Monotonous Thoughts

Last month Walt and I went to AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.  I went into this vacation with the mentality that I was “taking one for the team” by going to a weeklong Experimental Aircraft Association festival.  I felt this way because I am not a pilot, and figured I would be bored out of my mind.  But since Walt loves aviation, I would try to endure a week of this just once.

I my surprise I had a blast at AirVenture!  To wives of pilots everywhere:  You don’t have to be a pilot to have fun at AirVenture. 

During the week I learn all about TIG Welding, putting fabric on a horizontal stabilizer, converting a Corvair engine to an airplane engine, Oshkosh 365, and much more.  The workshops were fantastic!  I was very impressed with the quality of the presenters and the fact that they made aviation interesting to someone with limited knowledge.  I really appreciated that.

Some of the highlights for me were the Virgin Gallatic Eve doing their debut public flight.  That is one sweet aircraft!  I also got to see the Airbus 380, which other than a really hard landing in a crosswind was very impressive.  I plan on posting videos on YouTube in the near future.

The EAA Chapter Presidents reception was very nice in the Ford Tent.  Harrison Ford and Sully Sullenberger were there and spoke for a few minutes.  The event had finger food and an open bar with wine and beer.  That was a nice touch after a long, long day.

We stayed in the dorms at Donner Hall on the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh campus.  The dorm did not have air conditioning and the ladies bathroom was upstairs.  It was ok for the week, but I am really working hard on getting Walt to buy a camper.  Craigslist is becoming my friend in the search for a trailer.  One surprise at the campus was the fact that the student center sold beer and wine in a bar there!  Where was this when I was in college???  Every night the place was filled with “old” people drinking wine.

On Thursday of the trip, it rained.  So we decided to go to Union Star Cheese Factory outside Oshkosh.  We ended up buying 5 pounds of cheese and a package of cheese curds.  We are still eating cheese.  Yum!

Oh, we did run into our friend Jim out there one day…funny to run into someone you know amongst 100,000 other people.

I did have a good time wandering the grounds and checking out the various planes, watching the airshows, and doing workshops.  I brought a couple books to read during the week, but I was having so much fun that I never read a single page.

Lisa Lounsbery

 

 

My first weight loss goal was accomplished on Thursday.  I lost 5% of my starting body weight!  I am so proud of myselft that I have made it this far.  Now onto 10% of my starting weight.  I decided to have my goals be in 5% increments so that I don't get discouraged. 

 

My clothes are getting big on me, and I am down a size which is awesome.  I think I need to buy a belt!   

 

- Lisa Lounsbery

Let me count the ways I love Mexican food!  I love it fried, in a tortilla, in a taco shell, grilled, with verde, with queso, with lots of salsa, and many more ways.  The problem is that Mexican Food costs me a ton of Weight Watchers Points (www.weighwatchers.com) !  The horror!

 

I am coming out of the closet and admitting that I am doing Weight Watchers and it's been successful so far.  One month and I have lost 8.2 pounds!  Woo Hoo on that.  My problem arose with eating out at ethnic restaurants and all the empty calories that go along with it.  You see rice is one of the enemies, so is fried food, fatty cuts of meat, and flour tortillas.  I have been able to find solutions for Chinese and Mexican cuisines.  At the local Mexican restaurant I am ok with a tamale and black beans (no chips!)  I don't do the fajitas there because I am not willing to give up the points for fatty flour tortillas, sour cream, and cheese. 

 

I love fajitas and have found a way to make a low point (5) version of them.  I found this new wrap called Flatout Flatbread Light http://www.flatoutbread.com/ and it's the bomb.  It tastes so much better than a plain flour tortilla and it wraps easier since it's an oval shape.  Everything else in my homemade fajita, except the steak/chicken, is relatively fat free:  Kraft Fat Free Shredded Cheddar, Black Beans, Fat Free Sour Cream, Rotel with Lime and Cilantro, and Chipotle Tabasco Sauce http://www.tabasco.com/tabasco_tent/pepper_sauce/chipotle_pepper_sauce.cfm (which it AWESOME).  And the bonus is that Walt and I both love the Lisa-Mex Fajitas.

 

Since I only go to Chinese buffets and don't cook that at home, I have learned how to eat at the Golden Wok on Strawberry Plains sensibly.  Simply put, NO RICE, nothing fried.  I can have any of the soups, steam veggies, grilled chicken or lean beef.  I still enjoy having one stuffed mushroom and one pot sticker...moderation is the key on those.  So, at least now I have a game plan when my lunch buddies decide it's Chinese on Friday.

 

I am happy that I am doing this for myself, but sometimes it does get a little aggravating not to have a Chimichanga or General Tsao's Chicken...

 

- Lisa Lounsbery

First, let me state that I am well aware of my obsession with ZIMA, and you do not need to do an intervention. 

 

Good news, I found a suitable ZIMA want-to-be at Food Lion a couple of weeks ago!  It's so acceptable that I purchased two more six packs this weekend at Walmart.  And the winner of the "Stop Lisa from whining about her dearly departed ZIMA" is:  Smirnoff Black Ice (with a bite of lime).  It's not exactly ZIMA, but it's pretty close.  I especially like it with a splash of POM Pomegranite Juice, found in the produce section of the grocery store (http://www.pomwonderful.com/juice.html). 

 

Smirnoff Black is light and crisp.  And unlike the regular Smirnoff Ice, I don't feel like I ate a pound of potatoes after drinking one.  For some reason, regular Smirnoff Ice sits heavy in my stomach, so I am not that big on it.

 

Well, I am happy with Smirnoff for making a ZIMA knock-off...hopefully they don't discontinue it...gasp, the horror.

 

- Lisa Lounsbery

For the past week or so I have been seeing the Pledge Fabric Sweeper for Pet Hair ( http://www.pledge.com/fabric-sweeper/ ) commercial on tv (especially on the Food Network).  Having 4 long hair cats, Walt and I decided to pick up the product at Walmart today.  I really wish I had taken a before picture, but I forgot to do that.

 

I tried the Pledge Fabric Sweeper on my love seat that my herd of cats love to sleep on (tons of white belly fur there).  All I did was move the fabric sweeper quickly back and forth and the fur was gone!  This product is brilliant!  I usually spend 30 minutes with lint rollers and a vacuum cleaner to get the fur off that love seat, but Pledge's Fabric Sweeper did it in under 2 minutes (user errror slowed me down).  I highly recommend that if you have furry pets, to spend the money on this product (less than $5 at Walmart).

 

The Fabric Sweeper is a disposable product that you are suppose to throw out when it gets full.  I decided to see if I could get the fur out and use it again.  The back will not come off the fabric sweeper, but you can (with a little effort) get a finger between the rollers and pull the fur out.  Once you get a little out, the rest comes out easily.  It's still a disposable product, but you will be able to use it longer if you emply it.

 

Oh, and it's fantastic getting the fur off of cat trees too!  I definitely recommend Pledge's Fabric Sweeper for Pet Hair and give it 5 Stars.

 

- Lisa Lounsbery

So, every Friday I go to lunch with my peeps in purchasing and have been doing so for 1.5 years now.  Today's ride to lunch was exceptionally "interesting".  In the car was Connie (driver), Gene, Tonia, and me (front passenger seat).  The restaurant we were going to was the Three Rivers Pizza and Ice Cream Restaurant on Strawberry Plains.  Connie decided to take the back way (country road from hell) to the restaurant today.  As we were driving along she pointed out a field where an ex-employee had her wreck.  Apparently Juanita was not paying attention to the road since she was looking for lipstick or possibly gum in her purse while driving.  There was a short debate on whether it was lipstick or gum, but it definitely had something to do with the mouth or lips.

 

Anyway, Connie, Tonia, and Gene are all looking at the field and not the road.  Well, I looked at the road and screamed "CONNIE STOP, STOP, TURKEYS STOP!!!!!"  Apparently, it was "TURKEYS" that made Connie slam on the breaks.  10 feet in front of us was a gaggle of wild turkeys (and not the good stuff either).  There were about a dozen of these ugly brown turkeys crossing the road from one farm field to another.  Connie got impatient with their slow speed and blasted the horn at them.  Now, the turkeys are freaking out flapping their wings and don't know where to go, so Connie keeps honking at them.  Finally they fly into the field and get out of the road.

 

After a good laugh, the native Tennesseans in the car inform me that if we had hit them we could take them home and smoke them...I think they were only half kidding.

 

I will be laughing for days on this experience, oh, the pizza was great!

 

- Lisa Lounsbery

So, it's been over a month now since I had my hysterectomy and my energy level is finally back to normal.  Well it was until stupid Daylight Savings hit, but that's a different story.  Since I was feeling energetic, it was not raining, and the temperature was finally over 50 degrees, I decided to work on the yard Saturday.  I got a bunch of raking done, put landscaping fabric under the front walk, and watched Walt turn into a pyro with the leaves.  Late afternoon I started marking the bushes to be dug up with surveyor ribbon and that's when the real war began.

 

Anyone familiar with East Tennessee knows that there are two insane vines that grow here with a vengeance.  The first is kudzu (mentioned in previous blogs) and the second is the beautiful smelling God forsaken Honey Suckle.  Like Kudzu, Honey Suckle grows fast and wraps itself around anything in it's path.  I discovered that it was growing into my hedges.  Untwisting Honey Suckle can be monotonous, but on Saturday it was painful.  The hedges are thorny!  I am still dealing with cuts all over my arms and legs...grr...stupid Honey Suckle.  I am starting to understand why my neighbors where long sleeve shirts and jeans when working on their yards and give me odd looks when I am out there in shorts and a tank top.  I got really odd looks last summer when I used the weed whacker while wearing shorts...OUCH!  What can I say, I am like Eva Gabor on Green Acres.  Thankfully I am starting to get countrified by my co-workers, so maybe there is hope for me.

 

If it does not rain this weekend, I will be back in the yard digging up bushes and hopefully building a new flower bed.  Wish me luck with the thorny bushes...I have two dead ones to dig up.

 

- Lisa Lounsbery

So, I have been on Facebook for about two weeks now and I love it.  I am finding friends from high school that I haven't heard from in awhile.  Well, anywhere from 9-19 years now.  Wow, I am getting old. 

 

- Lisa Lounsbery

This evening I am mourning the loss of my college buddy. 

 

Through thick and thin, the good times and the sucky ones too you were always there for me.  I fondly remember you at Double Dave's in the summers being your vibrant self.  And those years after college hanging out at the bars with me while I kicked butt playing darts.  You were there to celebrate my life's successes, and I will truly miss you.  I still remember the last time I saw you in your pomegranite pink...Good-bye my sweet dear ZIMA - (1992-2008).

Apparently Miller-Coors announced on October 20, 2008 that they were discontinuing ZIMA.  I missed the memo on that.  I discovered tonight that it was discontinued and had my last ZIMA with a splash of Pomegranite juice earlier.  I started drinking ZIMA when it was introduced in 1992 and have been a loyal fan for the past 16 years.  Since I don't like beer or the ZIMA wantabees, I guess I will go out tomorrow and buy some Vodka.  Maybe if I mix vodka and Sprite it will taste like my ZIMA...probably not.  Wine and Martinis it is then...

 

Farewell Sweet ZIMA.

 

- Lisa Lounsbery

On Tuesday morning Walt and I went to the hospital bright and early for my surgery.  I am happy to report that my laproscopic hysterectomy was very successful.  I was released from the hospital Wednesday afternoon, and am home resting comfortably now.  On the negative side, Walt and I both caught colds and are a couple of sneezing, coughing sickies right now. 

 

I am following the doctor's orders and not pushing myself.  My days consist of lounging on the recliner watching tv, playing on the internet, and crocheting.  I may very well go stir-crazy being home for the next three weeks.

 

Well, it's time to eat some lunch now and maybe some tappioca pudding....yum.

 

- Lisa Lounsbery

A little background on us:  I am 37 and Walt, is 53.  We enjoyed laid-back vacations and are adventurous.  This was our 3^rd cruise, and second time on the Majesty.

On January 15^th Walt and I headed to Charleston for our Bahamas Cruise on the NCL Majesty.  We drove to Charleston on Thursday, because Friday was my birthday and I did not want to drive for over 6 hours on my birthday. 

I booked a room at the Holiday Inn Riverview in Charleston for two nights. Our room was on the 5^th floor and it was great!  The hotel has a rooftop restaurant and bar that serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  I highly recommend the Holiday Inn Riverview for three reasons:

1.       Centrally located and convenient to the cruise port (5 minutes)

2.       Great food , happy hour, and view from the rooftop bar and restaurant

3.       Free parking during your cruise if you book a night at the hotel (and free shuttle to pier)

On Friday (day before the cruise) it was freezing in Charleston.  A nasty arctic front hit Charleston and the high was 37 degrees.  We decided to do the city tour with Charleston Tours for the morning.  It was a fantastic 90+ minute tour of the downtown historic area of Charleston.  Randy, our tour guide, is a Charleston native and told some very colorful tales of historic Charleston.  Walt and I both highly recommend doing a bus tour of Charleston. 

After having a tasty lunch at the Waffle House (directly behind the Holiday Inn Riverview) we drove to Patriot’s Point to take the ferry out to Ft Sumter.  The ferry ride is about 25 minutes from Patriot’s Point, and you have 1 hour at Ft Sumter, so you are looking at 2 hours total.  The fort is part of the National Parks System and there are rangers on site to give tours and answer questions.  Since it was so cold, the ranger gave a talk in the museum.  Walt went to listen to the talk while I toured on my own.   Walt said the talk was great.  We are huge history buffs and love going to our nation’s historical sites.

Friday night we met up with some of our Cruise Critic Roll Call Members (www.cruisecritic.com) that were staying at the Holiday Inn at the rooftop bar.  It was a very laid back couple of hours and we had a great time.  We even met some other fellow passengers that didn’t know about Cruise Critic, so of course we educated them on the wide world of Cruise Critic.  Since it was Happy Hour, we ate cheaply ($3pp) at the bar.

Saturday:  we waited around the hotel until 11am to check out (oh, and it was 19 degrees that morning).  We did not utilize the free parking at the hotel since we needed to head out of Charleston fast on our last day in order to get back to Knoxville for the EAA Banquet.  I did hear that the shuttles from the Holiday Inn were great and that there were no issues.  On the pier parking portion, it did go smoothly.  The pier opened at 11:45am, and we were onboard by 12:30.  This was the fastest embarkation so far. 

Once onboard we received our complimentary champagne and headed to the Seven Seas for lunch.  Lunch was a little slow, but we were not in any hurry since the cabins were not ready yet.  The cabins were ready at 1:45, and we proceeded to our cabin.  One thing I noticed our first day is that the bar staff really pushes the wine package, which I had to turn down several times.

Cabin:  we were in cabin 710 on the Promenade Deck once again.  Walt and I loved this cabin on our last cruise, so we booked it once again.  710 is a category CC Superior Oceanview and is approximately 145 square feet.  There was plenty of room for our 4 suitcases and carry-ons.  I like the layout of the cabin since you can walk around both sides of the bed and there is about 3 feet between the foot of the bed and the wall.  The bathroom is small, think of it being a bathroom on an RV, it’s that small. 

We spent the afternoon unpacking and then meeting a few of our fellow cruise critic members at the Rendezvous Lounge for a cocktail before dinner. 

Sunday:  this was a sea day.  We had breakfast in the Seven Seas dining room on Deck 5.  Breakfast was great!  I had Eggs Benedict which is my favorite thing for breakfast and they cooked it perfectly!  At 11am we had our Cruise Critic Meet and Greet in the House of Lords on Deck 5.  At the meet and greet were Denny , the cruise director, the hotel manager, and the restaurant manager.  They answered questions and welcomed us to the ship.  After they left we held the gift exchange which was coordinated by 1ParticularHarbor (thanks Susan!).  This was the best meet and greet I have been to and plan on doing the gift exchange at future meetings.  We ate lunch up on Deck 10 at the grill, and it was packed.  Since the temperature was finally well above 60, people were out and about. 

At 1pm we went to the Wine Tasting in the 4 Seasons, unfortunately it was canceled since we did not have 10 people participating.  So we decided to do the Martini Tasting later in the afternoon at the Polo Club on Deck 6.  The last time we were on the Majesty, the Martini tasting had an awesome bartender that did bar tricks and magic tricks.  We were really looking forward to seeing that again, but unfortunately they changed the format and now it is 30 minutes of slamming Martinis with no pizzazz.  I was disappointed in the new format and decided not to do the 2^nd tasting on Friday.

At 5pm the insanity began with the Pub Crawl.  This event was the most fun I have had on a cruise ship!  About 60 people signed up and we wandered to 4 bars on the ship.  On the way to each bar we sang “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” as loud as we could. At each bar there was a battle of the sexes game.  My favorite part of the Crawl was walking and singing past the people having their formal pictures taken.  Some enjoyed seeing us, but you could tell some of them were not pleased (I guess we will read about view point on Cruise Critic J).

Monday:  we were at Great Stirrup Cay, NCL’s Private Island.  We were able to get our tender ticket early and were on the first tender.  We arrived on the island at 9am, bought a bottle of water, and headed on the trail to the lighthouse.  The distance to the lighthouse is 1 mile, and not the 2 miles stated on the sign.  Walt and I really enjoyed the walk and had some incredible views of the ship, lighthouse, and other islands.  At the end of the trail, past the lighthouse there is a little dock that would be a nice secluded place to hang out for awhile.  Another great view is about 1/3 mile down the trail from the start.  There is an old building on the left and a trail next to it.  We took the trail to the rocks and had a great vantage point of the ship. 

After hiking Walt and I wandered to the far end of the beach away from all the crowds and checked out the hermit crabs and the tide pools.  We also went to the Straw Market and picked up a couple of gifts for people back home (the prices were fair, so I didn’t haggle).  At 11:15 the BBQ was ready, so we got some average BBQ and ate at a picnic table in the shade.  We decided to head back to the ship at 11:45 in order to drop off our camera gear and pick up our snorkel gear for an afternoon of snorkeling the reef.  Right as we stood in the front of the line (4 people) waiting for the next tender, an announcement was made that we were evacuating the island due to strong currents and winds.  Ok, so no snorkeling at Great Stirrup Cay.  It was disappointing, but I am a firm believer in safety.  After a very bouncy trip on the tender I was very happy with the Captain’s decision.  There was no way I would attempt snorkeling in that current…too dangerous.  The remainder of the afternoon we spent in our cabin relaxing.

Tuesday:  Tuesday we went to Nassau.  Well actually due to a medical emergency on Monday, we went full speed to Nassau for an evac and made it to the island by 9pm on Monday night.  We were allowed to go ashore Monday night, but we chose to stay on the ship.  Walt and I scheduled a shark feed dive with Stuart Cove’s for Monday afternoon (independent excursion not through NCL).  We were picked up on time by the shuttle and taken for a 35 minute drive to the dive shop.  The water was extremely rough with 8-10 foot swells.  Once Walt and I were in the water I decided that I was not comfortable doing this dive.  Basically my gut told me that the swells were too big and to get back in the boat.  So we did.   From the boat we saw about a dozen reef sharks swimming about.  Very cool.  There were a total of four divers that decided not to dive, and the guys on the boat were very nice to take us back to the docks after the first dive was completed. 

Since we had time to waste waiting for the buses (about 2 hours) we rinsed out our gear, got some food, watched our gear dry in the sun, and did a little shopping in the dive shop.  The bus ride back was very nice and we did get to see a lot of the island. 

I am not disappointed that we scrubbed the dive since I knew once we were in the water that I was not comfortable with the diving conditions.  There is always another day in the future to dive with sharks.

Wednesday:  We spent the day on Grand Bahamas doing the Jeep Excursion through NCL.  This 6 hour excursion was awesome!  We toured the island and saw the pine forest, million dollar row (mansions), Gardens of the Groves, Tanai Beach, Lucaya Straw Market, and much more.  Tony, our guide, was fabulous.  He was extremely knowable and funny.  In the Jeep with us were Suzie and Gary from Missouri.   Gary drove the four of us around and we had a hoot.  It was great to meet new people and explore the island together.   On this excursion lunch was provided at the Gardens of the Groves.  Both the food and the company were great.  At the Straw Market we haggled and purchased a few things.  Since we were there late in the day the prices were rather fare, but we did get them to come down on them.  Walt is now the proud owner of a steel drum and I own a coconut piggy bank (I love pigs).  The only thing that would have made the excursion perfect was if it had been warmer.  The arctic front that hit the states hit Gran d Bahamas on Thursday.  Temperatures were in the 40’s and windy…cold excursion, but fun.

At 4:30pm we had the Latitudes Reception in the Palace Theater.  This was a nice cocktail party with free hors d’oeuvres and cocktails.  The captain spoke and then they did a drawing for prizes.  Unfortunately we had to leave before it was over to go to the Honeymoon/Anniversary Party.  This was a lot of fun and we told each other a little about us and where we honeymooned, and how our husbands proposed to us.  The party was part of the honeymoon/anniversary romance package for $79 (well worth the cost).  In the future I wish NCL would not have the Latitudes and Honeymoon/Anniversary party 30 minutes apart.  I would like to enjoy both parties through completion.

Thursday:  We spent the day at Port Canaveral doing the Ultimate Wilderness Encounter excursion through NCL.  The first part of the excursion was at Air Boat Rides at Midway in Christmas, FL.  Walt and I had never done an airboat before and found the experience to be exhilarating.  We saw bald eagles, various egrets, storks, cattle, and other water fowl.  Our boat driver did a fast u-turn for us which was awesome.  After the ride we were given a soda/water.  Then off to the Banana River for a pontoon boat ride.  Our guides were very informative once again.  Port C was very cold due to the arctic front that had been haunting us for most of the cruise.  I loved this excursion, but I wish they had provided food.  The excursion was supposed to be 4 hours and ended up being 5.5 hours.  We got back to our cabin at 3:30 and were famished.  The other issue is that after leaving the airboat company, there are limited bathrooms. 

I scheduled a spa appointment for 6:15pm to get a mini facial, body brushing, and foot/ankle massage.  I decided to do this since my face was so wind burned from the cold windy weather and my feet were still aching from tweaking them on the dive boat.  I did not know what a “body brushing” was, but the other two parts fit the bill perfectly.  Victoria took great care of me at Mandara Spa.  She even threw in a neck, shoulder, and back massage.  The whole experience was very relaxing and a nice way to wrap the day.

The chocolate buffet was at 11pm, but unfortunately we missed it since we took a little “cat nap” and did not wake back up.  Oh well.

Friday:  this was another sea day.  We had a leisurely morning hanging out in the Pasta Café listening to one of the passengers playing the piano and talking to talking to a lovely retired couple.  In the afternoon we went to the wine tasting which was hosted by Leslie the head wine steward.   He provided French wines and cheese for the tasting, and it was both informative and fun.  At 3:30 we went to the crew show, which was standing room only.  My favorite part was Fountains…that was hysterical!  There were 7 crew members in togas carry a pitcher of water each.  The music playing was something by Enya.  Basically everyone would fill their mouths with water and become a "fountain".  They did different formation and had a lot of humor to the production.

Disembarkation:  out of our three cruises this was the fastest disembarkation.  We left our cabin at 9am and were in our car by 9:20.  There were no lines and so it went quickly.

Entertainment:  In the future Walt will be attending the Broadway Reviews without me.  Nothing against the performers, they do a great job with a small stage and low ceiling, I just don’t like show tunes.   I feel like I am trapped for 45 minutes of Disney horror (I know it’s not Disney, but that’s how I feel…I do not like musicals).

The comedian, Sam, was fantastic.  Well worth going to the late show to see him.  Sam had Walt and me in stitches. 

Food:  7 Seas and 4 Seasons have the same food and the quality was really good.  I absolutely would not compare NCL’s food to Applebee’s.  I prefer 4 Seasons when at sea because you don’t have the rattling and noise from the engines.  On Monday night we ate at LeBistro and the food was impeccable.  I had escargot and leg of lamb, and Walt had a salad and an interesting German dish.  For dessert I tried the crepes.  My favorite part is the soft serve ice cream on deck 10 aft.  Yum.

My only issue with the food is that it is too salty.  I do not use salt in my cooking, so the ship’s food made my ankles swell from all the sodium.  Before our next cruise I plan to call NCL and ask if I can do a low sodium menu.

Overall this was a fantastic cruise despite the cold weather.  We met a bunch of interesting people and will be staying in contact with quite a few.  I am sad to see the Majesty leaving NCL and that there are no NCL sailings out of Charleston after May.  I will keep my fingers crossed that they bring an itinerary of Charleston back…perhaps the Dream?

 

 

- Lisa Lounsbery