HBE4

I never did. And that was reciprocated on Fathers Day as well.

How about a rematch of 1994 Cup finals? 😉🙂 A few of the sports writers in the NY Media have been trying to draw parallels between this years team & the 1994 team that won the cup. Things like both the Rangers & Knicks having playoff success at the same time (happens less often than you think), the Rangers 7-0 playoff start with a first year coach to some of the more ridiculous things the solar eclipse and earthquake that occurred around the same time in 1994 & 2024. Oh, and OJ being in the news both years. 94 was the Bronco chase and his passing earlier this year. They might be trying to stretch the point with that last one.

Thank you. Glad to see Lady Liberty is still holding up very well. Looking at the pictures makes me wish I had pulled the trigger a little sooner and booked either the May 9th or 23rd itineraries. I'm still looking & may book something later in the year. The 9 day sailings out of NJ are one of my favorites, length-wise and port-wise. Sentimental favorite for me too. She was my first ever cruise in 2008 that got us hooked on cruising. Booked another cruise right away for 6 months later. She was also the last cruise I took with the Mrs and Little Miss HBE4 so it seems appropriate to resume my cruise career with her. 🙂

Looking forward to your thoughts on the cruise. I came very close to booking this sailing (the May 9th) or the identical May 23 sailing. I hesitated just a bit too long & both sold out/priced out.

Does this count? New York has "Taste NY" stores located throughout the state dedicated to food and beverages grown, produced, or processed in New York State. According to the website, there are 68 retail locations. Not just airports but visitor centers, rest stops, train stations, stadiums, stand-alone locations, etc. https://taste.ny.gov/ Pretty sure you can get a "I❤️NY" bumper sticker there too. 🙂

In all seriousness, not sure what the big deal is. I only cruised once from Galveston, saw the Texas flag hanging in the promenade and never thought too much about it. I guess I just assumed it was a marketing thing that started when Royal first started sailing from Texas and it just kind of stayed around. I'm more upset that you can only get Texas-brewed Shiner Bock beer when sailing within Texas waters. Once in International waters, they stop selling it & pull it from the shelves. No amount of tipping the bartenders will bring it back. Come on guys, I know you have more! LOL

Reading this thread reminds me of the old "Real Men of Genius" (formerly known as "Real American Heroes") radio commercials, each spot dedicated to an unsung hero. This one is dedicated to the "Mr. Too Proud of Texas" guy🙂

Very annoying and more than a slight inconvenience.

Wishing @helen haywood a speedy recovery. To cheer you up, here is a picture of Leonard, trying to act like he's a tough attack cat while guarding the open door

I think part of my issue was I had trouble hearing some of the dialogue so a few of the running jokes were lost on me until the end. It was in an older theater where the sound system isn't the best. Plus, there were two women behind me that felt the need to give a running commentary on every scene. After turning my head a few times, not looking at them but kind of in their direction, they finally got the message and quieted down. I have another group of friends that want to see the movie so i may tag along with them for a second viewing, in a newer theater with a clearer sound system. And seeing Lee Majors at the end was a hoot.

Agree, it was pretty funny. I never had much of an impression of Ryan until I saw "LaLa Land" that's when I began to appreciate him. And I've always liked Emily, probably since "The Devil Wears Prada" too. I really enjoyed her in the most epic Lip Sync battle ever with Anne Hathaway. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SZfznYgToc

As long as there is no serious health concerns, it seems like a minor price to pay for enjoying life. Especially since it's a temporary inconvenience and only happens occasionally when vacationing.

This one? Seems like they spent more time plugging Barbenheimer😃

I was not. I had recorded the game as I went out for $5 Tuesday movie night & watched it when I got home. Unfortunately my DVR only recorded up to the end of the first overtime period 😠 so I did not see end of the game. I did see the replays afterwards. Exciting game & the first true test of adversity the Rangers faced this post season. I will be watching tonight's game live. However, I was at this past Sunday's Game 1 and have tickets for Game 5 this coming Monday so I need the Rangers to lose at least 1 and only 1 game. 🙂 BTW, the movie I saw was The Fall Guy with Ryan Gosling. Loosely based on the 1980's TV Show. Good, not great, but enjoyable. Worth the $5 dollars if you like impossible stunt movies mixed with basic rom-com formula.

Isn't that why we have fingers? 😇

At less than 50% capacity, I assumed no restricted access to the Loyalty Lounge during Happy Hour?

And just as importantly, how do 5 guys fit on there? 😄

As popular as they are, I don't see anybody getting too excited by yet another Oasis-class ship unless its going to have some new & revolutionary features that the other O-class do not have yet. Same can be said about Icon #3 Once the details of Project Discovery are slowly leaked, there will be plenty of interest. It seems people have been begging Royal to make a new & improved smaller ship for years.

It is, except on Tuesdays & Wednesdays. Which just so happened to be the 2 days I was there. Open 7 days a week July & Aug. https://www.abseconlighthouse.org/ Tallest light house in NJ.

Have a great cruise!

Does this help? I was down to my last $20 - actually $17.90 according to the picture - when Heidi replenished my gambling funds. I forgot to take an "after" picture when she was done be "stunned" but it was several hundred dollars. Enough to keep me going thru the night & into the next day until I could redistribute my wealth to other various slot machines. Adding another Heidi fan @A&L_Ont

Sure does. If it floats on the water, it's a cruise!

Probably a fan of The Bambino too! And all things NY Yankees obviously. How was the cheese steak? I had 2 while in Atlantic City. For some reason, pizza and cheese steaks always taste better on a boardwalk when smelling the salt air & hearing the gulls & ocean in the background.

@Sea Dog just has to remember not to say "To the nearest Cruise Port" when getting in the taxi. 😉😇😅

@Sea Dog You're probably well on your way to Hilton Head by now so have a fabulous time but please don't cut your trip short. There are a few different ways to handle a situation like this. One way is to ignore the person, let them finish their "rant" and once they are done unloading their feelings and thoughts, resume having fun. Hopefully it'll be a short rant and not an all-nighter. Another way is to make a pact with the group about what topics are off-limits. If someone breaks the pact, the have to buy a round of drinks or make dinner or clean up the after dinner mess. Lastly, if you have the patience, ask them why they think the way they do. And then just listen and not debate/argue the point. After all, neither one of you are going to convince the other to switch viewpoints. But sometimes understanding why a person thinks a certain way makes their "rants" much more.....tolerable, for lack of a better word. Have fun .