Island to Alaska with Pictures (part 2)

[cworld]

Again the post with the pictures can be found HERE.

 

Still looking for the nubile (found plenty of senile) young... maybe they’ll be up on deck. (11:00 in the morning, it’s about 40 degrees outside, and you figure you’re gonna see some bikini clad babe? I think you need your head examined.) (Isn’t it interesting how I talk to myself? And I bet you don't even see my mouth moving. Maybe I do need my head examined.) (On top of that you’re a happily, and yes dear I am happily, married man who never even so much as looks at another woman. Promise.) So, instead of looking for nonexistent babes, being the adventurous, fun loving type that I truly am, I went up on deck to see what I could see. (“The bear went over the mountain, the bear went over the mountain, the bear went over the mountain, to se what he could see...) As soon as I steeped outside the port/starboard side of the ship, bigger than life, right there jumping into my camera viewfinder in living grey and white, and black and red, was huge, big, immense, mammoth, behemoth of a SUPERTANKER. The biggest SUPERTANKER I’d ever seen. Probably was the Exxon Valdez, since we were supposed to be in the Prince William Sound area. See the coast guard boat right behind it. Probably looking for oil slicks.

 

Since it was so grey and dreary outside, I went back inside. Still looking for that illusive picture that will win me a Nobel Prize. OK, how about a Grammy, no, maybe a webbie, or a mikkie or just give me some kind of prize. I take good pictures.

 

Still on the prowl, I went up to the exercise room, but not in. I figured it’d been 6 days now, and I hadn’t broken a sweat. I wasn’t going to pick this time to break my perfect record. I’ll just stand here and work out vicariously. There were several people riding exercise bikes and running on the treadmills. Sadists. But not me. I’m naturally healthy, and don’t need to exercise. (That’s not what your doc says. What does he know?)

 

Then over to the health spa. Again, I came, I saw,I’ve got the picture. What can I say 2 bazillion dollars or something to rub mud all over me, I can do that for free, anytime. (And frequently do.)

 

Then I walked up to the pool area. This is starting to be like exercise. I’ve got to take a break. It was just about time for the sushi bar to open up, and since by some convenient miracle of timing I just happen to be right here, in the right place at the right time, I’ll just slip in the Horizon Court and grab a little snackie poo..

 

Tomorrow, or the next day, or the next, well at least by next month.

[camperhawk]

still here too but look what the younger generation can do.. http://www.gatorclaw.com/voyageof

 

Isn't that terrific and gives you new ideas for the thriller?

[camperhawk]

http://www.gatorclaw.com/voyageofvalor

[cworld]

Sorry, but I’ve had a rough couple of days. Nothing bad just had to make a quick trip to Arkansas. So this is gonna be pretty short.

 

I got in to the Horizon court. It was a couple of minutes before 11:30 so they hadn’t started serving the sushi yet. Which was a good thing because it allowed me to break out the wonder camera and take some wonder pictures.

 

Pictures HERE.

[margord]

Great pictures, thanks Carl.

 

Marilee

[ssapiers]

Hey, Carl could you make your pictures be "it" on EBAY.

 

Bill

[cworld]

Bill,

 

Not exactly sure what you mean. Haven't done any EBAY, but am willing to start. (Like I need something else to do.) I'd be grateful for a little more information.

[ssapiers]

I thought your IT contest would be EBAY. Since they have commercials with IT all over the place.

 

Bill

[mich2]

Huh?

[JanaJohn]

Is it possible Bill still thinks the "IT" contest is still going on? He might have missed it when Carl ended "IT" early. ;)

[cworld]

Maybe Bill is just commenting about the "IT" contest. Only Bill knows for sure, but since he did, the commercial I was talking about was the "Can you hear me now? ...Good" commercial. Better luck next time.

 

PS. "It" was cell phone coverage.

[cworld]

Being the great host I am, I went to a source for great information about sushi. Thought you might like a little history lesson.

 

To: BCTASmith@yahoo.aol.com

From carlstravels@cox.net

 

Bob,

 

I’m up to the sushi bar on the ItAwP thread. I remembered you and Carol spent some time in Japan, and thought you might know a thing or two about sushi. If you do would you be willing to share it for the thread, and for my blog.

 

Thanks,

Carl

 

To: carlstravels@cox.net

From: BCTASmith@yahoo.aol.com

 

Carl,

 

Sure, I’d be happy to share my unique knowledge about sushi. Carol and I did indeed spend a little time in Japan. In fact

Alice was born there. She’s so cute.

 

OK, I hear you, here’s the sushi info.

 

Typically everybody thinks that sushi is a Japanese creation, but that’s not what I, Bob Smith, remember. I had to do a lot of research on this, and let me tell you I, Bob Smith was very surprised at what I, Bob Smith, found out.

 

The History of Sushi

 

Sushi wasn’t invented in Japan. It was invented in Akron Ohio. It’s true. In the early 1920’s a large group of Japanese diplomats were visiting the brand new Goodyear tire plant in Akron. One evening they all went to Suzanne Jones’ great restaurant whose name has unfortunately slipped into the annuals of history unwritten. The size of the group was a daunting challenge for the kitchen staff. They were used to large groups of Americans and were prepared for American tastes, but didn’t know what to do for the Japanese. Suzanne herself went out to talk to the interpreter for the delegation to get a feel for the kind of things the Japanese would eat.

 

Suzanne Jones was a really good chef. She had won the Bronze Chef contest just the year before. She had won 7 Silver Spatulas over the years. Suzanne knew her way around the kitchen.

 

After talking to the Japanese interpreter, Suzanne went back in her kitchen and started things moving. Suzanne planned to prepare a unique appetizer consisting of lightly strips of grilled fish sitting on a small ball of rice. Suzanne called this small creation a Suzy Special. It wasn’t a very original name, but Suzanne was concentrating on other things. Suzanne told her best helper what she was planning and moved on to preparing the main courses.

 

Suzanne’s helper started laying out the creations. She used several different types of fish. She had cod, salmon, and haddock. She had several plates ready for the grill when the servers came in and grabbed some of the plates and started serving them. I wasn’t until the servers came back looking for more Suzy Specials that the helper noticed that none of the fish had been cooked. Suzanne saw the commotion and came over to see what was going on. After the helper told Suzanne that she didn’t have time to cook the fish, she asked the servers what the Japanese thought of the dish. The servers told Suzanne that the Japanese were chanting “SUSHI” “SUSHI”. So Suzanne told everyone just to keep doing what they were doing and fix some more.

 

This is how sushi was born. That’s the truth.

 

PS.

I’m not sure about blogging. Are you sure you want to get in to that? It sounds like a lot of work to me. It’s your life.

 

 

See ya soon buddy,

Bob Smith

 

I’m not real sure of Bob’s version of events, so I thought I do a little research of my own. Here are a couple of websites that tell a history of sushi that’s a little different than Bob’s. But who knows, maybe Bob is right. (That’d be an historic first.)

 

Official history of sushi

http://sushi-master.com/usa/whatis/history.html

http://www.eatsushi.com/whatsushi.asp

[camperhawk]

:d :d :d :d !!!!

[camperhawk]

:d :d :d

[camperhawk]

Sorry..something is up with the grins! But funny anyway...and how long will Bob be hanging out here?:confused:

[cworld]

It's a limited engagement. For now it's just a one screening contract. You never know Bob Smith shows up in the most peculiar places.

[cworld]

Key the Japanese sushi music.

 

You've seen the pictures. (If not click HERE.) You''ve heard the history. (If not click HERE.) You can here the sushi music. (Only in our minds.) It's time. (Especially for you to quit with the stuff in brackets.) The masses are lined up. They're salivating. The chefs with their chef hats and white coats are in place. The helpers have cleared. The pictures have all been taken. The sushi was as ready as it was going to get.

 

Release the hounds.

 

Hey, wait just a dog gone minute. That line is, well it's as far as the eye can see. Just how am I gonna get my sushi. (Cause it's all about me.) I'm supposed to meet Mrs. C at the Ice Carving Demonstration in... well, now. Just how am I gonna score some sushi with lines like these. George is starting to howl. Here, I'll just cut in... No. OK. Maybe I'll just wait until after the Ice Carving Demonstration. (Whimper.)

 

I'm hungry.

 

Again post with pictures is HERE.

[Sea Fan]

Carl, I don't believe it I remember Suzy Jones. I was living in Cincinnati, Ohio at the time DH was flying for General Electric was she was a legend.

What that girl could do with rice was amazing! I had heard she added fish but who would of believed she would be so creative. I think there was something of an international scare because of the uncooked fish (something about parasites) I believe they were afraid of "fish flu" a distant realitive too bird flu.

 

Thank you so much for having Bob Jones confirm this.

 

Dianne

[cworld]

Dianne,

 

That's truly amazing. I have to say that I was a little leary of Bob's story, but then I'm always a little leary when Bob starts talking. It's good to get some confirmation.

 

Thanks,

Carl

[Sea Fan]

Carl, I personally believe that Bob Jones does have a split personality. I have heard he sometimes resides in Montana where he is experimenting with combining Vultures and Racoons. Unfortunatenly the Racoons died and Bob decided to fly the Vultues back home on United. When the attendent noticed they were carring two dead racoons she asked "Do you want to check the racoons as luggage". "No, thanks", replied the Vultures "They're Carrion"

 

 

Sorry,

Dianne

[cworld]

Dianne,

 

Sorry, but it's not the same guy. My buddy's name is Bob Smith, and he has never lived in Montana. And believe me he's never experimented at combining anything, except maybe a nights sleep with a nap. ;) ;)

 

Sorry

[Sea Fan]

Man, I'm always mixing up my Jones and Smiths. Should of known you wouldn't know someone like that.

 

Carry On,

Dianne

[cworld]

No, I run around with High Class People. Just ask them.

[cworld]

I sorrowfully left the sushi and made the long trek to the covered pool area where the Ice Carving Demonstration was getting ready to take place. They had already brought the block of ice out. It was a pretty block of ice. It’s shame that something so beautiful would be cut in to chunks, and for what. Just to be displayed later at some function. What a waste.

 

I was jazzed for the Ice Carving Demonstration. What guy doesn’t get jazzed when there are chain saws involved? I’d seen one of those shows on the Travel Channel that showed how ice is carved. It looked pretty freaky. Ice chips flying everywhere. Chain saws revving at high speeds. You gotta love it. In about 2 minutes a masterpiece jumps out of the ice. What a country.

 

I spotted Mrs. C. She found a couple of chairs on the upper deck overlooking the Ice Carving Demonstration area. She was looking all suave and rich. She had her Coke decanter in her hand, and was primed for the demonstration. I was still downstairs and decided to sneak up on her. I rolled off a couple of pictures of her as I snuck up, but for some strange reason I can’t get them to publish on the web.

 

I did get a couple of pictures of the ice block as it waited for it’s execution. It was about 20 minutes until the Demonstration was scheduled to start so I thought I’d pop down and see if the ice block was up for an interview.

 

I bopped down the stairs... wait a minute, I don’t bop down anything anymore. How about I trundled over to the elevator and rode it down one floor. Now that sounds more like it.

 

I went up to the block of ice and introduced myself.

 

Hi, Mr. Ice Block. My name is Carl what’s yours?

 

He was a quiet fellow. Maybe he just didn’t hear me.

 

HI, MR. ICE BLOCK. MY NAME IS CARL WHAT’S YOURS?

 

Still nothing from the snob. He even gave me the cold shoulder when I tried to take some more pictures. I’ll show him. So I left and took the elevator back upstairs.

 

Post with pics HERE.

[cworld]

Finally, after about 12 hours (10 minutes in real people time) it was getting close to time. The show was ready to get on the road. A skinny Don Ho came out in a white jumpsuit with a wireless microphone and announced in 5 short minutes we will begin. 5 minutes, the Great Wall of China was built in less time than that. Guess I’ll have to go exploring again.

 

I got back to Mrs. C just as the Demonstration started. I have an impeccable sense of timing that allows me to do things like that. Things like disappearing until just the right minute, then when all of the work is done, and all that’s left is to eat or sleep, I show up. That’s me. Mrs. C is used to it and thinks it’s really cool. Right dear? She loves me.

 

The first thing I noticed about the demonstration was that there wasn’t a chainsaw. OK, I’m bummed. I was expecting high velocity, souped up, high pitched squealing, ice ripping chain saws. I wanted to see that snooty block suffer. I wanted to see water coming out of it’s little head. Chop it off. But, no. NO, no chain saw. The Ice Guru was gonna cut up this block of ice with wierd looking special knives. How positively boring. I was all ready to see that snooty block of ice suffer painfully, hear it scream in horrible pain. OK, so I’m a little sadistic at times, especially when I get dissed.

 

Don Ho said it would take about 10 minutes. So, I started moseying around with the Wonder Camera to see if I could get some different angles on the ice shaving. I even go so bored that I went outside and snapped some more pictures of Prince William Sound or wherever we were at the time.

 

Finally the called an end to the Ice Carving Demonstration. I still don’t know what the Ice Guru cut out. I think they called it the ugly kind of salmon. But it looked more like a dolphin to me.

 

One with pictures HERE.