The Goofy Identity (Just whose side are you on anyway?) - Compleated!

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Bonus Feature 2:

Better Fortresses and Gardens​

I’m Baaaaaack…


Thought you’d survived my latest foray into nonsequitur dissertations didn’t ya’?
Well, I’m sorry to inform you that we’re only halfway through this side trip, and like any bad trip it will last longer than your wish and flash backs have been known to occur.


All that said, please do note that I’m nothing if not fair. While I inflict this type of lunacy on all who pass by, I also offer warnings that danger is afoot. I also ensure that there are significant and readily accessible escape routes. For this particular assault, that escape is as simple as either clicking the back button or killing off your browser. The choice is yours, but from this point onward, I’m no longer under any obligation in the matter of defending or protecting your sanity.





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Siege Mentality

In late 1778, the efforts to put down the rancorous treasons being conducted by His Majesty’s more petulant colonial subjects led the British military to implement their "southern strategy". Unlike the modern and to date fairly successful set of undertakings bearing the same name, this would ultimately end up costing King and Parliament their hold over these lands. Well… the rapid empting of their coffers related to prosecuting unending wars in multiple far off locations would be the true reason, but tactically, the early successes derived here would cost them greatly in the long run.

This new approach sought to take advantage of the large number of disaffected subjects scattered throughout the South and to create a wedge that would divide Colonial America along geographic, economic and social boundaries.

Basically: divide and conquer; a tried and true method for implementing one’s will.

They got the ball rolling with the capture of Savannah, Georgia. From there operations moved into South Carolina with decisive and fairly easy victories over two Continental Armies at Charleston and Camden. With the capital secured, forces were sent out into the backcountry to drum up support amongst the more loyal populous and to secure the strategic sites of control and commerce.

This is the set of circumstances that brought John Harris Cruger to the hamlet of Ninety Six.

A colonist himself, born in New York City no less, Cruger was serving King and Country as a Lt Colonel when he arrived here in August of 1780 with a small force of seasoned regulars. By early December a stockade fence and ditch surrounded the bulk of the settlement and blockhouses had been built, probably on the Island Ford and Charleston road entrances. At about this same time, one Lieutenant Henry Haidans, a military engineer, reached the outpost. He recommended adding an abatis on a line 30 yards from the ditch and construction of a Star Fort to protect the eastern flank of the town.

It’s Cruger and Haidans’ fort, or at least its remnants that are the main draw and focus here at the Ninety Six National Historic Site…

Not much to look at is it?

Not at first anyway. Erosion and time have done their work but even so this is one of the “best” preserved Revolutionary War earthworks in the nation.. Honestly though, pictures don’t quite do it the justice that your normal site and peripheral vison will. What you’re seeing in that last image is the entrance to the fort. You’re going to have to use a good bit of imagination to get the effect here, but originally these walls were closer to 14 feet in height and towered over a surrounding trench from which the dirt was drawn to build them. At somewhere between ten and fifteen feet thick, these ramparts would easily have stopped musket balls and light cannon shot. The walls were also topped with rows of sandbags and had protruding fraises, or sharpened stakes, driven into them.

Here’s how it might have looked from the Brit’s point of view…

This is the interior as it appears today…

Again, not much to look at, but you get a sense of the scale of the thing, and that scale is not terribly large. It hardly seems adequate at all for the 200 or so Loyalists, troops and their artillery pieces that would be trapped here during the weeks of the siege that was to come.

Here’s an older overhead of the site that gives a better idea of the layout…

You can much more easily make out the distinctive eight-point design of this fort that was very quickly erected by the soldiers, town’s folk and slave labor. This design allowed for better observation and more importantly it allowed the defenders to apply withering cross fire against anyone attempting to approach the fort. The ridge seen in the center is known as a traverse and was there to provide a fallback provision, in case the walls were actually breached.

You’ll also notice trenches running up to the fort.
That was the Continental’s handy work and we’ll get to that in a moment, but first here’s one more artist rendering to help you see the whole complex as it appeared in the summer of 1881…

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"Our success is very doubtful."

At about the same time as Cruger was beginning work on his defense systems, the Continental Army was also making changes that would greatly impact events to come. The one that is most important at the moment was that Washington appointed a new man to be “Commander of the Southern Department, Continental Army”; a fellow from Rhode Island who he trusted implicitly by the name of Nathanael Greene.

Now if you have read any of my previous TRs either mistakenly of purposefully (and bless your heart if that’s the case), then it is possible that you may have seen mention of this here Nathanael Greene bloke…


It’s interesting that this particular Yankee keeps popping up in South’rn history, but he’s just kind’a important to many events down this way.


When Nathanael’s force of 1600 or so men arrived at Ninety Six during a miserable spring rain storm one night in May of 1781, they fanned out around the town and then converged on it from two directions to seal off access to food, water, and reinforcements. A good start, but Cruger had expected the rebel force’s arrival and prepared well. The next night Greene’s troops began constructing an assault position only 70 yards from Star Fort, with hopes of overrunning it quickly. However, heavy cannon fire combined with a raid by a detachment from the fort ended the attempt and cost them a fair percentage of their tools in the process. The general now had to reconsider his options. He had a larger force, but inadequate artillery and no promise of reinforcements.

What he did have - at least for now - was time.

Well, that and his own engineer.


Tadeusz Andrzej Bonawentura “Thaddeus” Kosciuszko (Pronounced: Kos-Choos-ko) was born in Poland and trained as a military engineer and architect. He immigrated to the colonies at the beginning of the rebellion with specific intention of joining the fight on the side of the Americans (and partly to avoid farther entanglements with a young woman’s angry father… interesting story that and probably worth its own dissertation)

By this point in the conflict, he had already designed and overseen construction of a number of state-of-the-art fortifications, including those at West Point. At Ninety Six, he would convince General Greene that if the fort could not be taken quickly, then it should be done slowly.
Via siege, that is…

Construction on a series of trenches and battlement began that evening and marked began the longest siege of any hostile fortification during the entire war.

And this in turn leads us to the next section of the park that I encountered that day…

The work progressed on for near a month as a series of approach tranches, parallels, and artillery batteries were constructed with the intention of both wearing down the resolve of the troops in the fort and getting close enough to it with adequate cover to take the position.

The individual trenches were a few feet deep and had a series of gabions (large baskets filled with dirt and rocks) built up along the sides facing the fort.

In another part of the park there are a few gabions built to the style used by Greene’s forces. Once filled with clay and placed, these would have offered decent protection for the troops engaging the fort…

Once they had part of the works usable the Continentals started rolling artillery pieces out into the siege works. Guns known as six-pounders were placed on platforms as much as 20 feet high and allowed for fire directly into the opposing encampment. On one particular evening a 30-foot tower made of interlocking logs was erected allowing marksmen to aim down into the fort.

The Park Service has built a smaller replica of that structure on its original location to show it position and give an idea of scale. The Loyalists responded to these new threats by raising the fort’s walls by another three feet with sandbags. They also tried to burn down the tower with heated cannon balls, but to no avail.

By June 17th the siege works was nearing completion and work started on a mine/tunnel headed in the direction of the fort. The intention was to pack it with explosives and detonate those beneath one of the walls of the fort…

But this is about when that useful commodity of time ran out for Green’s forces. Word arrived that a relief column of over 2000 British soldiers was making their way up from Charleston and would arrive on the scene within two or three days.

This was as close as the rebel forces were going to get but Greene and Kosciuszko also knew it probably wasn’t close enough and the mine was not ready either. Moreover their troops were thoroughly worn out and reinforcements were not going to be coming any time soon so waiting to take on a larger and considerably less fatigued advisory was not a decision worth contemplating.

Greene was faced with two equally bad choices:
attack now or leave.


Unusual for commanders, He actually put it to his troops. They wanted to at least attempt the assault. Their commander was reticent, but agreed. At noon on the 18th of June, the final battle for Ninety Six began with opening Patriot cannon fire. An all-volunteer brigade of fifty men surged from the trenches. The group which came to be known as “the Forlorn Hope” carried their rifles along with axes and hooked polls to cut through the outer defenses along the fort perimeter and try to pull down the sandbags and breach the walls. They were quickly pinned in the ditch around the Loyalist earthwork, caught in the crossfire of marksmen inside the star-shaped fort and surprised by 60 Loyalists, who ran out the fort entrance and came at them from each side.

Of the 50 Patriots assaulting the fort, 30 were killed or wounded.
That was more than enough loss for General Greene. He ordered a halt to the attack, and that evening started moving his troops toward North Carolina.

So was the Siege of Ninety Six a British victory and a waste of American time and resources.
Well… yes and no on both points.

It is true that the British had held Ninety Six against the American siege, but they could not keep it.
When Lord Rawdon arrived with reinforcements on June 21 he realized that they did not have enough troops and were too far from regular supplies to continue maintaining such a distant strong hold indefinably. But in its fortified condition, a greater problem would be if the town was later taken by the Continentals. If the British couldn’t keep it, no one was going to have it. By early July, the trenches were filled, and stockade walls demolished. Ninety Six was then burned to the ground and abandoned.

The town ceased to be…

This was pretty much how things went in the South during the last years of the Revolution. What battles the Americans did not win, were far too costly for the British to be considered as victories. It was this constant attrition that would ultimately force the hands of the rulers back in England.

In later years attempts would be made by the state to reestablish a town here but nothing came of it for a good while. When a rail line finally came through the area a depot was established about two miles north of the original site and the current town of Ninety Six grew up around that.




So what do y’all think, is that just about enough history for today?
(probably too much wouldn’t ya’ say?)

I think probably so as well. From that point the park’s trail leads through a forested area and back to the visitor’s center (and remember I’m actually walking this backwards)...

After exploring the museum for a bit and watching the movie about the park and its history (all things I probably should have done before I started out on the trek in the first place)…

I figured it was time to get back on the road.





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Good News, Bad News…





Well I might as well get right to it.


The good news is that even though I still have a bit of a drive to get my sorry rump back home…

I’m not going to be spending much of it doing more than just driving. That means you won’t have to be reading very much more of my idiotic drivel. I certainly won’t be going into anything that rivals the oppressive amount of detail that I just through at you on a battle that no one has even heard of.


Now for the bad news…

There may not be much more to this road trip, but that don’t mean it’s over just yet, so now you’ have to decide whether or not to keep suffering along through the rest of it.

Well let me offer up one small bit of hope here.

FOOD!

Now that’s a subject which most folks generally enjoy sinking their teeth into. And I was certainly to the point where I wanted to sink my teeth into something, that’s for sure. I decided that since I was making a point to see new things today, then lunch for the day should probably follow suite. That led me north from Ninety Six toward the city of Spartanburg. One of only two locations in all of South Carolina where I could find a meal that somebody had once urged me to try out.

In a very nondescript strip mall off of I-26…

You will find this unassuming little establishment…

And that discovery will lead you to one (or possibly more) very fine burgers.


Wayback Burgers (also sometimes still called: Jake’s Wayback burgers) started off in Delaware as “Jakes Burgers” and has steadily grown and expanded. As such, a fair percentage of y’all probably know all about them, but the establishment is new to me, and not yet easily reachable from my house, so while I was all the way out here, I decided it needed trying.

And try it I did…

As you can see I decided to go with something straight forward to test out their all-around burger preparation skills. That’s the “Double Bacon Burger” with a side of onion rings. It’s basically the same as their “Wayback Classic”, but with several very well cooked strips of bacon added (need I saw more). The execution was near perfect for a griddle seared burger; not overdone, just the right amount of grease and juices to make you have to lick your lips…

Just heavenly.



And the rings were excellent as well; not too much breading but with plenty of crunch. And the onion was actually cooked through (something I hate when a dinner gets it wrong). I was tempted by many of the offerings and not least by the general notion of the nine patty “Triple Triple”, but that will just have to wait for another day. Considering just how well the sandwich was done up, I may also need to try out the Chili Cheese fries at some point. I did give their shakes a whirl though by ordering up the coffee flavored variety… malted no less… to take on the road with me. That was a winner as well.

Needless to say, I’ll be adding this little hidden gem to the regular rotation when possible and recommending it to those that are deserving of such a find.







Milkshake in hand, I jumped back on the highway, then took the exit onto I-85 and headed for home.
That route would also take me by the city of Gaffney and past something that I know full well is there, but never stopped to photograph or look over properly. And since the thing in question has somewhat recently moved from the realm of being merely a foot note in the Roadside America listing for SC, on toward appearing as a fairly major foot note of American pop-culture…

it seemed like I needed to correct that.




What I’m on about here is the infamous “Peachoid”

Basically, it’s a water tower that looks pretty much like a peach. That is if you’re headed northeast along I-85. Now, if you happen to be driving southwest though it looks a bit (as all ripe peaches do)
like something else…

Actually a couple of different “something elses” come to mind.

Now this particular “attraction” has been making its presence known since 1981, but unless you live ‘round here or travel I-85 through the Carolinas fairly regular, it’s not something that would come up in conversation much, at least not until recently. I said that the thing has made it into the pop-culture and what I’m talking about specifically is the Netflix series “House of Cards”. Now, for those of you who enjoy binging that series, how many of y’all knew that the thing was real and not just a semi-comic plot device created by the show’s writers just to give Frank Underwood’s advisories something to beat on him with?

Actually worse than that though, the blasted thing got associated with one of the single worst blights on the American “cultural” (or lack thereof) scene when for similar reasons it got applied to one of the Kardashians. And while I myself try rather desperately to ignore their existence, the local media could not resist picking up on a mash-up between the landmark and a particular magazine cover of note that was making the rounds of the web. So, if you really don’t know what I’m talking about and you really just have to see it for yourself, and there aren’t any very young kids hanging around your monitor at the moment…
Well then (and I’m still strongly advising against this) you can see it

==> HERE.

(well… if nothing else, it is at least somewhat funny)




Ok, I’m almost done here so you can start rejoicing now.


After that last peachy encounter, I had two options. Either I could drop by another Revolutionary War battle field or I could just head back toward the house. Lucky for you, I was starting to run out of daylight, so I chose the second option this time around. Just imagine the pain I’d be putting you through if I’d had a whole other National Park and adjoining State Park (with their historical backgrounds) to inflict upon you.


That would have been inhumane.



But as it happens, I did stop once more at a different kind of park. Not a historical one, but rather just one designed for contemplation and reflection (and prom-night pictures as it turned out). The city of Rock Hill, SC is just south of where I currently live, and is also where I resided during much of my youth.

Of the various things the city leaders are proud of the one that actually results in a weeklong festival every spring is a little spot called Glencairn Garden…

Part of the reason I was out and about today to begin with was to play around a bit with a new camera that we’d recently acquired. I figured that a bit of nature and some well-manicured horticulture might offer a few decent opportunities for playing with the various setting of said device.


So I dropped by, and got to work…

And with that I am mercifully and finally calling it quits on this here Bonus Feature.

All that’s left to do now is put up the final entry of the actual TR and you’ll finally be free of my sporadic assaults on your senses.




Unless I decide to write another TR for some reason or other.




Probably best you don’t think about that too much…

Here look at one more landscape picture instead
(that will be far more calming)…

​

​

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

Monty would be proud.


.

very true

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Wow, somehow I got way behind here. Sorry about that. I'll work on catching up.

Part 4: Things that go Boom

Well most of the time it is anyway. Moments of high velocity rapid oxidation…

It’s the kind of thing that just grabs and holds our attention.

Well, yeah.

Oh look… It’s a Butt!

Seriously, this may well be the closest to empty that I’ve ever seen Main Street in the summer time…

And of course, that last one is a nice shot of our organization’s patron saint.
Can’t be forgetting him, now can we?

Whoa, careful there, Goofy! That's not very Disney-esque.

Oh, that's an index finger. Never mind.

The other thing those three attractions have in common besides the venue is that I never saw a one of ‘em.
Not even once.

I remember as a kid going to see Magic Journeys. I think I was somewhere in the 8-10-year-old range. And the only thing I remember was that it was terrible. And the song got stuck in your head.

(This shows you just how far behind the times I am in getting this dossier completed;
no one still refers to this part of the Kingdom as “new”).

I do. Mostly because I haven't seen it yet, so it's new to me.

I see Cinderella and Aurora took one for the team to get that roller coaster in there. Much appreciated.

I like empty queues, and fast loading rides.

Once again, none of us succeeded in becoming “That Guy”, but it’s still a great bit of entertainment.

Someday, we'll reach our goal. We just need to keep going back.

So…
Is this party for everyone?

No

Would I do it again?

Likely, but not every trip.

I wonder if it's worth it, now that they've greatly expanded the viewing area.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Firstly that a number of the TR’s that I follow have taken to including “Real Life Updates” that are just as entertaining and just as enjoyable as the recounting of the trip itself.

Then again, some people have perfectly good "Real Life Updates" teed up for them and are procrastinating getting started.

The second thing I noticed is that this TR does not yet include any Bonus Features.
Not a one.

Better get to work on that.

So, early the next morning I broke out my various lists of “places I need to explore at some point”

Hey, I have one of those, too.

I then checked my listings of recommended fine dining establishments looking for something new and got into the Roadside America website searching for other (and more obscure) offerings that might be easily accessed along the way.

Thanks for the link! I hadn't seen that one before.

I’m a huge fan of large machines that move quickly.

Cars, trucks, plains, trains, ships, rockets…

This is also a guy thing.

It did not occur to me that the place was only open on Saturday’s.
Today was Friday though.

D'oh!

This might not be a bad stop off. However I know from experience that there is actually a far, far better rail museum in North Carolina. That one, known as the NC Transportation Museum, is off I-85 in the town of Spencer about half way between Charlotte and Greensboro.

Duly noted.

There are also several bicycles hanging in this particular tree, and as for the dummy, hanging from that telephone pole there… I’ve got no clue as to its significance or to what the entire installation is attempting to symbolize.

Um...he's a fan of LOST?

The crossroad outpost got its name for supposedly being ninety-six miles away from Keowee, a major Cherokee settlement at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Very original, these SC folks.

Battlefields you say?

Why yes, I do say.

Don’t suppose the phrases, “Battle of Ninety-Six” or “the Siege of Ninety-Six” came up when you were studying the American Revolution back there in junior high school, now did it?

Can't say it did.

Fairly typical for National park sites and the obvious first stopping point for most folks arriving at such. Which means that it’s the last place I visited during my explorations here.

Right, because that's just what they'd be expecting you to do.

I was working my way backwards around the one mile long interpretive trail, but since I didn’t stop at the visitor’s center first I didn’t know that yet.

You're just reinforcing the stereotype about men not asking for directions, you know.

I’ll just continue telling the story in reverse.

Thanks for not writing the sentences backwards. That would have been a pain.

Impresive, eh?

Yeah, that's quite the grass field.

This new approach sought to take advantage of the large number of disaffected subjects scattered throughout the South and to create a wedge that would divide Colonial America along geographic, economic and social boundaries.

Basically: divide and conquer; a tried and true method for implementing one’s will.

Unless your enemy refuses to fight fair...

What he did have - at least for now - was time.

Well, that and his own engineer.

Give him some duct tape, and he can accomplish anything!

The individual trenches were a few feet deep and had a series of gabions (large baskets filled with dirt and rocks) built up along the sides facing the fort.

Interesting. I hadn't seen that approach before.

That led me north from Ninety Six toward the city of Spartanburg. One of only two locations in all of South Carolina where I could find a meal that somebody had once urged me to try out.

The funny thing is, if I was in Spartanburg, I'd have to try out the Beacon.

Wayback Burgers (also sometimes still called: Jake’s Wayback burgers) started off in Delaware as “Jakes Burgers” and has steadily grown and expanded.

for Delaware shout-outs.

Needless to say, I’ll be adding this little hidden gem to the regular rotation when possible and recommending it to those that are deserving of such a find.

Excellent! Glad you enjoyed it. And good call on getting a milkshake over a normal soft drink.

Now, if you happen to be driving southwest though it looks a bit (as all ripe peaches do)
like something else…

Hey, it's a butt!

And while I myself try rather desperately to ignore their existence, the local media could not resist picking up on a mash-up between the landmark and a particular magazine cover of note that was making the rounds of the web.

Hmmm...I'm not clicking, because it sounds like something I can't un-see. Also, I'm at work.

Of the various things the city leaders are proud of the one that actually results in a weeklong festival every spring is a little spot called Glencairn Garden…

Very nice spot!

 

[afwdwfan]

The second thing I noticed is that this TR does not yet include any Bonus Features.
Not a one.

Here we go again...

Anyway… a couple weeks ago, my lovely bride took a few days to go on a girl’s only trip with a good friend of hers. Since I was not along for the ride, I can’t really comment on that one

Yes! You can!!!!

but it is probably best that I don’t go makin’ up stuff on her behalf (partly because, there are folks better at makin’ stuff up than I, and partly because I don’t want her getting’ any more angry then usual about something stupid I may have done or said).

That's no fun!!!

So, early the next morning I broke out my various lists of “places I need to explore at some point”, and quickly found a good main destination and a decent secondary one.

Solid plan in place. Check. Alright, let's go!

I’m a huge fan of large machines that move quickly.

Who isn't?

The only problem was that when I got down there, the museum and offices were closed.

It did not occur to me that the place was only open on Saturday’s.
Today was Friday though.

Stupid, stupid, stupid…

So much for there being a solid plan. I gave you too much credit.

According to the write-ups in Roadside America the property is owned either by an certifiable eccentric or an artist (which is generally the same thing). Given that, the whole thing is likely just the guy’s street sign and means no more then: “Hay! Look at me!”

Dude's gone loco.

The structure is authentic though and dates from the late 1700s. That said, it’s not original to the site. Rather it was moved here from a nearby town after being discovered inside another building…

Hey, you want to come over and have a drink at my bar? I've got an authentic 1700's tavern inside my living room!

I was just following the path toward what my eyes thought seemed most interesting at the time.

Well, there's your problem right there.

This encounter was between neighbors and would be about choosing sides and settling old scores. It would also set the tone for some of the ugliest fighting that occurred during the Revolution and in truth for quite some time after its “official” end.

Encounter between neighbors, settling old scores, ugly fighting.

Welcome to life in the south.

The recovered skeleton was removed and is currently stored at the Institute of Archeology and Anthropology in Columbia, South Carolina. So far as I’m aware, it still has not been positively identified. I suspect as well that a lack of funding over the years has insured that no one is currently working to do so either; a fairly sad point no matter who this individual actually was.

A sad point indeed. But I'm guessing positive identity would be hard. I mean this far removed, I'm sure any DNA evidence would be hard to tie to any descendants.

and construction of a Star Fort to protect the eastern flank of the town.

A star fort. Totally makes me think of a Death Star. And there never would have even been a siege. You know, as long as they can protect that exhaust port.

It’s Cruger and Haidans’ fort, or at least its remnants that are the main draw and focus here at the Ninety Six National Historic Site…

Ok, the cart path ends here. Must be a sunken green just beyond those mounds.

You can much more easily make out the distinctive eight-point design of this fort that was very quickly erected by the soldiers, town’s folk and slave labor. This design allowed for better observation and more importantly it allowed the defenders to apply withering cross fire against anyone attempting to approach the fort. The ridge seen in the center is known as a traverse and was there to provide a fallback provision, in case the walls were actually breached.

Much easier to tell what it is from this perspective. Cool!

Now if you have read any of my previous TRs either mistakenly of purposefully (and bless your heart if that’s the case), then it is possible that you may have seen mention of this here Nathanael Greene bloke…

Seems vaguely familiar.

What he did have - at least for now - was time.

Well, that and his own engineer.

@Captain_Oblivious , there's hope for you yet!

Guns known as six-pounders were placed on platforms as much as 20 feet high and allowed for fire directly into the opposing encampment. On one particular evening a 30-foot tower made of interlocking logs was erected allowing marksmen to aim down into the fort.

They also tried to burn down the tower with heated cannon balls, but to no avail.

Ok, I saw the structure and I was thinking, don't they have cannons inside the fort? I'd have thought that a few well placed cannonballs could make that tower crumble. Apparently not.

If the British couldn’t keep it, no one was going to have it. By early July, the trenches were filled, and stockade walls demolished. Ninety Six was then burned to the ground and abandoned.

The town ceased to be…

Well, I'm just going to take my ball and go home!


Apparently Sherman must have studied the British tactics in the south...

So what do y’all think, is that just about enough history for today?
(probably too much wouldn’t ya’ say?)

No. Actually, I enjoy history. Especially war history. Learning about battles I didn't know about is always cool!

In a very nondescript strip mall off of I-26…

It's gone out of business... just your luck.

You will find this unassuming little establishment…

Oh, the one in the corner. That's a relief.

The execution was near perfect for a griddle seared burger; not overdone, just the right amount of grease and juices to make you have to lick your lips…

Just heavenly.

Looks amazing. And making me hungry... 15 more minutes and I can go eat. But it won't be anything nearly that good.

That is if you’re headed northeast along I-85. Now, if you happen to be driving southwest though it looks a bit (as all ripe peaches do)
like something else…

I just want to be in the room for something like this to see what the discussion is when it is decided that it would be a good idea to build it.

Part of the reason I was out and about today to begin with was to play around a bit with a new camera that we’d recently acquired. I figured that a bit of nature and some well-manicured horticulture might offer a few decent opportunities for playing with the various setting of said device.

Looks like you're catching on nicely!

Unless I decide to write another TR for some reason or other.

Um... there's a cruise coming up...

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

very true

Climb Mount Niitaka

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Wow, somehow I got way behind here. Sorry about that. I'll work on catching up.

I’m not so certain that it’s you who are the one that’s behind here.

Whoa, careful there, Goofy! That's not very Disney-esque.

Oh, that's an index finger. Never mind.

It’s still not quite kosher…
He should be “Disney Pointing”

I remember as a kid going to see Magic Journeys. I think I was somewhere in the 8-10-year-old range. And the only thing I remember was that it was terrible. And the song got stuck in your head.

Whew…
Glad I missed that one then.

I do. Mostly because I haven't seen it yet, so it's new to me.

I see Cinderella and Aurora took one for the team to get that roller coaster in there. Much appreciated.

True and True.
Thanks Gals

Someday, we'll reach our goal. We just need to keep going back.

One can dream, can’t one.

I wonder if it's worth it, now that they've greatly expanded the viewing area.

I’m told they also raised the price, so It’s probably not.
Unless it’s just something you really want to do.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Then again, some people have perfectly good "Real Life Updates" teed up for them and are procrastinating getting started.

Don’t believe I’m the one to be callin’ you out on that.

But I will say that I think it was a conversation we had on your last TR that prompted me to get up off my rump and get this one done.

I will also say that if you were to write it up…
I’d certainly be reading it.

Better get to work on that.

Oh, you’ve already stepped right into that hornet’s nest.
You’re only just now starting to realize it.

Hey, I have one of those, too.

There a very good thing to have.
An even better thing to check stuff off of.

Thanks for the link! I hadn't seen that one before.

Then my job here is done.

This is also a guy thing.

D'oh!

Sometimes you lose.

Duly noted.

It is “really, really” worth the stop.
Tell me you’re going that way and I’ll make a point to meet you up there.

Um...he's a fan of LOST?

Bless his heart…

Very original, these SC folks.

We’ve also get towns called “North” and “Central” (just pick a few of the sadder ones)
It’s not every state that can pull off something as colorful as MurderKill.

Can't say it did.

I’d have been stunned.

Right, because that's just what they'd be expecting you to do.

But no one expects the Spanish Inquisition!

You're just reinforcing the stereotype about men not asking for directions, you know.

Ehhh…The shoe fits, and it’s pretty comfortable.

Besides I also pointed out that I pulled this little excursion off by first actually reading a map and then bringing nothing with me other than a few numbers scrawled on a scrap of paper. I think I’ve got that directions thing covered.

Also… I later learned that the rangers will recommend going backwards as being the easier trek.
The terrain travels more smoothly that way. I’m all for easy.

Thanks for not writing the sentences backwards. That would have been a pain.

Hadn’t thought of that.
Thanks for giving me the idea
Now I just need to find the right place to put that into action.

Yeah, that's quite the grass field.

I did say it was impressive.

Unless your enemy refuses to fight fair...

They were the terrorists of their day.

Give him some duct tape, and he can accomplish anything!

That might just have been the edge that would have made the difference.

Interesting. I hadn't seen that approach before.

Me either to tell the truth. I was surprised to learn that bit of it.

The funny thing is, if I was in Spartanburg, I'd have to try out the Beacon.

And you should. At least once.
But I’ve lived in the Carolina’s a long time, and I’ve been to the Beacon.
Jake’s however was a new commodity to me.

for Delaware shout-outs.

Now I just need to get up that way and into Philly as well.

Excellent! Glad you enjoyed it. And good call on getting a milkshake over a normal soft drink.

Malted…
Mmmmmmmmm

Hey, it's a butt!

And it’s not even photoshoped!

Hmmm...I'm not clicking, because it sounds like something I can't un-see. Also, I'm at work.

Just as well really.

Very nice spot!

It is actually.
When all the azaleas are in bloom it’s neigh onto spectacular.


.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Here we go again...

And yet you keep reading…

Besides, I didn’t want to disappoint my “fans”

Yes! You can!!!!

Well yeah, I could…

That's no fun!!!

But now you’ve got the picture.

Solid plan in place. Check. Alright, let's go!

Who isn't?

Folks who I just don’t quite seem to understand.

So much for there being a solid plan. I gave you too much credit.

You gave me credit?
That was a major miscalculation on someone’s part.

Dude's gone loco.

Sums it up nicely.

Too bad I didn’t have enough time to go see the “Alien Welcome Center” that another one of my home states finer citizens built. You’d have loved that one.

Hey, you want to come over and have a drink at my bar? I've got an authentic 1700's tavern inside my living room!

Certainly beats the 70’s dens all done up in faux paneling, drop ceilings, shag carpet, smoked mirrors and lava lamps.

Well actually the lava lamps are kind’s cool, but the rest of it…

Oh and don’t forget the smell of tobacco smoke that permeates the whole thing.

Well, there's your problem right there.

So you’re sayin’ that “I’m “the problem?
And you’re only just now realizing this?

Encounter between neighbors, settling old scores, ugly fighting.

Welcome to life in the south.

Small town America at its finest.
South’ners are just particularly good at it.

And overly proud of the fact.

A sad point indeed. But I'm guessing positive identity would be hard. I mean this far removed, I'm sure any DNA evidence would be hard to tie to any descendants.

It would. I’d just like to see a bit of funding go toward it.
And to see him reinterred properly.

A star fort. Totally makes me think of a Death Star. And there never would have even been a siege. You know, as long as they can protect that exhaust port.

If only they’d have gotten those plans from that R2 unit

Ok, the cart path ends here. Must be a sunken green just beyond those mounds.

Pretty similar to a golf course from just a photograph.

I noticed that not having a peripheral perspective really took away from the images.
I’f you’re there, it’s easier to see what’s going on. Pictures don’t really do it justice.

Much easier to tell what it is from this perspective. Cool!

I thought that might help out a bit.

Seems vaguely familiar.

Who’s the more foolish…
The fool, or the one that follows him?

@Captain_Oblivious , there's hope for you yet!

A hard drive to the base line…
How will The Captain counter that volley?

Ok, I saw the structure and I was thinking, don't they have cannons inside the fort? I'd have thought that a few well placed cannonballs could make that tower crumble. Apparently not.

They did have cannon, but not particularly large ones.
“Six Pounders” at the most

They’d certainly do damage, but wouldn’t be as destructive to a tree trunk as you’d think. Poor accuracy, slow rates of fire, limited ammo and the ability to make repairs in the evenings also played parts in the structure working over time.

Well, I'm just going to take my ball and go home!


Apparently Sherman must have studied the British tactics in the south...

Scorched Earth…
Another tried and true method.

And like all tried and true methods…
Sometimes it still don’t work

No. Actually, I enjoy history. Especially war history. Learning about battles I didn't know about is always cool!

Well, than I glad to have offered up something new.

It's gone out of business... just your luck.

Would have been par for the course

Oh, the one in the corner. That's a relief.

Yes… Yes it was.

Looks amazing. And making me hungry... 15 more minutes and I can go eat. But it won't be anything nearly that good.

I don’t ofter win, but when I do…
I like to savor it slowly.

I just want to be in the room for something like this to see what the discussion is when it is decided that it would be a good idea to build it.

They still defend the thing. It certainly drums up conversation and makes the point that peaches are more plentiful in SC than in that other state that clams the name.

Looks like you're catching on nicely!

Thanks.
Let’s see how it does for me over the next couple of weeks.

Um... there's a cruise coming up...

You don’t say…


.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Chapter 9: Extraction

The arrival of Saturday is generally seen as a good thing. For most of us, the work week has come to an end and it’s now time to relax a bit, or may be take in a bit of entertainment, or at worst, catch up on some things around the house (you know… all that work you can’t do because you’re working).
Of course there are exceptions to this generality.

Many of them.

And on this particular, Saturday…
Out little band was categorized squarely as one of those exceptions..

To us, this particular Saturday meant that the trip has come to an end.
No more Disney…

Not even any more of the Darkside.

Nope, our party had come to an end.





Well…
while technically that is true…

there was at least one more little bit of Disney waiting for us before hitting the road…



Breakfast.







= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Aloha

Getting everyone up and ready to go can be a bit of a daunting task for our group. A point illustrated more than once within the confines of this collective story line. Given that fact, imagine (if you will) trying to get everyone up, packed and into the car so that we can leave WDW.


That will be a challenge.


But I had a plan to help us pull that off this time around; an ADR.
We only made two reservations for a sit down meal during this entire trip. One for lunch at Via Napoli way back toward the beginning, and one more for the morning that we were scheduled to head out and back toward home. The idea being, that while a decent breakfast was certainly going to make the first half of the drive more tolerable, also having just one more chance to breathe in that Disney Magic was going to make it considerably less depressing as well.

Plan established…
time to put it into action.

Once all the gear and the full complement of partially awake troops were loaded into the personnel carrier, I cranked it up and weaved my way one last time through the Port Orleans Riverside resort, on up to the main gate and then with great purpose and authority…
turned the wrong direction.

At least that’s what Tamara though I’d gone and done.



“Why are we going this way?”

“To get over to the other resort and this route will also take me by the TTC.”

“Well I’m glad you know where you’re going, I’d be lost”


Ok, let’s answer at least one of those questions that bring about:
If y’all are leaving property for good today, why does it matter if you drive by the TTC?

Answer: That’s where Lost and Found resides.
Remember that we’re still down a fairly significant piece of gear. Time to see if the Disney CMs can come through for the second time in a week on the task of retrieving my guest commando’s personal communication device. A quick stop, a few minutes re-explaining the predicament and describing the implement involved, and with far less pain and suffering that I was anticipating at first, we walked back outside triumphant…

I really have to give Disney credit for going out of their way to help folks out.
Even those whose troubles are solely of their own making.


From the L&F building, it was just a short drive over to one of Disney’s most venerated resorts…



The Polly.

And since it took me so long to get around to completing this silly TR, you get an added bonus…



Nostalgia


It was only days after our visit that the Imagineer’s grand plan for refurbishing this Grand Dame of resorts was put into action. Meaning that most of the pictures we took of the interior of the Long House at The Polynesian Resort bear absolutely no resemblance to what you’ll be seeing if you walked through the doors today.




Well, I’m pretty sure that the Peekie Tiki is still holding down his place of honor…

…but the rest of the lobby has since been transformed.


Gone is the waterfall and a fair percentage of the tropical plantings…

It is now much changed and resembles more what you’ll encounter at either the Wilderness Lodge or perhaps the Animal Kingdom Lodge.



Not that that’s a bad thing.

It’s just a rather different thing.

But then again there is at least one other thing
that hasn’t (as far as I know) changed a thing.


This thing…

And I have a breakfast reservation waiting on me for that thing.




I dearly love me some Kona Café for breakfast. We tried it on our last trip and got immediately hooked. Finally… a really great cup of coffee.

But that’s not all, the food (breakfast at least) is “practically perfectly”
(to borrow a phrase for an utterly unrelated Disney character).

The most famous of the offering would be the Tonga Toast…

But the Big Kahuna is equally renowned…

And these two signature Nirvana-Coma Inducing offerings obviously and rightfully got ordered up and ravenously consumed. Doing so was our two commando raider’s only mission for the day.

But I like something else on the menu that’s not as profusely lauded
(except by those for whom it just hits their spot)…

The Macadamia-Pineapple Pancakes.

Yummmmmmm…


Just the right mixture of savory and sweet, these don’t need no syrup. No sir, not a drop. I suspect that you can find something similar at other breakfast joints ‘round the globe, but if that’s true, that dang well ain’t any of ‘em anywhere near where I live. Meaning I don’t get them except when we’re down at Disney. And even with both that long hiatus of consumption and the inevitable build up in my mind of just how good they’ll be if I ever get to have some again…


They still beat my expectation.
By definition, that qualifies as seriously good eats.



After breakfast we walked around the resort for a bit just to take in the flavor of the place. It’s a spot on the Disney map that I’d like to spend some time in one of these here first days. Given the premium put on the place though, that may be difficult, so a bit of resort hopping will have to surface…

Having one of the better feature pools in Da’ World just adds to that allure don’t it?


Well, there just ain’t any more getting around the plain fact that we need to hit the road. We don’t have the longest drive back home when compared to some folks, but it ain’t just a short hop up the road either.

Best we get a move on…

Dang that’s a sad sight.


But then again…
What if?



What if there is a way that I can make that little wish an actuality.
A way that maybe, just maybe we can actually experience a bit of Disney…



Soon…

Wouldn’t that be a magical thing?
Or maybe “fantastical” might prove to be the better adjective this time around

Hummmmm…





= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
All Aboard!

When I snapped that last picture of one of the bits of statuary in the Hub at the Magic Kingdom
I did not know that it would end up being a bit of a harbinger of events to come.

I also didn’t know just how long it would end up being before I could become immersed in all things Disney once again. As it turns out, that would be a pretty good while and there’d be a whole lot of major changes in my world in the meantime. The trip I just finished telling y’all about…
(finally… and I am sorry about that)…
…was a graduation gift for my son and one of his good friends.

The days of public schooling were now well and truly behind the both of them.
New adventures were waiting for all of us.





In the next year, my son would start college as a freshman music major in a fine institution a good three hours away from the safety of the home he’d grown up in.


While he was away getting use to that transition, mom and dad went and sold that house he’d grown up in.


We didn’t move far, just across town to be precise, but we moved down in size and up in the age of the structure in question. Our primary goal was to pay a whole lot less for the dwelling, so that we could pay a whole lot more for the tuition.

You’ve got’s to have your priorities, ya’ know…


When Max came home for Thanksgiving that year, it was to a house he’d never seen before.
That had to be a bit of a shock.


The rest of that year went quickly and the summer arrived before we knew what had hit us.
But there wasn’t going to be any Disney for us that season.
Just couldn’t justify it.

But we did have a bit of a plan to fix that.

Another reason that we downsized was to be able to tuck a few extra bucks away for excursions. Had we stayed in the other house, we’d be paying school costs for an eternity and never have any cash left for anything. This way, we’ll only be paying for a bit less than half an eternity, but we could also keep living a somewhat enjoyable life. Additionally we started tucking away any extra cash that turned up. Spare change, cash left over at the end of the week, proceeds from side jobs or selling off older possessions, it all went into a pot that we didn’t count up, didn’t keep track of and most importantly, didn’t bust into. After a while we succeeded in saving a tidy sum and then the notion of another trip seemed far more doable.


But what kind of excursion did we want to take on?




That actually didn’t take much ruminating to figure out.
Something Disney of course, but not Disney world.

Not this time at least.



This time we wanted to get into something else we loved near as much as the Maniacal Mouse…



Being on the water!


Must be time to go cursing again.

And there’s no better way to go cursing, then to go Disney Cursing.



Cheaper ways?…

yes.




Better?...

not to us at least.





We’ve had the chance to sail with the fine folks at DCL three times thus far.

First was three day land/sea adventure aboard the Wonder…

From that we learned two important lessons.

First… cruising was addictive


Second… longer cruses were going to be better than shorter ones
(because cursing is addictive… duh…)


I’ll take a three day if it’s offered to me of course. I’m no fool you know
(well… not on that subject anyway)


…but more time out there on the waves is what you need to be striving for.



The second outing took care of that “time” issue.
We spent a week aboard the Magic taking in the offerings at Key West, Grand Cayman and Cozumel.

To pull that off it took a “kids sail free” offer
and our decision to take one of the smallest cabins on the ship.



It was still well worth every last penny.

That outing also cemented the addiction firmly in place.




The next time out we got to take on our third DCL ship as we hopped aboard the Disney Dream…

That bit of posh traveling lasted for five days with two separate stop overs at Castaway Cay
(another small cabin and a bit of a discount helped that trip as well).

I even went so far as to recount that adventure for all those foolishly willing to read along in a previous TR’s
(I’d say it was one of my better efforts, but of course relativity plays a part in that judgment)



So now it’s been a while since we were able to hit the waves.
But if we’re going to go ahead and ransom the future for a little bit of fun I the near, then we might as well try out a different one of the DCL ships.

Besides, they’ve only got four and I’ve already been aboard three of ‘em.



So with all that in mind, this time we’re stowing away on Dumbo’s ship…

The Disney Fantasy




Actually it’s Minnie’s ship…

but our favorite flying elephant does hold that distinguished spot on the fan tail






Tamara and I have had the opportunity in the past to sail of other ships as well, but our son has thus far only sailed Disney.

Once we cross that gangway and have ourselves introduced
(and I wonder what name we should use this time…hummmm…)
we’ll be four for four on exploiting the classiest and happiest ships sailing the seven seas.

Like said way back there toward the beginning of what’s basically become my PTR, we’ve been saving our pennies right diligently. Turns out… that we’d squirreled away enough to sail on another seven day excursion. Even without the discount for kids (just as well, I don’t have a “kid” anymore anyway). We even upgraded to one of their larger cabins (short of booking a suite that is). The “save a buck or two” compromise this time around was to forgo a veranda in favor of more room (for three adults), but we did at least get a room with a view (and on the side that should afford us some spectacular images in our ports of call).



So when do we shove off on this latest adventure?




*** Tomorrow! ***



Yep…
I took every bit of the time I was allotted to complete this here TR before I started off on my next Disney vacation. But finish it I have, so no laws were broken this time around.

But I may have to break a few in the coming days.
We’ll see.


Let me take a moment here to thank everyone that followed along on this here TR.
I appreciate your diligence (and cast-iron stomachs).
But now you don’t have to put up with any more of my nonsense.
This here TR is now officially…


Did!


OK, moment over…
(and about dang time too, right?)


As you might expect, our house is in complete disarray right now, but who cares.
Once we get everything stuffed into the suitcases and load it all into the car…

We're... outta here!

Next up: Why nothing, you sillies!

That is unless I do something truly stupid like start up another TR sometime soon.
Lord help us all.​

.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I didn't have time to comment on the chapter yet, but I wanted to at least say have a great time on the cruise! If anyone has earned some time off, it's you. Have a blast!

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

I didn't have time to comment on the chapter yet, but I wanted to at least say have a great time on the cruise! If anyone has earned some time off, it's you. Have a blast!

Thank you sir!
We made it down to Titusville in good shape.
Tomorrow morning we hop on over to Port Canaveral and then it's Bon Voyage.

Y'all mind the store while I'm gone and I'll check back in once we get back.
Assuming I actually decide to come back.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

Kei te tatari i nga āpiha katoa foir te haumaru hoki o to tatou rangatira mātātoa.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Kei te tatari i nga āpiha katoa foir te haumaru hoki o to tatou rangatira mātātoa.

Objective secured…
Prime mission completed.
Round up the usual suspects and release standard cover stories to the media.
Job well done sir.

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

Objective secured…
Prime mission completed.
Round up the usual suspects and release standard cover stories to the media.
Job well done sir.

All agents are reporting in and re getting reedy to hire new securities in perpetration for the next missions.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

No more Disney…

I think Luke says it best there.

The idea being, that while a decent breakfast was certainly going to make the first half of the drive more tolerable, also having just one more chance to breathe in that Disney Magic was going to make it considerably less depressing as well.

Good thinking! This also helps those suffering from DDP.

I really have to give Disney credit for going out of their way to help folks out.
Even those whose troubles are solely of their own making.

He then lost it in the car on the ride home, didn't he?

It is now much changed and resembles more what you’ll encounter at either the Wilderness Lodge or perhaps the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

I'm reserving judgment until I see it!

I dearly love me some Kona Café for breakfast.

I need to have breakfast there sometime. I do love it for dinner, though!

The Macadamia-Pineapple Pancakes.

Sounds great, except I really hate nuts in my food.

Dang that’s a sad sight.

Our primary goal was to pay a whole lot less for the dwelling, so that we could pay a whole lot more for the tuition.

Gotta have priorities.

Another reason that we downsized was to be able to tuck a few extra bucks away for excursions.

And these are the kind of priorities to have!

we’ve been saving our pennies right diligently. Turns out… that we’d squirreled away enough to sail on another seven day excursion.

Nice work! I'm starting to think the trips mean a lot more when you have to work so hard to be able to afford them.

This here TR is now officially…


Did!

Nice work Rob! Hope you had a great time on the cruise.

 

[afwdwfan]

And on this particular, Saturday…
Out little band was categorized squarely as one of those exceptions..

To us, this particular Saturday meant that the trip has come to an end.
No more Disney…

Saturdays normally don't suck. But that sucks.

Getting everyone up and ready to go can be a bit of a daunting task for our group. A point illustrated more than once within the confines of this collective story line. Given that fact, imagine (if you will) trying to get everyone up, packed and into the car so that we can leave WDW.


That will be a challenge.

Yep... good luck with that one.

Time to see if the Disney CMs can come through for the second time in a week on the task of retrieving my guest commando’s personal communication device. A quick stop, a few minutes re-explaining the predicament and describing the implement involved, and with far less pain and suffering that I was anticipating at first, we walked back outside triumphant…

Wow! Screw up twice, Disney CM's bail you out twice! Don't get used to that happening in the real world.

And since it took me so long to get around to completing this silly TR, you get an added bonus…



Nostalgia

Wow! Way to spin your procrastination into a positive!

It is now much changed and resembles more what you’ll encounter at either the Wilderness Lodge or perhaps the Animal Kingdom Lodge.



Not that that’s a bad thing.

It’s just a rather different thing.

Definitely different. I like the new look. At least from the pictures I've seen. But I kind of liked the tropical vegetation and water feature that it used to have. Not sure which I prefer.

But the Big Kahuna is equally renowned…

That looks more my speed. Plenty of protein.

They still beat my expectation.
By definition, that qualifies as seriously good eats.

Well, that is certainly saying something.

What if there is a way that I can make that little wish an actuality.
A way that maybe, just maybe we can actually experience a bit of Disney…



Soon…

Wouldn’t that be a magical thing?

When Max came home for Thanksgiving that year, it was to a house he’d never seen before.
That had to be a bit of a shock.

Um, by the way. When you come home... Good luck finding us.

Must be time to go cursing again.

I go cursing just about every day.

And there’s no better way to go cursing, then to go Disney Cursing.

I even went so far as to recount that adventure for all those foolishly willing to read along in a previous TR’s
(I’d say it was one of my better efforts, but of course relativity plays a part in that judgment)

I thoroughly enjoyed it. And learned a lot about Disney cruises.

So with all that in mind, this time we’re stowing away on Dumbo’s ship…

So that's how that picture ties in.

Tamara and I have had the opportunity in the past to sail of other ships as well, but our son has thus far only sailed Disney.

Once we cross that gangway and have ourselves introduced
(and I wonder what name we should use this time…hummmm…)
we’ll be four for four on exploiting the classiest and happiest ships sailing the seven seas.

Quite an accomplishment. Definitely something any Disney fan would like to strive for.

Like said way back there toward the beginning of what’s basically become my PTR, we’ve been saving our pennies right diligently. Turns out… that we’d squirreled away enough to sail on another seven day excursion. Even without the discount for kids (just as well, I don’t have a “kid” anymore anyway). We even upgraded to one of their larger cabins (short of booking a suite that is). The “save a buck or two” compromise this time around was to forgo a veranda in favor of more room (for three adults), but we did at least get a room with a view (and on the side that should afford us some spectacular images in our ports of call).

Cool! I'm glad Max got to go. I guess I should have read this update sooner. I thought it was just going to be you and Tamara this time around.

Yep…
I took every bit of the time I was allotted to complete this here TR before I started off on my next Disney vacation. But finish it I have, so no laws were broken this time around.

You timed it perfectly.

This here TR is now officially…


Did!

Nicely done!

Next up: Why nothing, you sillies!

That is unless I do something truly stupid like start up another TR sometime soon.
Lord help us all.

Um... we want a TR. Get to work!

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

All agents are reporting in and re getting reedy to hire new securities in perpetration for the next missions.

Choose those secretaries well

We were honored to have you along for the mission.
Thanks and good work.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

I think Luke says it best there.

Certainly mirrored my thoughts at the time

Good thinking! This also helps those suffering from DDP.

It just seemed the most correct action to take.

He then lost it in the car on the ride home, didn't he?

Nope…
Made it home.

Lost it two days later.

I'm reserving judgment until I see it!

Agreed. The pictures look awesome, but it’ll just be a different feel.
Either way, I’d like to stay there some time…

After I become fabulously wealthy…

Or monetarily reckless (whichever comes first).

I need to have breakfast there sometime. I do love it for dinner, though!

And I need to try it for dinner at some point.

Sounds great, except I really hate nuts in my food.

You’ll be needing the Big Kahuna then.

Gotta have priorities.

Even when you don’t particularly like the ones that need tom be at the top of the list.

And these are the kind of priorities to have!

I may be generally responsible
But sometimes you just gott’a be foolish as well.

Nice work! I'm starting to think the trips mean a lot more when you have to work so hard to be able to afford them.

I believe that’s true of most things.
We tend not to respect that which we were blithely given.

Nice work Rob! Hope you had a great time on the cruise.

Thanks!
And… Yes, yes we did.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Saturdays normally don't suck. But that sucks.

Sadly so.

Yep... good luck with that one.

I thought it’d be a close call as well.
Turns out that the promise of high end dining was the thing that got them moving quickest.

Wow! Screw up twice, Disney CM's bail you out twice! Don't get used to that happening in the real world.

Words to the wise.

Wow! Way to spin your procrastination into a positive!

I’ve learned much from our leading captains of industry.

Definitely different. I like the new look. At least from the pictures I've seen. But I kind of liked the tropical vegetation and water feature that it used to have. Not sure which I prefer.

Don’t know either.
Will need to go back and do some more on site research.

That looks more my speed. Plenty of protein.

Yep, that’s the one I’d recommend for both you and Mark.

Well, that is certainly saying something.

Not as much protein, but very high on flavor and savory

Um, by the way. When you come home... Good luck finding us.

It would have been like that, but he didn’t have a car yet, so I was driving.

I go cursing just about every day.

Can’t take credit for that one.
All the hard work was done by Bill Gate’s fabulous spell checking applications.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. And learned a lot about Disney cruises.

Thank you, sir.
Let it not be said that I’ve fouled up everything I ever set out to do.

Just most of them…

So that's how that picture ties in.

You’ve read my musing in the past…
Obscure connections are but par for the course.

Quite an accomplishment. Definitely something any Disney fan would like to strive for.

Yeh, but the precedent has now been set.
If they build another ship or two, it’s gonn’a cost me big time.

Cool! I'm glad Max got to go. I guess I should have read this update sooner. I thought it was just going to be you and Tamara this time around.

Naaaa… we generally try to bring him along on our expeditions if possible.
Now next spring when our 25th anniversary rolls around, that will be a different story.

You timed it perfectly.

By the last few hairs of my chinny-chin-chin.

Nicely done!

Thanks for reading along.

And for the ceaseless abuse.
I generally deserve that.

Um... we want a TR. Get to work!

Really?
You still ain’t had enough punishment?