Stupid Guest Tricks

I could not post pictures since our printer has been down for 3 weeks now and so we went to Kinkos and printed out paper copies of the pics that will be in the box coming your way soon! Ralphie in his wisdom left out some of the pics (GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!! he is on my list right now for this *mishap*) like the Easter ones and the ones of the Flats in the snow, so as soon as we have a new printer , I will load the pics from my camera chip and post some on here since I already sent the box and did not write down the photobucket account.
I will try to write some short blurbs here about them coming along on our vacation but cannot sit for long to type, and they have so much *stuff* from the places they visited and there is a LOT of info in the box.
susi

Second installment: From Meghyn:

The plane ride was fun and we got pictures of the earth way below us. We landed in Sacramento. Did you know that Sacramento is the capital of California? Susi said that is where the Governator lives.

We drove up to a place called Grass Valley and met Susi's mom and dad and stayed at their house for 5 days because Susi got sick with a tummy ache for 4 days. Ralph went to the Bay Area to see his dad release his first book and do a book signing! Ralph came back to get us on Tuesday and we drove down to Santa Cruz. The drive down was pretty, along the ocean and we took pictures of that too.

Did you know that California is where they grow artichokes? There were fields and fields of them along the way. There were also lots of fields of vegetables and California is a state where we get a lot of our vegetables and fruit from. We saw lettuce fields and grape vine fields and lots of artichoke fields. The coastal area is very good for growing certain vegetables and fruits.

When we got to Santa Cruz it was raining and we stayed in a hotel right near the beach. The next day we went to the Pier and the sun was out and it was nice. We shopped at stores and ate at a restaurant and stopped to watch the sea lions play in the water below the pier. They were big and loud, but pretty cute. I wish we would have seen a sea otter. Susi says that is one of her favorite creatures. I saw pictures of them and bought a postcard to send to mom so she could see them too. One of the plushie Dolphins liked me so much that he is coming home soon. ;)

Then we had to leave to drive to Carmel to visit with Ralph's Uncle Fred and Aunt Eva. They went to a fancy French restaurant while we rested and then we went to our hotel, a really big hotel called The Embassy Suites and it had a cool glass elevator you could look out while you rode it. It was a very nice room and then we had breakfast there in the morning.

They serve breakfast free for guests. You can't beat that. Wallaby really liked the pineapple and melon slices! We went to the Monterey airport to catch a small plane to San Francisco airport and it sure was a small plane. It had propellers! it rocked around alot and bounced and shook in the air and Susi was very scared. She does not like to fly much she said and this was a rough flight, but very short. We got to San Francisco and waited for the next plane to Orange County to go to Disneyland!

Disneyland with the Flats up next...

The Flats arrived in Pensacola today! A big ol' box full of souvenirs, toys, stickers, brochures, maps, booklets, toiletries from the Disneyland Hotel, photos, etc., made its arrival at Whazzup's house. Tucked safely into the box were Widdle Wallaby and Mini Meghyn. All this extra stuff was unexpected, and if everyone adds as much stuff to the box as SusiSlicker did, the cost to mail it on to the next person on the list will soon become prohibitive! Whazzup's going to ask Vixen if she should mail most of the cool stuff directly to Meghyn and just forward the Flats, pictures, diary, photos and a few other things to the next sponsor. What say, Miss Vixen?

Whazzup has been sick with a bad cold, but hopes to be better by this weekend so she can take WW & MM on a tour of her city. The Flats will also go horseback riding on Gidget, play with the friendly greyhounds and kitties who live here, and maybe help Whazzup in the garden. They do have to earn their keep, you know. Then they'll be able to watch the Blue Angels practice their routine, and maybe go swimming, or maybe just wading, in the Gulf of Mexico. Whazzup has friends who own a sailboat named Mystic Salt, and maybe the friends will let WW & MM steer the boat on a short cruise. We shall see.

Whazzup found a diary in the box with WW & MM and she started writing in it, but is concerned that her handwriting is so bad (due to carpal-tunnel syndrome) that nobody can read it, so she'll post the adventures here, too.

April 30, 2008. Whazzup finally felt well enough to take the Flats visiting. She and her DH Steve packed up the Flats, a roll of Scotch tape and a camera and drove to the National Museum of Naval Aviation, onboard the Naval Air Station, Pensacola. The Flats saluted the gate guard when they drove through the front gate, which really wasn't necessary but they were feeling patriotic and so excited to be visiting a Navy base.

First stop was the National Museum of Naval Aviation where they got their picture taken looking at the big jet mounted outside the front entrance. There was a trolley waiting to take people on a tour of the outside exhibits so Whazzup hopped on and hung the Flats out the window for a quick picture. But they trolley wasn't leaving for awhile so they went inside to look around. Wow, there were a LOT of planes and aviation memorabilia everywhere, even hanging from the ceiling! We got to pose inside one of the space capsules and on a model of an atom bomb. We rode a rocket that was hanging under a fighter jet. We got to watch a bunch of Marines practicing for a ceremony in the Blue Angel Atrium. Whazzup and Steve were hungry so we went to the Cubi Point Bar & Restaurant in the Museum for sandwiches and salads. When the Cubi Point Bar in the Phillippines was closed down, all the wooden plaques and statuary were packed up and moved to Pensacola. It is a veritable history of every aviation squadron that ever visited the Philippines. When aviators stop by the Cubi Point bar, they feel like they are right back in the Philippines. The waitress knew what a Flat was, so she helped us pose in a big carved wooden chair and wished us good luck on our visits around the country.

After lunch we went upstairs to this cool exhibit that looks like a 1940s town during World War II. We got to peek into a 1940s kitchen (Wallaby tried to steal the apple pie that was on the table), stopped by a movie theater ticket office, looked around a general store and met a lady that Whazzup knows, and MiniMeghyn got to sit on a Marine's lap while he got his shoes shined!

Did you know that Walt Disney designed some logos for WWII aircraft? There is a nifty exhibit that shows Disney's designs, and there's an aircraft with a Flying Tiger on it that Walt drew. Looks a little like Tigger, but it doesn't bounce like Tigger does and it looks a lot meaner.

After spending a couple hours in the Museum, it was time to head over to the Blue Angels Hangar at Sherman Airfield on the Navy base. Good timing, too, because most of the pilots had already left for the day, but Maintenance Master Chief Welsh was just coming out the locked gate when he was intercepted by Whazzup. MC Welsh knew what a Flat was and volunteered to show WW & MM the Blue Angels flight line. OH BOY!! Read about it in the next intallment.....

MC Welsh unlocked the security gate and escorted us all to the flight line where 6 Blue Angels jets were lined up in a very precise line. Steve took a few pictures of the jets and then MC Welsh posed with WW & MM next to Fat Albert, the huge aircraft that carries the Blue Angels crew and equipment from air show to air show. It was getting late so we thanked MC Welsh and hopped in the car and headed for the beach. :)

The Gulf Coast is noted for its fine white sand which is composed mostly of quartz crystals. It's soft and squeaky when you walk on it, and dazzling white. The Gulf was a little chilly for swimming yet, so Whazzup held us just above the water while Steve took some pictures, and then we sunbathed for awhile and took a little nap in the sand until some seagulls came over and started pecking at us. Too bad we didn't have some bread to feed them. If you throw something into the air, like bread or a french fry, the seagulls come flying in from everywhere, hovering in the air and surrounding you while screaming for food. Kinda scary, like something out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie. One time Whazzup was at McDonald's on base and a friend with her started feeding the seagulls. They got so aggressive the gals had to hop in the car and leave, but the seagulls followed along trying to land on the roof of the car.

We stopped for ice cream on the way home from the beach - yum! Whazzup's greyhound greeted us at the gate so we all went into the house and WW & MM posed with the friendly dogs.

Later we got to sit on Gidget, a half-Arabian pinto mare that lives with Whazzup and Steve. Gidget was very patient and put up with our shenanigans. We even got to try trick riding by standing upside down on Gidget's rump.

Whazzup got some sad news that her mother had passed away after being in a care facility for only 3 weeks, so it looks like we're going to get packed up soon and sent to BR Wombat in Texas for the next leg of our journey. Whazzup has to make a trip back out to Oregon soon to help dispose of her Mom's property.

We hope you'll come and look at our pictures on the Photobucket web site. Whazzup posted lots of pictures because she knows that some of the guys (and gals?) on this web site like to look at pictures of airplanes.

Here are some of the postcards that the flats recieved from Ms. Susi that Ms. Vixen was too lazy to scan in until today. They are on the photobucket account (widdlewallabyandminimeghyn) under "stuff received." I am putting them on here to keep the thread alive. If you wish to see the rest and what they say just search the name on photobucket and go to the above album and click on the pic itself Whazzup--the password thing is fine. Fantastic pics btw and ty for shipping that stuff.

I know these are huge...sorry, I cant figure out how to make them smaller...help! Photobucket changed a lot of stuff and I am still relearning how to use it. TY

Thursday, May 15, 2008. Widdle Wallaby and Mini-Meghyn arrived safe and sound in Plano, Texas, still toting around their box-full of souvenirs from the trip so far. Wombat had to leave right after getting them to go to his chorus rehearsal, but hopefully he'll be able to take them along next week. In the meantime, the flats were welcomed by Wombat's kids Brandon & Benjamin and a host of many, many, stuffed animals. Wallaby and Meghyn were a bit overwhelmed at first, but soon felt right at home.

Friday, May 16. Wombat took Wallaby and Meghyn to work with him today at Garland Municipal Court. There wasn't a whole lot for them to do there, since court wasn't in session. But then, that's why Wombat took them then. He figured it would be difficult to explain to a judge and jury why he is entertaining flat characters during a trial.

Saturday, May 17. Wombat and Benjamin took Wallaby and Meghyn out for a drive to show them the sights. Of course, there aren't any mountains or Disney parks nearby -- that's where Texans go on vacation! -- but they were thrilled just to be in Texas. Wombat was able to show them one landmark just a few miles from his home -- Southfork Ranch, where the 80's TV show Dallas was set. We also went shopping for plenty of Texas postcards to commemorate the visit!

Pictures will be posted soon!

Pictures from the visit with BRWombat!


Our menagerie of stuffed animals, plus Brandon & Benjamin, threw the flats a party shortly after their arrival. I think Widdle Wallaby and Mini-Meghyn were a bit intimidated at first, but soon warmed up to the crowd.


The flats at Garland Municipal Court -- when court was not in session.


Me and the flats with downtown Dallas in the background.


The flats at the grassy knoll at Dealey Plaza. I hope to spark a whole new JFK conspiracy theory -- if there was an extra shooter, maybe he or she was 2-dimensional and mailed themselves away from the scene of the crime!


Wallaby and Meghyn visit a Vocal Majority rehearsal. I tried to get them to come sing with us on the risers, but they had trouble holding the music.


Helping me run a camera in church -- which was a little easier to manage than it would have been the previous Sunday, when I was on the praise team standing on the platform during the service.


With my family at my parent's house for a Memorial Day cookout. (We let granddad do the cooking out, and then we eat inside in the air conditioning!)

Great pics Wombat.!

vixen101485 wrote:Great pics Wombat.!

Thanks!

The flats are preparing to leave me and go visit ktulu. I've just posted all of their pictures from our visit at Photobucket! Enjoy!!! :D: