02-24DEC16 - Houma, LA (prep'ing for xmas & misc)

Friday, 02DEC, we got back onto I-10W do finish our drive back to our daughter, Rebecca, & husband Raymond’s driveway in Houma, LA.  That afternoon was family time to decorate the Xmas tree, followed by grandson Jaxson spending the night in the RV (for some reason he thinks this a real adventure/treat?).  Saturday was the Houma Xmas parade, & then back to the house to assemble the annual gingerbread house.

Unfortunately Sunday morning we had to take son-in-law Raymond to the airport fly off to his new job, which will separate him from family & friends for almost one yearL  He will preforming airplane maintenance in Kuwait, & only gets thirty days a year to return to the USA.  First he will receive “company” training for two weeks before flying to Kuwait.  Right now the plan is for Rebecca, Jaxson & Mason to join us in Sultan, WA, around May/June.  Note – Raymond unexpectedly returned Saturday, 10DEC, to pack up his tools!  He had been previously told all tools would be there - wrong!

The rest of December was the usual shopping stress to get ready for Xmas; with the following in addition for us:

>Corrie (w/some (very little) help from Dan) remodeling the master bathroom – drywalling, painting, tile floor, new vanity, new toilet, etc.

>Corrie, Jaxson & Mason being sick at different times

>Friday, 09DEC, at the United Methodist Children’s Learning Center for Jaxson’s “Children’s Christmas Program”

>Oma takes grandsons to “Discover the Dinosaurs – Unleashed” at Houma Civic Center

http://www.discoverthedinosaurs.com/

>Tuesday, 13DEC, Mason’s pre-school’s xmas pageant

>Thursday, 15DEC, Opa, Rebecca, Jaxson & Mason (Oma not feeling well) head to “Celebration in the Oaks” at City Park in New Orleans.  The last two years we have gone on weekend nights & the crowds were overwhelming.  This year was a week night - much better!!!  In fact we were able to do everything we wanted to do & more, in much less time.  Including being the first ones one the train ride; getting pics w/Mr Bingle; & even the annual picture with Santa went much betterJ

http://theryanrvexpress.blogspot.com/2016/01/05-24dec15-houma-la-preping-for-xmas.html

http://neworleanscitypark.com/celebration-in-the-oaks

>Friday, 16DEC, evening Joe with Jessi, came over to Rebecca’s to open his xmas gifts & to deliver his for our opening.  We are doing this now since he will be offshore working for xmas & new year’s.  The hit for the grandkids were sleeping bags shaped like aligators; in fact Jaxson insisted on using it the next night in the RV!

> Monday, 19DEC, our 35cth anniversary, we headed into New Orleans to celebrate.  First stop was Costco for free hors d’oeuvre.  Note - somewhere in our travels we ran across a $25K bottle of scotch at a Costco; the New Orleans Costco has $34K, 65 year old bottle of MacAllan?  Then a walkabout on the shopping area of Magazine St.  Finally a reveillon dinner at Emeril’s Delmonico (our last reveillon dinner was at Upperline in 2010).  Corrie went with Baked Italian Oysters, Bosc Pear Salad, Redfish Courtbouillion, & Apple/Cranberry Cobbler; Dan went with Crab Cake Hush Puppies, Seafood & Mirliton Bisque, Dry Aged Moulard Duck, & Chocolate Cake w/Peppermint Frosting.  Most excellentJ!!!

http://theryanrvexpress.blogspot.com/2010/12/01-26dec10-houma-la-merry-x-mas.html

http://emerilsrestaurants.com/emerils-delmonico

“Visitors to New Orleans during the Holiday Season may want to sample an old Crescent City tradition that dates back to the early 19th century. It is called a Reveillon (REV-ee-on) Dinner and here is the story behind it. In French, New Orleans’ original language, the word “reveillon” means “awakening.” The Creoles, some of the city’s earliest inhabitants, celebrated the start of Christmas in the early 1800s, with a big family meal when they returned home from midnight mass. Two o’clock in the morning may be an odd time to start a feast consisting of chicken and oyster gumbo, game pies, soups, souffles, lavish desserts, brandy and coffee, but this is how it was done back then. It was a tradition the Creoles inherited from their European cousins as a way of breaking the daylong religious fast leading up to Christmas Eve.

By the 1940s, the Reveillon tradition, which had been slowly fading out over succeeding generations, all but disappeared. However, it was revived in the 1990s – with modifications reflecting the times – and has been increasing in popularity ever since. Among those modifications, the emphasis on the Reveillon tradition shifted from family dinners at home to the tables of the city’s top-tier restaurants. Also, the meals are offered at more conventional dining times during the day, instead of in the wee hours of the morning. Today dozens of New Orleans restaurants offer Reveillon Dinners with menus inspired by those enjoyed by the Creole families who began the tradition. As might be expected, the participating restaurants have added their own little twists to their menus, featuring their house specialties and other delectable examples of their culinary creativity.

The Reveillon tradition is most commonly enjoyed by local families and/or friends gathered around a large table in an old French Quarter restaurant or reserving one of the small private dining rooms they offer. However, couples or families visiting New Orleans during the holidays can also savor the same memorable Reveillon Dinner experiences at restaurants all over town. It’s the next best thing to having a big, festive holiday gathering at home. The feelings of togetherness and good cheer, coupled with the memories of all that great New Orleans food, will stick to the palate of your memory forever.”

>Saturday, 24DEC, was the final rush to prep for xmas day.  Corrie prepped the xmas dinner; Dan secretly assembled Xmas gifts; a visit by a Cajun Santa in horse drawn carriage; & everyone but Dan went to church.

29NOV-01DEC16 - Florida (various)

Tuesday, 29NOV, was a very short drive to Lazy Days RV, Seffner, FL, just outside Orlando, FL.  Lazy Days is the largest RV dealer in the world, & where we bought our RV in 2006.  Last FEB we decided to try using them for maintenance & minor repairs.  We were impressed w/the service received, & their prices.  So we are using them again.  After checking into their RV park we headed over to their sales area for our lunch that they provide daily to those receiving service (along w/breakfast).

http://theryanrvexpress.blogspot.com/2016/04/01-14feb16-various-florida-visiting.html

Wednesday morning, 8AM, we drove the RV over to the Lazy Days service facility & checked in; then it was off to the cafeteria for “free” breakfast.  After breakfast we sat around in the customer lounge to wait & wait.  That evening we headed to Jim & Mary Spence’s for dinner, & more importantly to visit/reminisce (we last visited them during February’s visit to Lazy Days).  Since the service on the RV was not done, we spent the night in the RV in the service bay.

Thursday morning, 01DEC, it was back into the Lazy Days customer lounges while the RV servicing was completed.  Unexpectedly the servicing was done before lunch & we hit the road immediately.  We made great time but did not plan properly for an overnight RV park.  We ended up in Walmart parking lot, surrounded by no overnight parking signs.  Tomorrow back in Houma, LA!

28NOV16 - Disney World, FL (hollywood studios)

Monday morning we went to the last of the four Disney World parks – Hollywood Studios.  Upon our arrival we were treated to marching Imperial Stormtroopers down the main street.  Since kids & grandkids were running late (maybe the last three days were catching up to them?).  We then toured a Star Wars exhibit/store where you could purchase a Darth Vader costume for $3000!  Corrie made the mistake of touching a Jawa character for a photo op, & was instantly reprimanded by a Disney staffer.

Why so much Star Wars emphasis?  Because Disney, which has always had a business tie w/George Lucas & Star Wars, now has complete rights to all things Star Wars.  In fact there is 14 acre Star Wars site being constructed as we speak – the largest Disney park expansion ever.

Then we hooked up with the kids & grandkids just in time for the Stormtroopers once again marching back thru the streets to a stage for a show (apparently they do this throughout the day).  We are not sure marching Imperial Stormtroopers are part of the holiday spirit, decorations, & shows that is the theme for all of Disney World from Thanksgiving through New Years Day?

Then it was off to the “Disney Junior – Live” show (can you say – oh Toodles?).  Unfortunately all seating was on the floorL  Next time we run into this, we will stand against the back wall.

From there it was time for snacks for lunch at Starring Roles Café.  As we said in prior Disney World BLOG, the kids & grandkids get one meal & two snacks per day.  Today their meal will be dinner & we will not be there with them.  You would think this would make Dan’s plan to eat for free by waiting for leftovers, unworkable.  But it turns out the snacks are quite substantial; & when all eight are ordered at once there were lots of leftovers for Dan!

Next up was the show “Beauty & the Beast - Live”.  Pretty good show.  But we have one complaint that applies to all the shows, films & animatronics we viewed over the last four days – they are too loud!!!  These aren’t rock concerts, & from our perspective the majority of the children (& their parents) didn’t like it.  Even Dan (who still plays his music at 11 on the stereo) didn’t appreciate the volume, & doesn’t see the need for it.

We are not sure if it was musophobia or Disney World burn out, but everyone decided to call it an early day.  Especially since Rebecca & Raymond’s dinner plan has them eating dinner at a restaurant located in the Animal Kingdom park later in the day.  So the kids & grandkids headed back to their Disney hotel until dinner time; & we headed back to the RV to prepare for our departure tomorrow.

Lastly two further changes we noted at Disney World since our 2009 visit:

Starbucks has one location in each of the four Disney World parks.  These are very large “shops” & are in prime locations.  The first of four opened in 2013, the last one opened in Animal Kingdom in 2015.  Disney maps don’t say Starbucks, & they have names like Trolley Car Café.  But they are easily spotted by the constant stream of customers coming out with their lattes & espressos in traditional Starbucks cups.

Alcohol was discreetly served at a few locations in the parks – like full service restaurants, & small carts that were almost hidden from view & not shown on Disney maps.  And you were not allowed to walk around the park with your adult beverage.  Now Disney World is almost like a cleaner & quieter French Quarter?  You will find one or two adult beverages at every stand/cart serving liquid refreshments (like smoothie stands, juice carts, etc).  Also, full service bars are outside & fully visible.  Lastly, everything is served in to-go cups, & you are allowed to carry your beverage with you.