Geeks on a budget - 12/22, complete! Read reflections within....
- Thread starter zweihund
- Start date
Tink rules
<font color=teal>The kids in my family sometimes t
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NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
You can play ANYTIME!!!
Without you and Brenda... we are in LIMBO!!!
PLEASE!!!!!
You can play ANYTIME!!!
Without you and Brenda... we are in LIMBO!!!
PLEASE!!!!!
Mozart
There's one in every crowd...and it's usually me
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- Feb 3, 2007
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I have about 30 minutes of free time tonight, which means......I can either START an update, or I can go play Rock Band until Lionel gets home.
Play Rock Band. Make this group suffer.
Tink rules
<font color=teal>The kids in my family sometimes t
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MOZART!!!!!! 
Go back and play your harpsichord!!!!!
And Joel has until Xmas and then you can tell us all the secrets!!!
Go back and play your harpsichord!!!!!
And Joel has until Xmas and then you can tell us all the secrets!!!
I have about 30 minutes of free time tonight, which means......I can either START an update, or I can go play Rock Band until Lionel gets home.
Please update
Tink rules
<font color=teal>The kids in my family sometimes t
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Hey Erica...
Did I miss the picture of Lionel in the Bra???
Did I miss the picture of Lionel in the Bra???
Disneygrl36
Happy DVC member!!!!
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- Jul 19, 2004
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- 4,269
you are back. I wish you had a picture of the pirate wedding attire......that sounds interesting.
zweihund
I tagged myself. I'm it.
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- Mar 16, 2006
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- 2,638
NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You can play ANYTIME!!!
Without you and Brenda... we are in LIMBO!!!
PLEASE!!!!!
I am afraid I must admit that rocking out won......but you probably figured that out by now, eh?
Play Rock Band. Make this group suffer.
MOZART!!!!!!
Go back and play your harpsichord!!!!!
And Joel has until Xmas and then you can tell us all the secrets!!!
Please update
I will, soon! In fact, tomorrow I am planning to spend most of the evening chained to the computer, with a giant mug of tea. I made Lionel promise not to unlock me until I get back to the report. Promise!
Sadly, I didn't catch him IN the bra, because I was doubled over with laughter. I only caught him running back to the table with it. Our tablemate, however, can be seen in the same picture proudly wearing the one that I HOPE belonged to his wife......
I wish you had a picture of the pirate wedding attire......that sounds interesting.
I can't belive how many pictures I missed, especially looking back. It seemed like I was taking photos the whole time, but as soon as I start writing, I'm like "I missed THAT????"
Yeah! I'm actually zweihund on there too. Feel free to add me!
Well folks, we are having a little Christmas shin-dig this evening that I am making a (hopefully) fantastic holiday punch for. I will give you the recipe in the hope that it will tide you over until tomorrow night. So when you read this, picture me holding my "drink of the day" and rocking the mic!
Champagne Punch (with a punch)
2 bottles champagne or sparkling wine (we're using a Brut)
1 bottle white wine of choice (we're using a Rinehessen)
1 bottle of sparkling water or gingerale (we chose the latter)
1 can frozen cranberry concentrate
1 can frozen pink lemonade concentrate
1/2 can frozen limeade concentrate
mint and lemon slices for garnish
Combine in a large punch bowl, garnish, and try not to get trampled by your guests as you step away from the table.....
RoyalVizier
DIS Veteran
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- Jun 4, 2006
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zweihund
I tagged myself. I'm it.
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2006
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- 2,638
Well how was the shin-dig? Was it fairly bland because I couldn't make it?
It was far more bland without your presence, for sure
We had a great time with a very full house. You missed my mad drummin' skillz!
BTW, for anyone out of the loop - RV and I discovered, after nearly an entire semester, that our spouses were taking a class together! Those little animatronic kids who sing in all sorts of languages were right: it really is a small world, after all.
I am posting an update momentarily. Just resizing pics.
zweihund
I tagged myself. I'm it.
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- Mar 16, 2006
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- 2,638
Whats the only thing more annoying than a chirpy mouse waking you up at the crack of dawn to get off of the boat? Waking up in the Castaway Cay day to the sound of the gangplank being lowered. For those of you who have never roomed right underneath it, it sounds remarkably like a recycling truck being parked right at the foot of your bed, and is gearing up to dump all of its contents directly onto you. Only louder.
Lionel and I woke up at 6:30. And then again at 6:45. Then we managed to sleep all the way until 7:15. And then 7:30. Seriously, exactly how long does a gangplank take to lower? Finally, it was quiet again, and we drifted off until ..7:50, when Mickey called. I dont know what he was so happy about, but I wasnt in the mood to hear it. There was a giggle from the other side of the cabin, behind the curtain (ignore the Canadian behind the curtain!) as I placed the phone back on the cradle a little harder than was absolutely necessary.
Were here!
This is the day we always wait for. Castaway Cay is one of the most magical places on Earth for me and Lionel. Its a beautiful tropical paradise, AND its Disney. Where else can you get a creamy umbrella drink and pose for a photo with Hawaiian-shirt Mickey? Or Jack Sparrow, even? I dare say it is my favorite place in the entire world. Which is kind of crazy, considering the fact that it rains every single time we visit.
From the cabin, we could see that this would not be the most perfect day to enjoy our favorite beach: out the porthole, we saw waves rolling by the boat, propelled by the wind that was causing the palm trees to dance like we had at the Disco party a few nights ago. Ah, well. We figured the sun would come out like it always does, warming up the island with its soft yellow glow, and we would bask in its glory while sipping fruity drinks from the water of Serenity Bay.
As you have probably gathered from the Shakespearian foreshadowing, this is not how events unfolded that day.
The view from our room:
Thar be whitecaps ahead, sir!
We should have known when we got up to the buffet, where we had to use our plates to hold our napkins down lest they go flying off in the direction of the tram stop. It was seriously COLD up on that deck. And windy. And very un-tropical. Thank goodness for my new hoodie!
We overheard some women chatting about the Captains announcement as we scarfed down our omelets.
Did you hear that? He said were in the Bahamas! I thought we were at Castaway Cay today?!
And that, my friends, is a prime example of why our nation is in the state it is currently in. Thank you, and goodnight.
After breakfast, we grabbed our treasure map and headed off the boat and into paradise! And, into the arms of Jack Sparrow, who was clearly the most popular character to have photos taken with. And you can see why. I felt a little bad for Captain Hook, who was getting no love over at the post office.
Captain Jack Sparrow, Ladies Man extraordinnaire.....
The only thing to do after a close encounter with a pirate is to seek treasure!
I dont know how many folks have done the treasure hunt on Castaway Cay, or even how long its been around, but I highly recommend it for adults and families alike. We had so much fun figuring out the clues, and trekking all over the island to places we had never bothered to go before. I took a photo of every clue, because some of them were actually a bit tricky to figure out. I wont post them all here, because I dont want to ruin it for anyone, but here are a few of the things we documented.
No, no, no.....it clearly says FIVE paces and ONE stone's throw!
A slightly lesser known game than "Where's Waldo?" is "Where's Lionel?"
Quick, hide the rum! But leave the Scotch and the whiskey out....
Great view of the lifeguard stand from here, but we never found the actual clue.....
After the hunt was over, it was rather misty outside, so we opted to visit Groupers Pavilion for the first time ever. I have to say, it was fun, but it wasnt anything to write home about. We played a little mini golf, and some ping pong, and basketball, and giant connect four (which is WAY cooler than regular-sized connect four).
Forget about the island paradise - let's play foosball!
Mostly, we were killing time until the rain passed over. Which, sadly, did not happen for a very VERY long time. After awhile, we opted to grab our snorkels which were part of the rental package we had won at the Scavenger hunt shin-dig. No, we did NOT win the hunt. Lionel did, however, take his shirt off, which our emcee felt deserved a prize. Hey were not proud, but we were on a budget. Sometimes, you just have to take off your shirt.
Snorkels in hand, we opted for the first time ever to actually take the tram to Serenity Bay. If you read last years report, you know that we trekked the entire mile with heavy floats on our backs, parched with thirst and serving as the laughing stock for a large crowd of cyclists. Sadly, the tram took an eternity to get there and by the time we finally boarded I was kicking myself for not just hoofing it out there on foot. Ah well, live and learn. We made it soon enough.
Hungry and slightly disappointed in the weather, we dropped our things on some lounge chairs and headed to the buffet. If you have the chance to dine at the adult beach buffet? Do! It is wonderfully quiet and they have mahi mahi. Now, they advertise it as a blackened mahi mahi sandwich so, I grabbed a bun. When the server dropped my piece of fish onto the bun, I almost had to send out a search and rescue party to find it. It was approximately the size of a credit card, no joke. I ended up eating it on its own and going back for another piece later. So my advice to you? Skip the bun.
With full tummies and the sound of lapping waves resonating peacefully in our ears, our trio headed out to our chairs where we read while sipping a Konk Kooler, waiting for the weather to blow over. The wind was not letting up, and my books pages were flapping like mad. I tried very hard to look out at the scenery and be thankful for having the opportunity to enjoy my book in such a beautiful place, but my heart was sinking. I had waited a year for this day, and it was not what I had expected at all. Even an hour of sunshine would have made a difference, but the weather was unrelenting.
This was before that guy in the water turned blue......
After an hour or so, we gave up on the prospect of snorkeling and made our way to what I have decided is the second best place on Castaway Cay: The Heads Up Bar!
If you look closely, you can see me in my natural habitat - at the bar, ordering a drink.
I love this place! It was super cute, and had a great beachy theme, and had some awesome drinks and scenery. What a great combination! We sipped our beverages and watched all of the action on the beaches. We spotted several runaway floats, and even a few small crabs. I tried a new drink called an Islander I cant recall exactly what was in it, but I think next time I will stick with the Konk Kooler. It was a little bit too sweet, which, coming from me, means is was basically a large pile of alcoholic sugar served with a wedge of pineapple.
It took us about seven tries to get this shot. Maybe it was the booze.
The three of us sipped and moped. We moped about the weather, and about Sarahs sunburn (which was an amazing thing to behold, really she was covered in bright red geometric shapes which I am pretty sure represented some kind of celestial mathematical equation), and about the fact that we had a perfectly good FREE rental coupon sitting there unused. It was an abomination to budgeters everywhere.
Well, by mid-afternoon we felt the appeal of the hot tub surpassed the cold, windy beach. Plus, you could still see the island from the boat, so why not be more comfortable? Seems like a lot of folks had the same idea that day. But I guess a bad day in paradise is better than a good one at home, right? Right.
Heres to you, Castaway Cay: even when it rains, you're lovely.
Ideal pirate weather....
Up next, the boat starts-a-rockin!
Lionel and I woke up at 6:30. And then again at 6:45. Then we managed to sleep all the way until 7:15. And then 7:30. Seriously, exactly how long does a gangplank take to lower? Finally, it was quiet again, and we drifted off until ..7:50, when Mickey called. I dont know what he was so happy about, but I wasnt in the mood to hear it. There was a giggle from the other side of the cabin, behind the curtain (ignore the Canadian behind the curtain!) as I placed the phone back on the cradle a little harder than was absolutely necessary.
Were here!
This is the day we always wait for. Castaway Cay is one of the most magical places on Earth for me and Lionel. Its a beautiful tropical paradise, AND its Disney. Where else can you get a creamy umbrella drink and pose for a photo with Hawaiian-shirt Mickey? Or Jack Sparrow, even? I dare say it is my favorite place in the entire world. Which is kind of crazy, considering the fact that it rains every single time we visit.
From the cabin, we could see that this would not be the most perfect day to enjoy our favorite beach: out the porthole, we saw waves rolling by the boat, propelled by the wind that was causing the palm trees to dance like we had at the Disco party a few nights ago. Ah, well. We figured the sun would come out like it always does, warming up the island with its soft yellow glow, and we would bask in its glory while sipping fruity drinks from the water of Serenity Bay.
As you have probably gathered from the Shakespearian foreshadowing, this is not how events unfolded that day.
The view from our room:
Thar be whitecaps ahead, sir!
We should have known when we got up to the buffet, where we had to use our plates to hold our napkins down lest they go flying off in the direction of the tram stop. It was seriously COLD up on that deck. And windy. And very un-tropical. Thank goodness for my new hoodie!
We overheard some women chatting about the Captains announcement as we scarfed down our omelets.
Did you hear that? He said were in the Bahamas! I thought we were at Castaway Cay today?!
And that, my friends, is a prime example of why our nation is in the state it is currently in. Thank you, and goodnight.
After breakfast, we grabbed our treasure map and headed off the boat and into paradise! And, into the arms of Jack Sparrow, who was clearly the most popular character to have photos taken with. And you can see why. I felt a little bad for Captain Hook, who was getting no love over at the post office.
Captain Jack Sparrow, Ladies Man extraordinnaire.....
The only thing to do after a close encounter with a pirate is to seek treasure!
I dont know how many folks have done the treasure hunt on Castaway Cay, or even how long its been around, but I highly recommend it for adults and families alike. We had so much fun figuring out the clues, and trekking all over the island to places we had never bothered to go before. I took a photo of every clue, because some of them were actually a bit tricky to figure out. I wont post them all here, because I dont want to ruin it for anyone, but here are a few of the things we documented.
No, no, no.....it clearly says FIVE paces and ONE stone's throw!
A slightly lesser known game than "Where's Waldo?" is "Where's Lionel?"
Quick, hide the rum! But leave the Scotch and the whiskey out....
Great view of the lifeguard stand from here, but we never found the actual clue.....
After the hunt was over, it was rather misty outside, so we opted to visit Groupers Pavilion for the first time ever. I have to say, it was fun, but it wasnt anything to write home about. We played a little mini golf, and some ping pong, and basketball, and giant connect four (which is WAY cooler than regular-sized connect four).
Forget about the island paradise - let's play foosball!
Mostly, we were killing time until the rain passed over. Which, sadly, did not happen for a very VERY long time. After awhile, we opted to grab our snorkels which were part of the rental package we had won at the Scavenger hunt shin-dig. No, we did NOT win the hunt. Lionel did, however, take his shirt off, which our emcee felt deserved a prize. Hey were not proud, but we were on a budget. Sometimes, you just have to take off your shirt.
Snorkels in hand, we opted for the first time ever to actually take the tram to Serenity Bay. If you read last years report, you know that we trekked the entire mile with heavy floats on our backs, parched with thirst and serving as the laughing stock for a large crowd of cyclists. Sadly, the tram took an eternity to get there and by the time we finally boarded I was kicking myself for not just hoofing it out there on foot. Ah well, live and learn. We made it soon enough.
Hungry and slightly disappointed in the weather, we dropped our things on some lounge chairs and headed to the buffet. If you have the chance to dine at the adult beach buffet? Do! It is wonderfully quiet and they have mahi mahi. Now, they advertise it as a blackened mahi mahi sandwich so, I grabbed a bun. When the server dropped my piece of fish onto the bun, I almost had to send out a search and rescue party to find it. It was approximately the size of a credit card, no joke. I ended up eating it on its own and going back for another piece later. So my advice to you? Skip the bun.
With full tummies and the sound of lapping waves resonating peacefully in our ears, our trio headed out to our chairs where we read while sipping a Konk Kooler, waiting for the weather to blow over. The wind was not letting up, and my books pages were flapping like mad. I tried very hard to look out at the scenery and be thankful for having the opportunity to enjoy my book in such a beautiful place, but my heart was sinking. I had waited a year for this day, and it was not what I had expected at all. Even an hour of sunshine would have made a difference, but the weather was unrelenting.
This was before that guy in the water turned blue......
After an hour or so, we gave up on the prospect of snorkeling and made our way to what I have decided is the second best place on Castaway Cay: The Heads Up Bar!
If you look closely, you can see me in my natural habitat - at the bar, ordering a drink.
I love this place! It was super cute, and had a great beachy theme, and had some awesome drinks and scenery. What a great combination! We sipped our beverages and watched all of the action on the beaches. We spotted several runaway floats, and even a few small crabs. I tried a new drink called an Islander I cant recall exactly what was in it, but I think next time I will stick with the Konk Kooler. It was a little bit too sweet, which, coming from me, means is was basically a large pile of alcoholic sugar served with a wedge of pineapple.
It took us about seven tries to get this shot. Maybe it was the booze.
The three of us sipped and moped. We moped about the weather, and about Sarahs sunburn (which was an amazing thing to behold, really she was covered in bright red geometric shapes which I am pretty sure represented some kind of celestial mathematical equation), and about the fact that we had a perfectly good FREE rental coupon sitting there unused. It was an abomination to budgeters everywhere.
Well, by mid-afternoon we felt the appeal of the hot tub surpassed the cold, windy beach. Plus, you could still see the island from the boat, so why not be more comfortable? Seems like a lot of folks had the same idea that day. But I guess a bad day in paradise is better than a good one at home, right? Right.
Heres to you, Castaway Cay: even when it rains, you're lovely.
Ideal pirate weather....
Up next, the boat starts-a-rockin!
DizzneyDAnn
DIS Veteran
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- Mar 29, 2007
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- 681
subscribin'
Mejesspooh
Earning My Ears
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- Aug 24, 2006
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HI! I've never posted in this thread before but I just wanted to let you know that my fiance and I are thoroughly enjoying your report. We are going on Disney Cruise for our honeymoon and I am reading up on it all over the place. He says he likes your reports because you have the same attitude and sense of humor as me, and I think I'm pretty darn funny so I'll accept that! LOL!
Anyhoo, I'm enjoying your report and can't wait for more!
Anyhoo, I'm enjoying your report and can't wait for more!
zweihund
I tagged myself. I'm it.
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- Mar 16, 2006
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- 2,638
Welcome!
Wow, I take that as a compliment too! Thanks!
Erica,
Just keep saying September is coming September is coming!! And we get to go twice!!!
It's so close! Is it September yet?
Tink rules
<font color=teal>The kids in my family sometimes t
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I don't thing that's enough smilies...
zweihund
I tagged myself. I'm it.
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2006
- Messages
- 2,638
Before we begin, it is time for a word from our sponsor:
Todays drink of the day is Coquito!
Coquito, according to Wikipedia, is the Puerto Rican version of eggnog. Which to me is a total misnomer, because only about 25% of the people I know actually LIKE eggnog (I am including myself in the 25%, as I have a small carton of Silk Nog sitting in the refrigerator door as we speak ..I actually prefer it to true eggnog) but 100% of the people I know who have tried Coquito have attempted to steal the remainder of it from our clutches shortly thereafter. We are fortunate to have a dear friend who makes it every year (and who occasionally experiments with other flavors, like chocolate *drool*). This year? He gave us A WHOLE GALLON. I resolve to drink some every night, and to value our friendship with every *hic* sip.
*Hic*
And now, some of the things I forgot to mention in my last update. Namely, that I was hung over (imagine that) from the champagne punch we served at said Christmas party (no, it had NOTHING to do with the Coquito). But, also I meant to mention that:
Also, I neglected to include this mediocre photo of my feet at SB. It is by far the lamest foot photo I have taken to date:
Ho, hum.....these feet are mighty chilly......
Anyhow, where were we? Oh, yeah. Heading back to the boat. I snapped a profile of our lovely Disney Wonder, her nose protruding in a stately manner, highlighted by the ominous clouds in the background. I thought it looked pretty neat. What I failed to notice, however, was the omen: DARK CLOUDS.
The Wonder's Roman nose
Dark clouds = breezy conditions. Breezy conditions = waves. Waves + breeze + sailing through the ocean = a rocking boat. Oh, Lordy. Its a good thing I am not the seasick type, because I imagine a lot of folks were yakkin allllllll night long. Me? I had ginger chews. And I did eat them. But well get to that later.
For now, we were parked at CC, and all three of us were perched on the shelf of a hot tub, each in front of a jet of water. Through the plexiglass, we could see the conditions getting broodier and broodier as we basked in the warmth of the Jacuzzi. And despite the fact that we did not get to snorkel, or otherwise enjoy the crystal clear Bahamian waters that morning? Or afternoon? We were all rather content. In fact, I think that adding several outdoor hot tubs would be the only way they could improve Serenity Bay. How awesome would that be? I need to fill out a comment card.
Anyhow, the only thing better than sitting in a hot tub on a private island in the Caribbean is sitting in an adults-only café, sipping alcoholic coffee beverages and playing European board games, while parked in a boat at a private island in the Caribbean. Well, if youre a geek, anyhow.
I have a Café Toledo, which is coffee with Baileys and Kahlua. It wasnt so much alcoholic as it was ridiculously sweet and caffeinated. Which was still quite nice. Especially as the rain started pounding against the door of the Cove Café. Yes, my friends, we picked the perfect time to head indoors and grab a hot beverage. Because it was getting pretty ugly outside.
Now, I have no delusions of having survived the most inclement weather a Disney boat has ever seen. I had friends on the Transatlantic crossing, and they told me tales of 20 foot swells and people vomiting overboard (which, in retrospect, makes a veranda room on a TA crossing so much less appealing ..watching falling vomit is not my idea of a lovely ocean view). It was, however, the worst we had ever been through on any of our sailings. After losing miserably to Sarah YET AGAIN (she always wins, its not fair!), we headed to the gift shop to do some shopping for my parents who were watching our dog while we were away.
Yar, I be beatin' ye at Settlers of Catan, arrrrr
Actually, we didnt so much head to the gift shop as we did STAGGER. But only a little bit. Just enough to notice.
I bought my step-mom a logo polo shirt, and I got my dad a pirate Pluto and some animal cookies which were housed in a Disney boat. Nothing too crazy, as we were on a budget. I must have looked like I wanted more, because the cashier said to me do you like pins?
Who, me? Me, who has a little folio of pins from every park? Me, who scours cast lanyards for hitchhiking ghosts? Me, who refuses to tally the cost of all of her tin crack for fear that it might equal more than three mortgage payments? Yes, you could say that I like pins.
He smiled at me, and pulled something from under the counter which he slipped into my bag.
Dont look at it until you leave, ok?
Err, ok. I hope its not your phone number, or your AIM screenname, dude. Im married. I smiled and took the bag, warily glancing inside to make sure nothing was moving around in there of its own volition.
Outside, I discovered that he had given me two YOMD pins, featuring Tinkerbell! In all of our Disney excursions since the YOMD (which is apparently turning into the couple of years of a million dreams) began, this is only the second time we have been granted a dream. The first was when we boozed around the world with a gaggle of geeks, and we got special mouse ears. That was waaaaaaaay back in October of 2006. So naturally I was, as the Scottish say, dead chuffed. ***
*** Google it
So, back on the boat. Were swaying, weve bought gifts, yada yada. Back in the room, I packed everything up nice and early to eliminate any chance of a repeat of last years last minute packing fiasco, which was less than fun. Sarah and I counted three sets each of H2O products between the two of us. A word to the wise every time you put them in your bedside table for "safe keeping"? A new trio of shampoo, conditioner and body butter will appear. And it all smells great. So, steal away.
After packing, Lionel and I realized that while we had shown Sarah our favorite place on the boat, we had not really spent much quality time there. Naturally, I am talking about the chairs on deck 4. NATURALLY! Being the last night, most everyone was lining up for photos and dinner, which means most of the deck was completely empty.
Score.
We read, and read, and lounged, and lounged. A few times I got up to look overboard, impressed by the sound of the crashing waves and also by the height of the spray along the sides of the boat. Finally, right before sunset, I got the bright idea to go and get my camera from the room. And then, by the time I got back? It was dark. So instead of impressive waves, I captured what looks like a slightly foamy ocean.
The waves were 4-8 feet, according to the monitors inside.....which is about 4-8 feet higher than they appear in these photos.
Ah, well.
We sat and read some more, and I did my best to savor the moment for what it was. Every time I think of this boat, I wish I were sitting in those chairs, reading a book and absorbing the wonderful salt air in the breeze. We were there for about two hours, and I relished every single minute of them. In fact, here is what I wrote in my notepad:
Sounds of the ocean, thoughts of vastness and the beauty of it all. Salt air on my lips. Rain blurring the horizon. The only sound is that of the rain and the waves.
That was supposed to remind me of some deep and meaningful thoughts I was having about life and why we are here on this earth, but sadly I cant remember what they were anymore. Looking back at the paragraph, though, I think what I wrote says it all. Even with the rain, it was beautiful.
We read, because we are geeks.
When we got home, Lionel asked me what my favorite part of the cruise was. And do you know what I told him?
Sitting on deck four that night.
He agreed.
Consider this moment savored!
Sarah would probably say her favorite part was beating us at our favorite game TWICE. Or, it would be seeing her favorite animal in towel form as we went back to the room to dress for dinner:
As Sarah would say, "an ephelant!" (sic)
Up next: Mae West, and a CC islander!
Todays drink of the day is Coquito!
Coquito, according to Wikipedia, is the Puerto Rican version of eggnog. Which to me is a total misnomer, because only about 25% of the people I know actually LIKE eggnog (I am including myself in the 25%, as I have a small carton of Silk Nog sitting in the refrigerator door as we speak ..I actually prefer it to true eggnog) but 100% of the people I know who have tried Coquito have attempted to steal the remainder of it from our clutches shortly thereafter. We are fortunate to have a dear friend who makes it every year (and who occasionally experiments with other flavors, like chocolate *drool*). This year? He gave us A WHOLE GALLON. I resolve to drink some every night, and to value our friendship with every *hic* sip.
*Hic*
And now, some of the things I forgot to mention in my last update. Namely, that I was hung over (imagine that) from the champagne punch we served at said Christmas party (no, it had NOTHING to do with the Coquito). But, also I meant to mention that:
- we saw more drunk people in Serenity Bay than we have EVER seen before, ANYWHERE on the Disney boat. I guess when its too cold to go in the water, you have to do SOMETHING. Right? Fortunately, most of them were not too obnoxious.
- except for that couple that was in Match Your Mate a few days ago. I dont know what he did, or how drunk she was, but I do know she was mad at him for something and that he was talking a mile a minute to get out of trouble. Didnt look like it was working, from what I could gather.
- that photo of the drink and the boat? It took about seven tries to get it right. I kept getting a giant close-up of a pineapple wedge. Heh.
Also, I neglected to include this mediocre photo of my feet at SB. It is by far the lamest foot photo I have taken to date:
Ho, hum.....these feet are mighty chilly......
Anyhow, where were we? Oh, yeah. Heading back to the boat. I snapped a profile of our lovely Disney Wonder, her nose protruding in a stately manner, highlighted by the ominous clouds in the background. I thought it looked pretty neat. What I failed to notice, however, was the omen: DARK CLOUDS.
The Wonder's Roman nose
Dark clouds = breezy conditions. Breezy conditions = waves. Waves + breeze + sailing through the ocean = a rocking boat. Oh, Lordy. Its a good thing I am not the seasick type, because I imagine a lot of folks were yakkin allllllll night long. Me? I had ginger chews. And I did eat them. But well get to that later.
For now, we were parked at CC, and all three of us were perched on the shelf of a hot tub, each in front of a jet of water. Through the plexiglass, we could see the conditions getting broodier and broodier as we basked in the warmth of the Jacuzzi. And despite the fact that we did not get to snorkel, or otherwise enjoy the crystal clear Bahamian waters that morning? Or afternoon? We were all rather content. In fact, I think that adding several outdoor hot tubs would be the only way they could improve Serenity Bay. How awesome would that be? I need to fill out a comment card.
Anyhow, the only thing better than sitting in a hot tub on a private island in the Caribbean is sitting in an adults-only café, sipping alcoholic coffee beverages and playing European board games, while parked in a boat at a private island in the Caribbean. Well, if youre a geek, anyhow.
I have a Café Toledo, which is coffee with Baileys and Kahlua. It wasnt so much alcoholic as it was ridiculously sweet and caffeinated. Which was still quite nice. Especially as the rain started pounding against the door of the Cove Café. Yes, my friends, we picked the perfect time to head indoors and grab a hot beverage. Because it was getting pretty ugly outside.
Now, I have no delusions of having survived the most inclement weather a Disney boat has ever seen. I had friends on the Transatlantic crossing, and they told me tales of 20 foot swells and people vomiting overboard (which, in retrospect, makes a veranda room on a TA crossing so much less appealing ..watching falling vomit is not my idea of a lovely ocean view). It was, however, the worst we had ever been through on any of our sailings. After losing miserably to Sarah YET AGAIN (she always wins, its not fair!), we headed to the gift shop to do some shopping for my parents who were watching our dog while we were away.
Yar, I be beatin' ye at Settlers of Catan, arrrrr
Actually, we didnt so much head to the gift shop as we did STAGGER. But only a little bit. Just enough to notice.
I bought my step-mom a logo polo shirt, and I got my dad a pirate Pluto and some animal cookies which were housed in a Disney boat. Nothing too crazy, as we were on a budget. I must have looked like I wanted more, because the cashier said to me do you like pins?
Who, me? Me, who has a little folio of pins from every park? Me, who scours cast lanyards for hitchhiking ghosts? Me, who refuses to tally the cost of all of her tin crack for fear that it might equal more than three mortgage payments? Yes, you could say that I like pins.
He smiled at me, and pulled something from under the counter which he slipped into my bag.
Dont look at it until you leave, ok?
Err, ok. I hope its not your phone number, or your AIM screenname, dude. Im married. I smiled and took the bag, warily glancing inside to make sure nothing was moving around in there of its own volition.
Outside, I discovered that he had given me two YOMD pins, featuring Tinkerbell! In all of our Disney excursions since the YOMD (which is apparently turning into the couple of years of a million dreams) began, this is only the second time we have been granted a dream. The first was when we boozed around the world with a gaggle of geeks, and we got special mouse ears. That was waaaaaaaay back in October of 2006. So naturally I was, as the Scottish say, dead chuffed. ***
*** Google it
So, back on the boat. Were swaying, weve bought gifts, yada yada. Back in the room, I packed everything up nice and early to eliminate any chance of a repeat of last years last minute packing fiasco, which was less than fun. Sarah and I counted three sets each of H2O products between the two of us. A word to the wise every time you put them in your bedside table for "safe keeping"? A new trio of shampoo, conditioner and body butter will appear. And it all smells great. So, steal away.
After packing, Lionel and I realized that while we had shown Sarah our favorite place on the boat, we had not really spent much quality time there. Naturally, I am talking about the chairs on deck 4. NATURALLY! Being the last night, most everyone was lining up for photos and dinner, which means most of the deck was completely empty.
Score.
We read, and read, and lounged, and lounged. A few times I got up to look overboard, impressed by the sound of the crashing waves and also by the height of the spray along the sides of the boat. Finally, right before sunset, I got the bright idea to go and get my camera from the room. And then, by the time I got back? It was dark. So instead of impressive waves, I captured what looks like a slightly foamy ocean.
The waves were 4-8 feet, according to the monitors inside.....which is about 4-8 feet higher than they appear in these photos.
Ah, well.
We sat and read some more, and I did my best to savor the moment for what it was. Every time I think of this boat, I wish I were sitting in those chairs, reading a book and absorbing the wonderful salt air in the breeze. We were there for about two hours, and I relished every single minute of them. In fact, here is what I wrote in my notepad:
Sounds of the ocean, thoughts of vastness and the beauty of it all. Salt air on my lips. Rain blurring the horizon. The only sound is that of the rain and the waves.
That was supposed to remind me of some deep and meaningful thoughts I was having about life and why we are here on this earth, but sadly I cant remember what they were anymore. Looking back at the paragraph, though, I think what I wrote says it all. Even with the rain, it was beautiful.
We read, because we are geeks.
When we got home, Lionel asked me what my favorite part of the cruise was. And do you know what I told him?
Sitting on deck four that night.
He agreed.
Consider this moment savored!
Sarah would probably say her favorite part was beating us at our favorite game TWICE. Or, it would be seeing her favorite animal in towel form as we went back to the room to dress for dinner:
As Sarah would say, "an ephelant!" (sic)
Up next: Mae West, and a CC islander!
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