This Trip Report Is Under Refurbishment For Your Future Enjoyment (UPDATED 9/13 with final bonus chapter)

Maybe not even then.
As a shift worker, sometimes weeks go by before I am supposed to have a weekend off.

Then I work it anyway.

I think I found the problem.


:scared1: The reaction of the kid is priceless, though!

I had to go waaaay back (like about a year), but I am caught up!

Wow! That's true dedication. I hope it didn't take you the whole year to read it!

Bummer about your broken lens. (See, I told you I had to go waaay back.) I had that happen at one of my kids' graduations and it doesn't make for a fun occasion.

You can almost hear a cash register ringing in the crunch of metal and glass.

Kudos to Uncle Eric at 50's Prime Time. It's good to hear that there are still cast members willing to play the game at that restaurant.

We've generally had good luck with servers there, but he was the best we've ever had.

Man, it sounded like your brother didn't have a whole lot of luck park-touring with the little ones. Maybe they'll be able to do better in a couple of years.

I think part of it was their rigid adherence to nap time. It gave them so little time to see anything.

Yes, I love that carrot-ginger soup at Boma and have made it several times at home. So good.

Boma has really shot up the list of our favorite Disney restaurants.

The shot of your plate of food at Biergarten looked so good. As of this moment, we're planning on having lunch there on New Year's Day. It's the only place in DisneyWorld that I know of where you can get sauerkraut and that's a tradition for us that hasn't been broken yet (and I'm getting up there, so that's a lotta years). We've eaten at Biergarten a number of times so I wouldn't mind going to a different restaurant, but how can we break the sauerkraut tradition?!

I mean, you really have to love sauerkraut.

Loved your story of the rainstorm at Epcot. Poor Julie.

But why did she stop running??

Speaking of Julie, nice move snagging the pretzel rolls! Impressive!

That was definitely a veteran move.:thumbsup2

Congrats to Drew for conquering BTMRR! It's so funny when you know they'll like it (love it, in this case) but can't get them to try it. I'm totally on-board with your parenting strategy here.

It's certainly not funny at the time! It does feel rewarding when they finally overcome their fears, though.

I agree with you on Tom Sawyer's Island. I like it, and hope they never change it. Although, I confess that we don't visit it that often.

It's cool to have a place that doesn't exist for any other reason other than for you to just explore it.

Wow, that woman in your photo of Main St. was giving you the stinkeye of all stinkeyes! I have a few of those in my trip reports, but that one may take the cake!

I don't know what I did to upset her! Surely she's had her picture taken before.

Sorry to hear that the communication/coordination of the 13 people on your trip didn't work out better. Those trips are so hard to pull off successfully.

Now we can look forward to our do-over trip, whenever that is. It'll be nice to have a small group that is on the same page about how we want to tour the parks.

Have you heard Jim Gaffigan's routine on when you see someone you know at McDonald's? "Oh, I'm not eating here. Um, ah,...I'm just meeting a hooker."

:rotfl2::rotfl2:I'm sure I've heard it before. By the way, he's coming to Delaware in August! Can't wait.

That is so funny. No wonder you admire him so much!

A man ahead of his time!

And regarding the blue spiky flowers. My guess is they're lupines. If I'm right, I have no idea how I guessed this other than my close proximity to Longwood Gardens.

I think someone else guessed lupines, too. I don't know enough to say you're wrong!
 
A great start to your day! Doesn't matter what the activity is, it's always good to get an early start. I'd love to see Alcatraz some day. I've seen it from afar but never made it over there. Sounds really interesting. When you were talking about the audio tour, I wondered how your youngest would do. How great he was able to enjoy it too! Looking forward to hearing about the rest of your day.

It was a neat tour. Definitely worth doing once!

Well that's something you don't hear everyday.

I sure hope not!

You know this is one thing that I have never done and I've lived in CA for nearly 50 years now.

Wow...Did it just not interest you?

I always enjoy the upper decks when I can!

Great view from up there, for sure.

:sad2: People never fail to disappoint me.

They are good at that! Not me, of course. :rolleyes1

Good thing there were people there to train you on it! Certainly you would have a challenge if you had to figure it out yourself!

:rotfl2::rotfl2:You got me there!

I'm happy sticking with DVC!

But there are no maintenance fees here!

Those are some hardened criminals!

Only the worst of the worst.

That's great he's turning into a little human! And nice that he can focus his attention for longer periods of time.

It's making it a lot easier to do this kind of thing, for sure. Now we need to just get him to stop asking to be carried everywhere.

That's awesome! How intimidated are the students with those?

It's the last week of school. They've already checked out mentally.

Interesting. We never ride public transportation there. Sounds like I'm missing out on some different experiences there.

It was neat to be on the old train car, at least. I was grateful not to have to drive.

Geez, you don't need to yell at us, we were just curious!

Gotta keep you hooligans in line!

Reminds me of what I told my kids a few times when they EXPECTED something they didn't deserve (like a cell phone that was 5 times more expensive than mine)...

I have to house, feed and clothe you. I do a LOT more than that and I make sure you have everything you need, but that does not mean you will get everything you want.

The bank of dad is now closed, have a nice day.

Yep. There's a big difference between what you need and what you want. Although most people these days don't understand that.

Great pictures. Now I want to go see it...looks very interesting. Very cool Drew liked it too!

We were very thankful that he had a good time with it!

That Alcatraz tour looks really cool! Glad you all enjoyed it

Great tour! Hope you get the chance to see it someday.
 
Wow! That's true dedication. I hope it didn't take you the whole year to read it!

Well I conveniently left out how long ago I tried to get caught up, didn't I?!

Boma has really shot up the list of our favorite Disney restaurants.

It has long been one of our favorites, so I'm glad to hear that.

I mean, you really have to love sauerkraut.

We usually have it twice a year: On New Year's Day and then about 2 weeks later, in response to us saying "why don't we have this more often?" Then we forget about it for 11 and 1/2 months again!

I'm sure I've heard it before. By the way, he's coming to Delaware in August! Can't wait.

That'll be awesome.
 


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What an interesting tour, we'll have to add it to our list next time we're in SF. And I totally need this for our house.
 
Well, I multi-quoted several things about Alcatraz... and stupid new Dis ate it.

There was something about going to prison and I was going to make some smart, funny response about how Scotty happened.

Then there was something else about tourists or something. I don't remember. But Li-berry... that's comedy gold, right there.

In any case, it looks like a really interesting tour. I'm glad you were able to check it out and, possibly even more importantly, I'm glad that Drew was interested enough to allow you the opportunity to really take it in and enjoy it!
 


Well I conveniently left out how long ago I tried to get caught up, didn't I?!

On an unrelated note, your boss is looking for you. He hasn't seen you for months.

It has long been one of our favorites, so I'm glad to hear that.

I like to park myself next to the beef strip loin carving station.

We usually have it twice a year: On New Year's Day and then about 2 weeks later, in response to us saying "why don't we have this more often?" Then we forget about it for 11 and 1/2 months again!

We do the same thing at Easter--my mom makes a pineapple-bread casserole dish that is fantastic. No idea why we don't eat it more often.

That'll be awesome.

::yes::

Loving this - awesome TR!

Thanks, and :welcome:

What an interesting tour, we'll have to add it to our list next time we're in SF. And I totally need this for our house.

I suspect a lot of parents would make use of that one.

Well, you are an engineer, aren't you? Isn't that your job???

The hard part is providing the solution. And then dealing with the second-guessing of said solution.

Wanna go for a swim?

Hmm...I'll pass.

Well, I multi-quoted several things about Alcatraz... and stupid new Dis ate it.

I bet it was operator error.:rolleyes1

There was something about going to prison and I was going to make some smart, funny response about how Scotty happened.

I can see it going in that direction. I'm imagining it in my mind...and it's hilarious.

Then there was something else about tourists or something. I don't remember. But Li-berry... that's comedy gold, right there.

Strangely, it added some authenticity to the narration.

In any case, it looks like a really interesting tour. I'm glad you were able to check it out and, possibly even more importantly, I'm glad that Drew was interested enough to allow you the opportunity to really take it in and enjoy it!

It was cool! I'm glad we got to do it.
 
Bonus Chapter 3: If You Build It, They Will Come

Did you know that Field of Dreams was released 30 years ago? This makes me feel really old. But I’ve been happy to catch it showing quite a bit on TV lately. That’s one of my favorite movies. In my opinion, it’s the very best performance of James Earl Jones’ career. He absolutely walks away with that movie, much like Sean Connery did with The Untouchables. Must be something about acting opposite Kevin Costner.

Anyway, that has nothing to do with anything other than I needed an awkward segue into baseball and that was the first thing that popped into my head. In the world of trip reporting, you don’t get finely-tuned revised manuscripts. You get the first draft, warts and all. Just another look into how the sausage gets made.

After navigating the San Francisco Muni transit system successfully, we got off at the 2nd & King St. station right next to Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants baseball team. I know this because it says so right on the sign.

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We were taking yet another baseball stadium tour. Everybody’s got their thing. @pkondz has his Japanese gardens. We have our baseball stadiums.

More accurately, David, Scotty and I have our baseball stadiums. Julie and Sarah just roll their eyes and tolerate us while we go on the tour. We would rather go to actual games (and the girls would rather avoid baseball altogether), but they’re usually prohibitively expensive for my family. We found that tours are a much more cost-effective way to see different ballparks around the country.

We had a bit of trouble finding the right gate at which to meet the tour guide. This resulted in some needless walking back and forth along the outside wall of the stadium before finally finding a sign that told us to go to the gate on the opposite side.

We munched on our PB&J sandwiches for lunch at the plaza. While there, we took note of something I’d been warned about but still hadn’t expected to witness myself: the San Francisco Poop Problem.

Right there, on the sidewalk in front of the stadium, someone had left a pile of 💩.

I hadn’t heard of this issue until my father brought it to my attention, but apparently it is actually a thing. Many people are blaming the homeless population, although I can’t rule out the possibility that this particular little gift may have been left by a Los Angeles Dodgers fan. Now, I don’t want to delve into the causes of this or dump a load of politics on you. That would be crappy of me. In fact, I kind of feel like a stool pigeon telling you about it. Let’s just move on and I’ll tell you about our #2 attraction of the day.

Oracle Park has changed names a few times, but the ballpark was built in 2000 as part of the new wave of baseball stadiums which moved on from soulless, concrete cookie-cutter multi-purpose designs of the 70’s (thank goodness) and into an era of unique baseball-only parks that tried to fit in with the character of their home cities. This stadium was built on the south side of the downtown area right next to San Francisco Bay. It’s a gorgeous property and I’d love to see a game there someday.

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We were led into a theater where we watched a 15-20 minute propaganda film about the Giants and their history. One of the most famous points of history was the 1989 earthquake which happened just before a World Series game was to be played at the old Candlestick Park. I remember having the TV tuned in to the game when they suddenly lost the feed during the pregame show. In the days before the internet, it took quite some time to figure out what had happened. Of course, given the damages and casualties from that quake, the delay of the World Series was the least of the city’s problems.

They made sure to remind us in the film many times that the Giants had won the World Series 3 times in 6 years: 2010, 2012 and 2014. In fact, this seemed to come up quite often throughout the tour.

We got to go inside the visitor’s clubhouse, where they had this cool model of the Golden Gate Bridge made from old baseball bats:

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We also got to see the indoor batting cages where hitters stay loose between innings.

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Typically, the high point of any ballpark tour is the moment when you get to go out on the field*. We entered through the visitor dugout.

*--As long as you stay on the warning track and don’t even think about touching the grass. Snipers are standing by if you so much as breathe on a blade of grass.

For any baseball fan, it’s a thrill to be right there on the playing surface. You can imagine yourself standing in the on-deck circle, bat in hand.

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Or you can sit in the dugout, wondering what it would be like to call the shots as the manager.

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Just pure magic, I tell ya!

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Whatever. I thought it was cool.

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On the way back inside, we spotted Bruce Wayne’s hideout.

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The tour guide also made note of a special architectural feature, inspired by the 1989 quake. Oracle Park is built in 5 different sections, all attached by gaskets that allow the stadium to “move” with an earthquake. The idea is for the movement to be absorbed in these sections and minimize damage anywhere else in the building.

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We got to take in the view from the Tony Bennett Suite along the first base line, which gave us a nice view of the Bay Bridge into Oakland.

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Tony Bennett’s famous hit “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” obviously made him a favorite of the city. The suite was decorated with all sorts of memorabilia from Bennett’s career. This included a photo of a painted sculpture of a heart. The hearts were part of a public art installation and were placed all over the city. The tour guide told us that not only was Tony Bennett a great singer, but he was also an accomplished painter. He was asked to paint one of the hearts, and it was put on display in Union Square in the city. The photo in the suite showed us his work. Sarah and I took a look and…agreed that it was probably a good thing he could sing.

Just behind the right field fence is a canal that leads into San Francisco Bay. The canal is known as McCovey’s Cove (named after Willie McCovey, a famous left-handed slugger for the Giants). If a left-handed batter makes great contact with a pitch, it’s possible for him to blast a home run out of the stadium and into the canal. Fans will often wait in kayaks and canoes, hoping to catch a “Splash Hit”. They even keep track of the number of home runs (from Giants players only) that land in the canal on a small scoreboard attached to the right field wall.

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It was a fun tour, and I could have enjoyed the view of the bay all afternoon. The only drawback came near the end of the tour, when they took us through a hall of memorabilia displays—maybe 10 different exhibits—and slowly, painstakingly described the contents of every. Single. One.

Here’s an old ticket…here’s a photo of the owners…here’s another photo of the owners…here’s an environmental award…here’s some old baseball cards…here’s the very first mustard packet someone used on a hot dog in the park…and on and on.

So that was a bit of a drag. But I’m still glad I got to see the ballpark.

We took the muni train back into downtown, where I had hoped to use our transit passports to get a trip on the famous cable cars. If we’d had time, I had wanted to stop at the Cable Car Museum in the city (which @Steppesister had recommended), where we could get a glimpse of the machinery making these cars operate.

When we reached the California St. cable car turnaround, there was a fairly long line of people waiting for a ride. We could see two cable cars parked down the street, not moving. We saw a couple of drivers (don’t know their official titles) standing outside one car and shooting the breeze. Finally, they got into the cable car and drove it over to the turnaround, where they took on passengers.

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They were actually able to accommodate most of the line, which was a mild surprise. As they moved off, we decided to jump in line for the next car.

However, there was no schedule available, and the other car was still sitting idle down the street. There was no driver inside. And no indication that anyone was going to be moving it anytime soon. I don’t think we waited as long as 20 minutes this time, but once again we gave up and bailed. Given the speed at which they operate, it was apparent that riding through the town was going to use up the entire afternoon, which would put us way behind schedule. So we had to content ourselves with riding the electric streetcars on the Embarcadero instead.

We retrieved our van from the parking garage and made our way out of the city. Our destination for the evening was the Monterey Peninsula, which was about a 2-hour drive away (not including traffic delays). Being Easter Sunday, we didn’t encounter a ton of traffic once we were outside the city and made it to Monterey with no issues. Everyone was hungry once we arrived, so we went downtown, found a parking garage, and then walked to the Cannery Row Brewing Co.

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This place was recommended by a fellow DIS-er, Alicia (@Leshaface), as being a solid place for a meal. I sure hoped so, because feeding three teenagers is a chore these days. We all ordered different dishes.

Sarah went with a grilled chicken sandwich:

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Scotty got his old standby, the bacon cheeseburger (he’s a boy after my heart):

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Dave went with his standby, mac-and-cheese (with blackened chicken). Trust me, there’s chicken in there. No, really. There is.

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Julie got rabbit food and a bowl of chili.

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And I got a ginormous chicken-and-waffles dish. That’s caramelized maple butter that’s skewered on the top. Oh man, it was good. It really hit the spot.

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Last but not least, Drew ordered a cheeseburger and then proceeded to get rid of the sesame seeds on the roll, which were completely unacceptable.

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Not a single person was disappointed with this meal (except the aforementioned sesame seeds). As an added bonus, they had some ideas for things to do to pass the time while you wait for your meals.

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Great food all around. I’m happy to say that you can indeed trust Alicia’s restaurant recommendations. Alicia, this Drooling Homer is for you.

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Today’s driving/touring map:

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Coming Up Next: We’ve already covered one exciting sports destination. Who’s ready for some golf?
 
Did you know that Field of Dreams was released 30 years ago? This makes me feel really old. But I’ve been happy to catch it showing quite a bit on TV lately. That’s one of my favorite movies. In my opinion, it’s the very best performance of James Earl Jones’ career. He absolutely walks away with that movie, much like Sean Connery did with The Untouchables. Must be something about acting opposite Kevin Costner.
I always thought his voice as Darth Vader was the best. Although I guess that's really not acting, just voice acting. I think I need to watch it again...first time I watched it, I thought it was bizarre. Love baseball and Costner obviously does also...Bull Durham, For love of the game, A league of their own (and just looked up and he's done several more - https://not.fangraphs.com/the-top-ten-kevin-costner-baseball-films/)

After navigating the San Francisco Muni transit system successfully, we got off at the 2nd & King St. station right next to Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants baseball team. I know this because it says so right on the sign.
They knew you were coming and realized the ONLY way you'd find it was if they spelled it out.

We had a bit of trouble finding the right gate at which to meet the tour guide. This resulted in some needless walking back and forth along the outside wall of the stadium before finally finding a sign that told us to go to the gate on the opposite side.
Guess they failed on the spelling it out round 2.

Right there, on the sidewalk in front of the stadium, someone had left a pile of 💩.
Okay, that's just weird.

I hadn’t heard of this issue until my father brought it to my attention, but apparently it is actually a thing. Many people are blaming the homeless population, although I can’t rule out the possibility that this particular little gift may have been left by a Los Angeles Dodgers fan. Now, I don’t want to delve into the causes of this or dump a load of politics on you. That would be crappy of me. In fact, I kind of feel like a stool pigeon telling you about it. Let’s just move on and I’ll tell you about our #2 attraction of the day.
Impressive, most impressive. :darth:
:worship:

One of the most famous points of history was the 1989 earthquake which happened just before a World Series game was to be played at the old Candlestick Park. I remember having the TV tuned in to the game when they suddenly lost the feed during the pregame show. In the days before the internet, it took quite some time to figure out what had happened. Of course, given the damages and casualties from that quake, the delay of the World Series was the least of the city’s problems.
I think I was watching that series and remember that. I know I remember finding out about the earthquake, but pretty sure I was watching also.

We got to go inside the visitor’s clubhouse, where they had this cool model of the Golden Gate Bridge made from old baseball bats:

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That's pretty cool!

Typically, the high point of any ballpark tour is the moment when you get to go out on the field*. We entered through the visitor dugout.

*--As long as you stay on the warning track and don’t even think about touching the grass. Snipers are standing by if you so much as breathe on a blade of grass.
Kinda sad they didn't do the home dugout since you're in THEIR park. I've never toured a park...might need to consider this next time I go to Chicago.

Gives a totally different context to stay off the grass.

Or you can sit in the dugout, wondering what it would be like to call the shots as the manager.

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Yeah, sure...you were trying to figure out the closest store to replenish PB&J supplies. You're fooling NOONE.

Just pure magic, I tell ya!

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Now that makes it worth whatever the price of admission! He may not remember or recognize the significance, but that will be a great memory for you forever. I'm sure Scotty and Dave will have fond memories also.

Sarah and I took a look and…agreed that it was probably a good thing he could sing.
Seeing Sarah's artistic talent, I trust her assessment much more than yours.

If a left-handed batter makes great contact with a pitch, it’s possible for him to blast a home run out of the stadium and into the canal. Fans will often wait in kayaks and canoes, hoping to catch a “Splash Hit”. They even keep track of the number of home runs (from Giants players only) that land in the canal on a small scoreboard attached to the right field wall.
I knew about the boats and folks hanging out waiting for those, but didn't realize they kept track and only home team...wow!

It was a fun tour, and I could have enjoyed the view of the bay all afternoon. The only drawback came near the end of the tour, when they took us through a hall of memorabilia displays—maybe 10 different exhibits—and slowly, painstakingly described the contents of every. Single. One.
Ummm, excuse me, can you show me the exit please?

However, there was no schedule available, and the other car was still sitting idle down the street. There was no driver inside. And no indication that anyone was going to be moving it anytime soon. I don’t think we waited as long as 20 minutes this time, but once again we gave up and bailed. Given the speed at which they operate, it was apparent that riding through the town was going to use up the entire afternoon, which would put us way behind schedule. So we had to content ourselves with riding the electric streetcars on the Embarcadero instead.
guess it's a union shop.

Dave went with his standby, mac-and-cheese (with blackened chicken). Trust me, there’s chicken in there. No, really. There is.

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Umm, sure...we believe you. Why would you possibly tell us an untruth?

Julie got rabbit food and a bowl of chili.

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Take away her disdads card. Oh wait, she's not a dad.
Give us your disdad card for allowing rabbit food within 3 ft of your proximity.

Last but not least, Drew ordered a cheeseburger and then proceeded to get rid of the sesame seeds on the roll, which were completely unacceptable.

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Did he even have any time to eat after getting rid of those horrible seeds? This is funny...I don't remember what it was, but one of our kids did something very similar. :lmao: So, were the offending items flung at his brothers & sister?

Not a single person was disappointed with this meal (except the aforementioned sesame seeds). As an added bonus, they had some ideas for things to do to pass the time while you wait for your meals.

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Julie needs signs too? I didn't realize she need encouragement for this.
 
Did you know that Field of Dreams was released 30 years ago?
Yep. Feel old?
This makes me feel really old
Thought so.
In my opinion, it’s the very best performance of James Earl Jones’ career.
I loved the part where they're in the van and they've just picked up a young hitchhiker and he uses the force to lift him up by his neck.
Must be something about acting opposite Kevin Costner.
If only Kevin Costner could act on his own... He's had some spectacular crashes.
In the world of trip reporting, you don’t get finely-tuned revised manuscripts.
Maybe you don't... :snooty:
Just another look into how the sausage gets made.
Dude. I've made sausages.
Here's some we made (okay mostly it was DW's uncle, but DW mixed the meat, I cranked the stuffer and he made sure the skins didn't break and spun them to twist the ends. Here's one batch cooling after being smoked.
1559880816299-png.406934

I know this because it says so right on the sign.
Ha! Jokes on you. That's a tourist trap. The real one's across the road.
Everybody’s got their thing. @pkondz has his Japanese gardens. We have our baseball stadiums.
::yes::
More accurately, David, Scotty and I have our baseball stadiums. Julie and Sarah just roll their eyes and tolerate us while we go on the tour.
What about Drew?


Oh, nevermind. I see later.
This resulted in some needless walking back and forth along the outside wall of the stadium before finally finding a sign that told us to go to the gate on the opposite side...
...of the road.


See?
While there, we took note of something I’d been warned about but still hadn’t expected to witness myself: the San Francisco Poop Problem.
You have got to be kidding! :faint: :eek:
Right there, on the sidewalk in front of the stadium, someone had left a pile of 💩.
gross... :crazy2:
Now, I don’t want to delve into the causes of this or dump a load of politics on you. That would be crappy of me. In fact, I kind of feel like a stool pigeon telling you about it. Let’s just move on and I’ll tell you about our #2 attraction of the day.
:sad2:
You're so full of shi.... sunshine.
Oracle Park has changed names a few times,
I looked. I expected somewhere in there to see Giant's Field or something.
Beautiful view!
e were led into a theater where we watched a 15-20 minute propaganda film about the Giants and their history
Did you convert?
One of the most famous points of history was the 1989 earthquake which happened just before a World Series game was to be played at the old Candlestick Park. I remember having the TV tuned in to the game when they suddenly lost the feed during the pregame show.
I remember that.
I extremely rarely watch baseball... but will watch a World Series game if it's on the tube.
I wouldn't trust my car on that.
*--As long as you stay on the warning track and don’t even think about touching the grass. Snipers are standing by if you so much as breathe on a blade of grass.
Shame. Have you been able to walk on the grass in other parks? Trying to remember your last baseball field. I seem to recall you were allowed out as well... but not if you were allowed on the grass.
You can imagine yourself standing in the on-deck circle, bat in hand.
Ducking at the first fastball... then stealing your courage and whiffing on the next pitch.
:laughing: Perfect!!
Just pure magic, I tell ya!

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:lmao:
On the way back inside, we spotted Bruce Wayne’s hideout.
It took me a second.... I was even thinking of posting "What is …" Oh.
The tour guide also made note of a special architectural feature, inspired by the 1989 quake. Oracle Park is built in 5 different sections, all attached by gaskets that allow the stadium to “move” with an earthquake. The idea is for the movement to be absorbed in these sections and minimize damage anywhere else in the building.
That's pretty interesting. Huh!
The photo in the suite showed us his work. Sarah and I took a look and…agreed that it was probably a good thing he could sing.
:laughing:
They even keep track of the number of home runs (from Giants players only) that land in the canal on a small scoreboard attached to the right field wall.
I like that. :)
Here’s an old ticket…here’s a photo of the owners…here’s another photo of the owners…here’s an environmental award…here’s some old baseball cards…here’s the very first mustard packet someone used on a hot dog in the park…and on and on.
:sad2:
Boooooring!


Wait... did you say mustard packet?
feeding three teenagers is a chore these days.
Bottomless pits?
Trust me, there’s chicken in there. No, really. There is.
I don't believe you.
And I got a ginormous chicken-and-waffles dish. That’s caramelized maple butter that’s skewered on the top. Oh man, it was good. It really hit the spot.
Whoa!
Last but not least, Drew ordered a cheeseburger and then proceeded to get rid of the sesame seeds on the roll, which were completely unacceptable.
:laughing:
Seems both reasonable and accurate.
Who’s ready for some golf?
Nooooooo!!!
 

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Hey Mark, as you know already I was in Houston last week. Been struggling to dig out from under the work pile since. Just dropping in to say I've been able to catch up on your report. Hopefully I will be able to reset from here out and get back to comments and witty banter. Or just what I normally do. Either way, hope to be back to normal soon.
 
After navigating the San Francisco Muni transit system successfully,

It took us a bit of practice as well.

We had a bit of trouble finding the right gate at which to meet the tour guide. This resulted in some needless walking back and forth along the outside wall of the stadium before finally finding a sign that told us to go to the gate on the opposite side.

This is painfully reminescent of going to my middle's OSU grad at Reser Stadium in Corvalis. Shoot. Me. Now.

I’d been warned about but still hadn’t expected to witness myself: the San Francisco Poop Problem.

Right there, on the sidewalk in front of the stadium, someone had left a pile of 💩.

We saw more than our fair share downtown. Gross.


Many people are blaming the homeless population, although I can’t rule out the possibility that this particular little gift may have been left by a Los Angeles Dodgers fan. Now, I don’t want to delve into the causes of this or dump a load of politics on you. That would be crappy of me. In fact, I kind of feel like a stool pigeon telling you about it. Let’s just move on and I’ll tell you about our #2 attraction of the day.

Sigh.... potty humor just never gets old.

the Giants had won the World Series 3 times in 6 years: 2010, 2012 and 2014

Oddly, this even impresses me.

Or you can sit in the dugout, wondering what it would be like to call the shots as the manager.

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Apparently, it'd be a lot like crossing the Canadian border.

and slowly, painstakingly described the contents of every. Single. One.

Is that snoring I hear, or the next Loma Prieta?

Cable Car Museum in the city (which @Steppesister had recommended), where we could get a glimpse of the machinery making these cars operate.

Well, then our score is even for seeing it. It was closed when I tried so only got to peer in the window. After carefully watching my step.

Dave went with his standby, mac-and-cheese (with blackened chicken).
8 Spoons this is not.
 
More accurately, David, Scotty and I have our baseball stadiums. Julie and Sarah just roll their eyes and tolerate us while we go on the tour. We would rather go to actual games (and the girls would rather avoid baseball altogether), but they’re usually prohibitively expensive for my family. We found that tours are a much more cost-effective way to see different ballparks around the country.
I don't know... It depends. Food is usually way overpriced, but I've found tickets to baseball games to be relatively reasonable, especially if you're willing to sit higher up. At least compared to most other sporting events. But yeah, working out the schedule and catching one can definitely be a challenge... I've seen games in several different parks, but I've never done a tour.
We munched on our PB&J sandwiches for lunch at the plaza. While there, we took note of something I’d been warned about but still hadn’t expected to witness myself: the San Francisco Poop Problem.

Right there, on the sidewalk in front of the stadium, someone had left a pile of 💩.
What the what??? Wow. That just makes the PB&J even more enjoyable.
They made sure to remind us in the film many times that the Giants had won the World Series 3 times in 6 years: 2010, 2012 and 2014
I hate the 2012 Giants almost as much as the 2010 Phillies and Roy Halladay's stupid no hitter.

Also, their math sucks.
Typically, the high point of any ballpark tour is the moment when you get to go out on the field*. We entered through the visitor dugout.

*--As long as you stay on the warning track and don’t even think about touching the grass. Snipers are standing by if you so much as breathe on a blade of grass.
They won't even let you run the bases??? Come on, man!
For any baseball fan, it’s a thrill to be right there on the playing surface. You can imagine yourself standing in the on-deck circle, bat in hand.
But don't you dare imagine yourself actually standing at the plate.
The photo in the suite showed us his work. Sarah and I took a look and…agreed that it was probably a good thing he could sing.
They say art is in the eye of the beholder. I often find that there must be something wrong with my eyes.
Here’s an old ticket…here’s a photo of the owners…here’s another photo of the owners…here’s an environmental award…here’s some old baseball cards…here’s the very first mustard packet someone used on a hot dog in the park…and on and on.
Here's the needle Barry Bonds...
Last but not least, Drew ordered a cheeseburger and then proceeded to get rid of the sesame seeds on the roll, which were completely unacceptable.
Well, yeah! Why ruin a perfectly good bun?
Coming Up Next: We’ve already covered one exciting sports destination. Who’s ready for some golf?
I hope Julie goes easy on you in the divorce.
 
I always thought his voice as Darth Vader was the best. Although I guess that's really not acting, just voice acting. I think I need to watch it again...first time I watched it, I thought it was bizarre. Love baseball and Costner obviously does also...Bull Durham, For love of the game, A league of their own (and just looked up and he's done several more - https://not.fangraphs.com/the-top-ten-kevin-costner-baseball-films/)

Yeah, he's definitely got quite the baseball filmography.

They knew you were coming and realized the ONLY way you'd find it was if they spelled it out.

That is a distinct possibility.

Guess they failed on the spelling it out round 2.

You can lead a horse to water...

Okay, that's just weird.

And gross!

Impressive, most impressive. :darth:

You knew I couldn't pass up the opportunity for poop jokes.

I think I was watching that series and remember that. I know I remember finding out about the earthquake, but pretty sure I was watching also.

I remember there was a lot of confusion for quite a while there. The days before the internet...

That's pretty cool!

::yes::

Kinda sad they didn't do the home dugout since you're in THEIR park. I've never toured a park...might need to consider this next time I go to Chicago.

Gives a totally different context to stay off the grass.

Every tour we've taken does the same thing. The home team clubhouse is sacred ground. I think they probably restrict access because players leave some personal belongings in their lockers, so they don't want to risk anyone taking "souvenirs".

We've never been allowed on the grass, either. Did the Wrigley Field tour too.

Yeah, sure...you were trying to figure out the closest store to replenish PB&J supplies. You're fooling NOONE.

You got me...I was trying to add without using my fingers and/or toes.

Now that makes it worth whatever the price of admission! He may not remember or recognize the significance, but that will be a great memory for you forever. I'm sure Scotty and Dave will have fond memories also.

We always enjoy seeing the different baseball stadiums. The women always tolerate it for us.

Seeing Sarah's artistic talent, I trust her assessment much more than yours.

I'm just gonna say we agreed on this one.

I knew about the boats and folks hanging out waiting for those, but didn't realize they kept track and only home team...wow!

It's a serious operation!

Ummm, excuse me, can you show me the exit please?

Yeah...they really shouldn't have ended the tour with that.

guess it's a union shop.

They sure weren't in any hurry!

Umm, sure...we believe you. Why would you possibly tell us an untruth?

Only if it involves exploding helicopters.

Take away her disdads card. Oh wait, she's not a dad.
Give us your disdad card for allowing rabbit food within 3 ft of your proximity.

Oh, sure. Like any of the rest of you have any control over what your wife does.

Did he even have any time to eat after getting rid of those horrible seeds? This is funny...I don't remember what it was, but one of our kids did something very similar. :lmao: So, were the offending items flung at his brothers & sister?

No, but he probably only ate about two bites of burger. That's par for the course.

Julie needs signs too? I didn't realize she need encouragement for this.

Any excuse!
 
Yep. Feel old?
Thought so.

How could it have been 30 years? I'm kind of stunned.

I loved the part where they're in the van and they've just picked up a young hitchhiker and he uses the force to lift him up by his neck.

Best part of the movie! Switching out the bats for lightsabers was genius, too.

If only Kevin Costner could act on his own... He's had some spectacular crashes.

Yeah...everyone likes to dump on Waterworld, but I think his attempt at being "British" for Robin Hood was a particular low point.

He can be good in the right role. Which is usually a ballplayer.

Maybe you don't... :snooty:

How does anyone have the time for anything else?

Dude. I've made sausages.
Here's some we made (okay mostly it was DW's uncle, but DW mixed the meat, I cranked the stuffer and he made sure the skins didn't break and spun them to twist the ends. Here's one batch cooling after being smoked.
1559880816299-png.406934

That looks awesome!

Ha! Jokes on you. That's a tourist trap. The real one's across the road.

Dang it. Should have read the fine print.

...of the road.


See?

This whole "men never read directions" thing can burn me sometimes.

You have got to be kidding! :faint: :eek:

I wish I wasn't.

:sad2:
You're so full of shi.... sunshine.

And I'm full of poop jokes! :woohoo:

I looked. I expected somewhere in there to see Giant's Field or something.

Nah, not when they can sell it!

Did you convert?

No way. They knocked my Phillies out of the playoffs in 2010.

I remember that.
I extremely rarely watch baseball... but will watch a World Series game if it's on the tube.

I enjoy it, but I typically will only watch Phillies games. Until the playoffs start, anyway.

I wouldn't trust my car on that.

I'd put a Matchbox car on it.

Shame. Have you been able to walk on the grass in other parks? Trying to remember your last baseball field. I seem to recall you were allowed out as well... but not if you were allowed on the grass.

No, it's always the same. You can stay on the edge, but no one can trample the sacred grass.

Ducking at the first fastball... then stealing your courage and whiffing on the next pitch.

Pretty much. I'd be destroyed out there against a major league pitcher.

:laughing: Perfect!!

I think Liesa ruined that photo now.

t took me a second.... I was even thinking of posting "What is …" Oh.

I knew you could get it eventually.

:sad2:
Boooooring!


Wait... did you say mustard packet?

I sure did!

Yep, still boring.

Bottomless pits?

Pretty much. We can't keep food in the house.

I don't believe you.

Well, I'll have to submit to a polygraph next time we meet up.

Seems both reasonable and accurate.

Ain't that the truth?

Nooooooo!!!

I love the enthusiasm!

Hey Mark, as you know already I was in Houston last week. Been struggling to dig out from under the work pile since. Just dropping in to say I've been able to catch up on your report. Hopefully I will be able to reset from here out and get back to comments and witty banter. Or just what I normally do. Either way, hope to be back to normal soon.

Hey Jeff! Welcome back. No worries--none of this is required reading anyway. Thanks for checking in!
 
How could it have been 30 years? I'm kind of stunned.
It happens...
Best part of the movie! Switching out the bats for lightsabers was genius, too.
But I thought it was lame every time they hit the ball with them.
Yeah...everyone likes to dump on Waterworld, but I think his attempt at being "British" for Robin Hood was a particular low point.
He's had so many low points.
He can be good in the right role. Which is usually a ballplayer.
:laughing:
That looks awesome!
And tasty!
This whole "men never read directions" thing can burn me sometimes.
I'm weird that way. I read the directions. Not sure why.
And I'm full of poop jokes! :woohoo:
Dad. Ergo... full of poop...



jokes.
Nah, not when they can sell it!
Apparently.
And... I find that kind of sad. Stadiums/arenas should be named after their teams.
No way. They knocked my Phillies out of the playoffs in 2010.
Ah! So no mercy, then.
No, it's always the same. You can stay on the edge, but no one can trample the sacred grass.
Oh, okay. Huh!
Pretty much. I'd be destroyed out there against a major league pitcher.
But...
Would you pay for that privilege? Or would you be too scared to stand in front of a 100mph pitch?
I think Liesa ruined that photo now.
:lmao:
Pretty much. We can't keep food in the house.
Thought so.
Well, I'll have to submit to a polygraph next time we meet up.
I could probably arrange that, you know.
You're welcome. :)

🧻
:rotfl:
 
It took us a bit of practice as well.

It really wasn't that bad. The hardest part for me was figuring out how to use my phone app to get through the gate machine on the subway.

This is painfully reminescent of going to my middle's OSU grad at Reser Stadium in Corvalis. Shoot. Me. Now.

You can't get there from here!

We saw more than our fair share downtown. Gross.

Yeah. Not much more you can say.

Sigh.... potty humor just never gets old.

Never!

Oddly, this even impresses me.

They had never won the World Series prior to that (after the team moved to San Francisco, anyway), so that was kind of a big deal.

Apparently, it'd be a lot like crossing the Canadian border.

:rotfl2: Well, everyone else was taking a ChunkyDump in San Francisco. Might as well join the crowd.

Is that snoring I hear, or the next Loma Prieta?

Zzzzzzzz...huh? Whatdja say?

Well, then our score is even for seeing it. It was closed when I tried so only got to peer in the window. After carefully watching my step.

I think it would have been cool. It just would have taken us 3 hours to get there.

8 Spoons this is not.

At the places we eat, we're lucky if they have spoons.

I don't know... It depends. Food is usually way overpriced, but I've found tickets to baseball games to be relatively reasonable, especially if you're willing to sit higher up. At least compared to most other sporting events. But yeah, working out the schedule and catching one can definitely be a challenge... I've seen games in several different parks, but I've never done a tour.

Stubhub can help, but I seem to run into bad luck every time. It seems like the team is always out of town when I visit. Then when they are in town, tickets are crazy expensive. I tried to get tickets at Wrigley Field but at the time I was visiting they wanted $60 apiece. For SF, the Yankees were in town at the end of our trip. Those tickets were only available as part of a 4-game package deal. So I can't win. Throw in parking and food, and the tour just always seems to win out.

On the other hand, I did just get $10 tickets to a Phillies game last night.

What the what??? Wow. That just makes the PB&J even more enjoyable.

Every time I think people can't stoop any lower, they prove me wrong. Or I guess they squat.

I hate the 2012 Giants almost as much as the 2010 Phillies and Roy Halladay's stupid no hitter.

Also, their math sucks.

Aw, come on! That no-hitter was a work of art!

Sadly I must claim the faulty math as my own. That's what happens when you just send the first draft.

They won't even let you run the bases??? Come on, man!

Welcome to the Culture of Potential Lawsuits!

But don't you dare imagine yourself actually standing at the plate.

I bet if I swung hard and caught a fastball right on the sweet spot, I could send a hard line drive a good 250' out there.

They say art is in the eye of the beholder. I often find that there must be something wrong with my eyes.

:rotfl2: Nicely said. Like I keep saying, my rule serves me well: if it looks like something I could do, it's not art.

Here's the needle Barry Bonds...

:rolleyes1 Julie and I made a couple of comments about Bonds under our breath. My kids, who grew up after Bonds' time, were surprised at the level of vitriol of our comments.

Well, yeah! Why ruin a perfectly good bun?

All that work just to take two bites and then say he's done.

I hope Julie goes easy on you in the divorce.

She's just with me for my money anyway.
 

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