We chickened out of the food and wine festival on account of the monsoon. Predictably, it didn't rain again. *sigh*
So we went to Melting Pot and had fondue instead, and did some shopping at Downtown Disney. Currently, Tom and Christy are watching The Matrix: Revolutions; we had to poop out early because we do work tomorrow.
I thought we clicked right away. After the first five or ten minutes, there was never a lull in the conversation. We are profoundly jealous of all of you Wisconsin people.
We will miss them when they're gone!
*pout*
If they ever make it back! If we ever let them leave! ::tents fingers and cackles gleefully::
-o-
So . . . dinner around five-thirty? How many people? Will Mrs. Bates be joining us?
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Teres and I can be in town by then and could probably get to their hotel by 4:30, he said optimistically. Would that work?
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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Vile Beast. I know not this [ code ] of what you speak. But forsooth! Know that the mighty flames of my burnination are yet making their way to you, albeit through a rather erratic course. But they will get there ...
... unless you release the damsel from your fiendish clutches.
WI--------------------->Stupid Florida
(a simplified map of the burnination that is coming)
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(I'm still going to fry Florida, though. And griddle the panhandle, roast the hosts, flambe the Floridians, and crisp their slavering whiskers.)
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Nyah, nyah! You don't frighten us, English pig-dog! Go and boil your bottoms, son of a silly person. I blow my nose on you, so-called CeeTee, you and your silly burminghamination!
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§ § § § § (waves o' stink) _________ |Wisconsin|----------\\ |in flames|-----------\\ |_________| <== \\------\\ \\ \\------\\ (flames o' burnination) \\ \\ \\ \\ \\------\\ ------- {flames o' \\------\\ \ / Old Guy Poop™) \\ \ / \\ \ / \\ V ___________________ (Flames reflect off of | Beautiful Florida | protective shield made \__________ | from the used Depends | | of retirees.) \ o o | \ O | <===== (Tom and Christy) \ | (Who are with US and \__/ not you!)
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*quickly crafts decoy TomD and Christy from palm fronds and leaves them out where Wisconsin Hatrackers can see them*
<ahem, cough, cough> Help! Save us! We've been kidnapped by the wily and handsome Floridians who are much slimmer than photos would have you believe! Please rush down here without thinking logically and save us!
*wiggles the fake Davidsons convincingly, waits*
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I think we clicked right away as well! Heck, we even stood and chatted until the very last moment outside the theater. *grin*
*just heard the word snow from family members* *thinks of sending a stunt double back to Wisconsin* *or better yet, hires a posse to kidnap CT and drag her down to FL*
Posts: 1777 | Registered: Jan 2003
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Problem: I waited and waited for a response from each Central Florida Hatracker, and now find myself unable to make a priority seating for 10 (4 of us, 2 Davidsons, 2 Bridgeses, and an indeterminate number of Bateses). We could show up anyway, and wait until they create a table for us, or we could go somewhere else. Since nobody else is with me--I am using my cell phone to post this--I made a unilateral decision, which is by no means binding. I don't want anyone to think I'm taking over, but I didn't want us to find ourselves with fewer options later on. We can always scrap or change this.
I made a priority seating for 6 pm at Jeko (sp?), the African-inspired restaurant at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. They did NOT guarantee me a single table, but I figured we could get there early and tell them this is what we want, and just socialize while we wait. Jeko (sp?) has delicious and unusual food, in a beautiful setting. After dinner, it is possible to see into the AK preserve, where some animals graze.
Jeko (sp?) is pricier than 'Ohana. I do get a 20% discount there as well, though.
posted
Sorry I haven't responded but I been somewhat in limbo. Mrs.B won't be showing as she will be home with Ryan.
I am currently waiting to see if I will need to drive to Wildwood today to hold a contractor's hand that is working on a FDOT project. He doesn't actually need to have his hand held, but he is screaming that the work can't be done even though he's been doing this same type of work for years. He's hoping to get a nice change order to increase his profits and DOT won't call his bluff.
I should know soon after lunch.
Posts: 4625 | Registered: Jul 2002
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No worries, we'll go with whatever works. Um, what's served at an African-themed restaurant, anyway?
Unless we get told otherwise, I'm planning on heading to T&C's hotel by 4:30 - 5 or thereabouts. Does that suit?
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We're game for whatever as well and Jeko did sound really neat, albeit pricey. 4:30-5 sounds good to us. You need our hotel room number to get into the complex: 1038, and I think we know where to meet you now after missing Icarus and Cor who were led to a guest parking lot we didn't know about.
*excited*
Edit: English is good. And tut, tut looks like rain again.
Most of the entrees are actually pretty normal at heart, although possibly presented with odd combinations. When I ate there, I think I had some sort of steak, but it was served over some sort of unusual caviar. As far as steak goes, it was wonderful. I think the appetizers are where you really get the most creative exposure.
quote:*quickly crafts decoy TomD and Christy from palm fronds and leaves them out where Wisconsin Hatrackers can see them*
<ahem, cough, cough> Help! Save us! We've been kidnapped by the wily and handsome Floridians who are much slimmer than photos would have you believe! Please rush down here without thinking logically and save us!
*wiggles the fake Davidsons convincingly, waits*
Hmmm. Well, the fake frondy things are convincing, and the wiggling was exquisitely done. Excellent content to the argument as well.
However, Mr. Bridges, that is obviously far too many words for Tom to spout in just one post. And Christy would never exhort someone not to think logically! She is a veritable Vulcan, if you hadn't noticed.
Aha, you tricksy little beastie. I caught you, you and your wily Floridian ways. (Good knack with the photos, though. Can you make me much slimmer than I appear in pics, too? )
I'd like anyplace you guys are. Ic and Chris and the whole shebang would be an incredible treat. Unfortunately, I work tonight, and when I'm not working this weekend, I have to be ready at a moment's notice covering backup call.
However, I am trying to get free for Shakespeare on the 13th or 14th, if the tickets are still available. I should know tomorrow. *fingers crossed
[notice how clever I am about remarking on prior engagements in order to guilt you two into coming back]
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I am most likely out. I'm on my way to a meeting which they are at least having in Deland. I doubt it will be over soon enough for me to make it down to Disney.
I'm sorry. I was looking forward to meeting Tom and Christy and Chris and Teres, but I can't get out of this.
Crap, this is twice now I've missed out-of-town jatraqueros.
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We'll be sorry to miss you Zan. Do call, though, because if last night was any judge, we'll be chatting for quite a while. We'd love to see you even if you can't make it for dinner.
Chris has just called to let me know he's leaving. Hopefully traffic won't be TOO bad for him.
Ooooh, where are you seeing Shakespeare, CT? *turns eye to the north* The only place I know of is the players theater and that's outdoors. *shivers*
*is incredibly bored today and all attempts at knitting indoors have been very pathetic*
Posts: 1777 | Registered: Jan 2003
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Four pages . . . talk about your ego threads!
Why don't you guys give me a call when Chris gets to your hotel, and then we'll head out to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. (Let me know if you read this; otherwise, I'll call you with the same message.)
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I really like Jiko's wine list. Mostly S. African and Australian vintages, but really, really good.
I'm sort of surprised you opted for there (the upscale place) versus Boma's (which is a buffet with lots of choices, including some standard fare for those who can't imagine a meal of "weird foods."
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The temperature dropped thirty degrees in the last 24 hours. I'd do almost ANYTHING to be where y'all are.
Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
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Wow, we had the farthest to drive and no one's posted? I knew it, we traumatized all of you...
Well, we did attempt to kidnap the Davidsons by luring them to IHOP on the way back to their hotel with Belgian waffles and strawberries, but it only lasted an hour or so and then they overpowered the waitress and broke free. Curses!
And now here is why you should never buy the cheapest digital camera you can find, as we did. First, they actually snap the picture a second or so after you click the button so you get lots of pictures of people dropping their poses and looking down. Also if it's dark the LED screen shows you nothing, so you have to approximate (i.e. guess) where everyone is, which means you get lots of pictures of half-people. So out of the shots we took tonight, here's two manageable ones.
http://www.chrisbridges.com/photos/tomnchristy.jpg Tom and Christy after dinner at Jiko's at Disney's Animal Kingdom, where we marveled at the carvings and amazing architecture and the fact that the gift shop wanted $3 for a tiny charm bracelet.
http://www.chrisbridges.com/photos/hatrackers.jpg Here we see the Megachiropses, the Davidsons, and me. Teres volunteered to take all the pictures so she wouldn't be in them, and I cropped the kids out because I've gotten into the journalistic habit of never posting pictures of utterly adorable little girls on the Web without parental OKs. You'll have to take my word for it, they were incredibly cute. The lighting effect is due to us stnading underneath a wall display, and not because of any messianistic properties I may or may not possess.
A good time and excellent dinner was had by all, and this time it was our little foursome that couldn't stop talking and hung around the lobby for another twenty minutes after the definite goodbye hugs, no kidding this time, for sure. They're not even out of the state yet and I miss 'em. Sigh.
So, who's next? Florida's a big place, we've got enough rain for all of you!
[ November 06, 2003, 11:21 PM: Message edited by: Chris Bridges ]
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You were there in spirit, as were a lot of other Hatrackers that got talked about and cherished.
Say, did you know that when you walk around outside the Animal Kingdom Lodge and look at the animals at night, while they're sleeping, it's okay to use flash photography but a real bad idea to sneak up and poke them for a better picture? Important safety tip, just wanted to share.
Posts: 7790 | Registered: Aug 2000
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quote: while they're sleeping, it's okay to use flash photography but a real bad idea to sneak up and poke them for a better picture?
I've heard the same thing goes for Bob.
I didn't see the message to call you guys til this morning, but I didn't have the # with me anyway. I wish I could've been there. Strangely, it sounds like it was more fun than my meeting was.
Posts: 4625 | Registered: Jul 2002
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What a good time. The food was excellent, although we did pass on the wine and dessert. Banana and Mango were absolutely adorable. Tom was thinking they are twins? (If so, that was the first thing he remembered that I didn't. *grin*)
Tom and I are funny. We like weird food. This was a good place for us. Great food, great company. We had fun. So much fun, in fact, that Tom didn't want to go to sleep last night and chatted with me as I pulled the pillow over my head and attempted sleep. I woke up startled at 3am because I didn't remember actually ever going to sleep.
It was great to chat with Chris and Teres, although Teres and I actually did very little chatting because the boys were being all technical.
We missed Bob and Zan, but perhaps another visit, then? You are all welcome if ever you are in yonder Wisconsin as well.
Chris!! I must protest! What an awful picture of the two of us!!! *laugh* And I notice no belly shot accompanies it Posts: 1777 | Registered: Jan 2003
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1) Hatrackers are fantastic people. And they have fantastic children. 2) Chris may have the worst digital camera I've ever seen, but he has the best reason for having one that I've ever heard.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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Okay, so where are those decoys we're going to send back on our flight to Ohare? Its 30 degrees up there! *shocked* I don't think I can deal with that.
Thanks so much guys. We had a lot of fun! And we did make it out to see Cirque last night with my aunt. What a show!!!
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