You really need to stop being so funny! I tried explaining some of your episodes to a group of friends the other day and they all looked at me like I'd lost it. They all had "intervention" written all over their faces!
by the way, gramps is meeting Jenny at the bowling alley monday at noon.
Hey, I know that look. One of our cats even gives it to me when I sit down at the puter. "What? Again?"
Ok, am I ready? Got the smokes, no vikes, though, got the house to myself, I put on a fresh pot of Manhattans.
Ok, here we go.
I really want to start this out by saying something.
(then go ahead and say it, man)
Crap, I think the voices are coming back.
They tell me what to write.
No, really, I appreciate all of you for reading, and all of the "contributing editors", I really do.
And I know that I haven't been as faithfull in returning the favor most of the time. But I have a really hard time sitting at the computer for very long, my back just hates it, and, along with a shortage of time, well, that's why I'm a bad Nebo.
I have peeked in on a lot of yours , though.
Please check out Winkers, she's staying at the ASMU Sweets.
That's Suites.
Damn voices, can't spell worth a damn.
And Lynda, Disneyfreak92? She also has one going worth reading.
In the pre trip area, we have Tigertown, who plans naps every few hours into the itinerary.
And myrsfmly,,,, who did that strange remarry thing like us.
Oh, and Disneydad99, aka, Patrick, aka Jenny, who , um, likes to pull pranks, yep, I guess that sums it up.
Well, these are the current one's that I can think of. I already mentioned Tiggerwannabe's picture tr. And if you are ever laid up for a year, there is always Utah Mama's "My big, fat, Disney vacation". Yup, that's a good one that'll keep you busy.
Tiggerbell also has one in the pretrip report, but I'm sure you all knew that.
And one more, in the completed section, I want to go back and read, "What I'd do differently", by Lexmelinda. I joined in the middle of it, and now want to read the whole thing.
And now, back to talking about drugs.
I mean Disney.
I couldn't believe the exchange Diane had with the checkin girl about the cell phone. I didn't think I was gone long enough for that. But she said there was no line, and otherwise it all went quickly.
After I was done laughing, we pulled the car around and parked right up front by Aruba. Time to get what we need for the pool, and relocate to a lounge chair, which is FINE BY ME!
As she's grabbing her suit and what not, I grab what I need.
My Uncle John's Bathroom Reader. The BEST of.
So, now where do we go? The Jamaica pool, of course.
It was closest to our Aruba building.
Settling into the chairs, I noticed one other couple here. Beautifull, we have the whole place practically to ourselves.
She grabbed her bag and went to the bathroom to change, I just kind of wandered around a bit, checking it out.
When she came back, I got the , "Aren't you going to change into your suit?"
"Nope, don't need a suit."
"Oh, right," she said, "I suppose you're going to skinny dip?"
"Yep" "You got it, there's hardly anybody here."
And with that I unbuckled my belt, and yanked down my pants. Her eyes got big as saucers and she almost screamed, then she saw I had my suit on underneath.
"Funny guy."
Now, you guys are going to hate me for this, but I have to come clean sooner or later. I picked up the camera, went outside of the pool by the promenade that goes around the lake, and saw lots of smoke haze. It was really hazy. So, I didn't take any pictures. I'll take them later when the smoke clears up. Well, between the combination of putting it off, and using "old, bargain bin film", I don't have pics of CBR. Oh, I remember taking some the next day, but the developers only gave me back 12 on a 24 shot roll. I have one from our room that came out, I'll get to it eventually, but it's all I've got.
So I put my Canon "Maybe Shot" away, and went back and sat down.
It was quarter to eleven, at this time. Yes, the time is important.
I then got up and took a walk over to the drinking fountain,,, and said hello to a couple of old friends.
Even though it was kind of smoky, it still was a nice day, and I enjoyed just lying there, surrounded by quiet, and I daydreamed.
About Disney.
I'm about the only person in the world that can be IN Disneyworld, and still daydream about Disneyworld.
It just felt so good to be back home, I couldn't help it. I don't know why, but I just don't get this feeling at Universal like I do here, even though I've stayed there 4 times now.
It's the weird Disney magic, and, I swear, you only get it when you stay on sight there. I'm not talking about the expected magic, I mean the "weird" magic.
Like the first time we came here in '92, and the kids didn't argue.
Or back two years later when they were in the "terrible teen years", and they still hardly argued.
Then there was the time last year when this huge blackbird, or crow, gave Diane a back rub as she was lying in a lounger by the French Quarter pool.
I wrote about that I think in my first tr.
But, the strangest thing we ever saw, was two years ago, on a May trip that ended with a 3 night stay in the mansion section at Riverside.
Our first night there, right before we went to meet with our horse drawn carriage ride, I was having a drink, and doing the walk around the outside corridor thing that I always have to do. We were in Oak Manor, and right around the corner was a view of the river, facing west. As I stood there, looking at the sunset and scenery, I just couldn't believe what I was seeing!
I ran back and got Diane, " Cmon, hurry, you have to see this!"
You could SEE the sun set in the sky!
I'm not kidding, you could actually see it MOVE!
It was like watching a sped up, time-lapsed photography video going on.
I don't know if it had something to do with the background trees, or the overhang from the balcony framing it, but it was something to see.
yeah, I'm easily impressed
Never seen that before, never seen that since. And it seemed to go down at the same speed a second hand moves around a clock.
Hey, don't look at me in that tone of voice, she was there too.
And she doesn't "vike".
I still think it was Disney that did it.
A few more people showed up at the pool, but not many. At just after 12, Diane went and gave them a call.
Nope, not ready yet.
We took a dip, came on back and sat some more.
And boy, was it hot.
"Hey!", I said, wanna take a walk?"
I grabbed the car keys, and we walked back to our trust Santa Fe.
"The bar, is now open."
"I thought we were going to take a walk?"
"Yep, we are, here." And I handed her a beer.
"We know our building number, we know we're on the second floor, and, that we have a water view, right?"
"Right."
"So let's go see what rooms we might end up in."
We did the total walk-around the second floor, I was checking out what may be classified as a water view. Hey, you never know. Sometimes a bird bath can be considered a water view.
Or a frequent gardener with a bad head cold that likes to expectorate into the bushes could be classified as a "water view".
(sorry)
But in this building, it was easy, there was only about seven or eight rooms that could possible get that label.
And, of course, I re-classified them.
5146 and 47,,,,, crappy water view rooms. 48 through 50, nice,,,, 51 and 52 were the cream of the crop, and 53 and 54 were back to crappy water view rooms.
Ok, this major endeavor, now being completed, it was back to the pool and see if any of our stuff is still there.
At one thirty, she calls again.
Nope, not yet.
At two, Smidgy decided we need a change of scenery, or at least "house phones", and we packed up and relocated at the Aruba pool.
"Guess I'll try again."
And she did.
And they didn't.
This is without a doubt, the longest we have ever had to wait for a room.
Man, what a good thing we had a tan going in. Cuz we were starting to burn up. If somebody would have ordered their 'nebo and smidgy' medium, we would have been sent back.
At almost 3, I went back to the car, and grabbed a couple more beers.
The ice, has now turned into cold water.
After another dip, and, by the way, the pools are almost identical, only reversed, we settled back into the chairs, again.
It's now 3: 30, and things are starting to get tense.
She called again.
And now she is on the phone for almost ten minutes. I can see her across the pool, uh oh, now she's waving at me, trying to get my attention and join her.
Either that or their was a bee in her ear.
I hobbled over as quickly as I could.
"No, check in time is supposed to be 3 o'clock at the latest."
All I am getting is one side of the conversation.
"Hold on, let me talk to my husband."
She covers the phone and says, "Apperently, there is some sort of problem with our room, but they can put us in another room if we choose not to wait."
I thought for a Nanodeb. I mean Nanosecond. "No, then that would defeat the whole time we have spent waiting for this room!"
And she hung up. With the promise she will call back in fifteen minutes.
My watch now says quarter to four! Ten minutes goes by, and little Smidgy is now chomping at the bit. I am too, but she's been the one that's been doing all the calling.
I know, a little humor goes a long way.
"Honey?"
"WHAT?"
"Notice how you never see diving boards by pools anymore?"
"Yes," she responded, "just like they have taken out all the monkey bars in all the school playgrounds." "Law suits, I guess."
I told her, "Well, now that I understand."
"What?" "Are you serious?"
"Oh c'mon!"
I said, "Yeah, really, I don't think little kids should be out drinking with monkeys anyway."
(sorry, again, but I like it)
At four o'clock, she went back with me right next to her to call again.
Again, I am getting just the one side.
"Hey, we're burning to a crisp out here, what do you mean it's not ready yet?"
"Oh, you'll transfer us to a different room? Fine, make that a room in the Grand Floridian."
"No?"
"Uh huh."
"Yes"
"No"
"What do you mean you have "legally" until four o'clock to get us our room."
"All the brochures, including your web site says check in time is 3."
"What's the problem with the room, anyway?"
Honest to God, cross my heart, hope to die, this is what came out next.
Ok, where's the caps lock button
A LIGHT BULB? ARE YOU SERIOUS? I'LL CHANGE THE BULB MYLELF!
"Oh, and a problem with the airconditioning unit."
"What?"
"Oh, it is?"
"Ok, thank you, you have been most helpfull."
The sarcasm was just dripping off of her with the last statement.
"We are in room 5150, they say it's ready, let's go."
And so it was. It was 4:30 when we walked into the room, didn't even have to move the car. This was one of the "OK" water view rooms, at least it didn't come with a gardener with the head cold.
That's it. I had no idea this would go on for so long to get through this stage. Hope it makes for decent reading, even without pics, see ya'all soon, steve
Here's a lil suggestion for you. It's free-ish!
.....,,,,, was there at least an embarrassing slide show presentation? 
I have been to CBR before. I was just kinda hopin' for some current pictures.
Is the room ready? the often repeated question. it never is. Never early. 
I love the cartoon! I'd expect the ride to be good too. 
