NOORDAM 1/6 Cruise - Where's The Details

[RevNeal]

Thank you, Paul.

Christopher read this over my shoulder and suggested I post a side-by-side comparison. So ... on the left is me aboard the Noordam's Inaugural. On the right is me aboard the Noordam, Jan 2007.

 

 

It's amazing the difference a year can make.

[mechcc]

Brian - Congradulations on the job! Rev Neal - you are looking mighty fine. Looks like you all had so much fun and it was a great cruise. Scotty and Ruth in the hot tub is priceless. Loved the story about the "Privacy Please".

[crystal808]

It's amazing the difference a year can make.

 

Indeed it is, Rev! A difficult, but, obviously, fulfilling year! :)

 

Paul

"...think what a year will bring...." (from Making Whoopee)

[bepsf]

As some of you may recall, Greg and I broke Noordam on the inaugural...

 

On the ceiling of the Crow's Nest above the forward windows*- dead center of the ship on one of the gilded coves - Greg pointed out a large crack to me one evening.* Of course I touched it and to our surprise a piece of the ceiling plaster fell off into my hand!*

I'll never forget the words that came out of Greg's mouth: "You Broke The Ship!" (as if it was my fault :o )

 

Since then, others have seen it and commented on it so when I went up one afternoon for drinks w/ Scotty I wanted to find the area again to see if it had been repaired in the past year.* Now the Crow's Nest has a couple of coves in the ceiling design so as I was looking for this crack, I was looking on the wrong coved area and didn't see it...

 

That night as we were walking into dinner, I was relating the story to Greg and the group - of course this is a noisy area with many people talking at once so I had to raise my voice in order to be heard.

 

Just as I got to the part where I said "...and I couldn't find my crack in the Crow's Nest" the entire room went quiet... :eek:

(...Got a couple of strange looks after that.)

 

BTW - My crack is still there.* Greg helped me find it again later...

;)

[madelinerose]

LOL!!!

 

Karen

[HamOp]

If anyone would like to see, the photos from the Cruise Critic meeting of Jan 7 are posted.

 

Go To http://www.tdpowers.com

 

HamOp

[HamOp]

removal of double post....

[mfanderso]

If anyone would like to see, the photos from the Cruise Critic meeting of Jan 7 are posted.

 

Go To http://www.tdpowers.com

 

HamOp

 

Thanks for the posts of the pictures. They are great!

[RevNeal]

Thank you so much, HamOp. Very well done!

[RevNeal]

As some of you may recall, Greg and I broke Noordam on the inaugural...

 

Now now, Brian ... I didn't touch that paint flake ... YOU did! :D All I did was point it out to you!

 

Just as I got to the part where I said "...and I couldn't find my crack in the Crow's Nest" the entire room went quiet... :eek:

(...Got a couple of strange looks after that.)

 

BTW - My crack is still there.* Greg helped me find it again later...

 

FOFLMHO

And such a FINE crack it is!!! :D ;)

[hammybee]

Thank you, Paul.

Christopher read this over my shoulder and suggested I post a side-by-side comparison. So ... on the left is me aboard the Noordam's Inaugural. On the right is me aboard the Noordam, Jan 2007.

 

 

It's amazing the difference a year can make.

 

It almost looks like a father and son.

 

A job well done revneal.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Greg, that truly is so amazing and you should be so very proud. I know how difficult it is to stick to this. Great job and you look fantastic!

 

(and you did a great job elongating that second pic;) :D )

[mariner]

Brian,

 

I'll look for your ``crack'' in 14 days.

 

I still say there was plenty that happened on that cruise that we're not hearing about.

 

Even S7S didn't declare the bell through Customs.

[RevNeal]

Greg, that truly is so amazing and you should be so very proud. I know how difficult it is to stick to this. Great job and you look fantastic!

 

(and you did a great job elongating that second pic;) :D )

 

I appreciate your encouragement, as you well know this is not easy.

However, please be advised that the second pick is NOT elongated. It has been cropped, proportionally re-sized, and light/color balanced with photoshop from the raw scan, but otherwise no other changes have been made.

[innlady1]

I appreciate your encouragement, as you well know this is not easy.

However, please be advised that the second pick is NOT elongated. It has been cropped, proportionally re-sized, and light/color balanced with photoshop from the raw scan, but otherwise no other changes have been made.

 

That's remarkable, Rev. Neal! What's the secret to your success? Congratulations!

Innlady

[HeatherInFlorida]

I'm sorry that my humor was missed by some people reading this thread. I thought everyone was aware of how hard Greg has worked to lose weight and look and feel so unbelievably fantastic.

 

That my joke about Greg elongating his photo when I clearly stated my support is, quite truthfully, beyond my comprehension.

 

I've been on this board for many years and I've always been able to kid around and have fun with my friends here. Clearly I can't do that any longer.

 

As a person who has dealt with my own weight problems for many years, no one was more supportive or happy for Greg than I was.

 

So my sincere apologies for my attempt to have fun with Greg. I certainly knew that he had not elongated his photo. So many people have seen the results in person that I am shocked anyone would take me seriously with the big wink, big grin, etc.

 

Heather

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Greg, Of course I have already told you what a great job you have done and I have been able to see the progress. Congratulation. I also know how hard it is since it seems like I am on a constant diet between cruises.

What I want to know is did you have to buy a new Tux and how many sizes have you lost already? You can definitely be an encouragement to many of us that are working at being healthy. Keep up the great work:)

[sail7seas]

Having met Greg for the first time a year ago, on Noordam, and then seeing him last month, again on Noordam, the change he has effected in one year is nothing short of amazing!!! Don't let this go to your head, Greg, but you're quite the handsome Dude now!!! ;) You're an inspiration to all of us to keep with whatever healthy eating program we are doing.

 

Good work. Congratulations and keep it up.

 

'See you walking laps on Promenade, Greg.....on Eurodam :)

[madelinerose]

Well, I've never met Greg, but those pics say it all. Congratulations on a job well done! ;)

[bepsf]

Many of you know that our RuthC is a Piano-Bar connaisseur...

 

...I think she knows more songs than most entertainers do!

 

So on the first night in the Piano Bar Randal asks for requests - and out comes the little white purse and several slips of paper with lists of songs, lyrics, music scores, etc.* Even a slip of music-note novelty toilet paper!* Needless to say, Randal has simply never experienced a force such as our RuthC on any of his previous cruises - She just keeps pulling out so much stuff that finally Randal looks at her and says "What else have you got in that purse, Woman?!?"*:eek:

 

Later, our Ruth asks Randal if he knows "Celery Stalks at Midnight" - Of course he doesn't!* We got such a good laugh out of this improbable song title that every night in the Piano Bar one of us would bring it up - asking him if he'd found the lyrics to "Celery Stalks at Midnight" yet.* "Celery Stalks at Midnight" became the running joke during our nightly forays into the Piano Bar on this cruise...

 

So Randal - if you see this, here's the lyrics to Celery Stalks at Midnight, as sung by Doris Day back in 1941:

http://lyricsplayground.com/alpha/songs/c/celerystalksatmidnight.shtml* Keep this in a safe place for when RuthC comes to visit you again...*

;)

[RevNeal]

I'm sorry that my humor was missed by some people reading this thread. I thought everyone was aware of how hard Greg has worked to lose weight and look and feel so unbelievably fantastic.

 

That my joke about Greg elongating his photo when I clearly stated my support is, quite truthfully, beyond my comprehension.

 

I've been on this board for many years and I've always been able to kid around and have fun with my friends here. Clearly I can't do that any longer.

 

As a person who has dealt with my own weight problems for many years, no one was more supportive or happy for Greg than I was.

 

So my sincere apologies for my attempt to have fun with Greg. I certainly knew that he had not elongated his photo. So many people have seen the results in person that I am shocked anyone would take me seriously with the big wink, big grin, etc.

 

My Dear Heather,

 

Please know that, while I felt it necessary to post a point-blank statement to the effect that the pictures had not been manipulated, I certainly know now -- and should have known before -- that you were entirely kidding. Unfortunate, the wink and grin didn't come through when I read the post, nor did a few other people (apparently) interpret it as a joke, and hence my public response. Please know that I value you, your humor, and your friendship both on this board and in any future cruises we may enjoy together.

[RevNeal]

Greg, Of course I have already told you what a great job you have done and I have been able to see the progress. Congratulation. I also know how hard it is since it seems like I am on a constant diet between cruises.

What I want to know is did you have to buy a new Tux and how many sizes have you lost already? You can definitely be an encouragement to many of us that are working at being healthy. Keep up the great work:)

 

Thank you, Lisa. I have not yet bought a new Tux. On the Noordam in 2006 my Tux was very tight on me (I was very uncomfortable in it). Over the period of my weight loss I have had Christopher re-size it for me twice. Once, just prior to the Hawaii Cruise, he brought the jacket down from a 58 to a 54 and the pants in from 53 to 47. Just before the Noordam this past January I had him take the Tux jacket in from 54 to 52 and the pants in from 47 to 45. It currently fits me perfectly, but it is also now no longer possible for him to take it in any further. The back pockets of the pants actually MEET in the middle, now, and the jacket cannot be taken in any more without him having to disassemble the entire garment and re-cut the front and side panels to match, more, what he's done to the back.

 

So ... if things go well the next 30 days I hope to have to buy a new Tuxedo prior to the Ryndam. :)

 

I began this process wearing pants that were a tight 52 ... and usually had to have elastic segments in the size for me to wear them at all. My jacket was a 58/59, my shirts were 3x or 4x and my neck was a 20.5. Today I'm wearing 46s in the pants and the suit I wore today was one of my old 52s from over 12 years ago. My shirts are all 1x or, in some cases, 2x. I can still wear a few of my 3x shirts, but they are all very baggy on me. My neck is 18 inches now.

[RevNeal]

Having met Greg for the first time a year ago, on Noordam, and then seeing him last month, again on Noordam, the change he has effected in one year is nothing short of amazing!!! Don't let this go to your head, Greg, but you're quite the handsome Dude now!!! ;) You're an inspiration to all of us to keep with whatever healthy eating program we are doing.

 

Good work. Congratulations and keep it up.

 

'See you walking laps on Promenade, Greg.....on Eurodam :)

 

Thank you Judy, I appreciate that greatly. I have a long way to go ... and, in some respects, the most difficult part is still ahead of me. However, I have the encouragement of many friends and many church members, as well as of family and a Bishop who appears to care about the health of his clergy, so I am truly blessed in all this.

 

On the Eurodam, if not before, I look forward to you seeing me at my ideal weight! :)

[RuthC]

Brian! I am flabberghasted! I cannot believe you actually researched that song!

Doris Day, eh? Obviously one of her more forgettable efforts as it appears that I'm one of few people who ever heard the title.

And the little white purse goes with me on every cruise. ;)

 

And lets not even mention the alternate lyrics, K?

[RevNeal]

[size=4"So Randal - if you see this, here's the lyrics to Celery Stalks at Midnight, as sung by Doris Day back in 1941:

http://lyricsplayground.com/alpha/songs/c/celerystalksatmidnight.shtml* Keep this in a safe place for when RuthC comes to visit you again...*

;) [/size]

 

Brian!

I, too, am amazed that you looked up the song and that it is REAL!

And, yes, it was a hoot ... and a great running joke. I'm sure that Randal will KNOW the song next time!!!!