Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Hearty Cheers and Roasted Ears

By Great Biscuit

When last we left off, I had procured some souvenir mugs in an attempt to compensate for the sauna of the afternoon sun. Of the many elements that are common to seemingly all Disney Trip Reports, weather tops the list. While a few wintertime travelers are taken aback by a stray cold front, the overwhelming majority report on the grueling heat and oppressive humidity. The summertime weather in San Antonio can be woefully similar. Thus while we were grateful for the shade afforded us that June evening in Sea Lion Stadium, we were still in dire need of a restorative.

Luckily, a hearty of helping of Mug root beer did the trick. Thus properly refreshed, we were enjoying a rousing performance of the Cannery Row Caper. As I mentioned at the close of the last chapter, the first half of the show went hunky dory. (Whatever that means.) We were all enjoying the cheesey dialog and corny plotline when suddenly tragedy befell us.

The two sea lions in the show were supposed to swim out to the glass, lean up on it and do that barking noise that their species is so well known for. One of them did it just as rehearsed. The other got too much spruce in its caboose and went flying over the wall and into the audience. Luckily there is a wide walkway between the front row and the tank and there was no one right there close.

Two pages immediately blocked the aisle, and the trainer ran down and gave a hand signal. Apparently the critter understood as it leaned up on the wall and pulled itself right back into the tank. The entire thing was over in about 20 seconds. (Approximately 3 seconds less time than it takes to put down your souvenir mug of root beer, reopen the backpack and pull out, power up and focus the camera that you stowed before the show having rationalized that you've seen it before, have plenty of pictures already and just want to sit and enjoy it.).

The trainer seemed a bit rattled and gave us a “That’s never happened!” The animal was immediately sent backstage to be looked after. We were all a little nervous when the critter did not appear in the rest of the show. There was however a hearty cheer from the crowd when it did come back out for the final bow and seemed wholly recovered. (Or wholly swapped out backstage with a different seal lion, it’s hard to say which.) Anyway, there were two of them at the end and both were in good spirits and that seemed to be agreeable to the audience. 

With this show now off the list, we headed out to the catch the water ski show which was about 5 min away from starting. I knew we wouldn’t make it to the first couple of minutes of the show, but come on, it’s a ski show. There isn’t much plot line to catch up on, and by “much” I mean there is none.

Once upon a wonder year, the show’s water borne performers had an entire stage show that went along with their aquatic acrobatics. (Anyone else remember Beach Blanket Ski Party?) There were costumes, musical numbers, corny yet humorous plot lines, the whole nine yards. That ain’t so any more.

You get a narrator.

Some dude, standing in the center of the beach saying things like, “And now Brad’s going to do a triple Hungarian Butt Spritzel with a half twist!” To which an overheated crowd would give a half hearted “woo”.


Go Brad...I should have followed my first instinct and left the camera in the bag again.

That was pretty much the entire show. Narrator dude tells us who’s coming out and what they are going to do and then we watch them do it. Wow. Hope the writing team didn’t stress themselves out too much there.

Pitiful.

Luckily I had stopped to refill our mugs on the way into the stadium so at least we had the entertainment of sipping our beverages.

After being fully underwhelmed, we backtracked slightly and took in the Penguin house. Because there is apparently nothing that quite lifts the spirits like the olfactory stimulation that is wafted out of a building after it has been wholly sullied with penguin poo. This of course led to a desire for corn, namely of the grilled variety, and thus the Roasted Corn stand with its buttery ears and founts of bubbly refreshment became our next stop.



After our third round of refills and some golden grilled heaven were properly dispatched, we headed over to our final stop of the evening: Shamu Stadium. I had hoped to catch Believe, but the traffic debaucle on 410 had rendered that plan inoperative. Thus we settled on Shamu 2.0, also known as Shamu Rocks. It’s not a bad show, it’s just got a different vibe than Believe. BUT, we were cool with it and managed to score a spot well above the splash zone. While we waited for the show to start, my fame was recognized and I found myself on the Jumbotron.

Can you spot this Biscuit in this picture?

The show itself was good, but I had forgotten about the “no trainer in the water” policy that was adopted after the Orlando incident. Not that I would wish someone to risk life and limb for my entertainment value. But it does change the dynamic of the show. It still has some good moments though.


Notice how the angle of the sun striking the stadium interacted with the shower
of whale spit to create an almost angelic aura about this creatures head.

With our Sea World dance card thus filled, we headed out to meet my parents for dinner. Of course we didn’t make it out of the park before finding our way into a gift shop and spending thirty minuets playing the “I can’t decide” game with the girls. Thankfully, we did finally manage to procure a couple of mementos and then booked it out to the car.

We were staying at the Comfort Suites just off of I-10 near Six Flags Fiesta Texas. Not so coincidentally there was a Zio’s a couple of blocks away and it was there that we met up with Nana and Papa. In typically Biscuit tradition there was much joyous greeting and a few moments of seat shuffling before all were settled and ready to get down to bidness.

For starters, we ordered up a Baked Formaggio (described in the menu as: “A blend of five cheeses and Italian herbs baked in our brick oven, topped with kalamata olive relish and served with grilled Italian bread.”) For an entre, the girls both got the kids Fettuccine Alfredo while First Lady Biscuit and I split the Chicken Alfredo. (Mushrooms on the side as FLB doesn’t care for them, but I’m not willing to give them up. After all they don’t reduce the price of the dish if you cut them out and I figure if a feller’s paying for some ‘shrooms, he ought to get to eat ‘em.) It was nifty as always and we topped the meal off with an Oreo Mountain dessert.

It was mighty fine and tasty all the way around.

Upon returning to the motel, the girls got ready for bed and then we headed over to Nana’s room to have her read them their devotions. Having thanked our Lord for a fun day together and invoked His provision over our next day’s activities, we bid Nana and Papa goodnight and headed off to bed.

55 comments:

  1. Great read Biscuit.

    Or should that be Read Great Buscuit?

    Anyway, I didn't see you in the picture, but thought I recognized Zzub. Was that him snapping pictures of the whale with his cell in the second picture?

    Sounds like you had a great day.

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  2. Yak wrote, "but thought I recognized Zzub. Was that him snapping pictures of the whale with his cell in the second picture?"

    That's a negatory. ZZUB don't snap pictures on his cell phone. Not on purpose anyway.

    GB, so what you're saying is you can refill your mug all over the park? DUDE! That is my kind of deal! I may have to take a little ride down to San Antonio.

    I don't know this Zio's that you speak of, but baked formaggio sounds quite fetching.

    Z

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  3. I had my comments prepared in my head as I read, but then they all flittered away when I read "Oreo Mountain Dessert" My head is filled with dreams of ice-cream, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and a cherry. I've never eaten at Zio's, but that is what I'm thinking that dessert might be made of. If there is cake involved in that concoction as well, I might have to drive to Texas.

    I love the picture of the whale spit in the sunlight! Very nice!

    Thanks for the sweet read!

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  4. GB said, "“And now Brad’s going to do a triple Hungarian Butt Spritzel with a half twist!” To which an overheated crowd would give a half hearted “woo”. "

    You may owe me a monitor!! OK not really, but you do owe me about 1/4c of really good coffee. Kona coffee, from the Kona Cafe even :-)


    Ok maybe not, it's actually Timothy's Kahlua Coffee from my Keurig. It's good, not Kona pressed pot good, but good.

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  5. Ole Brad on the waterskis looks like a typical summer day at Lake Tobo here in Macon.

    Assuming Brad is a redneck.

    And assuming Brad is likely loaded.

    In other words, I can understand your disappointment with the show.

    But the rest of the day sounds pretty good! Especially dinner. It's only 8:30 in the morning, and in the last 12 hours, I've craved a salad from Chili's and some Italian food. Neither of which I've had. My meager substitute was a bowl of cereal.

    And some Donut Shop coffee from the Keurig.

    Hi Steph!! :)

    Great installment, Biscuit! Love the pics!

    NM

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  6. Steph, you are a mess!! LOL!!!

    GB, this was a fun installment. I am relieved to hear that the sea lion was okay. Or that they were able to replace him with a lookalike quickly. Whatev.

    I think maybe I see you in the middle-right of the monitor shot?

    While Frick was drooling over the Oreo Mountain Dessert, I must concede that I'm with Z in wanting a taste of that baked formaggio thing. It sounds very yum.

    As usual, when it comes down to it, it's all about the food. As it should be.

    NM, I say go for the Italian food. Nothing's better than pizza for breakfast!

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  7. I've never had the coffee at Kona. What's the deal with it? Is it especially good? The thing is, by the time we get to Kona, it's usually 11:30 or so and I'm done with coffee for the day. I usually drink a cuppa joe first thing in the am and on rare occassions I'll have a cup in the afternoon. When I'm dragging. So I have no idea if this press pot coffee at Kona is worth drinking.

    Nor do I fully understand the Keurig either. And can't for the life of me figure out how to pronounce it. It might as well be named Ndamukong Suh. Took forever to figure out how to say his name.

    Z

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  8. I must be having an odd day. Because this:
    "Go Brad...I should have followed my first instinct and left the camera in the bag again." made me laugh hysterically for a full 5 minutes. Give or take. "Go Brad" indeed!

    I'm so glad the sea lion was okay! Funny - escaping Shamu's jaws of, well, you know, in the wild seems downright natural for a sea lion, but tripping over a wall and getting back in the pool? That sounds like a quite a feat. Perhaps they might be a tad coddled.

    In coincidental news, we just watched Free Willy for the first time. What a great movie! I don't think I can go back to Sea World any time soon, though. Whoops.

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  9. ZZUB, the Kuerig is fabulous for MANY reasons. Number one, you don't have to measure out grounds and wait on the coffee pot to brew. Number two, there is no coffee pot or grounds to clean up and rinse out. Number three, you can have a cup of Donut Shop while your spouse makes a cup of his or her favorite brew. One right after the other, and within THIRTY SECONDS!!! The Keurig takes only these little plastic cups called K-cups. They are premeasured amounts of coffee in a sealed cup. You don't even have to open the cup - just put it in the Keurig and close the lid.

    So there ya have it.

    It has revolutionized my morning.

    ONLY downside is it isn't quite as cost effective as brewing by the pot. Figure on around 50 cent (NOTheBiggestThugofAllTime) per cup.

    Want me to tell Mrs. ZZUB to get you one for Christmas? You'd love it, I say.

    Hi V!!!

    Ash, I just had meatballs and marinara for lunch. Not Zio's (whatever the heck that is), but pretty darn good.

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  10. It's pronounced Kur-igg, Z. I don't have one, but have had them in most of my work locations. And I'm just about the only person I know who does NOT have one at home. None of us drinks coffee, so it seems silly. Though I'd love to have it for parties, so I may still consider it. Plus they have some awesome hot chocolate....

    V, DED on the "tad coddled" sea lions!

    In other news, I just had a lunchtime mini-meet at.....THE EARL OF SANDWICH (in Logan Airport) with........TINKERBELLARELLA!! How cool is that? So, NM, although I'm sure your meatballs and marinara were good, I think I got you beat with my "Original" and Tink's "All-American". Mostly because, as Tink said, "We just added a little Disney to our day" ; )

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  11. My salad now seems so sad and pathetic. Kind of like Harry Reid.

    Ash got to meet Tinkerbellarella?! I didn't realize she was also in Boston.

    But I don't get the love affair with Earl of Sandwich. We ate there once. It was fine. But nothing to haul all the way over to DTD for. Did we miss something?

    Z

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  12. Hey Y’all!

    The Oreo Mountain was definitely a hit. Zio’s has some great desserts. Their bread pudding is also good. Not ‘Ohana slap your granny good, but tasty none the less. Oh and just for Zzub, there will be a refillable mug comparison on our Six Flags day.

    My grandparents swear by the Keurig, but I’ve never actually tried theirs.

    Oh, and I was DED over Free Willy.

    I’ve never tried an EOS, but I am a fan of sandwiches in general. If that’s worth anything.

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  13. Am I the only one who has flashbacks of Jaws when I see that picture of Brad water skiing at Sea World?!!! I'm half expecting a young, tanned Dennis Quaid to come running up, yelling for everyone to get out of the water.

    Yes, I watched them all.

    Unfortunately. Considering Jaws jumped the shark the moment they decided to make a sequel.

    Sounds like yall had a good day at Sea World, GB. Despite the freaky sea lion incident. You just KNOW they switched them out, though. Keep it coming, I'm enjoying reading about your trip.

    ZZUB, the Keurig rocks. And that's coming from someone who's not a big coffee drinker. I like it occasionally, and mostly as a dessert. So the chance to make just one cup and be done with it is awesome. DH just loves being able to brew a cup and head out the door in the morning. And Ash's pronunciation is spot on. If you still have any questions, I'd be happy to send you a voice file with the proper pronunciation. If we're lucky, maybe it'll wind up being the next iTunes hit.

    I heart Free Willy.

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  14. Hi NM! Hi Ash!

    Right, about the Keurig thing... I just can't get into it. It's that whole pre-measured element - I've got to be able to mess with my coffee; some days I need it a little darker, some days I need to add a little cinnamon. Those little cups would make me batty, I just know it!

    Lala: "Considering Jaws jumped the shark the moment they decided to make a sequel." And at the moment they made her grunt. GRUNT?! It's a freaking shark - there's NO grunting! Hmph.

    Oh, sorry GB - I'm all sorts of off-topic. Oh wait, we can do that here, right?! Anyway, stupid Free Willy made us all cry. Even my son who laughs at me for crying during Charlotte's Web. Every. Time.

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  15. Zuub, go to Kona for breakfast. Order the pressed pot, and the Pineapple Macadamia Nut pancakes. Do NOT order the ham. DO NOT send me the bill. Do leave a tip, and DO thank me later.

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  16. I could sooooooo tear up a pile of Pineapple Macadamia Nut (Hi Mel!) pancakes. Those are in the Frick Top Five.

    Down here in the south, we pronounce it as "Cure -ig".

    buggy

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  17. DED, Frick!! I was pronouncing Ash's phonetic spelling out loud (don't worry, I was alone at the time) and I thought to myself, "Hmmmm...that's not really the way I say it. I must be mispronouncing it."

    And yes, I'm in the "Cure-ig" ranks.

    Buggy, indeed.

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  18. The fact that you idiots own the dadgum thing and STILL don't know how to pronounce it further confirms my decision to still with a regular coffee pot. Besides, what do you do when you've got company?

    Steph: we DO got to Kona for breakfast! Only a moron would go for dinner (hi LaLa!). But we go for a late breafast, normally around 11:30. And by then, I can't face a cup of coffee. Also, WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND GOES TO KONA AND DOESN'T GET THE TONGA TOAST??!! The kind of people who buy a coffee gettup and don't know how to pronounce it. Why would you call it buggy? That don't make any sense.

    Z

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  19. Wow, you are throwing out words like idiot and moron AND you are yelling. You seem stressed. Are you out of Pepsi One and did someone forget to bring the donuts this morning? Are your briefs too tight? Did you miss GLEE this week?

    When you have company, you brew the one cup and everyone shares it.
    DUH.

    As far as the rant about your Tonga Toast, who said we don't get it? You always work out a plan with your table to share the goodness. We're not amateurs.

    Buh Gee

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  20. I let Crashdad order the Tonga Toast, that way I get bites of both!!

    When you have company, you pull out the Spinning Carousel 'O Coffee Choices and brew them a cup!! This thing brews multiple cups quickly. Of course, I supposed that if there were a conga line of guests, you could always pull 'Ole Dusty out of a closet, and brew up some Folgers. Better yet, you could go down the street to the Piggly Wiggly and buy some Nesca-carp and try to convince them that they are really standing in Roaring Fork.

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  21. I'm borg with NM and Frick - Cure-ig As we say up here in Canukia. (HiMel!)

    Maybe it was Susan's rendition of Ted Kennedy (RIP)saying Kur-igg. Bwah-ston and all.

    I use mine to brew up some bangin' iced tea.

    I think Zzub eats breakfast at 11:30am to keep himself on left coast time. That can be the only explanation because by 11:30 the YAK's are already diggin' into a Casey's or checking in for French Onion Soup. Tonga Toast (yum) is a distant memory by then.

    Frick - I think he missed his poptarts.

    Cart

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  22. First of all, it's Coke Zero. Plug in, Frick.

    Secondly, I'm not in a rage. But one is certainly brewing.

    Third, the ZZUBs don't waste time on b'fast in WDW. We eat on the go or in our room before we leave for the parks. That is why we eat b'fast at Kona at 11:30. It's in place of lunch.

    DUH!

    Z

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  23. Z, you do know all the cool kids are drinking Coke Zero. Aren't you supposed to wait another year or so before you jump on that bandwagon? Why is it that when you say 'brewing', I don't think of coffee, weather OR rages. Let's hope for your secretary's sake you didn't have Taco Smell today.

    Sometimes my boss will break wind and we'll walk into it. I tend to think that happens at your office too.

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  24. Okay, y'all got me curious, so I just called the customer service number for Keurig, and you southerners (except for LaLa) are correct! It's "Cure-igg". Who knew. Well....I guess we all do now.

    Z, I had asked NM the same thing about a party, and she had the lovely idea of putting a basket of all different coffee varieties out and letting guests help themselves. I LOVE that idea, and that's why I'm considering buying one of those suckers even though I don't drink coffee. Because I do entertain quite a bit.

    I have a really good picture of Frick tearing up a pile of Macadamia Pancakes in her pink hat. Wish I could post it here. One of the disadvantages of the blogosphere, I guess. Tonga toast does not appeal to me at all. But I don't like bananas, so that's why. Personally, though I love those macadamia pancakes, I normally get eggs benedict at Kona. It's awesome, btw. I like me a savory breakfast, vs. sweet.

    GB, sorry for the total departure of any discussion of your TR chapter. But you know how it is..... I still love your description of the water skier show. And of the girls heading down to Nana's room to share their pre-bed devotionals. :)

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  25. Guess what? Today I was in Tar-Jay, and LIKE ALWAYS (you'd think the place was the Dollar Store) I got the most HORRIBLE buggy. It was loud, AND had a bum wheel. I used to return them and get a new one, but honestly, I could waste 15 minutes test driving buggies and still end up with a piece of crap.

    So now I just drive them LOUDLY through the store. Hoping it ticks off all the employees or that other shoppers complain.

    Anywho, as I checked out today, I told the cashier that my buggy needed to go straight to the dump, never to be used again. It was that bad.

    And guess what? He didn't blink an eye. He didn't ask me what the heck I was talking about. He didn't say, "Excuse me, don't you mean cart?" He just looked at my buggy and then at his roving manager and told her to take it away.

    Buggy forever!!!

    Steph, your post killed me DED. And you, too, Frick - as always.

    Ash, I am so cracked up that you called the Keurig number to get the pronunciation! I just knew you were right. I am, after all, a full on redneck.

    Hi GB!!

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  26. Next topic:

    What's the proper pronunciation for Aeropostale?

    Discuss.

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  27. Now that was some fine reading! I'm glad to see the buggy / cart argument revisited. If I recall, AC also argued for the cart position back when this topic arose on my last TR. Maybe that's going to be Disney TR tradition for me. (NoNumbInducingRage.) Oh, and it's a buggy.

    Everybody knows that.

    Yak - I didn't know the brewer of funky moniker could bang out iced tea! That's useful info. Thanks for sharing! I may have to locate some tea pods (or whatever the heck you call those things) and bring it with me to my Granny's house the next time we head down.

    I’m also DED at LaLa herding guests into the kitchen and forcing them to partake from the great coffee carousel. I imagine Zzub doing the same thing with Pop Tarts.

    As to our new topic, I don’t even know what that is, so pronouncing it doesn’t really benefit me.

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  28. When we were at Kona in August, someone at the table next to us got the macadamia nut pancakes and they looked REALLY good. I was **this close** to asking for a bite.

    Mrs. Z likes eggs for breakfast so there's no getting her to order that for a little breakfast good stuff buffet.

    Frick: I was onto Coke Zero way before the so-called cool kids stumbled on it. One thing you need to know about me, I'm a trend setter, baby. ZZUB don't follow.

    Unless you're in my lane and driving too slowly.

    You know a word I didn't know how to pronounce? Chipotle. I thought it was Chipolte. Last summer in Boston, as we were driving around, we saw a Chipotle Grill and someone mentioned it was good. Which opened up a debate about how the word was pronounced. I never knew the T came before the L. NOIbeforeE.

    FWIW Ash (and apparently Tinkerbellarella), Boston is a cool town. Had some great food there. Didn't care much for Cambridge, however. For the obvious reasons.

    Z

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  29. I'm a little surprised that no one has commented on the fact that the stench from the penguin house made y'all hungry for corn! That had me rolling.

    I've been intrigued by the Cure-ig for a while, and I think it may be going on my Christmas list after hearing how much you guys love it!

    Oh, and GB, when your girls get a bit older, you'll know ALL ABOUT air-o-possel. Just sayin'...

    Cart.

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  30. Good Point Denise!!! I did notice that when I read, and then forgot to comment. WHY, praytell, would the penguin stench make one crave corn?!?! On second thought, don't answer that.

    Air-o-possel - yes, that's it! Fortunately, I have boys who wouldn't be caught dead (or DED) in anything from there or Abercrappie. They are much more into plain old jeans and t's. Thank goodness. The prices in those places are INSANE.

    Z!! I LOVE me some Chipotle (Chi-poat-ley)! It's one of my faves, for sure, and I go there often. I get the burrito bowl with black beans and either carnitas or barbacoa. YUM!! I'm sure you wouldn't care, but they are all about organic local produce and hormone/antibiotic-free meat. Now that you've put it in my head, I may have to get there before the weekend's out.

    And yes, Boston is the coolest. Everywhere I travel, even Chicago, which I love, I gain more of an appreciation for my hometown. Z, I'm still p.o.ed that you didn't tell me you were visiting so I could do a touring plan for ya. I certainly would've known enough to keep you away from Cambridge.

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  31. Now I'm in the mood for Baja Fresh. Which is just like Chipotle only with a salsa bar. And doesn't require me to think before I say it out loud.

    I knew enough not to go to Cambridge, but even a die hard conservative like me had to visit Harvard. If for no other reason so that I could see what a dump it actually was. Still, it's impressive when you consider how many notables graduated from there. Or got kicked out, see for example, Ted Kennedy.

    If I'm ever up that way again, I will holler at you ahead of time so you can steer me towards some good places to eat. I did have fun with all the Double Ds. We don't have those on the left coast anymore and ZZUB loves him some Double D!

    Why am I not in front of my TV watching Bama? B/c ABC has it in regional coverage and being out here, we're not in the right region. I mean that every way imaginable. Besides, it's Duke. Hardly reason to miss a day of work.

    I don't know if I can say Boston is better than Chi-town. I was there again in July and I flat out love that city. But I also really dug on Boston. I'd say it's a close 2d to Chicago.

    Now I'm in the mood for a hotdog and Boston Kreme donut.

    Z

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  32. Ash, we are Borg on the Chipotle thing. There are 3 things you would never catch me eating on film: pizza, pasta, or a Chipotle burrito. There is just no way to look cool with cheese or noodles possibly poking out of your mouth, or the attempt to unhinge one's jaw to take a bite out of a burrito the size of your forearm.

    We have a penguin exhibit at our Zoo, and the smell has never made me crave anything except more personal space somewhere else.

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  33. I used to love me some Baja Fresh. But they all closed around here. I just assumed the chain went bankrupt or something (NOChapter11).

    Oh, and Z, I forgot to mention that around here, Cambridge is also known as "The People's Republic of Cambridge". Thought you'd enjoy that.

    Oh, and NM? CART.

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  34. Oh crap - just lost it. My post. Hate when that happens.

    But not as much as those red plastic CARTS at Tar-jay. Love me some Tar-jay but cannot get over the urge to lysol wipe the crap out of the CART each time I pull a used one from the row. Seems the plastic attracts all sorts of gross things (NOBathroomsbyCanada) Bless you NM for taking that broken one out of service.

    GB - It's "Celestial Seasonings perfect iced tea - Sweet Lemon Black Tea" I get it from Kohl's when I'm in the USofA, as we are a bit Cure-ig challenged north of the 49th. It's a bit strong, so I pour the consentrate over ice and add another 2 or so (to taste) cups of water in a jug. I don't do sweet tea (NM just fainted)so it thins it out a bit but keeps the lemony taste

    Up next: receipes for Poutine and Cheese soup.

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  35. Crashdad won't touch the lemon brew iced tea, says it tastes like dish soap. He does like the regular Black iced though. I am a Peach tea girl, but like you, prefer it brewed weak.



    Where were we? Oh yes, smelly corn and roasted penguins. No wait, that's still not right. Reverse that.

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  36. LOVE Chipotle. That place is dangudeatin. I didn't realize just how big those burritos were the first time I was there. Luckily I was up to the challenge and managed to stuff it all in. (First Lady Biscuit was less inclined to offer kudos for said feat when I go home from work later that evening.)

    Speaking of First Lady Biscuit, we had actually tried to grab some roasted corn between the Sea Lion show and the Ski show, but the line was prohibitive. After the show, she still had the craving so we headed back that way. It was during our return trip that the girls saw the penguin house and wanted to go in. But since FLB is not here to write her own TR, I'll interpret the facts as I see fit.

    Thanks for the tea facts YAK. I'm not sure how I feel about buying something to consume from Kohl’s. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Kohl’s. Their sales have been an immeasurable blessing when it comes to getting clothes for the girls. And they’re about the only place in town I can find shoes that fit right. But I've never thought of getting a food item there. It’s odd. Like buying a television at the grocery store. Which you can do now. Apparently. Our grocery store just remodeled and put in an entire electronics section. It’s a wacky world we live in my friend.

    As to tea flavors, I prefer the pain old, southern style sweet tea. I’m also not that huge into all of the more exotic teas. I don’t care for green tea, or peppermint tea, or jasmine tea or even Piccard’s go to brew, tea - Earl Grey – hot. I’m also not into Starbucks over priced and underwhelming “Shaken tea.” (Whatever the fart knock that’s supposed to mean. I guess they charge you’re an extra dollar per shake.) I’m pretty much a iced Lipton or Typhoo fan. (And I blame the Disboards for the latter.) I have however recently begun to aquire the taste for those Crystal Light instant tea packets which frankly frightens me somewhat. For that I blame my job which sells them in the snack bar for a quarter and the grocery store which put the boxes on sale one day to make up for putting in an electronics section.

    Oh and Ash? BUGGY.

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  37. CART!

    Or, with a Boston accent, Caahht. (YAK, Bwah-ston sounds like a Long Island accent to me. Or Cliff Claven. Which was one of the worst fake Boston accents evah. That and Jack Nicholson in The Departed. If you want to hear a real Boston accent, watch Good Will Hunting. NOT Robin Williams, though....Matt Damon or one of the 2 Affleck boys.)

    Tea...I only do hot tea not iced. I do not like Keurig's tea for the same reason others have mentioned. It's way too strong. I'm with GB on the plain old black tea. I like Salada, Lipton, or even Tetley. My fave is Twinings English Breakfast. Don't get Earl Grey within 10 feet of me, TYVM. Ick. Now I want to go to the GF Tea this afternoon. Mmmm, Scones with jam and clotted cream. Steph, you will be there soon!!

    Tinkerbellarella is in the World right now, btw. She ate at Kona this morning! Wonder if she had Tonga Toast or Macadamia Nut Pancakes.....

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  38. Hey AC. I’m feeling your pain on poorly executed accents. Texas gets shafted in the vast majority of films and TV shows featuring someone from the Lone Star State. It’s usually either the hyper-exagerated clichés of a drunken rich old man who drives the caddie with horns on the front, wears a white Stetson and hangs out at the blackjack table; OR the nasal hick speak of a single mom at the trailer park who never graduated from high school.

    Speaking of TV shows and the Lone Star state, I’m curious to see how “Lone Star” shapes up. It’s been hyped up quite a bit here. I set the DVR to record the pilot, but set it to record “Once” instead of “New Episodes”. We’ll see if it warrants a status upgrade. I’m also curious to see the pilot for “Outsourced”. Obviously it’s a subject close to home here in the call center world. (My last team was outsourced to India 2 weeks before I changed departments.) We’ve always joked about how a call center would make a fantastic sit com due to the insane calls we get. We’ll see how the writers handle it.

    Really, the only shows I’m especially looking forward to picking back up on are House, Smallville (yes I know I’m a nerd) and V. (The latter of which won’t return until spring.) The rest, I could really care less about. I loved both Lost and 24. (Though I have to say the Lost finale was more an annoyance than anything else.) I’m just not that jazzed about this season. I do have a few other shows set up as a “record once” so maybe one of them will surprise me. (The Event has the potential to be a good series.)

    Wow….three sentences of rambling nonsense from a discussion about Cliff Claven’s fake accent. Not bad. Thanks for the Alley Opp AC!

    BUGGY!

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  39. Okay, just because I don't want to work (when I really should....), I will indulge you on the tv discussion, GB.

    I have seen a couple of good reviews on Lone Star. Sorry to say that Outsourced has been PANNED, however. I read both People Magazine's and The Boston Globe's reviews on all the new series and there's not much I'm excited about. Raising Hope is supposed to be good, but I'm not much of a sitcom girl. Except for Modern Family, which ROCKS. I am psyched for that and for House and Glee. Those are my faves. I DVR them all, as I don't normally have a schedule that lends itself to appointment TV. The only other series we watch regularly (because all our shows are pretty much family affairs) are Psych and Royal Pains, both on USA and on a whacky-off-cycle season schedule. They just ended their seasons over the past few weeks. I miss Psych already.

    Oh, and my husband and I (no kids) watch Entourage on HBO. That also just quit for the season, but I'm good with that. I can only take so much before I get sick of it.

    Now, I must get back to valuing stock grants and such. But first, one more thing.....

    CART!

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  40. Way to be Ash! Stick it to The Man!

    I’ve seen bad reviews on Outsourced as well. It’s hard to say though as I generally wind up standing opposite of most critics. It’s going to be interesting to see how it all turns up. I’ve never seen Glee, but I’m willing to support your love of it. First Lady Biscuit is more of a Lifetime / LMN / Hallmark movie watcher than a TV series fan. She is however looking forward to another season of The Biggest Loser.

    Have fun with your stock grants! I’m out for lunch. Gotta run to the store and grab a few things for home. Which I will place into my BUGGY as I walk around the store.

    Just so you know.

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  41. I hope to stop this debate once and for all....

    A buggy is a baby carriage.

    As in say it three times fast, "Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers"

    Thank for the Boston pronunciation Ash! I admit I can never do a Boston accent, I guess you have to be from there.

    GB - no worries on the food at Kohls. They aren't carrying food products, just the accompaniments for the Cur-igs.

    Which brings something to mind.....what the frick (NOFrick) do you call those buggy/cart/combo/bag things at Kohl's.

    I don't believe they are a buggy or a cart?

    Anyone?

    I'm waiting for Big Bang Theory, Glee, Grey's and Big Love.

    And Hockey Night in Canada (Hi Mel)

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  42. The Kohl's shopping receptacles have always been an oddity. They are like rolling laundry bags. And they can be a pain to unload at the checkout. Especially for us who are resigned to the lower end of the height spectrum. I feel like I need to issue an apology to anyone behind me when I have bend down and empty the thing. It's definitely a store where tucking one's shirt is recommended.

    BUGGY FOREVER! (NoHannaMontanna)

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  43. If yall want some good TV, forget all those sissy shows and step on up to Billy the Exterminator and Ax Men.

    AWWW YEAH!!!

    Watching Shelby run barefooted to the tractor from a mile away and bust a hernia trying to pull a 2,000 pound cypress out of the Pontchartrain, along with the ensuing shenanigans, is the highlight of my week. That's some good times.

    And just between me and you, I think Billy the Exterminator is actually ZZUB. Or at least, they share the same fashion sense. And hairstyle.

    Maybe not.

    One show you should NEVER, EVER watch though, and never allow your children to watch, is Fred. I have no words for how dadgum ANNOYING that mess is.

    Speaking of the pre-teen set...

    Air-o-poss-tuhl is how it's said around here. With the emphasis on the POSS. But if you call the store or listen to the clerks pronounce it, it's Air-o-p'stawl. With the emphasis on the STAWL. The only reason I ask is because the first time I said it (like the clerks), I was ragged up one side and down the other.

    NOYankeesandtheircarts.

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  44. La, the clerks are wrong. The emphasis is on the POSS. But I've also never heard the "T" pronounced. Around here, it's Air-o-possel, just like Denise said above. Then again, I have been pronouncing Keurig wrong for years, so don't listen to me.

    I am now home, but have the laptop out to do more WORK, so I'd best get to it. GB, Lone Star is on tonight, evidently. Let us know what you think!

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  45. Zzub as a reality show star. Now that has all KINDS of possibilities.

    I’ll try to catch Lone Star tonight and offer an opinion. By the time I get home and the girls are in bed, I usually only have time for one show a night, which will definitely be the season premier of House. But I may hitch up my big boy britches and stay up a bit. (After all it's only 44 min when you kill the commercials.)

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  46. Zzub sad: "I'm a trend setter, baby."

    FLAG! Let's keep it real around here old man.

    You mean it isn't Chip-ol-tee? I guess it's good we don't have that restaurant around here because no one would know how to say it. Especially my dad, who still says 'dannymite', 'eeench' and 'mmmmmbyenow'

    No one even wants to know how I pronounced Queso dip on my third date with Mr. Frick. I'm surprised there was a fourth date.

    GB said fart knock! ded!

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  47. Oh NO she didn't order some KWAYSO dip. DED!!!

    I heart Jack Bauer.

    And other than that, TV ain't really on my radar unless I'm watching the ACTUAL radar. Doppler, that is. Cause I do love me some Weather Channel.

    Although Roger has recently discovered Swamp People.

    Wow.

    That's all I can say about that show.

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  48. Frick, you're so cute you could've butchered the word ninety different ways and he'd still ask you out on fifty more dates without blinking an eye.

    Good thing you had a ring on that finger when you busted out the ham and cookies though cause no amount of cute can pardon that!

    Heh Heh.

    Swamp People is a GOOD TIME. Although...not NEARLY as good a time as watching your team win in overtime over the 49ers. Wheeewwww, that was a close one! Too close. I think I was having palpitations there at the end. It was a great game though. The close ones are always the most fun to watch.

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  49. There were a couple of ...interesting...commercials as well.

    The Alabama commercial had both me and DH ROLLING! The woman looked JUST LIKE NM! I always knew she had a crush on Nick Saban.

    The other one was for the Shake Weight. Who is responsible for THAT crap?! And what were they smokin' at the time?!

    And that's all I have to say on the subject.

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  50. Hey La! Just for fun, you should youtube the SNL skit about the shake weight! Just make sure the kidlets are NOT in the room!!!

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  51. I'm pondering all they ways to say queso and laughing quietly to myself.

    Haven't watched Swamp People, but the previews were certainly unique. I wound up having to work late and didn't watch anything last night. I did catch House this morning while I was getting ready, but didn't have time for anything other shows. I'll eventually catch up on them all and offer commentary of such.

    DED on the Shake Weight and it's ensuing mocking.

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  52. NM sayed "Oh NO she didn't order some KWAYSO dip. DED!!!"

    Nope, no kwayso dip. I butchered it worse than that.

    La, you are so right! I did tell you about the night I pulled the roast out of the oven, cut it open and he promptly ran to the bathroom and puked. Thank goodness we bought the big green egg and I don't have to cook meat anymore!

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  53. Wow Frick. That just cracked me up. And made a little ill. I don't even want to know what was lurking inside.

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  54. Oh GB, it was a pork roast and there wasn't anything inside other than some gnarly lavender/grey meat.

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