Official Free Republic Network "Freeps Ahoy" Cruise After Action Report (WHOTCSOTC)

NA ^ | June 8, 2003 | Seeking the Truth

[Seeking the truth]

The FRN "Freeps Ahoy" Cruise aboard the Carnival Cruise Triumph arrived back in Miami this morning.

No SARS, No Norwalk, No Terrorism - just a hell of a lot of fun, food and sun!

As the first cruiser back at his computer, I have the honor of starting this thread and posting the above pic, which was taken at the foot of the staircase descending into the "London Room", which was the dining room each evening for our Freeper Contingent.

Front Row (left to right): Judy (Qwert's wife), Jean (friend of Bush_Democrat), Eileen (BobFromNJ's wife), MinuteGal, Bahbah, Hoosiermama

Second Row: Lisa, Utah Girl, Bush_Democrat, Apple Pan Dowdy, Bizzy Bugz

Third Row: Verily, The Shrew, FRBI (STT's wife), diotima, Strela

Fourth Row: Edomaden, Dennis (friend of Bush_Democrat), Colonel Jim, Seeking the Truth, BobJ, Sheryl (Dale Reed's wife), Sarah (Interesting Times' wife)

Top Row: Mike (Bush_Democrat's husband), BobFromNJ, Dale Reed, Interesting Times

Missing From Photo: Qwert, Sharktrager, Mycroft Holmes & spouse Marisa, Principle Over Politics & spouse Judy and lurkers Elaine & Cindy, Sharktrager's brother John & Win.

I've gone over the name tag list and the notes of this group photo. I hope I didn't leave anyone out.

[hoosiermama]

"Just Molly and me , and baby makes three, we're happy in my blue heaven"

Please do, just twelve miles from I 65. Plan on stopping by.

[Bizzy Bugz]

Hossiermama, your place is lovely. Cannot wait to see it. No wonder you love it so. Just keep the blackberries ripe until we get there in October, please. And we will bring the ingredients for the Chocolate Martinis.

[hoosiermama]

Will do what I can for blackberries. The birds are getting to the raspberries faster than I can pick them...Are you fond of pumpkin pie? My mother's recipe adds just a nip or two of apricot brandy. I do love to bake.....but only when company is coming or I'd be wider than I am tall.

[strela]

The birds are getting to the raspberries faster than I can pick them.

I have a similar dilemma with my peach and plum trees - the local grackles and starlings would strip them bare if I didn't do something. I ended up putting mesh netting over each tree in April when the peaches are just starting to bud. The netting doesn't hurt the tree but makes it difficult for the birds to get to the fruit.

I also prepared three empty bottles for peach brandy this year, inserting a small peach still on the tree limb into the neck of the bottle where I'll let it grow inside. Around the middle of July, I'll snip the peach and leave it inside the bottles, sterilize then fill them with brandy, and replenish my stock. I get more "How did you do THAT?" questions this way ...

[hoosiermama]

Planted two apricot trees and a cherry tree tonight. WIll need details instructions on making my own apricot brandy....for pumpkin pie baking only!

[strela]

The recipe will been dispatched via Freepmail soon. Use it in good health (even if you feel the need to "test" the recipe frequently as I do). Moderation in all things.

[ladyinred]

OMG! Your home is so lovely! It looks like something out of a fantasy that can't really exist! I am sosooo jealous! How wonderful for you! Thanks for sharing your paradise with the rest of us who live in concrete jungles! :-)

[Bizzy Bugz]

Oh. I believed everything that you said until I read " for pumpkin pie only". I was so upset that i immediately made me a chocolate martini. I do feel better but I still want to believe you. Help me out here. Strela what did you do to her? What did you tell her? Oh well maybe another chocolate martini will help. If only I could get up to make it. Of course I never drink alone. I call Marsha, daughter, and drink it while I talk to her. Good night everyone!!!!!!!!!!

[strela]

Help me out here. Strela what did you do to her? What did you tell her?

I dusted off my grandmother's peach brandy recipe for her (so she can make apricot brandy by substituting apricots), but declined to send her our family grape jelly recipe. She might be a little miffed about that, but I can't help it; THAT recipe is classified ;)

[Bizzy Bugz]

Strela, I knew that I could count on you. How are you my friend? You are still in my prayers.

[dalereed]

"but declined to send her our family grape jelly recipe. She might be a little miffed about that, but I can't help it; THAT recipe is classified ;)"

Let me guess, it's what's between the toes when crushing the grapes that give it the special flavor!

[strela]

I am well, I am optimistic, and I am in good spirits, thanks for asking. I have papered the neighborhood with resumes and cover letters, and still have my little printing press here cranking out more. I have two interviews scheduled for late this week; one (with a firm in Ft. Worth) looks promising. I could be back at work at an equivalent salary as soon as early next week if it pans out - my sources tell me the company is desperate for a top-notch writer (modesty prevents me from saying anything else).

Other than that, its been pretty boring on the home front. I killed a copperhead on the back forty yesterday; that's been pretty much the high point of my new duties as "squire in residence" lately. I've had much more time to attend funerals, slap backs and pat hands, visit family and friends, play Sammy Hausfrau around here, and enjoy stupid little things like picking up the dry cleaning without rushing from downtown Ft. Worth to do it before they close. What an incredible luxury!

I did take a few hours early this week to go fishing, since everything's pretty much done. I just watch the answering machine, check email, and keep an eye on the mailbox.

I could get used to being an indolent slob between jobs (just kidding).

[strela]

it's what's between the toes when crushing the grapes that give it the special flavor!

You're actually closer to the secret than you can know! The secret IS the quality and source of the grapes you use to make the mash.

[hoosiermama]

Well I dusted the grapes...They have rust and black mildew spots (too much rain) Then I moved another fifty of the landscape stones (only 350 to go). Thank goodness company dropped in!
Strela, You are so correct about the source of the grapes. (We used to make our own wine) They must be just right!Just like persimmons. I lost my two favorite persimmon tree this winter, so will have to shake newer trees this year.

The reason the barn is bricked is I tangled with a Rattler under a window, in the flower bed. It's illegal to kill them here, so I taught it a new trick: "roll over, play dead, roll over!" It was a real smart snake and learned rather quickly.

We have both copperheads and rattlers here, but I've only seen two in the thirty plus years I've lived in the neighborhood. I keep a black snake in the corncrib and once actually caught it swallowing a copperhead. (That's the other one I saw!)
Yes, LIR I'm about as close to heaven as I want to be for a while! But it is also a lot of work!
ANother day another dollar! NIght folks!

[The Shrew]

Reading about your recipes and home and garden has me filled with a home making - nesting - urge that is going to be difficult to resist - only problem is that I am on the road for the next month!

Glad to hear the job search is looking up!

This is like reading about family! I feel so comfortable it is scaring me!

Regards,

TS

[strela]

It's illegal to kill them here, so I taught it a new trick: "roll over, play dead, roll over!"

Chuckling a bit, remembering my father. He had a similar problem about 25 years ago with a large barn owl (protected species, natch) who was helping himself nightly to Mom's laying hens for his dinner. Dad's practical solution was to lie in wait on the back porch with his 12 gauge then shoot close enough to the creature when it returned so that it "dropped dead of a heart attack". A dark night, a large Hefty bag, and a shovel later, problem solved.

There is a photograph around here somewhere of that owl - Dad is holding him by one wing with that hand as high in the air as he could get it (and Dad was almost 6 feet tall). The owl's other wing STILL dragged the ground.

It also helped that our neighbor, a sheriff's deputy in our county, was also under some pressure from his wife as chickens had been disappearing from their coop as well. That particular peace officer routinely used the bullet trap on our property to sight in his firearms. He delivered a rather stern lecture to my father about hunting regulations and protected species after the incident, accompanied of course by the consumption of several adult beverages as punishment to reinforce the lesson ;)

[hoosiermama]

I've said before, the cruise was just like a family reunion, always someone you sort of know to join in conversation and/or do something fun! If you make the right connection you should be able to stay with freepers anywhere in the U.S..... (Just noticed the U.S. also spells us.)

[The Shrew]

I've said before, the cruise was just like a family reunion,

You're right but isn't there room in that family somewhere for at least some kissing cousins?

;-)

Regards,

TS

[hoosiermama]

Hhmmmm???
NOW what DID go on "on the boat that stayed on the boat"? Now you'll have everyone wondering!

[MinuteGal]

ATTENTION, CRUISERS !

Last call for posting cruise pictures.

Our ship icon links on the home page and the "latest posts" pages that lead to this thread will be removed after this coming weekend.

We suggest you bookmark this thread or make a note of its title so you can bring it up again whenever you wax nostalgic over the cruise or want to add a comment or a stray photo you forgot to post.

The pics posted were wonderful.

I keep looking and hoping for more, more, more!

Leni