Island to Alaska with Pictures (part 2)

[margord]

Carl,

 

Great pictures. I find it very interesting that some people are in the pool and others are standing around with coats on.

 

Marilee

[cworld]

Thanks, the pictures were taken in the heated pool area, outside of that area it was pretty chilly.

 

I'll try to get something up tomorrow. But for tonight...

 

Patience

[cworld]

OK, I’m putting my foot down. It’s after NOON o’clock, and I’m hungry. George is definitely on a rampage. I need sustenance, and I need it now. We decided to do pizza again. Yum, Yum. (And I don’t mean that facetiously, I really mean I wanted pizza.) Since Mrs. C wasn’t interested in sushi, I went to grab some sushi while she grabbed us a table and got some pizza.

 

When I got back in to the Horizon Court, the line for the sushi had faded and wasn’t too bad. I grabbed a plate and started piling on. Hmmm, let’s see there’s the stuff with salmon on top, and there’s the stuff with the shrimps on top, and there’s the green rice balls and the orangy rice balls and the yellow rice balls, some rice wrapped in green tissue paper, and some rice with green and yellow stuff inside. Looks like avocado or something. I’m not a big fan of avocado, or green/orange/yellow rice balls, so I grabbed a couple hundred sushis with shrimps and salmon and more with the shrimps on top. What? I’m hungry. Get over it.

 

One thing I did notice (at least I did notice it when I was going over my pictures) was that some of the decorations looked familiar. Recycled. Check it out.

 

At the end of the line there was a teapot looking thing that people were picking up and pouring something out of. This wasn’t there earlier when I was taking pictures so I wasn’t really prepared for it. What on earth was this for? I’ve been watching the Food Network and seeing Iron Chef a lot, sometimes they talk about having a tea ceremony or something with a meal. Maybe this was tea for a tea ceremony. I got a little closer to the teapot, and noticed that people were pouring a little in to a cup. It was very, very, very, very, very dark tea. About that time someone said something about Kikkoman or something and then it came to me. Whenever we had the sushi at Rodent World, it came with a little soy sauce on the side for dipping. So here in the Horizon Court they had soy sauce in a teapot. Hmmm...

 

NOTE TO PRINCESS. Dear Princess, I think I’ve figured out what makes your tea taste so bad in the dining rooms. When I was trying your sushi at the great sushi extravaganza on the Island Princess on our trip in May of 2005. There were teapots with soy sauce in them in the sushi serving area, and it triggered a reaction in my mind. Maybe the teapots with soy sauce in them are the same as the teapots that are used to make the tea served in the dining room. If this is true it would explain why the tea in the dining room tasted so awful. You might want to think about that.

 

Post with pic HERE.

[margord]

Well Carl,

 

In just 8 more days I leave for my trip to Alaska. Hoping you will have at least one more post before I go. I really appreciate your help in entertaining me for the past year waiting for my trip to begin. Thanks so much.

 

Marilee

[cworld]

Ha, I'm almost offended. Just 1 post in the next 8 days. What do you think I am, a slacker? Don't answer that. I'm trying very hard to finish right now, and so I should have a post almost everyday until I'm done. So for the next 8 days you should see some progress. I might get through lunch. (Ha, Ha)

 

Just to prove my point see the next post in about 30 minutes.

[cworld]

I got up to the soy sauce teapot. I had a little problem. For some reason, maybe because my plate was so full of sushi, I just poured the soy sauce on to my plate. I only wanted a little, but it came pouring out and soaked into a couple of the sushis. No worries. How bad can it be?

 

I went back to where Mrs. C was sitting out by the pizza place. She had found a table right in front of where they make that wonderful thin crust pizza. I was very surprised to see that she had found Mr. and Mrs. New Jersey. They were sitting with Mrs. C eating pizza. I joined them, and tried to tempt them with my big plate of sushi. They wouldn’t join me. Mrs. C just turned up her nose, Mr. and Mrs. New Jersey had eaten a late breakfast, and just wanted a taste of pizza or something. (Maybe they knew something I didn’t.)

 

I was ready. The sushi was just sitting there ready to eat. So I did it. Being that I didn’t know the Japanese way to eat sushi, I just grabbed a piece and stuffed it in my mouth. It was all I could do not to expel it right back out of my mouth. YUCKKKKKKK!!!!!! This piece of sushi had been sitting in the soy sauce and had soaked up quite a bit of soy sauce. Let me tell you, a little soy sauce goes a long, long, long way. I quickly swallowed the sushi in my mouth and gulped down a liter or two of Coke. OK no more soy sauce soaked sushi.

 

Pardon me for a minute while I go get some more Coke. Anybody else need anything?

 

Post with pictures HERE.

[cworld]

I went over to the bar and got my Coke thing refilled. Maybe while I’m here, you could also git (sorry, I’ve been to Arkansas and it’s rubbing off) me a big glass of Coke. (I’m might need some more mouth washing stuff.) Back to Mrs. C and the New Jersey’s. While I was up, I decided that I might need something other than sushi for lunch, so I stopped by and got a piece of pizza. Need some while I’m here dear? OK, make that 2.

 

I went back to the table and got myself prepared to try another non-soy sauce soaked piece of sushi. This one had a big shrimp on top. I love shrimp. It’s hard to mess up shrimps. I grabbed up the best looking shrimp sushi and since I had already established the Carl’s sushi eating pattern, I stuffed the whole thing in my mouth. Ho-hum.

 

This one didn’t almost become a shrimp projectile, but it didn’t really do anything for me. Well maybe that was just a bad piece. I’ll have to try another. Same thing. One more time. Nope nothing. Every piece was the same thing. The rice was stale. It wasn’t fresh. I know I got it about 45 minutes after they started serving it, but if this is the quality of sushi 45 minutes after it’s made then I don’t want it. It wasn’t very good.

 

My rating for the Sushi Extravaganza – D it was pretty to look at but it didn’t taste good. It was stale. Hey Princess, if you want to have sushi for your passengers, do it right and prepare it fresh. What was served on the Island Princess on May 13, 2005 was not good at all.

 

I ate the shrimps, but even they were pretty bland.

 

It’s really a shame, I was looking forward to the sushi.

 

Post with Pictures go HERE.

[cworld]

Mmmmm. What to do now? It’s still a while until the wonderful Island Princess gets to College Fjord. The New Jersey’s were planning on going to the Art Auction at 1:30 and they begged us to go with them. An Art Auction, dear, how on earth did we miss seeing that in the patter this morning? I can’t believe we weren’t planning to go. Let’s see Art Auction or throw myself overboard, it would be a close call.

 

We really were conflicted. Neither of us really wanted to go, but the New Jersey’s said we’d have a blast, so since we didn’t have anything else planned, we agreed. The four of us (the New Jersey’s (Mr. and Mrs. New Jersey), Mrs. C and me. for those of you keeping score) decided that we would go down where the art auction was being held and preview the art. I guess that’s what real art connoisseurs do. That’s me baby, the art connoisseur. Yeah, baby.

 

From the Patter

 

1:30pm – Art Auction (12:30pm Preview) – Explorers Lounge, Deck 6

Final Art Auction (The Sequel)

Do not miss this special event. This will be your final opportunity to receive substantial savings on original art. Join Jim for fun, excitement, fantastic savings and FREE CHAMPAGNE. Over $3,000.00 of art to be given away, making this the event of the cruise.

 

I guess they had been having these Auctions all week, and we had missed them. Really we hadn’t missed anything. We had purposely stayed away from them. We aren’t artsy people. About the only art in our house is the stuff we used to put on the refrigerator when the kids were younger. It’s just not us. We’re pretty plain Jane. Oh well.

 

The Art Auction with champagne was being held in the Explorer lounge. We, (Mrs. C and I) not being drinkers, hadn’t been in the Explorer Lounge yet. (I think I picked up Cokes there one time). So the four of us (the New Jersey’s and Mrs. C and I) made our way down to deck 6 and the semi-magnificent Explorer Lounge.

 

Down we went, down, down, down into the very bowels of the ship. Finally we were there. Deck 6, The Fiesta Deck. The deck where dreams come true. I don’t want to make any of the other decks jealous, but I think that the Fiesta Deck is one of the most beautiful decks on board the incomparable Island Princess.

 

I had the Wonder Camera with me, so I started taking pictures. There was artwork just lying around. Some of it did peak my interest.

 

Key the orchestra...

 

When you wish upon a star....

 

Right there in front were certified cells from 2 wonderful movies. Winnie the Pooh, and Pinocchio were Mrs. C’s favorite movies, after Bambi, when she was little. (What, me? Nah, I’m a grown man. I wouldn’t have liked Winnie the Pooh or Pinocchio. Then again???) I don’t know anything about the authenticity of these things, but I do know that these kinds of things go for a pretty penny. And wouldn’t you know, all of my pennies were ugly right then.

 

Post with Pics HERE.

[margord]

Hmmm, sounds like the art auction may have been better than you thought.

 

Marilee

[cworld]

Hmmm, Maybe we did. Maybe we didn't. You'll just have to tune in over the next couple of weeks to find out. (Ha, Ha.)

 

I'm just putting up a little bit tonight, not feeling too well. So without further dragging out, of which I'm pretty adept...

 

We ventured a little deeper into the bowels (kinda got the bowel thing on the mind, don’t ya’) of the Explorer Lounge. Looking at the lovely, and some not so lovely pictures. My favorite, which I’m sure we could never afford, was the one from The Masters (GOLF, not art). It was pretty cool. I knew just the spot for it. But alas, I think the price tag was somewhere south of a bazillion. I don’t know why, but I also snapped a picture of the Jack Nicklaus poster. Baaaaad camera, Baaaadddd.

 

Post with Pics HERE.

[margord]

Come on Carl we leave for the Canadian Rockies Tour and Alaska cruise on Saturday. You can get one more installment in for me, can't you?

 

Marilee

[Sea Fan]

Marilee~I'm jealous, Alaska, have a wonderful trip. You know Carl, PATIENCE..:D

 

Dianne

[cworld]

Marilee,

 

As Dianne says, Patience. I'm working as fast as humanly possible. (If you're a slow human, that is.)

 

I'll post today and tomorrow, if and only if (old computer term), you promise to come here and check things out after your trip.

 

Ha, take that.

 

Gotta keep readership up somehow.

[margord]

Don't worry, I am hooked and will be back after the cruise.

[cworld]

I’m still overwhelmed at the beauty and the craftsmanship that is in the Island Princess. The fake skylight in the Explores Lounge is just one example. The richness of the trimmings and the surroundings was just mind blowing. Especially Deck 6, The Fiesta Deck. I couldn’t help myself, my finger was twitching, and the Wonder Camera just jumped up and took some pictures.

 

The hall around the Explorers Lounge is just beautiful. The lights, the marble, the brick and wood. It all goes together to make an absolutely beautiful picture.

 

Just outside the Explores Lounge there were four floor to ceiling sized pictures. I assume these was being used to try to create the look of some old city in Europe, or somewhere like that. The paintings were lit up, and the hall area they were in was dark so it kinda gave you the impression that you were walking down the street at night. Pretty neat.

 

The pictures were not great masterpieces (I think), but they were nice looking. It really added to the overall mystique and beauty of the ship.

 

Time for another letter to Princess...

 

Dear Princess,

 

My wife and I took a cruise on your beautiful Island Princess in May of 2005. We really enjoyed our trip. One of the things that really impressed us was some of the breathtaking features of the Island Princess. There were several things, but one of the most impressive was the floor to ceiling artwork outside of the Explorers Lounge. There was no real reason top put artwork there, but in doing so, you greatly enhanced the overall feel and look of the Island Princess. Thank you for your willingness to got further than necessary to make your ships beautiful.

 

Pictures HERE.

[cworld]

We, the four of us, (The New Jerseys, Mrs. C and I, in case any of you forgot) bopped around for a little while until it was time for the Art Auction to start. We peaked our noses outside a couple of times, but it was kinda cold, so we stayed inside. Finally the time had come. We went back to the Explorers Lounge and took a seat. We took a seat at the back of the room so Mrs. C and I could make a quick getaway in case we... well, in case we wanted to split.

 

I was still protesting a bit. I really didn’t want to go. I was a little worried that I might miss the only thing I really had planned for the day. That was the auctioning off of the official map of the trip. During the week, outside the Horizon court a map had been posted that showed our trip. Each day someone would trace our route and add navigational information to the map. It was pretty cool. They were going to auction it off at 3:00 (or something like that) in the Universal Lounge. This is the only souvenir that I really wanted from the trip. I was pretty determined that I was going to do all that I could to get that map. So even though it was over an hour and a half away, I didn’t want anything to get in the way of me getting my chance to by MY map.

 

So we had our seats in the back, the server people came by with champagne, no thanks, and the time had come. And the time had come. And the time had come. (That’s your cue Jim the auctioneer guy.) And the time had come... I’m leaving... What, nothing else to do... I could floss my teeth, I could take a nap, I could... Too late, Jim showed up.

 

Blog post HERE.

[Sea Fan]

Carl~I kind of liked those art auctions setting in the comfy room, snuggled down in a couch sipping champane. only problem was the more champane I sipped the more resonable the art became. :rolleyes:

Dianne

[cworld]

Well a hush fell over the pool room, When Jim he come boppin' off the street.

 

It was almost like that old Jim Croce song, only different. Everyone was in their seats waiting, Jim was a little late, but finally he started the auction.

(My memory of the Art Auction has faded a little, but this is what I remember.) First ladies and gentlemen we're going to offer this beautiful REN-WAH. This one of a kind copy is of Master REN-WAH's lesser known works called (Insert your favorite lesser known REN0WAH painting here, because I can't even remember what it looked like. And because I'm making some of this up). We 'll start the bidding at $3,000.00. We can accommodate 3 bidders at that price. If we need to we might be able to check the network if we have more than 3 bidders.

 

WAIT JUST A DOGGONE MINUTE. Did he say $3.000.00 for a COPY? Of a lesser known work? That's it. I quit. I'm in the wrong business. I'm going to drop everything and take up copying paintings.

 

The blog post has a link to song HERE.

[cworld]

Hey, Hey, Mr. Policeman what are you doing? Are you saying that copying art will get me thrown in jail? What’s up with that? I went to an art auction where they were selling copies of paintings, hows come I can’t copy paintings and sell them? HUH? Let me get this straight, if the artist OK’s it, then it’s OK to copy paintings, but if they don’t it’s not? Bummer.

 

Well I guess that ends my hopes of becoming an art reproducer. Sorry dear, another get rich quick scheme bites the dust. Oh, well.

 

The Final Art Auction (The Sequel) continued. The servers kept coming around with the champagne. I guess it’s like Dianne said, the more champagne the higher the bidding. It kinda seemed that way. Since we weren’t partaking, we weren’t real tempted. Dianne's little ditty reminded me of probably my least favorite song, at least right now. I work with a bunch of people that listen to country music. One of the most popular songs on Country Music stations right now is a song called "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off." I absolutely hate it. But the moral of the song is the same as Dianne is talking about. The more drinking that occurs, the more bad (baaaadddd) things happen. We still weren't tempted.

 

The only thing I might’ve been interested in was the golf things or the Disney cells. They brought one of the Disney cells up, and I started paying attention. Jim started the bidding at $1,000.00 or something. My attention wandered almost immediately.

 

The New Jersey’s were determined to stay for the whole Final Art Auction (The Sequel). Something about artwork being given away at the end of the Final Art Auction (The Sequel). We had all filled out a piece of paper that they were going to draw from. Who-hoo.

 

After about 2 years or so, I got bored, and decided I needed a drink. I asked Mrs. C and she did too. So I popped up and went over to the bar to get us another Coke. Imagine that a bar right here in the Explorers Lounge. And it’s open. What are the odds?

 

I took Mrs. C her drink back and wandered around a little. I WAS BORED. It was getting close to 3:00. (Probably about 2:15) so I wandered down to the Universal Lounge to see if I could see anything about the auction of MY MAP. They didn’t have anything about MY MAP, but they were just starting the Newlywed Game. Hmmmm? After 2:15 and the Newlywed Game is just getting ready to start. Wonder about that 3:00 time for the auction of MY MAP. Maybe they just moved the location.

 

Blog post HERE. Music link in post.

[camperhawk]

No art auctions here either! But Happy Fourth of July!

http://www.stressbuster1.com/lady/liberty.html

[cworld]

Thanks, and happy fourth to everyone.

 

http://www.ushistory.org/Declaration

 

 

This is a pretty cool site that has some information on the Declaration and the signers.

 

Enjoy FIREWORKS DAY...

 

But do take time to remember why we celebrate.

 

See you soon,

Carl

[cworld]

As American as...

[cworld]

Back to the Art Auction...

 

Jim auctioned off several pieces. There were actually some people paying big money for some of this art. I think on piece actually went for $30,000.00. He said the wife wanted it. Yeah right. A few went for a reasonable $150.00, but mostly it was in the $1,000.00 range. A little above my paygrade.

 

There was one piece that really interested me at Final Art Auction (The Sequel). It was a... oh, what’s his name... the guy that paints the sports paintings that was popular in the ‘70’s??? Oh, (getting old isn’t a lot of fun)...

 

Somebody help me...

 

Blog

[mich2]

Was it Leroy Niemann maybe, or something like that?

 

P.S. Yes, I'm still here too

[cworld]

Yeah, Leroy Neiman... that’s it. Thanks. (Yeah, I already knew it, but I'm getting a little lonely. Nobody's talking to me. Thanks mich2)

 

We were interested slightly in a Neiman. It would have gone great in the kitchen. And before all of you girly girl types jump down my throat, our kitchen is decorated with sports stuff. And no, it’s not just me being a “MAN”. (you know what I mean when I say “MAN” or the plural “MEN”. Come on ladies, admit it. You say it all of the time. Guy’s tell her. Rise up, let them know we’re not like that. We’re better. We’re different. We’re Supermen... Wimps.) Mrs. C loves sports and wanted her kitchen decorated with sports stuff. It gets a lot of discussion when we have guests. It’s not me. Honest.

 

The Neiman started at like twice the national debt. It was out of our league. It was an original not a print or we might have had a chance. (A big FAT CHANCE.)

 

Final Art Auction (The Sequel) was a mixture of prints and originals, which was a little interesting. Jim gave the history of each piece, which was a little interesting. A couple of times there were bidding wars, which was a little interesting. Apparently, their was a minimum price fleet wide for each of the pieces and the bidding would start at the minimum. If Jim didn’t get any bids at the minimum, he’d move on. Which he did quite frequently. Jim probably sold 30 or so pieces when he came to the first last piece of the Final Art Auction of the Week (The Sequel). He didn’t get any bidders on that, so he just started going around the room and auctioning off any piece of art that wasn’t already sold. Finally after about 2 weeks he said that the next final piece would be the final, final piece. Man I was ready for that.

 

After auctioning off the final final piece of the Final Art Auction (The Sequel) for the final time, it hit us that now was the time we had all been waiting for. The give away time. In true greedy American fashion, we had stayed around just to see if we, the lowly, the peons, could possibly be worthy of winning a valuable piece of art from the Final Art Auction (The Sequel). Apparently there were several pieces of “art” to be given out. Even one piece that was valued at $3,000.00. Oh, yeah babe. We’re gonna look rich. We’ll hang it right over the fireplace.

 

Jim started giving away art pieces. Little ones at first. They weren’t very impressive. Oh, well, I’m just here for the big stuff anyway. More little ones. Our names weren’t called. I don’t understand. It was in the bag. Everyone around us was winning. Finally I think Mrs. New Jersey won something, but it was only worth a couple of bucks. Mrs. C and I didn’t win a stinkin thing. What a rip.

 

My Rating for the Final Art Auction (The Sequel) – B- it was a little interesting at times, but a nap might have been a better idea. (Hey, Carl... you did take a nap at the auction and missed the best part. Not really... ZZZZZZZZ)

 

Blog has picture of Neiman picture HERE.