halloween cruise/ Magic: October 28th-nov..4th 2006

[kritter]

Teri,

What other tours have you done when you have cruised before??

 

[Tluvs2talk]

I have been on 14 cruises total, so I have done many different tours independently and through the cruise ship. Last time we were in St. Thomas we took a cab to Coki World and Rick did the underwater helmut dive. He LOVED it. We have also done the Sky Tram. We are going on a cruise out of Charleston in January. I am still trying to figure out what we will bw doing. We have been to Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Key West multiple times and are looking to do something different. My Brother and Sister-In Law are going with us so I am trying to find something for all of us.

Teri

 

[captaincrash]

It is a tour that shows you both sides of St. Martin. There was a very sick child on this tour that coughed the entire tour. You could look at his droopy eyes and tell he was sick. Anyway, Shaughn and James were seated in front of him and both got sick!!!! The tour wasn't too bad. You just didn't have a lot of time to explore at the different places we stopped.


Teri

Just me stickin' my nose in... (being nosey),

Last time we were on St Maartin we split a van with table mates and drove around on our own. I thin we paid just about $100 inscluding fuel and insurance. It was about the same as 2 small car rentals w/o insurance. Fortunately, no one was sick in our car and we went where and when we wanted. However, we had no narration ... except our own.

And, as I may have likely mouthed off before - Alicia and I have done a similar number of cruises as Teri - well - I think we've done the same number plus 1 or 2 (depending on whether you ask me or my spouse). However, we've not done the diving bell - I sort of want to do that one as it would be a real thriller for me seeing as I can't swim and have drowned before. AND, we have not done the Sky Tram yet. Yup - depending on your tolerance for activities ... you too could take several visits to the same place and not "see or done it all". I think we've been to St Thomas 5x by ship and once for a stay at a resort. Of course, the caveat (misspelled?) is that more then half those visits were with infants or toddlers... thus limiting our activities to some extent. Only thing that has sort of increased in intensity (I don't get it) is my spouses' shore side shopping volume and frequency!

Aside fromm that - we had some good news this week - my FIL's diagnosis turns out was a Lymphoma (misspelled again??)... which was the least threatening of all the things we feared during the initial diagnosis. SO we are relieved that it a treatable thing with potential for actual remission - even at his age! And, we got the costume back Kristen... sorry your husband declined its' use but at least you had it on hand; and thanx for the goodies. I actually have not personally gone through it but my spose has and remarked on your kind gestures enclosed for our kids.

TOnite we have a couple Christmas Parties - thankfully non-business, and I'm looking forward to lounging with friends while we watch our kids run amok with some restraint (hopefully). I hope everyone elses' Holiday season is emerging as a good one. ANd - happy Hanukkah (misspelled ... again?) to folks celebrating this. Well... I guess it might have been easier to simply say Happy Holidays to all to lean it into a non-denominational catagory... oh well.

OH YEAH... before I wander off... I have to share that last nite I was a REAL "DO IT YOURSELF" HANDY-MAN... as I successfully installed a gas cook top range! Some may snicker a little as they may recall that my spouse thinks I am all thumbs and NOT very handy around the house for DO IT YOURSELF chores (I'm more a pencil pusher and professional "yapper"). SO... "Taaa-Daaa!!!"... I DID IT!, and we're all still alive this morning as the house did not blow up from any gas leaks... so I MUST have been successful, eh? LOL! ... OK I better wander off to relinquish the real estate here to the "locals"....

H-A-P-P-Y H-O-L-I-D-A-Y-S ... E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E!!!

 

[ArmandXG]

Being of mixed race and religeous beliefs, I like to decorate my christmas tree with disney (for me and James), photos and personalized ornaments (for family) dreidles (for my jewish sister) and chocolate and cookies (for the kids). It's very eclectic!
I've only purchased 4 gifts so far, and they aren't even for family members. I've yet to get my tree (doing that today), and my house isn't decorated. I need to get moving, don't ya think?
I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! Enjoy your weekend!

 

[kritter]

Shaughn,

Hope that you got done some more of your shopping done this weekend..

Crash,
Your project sounds great. I applaud you for doing this right before the holidays and all...

 

[ArmandXG]

Six days till christmas and I'm going to the mall I know what I need, I'm just going to run in grab it and run back out (I'll pay for it first).

I just got a phone call in the middle of typing so I will share the news with you first. I will share the good news with my family on christmas day... and inform them that this will be the last christmas at this house. We are purchasing a 60 year old farmhouse that needs some work (mostly cosmetic). We have been watching this house for several months now, and we finally got it! I am sooo excited.
If you don't hear from us on line, just know that we are either packing, painting, insulating, hammering, wiring, or something house related. Please keep us in your thoughts... and give us strength. We are really gonna need it!

 

[kritter]

Six days till christmas and I'm going to the mall I know what I need, I'm just going to run in grab it and run back out (I'll pay for it first).

I just got a phone call in the middle of typing so I will share the news with you first. I will share the good news with my family on christmas day... and inform them that this will be the last christmas at this house. We are purchasing a 60 year old farmhouse that needs some work (mostly cosmetic). We have been watching this house for several months now, and we finally got it! I am sooo excited.
If you don't hear from us on line, just know that we are either packing, painting, insulating, hammering, wiring, or something house related. Please keep us in your thoughts... and give us strength. We are really gonna need it!

Oh my gosh..CONGRATS!!!! What a Christmas gift for you both..That is soo great... Best of luck..Share some pics of it if you have time....

 

[kritter]

Just wanted to stop by and say Happy Holidays to everyone!!!!!

 

[ArmandXG]

Happy holidays right back at'cha! Is there anyone left to talk to???
Teri? Crash? Where did everyone go????
Hope everyone (whether you read this or not) has a safe, happy holiday week. And the new year be even brighter!

 

[kritter]

Happy holidays right back at'cha! Is there anyone left to talk to???
Teri? Crash? Where did everyone go????
Hope everyone (whether you read this or not) has a safe, happy holiday week. And the new year be even brighter!

Hope you had a great holiday...

Looks like it has just been us lately........

 

[captaincrash]

Mele kalikimaka (Mel-ae Ka-leekee-kaka) !!!

... otherwise, Merry Christmas from Maui....

Thanks in advance to Fiala & Smith for the unauthorized use of this image...​

 

[kritter]

Crash,

Hopeyou and your family had a great Christmas!!!!!

 

[captaincrash]

Crash,

Hopeyou and your family had a great Christmas!!!!!

It's nice with the sun rising here - well... the sun has been up about 3 hours. I watched the sunrise from the back yard. Things are OK... my FIL has agreed to take theraphy and radiation... something he had been refusing for a few weeks and there is a greater then 50% chance for remission. So it's wait and see - and cherish the time we have just in case we're not lucky.

We had a sort of laid back holiday - nothing fancy. We're fixin' to go to the beach today in a few minutes - I have Wifi from the neighbors' as we're all stayin' at a vacant house of my BILs'. He's between moving from one to the other. SO - there is little furiture here and no internet service (directly)... and the neighbor has an unsecured Wifi... how convenient.

Anyone want anything DIRECTLY from Maui? Freshly ground Coffee? Or... a zip lock bag of sand and/or shells? Just let me know and PM an address and you've got it!

Hope (well... I know...) everyone has had a wonderful Christmas.

So... cheers to all for havin' a wonderful holiday week. I'll take a peek here in the next couple of days - we're gone by the 31st so if anything is requested then I need at least a day to gather it.

In advance, hot lava requests cannot he honored at this time.

 

[kritter]

It's nice with the sun rising here - well... the sun has been up about 3 hours. I watched the sunrise from the back yard. Things are OK... my FIL has agreed to take theraphy and radiation... something he had been refusing for a few weeks and there is a greater then 50% chance for remission. So it's wait and see - and cherish the time we have just in case we're not lucky.

We had a sort of laid back holiday - nothing fancy. We're fixin' to go to the beach today in a few minutes - I have Wifi from the neighbors' as we're all stayin' at a vacant house of my BILs'. He's between moving from one to the other. SO - there is little furiture here and no internet service (directly)... and the neighbor has an unsecured Wifi... how convenient.

Anyone want anything DIRECTLY from Maui? Freshly ground Coffee? Or... a zip lock bag of sand and/or shells? Just let me know and PM an address and you've got it!

Hope (well... I know...) everyone has had a wonderful Christmas.

So... cheers to all for havin' a wonderful holiday week. I'll take a peek here in the next couple of days - we're gone by the 31st so if anything is requested then I need at least a day to gather it.

In advance, hot lava requests cannot he honored at this time.

Crash,

Glad that you had a nice Christmas..How was the beach???

 

[ArmandXG]

Weare going to the farm (a friends) to ride horses, spend time with family and friends, share good food and drink (in moderation) and ring in the new year. Hopefully the weather will be good.
I hope all of you bring in the new year safely with the ones you love!
Happy New Year!!!

 

[captaincrash]

I cooked a 12 pound prime rib roast last night...

... bone in... and had about 35% left over - and I even forgot to cook the stuiffed Salmon I bought from Costco tonight. Plus - here on Maui the local Safeway gave me resistance to my using a rain check from their sister chain Vons on the Prime Rib.... but the manager was nice about it. He made me wait about 15 minutes before he showed up - and said he was sorry about the huge delay - then added they could not match the mainland ad prices as their distribution costs were much higher on Maui - even compared to Oahu they do not typically honor rain check prices... the price per pound was $10.89 and my rain check was for $4.97 a pound. SO the potential savings was $5.92 or just shy of $72! So - he quickly responded to my polite patience with an offer to match with his best ad price - which I took. Remarkably it was only $5.97 a pound so I still saved $60!

Well... so much for the latest bit of excitement out here in the far west. We're on the rainy side of the island somewhat central. The dry side is over by Lahina. It rained pretty much all day.

2 days ago we hit the beach - and the weather was perfect. Here are a few pix from the day:

The top row was taken on Christmas Day - at the right is me with our newest member of the clan, a 3 month old baby boy on Maui - and the lower rows were from the 26th at a beach near the extreme end of a road on Maui. Needless o say but it is a "locals" beach.

Hope everyone elses' vacation week is going as pleasantly as ours has been.

 

[ArmandXG]

Crash, thanks for sharing the photo's. That beach looks absolutely beautiful... the exact reason one should go away from touristy areas when on vacation. Hope you have a wonderful new year!

 

[kritter]

Crash,

Loved the pics. They are wonderful and look like you are having a great time with our family........Kristin

 

[captaincrash]

Thanks...

... its' been nice in an understated kind if way, and if it's not too early I'd like to offer our wishes for all to have a HAPPY NEW YEAR evening. We'll probably be on a flight over the Pacific (red eye) on our way home unless we get a juicy volunteering opportunity. Our flight is oversold as is the one after ours - so maybe they'll need volunteers! Woo-Hoo!

Below is the unwrapped standing rib roast (prime rib) before and after preparation - that I made the other day. Nice, eh? NOTICE the absence of lost juices from carving... and in the cooking tray (not shown) there was NO RED juice - just clear fatty juice. So it was prepared and served properly with all the flavorful juices locked inside even after carving!

Above is todays' beach... a nice stretch of sand in the middle of a tourist area -only it is late in the afternoon so many folks have already gone. And below is our older daughter with a SHAKKA on a Plantation tractor with the tour guide, and in the other picture below is a shot off the front street in Lahaina (misspelled?) town. We stopped to do some light souveneer shopping here as our singular concession to being tourists on this trip (so far).

Sunset on the 30th, yesterday​

 

[kritter]

Crash,

Love the pictures looks like you had a great time....

Can't wait to see more pictures.....