The Week After

Can you believe that we have been home a week? Where does the time go. As usual we have been busy since returning ... mainly just catching up. We have booked the next adventure ... 01/09/2011 on the Norwegian Pearl. Now comes the hard part ... waiting till that day. Lady returned to work and is enjoying the start of the tax season for the Company. Everyone wants it yesterday. Wild Mom is settling in and finally got the Christmas stuff down in between appointments. But she did find time to go to the Gospel Sing on Saturday. Some things never change. Maybe we show call her "PowerShopper" instead! #1 has until the end of the month as that is when the contract expires. #2 is a shadow as he moves about with his friends. Peanut made the "President's List" at school. Amazing what happens when you believe in yourself. Now we will focus on the drama. AJ is growing like a weed and is all boy. Nothing is too tall to climb on or too high to jump off of. Lil Princess is talking and conversing now. I can't help laughing sometimes at her sentence structure and choice of words. But she gets her ideas across. Of course, I am drinking from a fire hose as I learn 3-year-old-ese. Lew is ever becoming the young man. Slow down and let us enjoy the child. Next Sunday, he will start his first bowling league. That should prove a very good source of a lot of laughs. Church is fine and growing, work is the same. We watched the movie "2012" last night with Green Giant, HDTech, and TL. It was entertaining but we are glad we didn't have to pay for the experience. The Cherry Pie and coffee helped a lot.

Congrats Colts and Saints ... my choices.

Maybe the Socialism Movement will stop now. Oh, well he will just move to another area and start anew. I guess middle class tax hikes and budget freezes are the next target in his agenda. He can't budge Banks, Big Oil, or Wall Street ... so take on the easy target ... the citizen.

Why not take all the unused FEMA trailers and ship them to Haiti? I bet you they won't turn them down! Hey Obama, while you are doling out all those 100 Millions to Haiti ... what about the homeless and jobless here? We haven't even finished New Orleans after Katrina!

Most Excellent Adventure - Day Fourteen

Well, today is our final travel day. The most excellent adventure comes to a close. The day and drive was beautiful. Leaving Greenville SC, the drive up US-29 was enjoyable and relaxed. Our thoughts were mixed as the idea we had to return to reality on Wednesday. We chatted about future cruises but there were more periods of silence than times of chatting. We stopped in Ruckersville, VA to eat some Mexican food at El Agave. It was good but we prefer our home restaurant in Warrenton. Like the trip so too must this blog end. Until next time ... Be Safe.

Most Excellent Adventure - Day Thirteen

We left Lake City about 10 am and I was bushed from driving all night. I was amazed how our two GPS's couldn't decide on the right route. Toys! This was also a quiet driving day with us finally stopping in Greenville SC. That van doesn't get very good mileage and we only managed 50 mph with all our stops. What we need is a motor home ... hint ... hint. But, we had fun, laughed a lot and just chatted. That is ... when ever Lady and TL allowed us to get a word in edgewise. Despite being off the ship ... the shopping continues. Wild Mom is home, unpacking and planning her next adventure. She has also decided it was time to take down the Christmas decorations. Tomorrow is our last road day and I must sleep to be of any good.

Most Excellent Adventure - Day Twelve

Were do I begin. Sunday morning started out as any other morning this past week. Breakfast at 8 and then an hour waiting to get off the boat. The difference today was we were heading home. Once we disembarked and got all our a luggage into the trailer we headed Northwest to take Wild Mom home. Dragging our bags to the opposite end of the docks is always an adventure. We headed out across Alligator Alley and boy did it live up to its name. There were a lot of them. Sometimes there were a dozen all basking on the shoreline. For some 60+ miles they lined the shore with only brief patches where they didn't lay next to another. They are very black in color and easy to spot. We did not get to see any moving ... guess it was nap time. We kept seeing one black bird that would sit on the branch with it wings out stretched and its mouth wide open. Was he trying to be lazy and let the bugs fly in? I will have to some research on that one. We finally managed to get a few pictures of the gators though we did not get very close. I made sure TL was always between them and me. I know I can out run her. We then turned north on I-75 and headed to our overnight spot in Lake City Fl. We even managed to see a wild pig and her piglets walking along the side of the interstate. Hope she doesn't cross the road or someone will be buying a new car. Green Giant, TL and HDTech remained there while Lady and I took Wild Mom home. That was a long side trip. I-10 is nothing but woods for some 280 miles. Add darkness, wind and rain and it is pretty boring at times. While at Wild Mom's, some 2 hours, we managed to chat, fix the antivirus program and her email working on her desktop and then get about 90 minutes of a power nap before heading back. We finally returned to Lake City 12 hours later after an all night drive. We dodged all the deer and wounded a possum. The trip to Milton Fl was named the Possum Run since I saw plenty of them ... had to be over 2 dozen over that stretch. The deer were also abundant but luckily none of them decided to race across in front of me.

Most Excellent Adventure - Day Eleven, Sea Day 7

Well, we have departed Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas for Miami. Our most excellent adventure, at least the sea part ends at 8 am. Today was a great day as we went to the private island for a beach party. TL and I snorkeled and Lady sat in the sun working on her tan. This is the first time we have been here in about 7 years. It has really changed, mostly for the good. The only downer is they still don't have a dock and we must be tendered. Today's water made it impossible for HDTech, Green Giant and Wild Mom from going ashore. Dinner was in the Main Dining room, TSar's, and as usual the service and food were great. Most of the afternoon was spent napping and doing all those things needed to disembark tomorrow. Customs, liquor pickup, Cruise Rewards, last minute gifts, and napping are just a start of the to do list. I really got lucky in the last drawing in the Galleria. I won two prizes. The first was a bracelet made of Italian Glass and a necklace of a string of pink Pearls. Wild Mom claimed the bracelet and Lady took the Pearls. Two years running in winning the final night prizes. Maybe my luck will change this year. Entertainment consisted of the Crew Talent Show. Every act was great and interesting to see how those who have served us are so talented. Then Tim Kaminski and the Cats Pajama's brought the house down. We loved those shows. Well, time to get some sleep, the bags are packed and set outside the door.

Most Excellent Adventure - Day Ten, Sea Day 6

Our last sea day is done. It finishes the trip from Costa Maya to Great Stirrup Cay. It was beautiful day of 76.4 degrees and overcast. But the sun broke through in the afternoon and the sunbathers were delighted. It didn't take long for us to find the shade and avoid getting burned. Everybody today went many different ways as we had things we wanted to do. We had breakfast in the Dining room but had lunch is the Garden Buffet as we sat in the sun. Dinner was at Teppanyaki, a Japanese Steakhouse. The Chef put a show on while he cooked our meal which turned out to be excellent. We then went to see "Cats Pajamas" and managed to get front row seats. Lady got sang too and we all acted like birds in the "Lion Sleeps Tonight." Madly rushing to the Stardust Theater, we made it in time for the Jean Ann Ryan's "Cirque Bijou." Great performance. We tried Karaoke but the people were bad ... no amount of alcohol could help them or us. Wild Mom rested today saving it up for one last blast at the beach at Great Stirrup Cay. She is planning on being Annette Funicello and hoping some of the crew will join her in a Beach Blanket Bingo. She really enjoyed the dinner at Teppanyaki. Lady and TL hit several give aways and exercised some ... believe it or not ... they are going to get serious about this when they get home. I guess the stairs finally got to them! Well, we lose an hour tonight ... so I am going to bed with no cookies or ice cream.

Most Excellent Adventure - Day Nine, Sea Day 5

Costa Maya was a lot of fun. The Sun was out in full force and the temperature made it to 78.2 degrees. The port was smaller than I imagined but it was quaint and the land around it very flat for as far as we could see. We kept to our routine of Breakfast at 8:30. The ship docked so we were able to take HDTech onshore. It was amazing how much stuff was for sale in such a small area. The vendors were constantly trying to get you into their store and always wanted to deal to get you to buy from them. Green Giant got his tequila he wanted. But he has to wait until we get to Miami to get it. Wild Mom found a ring she wanted in every store but alas funds were the stopping point. Lady and TL were all over the place looking and dealing. I managed to find a bracelet for the girls in my life ... they are handmade. Wild Mom paid her dues for yesterday's escapades as she overslept in the morning and over napped in the afternoon. She did manage to collect all the charms for her bracelet. That thing must weigh 2 pounds now. The afternoon was free flow as everyone did what they wanted ... naps, sun bathing, or sitting on deck reading. The Sea Bass for dinner was excellent. We watched 2 shows by the Cats Pajamas. They are good and the show is very entertaining. Tonight ended with ice cream and cookies. We tried to get into the "Dancing With the Jewel Stars" but the place was full and sitting in the back would not have been fun.

Most Excellent Adventure - Day Eight, Sea Day 4

Goodbye Belize ... it was a great day as the temperature reached 78.6 degrees and the sun came out in full force. We slept in till 8:30 and then had breakfast. Lady, Wild Mom and TL headed for town. We were tendered so they had fun on the long ride in. Speaking of fun ... Wild Mom fell for a Hispanic Tender Operator and he couldn't keep his hands off her. We need to teach him the art of "soft hands" so he won't bruise her any more. She is well and enjoying all the attention and night life on the ship. Lady managed to spend some money to in Belize City. What she bought should prove to be interesting when we get home. We, guys, sat on deck in the sun relishing its warmth. My nose took the worse ... but what the heck ... it is vacation time. I had my hot rock massage today and was very relaxed the rest of the day. Peanut needs to learn this stuff! The afternoon included more naps and ice cream ... a very important part of cruising. The evening show was called "Country Gold" and was done by the Jean Ann Ryan Dancers. "Miss Stretch Anyway but Loose" danced, once again showing the flexibility of the human body. I just can't convince Lady or TL to try it. We miss the grandkids especially on the pool deck when we see some of the other kids. Well, Lady just showed up with ice cream and cookies for a bedtime snack ... time to go!

Most Excellent Adventure - Day Seven, Sea Day 3

With Honduras in our dust, we head for Belize City and the Sun. That being said, it means our 3rd Sea day comes to a close. It started out a very lazy day with breakfast at 8:30. Any meal on ship takes about 1.25 hours to do. We didn't do any on shore excursions (we were tendered and that makes it hard for HDTech), so we just relaxed on deck in the 72.5 degree weather. SuDoku got a good workout, well, at least my mind did. Of course a few drinks were in order along with the soft serve ice cream. While the sun hid from us all day it was still beautiful. Wild Mom, Lady and TL hit the town of Roatan for some power shopping. $25 dollars later and a few miles walked, they returned to the ship ready for lunch and a nap. Dinner was at Cagney's, a superb Steak house that begs for you to eat at. We loved the meal and it was more than most of us could eat. Afterwards Green Giant decided to buy a watch. After about an hour of shopping, or better yet, questioning the pretty young lady from Saint Lucia about the watch he bought it. I didn't have the heart to tell him I bought the same watch for a fraction of the cost the "Everything $10 Store" 4 floors higher. Then we saw a young man, Chantz, do a music, tap, and jazz show. It was good but I am still waiting for the "Cats Pajamas".

Today's Weather: 72.5 Degrees and cloudy.

Most Excellent Adventure - Day Six, Sea Day 2

It is getting warmer and the sun was out some this afternoon. We dock in Roatan Honduras at 8:00 am tomorrow. Another lazy day as we cruised farther south. We spent the day exploring and checking the ship out. Of course we took several short naps to keep our strength up. We eat at the big dining rooms for our meals. No since buffeting when we can get waited on hand and foot. That doesn't include the stops at the ice cream machine. For entertainment we saw the Jean Ann Ryan dancers do a show called "Band on the Run". It was 70's music. The one girl stretched and did splits that made you hurt just watching. Then we watched the "Newly Wed and Not So Newly Wed game." They had a couple married for 51 years, another for 19 and one couple married just 1 month. We laughed a lot at some of the answers and the couples reaction when the other said something equally embarrassing. Lady and TL walk about a half mile today to burn off some of the cookies and ice cream that had been consumed. Then they went to a shopping talk for the next port. My wallet got lighter even before they returned and we aren't at the port yet. Wild Mom must be sweet on one of the engineers. Her temperature control in her room would only work for about 3 hours at a time and she would call him back. ;) We called it a night at Midnight as the old eye lids got too heavy.

Current Weather: 71 Degrees and clear.

Most Excellent Adventure - Day Five, Sea Day 1

Well, Day 5 has ended very well. We are on the ship and headed south to warmer weather. We started out being lazy as we were only 25 miles from the dock and couldn't check in before 12:00. The check in was hectic as usual as they tried to process 2000+ people as fast as they could. I hate all the old folks with electric wheelchairs as they are the world's worst drivers. I guess being handicap gives you the right to be a biatch. Almost every one of us were run over once by a bad wheelchair driver. We finally made it on board only to find the cabins weren't ready. So we improvised and had lunch and that was good especially topped of with soft serve ice cream, 2 cones to be exact. The afternoon was spent getting organized and unpacked divided by a evacuation drill with life preservers. Lady is so cute with hers on. Dinner was complete with good food and wine. Entertainment tonight was Tim Kaminski as very good comedian. My highlight was when they announced that Cats Pajamas would be doing 3 shows this week. They are one awesome Acappella group. After a nightcap in the 70's Disco bar we called it a night. I need my rest ... you know ... :) Wild Mom is doing good and scoping out all the single guys .. who knows what will happen by the end of the cruise. TL gave us a good laugh when she sent her stuff through the metal detector and every thing got spread between three other peoples stuff. Talk about a shoebox shuffle. Of course she has been bitten by the camera bug and sees the cruise through the lens of her camera. There is no doubt there will be plenty of pics. Right now looking out our glass sliding door we can see no lights from shore ... Bye Bye Miami! Right now we are almost past Key West headed for Roatan, Honduras. We will arrive there on Tuesday Morning. Tomorrow is a sea day so massages, Jacuzzis, eating and sunbathing are the order of the day.

Current Temperature: 50 Degrees and all the pools are 80+ degrees.

Most Excellent Adventure - Day Four

Day 4 and we are in Fort Lauderdale Fl. The day started with rain and sleet. But the drive was uneventful and without incident. We didn't see much wildlife except for the numerous raccoons acting like road-kill. Wild Mom spent most of the time on the phone. And when not talking on the phone she practiced her lines ... Are we there yet? Lake Okeechobee was really big though it was hard to see sometimes because of the levees. Yesterday we saw a lot of horse farms, today we saw as many orange groves and sugar cane fields. We ended the night by eating dinner at Bubba Gumps Shrimp Company right on the Atlantic Ocean. The food was great and we had a blast looking at all the memorabilia from the movie. As we walked back to van after dinner, we saw two Princess Cruises heading out of port. Tomorrow, we have a short drive to Miami and the ship and the cruise really begins. While it is warmer here than at home, we are looking forward to the warm weather to the south.

Weather (01/09): 46 degrees and Drizzle.
Weather (01/10): 52 degrees and Partly Cloudy.
Weather in Belize: 77 degrees and Sunny.

Most Excellent Adventure - Day Three

Well, we made it to Wildwood Fl. to end Day 3. It was a great drive in which most of the time we were the only car on the road. Tomorrow promises to be another great one as we go by the Everglades and Okeechobee. It was a short day so we could spend most of the time driving during daylight. We didn't see much wildlife but the views of the Gulf of Mexico were really nice. There sure are a lot of properties for sale down here. Lunch was at a hole-in-the-wall BBQ restaurant in Perry Fl. It was great BBQ and if we hadn't been travelling I think I would have ate a lot more. Dinner was at our old standby ... Denny's and it was also good. HDTech had a good day. Sometimes we wonder what goes through his mind as we ride along. Green Giant and TL were their usual selves. Playing with the GPS at times is a challenge and it is to simplify our lives? Lady was quiet today spending a lot of time cat-napping. I think she is ready for the driving to stop and spend more time walking. Wild Mom's eye is better now that she is medicating it. I just can't convince everyone to go swimming in the outdoor pool tonight. It is vacation time ... right?

Weather (01/08): 42 degrees and Cloudy.
Weather (01/09): 49 degrees and Chance of rail.
Weather in Belize: 73 and Sunny.

Most Excellent Adventure - Day Two

Day 2 was a long day but we made it to Panama City safely. We had light rain for most of the second half of the trip today. After leaving I-10 I had hoped to see some of the sights as we drove SR-77 to Lynn Haven Fl. We were running late so it was dark and not much to be seen. Biker Boy had a good day and that helps when there are a lot of miles to cover. We picked up Wild Mom so she will be able to go to the Caribbean now. We even managed to squeeze her bags into the trailer. She was so restless last night in anticipation that she scratched her eye and had to see a doctor. She is ok and except for some medicine she is fit as a fiddle for the trip. Dinner was at La Hacienda, while it was good it wasn't El Agave. Lady is well. She catnapped and chatted most of the day. Oh, we did stop at Denny's for breakfast. Hopefully we will find one tomorrow also. Tomorrow we will run down the US highways (19 & 27) to South Florida. Instead of pushing it in one day we are going to break it up into 2 easy days. Allows for more hot tub time! Bubba Gump's Shrimp on Saturday. We will get to see some of the Everglades and Okeechobee area. Who knows, maybe a gator will make an appearance. Green Giant never runs out of jokes. TL slept so much that she slept through the Eastern Time Zone and then remarked the clock was an hour off when she woke up. Of course, every one's cell phones ran down from the constant calls and texts. Good thing for car chargers!

Weather (01/07): 54 degrees and Cloudy.
Weather (01/08): 49 degrees and Chance of rail.
Weather in Belize: 82 and Sunny.

Most Excellent Adventure - Day One

Well, the day is finally here. After waiting almost a year, we have headed south to the warm weather. Wednesday was mainly a travel day ( about 450 miles) with us eventually spending the night in Greenville SC. We are about halfway to picking up Wild Mom. The scenic was great as we came straight down US-29 to I-85. Driving the Interstate makes you miss some of the great scenery the US highway provides. We splurged for lunch at MacD's and then enjoyed a good hot dinner at Cracker Barrel. Guarantee Denney's is on the menu for tomorrow. Even Lady managed not to buy out the store but we found a neat outfit for Lil Princess. Biker Boy traveled very good today. The van is a bit hill-challenged with the trailer on back but we managed to make it over them all. With luck we will pick up Wild Mom and then spend the night in Panama City. Of course this all hinges on how much did she pack ... the trailer will only hold so much. The camera's remained packed today so I have no first day photos. Green Giant kept us laughing with a steady stream of jokes and TL seemed to always be talking so we never had to turn the radio on.

Weather (01/06): 41 degrees, Sunny and Breezy.
Weather (01/07): 58 degrees, Sunny and light winds.

Rock Throwing Group

On the other side of the coin, it seems my "Rock Throwing Group" is still at it. You would think after a year of throwing rocks at the dead horse they would give up. But no, they still do and find pleasure in it. Please get a life and move on, those old bones will not come back to life so the continuing pummeling of the dead horse has no purpose except to make you feel good.

After listening to Pastor Jim on Sunday, I too agree that I am not who I should be when it comes to being a Christian. All I can do is keep trying and maybe one day get it right. I make no pretense that I have done everything right, made all the right decisions, or treated everyone correctly. I freely admit to my mistakes. But I only have to ask Jesus for forgiveness and with his blessing I am moving on. I have searched the Bible high and low and can only find one person who did it perfectly right ... and he is the one I am trying to live up too. So my little rock throwers, put your rocks away. As Christ wrote in the sand and said, "... you who are without sin cast the first stone ... " Well, you have thrown enough to kill the horse, maybe it is time you look at your life. Do you attend Church? Have you offered the olive branch of peace and forgiveness? Does your life speak to everyone as someone striving to be like Christ? I won't throw any rocks back. Stephen was stoned to death because he wouldn't lower his standards, and I won't either. What I believe to be wrong is just that ... wrong. I have my peace and forgiveness for that choice. Find another horse to stone! After more than a year ... get over it and do something else with your rocks. You have pressed for your freedom and emancipation since day one. You have it now ... so get a grip on your life and move on. Stoning this dead horse has accomplished nothing but waste a year of your freedom. Since we have been rejected because of our beliefs, we have moved on even to the point of changing our habits to avoid anywhere you frequent. If the sight of us bothers you so much why pelt us with rocks anymore and keep the memory alive? Move on and have your life with those you have so eloquently said are better than us and more of a family to you. Once again, why stone us again ... we have released you! Is it out of frustration that you have made the wrong choice and now regret it? It doesn't matter to us now ... as we live our life and move on, sadly without you in it. But that is what you wanted ... so it is a win-win situation. It is just irritating being stoned over this long dead horse. You want us to be better Christians ... well we are trying and changing our lives as Christ leads us. We suggest you might find a church to be part of and see how much Christ can change your life. It might be an eye opener! Judging Christians based on your feeling of us is the wrong way. Just because we have made mistake in our pursuit of being a Christian doesn't mean we worship the Devil ... that kind of counsel from friends, sadly shows their ignorance and reasons you should choose your friends better. Take your rocks and find something worthy to pummel.

This is my last post (I pray so) on this matter. Lady and I are moving on with our lives, we are tired of the pain and loss and sadly this new direction doesn't include you. If you insist on stoning the long dead bones of the horse ... you do so out of vindictiveness and hate ... I pray you find what Christ really means to you. Best wishes with your new family and friends. There is a time to put your rocks away and move on ... and the time is now.

The First

Well, the New Year has arrived and things are pretty much the same. The weekend was quite as was the welcoming of the New Year. We spent it with our best friends and toasted the New Year in. We would have tried it in the Hot tub but given we were just getting over our colds we chose not too. Plus, who wanted to jeopardize our vacation? The cruise is here and the trip down to the ship is now barely 48 hours away. The excitement level is building as we have waited for this time for almost a year. Wild Mom is also getting pumped as she finishes up her packing and preparations. We will pick her up Thursday and then head for Miami. The crud is making its rounds at the house. Me and Lady are past it while #1 has it good. Maybe he will learn NyQuil isn't the solution and all he got from drinking all those bottles is a lite buzz. Peanut is back to school today and starts the final stretch to graduate. AJ is all energy and such a blast to watch. He is trying to carry on a conversation but us adults haven't quite figured out kidspeech, especially from a 2 year old. Lil Princess is growing and becoming such a little lady. Lew had a sleep over this weekend so we didn't get to spend anytime with him. We wonder how much change will occur with them after we are gone for 2 weeks. Hopefully, #1 and #2 have included getting a job as their New Year resolution ... at least we can hope so! Starr is having a blast especially since she now has two new cats. Cats and Dogs ... the perfect storm on the horizon. It is good to see her happy and moving on with her life.

Good bye Jim Zorn. Sorry you were fired instead of the meddling and micro-managing owner with no football savvy. he is good at making money but no amount of money can buy you football smarts. Worse yet, you were fired because of the misfits the owner saddled you with. I have to say they were a pretty sorry lot. Old players trying to maintain their past glory, overpaid players soaking the team, and a few more who could care less and only worried about not getting hurt or doing what they were paid to do ... mainly play football at a professional level. Fire the team would be a good start and the best move would be to get the owner to quit being the coach.