Amazing on getting the same room, your Dad was definitely sending a sign. I remember once, shortly after my Uncle, who was like a father to me, passed, I was driving to work, this bird was flying along side my car desperately trying to keep up. It was really strange but I felt like it was my Uncle trying to tell me he was ok. I will never forget that feeling.

Yes, I understand the feeling. It may not go with my scriptual upbringing or basic knowledge on the hereafter, but I don't care, I know the feeling.

Ok so we have Nebo and Smidgy checked into the very dark animal filled AKL and Satan's hammer is about to drop. Do I sense something involving suing Disney about to happen?

you may sense something, but no, I can't sue Disney for letting a moron onto there property, which is what they did, and I am.
(boy, my ego just runs wild with arrogance, doesn't it?)

Nothing wrong with that. Nope, not at all. My DW and I share steel silverware all the time. Usually stainless steel.

Um, Jack the Ripper shared silverware a lot too.

I don't know of any Ponderosas around here, now that you mention it, but I have Hop Sing running a shop two blocks away.

Brings back memories. My first wife and I (not the same as my 2nd wife, unlike some people around here) got married while still undergraduates at University of Illinois. Rented a one-level duplex off campus, directly behind a Ponderosa. Got to know the owner quite well. He even paid us $25 once, a princely sum back in 1971, to wash and wax his car. And use salad oil to freshen his vinyl roof! Anyway, we used to get leftovers after they closed for the evening. Never steak, of course, but other stuff. Once they badly estimated how many baked potatoes they needed. We must have brought home 50 of them! Had baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, potato salad, potato pancakes, etc, for a week, until they went bad

To me, potatos are the greatest food ever invented, what better way to get salt and butter into your mouth?



-Bob

Hang with us Bob, the fun stuff is coming up soon.

Aw, Diane, glad you could find peace with the room. Sorry about your dad again.

My guess on the Santa Fe 178480.

Nebo-it is dark in the AKL. I think the imagineers forgot about lighting, so they just let it be.

They have that one huge 6 story window on one end, but for some reason all it does is kind of blind you, I think they expected better lighting coming from that thing.

Ok, everybody, I know and understand how annoying this can be, waiting for the payoff, and all I can say is,,,,

Tough!
I really am hurrying things up, but in all honesty,,, it's probably 2 or 3 chapters away still.

Let me put it this way:
I couldn't do this stupidty act all by my lonesome, or with Diane the only one around. Oh no.
I had to have Diane there, and Jackson, Todd, Kim, security personel, emergency technicians, cops, and 10 thousand of my closest friends, so no, whatever happened did not happen in the lobby of the Animal Kingdom Lodge.
If it had, heck, I'd probably still be there, nobody would have know it yet.

But there's nothing like being the first person in the family to get CPR at DisneyWorld.


allrighty then,, see ya all soon.

Oh, one last thing,,, TheresaNJ who came over from that thread on the Community board she mentioned,,, really glad to have you, but more importantly, thanks to those that mentioned my name in the "trip reports you want to read" or something like that. Really, I do appreciate that writing this stuff is noticed and appreciated. Yeah, Tracy, I think you were one, again, thanks.

 

[nowellsl]

But there's nothing like being the first person in the family to get CPR at DisneyWorld.

I knew it was gonna be bad, but

 

[nebo]

I’m so behind. Two chapters behind!

That's understandable when I rocket these chapters out at you at a speed of one every ten days, who can possib ley keep up?


That sounds like a pretty un-PC statement, doesn’t it?

Well, I thought so too, that's why I included it, but evidently I didn't get it all totally correct, as The Incredible Wonder Wife pointed out.
Ooh, I like that, can I patent that?

And a Waffle House.

I believe, in all our vacation trips combined,, we have eaten at a
Waffle House once.

I got eggs.

Don’t the sandwiches get all soggy?

They did, now we double bag them, works much better.
And we don't let Aunt Edna's dog pee on them.

LOL!



This is Heath Bar ice cream that you put in the cooler? In July? In the south?

Yeah, well, sometimes my elevator doesn't quite make it to the top floor.


Sounds logical to me, Smidgy.

Fine , stick together.

These things have got to be soggy by now! Maybe you should have busted out the cold cheeseburgers.

Wow, you are on the ball! But the cold cheeseburgers and hot dogs have been dying a slow death in the car as snack food. It was still a brilliant idea on my lpart to cook them up before we left. And I put them all in individual baggies, so that was your holder, no buns, nuttin else and your fingers wouldn't even get greasy.



I think I’d rather walk and get to see animals on the savannah rather than yellow jackets at the pool.

Good point, but when you are checking in, yellow jackets are the furthest things from your mind.

Doesn’t everyone enjoy reading dystopian nightmares on a Disney vacation?

Ha, happens all the time. I'm pretty sure it was on our oneymoon, ( the first one) on the cruise ship, what did Smidgy read? Erma Bombeck? Danielle Steele? uh uh.

The Shining!

She didn't like it when I came in one night when she stayed int the cabin because she wasn't feeling well and after I opened the door I said;

"HERE"S NEBO!"






Great chapters Nebo!

And thank you for taking the time laura, much appreciated

 

[jedijill]

Nebo you sure know how to write a cliffhanger. Please get to the Hammer before October 5.

Jill in CO

 

[nebo]

Nebo you sure know how to write a cliffhanger. Please get to the Hammer before October 5.

Jill in CO

Jill in Colyrado, do not fear we will get there way before then. By the way, I"m sure I asked before but I don't remember, my sister lived in Broomfiels back in the seventies when I and a buddy drove out to see her and her family once. That's when Cork and I did the Pikes Peak climb, and then the one that put that to shame, Mount Evans I believe it was,,,, scared me to death. Then she moved to Parker Co. , but never got out there to see that house. Are you anywhere near there? Either one?

And I also remember Cork and I went to the movies one day, not sure really why but we did, and saw the brand new release of "The Outlaw Josie Wales" with Clint Eastwood. I'[m not exactly sure where we saw it, but we were ending up in Aurora a lot for some reason. But I have a feeling the theater that James Holmes went to probably wasn't even built back then, multiplexes were pretty new then.
But boy, I envy you, it is SOOOOO pretty out there,,,, breathtaking.

 

[jedijill]

Jill in Colyrado, do not fear we will get there way before then. By the way, I"m sure I asked before but I don't remember, my sister lived in Broomfiels back in the seventies when I and a buddy drove out to see her and her family once. That's when Cork and I did the Pikes Peak climb, and then the one that put that to shame, Mount Evans I believe it was,,,, scared me to death. Then she moved to Parker Co. , but never got out there to see that house. Are you anywhere near there? Either one?

And I also remember Cork and I went to the movies one day, not sure really why but we did, and saw the brand new release of "The Outlaw Josie Wales" with Clint Eastwood. I'[m not exactly sure where we saw it, but we were ending up in Aurora a lot for some reason. But I have a feeling the theater that James Holmes went to probably wasn't even built back then, multiplexes were pretty new then.
But boy, I envy you, it is SOOOOO pretty out there,,,, breathtaking.

I'm not far from Parker although further now after I moved last year. I can see the entire Front Range from my office window including Pikes Peak and Mt Evans. They paved the road to Pikes Peak recently and its just not the same.

This has been a tough year for Colorado between the fires and the theater shooting. The theater was built in 1998 so not the one you were at.

Jill in CO

 

[Self_resqing_princz]

you should probably add your new report to your signature.

 

[Backstage_Gal]

Let me put it this way:
I couldn't do this stupidty act all by my lonesome, or with Diane the only one around. Oh no.
I had to have Diane there, and Jackson, Todd, Kim, security personel, emergency technicians, cops, and 10 thousand of my closest friends, so no, whatever happened did not happen in the lobby of the Animal Kingdom Lodge.
If it had, heck, I'd probably still be there, nobody would have know it yet.

But there's nothing like being the first person in the family to get CPR at DisneyWorld.

If you have to go, go BIG!

 

[pkondz]

All right, I kept adding to this sucker so I think you've all got a bit of reading to do.

Batten down the hatches! Full steam ahead! Dive! Dive! Dive! <ahoooga! ahoooga!>

okay, I'm all set.

Have fun!

You said, 'Have fun'.


What?

So, let's see, where the heck are we?

Carpentersville, IL

Oh! You meant, then... nevermind.

Remember that tv show F Troop?

Nope.

That was the name of that bumbling indian tribe the Agarn and Sgt. O'Roarke was always bargaining with, the Heckowe tribe, and that's how they said they got there name, by being lost.

I wonder how well that'd go over now in our PC times.

(No, I wasn't looking forward to doiing the 192 dash like last time when the main herd left me behind to feed the cars, but , Oh well.

But maybe that would've been less painful then what happened later on?

We ended up pulling into a Rodeway Inn

It looks pretty good from what you posted, so which would you do in the future? Knight's Inn or Rodeway Inn?

The pool was in an inner courtyard, away from highway noises, and they had a room available right across from it, well, she wanted it, we took it.

Blaming the innocent? Well, Smidgy? Was it all your fault you became the people under the stairs?

You could not park right next to the room though like we always do

'cause the stairs were already parked there. Check.

and frankly, I was surprised she wanted to take it, but she found a big ol luggage cart and that was that.

Yup. Smidgy, the blame is being squarely laid at your feet here.

Final cost with tax, 43. 50, that's more like it!

thenI found our room, and it was just like they said, right across from the pool. Only one problem, it was right under a staircase.

Great view! They should put that on the brochure! And the trash can is a nice touch.

I think Smidgy then asked how to take a video, and I let her go for it this time, heck, you've heard me talk enough:

The best part? "Off to Animal Kingdom Ladge"

One thing I found interesting is on the next video and when I heard Smidgy's voice on the phone sounds very different from this video. Maybe you were doing a teacher voice?

I bought a milk jug thing to keep in the cooler so I could forget about it every morning, just to irritate her.

why do I think that's exactly why you bought it?

Now, laying by the pool, my Bathroom Reader lost out to Lucifer's Hammer, I couldn't put it down again, it was like meeting a bunch of old friends, never mind that a lot of them die.

I'm not surprised. I feel that way everytime I read it.

I gotta find that book again.

It so reminds me of the Wisconsin Dells,, lots of ways to spend money and it was fun to wat ch people do just that trying the EXTREME rides out front. You know, like bungee jumping things and free fall and giant swings, all for at least 30 bucks a pop.

Ouch. And I'm not talking about the effects of the ride.

At least the stoplight here seemed to work and I didn't have to get maimed crossing the street.

You weren't in Disney mode yet. You have to pass underneath the welcome sign first before you hear the call of "Let the maiming begin!"

Yeah, I'm gonna regret writing that later, aren't I.

But eating at Ponderosa just kills me.

Cholesterol?

When I was twenty, I could have done some damage here, but I just can't seem to eat that way anymore.

I hear ya. Those multiple return trips just don't seem to happen anymore.

And yu can't bring doggie bags from buffets.

I guess they frown on people walking in with hefty bags. Especially empty on the way in and full on the way out.


uhhh.... I think I just gave some people an idea... and I don't want credit for it.

Really.

So, with my pockets filled with mashed potatoes and gravy, we walked back to the motel.

"Sir? Did you enjoy your meal, sir? And why are you making skooshing sounds when you walk?"

I was ready for some "check in and leave the damn car alone for awhile" time.

IMHO, that's the biggest perk to staying onsite. Not the EMH.

Maybe free dining.

we have braunschweiger and butter and mustard but it's not the same on white bread, it really should be made on rye bread

On the way back to Sherberth Road, she saw a sign that said supermarket, and I yanked the wheel at the last second and pulled in.
(you in the red pickup truck that was behind me, sorry)

That was you?

"They just stared at me, really, I even went up to the deli and asked and it was like they never heard of rye bread."

What supermarket doesn't have rye bread??

"No, ma'am. We don't carry rye bread, just white. We have chips too, but no veggies. Skinless chicken breasts? Where do you think the skin goes? We got that too!"

All in all, except for the downpour in 'Bama and the smeary windshield issue, the Santa Fe was back to being a doll again, and I was able to put car trouble worries behind me.
Funny, out of the 13 trips it's made to Florida, only one time did things go wrong, but that's the one that sticks in your mind. Like a field goal kicker; it's the one you miss that they remember.

I never thought about it that way before, but that's true, isn't it.

So, with that info, all you have to tell me is how many miles total are on the always lovely Smidgy mobile.

56,000

No, I can't think of anything of value I can give you

What??? Then what's the point?

pride, the WOW factor, how did you do it?

Are you sure you've got nothing of value? No?

shoot.

Meanwhile, back at the Lodge:

Ladge

I could hear my son even, "Mom, would you make me a sandwich?"
"No. "

"Oh, that's ok."

"Good."

"Yeah, no problem."
"Ok, what about now?"

"Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"All right! Okay! Yes! Are you happy? YES!!!"

Today we got an older cast member, who told us we are getting upgraded to a savannah room,,,,, and yada yoda yeti.

Not to nitpick... but yoda would be more appropriate at DHS not AKL.

But we'll let it go this time.

Yep, Deja View all over again, we turned down the "but it's ready now" room way at the end just like we did before.
Geesh, you think they would learn?
Took a pool view room closer to the lobby.

Yup. And I just happen to have the screen capture from that:

which was mainly cranes and swans and frasiers and pelicans.

With daffodils and daphnes and roses and roz-es

I also don't like taking that long to drive down, it just makes it worse dragging it out and face it, if you have to drive 7 hours, you may as well drive 10, it doesn't matter anymore.

But with my back starting to act up from 3 days of driving,

So here's the question. What's harder on your back? 2 days of driving 10.5 hours or 3 days of 7 hours?

I nipped that in the bud once we were settled, and really got comfortable laying there looking around, and reading my cheery book about the end of the world.

Hey, it's no worse than reading Hunger Games the last trip!

No worse? No worse! That's like comparing apples to sundaes.

So, now that you know I"m all settled in and comfortable waiting for the chemicals to help me out, you know what is going to happen, right?

No way. Not again!

Yes, it did,

I didn't want to go up yet and lose our spot and I told her if she could hang on, I'd go and get a beer for her out of the cooler and bring it down here to the pool.

This seemed to mollify her a bit and I took off.

Actually, I'm a little surprised that worked.

I went back and found the elevator "wall" again, but darned if I could find the buttons for it. I just kept moving along in a grid fashion pushin on the wall, kinda like Indiana Jones trying to find the secret passageway.

Ya gotta wonder what anyone viewing this exercise must've been thinking.

"Look Marge, I think that guy's CSI."
"What makes you say that?"
"He's searching in a classic grid pattern. Trust me... CSI."

I'm really in a hurry by now, and only banged my shins twice trying to get out of the Lobby of Darkness.
But as much as I tried, I couldn't "bark" my shins, I'm not sure what you have to do to be able to Bark them..

Gotta be trained. First they kneed to be taught how to heel.

I jogged down to the car, brought a few beers back and was better on the return trip, untill it was time to find where our table was hiding, and I just know I'm goin to get hit with the dreaded "Where ya' been?" And I'd have to kill her!

Farewell Smidgy, we hardly knew ya.

I handed her two beers and said "Don't ask" and that was that.

That's interesting. A preemptive strike that saves a life.

And I got back just in time for the yellow jackets to make their grand appearance. Shoot, never occurred to me that they were still on the menu and it wasn't as nice to lay there anymore.

But now you know for sure that you're back.

Back in the lobby, I am once again amazed at how dark this place is,,, I mean, really, really dark. I've heard they have to keep rotating cast members in and out of working here so they don't all lose their hair and pigmentation and become albinos.

What?

Smidgy took one look around and went, "Oh my God!"
And she got all misty eyed.
As she put it, it was like it was her Dad's way of saying everything's all right this time, now enjoy your stay here and don't worry about anything.

Aww...

There was a part of me that hoped for just this occurance to happen, and why I wanted to reject the savannah room, no matter where it was located, just to see if given the opportunity, this could happen.

And it did!

You thought that might happen? Surely not the exact room? (And don't call me Shirley)

I know this may not sound like much, but you have to understand how tough that last trip was here, and if you believe in signs, well,,, there you have it. It made us both feel good, anyway.

Well, I'm glad for you both.

we debated on eating dinner at Mara

Nah. You don't have to eat there... but you do have to get certain confections that shall remain nameless lest...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zldJlUSJ9OI

, but that kind of defeated the whole purpose of getting a studio with a kitchenette.
(ok, what is that, a baby kitchen?)

A kitchen net? Here ya go:

Dinner turned out to be tuna fish, (as opposed to tuna pig),

...and you can tuna piano.

on toast and macaroni salad and,,,,,,
CHEETOHS!

cheetos never prosper.

Diane told me she slept terrible due to somebody snoring in her ear all night.
"Yeah, I heard it too, must be that fat guy in the room next to us."

Thanks for the tip. (Don't book AKL due to very thin walls)

And she went and pulled open the pull out bed around 4 in the morning. Whe wanted to catch a little bit more sleep so it was up to me again to go and find us a good pool spot.

That's always been my philosophy, when in need of a good spot... get the guy who can't see to search for it.

Made coffee in the room and I was loaded

Dude, you were loaded. Awesome. Totally.

I didn't know if she was there for th long haul or just a temp sitter with her coffee, so I took a couple of loungers right next to her.
This freaked her out.

Suddenly, she was running around throwing towels on anything that didn't move, by the time she was done, she had claimed the only table, 4 chairs, and six loungers.

Turtle lady? Party of 10? Your table is ready... no really, it's your table. You own it.

If you remember the Oil's Well report, she was Turtle Lady reincarnated.

so I grabbed my stuff back up and said as I left, "Don't panic, all yours."

Did she say anything? Or just dive for the two loungers?

It was going to be a very nice morning sitting down here, the worst part about it?

It was one day closer to the Hammer!

dunh dunh dunh duuuuuunh! ooooh, the hammer's coming!

 

[Backstage_Gal]

 

[orangecats2]

That kitchen net looks cool, I've never seen one - I want one!
Is that an albino hedgehog?

I also didn't know there were any Ponderosa's left. All the ones around here went out of business/closed about five years ago.

 

[pkondz]

Nope, you forgot one important attribute. You are sparkly as well.

Believe it or not, (Hey! That's catchy! Someone should use that.) DD15 reminded me of that just a couple of days ago.

Yay, now we have L. Ron Pkondz in the TR. Lucky us! Dianetics Part II coming soon to a bookstore near us!

I don't mind being compared to a founder of a religion, but please, please don't compare me to a crappy sci-fi writer!

ya know, we spoiled people are always looking for GREAT miracles (now, If I could see the red sea part, then I might believe..) and thus miss the "smaller", yet, in many ways, more meaningful miracles.

Thanks for the thoughts Smidgy. Very nicely said. I did want to point one thing out though. Not everybody needs 'GREAT miracles'. Every time I see my DDs smile is miracle enough for me.

I was under the impression it was more Lrry Niven than JP doing the writing, not sure why

That's what I thought too. I once read a JP novel and didn't really enjoy it. Haven't tried any others.

you are half right,, Diane does have a deep voice, I had a thing for agent 99,,,,but you are , um, mistaken on the accent thing. I have no idea if Smidgy has one, but I do know that I certainly do NOT.

Who didn't have a thing for 99?

And I wouldn't classify Smidgy's voice as 'deep'... more like 'sultry'.

 

[pkondz]

They did, now we double bag them, works much better.
And we don't let Aunt Edna's dog pee on them.

Holiday Ro-ooooooh-ooooooh-oooooad!

Wow, you are on the ball! But the cold cheeseburgers and hot dogs have been dying a slow death in the car as snack food. It was still a brilliant idea on my lpart to cook them up before we left. And I put them all in individual baggies, so that was your holder, no buns, nuttin else and your fingers wouldn't even get greasy.

What do individual baggies taste like? I think I'd still prefer a bun, but that's just me.

That kitchen net looks cool, I've never seen one - I want one!

It does look pretty handy, doesn't it?

Is that an albino hedgehog?

Yup.

Regarding Ponderosa/Bonanza I think they disappeared from up here back around the '80s.

mmmm... nothing like paper thin, shoe-leather hard 'steak'.

 

[shan23877]

Great chapter Nebo!

How amazing that you guys go the same room! I love that you took it as a sign-it probably was.

Of course Smidgy wanted to go check out the room!!! Who wouldn't??

I am in the group who's surprised that there are still Ponderosas open. My first job (when I was 15) was at a Ponderosa. The one I worked at closed in 1996. Though I still occasionally have nightmares about working Sunday afternoons there.

 

[Rozz]

That paper may have cost me, cuz a woman was setting up shop in the one table available.
I didn't know if she was there for th long haul or just a temp sitter with her coffee, so I took a couple of loungers right next to her.
This freaked her out.

Suddenly, she was running around throwing towels on anything that didn't move, by the time she was done, she had claimed the only table, 4 chairs, and six loungers.

And was still eyeing the two lounge chairs I took for me and the Smidge.

If you remember the Oil's Well report, she was Turtle Lady reincarnated.

But I knew I needed a table also, so I grabbed my stuff back up and said as I left, "Don't panic, all yours."

There should be a warning posted at the resort pools about Turtle Lady. and Yellow Jackets! Can't forget the Yellow Jackets.