Random Thoughts 16: “Somebody had to do it” edition

[BoxsterCy]

I feel just a little bit honored today. The trip we're taking 2 granddaughters on in August is a Traveling Cyclones trip through ISU Alumni Assn., like the one we went on through the Panama Canal that was hosted by Jeff & Peggy Johnson.
We've been emailing back & forth with trying to add the granddaughters to our trip (we booked it in March, added one gd in May and the other gd in June, among other issues, and we got pretty chatty over email.
We got an email from the trip coordinator at ISU yesterday; the person who was going to host our trip had to back out (don't know why). So they asked if we would be willing to take ISU Alumni Assn flag with us and make sure it's in the ISU Alumni group photo and that it's hanging on the ship on flag day. There are usually 12-15 different Alumni groups on these cruises. Last time we met a bunch of Wazzu alumni and I proved my street cred by singing the Coman Hall theme song (the dorm that I lived in while at Wazzu). And of course, just like cockroaches, there were 3 Hawkeyes there from their "vast" UI Alumni Assn.

After the trip, we get to keep the flag.

Which tour?

 

[BCClone]

Which tour?

It’s a three hour tour.

 

[BCClone]

These grapes are supposed to be seedless, what they do have are smaller seeds. Rather have the big seeds so you can just split the flesh off the seed instead of trying to sort it out

 

[Donqluione]

These grapes are supposed to be seedless, what they do have are smaller seeds. Rather have the big seeds so you can just split the flesh off the seed instead of trying to sort it out

Size doesn't matter

 

[ImJustKCClone]

Which tour?

Northern Realms. It's Copenhagen to Stockholm, making a circuit of the Baltic States. It included all of Scandanavia except Norway and all of the Baltic States, along with stops in Germany and Poland. For some reason, they just deleted the Poland port, so they added a second one in Denmark.

What’s the age range like for those cruises? I’ve been trying to convince a friend that it’d be fun to go on one but he thinks we won’t have a good time because it’ll just be a big age gap.

The Oceania trips (most of the cruises ISU partners with are Oceania) are ships that are smaller, quieter, better staff to passenger ratios. They still have multiple bars & lounges, a casino, pool, exercise room and spa, plus multiple dining options, but they don't have the stuff like the rock walls and surfing waves. Since we spend most of our daytime off the ship on shore excursions, that really doesn't impact us all that much.
Ages on our last cruise with them were ~late 30s & up. There were a few younger folks, but nearly all were over 18 (I think the one girl we met with her grandparents was around 15). There were no unsupervised brats running up & down the halls at 3am!
The main advantage of the smaller ships: they can fit into smaller, shallower ports so there is less of the "anchor out at sea and use tenders" crap that you have with the floating behomoths. The lines for the tenders and the ride itself take up a significant portion of your shore-time. Also, in many cases there is plenty to see right near the docks with the smaller ships, so you can walk off the ship & explore on your own.
Another advantage is that (depending on where your cabin is) you don't have to walk the length of five football fields to get breakfast.

Ship name is Marina, company is Oceania if you want to google the ship info.

 

[BoxsterCy]

It is oddly nice out. Wind is NOT gusting. Dew points a bit up at 61 but not awful. I am confused as to how to react.

Might be a good time to don the garden clothes and wheelbarrow a couple of loads of dirt down the street. Told elderly lady at a little yard gathering last weekend that I'd fill the depression next to her curb. Looks like an old stump and roots below the surface rotted away and left quite a sinkhole. I've got a dirt pile squirreled away in the back corner I can use.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

PS: Just in case you think the shore excursions are all old fart stuff, we're kayaking twice and whitewater rafting a third time. That's mixed in with museums & medieval villages. The girls are exploring a receded glacier region in one port, and the older one is going to visit an ice bar with me. The younger one is legal at 18 but is NOT interested in being cold, so she & Lew are doing a different shore ex.

 

[SaraV]

Well ick.

I've gotten a phone call from "+1", "Unavailable", and "Restricted" all within an hour. Loverly.

 

[BoxsterCy]

And Boxster maybe underestimated that dew point. After four wheelbarrows of dirt shoveled and pushed 300 yards down the street my work threads are soaked through and I'm half gassed. Taking a break. Think I need to do one more load.

 

[NWICY]

Under things that don't happen every day, I about hit a heron on the way to work. 3 of them popped out of a slew and decided to land on the blacktop. Hit the brakes and got over by the right shoulder. Still could have touched the nearest one if my window was down. Darn things are pretty tall when your that close to them.

Work went well finished up by 1. That doesn't happen very often. Take the Ws when you can.

 

[BCClone]

Already getting election adds. One dude has decided to go by a different name in an add he’s in I see.

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

Well ick.

I've gotten a phone call from "+1", "Unavailable", and "Restricted" all within an hour. Loverly.

Lately I've gotten a lot of robo calls.

 

[wxman1]

Aunt and uncle are up from Wichita for my aunt's class reunion. I was upstairs taking care of something when they came in and when I get down there my uncle (by marriage, aunt by blood) basically looks me over and says "thanks for putting shoes on for us" I just laughed it off and said something along the lines of "you know how I go all out" Should have said just be happy I dressed up a bit and am not just in dri-fit like normal and F off this is my house.

Then he proceeds to tap my belly and say "what do we have going on here? There is only supposed to be one person pregnant in this house." and "Can you even fit in a 172 anymore?" LITERALLY HAS NOT SAID HI AT ALL.

And they wonder why I have no interest in seeing them. I guess I should be glad I did not have endure a political speech from him this time.

 

[BCClone]

Aunt and uncle are up from Wichita for my aunt's class reunion. I was upstairs taking care of something when they came in and when I get down there my uncle (by marriage, aunt by blood) basically looks me over and says "thanks for putting shoes on for us" I just laughed it off and said something along the lines of "you know how I go all out" Should have said just be happy I dressed up a bit and am not just in dri-fit like normal and F off this is my house.

Then he proceeds to tap my belly and say "what do we have going on here? There is only supposed to be one person pregnant in this house." and "Can you even fit in a 172 anymore?" LITERALLY HAS NOT SAID HI AT ALL.

And they wonder why I have no interest in seeing them. I guess I should be glad I did not have endure a political speech from him this time.

Thought you were going to say you caught them bumpin’

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

I got an email from my bank asking me how was my ATM experience.

 

[stormchaser2014]

Eating my yearly banana cake, I might eat all of it.

 

[Ms3r4ISU]

Eating my yearly banana cake, I might eat all of it.

I remarked to DH awhile ago that the price of bananas hadn’t changed at our local Fareway since before COVID. It’s been 59 cents a pound since like forever. This morning I saw 65 cents on the sign and it stopped me in my tracks.

 

[NWICY]

Graduation reception was above average, pork chops and brats, baked beans, potato salad, cake, ice cream, root beer floats. Actually knew a few of the people there so it was more fun than most.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Aunt and uncle are up from Wichita for my aunt's class reunion. I was upstairs taking care of something when they came in and when I get down there my uncle (by marriage, aunt by blood) basically looks me over and says "thanks for putting shoes on for us" I just laughed it off and said something along the lines of "you know how I go all out" Should have said just be happy I dressed up a bit and am not just in dri-fit like normal and F off this is my house.

Then he proceeds to tap my belly and say "what do we have going on here? There is only supposed to be one person pregnant in this house." and "Can you even fit in a 172 anymore?" LITERALLY HAS NOT SAID HI AT ALL.

And they wonder why I have no interest in seeing them. I guess I should be glad I did not have endure a political speech from him this time.

Wow. What an *******.

 

[madguy30]

Aunt and uncle are up from Wichita for my aunt's class reunion. I was upstairs taking care of something when they came in and when I get down there my uncle (by marriage, aunt by blood) basically looks me over and says "thanks for putting shoes on for us" I just laughed it off and said something along the lines of "you know how I go all out" Should have said just be happy I dressed up a bit and am not just in dri-fit like normal and F off this is my house.

Then he proceeds to tap my belly and say "what do we have going on here? There is only supposed to be one person pregnant in this house." and "Can you even fit in a 172 anymore?" LITERALLY HAS NOT SAID HI AT ALL.

And they wonder why I have no interest in seeing them. I guess I should be glad I did not have endure a political speech from him this time.

I seriously love my family but over time there's some things that make it OK that our reunions are fairly short lived.