Canadian Buffoon's Sweet 16 Celebration - Update 01/28 - The End

[pkondz]

Morning, kids.
So.... no update yet.
Apologies, but I’ve not been able
to sit for more than a few minutes
and typing while lying on my side
ain’t easy or painless.

I’m hoping to maybe... maybe!
get to it tonight.
We’ll see.
I ain’t making any promises.
Just driving Kay to her orthodontist
appointment this a.m.
was so much fun!!!

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

True. There was talk of impeachment then!

That’s about as far as we can take that one 'round here.
Double standards annoy my something mighty, though

Nah.
You're only as old as
you lie to people about.

Perception is everything…
(doesn't change the physical facts, but still it is everything).

All true.
All of it.

Is that depressing?
Or gratifying?

Not sure...
still trying to wrap my head around it being true.
Or is it just a matter of perception again?

We're obviously not
very good at listening.

Now, what did you say?

What?
Wait...
How'd I get here.
Last I remember, I was talking to some guy in a black suit and now I'm here.

And just where is here?

Morning, kids.
So.... no update yet.
Apologies, but I’ve not been able
to sit for more than a few minutes
and typing while lying on my side
ain’t easy or painless.

Heal up first.
That's far more important.
We'll still be here when you get back.

 

[pkondz]

That’s about as far as we can take that one 'round here.
Double standards annoy my something mighty, though

Yup... and... yup.

Perception is everything…
(doesn't change the physical facts, but still it is everything).

Lying helps too.

What?
Wait...
How'd I get here.
Last I remember, I was talking to some guy in a black suit and now I'm here.

And just where is here?

I can tell you where it ain't!

Heal up first.
That's far more important.
We'll still be here when you get back.

Thanks, Rob.

 

[Tracy161]

Apologies, but I’ve not been able
to sit for more than a few minutes
and typing while lying on my side
ain’t easy or painless.

Apology accepted. Yeah... been there, done that. Best to avoid it, really.

Just driving Kay to her orthodontist
appointment this a.m.
was so much fun!!!

You sure know how to cut loose and have fun! Try to notch it down though... you wouldn't want to overexcite the rest of us now would you?

 

[pkondz]

Apology accepted. Yeah... been there, done that. Best to avoid it, really.

Yup. Not fun.

At. All.

You sure know how to cut loose and have fun! Try to notch it down though... you wouldn't want to overexcite the rest of us now would you?

Sorry about that.
I'll try to do something
that'll put you to sleep.

How about I post the next chapter?

 

[juniorbugman]

How about I post the next chapter?

Only if you are feeling up to it - we want you better before we want a new chapter.

 

[queenbetsey]

Ah...spare time. What a nice novelty.

Right up there with the even rarer novelty of spare cash

 

[queenbetsey]

Well, I suddenly find myself
with some.
I threw my back out yesterday
and today I'm pretty much
stuck in bed.

I did manage to get vertical
for a little bit,
but I hate doing it as
the screaming bothers the dogs.

Ohhhh nooooo... feel better...

 

[pkondz]

Only if you are feeling up to it - we want you better before we want a new chapter.

It's actually almost ready.
I have to break it into two
(or three)
because there's too many photos.

 

[pkondz]

Right up there with the even rarer novelty of spare cash

Can you spare a quarter?
Or $500?

 

[pkondz]

Ohhhh nooooo... feel better...

I am!
Nowhere near 100%...

But wayyy better than yesterday.

 

[queenbetsey]

Getting caught up while watching the World Series..sorry to hear about the back,Ponzi. Blown out back are a total suck fest. So get well soon..Lance is in the same boat right now. He trashed his while potting a couple of Disneyland roses....so much sympathy for you

 

[pkondz]

Getting caught up while watching the World Series..sorry to hear about the back,Ponzi. Blown out back are a total suck fest. So get well soon..

Thanks Betsey.
It's getting better.
Just.... slowly.

Lance is in the same boat right now. He trashed his while potting a couple of Disneyland roses....so much sympathy for you

Sorry to hear that.
Pass along my best wishes to him.

 

[pkondz]

Star Light, Star Bright

I hate early mornings.
And when the alarm
screeched in my ear
at 4:30am...

I was really unhappy.


But it didn't last long because...
We were off to La La Land!

For whatever reason,
I had always thought
I'd never get to Los Angeles.
I'd never had any desire
to go to the original
House of the Mouse.
I was quite happy
with Florida, thank you.

There were a few things
I wouldn't mind seeing.
But... I could live without it.

And yet....
I was really excited
to be going there
for the first time.

I got myself ready
and while I waited
for Kay, I snapped
a few crappy photos.

Yeah... It's dark.
It's four freaking thirty!

Which also explains why
the lobby is deserted.
Even the front desk staff
has enough sense
to be asleep!

Kay was thankfully ready
on time and we boarded
our shuttle at 5:30am
for the trip to LAX.


We arrived at the Delta
check in and were
greeted with this sight:

Just.... no.

I hoped the line would
move fairly quickly.
Um.... kinda have a plane
to catch.
These other people
should get out of the way.

Within moments of us arriving,
a gentleman came up offering
curb side check in.
Four people left the line to follow him.
I looked at Kay, she looked at me,
we shrugged and followed the man.

He led our group outside onto the curb
where he took our bags
and checked us in.
We were done in less than five minutes.


Well... that was easy!


And then a thought occurred.
I turned to Kay and said
(jokingly, people... jokingly.)

"What if that was just some
random guy who just stole
our suitcases?"
"Nope." Kay replied.
"He had a nice hat. So he's legit."

Nice to know we're gonna be okay.


We toodled off to security,
sans bags.
I admit that I was a bit
concerned that I'd find
a long, slow line.
But the opposite was true
and we were through security
in no time at all.
Actually, it may have been
the fastest security I'd ever seen.


We now had time to kill,
so I purchased a cheap watch
and ground it under foot
until the glass shattered
and its nervous little tick ceased.

Or....
so I bought a Chai tea latte
and a bagel for Kay
and an OJ for me
and we settled in at our gate
to await the boarding call.


Probably the watch one.


Soon enough, we boarded our craft.
It was my first time on a Boeing 717.
I did like the 2-3 seating.

Obviously I had picked the port side
so we wouldn't have to have
one of us (aka: me)
in the middle seat for a change.

Once we were settled,
Kay mentioned that she
had sore legs.
"Oh?" I said.

I was a bit concerned, though.
We did have some walking
to do later today.

"What's wrong?" I asked.
"My hips and thighs are sore."
She replied.

I was stumped for a second.
But only a second.
I started to grin.

"Rode any horses lately?" I asked.

I was fine, I had made sure
to shift in the saddle
and stretch fairly often.
So I greatly enjoyed
poking fun at her pain.

As a parent, this is gold.
A lesson for all future parents.


She, of course, is not allowed
to mock me when I throw out my back.

This would be cause for grounding.


And who wants to think about
grounding.... in an airplane????


The flight started to taxi
and the attendants started
to do the safety spiel.
Right in the middle of it,
the attendant speaking
interrupted herself to say
"You have to sit down."
Who the heck is dumb enough
to get up when the flight's taxiing?
She started up again but quite soon,
stopped once more and:
"You have to sit down.
The plane can't take off if you're standing."


Some people are too stupid to fly.


And yet... maybe they knew something
that the rest of us didn't.
Once the safety spiel was done
and (presumably) everyone was seated,
the plane came to a stop and shut
down its engines.

The pilot came on the intercom
and announced that due to
LAX restrictions, our departure
time was now 8:02.
(It was 7:31.)
I'd advised many a pilot of EDCTs,
(Expect Departure Clearance Times)
but this was the first time
I was a victim of one.

I didn't like it.


Eventually we got going
and arrived at LAX
about ten after nine.
With the delay and the drinks
we'd had earlier,
we made a bee-line
for the bathrooms.

I hate doing that.

No. Not going to the bathroom.
I mean, not going straight
to the baggage carousel.

I always assume that
if I'm not at the carousel
of hope and despair
when (if) my bags come out
that someone will steal them.

But it turned out to be
perfect timing.
We arrived at the
never ever merry go round
just as our bags came out.
One right after the other.


Awesome.


I love not having to play the
"We got one bag, so the other
is lost" game.



Bags in tow, we headed out
to our rental car.
If memory serves
(it seldom does. It lobs occasionally.
No. Wait. Not lobs... lobotomy. that's it!)

uh..... now I lost my train of thought.
Yup... there goes the caboose.


Okay!
We made it!
We're in LA!!!

There's so much to see!
So much to do!
What's first on the list!

Well...

So sue me.
Everyone needs a hobby.
And, (bonus!) it's Monday!
No danger of it being closed.

Then again, this is LA, baby!
It probably never closes.

And I was right!
It's open Sundays.
But not on Mondays.



I'm oh for two here.

Now, which way to the beach?


Kay has a small collection
of sand from different beaches,
and I assumed they wouldn't
be closed on Mondays.



I had to pick between
a few, and Venice came out on top.
So that's where we went.

We arrived at the beach
a few minutes after
yet another failed attempt
to procure a poker chip.


Yes. Still traumatized.


I found a parking lot
that charged a flat rate
of $20 for the day.

I had no idea if that was
a lot or a little.

How about we look a bit more?

We drove a bit more
and found parking right at the
beach.
Nine bucks! Much better!
And wayyyy closer, too!

And yet...
I turned away from the beach and went
one street over.

Well, looky here.
Free parking on the street.

Free beats nine buck.
And is a vast improvement
over twenty.
It's like $20 cheaper!


I parked right beside
this nice little path
that led back to the beach.

We strolled along it and in no time
we were feeling sand under our feet.

Kay collected her little jar of sand.
I told her that she had to touch the water.
"You have to touch the Pacific
on this side of the continent."
(We'd been in it, in Hawaii. Still...)

When she was born, she wasn't like that.
But when she became a teenager,
she had corrective surgery
to attach her phone to her hand.

It's been there ever since.


We peered over at the pier
that appears in one of the
above photos that some of
my peers had apparently
possibly perused.



What?


We decided to check it out.
No reason, other than it was there.

Kay was very impressed
to see real-life California
surfer dudes.

I was disappointed to not see
Jaws appear and devour one.


We strolled to the end of the pier
where we watched one person
catch a very tiny fish.

Or maybe that was the bait.
Don't think so, though.

We made the trip back down
the pier and headed back
to the car.

Next stop...
Rodeo Drive, baby.

(Get the connection?
Bonus points if you tell me if you do or not.)


We parked the car in a lot
and hoofed it over to the Drive.

We didn't spend much time here,
but... well...

Okay. Here's what happened.
We walked along a section
of Rodeo Drive;
ogling all the high priced stores.
We found a shop that was advertising
50% off, so we popped in.
Kay found a top she didn't mind.
And hey! It was on sale, so...

$1,560.00


We went back to our car.
Tails between our legs.

I did take photos
of stores I will never shop at, though.
Enjoy.

You get the idea.


Leaving the rich behind us,
we wound our way up
to Hollywood and Highland.
We parked the car
and set out on foot.

And right away, we were among
the stars.

Literally.

And figuratively.

We were both hungry and had
a destination in mind,
but as we walked
we passed over a section of
the Hollywood walk of fame.

I must admit, I enjoyed reading
the names as we went.
I recognized almost all of them
(if not all of them,)
but Kay didn't know many of them.


Kids these days.


We had just started out when
she suddenly grabbed my arm.

"Dad!" She urgently hissed. "Look!"

Kay has been in love with Wolverine for a while now.
I offered to take her picture with him,
but she was just happy snapping
this one surreptitiously.

Personally, I think it's a shame
how he's been reduced
to carving the cracks
in the sidewalks.

But whatever pays the bills, I guess.


We left Wolverine to his work,
crossed the street and walked
ten minutes down North Orange Drive to...

Please note the mass of teenagers,
entering juuuuust in front of us.

Kay looks less than impressed.


Once inside....
There was a long line
of people waiting to order,
and another line of people
waiting for their food.

Okay, lady.
Your guy is getting jealous.
Stop looking at me and pay
attention to him.

I get that a lot.


And... You! In the white!
Turn around. Food's behind you.

Seriously though.
Doesn't he remind you of the
Cameron Frye character
from Ferris Bueller's Day Off?

Right?
Am I right?
Tell me whatcha think.
Bonus points.


We ordered our food
and since it was nice out,
we sat outside.

That and there were no free
tables inside.

Once our food was ready,
I brought it to the table
where Kay was waiting.
Or guarding.
Whichever.


Sorry. I was hungry.
I took a bite before
I remembered my TR
writer duties.

So.... oh well.

What were our thoughts of In-N-Out?
For a fast food chain,
it was certainly better than McDonalds.

Mind you, that's not saying much.
It was better than most
fast food chains.
But over all... I've had much better.

Still, I would go back.
But if there was a long line,
I wouldn't wait again.

Continued next post​

 

[pkondz]

Continued from previous post​

Fed and watered,
we headed back up towards
Hollywood Blvd.

We popped into the Roosevelt
just to say we went.
I did take a couple photos,
but none worth posting.

We followed the stars back
towards Grauman's Chinese Theater.

While we were admiring the view,
we were approached by a familiar face.
I recognized him right away!

Now I am not one for collecting
autographs, but I'm not beyond
sneaking a photo or two.

But I also don't want to just shove
my camera in someone's face.
No matter how famous they are.


I don't know if it was because
I didn't bother him, or what the reason was,
but... he struck up a conversation with us.
I was pretty blown away.

He then mentioned that he was going
to be doing some publicity shots
of one of his movies that was going
to be re-released and asked if we'd like
to come along.


Twist my arm!
Of course!


He led us to a building
adjacent to the theatre
and soon we were inside,
hobnobbing with some of
Hollywood's biggest names!

I saw a familiar face
and said hello.
She asked me to sit for a bit
and I asked if it was okay
if Kay took a photo of us
as a keepsake.
She was very happy to accommodate.

Nice lady.
And since I'd just had a burger,
I politely had to decline
her invitation to join her in some breakfast.

I wasn't the only one meeting people.
Kay saw someone she knew
and asked if she could go for a spin
in his convertible.

I did have some reservations,
but I was put at ease when
he said she'd be safe.

I dunno....
I saw this picture in her phone
and it looks like she's pretty taken with him.

We were getting ready to leave
when our host asked if I'd help
with the photo shoot.

I have done some shooting in the past
so assumed he wanted an opinion
on a shot...
But he wanted me in it!


Who was I to say no?


Gotta admit, he knew his stuff.
He directed me, just as he wanted.

The resulting photo is admittedly
a little odd...
But he seemed happy with the result
so I didn't argue.

I gathered up Kay,
who, not unsurprisingly
wasn't keen on leaving,
and headed for the door.

Just before the exit, they had
a little mini-golf area
set up and I saw this guy
constantly missing putts.

I recognized him and decided
to offer him a bit of advice.
What could it hurt?

"Okay, Tiger. Visualize. See the hole?
Now... be the ball. Be the ball, Tiger."

Unfortunately, I think he misheard.
He thought I said "Be the bowel."
And his game's gone to crap ever since.


After leaving the building,
we stopped in front of
the Chinese Theater to look at
the hand and footprints
immortalized there in stone.

Some names I didn't recognize,
some I was quite surprised by.
Some made me sad with the knowledge
that the people who'd placed them
were no longer with us.
I suppose that's the whole point, isn't it?

This next one I was particularly surprised by
and then disappointed with.

Wow! The MGM lion's prints!
How cool is that?
Wait.... MGM 90th?
Hmmm... maybe that part is new, while...
No. "1-22-14" is 2014.

Kinda ruined that one for me.

But I didn't let it stop me
from looking and reminiscing.

I kinda like how this next one
is shared over two blocks.

I really enjoyed looking at
the hand and foot prints.
Nostalgia... it's a real thing.


Having seen everything that LA
has to offer...



... we retrieved the car
and headed out to the hotel.
As we began our drive,
the Hollywood sign briefly
came into view between
two buildings.
Kay saw it first.
"Dad!" She called out.
"The Hollywood sign!"
I glanced up just in time
to see it disappear behind
another building.

Kay was disappointed.
It was on her list of things
she wanted to see/do this trip.

"Not to worry." I confidently stated.
"We'll see it again any second now."

And we never did.
It's like it was removed
right after we spotted it.

Continued next post​

 

[pkondz]

Continued from previous post​

Our hotel was only about
ten minutes away.
We arrived at the
Hilton LA/Universal City hotel
and checked in.

Sorry, no exterior shots.

But aren't you excited about seeing
yet another photo of a couple of beds
and a bathtub?

Say yes.
Bonus points....


Our view:

It was still early and even though
we'd already had a full day...
We did have to have supper.
And Universal was right there.........

The Hilton is located within
about a 5 minute walk from the park.
We ambled over.

And wandered down Universal CityWalk.

I wasn't really sure what to expect,
but we really enjoyed it.

We popped into the Harry Potter store
and oohed and ahhed appreciatively.
Lots of feasts for the eyes,
inside and out.

And speaking of feasts....
We had looked at the offerings available
to us at CityWalk and chose to dine here:

We walked in, and immediately
I fell in love with the décor.

I mean, those paintbrushes!
Just perfect!
I wanted to bring them home.

Of course in my house they'd look stupid...
But I still wanted them.


We were seated immediately,
as there were a few empty tables
when we arrived.
But not long afterwards,
the place filled up and I saw people
leaving or waiting.


Timing is everything.


Our server came and took our
drink orders.
Kay just wanted water
while I ordered a mango smoothie.

Wow! Was that good!

When the waiter returned with our drinks,
we placed our order.

We picked out some appetizers to start.
Chicken pot stickers,

and vegetable spring rolls.

Both were good, although the
spring rolls were possibly
a touch over cooked.
Not enough to worry about, though.

We then each had wonton soup.
Yum!
We both love that
and this did not disappoint.

We unfortunately either miscalculated
our appetites or the size of the dishes.
When the first of our main courses arrived,
we were already starting to feel a bit full.

The scallops and Kay's side of broccoli
came fairly quickly.

(What is wrong with her?
That child ain't right!)

We still had one more dish coming...
and it took a bit longer.

Here is a photo
(albeit, horribly blurry. sorry!)
of the chef preparing our
Peking duck.

I'd never had this before
although I'd heard about it
since Peking (now Beijing) was founded.

How was it?
Well.... truthfully, it's hard to say.
By the time it arrived,
we were both really full!

Hard to really judge a meal
when you really don't want to eat it!
I'll say that if we had been a little less....
greedy, and not ordered so much already,
I think we would've enjoyed it.


While we ate, Kay finished her water.
I asked a passing server for a refill.
Nope!
At least we waited for our water...
And that server just never came back.

Eventually, our own server showed up
and Kay got her water.
She was thirsty and drained it.
The girl whom I had originally asked
finally came back and asked Kay
if she wanted a refill.
Kay said "No thanks."
About a minute later, our server
came back and filled her glass again.

There must be some kind of
weird water hierarchy thing going on there.


Completely stuffed, we waddled
back out into CityWalk.
The place is really pretty at night.

We popped back into the Potter store
where Kay bought some Pottery.
She bought the complete set
of books.
She'd read them, but had borrowed
from a friend.
She wanted the set
and she wanted it from here.

So she did.

I only purchased a wheelbarrow
so that Kay could push my
over-full bulk back to the hotel.

That's why you have kids you know.
Free labour.
And when I say free,
I mean not including
the roughly quarter million dollars
that you'll spend raising them.

Ingrates. Shoulda stuck to dogs.

Sled dogs! They could pull the wheelbarrow.

Hmmm.... future trip planning....


One way or another, we finally got to our rooms
where we both collapsed and promptly passed out.


Contest

Some of you had no idea what "Bo knows"
was all about.
Bo Jackson was a pro football
and pro baseball player
who did a very popular
(and parodied) ad for Nike.
You can watch it here:

And for those of you who
had trouble "seeing it":

If you don't have horsepower,
you don't have airplanes
that can get off the ground.

Just sayin'.


Answers to previous questions:
1. We have an early flight.
So.... what time do we get up?
Answer: 4:30
Nailed it - 30, +/-15 20, +/- 30 - 15, +/- 60 - 10

2. Security.
Fast? Slow? Average?
Answer: Fast - 15 points.

3. Flight.
On time? Delayed?
Answer: Delayed - 10 points.

4. LA. Harley Davidson attempt #2.
Nothing? Poker chip? Chip & T-shirt?
Answer: Nothing - 15 points.

5. Which way to the beach?
We go to one.
Santa Monica? Venice? Hermosa?
Answer: Venice - 10 points.

6. Which Marvel character
(that Kay's in love with)
do we see?
Iron man? Thor? Wolverine?
Answer: Wolverine - 10 points.

7. We go for burgers. Where?
In-N-Out? Shake shack? Slater's 50/50?
Answer: In-N-Out - 10 points.

8. We see the Hollywood sign.
How long do we spend looking?
about: (pick the closest)
1-5 seconds? 1-5 minutes? 1-5 hours?
Answer: 1-5 seconds - 15 points.

9. What's for dinner?
Mexican? Burgers? Chinese?
Answer: Chinese - 15 points.

10. We told Kay we'd pay for
one souvenir. What does she get?
Clothes? Books? Candy?
Answer: Books - 15 points.


QueenJen - 5:15, fast, on time, chip, Santa Monica, Thor, Slaters, seconds, Mexican, clothes, bo, saw it - 70 points.
DonnaBeeGood - 6:15, average, delayed, chip & shirt, Venice, Wolverine, shake, minutes, Chinese, clothes, bo, saw it - 75 points.
MeghanEmily - 4:30, fast, delayed, chip & shirt, Venice, Wolverine, shake, seconds, Chinese, books, bo - 140 points. (It's like you were there!)
Canadian Harmony - 6:30, fast, on time, chip & shirt, Venice, Thor, In N Out, seconds, Mexican, candy, bo - 60 points.
Curiouser&curiouser! - 7:00, fast, on time, chip, Venice, Thor, shake, minutes, Chinese, books, bo - 65 points.
Mrs T 2009 - 6:45, fast, on time, chip, Venice, Thor, shake, minutes, Chinese, clothes, bo - 50 points.
Mac Brew - 5:00, slow, delayed, chip & shirt, Venice, Thor, In N Out, seconds, Mexican, clothes, bo - 55 points.
vamassey1 - 5:00, average, on time, chip & shirt, Venice, Iron Man, In N Out, minutes, Mexican, books, bo, saw it - 80 points.
Crashbeckycoot - 5:30, fast, on time, chip & shirt, Santa Monica, Thor, shake, seconds, Mexican, clothes, bo - 50 points.
afwdwfan - 7:00, average, on time, chip, Santa Monica, Thor, slaters, seconds, Mexican, books, bo, saw it - 60 points.
franandaj - 4:45, average, delayed, chip & shirt, Santa Monica, Thor, shake, seconds, Mexican, clothes, bo, saw it - 65 points.
GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes - 6:00, fast, on time, chip & shirt, Venice, Wolverine, In N Out, seconds, Chinese, books, bo, saw it - 120 points.
Kiotzu - 4:30, fast, on time, chip & shirt, Santa Monica, Thor, In N Out, seconds, Mexican, books - 85 points.
rndmr2 - 5:00, fast, on time, chip & shirt, Venice, Wolverine, In N Out, seconds, Mexican, books, saw it - 110 points.
mustinjourney - 5:30, fast, on time, chip & shirt, Venice, Thor, In N Out, minutes, Mexican, clothes, bo, saw it - 75 points.
Steppesister - 4:45, fast, on time, chip & shirt, Venice, Thor, In N Out, seconds, Chinese, books, bo, saw it - 130 points.
queenbetsey - 6:30, average, on time, chip & shirt, Santa Monica, Thor, In N Out, seconds, Mexican, books, saw it - 60 points.
Terra Nova guy - 5:20, fast, on time, poker chip, Hermosa, Wolverine, Slaters, seconds, Chinese, clothes, bo, saw it - 95 points.
CyndiLouWho - 5:00, fast, on time, chip & shirt, Venice, Wolverine, In N Out, seconds, Mexican, books, bo - 100 points.
Captain_Oblivious - 6:00, slow, on time, poker chip, Santa Monica, Thor, Slaters, seconds, clothes, bo, saw it - 35 points.
lisaviolet - 5:00, fast, on time, nothing, Venice, Thor, In-N-Out, seconds, Mexican, candy, Bo - 90 points.
juniorbugman - 6:00, average, on time, chip & shirt, Venice, Thor, In N Out, seconds, Mexican, books, bo, saw it - 80 points.
Princess Leia - 4:45, fast, on time, chip & shirt, Venice, Thor, In N Out, minutes, Chinese, books, bo, saw it - 115 points.
Chrystmasangel - 5:00, fast, on time, chip & shirt, Venice, Iron Man, shake, seconds, Mexican, books, bo, saw it - 100 points.

Bonus:
Did you see it?
(pkondz air, horsepower division - 20 points.)

Also bonus points for:
Bo knows - 10 points.


As usual, if I've made any mistakes,
either above or below, let me know.

Score
GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes - 375
MeghanEmily - 365
Steppesister - 360
CyndiLouWho - 330
Princess Leia - 325
Chrystmasangel - 320
rndmr2 - 305
Terra Nova guy - 305
mustinjourney - 300
vamassey1 - 300
QueenJen - 295
Captain_Oblivious - 285
juniorbugman - 285
franandaj - 270
Mac Brew - 270
Mrs T 2009 - 255
DonnaBeeGood - 250
Curiouser&curiouser! - 245
Kiotzu - 235
lisaviolet - 205
Canadian Harmony - 200
afwdwfan - 175
natebenma - 135
chunkymonkey - 125
SoccerDogWithEars - 125
Crashbeckycoot - 105
orangecats2 - 80
queenbetsey - 60
Jaina - 55
cindianne320 - 50
irene_dsc - 10

Questions next round:

1. We do actually go to Universal.
Do we:
a. purchase ($70 each)
Front of the Line passes?
b. Or do we do rope drop?
c. Or both?

2. What's our first ride?
a. Flight of the Hippogriff
b. Forbidden Journey
c. Shrek 4D
d. The Simpsons Ride

3. What happens on the ride?
a. Drink spills on Kay.
b. Kid throws up.
c. Ride breaks down.
d. Lose my hat.

4. Which (if any) of the following
do we see? (Pick up to 3)
a. Studio Tour
b. Special Effects Show
c. WaterWorld
d. Animal Actors.
e. Walking Dead Attraction
(Hint: there wasn't a Special Effects Show
at the time, and WaterWorld was being refurbed.)
Deductions for every wrong answer.

5. What souvenir does Kay buy?
It's a fairly obvious one,
so no clues... except that one.
Okay... and it's more than $20.
But that's it!

6. Which one of the following
do we not ride?
a. Flight of the Hippogriff
b. King Kong 360 3-D
c. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
d. Fast and Furious - Supercharged.

7. Of the following, which is Kay's fave?
a. Jurassic Park - The Ride
b. Transformers - The Ride-3D
c. Revenge of the Mummy - The Ride

8. Butter Beer.
Yeah, we try it.
It comes in frozen and non.
Which do we try?
a. Frozen
b. Not frozen
c. Both

9 Which ride do I refuse to go on.
a. Transformers - The Ride-3D
b. The Simpsons Ride
c. Flight of the Hippogriff
d. Shrek 4D

10. Ya gotta eat. Where?
a. Suds McDuff’s Hot Dogs
b. Jurassic Café
c. Plaza Grill
d. Krusty Burger

11. Are you sick of this contest yet?
a. Yes.
b. No.
c. Yes. But I'm too polite to say.
d. No. But I lie a lot.


Bonus: Did you see it?
Of course you did.
But did you see the other one?
PM your guess.
Posting will result in deductions.

Coming up: The Happiest Place

Chapter 6. In a Hot Dense State​

 

[pkondz]

There.
That should keep you busy
for a minute or two.

 

[DonnaBeeGood]

.

 

[rndmr2]

Next stop...
Rodeo Drive, baby.

(Get the connection?
Bonus points if you tell me if you do or not.)

-------------------Yep, Great Movie!

Right?
Am I right?
Tell me whatcha think.
Bonus points.

------------Definitely looks like him

But aren't you excited about seeing
yet another photo of a couple of beds
and a bathtub? Say yes.
Bonus points....

YES!

1. We do actually go to Universal.
Do we:
a. purchase ($70 each)
Front of the Line passes?
b. Or do we do rope drop?
c. Or both?


2. What's our first ride?
a. Flight of the Hippogriff
b. Forbidden Journey
c. Shrek 4D
d. The Simpsons Ride

3. What happens on the ride?
a. Drink spills on Kay.
b. Kid throws up.
c. Ride breaks down.
d. Lose my hat.

3. Which (if any) of the following
do we see? (Pick up to 3)
a. Studio Tour
b. Special Effects Show
c. WaterWorld
d. Animal Actors.
e. Walking Dead Attraction
(Hint: there wasn't a Special Effects Show
at the time, and WaterWorld was being refurbed.)
Deductions for every wrong answer.

4. What souvenir does Kay buy?
It's a fairly obvious one,
so no clues... except that one.
Okay... and it's more than $20.
But that's it!-----------------------------a Harry Potter Wand

5. Which one of the following
do we not ride?
a. Flight of the Hippogriff
b. King Kong 360 3-D
c. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
d. Fast and Furious - Supercharged.


6. Of the following, which is Kay's fave?
a. Jurassic Park - The Ride
b. Transformers - The Ride-3D
c. Revenge of the Mummy - The Ride


7. Butter Beer.
Yeah, we try it.
It comes in frozen and non.
Which do we try?
a. Frozen
b. Not frozen
c. Both

8. Which ride do I refuse to go on.
a. Transformers - The Ride-3D
b. The Simpsons Ride
c. Flight of the Hippogriff
d. Shrek 4D

9. Ya gotta eat. Where?
a. Suds McDuff’s Hot Dogs
b. Jurassic Café
c. Plaza Grill
d. Krusty Burger

10. Are you sick of this contest yet?
a. Yes.
b. No.
c. Yes. But I'm too polite to say.
d. No. But I lie a lot.


Bonus: Did you see it?
Of course you did.
But did you see the other one?
PM your guess.
Posting will result in deductions.----------PM Sent

 

[MeghanEmily]

Within moments of us arriving,
a gentleman came up offering
curb side check in.
Four people left the line to follow him.
I looked at Kay, she looked at me,
we shrugged and followed the man.

He led our group outside onto the curb
where he took our bags
and checked us in.
We were done in less than five minutes.


Well... that was easy!

Wait, what?? This is a thing!? How easy was that?!

"What if that was just some
random guy who just stole
our suitcases?"
"Nope." Kay replied.
"He had a nice hat. So he's legit."

Kay knows what's up!!

"What's wrong?" I asked.
"My hips and thighs are sore."
She replied.

I was stumped for a second.
But only a second.
I started to grin.

"Rode any horses lately?" I asked.

Oh my gosh!! I can remember those days, after not riding for a long time, and then you go for a ride and wake up the next morning...and suddenly discover muscles you forgot you had...uggh. Poor Kay! ...but also...

She started up again but quite soon,
stopped once more and:
"You have to sit down.
The plane can't take off if you're standing."


Some people are too stupid to fly.

This deserves a #facepalm
Uggh.
I'm sure they're also the same folks who try to get their carryons down when taxiing back to the airport after the flight.

uh..... now I lost my train of thought.
Yup... there goes the caboose.

I was searching for a GIF for the "train of thought" from Pixar's Inside Out to post here, but when I search it this was one of the first things that came up, and I thought it was WAY better, so...you're welcome:

Then again, this is LA, baby!
It probably never closes.

And I was right!
It's open Sundays.
But not on Mondays.



I'm oh for two here.

Wait...what?!??? NO!! JUST NO!! I refuse to believe this!!

We arrived at the beach
a few minutes after
yet another failed attempt
to procure a poker chip.


Yes. Still traumatized.

I can't believe this is a thing.

When she was born, she wasn't like that.
But when she became a teenager,
she had corrective surgery
to attach her phone to her hand.

It's been there ever since.

What a sad case. Maybe you should start a crowd-funding campaign for her ongoing treatment. It's devastating how many teenagers are afflicted.

I was disappointed to not see
Jaws appear and devour one.

Surfers? No shark attacks? Boring!!

(Get the connection?
Bonus points if you tell me if you do or not.)

I don't. Probably because I'm a wee babe.

Kay has been in love with Wolverine for a while now.
I offered to take her picture with him,
but she was just happy snapping
this one surreptitiously.

Personally, I think it's a shame
how he's been reduced
to carving the cracks
in the sidewalks.

But whatever pays the bills, I guess.

Omg cool! Kay must have been so psyched!!
Unfortunate that Wolverine's true capacity and talent isn't being utilized.

Please note the mass of teenagers,
entering juuuuust in front of us.

Kay looks less than impressed.

Ugh. Teenagers. Worst lot imaginable!

Okay, lady.
Your guy is getting jealous.
Stop looking at me and pay
attention to him.

I get that a lot.

I'm sure! Must be hard to be such a chick magnet.

Right?
Am I right?
Tell me whatcha think.
Bonus points.

Same blank expression, different haircut.

I dunno....
I saw this picture in her phone
and it looks like she's pretty taken with him.

Unfortunately, I think he misheard.
He thought I said "Be the bowel."
And his game's gone to crap ever since.

This is one of your best (worst?) dad jokes yet. *applauds*

"Dad!" She called out.
"The Hollywood sign!"
I glanced up just in time
to see it disappear behind
another building.

Kay was disappointed.
It was on her list of things
she wanted to see/do this trip.

"Not to worry." I confidently stated.
"We'll see it again any second now."

And we never did.
It's like it was removed
right after we spotted it.

Poor Kay! Poor you!
Weird.

Our hotel was only about
ten minutes away.
We arrived at the
Hilton LA/Universal City hotel
and checked in.

Sorry, no exterior shots.

But aren't you excited about seeing
yet another photo of a couple of beds
and a bathtub?

Say yes.
Bonus points....

YES!!
Nice digs.

I mean, those paintbrushes!
Just perfect!
I wanted to bring them home.

Of course in my house they'd look stupid...
But I still wanted them.

Not if you take the rest of the stuff, too. Then you can redecorate the whole house and they'll look right at home there.

Completely stuffed, we waddled
back out into CityWalk.
The place is really pretty at night.

Oooh pretty! Almost rivals WDW's Tomorrowland at night...

And for those of you who
had trouble "seeing it":

Oooh! I think I get it now! Ok, I'll have to attempt this, too.

MeghanEmily - 4:30, fast, delayed, chip & shirt, Venice, Wolverine, shake, seconds, Chinese, books, bo - 140 points. (It's like you were there!)

...maybe I was.

Suddenly I'm a much creepier friend than you expected!!

Questions next round:

1. We do actually go to Universal.
Do we:
a. purchase ($70 each)
Front of the Line passes?
b. Or do we do rope drop?
c. Or both?

2. What's our first ride?
a. Flight of the Hippogriff
b. Forbidden Journey
c. Shrek 4D
d. The Simpsons Ride

3. What happens on the ride?
a. Drink spills on Kay.
b. Kid throws up.
c. Ride breaks down.
d. Lose my hat.

3. Which (if any) of the following
do we see? (Pick up to 3)
a. Studio Tour
b. Special Effects Show
c. WaterWorld
d. Animal Actors.
e. Walking Dead Attraction
(Hint: there wasn't a Special Effects Show
at the time, and WaterWorld was being refurbed.)
Deductions for every wrong answer.

4. What souvenir does Kay buy?
It's a fairly obvious one,
so no clues... except that one.
Okay... and it's more than $20.
But that's it!

5. Which one of the following
do we not ride?
a. Flight of the Hippogriff
b. King Kong 360 3-D
c. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem
d. Fast and Furious - Supercharged.

6. Of the following, which is Kay's fave?
a. Jurassic Park - The Ride
b. Transformers - The Ride-3D
c. Revenge of the Mummy - The Ride

7. Butter Beer.
Yeah, we try it.
It comes in frozen and non.
Which do we try?
a. Frozen
b. Not frozen
c. Both

8. Which ride do I refuse to go on.
a. Transformers - The Ride-3D
b. The Simpsons Ride
c. Flight of the Hippogriff
d. Shrek 4D

9. Ya gotta eat. Where?
a. Suds McDuff’s Hot Dogs
b. Jurassic Café
c. Plaza Grill
d. Krusty Burger

10. Are you sick of this contest yet?
a. Yes.
b. No.
c. Yes. But I'm too polite to say.
d. No. But I lie a lot.

1. b
2. b
3. c
3. (the second #3??) None. I'm scared of deductions.
4. Obvious?? You're over-estimating my abilities here! Ok...um...Universal sweatshirt. Or Harry Potter robes. Or Harry Potter sweatshirt? Or Universal robes? ...uh, I'll just go with sweatshirt.
5. c
6. c
7. c
8. d
9. d
10. b (Because I'm doing so well! Which never happens with these kinds of things! ...and now I've jinxed myself, so my answer is about to change...)