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 >> Captain, Corporal, Ensign >>

1.27.2008
10:48 PM >> Carnival Victory Cruise 2K08 [update v>>07.a]

Oh, hey, you remember that cruise that I was on 2 or 3 weeks ago. I just had a breeze of a thought about it and remembered a couple of things I wanted to share with you lovelies.

FIRST >> A GPS map compiled from both the to and fro trips from John's GPS tracking thingy.



AND SECOND >> another set of photies from John's camie. You can check them out right here on this linkie-link.



 
10:39 AM >> Coming in 2K8.

This spring be ready for >>


 
1.24.2008
10:27 AM >> Carnival Victory Cruise 2K08 [update v>>06.a]

My father warned me numerous times before embarking the many ways that the Carnival folks will stick it to you and secretly milk you for a little cash. With his little warning "that's where they get ya" ringing the following game was created. It's called Picture in a Picture.

All over the ship there are photographers snapping photos. They're there from the moment you step onboard. They come out at night after dinner all over the ship. Some of them lure you with the chance to be photographed with a busty Can-Can girl, some with old western wear costumes, all the way to the most unresistible "Dutch girl". You can't leave the ship without being photographed with a pirate, or a stuffed lizard, or some other island themed prop.

Then -- "where they get ya" -- they want you to pay $7.99 for a 5X7 print of the picture. Well, no siree, Carival Victory. John and I came up with Picture in a Picture >>



 
1.23.2008
9:34 AM >> Carnival Victory Cruise 2K08 [update v>>05.a]

January 8, 2008 - 5pm to Midnight. The first stop we made was in San Juan, Puerto Rico. My Aunt Lilly was going to be visiting her sister in San Juan while I was there. So I made plans to meet up with her. After some cell phone back and forth I found Lilly on a bench outside a tourism building. She was with her sister, Rosie, and her cousin Judy. The three of them all grew up in Ponce.

Lilly and I walked around old town for about an hour and then caught up again with Rosie and Judy. We all hopped into Rosie's car munching on pork rinds and I got a driving tour of the island. The girls were chatting away in spanish and Lilly would point out whatever they were talking/reminiscing about. It was great. I got to see a lot of the city.

Then we went to a spanish place for dinner. Everything I had was great. Smoked chicken, black beans and rice, and plantains. I also had a Medalla, a local beer along the lines of a Miller High Life. After dinner we went to Rosie's house which was a couple of blocks from the finiacial district (I think they called it the gold mile)-- lots of banks and stuff, and a couple of universities nearby. The best part of her and her husband, Paco's, home was their back porch. Lots of tropical plants and chirping birds. Paco drove me back to the ship after I was offered an after dinner citrus-y liqour and a dessert of jellied papaya (from their backyard) with white cheese.

I walked around the city a bit and went into a bar for a couple more Medallas before getting back onto the ship.

Here's a little slide show of my night in San Juan >>


 
1.19.2008
8:11 PM >> L'Orange



Français rôties à l'orange (French Toast with Orange)
French toast using Orange-y Spice White Bread soaked in whipped egg, half-n-half, a splash of OJ, cinnamon, and honey.
Rating: 7.48

Orange-y Spice White Bread
Homemade just-add-water bread with orange peel, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, corriander, black pepper and salt.
Rating: 6.68

Mon téléphone Orange


Rating: 9.25


 
4:21 AM >> Carnival Victory Cruise 2K08 [update v>>04.a]

Pretty much here's what went down on a typical day at sea.



[of note: I ate Cinnamon Toast Crunch most mornings, I was reading An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England: A Novel]

To see my trip photos please please visit this little link here.


 
1.17.2008
12:58 PM >> Raisin Port - Port Quarterly Review


At first waft, Dunn's *Raisin Port Dec, 2007 * rekindles my finest memories of early Autumn in Connecticut. This is a time when the most charming of Yankee women dawn the season's first sweaters in search of gentle warmth for their bosoms.

Much like I imagine said bosoms, this wine is sweet and light on the finish. While she brings forth the subtle nuances of her carefully dried birthfruits, *Raisin Port Dec, 2007* is guaranteed to remind you of your life's sweetest moments.







It's too Raisin-y.


 
11:54 AM >> Carnival Victory Cruise 2K08 [update v>>03.a]

Every night while away at dinner the wonderful cabin stewards would create these towel creature friends and put them around the room. Catching on after the second day creatures of our own were there waiting in the rooms when the stewards would come in for turndown service.


[Marty is a human owl. Kenny is an elephant. Kelly is a bunny. Mike is a walrus. Monica is a stingray. Andy is a snub-nosed water buffalo. Johnny is undiscovered as yet in nature. And Robbie is a spider monkey.]

The first was Johnny that strange thing in the sky. Jimmy, the steward leader, said that it looked like a "threesome". Then the next night was Marty, who is a human owl. Marty received a "that's creative" comment. And then finally on the last night an entire ocean landscape was created. We stretched the rules a little and used some battery powered things, and some other found objects that weren't towels. But it worked and was really appreciated. Be sure to check out the funny-face next to the monkey.


[click on tiny photo for a better view.]


 
1.15.2008
9:58 PM >> Carnival Victory Cruise 2K08 [update v>>02.a]

Ok, Welcome and hallo. Now, I apologize that there are no pics yet to view of the cruise. That is because they are still being scrutinized by customs agents and I don't yet have authorization to post them for your perusal.

I'll start us off with a map of the theater of relaxation (they use this phrasing in war times and I think it's appropriate for peaceful times too). Also there is an itinerary of the cruise and the players involved. This will give you a nice idea of what you're in for over the next couple of weeks while checking out the blog.

If you know that you hate certain places in the Carribean you can check the itinerary and just skip over the days when I'm discussing that part of the trip. For example if you don't like French or Dutch run places I'd suggest skipping my ventures in St. Maarten because the Frenchies and Dutchies rule that place together or more exactly they've drawn a line through the island and rule their respective territories independently. (If you don't like one or more of the cruisers who were one the trip with me, I don't know what to tell you. You'll have to just suck it up when their names are mentioned or when you see them in a photo.)

So, then, here's the pretty-much-to-scale map of the Carribean where the Victory was sailing and stopping (that's Miami, FL up there in the upper left) >>



DAILY ITINERARY
DAY 00 > Sat Jan 5: Land/Air Travel (Atlanta to Miami)
DAY 01 > Sun Jan 6: Leave Miami, At Sea
DAY 02 > Mon Jan 7: At Sea
DAY 03 > Tues Jan 8: San Juan, Puerto Rico
DAY 04 > Wed Jan 9: St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
DAY 05 > Thurs Jan 10: St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles
DAY 06 > Fri Jan 11: At Sea
DAY 07 > Sat Jan 12: At Sea
DAY 08 > Sun Jan 13: Arrive Miami, Land/Air Travel (Miami to Atlanta)

TRAVELLING COMPANIONS:
Mr. J. McCurry, Mrs. B Hammett-McCurry, Theodore F. Picklebody (the "F" stands for Fanny after the twisted-up actress Frances Farmer)

Then unrelated really to the trip I have included this picture below of what I ate for dinner tonight.


[NOTE: Starting in the upper left and working clockwise around the place mat: 1) salad with lettuce, toms, red onion, mushrooms, pepper, ground jalapeno, and onion/cucumber dressing; 2) breaded and baked pickled okra and tilapia fillet (breading is corn meal, Italian b-crumbs, crushed red pepp, ground jap); 3) coffee.]


 
1.14.2008
11:18 AM >> Carnival Victory Cruise 2K08 [update v>>01.a]




I am back from my 7-day Carival Carribean Cruise aboard the Carnival Victory Funship. Stay close by and see and hear and read all about the cruise >> the foods I ate, the towel animals, the views, the Carribean Island adventures, a special surveillance video of an older couple playing Monopoly, and much much much much more I promise.



 
1.02.2008
1:56 AM >> KLOTH vs. TACO



All transmissions occurred on 11/24/2007

7:51 PM – BK: Just bought ten tacos
7:54 PM – DD: Eat em hard
7:55 PM – BK: TWSS
8:53 PM – BK: 5 down
9:02 PM – BK: 7 gone--getting full
9:34 PM – BK: 2 left. Ate a candy bar between #7 and #8.
9:58 PM – BK: 1 taco left. Now I have the hiccups. I hope I can make it.
10:09 PM – BK: Brad 10, Tacos 0


 
 
[riddle wrapped in
enigma stuffed inside
burrito swallowed by
whale sprayed to
sea captured by UFO]

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