October 20th 2007 Western Magic Part 2

[cntkg1]

Hey!

BTW - Nancy, I'm using Plankton as an argument for that thing you and I were discussing the other day. I'll let you know what happens - we're nearing a resolution very shortly I think.

Looking for some smilies with "crossed fingers", "praying hands", and one that is "holding her breath" for the answer of MY choice!!

 

[disgrits]

Hey, Brenda. Just read your latest installment of your TR.....I'm still laughing! The Toblerone thing is hilarious! Keep it up, girl! We want more! We want more! We want more!

As for "where are you from" teams......I guess my family is just from the state of confusion! We live now in Monterey, moving in June to VA, but we are originally from Louisiana--yes, that is right, you will be cruising with a family of cajuns! And yes, my husband and I understood every word Adam Sandler uttered in "The Water Boy," oh yeah, and every word his uncle said, too. Rest assured we are not as "weak in the mind" as their characters (at least I hope not!) even if we will sometimes sound like we are.

I guess I can be on the same team as Cass, since my ancestors came from Nova Scotia, Canada! Lassiez Les Bon Temps Rouler, Cass!

Paige

 

[oybolshoi]

Hey, Brenda. Just read your latest installment of your TR.....I'm still laughing! The Toblerone thing is hilarious! Keep it up, girl! We want more! We want more! We want more!

As for "where are you from" teams......I guess my family is just from the state of confusion! We live now in Monterey, moving in June to VA, but we are originally from Louisiana--yes, that is right, you will be cruising with a family of cajuns! And yes, my husband and I understood every word Adam Sandler uttered in "The Water Boy," oh yeah, and every word his uncle said, too. Rest assured we are not as "weak in the mind" as their characters (at least I hope not!) even if we will sometimes sound like we are.

I guess I can be on the same team as Cass, since my ancestors came from Nova Scotia, Canada! Lassiez Les Bon Temps Rouler, Cass!

Paige

Thanks Paige! I just couldn't pass up the Tower of Toblerone.

Hey, we're not Cajun or Canadian but Jay and I are all over Let the Good Times Roll! Just curious - have you been in touch with anyone in and around New Orleans lately? We've been wondering how the recovery is really going down there and are so anxious to go back for a visit but we want to do it when it would be appropriate.

Thanks!

Brenda

 

[cntkg1]

Paige, how did your dad's surgery go? Well, I hope.

Kudos to Mr. Dust Stuff himself tonight. Chuck single handedly cut out 24 DIStag magnets without any complaining. I guess I should have told him to stop after 15, but I thought what the heck. Why stop the man when he's on a roll? Besides, that way I don't have to do it.

Off to Falalalalalafofarah to see if my favorite author did an update!

 

[disgrits]

Thanks Paige! I just couldn't pass up the Tower of Toblerone.

Hey, we're not Cajun or Canadian but Jay and I are all over Let the Good Times Roll! Just curious - have you been in touch with anyone in and around New Orleans lately? We've been wondering how the recovery is really going down there and are so anxious to go back for a visit but we want to do it when it would be appropriate.

Thanks!

Brenda

Well, from what I understand, the French Quarter and Bourbon Street are just fine. I think the aquarium is fine as well. I'm not sure about Audobon Zoo. The places of NO that are really hurting are those residential areas that were obliterated. The 9th ward may hav3e been hit the worst, but there were other areas hit as well. Rob's cousin and her husband lost their brand new home. I'm ashamed to say that seeing some of the middle class homes affected me as much if not more than those in the 9th ward, only because I could relate to it, and say, "Wow, that could be us!" Of course it goes without saying that we were horrified to see all those poor folks on their roofs. It'll be years (if ever) before those areas are up to par. I am anxious to see what becomes of the city. IMO, it'll be 10 years before "the next New Orleans" materializes. I understand that many folks in this country feel like the city should not be rebuilt..I wonder if they feel the same way about NY or LA or Chicago? I am biased because I grew up just a couple of hours from NO, and loved every minute of visiting there. For my family, the worst came 3 weeks after Hurricane Katrina--Hurricane Rita. Here is my parents' home with I think a foot and a half of water in it. and they were 100 times luckier than the folks in NO.

It looks so small but this house is 2500 sq ft. (I just had to show this pic with all the talk of flooded basements previously.)Anyway, as for New Orleans, there is definitely no place like it! Sorry for the rant. Rob and I are actually going to spend a couple of nights there this summer on our "cross-country trek" to Virginia. I will be able to report on the status of NO after that trip, as I think my family will keep our kids so we can do an adults only trip. So....food pics may be in order on this thread! Now I am hungry for Bananas Foster!

Again, everyone, sorry for the rant!

 

[disgrits]

Paige, how did your dad's surgery go? Well, I hope.

Kudos to Mr. Dust Stuff himself tonight. Chuck single handedly cut out 24 DIStag magnets without any complaining. I guess I should have told him to stop after 15, but I thought what the heck. Why stop the man when he's on a roll? Besides, that way I don't have to do it.

Off to Falalalalalafofarah to see if my favorite author did an update!

Nancy, thanks so much for asking. He has not had the surgery yet. He is scheduled for the 13th. I am flying home on the 11th and returning here on the 20th. There goes my diet! I guess it would be in poor taste to eat a fried shrimp po-boy (sub) in the waiting room while my dad is having open-heart surgery, huh? I will keep you all posted on the goings-on while I am at home. There should be really good family drama....I love 'em, really!! Seriously, my dad will be happy that I am home and that is all that matters to me. As for the rest of the cast of characters, they will just have to put up with my constant chatter about Disney and all my new buddies on the DisBoards!

 

[disgrits]

Almost forgot....CHUCK-YOU ARE THE MAN!!!!

 

[Timon]

Could be worse, you could be from Canada. Just kidding Cass.

Hey, I believe I may no longer be the token Canadian on this cruise!

Oh, oh, that would make Cass the only one out.
We'll include her on the US-nonWI team. Canada is close to NY.

I am about as close to NY as you are to the Rocky Mountains But hey, I'm there!! Go US-non WI team!!!!

Nancy,

Hey you made it through all 872 hours of my videos and you are still alive to talk about it??? Good for you brave woman!!!!!!!!

Ok, let's answer some Q's for ya....

1-Yes I do all my own editing. It's the most enjoyable part of making the videos, especially trying to synch certain parts of songs to the video!

2- Thankya, thankya very muºoºch!! <----hidden mickey!

3-He's going for 643 this trip!! You should come and join us, he's hilarious when he's had too much ice cream, you see he has hypoglycemia so to him, sugar is like alcohol. Too much and he starts laughing and snorting uncontrollably, which only leads to people around him laughing and snorting uncontrollably along with the occasional spew!

4-Nemo imitation done immediately after ice cream consumption....I rest my case!

5-The other couple is my friend Jeannine and her husband Moose....does this mean you owe US dinner now???

6- The WDW part of the trip was while you were on your cruise, we boarded the cruise as you left it. Wilma turned our Western into an Eastern

7-Actually, I made a ship announcement, "I am about to take video and photos of the entire ship, please remain in your cabin until I have concluded my media tour. Thank you."

8-Absolutely, I only charge $100 Canadian per hour....that's like $3 USD (actually, our dollar is MUCH better now, go figure tho...as soon as Rob starts to get paid in USD, our dollar gets REALLY strong! )

9- Actually, we avoid the elevators at all costs, everytime we use them, some idiot presses all the damn buttons!!!!

Actually, I do the stairs all the time to work off the 27 pounds of food I eat every day! This trip is gonna suck in the fact that we will have a stroller with us and will need to use the elevators all the time.

So, Brenda & Jason...keep those elbows away from those buttons!!! What are you doing leaving Cove Cafe anyway darnit!!!

Speaking of Brenda & Jason...on my way to "Argle-Bargle"

 

[disgrits]

Actually, I do the stairs all the time to work off the 27 pounds of food I eat every day! This trip is gonna suck in the fact that we will have a stroller with us and will need to use the elevators all the time.

Cass, have you ever seen the backpack that doubles as a stroller? That would be great for a cruise. We had one when our children were little and it was a lifesaver!

 

[oybolshoi]

I've updated again...thanks for reading us!! There are two new posts - one at the bottom of page 7 and the other at the top of page 8.

Paige, thanks for the info on NO. There's no need to apologize - it is mind boggling to me that anyone would consider not rebuilding New Orleans. Every city around the country and the world, for that matter, has vulnerabilities. The state of California alone is an annual natural disaster: fires, mudslides, earthquakes (mostly small but sometimes big and scary); but no one would ever think to tell the people who live there to give up the ghost and move someplace safer. That line of thinking could even be applied to cities and towns here in the midwest, especially those of us living in Tornado Alley. We face a very real threat every year, and tornados are far more common than hurricanes. When some dinky town in the middle of nowhere gets flattened by an F-3 twister Congress and Fema don't tell them to relocate.

Jay and I are both history geeks and part of what we love about New Orleans is it's uniqueness - that blend of French, Creole, African, American Indian, and American (and the others I'm forgetting) cultures and traditions. And the food and the music...I want to have breakfast at Brennans again...I want another 10-course tasting extravaganza from Commanders Palace...I want to stand in line for two hours outside Preservation Hall to listen to the best live jazz music I've ever heard. And I want to have some banana's foster, too!

But if the people who made the city so incredible, despite its problems, don't have a home or a job to keep them there then I am very afraid of what the future holds. It's a class and race issue and those are two things we are really bad about dealing with as a nation. We rebuilt Japan and Europe after WWII, but somehow can't seem to figure out how to rebuild the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina...

That picture of your parents' house reminds me of the flooding we had here during 1993. I hope everything worked out OK for them.

Jay and I will be eagerly awaiting your status report on the city later this summer.

Thanks everyone - sorry for the OT soap-box there.

Brenda

 

[Karen Mouse]

Wow- you lot were busy last night - I love having lots to read

Paige - I cannot believe that photo. Did they manage to get their stuff out or was everything ruined?

I love Ne Orleans. We only spent 4 days there but it was fantastic. I would love to go back some day. I watched an Oprah show around the 9th and it was unbelievable to see th conditions these poor people are having to still live in. Trailer park nightmare. Something big needs to happen fast. You're right if it was New York etc more would have been done by now.

Hi Tina - its not just your name (I actually usually remember yours and the regular posters more than the less regular)

Brenda - could you please expalin the title of your trippie. Am I the only one who doesnt know what it means . Is it something to do with the Simpsons? - that might explain it as I never watch it. I love reading your trippie - I might have to venture over to the food porn when this one is finished.

Cass - I have seen those buggy carrier things too - they might be a great idea for the holiday. We used to get a cheap one from Walmart at the beginning o the holiday and dump it at the end of the 2 weeks. Trouble was - half of Florida has the same buggy so its difficult to pick yours out in a crowd

By for now folks

 

[Karen Mouse]

Just wondering if anyone apart from our famous Author has done a trippie in the past. I would love to read them if you have - please post a link. I attempted one once last Easter - my first attempt called "Cheesecake and Mickey". Not too good compared to others (mention no names )but it has some nice photos in it - I love looking at photos - you get to share someones holiday

Anyway - I would love to read your trippies so get posting those links

 

[A fat english gent]

Elevator Tag...well, if I share the secret you guys are all going to know who to blame when you're standing around waiting on an elevator...

When you come back on board ship after a day in port it seems like everyone just piles in and waits for an elevator to show up rather than taking the stairs. On our last cruise our cabin was on deck 8 and we always took the stairs because we figured it was still quicker than waiting in that tiny, humid area on deck 1 for an elevator to show up that could only hold 10 people at a time.

We would actually run up the stairs, stopping at each deck to push the buttons for the elevator (both up and down) just to slow things down even more. This may not sound funny to you guys, but we thought it was hysterical. I usually ended up sitting in the stairwell on deck 6 laughing so hard I couldn't breathe (at our house we call this squeaking).

Honestly, Jay and I just aren't very nice. It's probably better to smash everyone's illusions right now.

Hmmm it's hot and sweaty,the kids are fighting,and the FAT fellas had too much sun he's stood in the bowls of the ship waiting for a lift to take him to the comfort and sanctuary of his cool and shaded balcony on deck 8 while trying to explain to the even bigger bloke behind him that his feet were not in the least bit interested in having a relationship with his big ugly size 14's.....only to later find out someone had being playing with the life buttons......

MEMO TO BRENDA AND JASON:It is highly recommended you wear your life jackets at all times.....

 

[cntkg1]

Hmmm it's hot and sweaty,the kids are fighting,and the FAT fellas had too much sun he's stood in the bowls of the ship waiting for a lift to take him to the comfort and sanctuary of his cool and shaded balcony on deck 8 while trying to explain to the even bigger bloke behind him that his feet were not in the least bit interested in having a relationship with his big ugly size 14's.....only to later find out someone had being playing with the life buttons......

MEMO TO BRENDA AND JASON:It is highly recommended you wear your life jackets at all times.....

OMG!!! That warranted a "coffee spew" that landed not only on my computer screen but my yellow lab who is now a chocolate lab. (Or should I say a "coffee lab"!)

 

[cntkg1]

(I just had to show this pic with all the talk of flooded basements previously.)

I digress.

 

[oybolshoi]

Brenda - could you please expalin the title of your trippie. Am I the only one who doesnt know what it means . Is it something to do with the Simpsons? - that might explain it as I never watch it. I love reading your trippie - I might have to venture over to the food porn when this one is finished.

Hi Karen! Yes - the title is a Simpson's quote and I used it because no other title I came up with on my own really captured the entire 10 day span of our trip. Argle-Bargle means argument, or dispute, and Foofarah means a great fuss or disturbance over something fairly insignificant. It's just another way for me to poke fun at the whole trip report process as well as Jay, myself, my parents, and eveything else under the sun. Some people are just waaaaaaaay too serious - we're just trying to lighten the mood.

We considered two other titles, The Cheesesteak Incident, Declassified and Plankton Conquers the World but we rejected them both as too narrow.

Thanks again for reading!

Hmmm it's hot and sweaty,the kids are fighting,and the FAT fellas had too much sun he's stood in the bowls of the ship waiting for a lift to take him to the comfort and sanctuary of his cool and shaded balcony on deck 8 while trying to explain to the even bigger bloke behind him that his feet were not in the least bit interested in having a relationship with his big ugly size 14's.....only to later find out someone had being playing with the life buttons......

MEMO TO BRENDA AND JASON:It is highly recommended you wear your life jackets at all times.....

Cool! Those new life jackets have neato shrill whistles that I can blow on early in the mornings as Jay and I walk down the Deck 8 passageway to Cove Cafe and the Vista Spa.

OMG!!! That warranted a "coffee spew" that landed not only on my computer screen but my yellow lab who is now a chocolate lab. (Or should I say a "coffee lab"!)

I agree with Nancy.

 

[cntkg1]

Cool! Those new life jackets have neato shrill whistles that I can blow on early in the mornings as Jay and I walk down the Deck 8 passageway towards to Cove Cafe and the Vista Spa.

Chris and Brenda...You two just crack me up!!

 

[oybolshoi]

Chris and Brenda...You two just crack me up!!

Nancy...will you go post something on my TR so that I feel like someone actually read it? I'm like Martin Prince at Show and Tell... "My geode must be acknowledged." It's a Simpsons reference...I can't seem to stop them.

All joking aside...did I "SIU" (Smart It Up) too much on these installments?

 

[oybolshoi]

Nancy and Paige (and anyone else who can't carry a tune) I have a truly terrible idea.

All that talk of poor singing has inspired me to launch...

The Konked Krooners

If Chris doesn't toss me overboard because I've made him wait an extra ten minutes for an elevator he'll be sure to feed me to the fishies when he hears our talented group of singers!

Who will Kroon with me?

 

[GOS]

My boyfriend at the time actually said...no word of a lie ...and I quote "what did you do that for?".........

That sounds so much like my DH.
Heather