Just a quick post for today to let you know that after 4 planes, 2 ships, countless buses and taxies, and even a kayak, I have somehow made it back home safely. I will post later about the experiences, but I don’t have time to elaborate right now.
Wednesday morning…
Woke up at an incredibly early hour. Erika and I had to pack quickly
and take our stuff downstairs to the main lobby of the hotel. At this
time in the morning breakfast had yet to be made. I grabbed a doughnut
and a cup of coffee as soon as it came out.
The shuttle came to pick us up as well as about 8 other people and take
us to Port Everglades. It was still quite hot from the night before.
Nearly 90 degrees outside.
As we arrived at Port Everglades I realized what we had to do. There
was a large group of people waiting outside of the facility. An even
larger line of folks near the first indoor entrance. Followed by a
number of folks filling out information at several standing-height
tables. They then went into another line where the workers would go
through the paperwork that was just filled out and give you some more
information. Then you were put into another line. This one took your
baggage for check. Then you were placed into yet another line. This one
to check your boarding pass and such. Only to then be shuffled through
a photo booth, then a metal detector, your carry on went through metal
detection and an x-ray.
After all of the poking and prodding, information disection,
never-ending human queues, and don’t forget the x-rays, we were able to
board the ship. The Discovery Sun. Over 7 stories tall, approximately
440 feet long, and shaddy. I say it was shaddy because well, there was
this aura to it that just smelled funny. They quickly hurried us up
several flights of stairs and into the dinning room.
Randomly they sat us down with whatever other scared, confused, and
otherwise sorry they took this cruise ship couples. They feed you
breakfast first thing in the morning. Probably the best decision they
could possibly make since after eating all of the food you could
possibly eat you don’t think the ship is quite as shaddy as it was
before.
We finished our breakfast and headed upstairs to one of the outside
decks. The ship still hadn’t taken off. There was the port we came in
an hour before. It was another 30 minutes before the ship started to
leave the port. At that point Erika and I started to roam the ship.
Casino that was closed until we hit international waters. Pool with no
water. Bar with $5 cans of domestic beer. Everytime you turned around
they were trying to sell you on one of their fruit drinks. It was 8:30
in the morning and people were drinking like there was no tomorrow.
They were also drinking like their pocketbooks had an unlimited supply
of money to pay for those $8 bahama mamas.
Erika and I finally settled down under the canopy near the back of the
ship. There was a bar there, and some live (yuck) music there. After a
few hours they started to have some games and things go on there. I
entered into a beer drinking contest. I didn’t win, but was smart and
didn’t pour the beer all over myself like some of the other
contestants. I stood there and sipped slowly until the winner had been
called. Once that happened, I took, my nearly full beer and sat down
with Erika to enjoy it.
Some more hours had passed by with more of the same. Bingo, trivia,
crazy human games. Then it was time for lunch. Sadly, the highlight of
the cruise was the food. But, they did it right. The food was
delicious. Not to be confused with del.icio.us but I digress. We talked
with a couple they sat us with, or rather, we sat us with, that seemed
kind of essentric. They told us some good stuff. The ship was arriving
to port while we were eating. After a little while we finished eating,
waited to leave the ship and head into customs. Customs although a
scary title, with scary looking people checking paperwork that doesn’t
really seem to do anything, then asking you questions that make you
second guess yourself… Not too scary. They asked me if I had any
liquore or tabbacco. Then they said, ok, you may go. They didn’t even
check the bags.
They hustled us into lines based on the name of the hotel you would be
staying at. Apparently the lines don’t matter. After we waited and
waited, and taxi after taxi
came by to pick people up, we looked around and were the last people to
get a taxi. By taxi I mean 15 seater van. And by 15 seater I mean 20
people in the van. The good news was that we were the first people to
get dropped off by the taxi.
We checked into our hotel. Once we got
unpacked, and settled in, I went to sleep. After a couple of hours of
nap time, Erika and I walked across the street to the International
Bazarr. We strolled through what seemed to be a ghost town. There were
stores that were closed but hadn’t changed in over 6 months. One store
I know of still had merry christmas on the window written in fake snow.
We stopped by a cigar shop and I checked out the prices of cubans.
Erika asked the guy where a good place to eat was, and he told there
was only one good place in the area. The Greed Garden Bar, aka the
chicken shack, aka, the best damn ribs I ever ate. We came back to find
the place during their “happy hour” 2 for $5 bahama mamas. yum. After
our excursion into the chicken shack, we went back to the hotel. I
slept like a baby.
Woke up this morning at the ass crack of dawn just to get a shower and have my dad pick Erika and I up to go the Montgomery Regional Airport (aka Winn Dixie Regional). We were running a little late, but arrived at the airport in plenty of time to get our tickets, check our luggage, get screened, and get to the terminal by the time they first called for boarding.
It was a small plane. Seated about 40 people. Two rows of two seats with the smallest of aisles seperating them. It was still very early in the morning. There was light outside, but the sun haden’t yet come over the horizon. Everyone on the plane looked tired.
We took off for Memphis Airport. (aka Northwest airport because those seemed to be the only planes that flew into Memphis.) We had about an hour and 45 minutes before our next flight boarded. Erika was craving a breakfast sandwich. So, we search the terminal high and low for a place that sells them. Eventually we find a place, eat there and head back the way we came. There seemed to be miles of concourse to walk.
On a side note. Memphis Airport was the only place I have been to see scores of people ordering drinks before 9:00 in the morning. Draft beers, whiskey and coke, martinis. Incredible. Lots of people are either alcoholics, hate to fly, or both.
We arrived in Ft. Lauderdale at about 11:00 eastern. Got the shuttle van from the hotel to pick us up. Checked in, and went to sleep.
Woke up around 4:00 and went walking. Went to K-mart and picked up some sunglasses for me after I left mine on the airplane. Then walked forever to get something to eat. We went to TGIFriday’s. Normally this is almost always a bad idea. But for some reason the TGIFriday’s in Ft. Lauderdale had excellent service. We walked a helluva long way back to the hotel, and went back to sleep for another early morning to go to the seaport.
I updated the look of my site because I got sick of colors. I need a more minimalist way of looking at the web. This was my start to my Zen. It also has gotten rid of all capital letters. They scared me. But only a little bit.
In other news, I haven’t updated in a little while as I have been busy with work, finishing school up for the semester last week, and I am working on content for my next podcast. I have some good ideas. I also have some people who seem cautiously interested in doing some shows with me. Maybe a couple of more bands. More musicians! I would also like to do a podcast with Will Steineker because that would probably be more than most n00bs could handle.
Stepping away from computer now, I have done enough damage for one day.
Show Notes
0:30 - Q&A in reverse, Will asks me questions
2:15 - About Buzzcut Rodregez
4:00 - Will Plays Smells like Elvis - Live
6:16 - Mouth-Fuck 200 times
7:17 - Kick back and Drink to Anyone You Want
11:45 - Will Plays If at First - Live
15:17 - I complain about Will not releasing his music, then call him a genius
16:15 - Room Acoustics
16:42 - Will Plays Sunset Heros - Live
21:05 - Website for Will’s record
23:27 - Will Plays Goodbye, Don’t Go - Live
26:37 - Holding in Suspense
27:51 - Mic Jagger, I know who you are!
28:46 - Outtakes with an attempt at a new show theme song!
32:29 - End of Show
Just got back from Kentucky. Wedding. Now back in Alabama. Nice.
If I wasn’t positive about it before, I am certain of it now. Traffic lights put out all of the stops when you are running late. I think they get some kind of sadistic happiness out of it.
