Month: September 2009

Categories
Food God

IHOP: It’s What’s For Breakfast

So this morning I woke up WAY too early – during the latter portion of the 4 AM hour (!) – and then I eventually got out of bed at about 5:45 AM. I tried to go back to sleep – but to no avail. So much for preparing for a cruise ‘awake’ schedule.

I made plans to return to the Homestead IHOP for the first time since the early part of this current decade. I started off there virtually every weekend morning way back then, but then due to various reasons I drifted off to the Naranja Lakes IHOP about 4 miles up the road where I eventually discovered my favourite waitress in the entire world. (Postscript – She now works at the Florida City Cracker Barrel.)

My long-awaited return to the Homestead IHOP will be a memorable one – for all of the wrong reasons. When I arrived there I was the only customer, but that peaceful tranquility quickly ended. My waiter was the same exact waiter as before, and he remembered me after all of these years. He’s not a very good waiter, but he’s not particularly awful either.

Here’s the problem area. A group of about 5 or 6 young people came in and immediately grabbed the adjacent booth to my table. In a nutshell these kids (perhaps age 18 to 22) were loud, rambunctious, rude, disrespectful, profane, sexist, racist, and a few other choice adjectives that simply aren’t coming to my brain right now. These kids were apparently kicked-out of Denny’s down the road before they got a chance to place their order because of the same bad behaviour in public. (It sounds like I need to return to Denny’s more often.) From what I gather these kids had been drinking all night, all day yesterday, and all night on Friday night in one continuous birthday party celebration somewhere within the vast local area. I believe that illegal drugs were also involved.

Needless to say I couldn’t wait to finish up my delicious meal, pay my bill, and get out of hell.

You know I’m the type of guy that essentially avoids confrontation and controversy (I consider it to be a weakness), but if I wasn’t that type of guy I probably would have given each and every one of them a piece of my mind. Some people are really far away from God. But even so nobody in this world is too far away from God, for He is all encompassing and almighty. He can reach anyone no matter how evil and dark they are. God’s Kingdom here on Earth will always be more relevant and more powerful than any other realm. So why would you wish to be on the forever losing team ?  Reach out to God. He’s got His open arms out there for you. It’s not too late. As long as your heart is still beating and you’re still breathing then it is never too late. He is waiting. The light is on.

Categories
History Music Travel

Saturday Night Retro

I’ve been on about 15 cruises over the past 18 years – more than half of them on Carnival. All but two of the cruises have been in the Caribbean. (One was in the Pacific and the other was a Mediterranean / Transatlantic excursion.)

Aside from Key West Florida, Mexico, and Belize some of the great Caribbean territories and nations that I’ve visited on these cruises include The Bahamas (many times), The U.S. Virgin Islands, Sint Maarten / Saint-Martin, Jamaica (Ocho Rios), and Grand Cayman Island (twice). There are so many other Island nations that I would love to visit on future cruises; although, it’s come to a point where I don’t particularly pick a cruise based on its specific ports-of-call. I pick a cruise based on brand loyalty and satisfaction (Carnival) and the time and season of the year.

I’ll be embarking on my next big Carnival cruise this Monday afternoon, and the ports-of-call are standard fare for Miami – Key West and Cozumel. I’ve been to Key West more often via cruise ship than I have via U.S. 1. I’ve been to Cozumel more often than any other port-of-call. It’s my favourite of them all too.

I’ve often joked that if ‘this U.S. Government career thing’ doesn’t work out for me (25 years thus far) then I will simply sell everything and live and work on a Carnival cruise ship for the rest of my Life. For now I’m satisfied with an occasional twice per year visit.

Tonight on the ‘Retro’ I’ve got a tropical-flavoured jam for you from Kingston Jamaica. It’s Terror Fabulous and Nadine Sutherland with their multi-Caribbean nation # 1 smash that’s all about that “Action” satisfaction. Hear them sing:

Categories
History Holidays Music Radio Travel

The Major’s Friday Night Disco Party

I used to hang out at a quaint little place called ‘8-Trax’ at the former incarnation of Downtown Disney Pleasure Island (1989-2008) at Walt Disney World near Orlando Florida. Other than there and on various cruise ships there haven’t been too many other opportunities to dance like it’s 1979. Another place that I can recall enjoying the Disco experience is the Illusions Disco aboard the Carnival Imagination. I’ve got some good memories in that jumpin’ joint from Labor Day Weekend in 1999 and Memorial Day Weekend in 2003. I’m lookin’ forward to returning to an old home, for I’ve been resting up so that I can maximize some of my classic dance moves – as well as a few new ones. I’ll be ready to tear up the dance floor and get my groove on. Sho You Right !

Illusions Disco

Let us now flashback 34 years to the hot Summer of 1975. That’s when 35-year-old Van McCoy took “The Hustle” straight to # 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was a gold pop, soul, and disco Grammy award winning smash. Many from the time would argue that it’s one of the first great Disco songs of the era. I agree.

LET’S DO IT !

Categories
Blogging Shopping Sports Television Travel Weather

Thursday Night Mini Thoughts

– It was pouring down rain at work for about an hour or so just before I left.
– Meanwhile here at home there’s no sign of rain (aside from the thunder).
– The sea breezes are colliding directly over the air base.
– I’ll be embarking on my Carnival cruise in just 92 hours.
– I’m getting more and more excited by the hour.
– But first there’s just one more day of work before my 9-day break.
– There will be no blogging next Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
– But I will send out a few Twitter tweets from Key West next Tuesday.
– I won’t have cell phone service from Tuesday afternoon until Friday morning.
– No cell phone service ?  Now THAT’S paradise !
– A spokesperson from Developers Diversified Realty hit up my blog today.
– Check out this hot new web site – shophomesteadpavilion.com.
– My Washington Redskins are currently in the great state of Florida.
– The’re up in Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars in their preseason finale.
– I won’t see it because it’s not a nationally-televised game.
– The Dolphins are over in The Big Easy to battle the Saints tonight.
– That game will air locally on CBS-4 Miami.
– The regular CBS primetime lineup will air on MY-33 which becomes CBS-33.
– That includes “Big Brother 11” – tonight at 8 PM on CBS-33.
– Tomorrow night here on the big green blog it’s the weekly Disco party.
– So grab your crisp all-white leisure suit and let’s get a steppin’.
– I’ve also got an all-new ‘Retro’ for you on Saturday night.
– It’s very mid-1990s, and it’s very Tropical Caribbean.
– Be sure to catch the next ‘Thursday Night Mini Thoughts’ in two weeks !