The Scooter Strikes Back-A F&W 2017 TR- Bonus Features, Link to new TR 3/22

[franandaj]

He isn’t huh?

He said I am not allowed to commit him for two weeks due to the graves. So maybe some park time until then?

Well then, let's see on the park time. It's a possibility.

Looking forward to your next update!

Well they finally fixed the website overnight so we will see if I have time today!

 

[rentayenta]

Sounds good! His schedule isn't as bad next week. His main concern is getting the training completed so then he has some flexibility. We can do dinner or parks or whatever!

 

[Pinkocto]

Looks like I missed some computer complications. Hope that gets fixed soon. Did I miss that you schedule Berlioz or still need to wait?

 

[franandaj]

Now this next update has absolutely nothing to do with Disney and if you are not into Egyptology, you may want to skip this update. I’m certainly not an Egyptologist, but ever since the King Tut exhibit in the 1970s came to visit San Jose, I’ve had a small obsession. I remember being furious with my Mom for not taking me with her and my Dad, but she tells me (now that I’m posing as an adult) that she had to buy a subscription to the museum for a couple years, just to get the privilege of purchasing the tickets for herself and my father.

Cut to adult life. There was an exhibition in LA in 2005, but Fran’s parents were so ill that year, we were unable to find the time to go to it. However, when we were in Chicago in 2006 we were able to see it at the Field Museum so I felt a little bit vindicated.

Around 5-6 years ago we began to listen to an Audiobook series by Elizabeth Peters (that was her pen name, she was an actual Egyptologist named Barbara Mertz) featuring Amelia Peabody and her husband Radcliffe Emerson, "The greatest Egyptologist of this or any other era." As Amelia proudly proclaims throughout the 20 book series. Of course they are fictional characters, and the books span the period from 1884 when the couple meets until the discovery of King Tut’s tomb. The series describes in detail their work in various important sites in Egypt while solving murders and participating in other adventures. The author also wove real persons of the time into the series including Howard Carter, Lord Carnarvon, and many others. Coincidentally we finished this series about one week before we ordered our tickets for the exhibition.

So the King Tut exhibition is at the California Science Center in the heart of Los Angeles until January 2019. I have to say that it is a very worthwhile experience and I hope to go back at least one more time before it leaves just to see it again (and this time I'll remember my big camera). I had to use my point and shoot, because even though I fully charged the big camera the night before, we were running late and I left it on the counter at home. The pictures here are a combination of my point and shoot (which the battery died halfway through the exhibit) and my cell phone camera. So let's get on with it!

We could go into the actual exhibit any time after our ticket time, but the reason we had a time deadline was that we had signed up to watch the IMAX movie about Egypt. We wanted to get there an hour before it started, but I think we were barely 20 minutes before and a huge line had formed. Luckily the guy checking the end of the line to make sure we all had tickets recognized Fran as a crip and directed us to the front of the line where we took an elevator to the upper floor and got seats in the designated area. The movie was kind of corny, and actually the aerial shots gave me slight motion sickness. I would skip this next time.

We had lunch in the cafeteria after this before checking in for the exhibit on the third floor of the building. As they do with most of the exhibitions here, they start you off in a room where there is some sort of video presentation and then the curtains opened taking us into the actual rooms.

Before we get on with the exhibit, let me just say that we bought the book of the exhibit and I have been looking up each of these artifacts for the information that I am giving you. Don’t think my memory is that good! But if we do make it back I’ll have a much better understanding of what I’m looking at now that I have done the research in the coffee table book we bought!

This art on the wall is not actual artifacts, but some are reproductions of the art on the walls in the tomb. Because Tutankhamun died so suddenly not all the walls of his tomb were covered in murals. Just the burial chamber walls. I just liked how it set the mood when you entered the room. Plus I had to do something with my camera while I was waiting for the people to clear out of the part of the room where the actual artifacts were.

These are artifacts, they are among the 50 pieces found in his tomb made of calcite or alabaster. The tall vase in the back on the right held traces of some unidentified liquid at one time. Tut’s tomb was raided in antiquity, but it is believed that the necropolis police caught them red handed, which is why some items were either empty or misplaced, not lost, just put in the wrong place. The contents of this vase are believed to have suffered this fate.

Another piece of ambience as I waited for the crowds to clear.

This is an ebony and cedar chest. Notice the fret work which repeats three hieroglyphic signs, the neb basket on the bottom, with the ankh (life), both are gilded, and the “was” scepter. The gilded inscriptions on the edges bear the king's name and epithets. Next up a better picture of his hieroglyphic name.

His original name, Tutankhaten means “Living Image of Aten”, while Tutankhamun means “Living Image of Amun”. In hieroglyphs the name Tutankhamun was typically written Amen-tut-ankh, because of a scribal custom that placed a divine name at the beginning of a phrase to show appropriate reverence.

This is the crate that bears his name that was found in the tomb. BTW, you’ll see his name on all kinds of artifacts that were found in the tomb.

This little chart shows you each of the symbols and how they form his name.

When Carter found the tomb, he found 35 representations of boats of some sort.

Boats were a very important method of transport to travel up and down the Nile to visit Tutankhamun's vast kingdom. Many of the boats were of the style that he and his father before him would have traveled upon.

This chair and footrest were made for the king and used in his lifetime, not sure how they knew, but the book said so!

The gold gilding on the side depicted an ibex, but it appears that this part of the chair was damaged in some way.

This is one of nine such beds that Howard Carter found in the tomb. Three of them were made from gilded wood, the other six were meant for the living to sleep on. According to Carter, the king slept on five of these beds during his lifetime.

It's somewhat difficult to make out, but in the headboard various gods and goddesses are depicted, they would presumably assist the king in the afterlife.

A different view.

This trumpet was found in the tomb and of course as a musician I found it fascinating. The top one is a silver trumpet with a gold mouthpiece with the king's name inscribed on it. The bottom item is a wooden insert to help the trumpet keep its shape while not in use. The trumpet may not have been played in antiquity, but it was played in 1939 for a BBC broadcast. The player damaged the instrument by trying to use a modern mouthpiece on the horn. If any of you know any trumpet players, you'll understand when I say, “It figures, trumpet players.”

Believe it or not these next items are earrings. I don't believe that it was properly labeled or I missed that fact the day we were there. If I'd realized they were actually worn on the ear, I would have added a hand or something for perspective. It was 4-6 inches long, and I can't imagine it dangling from my ear. Scholars believe that they were worn by the king as a boy and not once he became king.

This life size statue of the king was found with a similar one on the opposite side of the Antechamber of the tomb. This statue was on the Eastern side of the chamber. His right arm is holding a very kingly weapon, a mace. He is shown walking as was common for Male figures of the day. Females were always pictured standing still. He carries a walking stick in his left hand. His body is depicted in black to symbolize rebirth as this is the color of the soil deposited by the annual Nile floodwaters bringing new soil and prosperity.

I needn't mention that all the gold you see is actual gold gilding.

This gilded figure of the king with a harpoon on a papyrus raft has tons of symbolism, but unless you understand the relationship of Horus and Seth. I'll just leave it that this is a pretty statue.

This may not have been intended to be the likeness of King Tut (notice the breasts), and Carter speculated that it may have actually represented Nefertiti.

This figurine is crafted in the image of Ptah, God of craftsman and architects. He is easily identifiable by his blue skull cap. His presence in the king's tomb is explained that Spell 23 of the book of the Dead calls for Ptah to open and close the mouths of the dead so that they may eat.

This little figure was found inside a miniature anthropoid coffin in the tomb. Because of the pierced ears, they were able to deduce that it was in fact Tutankhamun and not his Grandfather who never appeared with pierced ears.

Four deities known as the sons of Horus guarded the internal organs of the Mummy which were removed from the body and preserved separately. The jackal headed god seen in the background is Duamutef. His brother Qebehsenuef the falcon headed god is in the foreground.

Earlier I showed you a similar statue to this one. This was on the West side of the antechamber of the tomb.

Both of these shabti, (funerary figures also called the workforce of the king) were in the antechamber and they are both made in the likeness of the king. The Left piece is wearing a gilded nemes headdress. The inscription on his lower body is a version of spell 6 from the book of the dead which would bring the shabti to life and summon it to work.

The shabti on the right is of the king wearing a nubian wig

This is one of the four canopic jars which housed King Tut's organs. Canopic jars were special vessels that were used in Ancient Egypt during the mummification process. The jars were used to preserve the organs of mummies and prepare them for the afterlife. These jars were often made of pottery or carved from limestone. Traditionally, there were four jars, one for each of the following organs: stomach, intestines, lungs, and liver.

[Continued in Next Post]

 

[franandaj]

[Continued from Previous Post]


This is a replica of the mask that was on the mummy. The mask no longer leaves Egypt as it is too fragile to be transported.

The mummy was found wearing these gilded sandals, and the finger and toe caps.

These shabti are all unique and they are made of all different types of substances from calcite to wood, to limestone.

The following are all necklaces and adornments which were found between the many layers of King Tut’s mummy. The falcon represents the god Horus. And the vulture and falcon are two patron guardians of Upper and Lower Egypt.

These pieces are too delicate to have been worn as a necklace, and were found between the layers of the cloth.

The scarab beetle was a prominent feature in many of the jewels found in Tutankhamun's Tomb. I stole this from Wikipedia, but the audio portion of the tour told us something quite similar.

“In ancient Egyptian religion, the sun god Ra is seen to roll across the sky each day, transforming bodies and souls. Beetles of the Scarabaeidae family (dung beetle) roll dung into a ball as food and as a brood chamber in which to lay eggs; this way, the larvae hatch and are immediately surrounded by food. For these reasons the scarab was seen as a symbol of this heavenly cycle and of the idea of rebirth or regeneration.”

This bracelet was one of 13 different bracelets found on the arms of the king before he was wrapped in linen. One arm had seven bracelets while the other wore six.

At this point you exited part one of the exhibit. We had purchased the audio package and we turned in our listening devices and were given a ticket to pick up another at the entrance to the second half. The remainder of the exhibit continued on the ground floor, if we hadn’t already eaten lunch this would be a good point to stop for a bite to eat, but it was starting to get late. Hint: If you’re not someone who likes to read all the cards and listen to all the audio clips, don’t come to a museum with Fran and me. My parents were waiting on a bench outside for the two us between the first and second parts.

They had a photo op before you entered the second half, and my Dad didn’t get it that he was supposed to be in the picture and my Mom had to literally go drag him to be in the photo. I kept asking Fran to scan it in, but she never got to it so excuse the thumb in the shot.

My best Egyptian pose

This calcite bowl was pretty. I found nothing about it in the book, so I can’t say anything intelligent about it.

The second section of the exhibit had large photos on the walls from the time period and the excavation. This is what the tomb excavation area looked like.

One of the first pieces removed from the tomb was this necklace. Howard Carter put the necklace around the neck of the boy who originally found the first step to the tomb and shot this photo which you could say for the time, “went viral” or as viral as something in 1923 could do so.

Here is that picture along with a picture of the boy as an old man. He sat next to the tomb for the rest of his life making a living allowing tourists to take pictures with him.

Some more photos from the time on the wall.

Here is a diagram of the layout of the tomb.

There were a few more artifacts, but by this time both my camera and phone were dying and I didn’t get any pictures that weren’t blurry, except this one of this statue that was most likely still in the quarry at the time of the King’s untimely death. It was completed for the tomb of Ay, and later usurped by Horemheb for his tomb.

By the time we finished our purchases in the gift shop, because of course they took a lesson from Disney and let us out in a dump shop, it was 5PM and the museum was closing.

By the time we got home, braving the LA traffic, it was after 7PM and I was glad that we had made a solid plan for dinner. We had thawed a couple packets of my frozen homemade spaghetti sauce and had a Bag O’ Caesar salad along with a loaf of french bread. So while I heated the spaghetti noodles and sauce, my mom made the salad and garlic bread.


We spent the rest of the weekend just hanging out at home playing with the kittens, chillin’, and cooking up some good food. We repurposed our leftovers from the wine maker dinner into a steak and potatoes dinner for Saturday, and made a White Chicken Coq au Vin in the Instant Pot for Easter Supper.

I think that’s the last time I’ve used the Instant Pot. While I understand how it’s a time saver, I guess for me that’s not the important thing. Cleaning it is kind of a thing and it takes a lot of my brain power to work it while the recipes that I’ve been making for decades are so easy for me now, I guess I’m an old dog that doesn’t like to learn new tricks. The old cooking techniques are fine for me.


Next update is back to DCA F&W for a final run.

 

[franandaj]

Sounds good! His schedule isn't as bad next week. His main concern is getting the training completed so then he has some flexibility. We can do dinner or parks or whatever!

Let's see how things go. Once we get all the music together for the next band program, our lives will be less hectic.

Looks like I missed some computer complications. Hope that gets fixed soon. Did I miss that you schedule Berlioz or still need to wait?

Yes, you did miss out on the website drama, but it's fixed now. He got the OK from the Super Vet for the surgery, but he had diarrhea so we wanted to give him a chance to get over that. Now he is, so we just need to call the vet and schedule him.

 

[jedijill]

Great update! I'm pretty sure that's the King Tut exhibit I saw in Denver a couple of years ago...the pieces seem very familiar. I saw the exhibit in Chicago in 2006 too!

Your dinner looks yummy!

Just sent you and Fran an email about car parts....Can't wait to see you in a couple of weeks!

Jill in CO

 

[Pinkocto]

Loved the update. Wow that was a cool exhibit. Thank you for sharing. I’m still making my way through the Peabody books. Did you read the last one they finished recently? I was surprised when Amazon sent me an alert that it was finally out.

 

[rentayenta]

Wow! What an interesting and informative update. I’d never had a desire to attend this but you’ve sparked my interest.

 

[Dis_Yoda]

You can be that way about Egypt if I can be that way about Dinosaurs.


That is a really cool exhibit! I would have enjoyed it as well. Glad you got to spend some time at something you enjoy history wise!

 

[franandaj]

Great update! I'm pretty sure that's the King Tut exhibit I saw in Denver a couple of years ago...the pieces seem very familiar. I saw the exhibit in Chicago in 2006 too!

Many of the pieces in this exhibit were in the Chicago exhibit but I think of the 150 pieces 40 or so had never left Egypt before. I only showed 1/3 or so of the pieces.

Your dinner looks yummy!

It was, but there was a ton left and most of the leftovers went to waste, normally I don't do that.

Just sent you and Fran an email about car parts....Can't wait to see you in a couple of weeks!

I saw. I've been bugging her to order parts, but she doesn't believe that you want to help. None of our friends here would do it, so she has a hard time thinking you'll fly here to do it.

Loved the update. Wow that was a cool exhibit. Thank you for sharing. I’m still making my way through the Peabody books. Did you read the last one they finished recently? I was surprised when Amazon sent me an alert that it was finally out.

From where you were when we last talked about it, you really need to read the next two books. The one they just released is the next one you need to read it you've finished the one where Nefret married the awful guy.

Wow! What an interesting and informative update. I’d never had a desire to attend this but you’ve sparked my interest.

I thought it was really cool, so many beautiful and interesting things. And you could also see the Endeavor if you were so inclined. It's really cool and massive too!

 

[franandaj]

You can be that way about Egypt if I can be that way about Dinosaurs.

I like Dinosaurs too! I've been into them since Kindergarten!

That is a really cool exhibit! I would have enjoyed it as well. Glad you got to spend some time at something you enjoy history wise!

The CA Science center has really neat traveling exhibits. That's where we saw the Science of Pixar and Pompeii. Once the Lucas Museum opens that's gonna be a really cool geek spot!

 

[Dis_Yoda]

The CA Science center has really neat traveling exhibits. That's where we saw the Science of Pixar and Pompeii. Once the Lucas Museum opens that's gonna be a really cool geek spot!

Hopefully I'll have to go to Irvine soon for work after that opens!

I'm so glad I got to visit Pompeii on my first real European Vacation! It really is the coolest place! WWII will be honored in our next major vacation (France) and now we're debating on 2020 - currently China is in the lead. Haven't decided on the tour operator yet (either Tauck or Adventures by Disney).

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I remember being furious with my Mom for not taking me with her and my Dad, but she tells me (now that I’m posing as an adult) that she had to buy a subscription to the museum for a couple years, just to get the privilege of purchasing the tickets for herself and my father.

So they even had these money-grubbing schemes back then, huh?

Luckily the guy checking the end of the line to make sure we all had tickets recognized Fran as a crip and directed us to the front of the line where we took an elevator to the upper floor and got seats in the designated area.

Wait, Fran is in a gang now?

Another piece of ambience as I waited for the crowds to clear.

These are so cool.

This little chart shows you each of the symbols and how they form his name.

Neat! I'm amazed they could take the Rosetta Stone and basically learn the language of the hieroglyphics.

This chair and footrest were made for the king and used in his lifetime, not sure how they knew, but the book said so!

Well, I just read it on the internet, so I'm sure it's true!

Believe it or not these next items are earrings. I don't believe that it was properly labeled or I missed that fact the day we were there. If I'd realized they were actually worn on the ear, I would have added a hand or something for perspective. It was 4-6 inches long, and I can't imagine it dangling from my ear.

That looks painful.

I needn't mention that all the gold you see is actual gold gilding.

Pretty amazing.

Traditionally, there were four jars, one for each of the following organs: stomach, intestines, lungs, and liver.

Ew.

Hey, that looks just like the thing from Raiders of the Lost Ark!

Hint: If you’re not someone who likes to read all the cards and listen to all the audio clips, don’t come to a museum with Fran and me. My parents were waiting on a bench outside for the two us between the first and second parts.

You two would get along great with my Mom, then.

My best Egyptian pose

This calcite bowl was pretty. I found nothing about it in the book, so I can’t say anything intelligent about it.

I'm very familiar with that feeling.

I think that’s the last time I’ve used the Instant Pot. While I understand how it’s a time saver, I guess for me that’s not the important thing. Cleaning it is kind of a thing and it takes a lot of my brain power to work it while the recipes that I’ve been making for decades are so easy for me now, I guess I’m an old dog that doesn’t like to learn new tricks. The old cooking techniques are fine for me.

I think Julie has fallen out of love with hers, too.

 

[franandaj]

Hopefully I'll have to go to Irvine soon for work after that opens!

Nothing better than when work pays for you to travel to fun destinations!

I'm so glad I got to visit Pompeii on my first real European Vacation! It really is the coolest place! WWII will be honored in our next major vacation (France) and now we're debating on 2020 - currently China is in the lead. Haven't decided on the tour operator yet (either Tauck or Adventures by Disney).

I'd love to get there someday, I've heard it's spectacular.

So they even had these money-grubbing schemes back then, huh?

Probably dates back to biblical times!

Wait, Fran is in a gang now?

I was wondering if anyone would pick up on that!

Neat! I'm amazed they could take the Rosetta Stone and basically learn the language of the hieroglyphics.

But I wonder how the Rosetta stone people figured it out?

Well, I just read it on the internet, so I'm sure it's true!

Yup if it's on the Internet its gotta be true!

That looks painful.

Kinda like those people today who put those giant rings in their earlobes.

Ew.

Hey, that looks just like the thing from Raiders of the Lost Ark!

How would you like that burned into your palm?

You two would get along great with my Mom, then.

I thought about you, but couldn't remember which family member it was.

I'm very familiar with that feeling.

If I didn't have that book probabaly every picture would have said that, and probably wouldn't have written this update.

I think Julie has fallen out of love with hers, too.

I think mine needs to go back in the cupboard for a few years...

 

[franandaj]

I know I just posted an update but since it was an off topic update I thought I better get in a Disney related one. Besides I have quite a few more updates to get in before we leave on our trip to WDW and cruise in 37 days! So let's get on with it.

Tuesday April 10th we had the night off of band because of our concert the previous Sunday and this was the perfect time to use up what was left of the little tabs on the two lanyards we purchased on that first weekend in March. We had heard great things about the Avocado and Pepper Jack Petite Guacamole Burger at the Avocado Time Booth. So we stopped there first.

The burger. I couldn’t help but think that I would have liked this far more without so much guacamole and maybe even the tomato.

Our next stop was a repeat for me, but I didn’t tell Fran that. It was the Citrus Grove booth that Jill and I hit first on our first weekend.

Now that people were off work, the lines were getting long.

This is the Citrus Brined Pork Roast, it was still as good as it was the first day of the festival.

This was the Crispy Orange Chicken & Rice. I really liked this one too, we polished the both off.

And they even had the Meyer Lemon Macaron, we should have gotten three of these!

Our total take, one of everything! Including the Meyer Lemon Ginger Mule.

We moved on to the Cluck a Doodle Moo Kiosk.

Well they were out of the Salt and Vinegar Wings (which was going to be a theme for the rest of the night), but we did get the Grilled Harris Ranch Beef Tenderloin Slider which was pretty darned good! It was cooked fairly rare.

And we got the Oikos Greek Nonfat Yogurt Panna Cotta. I’m pretty sure I thought this was meh.

Fran wanted to go to Off the Cob for something, but they were sold out.

So we moved on to Garlic Kissed.

We got the Black Garlic Soy Brined Pork Belly Bahn Mi. This was good, but the problem of getting full was kicking in and we still had a bunch of tabs left. This was the last day we were going to be able to come here.

We also got the Creamy Mac and Cheese with Garlic Croutons.

We were definitely done after all this so we tried to use up the seven coupons we had left on desserts, but every booth was sold out of their desserts. We ended up getting two more pulled pork entrees, a mac n cheese, a pineapple chicken slider and I’m not sure what else. At this time we only had one scooter (remember it died on the original trip for this report and we hadn’t replaced it yet). So Fran let me sit down somewhere in there while she checked the booths over near Monster’s Inc. We ended up having pulled pork sandwiches the next day with two of them and I ate a Mac and Cheese with the sammies, but I think the others ended up going to waste. I got her to agree that next year we will use up the first card before purchasing a second one!

 

[rentayenta]

At least my hands made an appearance. LOL!

I thought the food booths this year were very good! Remember you gave one to Michael on your way out go the GCH?

 

[Pinkocto]

How could all the booths be sold out of desserts??? They really did not plan well.

Looked like lots of yummies. Glad you were able to get the lemon macaron.

 

[tiggrbaby]

Yummy! Sounds like those tabs are a good idea; too bad Disney keeps running out of food!

 

[Steppesister]

You packed a LOT into that Egypt update. I will comment by saying that everything you shared was absolutely fascinating and you certainly were thorough! I went to talk by Zahi Hawass in Bowling Green with my folks a few years back and it was great! Look him up. Very interesting figure and quite politically active too.