BassMaster

Whoa! What happened between pics 1,2 and then 3. Methinks thou were taking too many flash photos. If looks could kill, the paparazzi be gone. Thanks for the update. What, no dole whip?

Thanks for sharing, Rita. Great start. One question: Exactly HOW HOT WAS IT? One more question: How can someone eat sausage biscuits and gravy and then make "fattie" comments with a straight face?

Excellent update to day la tres. You have also reminded me to start posing that Slyce logo myself. One more mental note. BTW, while you were porking out on Raglan chips, ice cream, etc, I was relaxing back at the site under that LARGE sport-brella that also fit nicely into Taylor the trailer, and was indulging in some chips and salsa with a side of Sam Adams and a Magic Hat for dessert. There was no need to check on me, but I appreciate your concern.

Brent, that 12 hour recess you were hearing was not from the pool area, that was my sister in law, her husband and his brother enjoying their vodka-palooza in 1306. I think those Bloody Mary crazed mosquitos threw that pole in the canal. At least that's what my in-laws told the po-po. Thanks for sharing your trip.

MD, once again I am awed and inspired by your attention to detail and helping me remember things from the trip that I had either totally missed or simply forgot due to my apparent case of ADD/ADHD; hyperactive? NOT, except when the bass be bitin’. I am making mental notes, since there is a lot of blank space in this old noggin’ of mine, to pay more attention to the little things, except for Captain Fruit-of-the-Loom, our neighbor. To “steal” a line from Jack Nicholson, “You make me want to be a better” camper. Mega props on the update.

Aqua Duck, oh yeah. Totally tubular, dude. Like, whoooooaaa. Thanks again for inviting us along. I am certainly enjoying the ride.

Day Two:

Time to get to cooking.

We’ve gotten into a routine where I cook my sausages and everyone snacks on those while Ben cooks up his BenskiMuffins.

He makes the buttered toasted English muffins in the toaster oven, griddles the eggs, topped with cheddar and ham, and a generous splash of hot sauce!

That’s cheese that’s melted from previous sandwiches, getting nice and crispy.

The adults eat last and collect the cheese crispies for their sandwiches. It’s like the driver gets the French fries at the bottom of the bag!

Two comments about our food here, MD. First, notice the warning label on your cooktop; I may make a suggestion to the Comfort Station personnal that they post one of these above the outside door, especially when we've (that's you and I) been touring with beers from the dark side. Enough said.

Second, I must mention the double-yolk egg that looks like the bikini top for Mrs. Spongbob Squarepants, if there were such a character. The unplayed song for that day, "Itsy Bitsy, Teeny Weeny...". Sorry, I'm just adding to the cheesiness on the griddle, which just happens to be protected by Musket Mickey. Nice photo.

Oh, and thanks for including a photo of me in an upright and awake pose; the bass thanks you as well.

Great start TCD. I must tell you that the last and only time my family has been on a Dis-cruise was the Magic in the summer of 1998, just after its maiden launch. Mrs. BassMaster was pregnant with my son, so we can actually say that the entire family was on that cruise. Unfortunately, that it was one of our least favorite cruises ever, but we all know that they have worked out the bugs, bigtime. Of course, they've had 13 years to make it MAGICal. Thanks so much for sharing. BTW - the smiles on TCD family faces tell it all. They would make the Cheshire Cat jealous. Bravo, dad.

The Barbie pole is lying on the ground next to us. That cat was as long as the pole that defeated it.

OK, I haven't figured out yet how to compress a photo to the right size. Maybe I don't have the right software on my PC.

Check out this trophy cat; an unwary victim of Annie O. and her infamous Barbie pole

You should ask to collect interest on that deposit. Then they will have to send you a 1099. I may never get a job with Disney, but a 1099-INT is the closest thing to it that I could think of. LOL. Yes, I amuse myself.

MD, had you been around camp when I snatched that couple-pounder from the canal behind our loop, (instead of dole whipping with your family), you could have tried your hand at creating the first MD Bass Roll a la Fort. There is plenty of green, slimy algae at the bottom of the canals that resembles seaweed for garnish. You just need an extra large clump of wasabi to hide the flava; "Fiendishly delicious".

BTW - I am ashamed that my son and I haven't "done the Dole" yet. Give me time, I'll get there. Something to look forward to during the next 22 years, my friend.

Dynamite and Lasers.....suffice it to say, I own both.....left both at home. I did enough damage with the plastic worms and the small (bass) bite-sized bluegill's. Also caught a couple of catfish and a couple of turtles (they love that chicken skin).

I see that you are digging for a post from me (pun intended). You neglected to mention the 9 fishing rods, 2 cane poles, 2 fans, castnet, buckets, enough extension cords to grab an open outlet at the Grand Floridian, my campfire/firepit chairs that you can't seem to keep your camo-wrapped buttocks out of (especially after you forgot or broke your anti-gravity lounger chair), crock pot, griddle, etc, etc. 4 days, baby, and it was worth the packing, and we never broke out the microwave.

Truth be told, I had such good memories that I had forgotten about the skeeters. Damn, them boys was ginormous. BTW, if any of you fiends happened upon some of them suckers flying haphazardly around the 1300 loop. That's where my brother and sister in law were staying. When they are camping, vodka flows continuously. As such, the skeeters in the 1300 loop were drinking bloody marys. When they hit the bug zapper they lit up like candles.

MD, I really appreciate your attention to detail and I promised myself that I would try to do the same during the next trip. And I am DEFINITELY going to take more photos.

The BassMaster awaits. Also, want to make sure that you post none of my blood or sweat, just my bass.

I asked this question on the bottom of someone else's topic, but couldn't find it myself. So, I figured the best thing to do was start my own topic. I was told that I needed to go to Kissimmee or Clermont or Lake Wales to by shiners. The question is: Where exactly to I go to find the "nearest" bait shop for shiners? Thanks for the help.

I am searching for the nearest bait shop(s), Kissimmee, etc, that sell live shiners. Thanks for your help.

Day Four:

Music: Black Sabbath

Drink: Diet Coke

Smell: Bacon and Maple Syrup

Monday morning blues. Yes and no… There was a time when I used to get really sad leaving Disney property. I think it was because there was all this fun and happiness, and I was heading back to my life, which offered a lot less sizzle than a day at a theme park. But that all changed with fatherhood. Suddenly, my happiness was still in the truck with me! Now, we leave, with the excitement of planning our next adventure!

So, we wake up, tumble out of the camper, one every few minutes. The kids playing in the dirt with their jammies, the psssst of Diet Coke cans (never got the coffee habit!), the bleeeeeep of a golf cart going backwards, and the whirr of the cart in gear heading out for the Trail’s End coffee urn.

Since about our third camping trip, we’ve decided as a group to rise, shine, pack, and eat on the road. The cooking and cleanup process seems to have held things up a bit, and gives the kids ample time to unpack my packing…I lose it with un… Today It would be Cracker Barrel!

The load-out is really the part where camping in a popup really effing sucks. I prefer the “roll it up in a ball and throw it in the truck” method, Whereas Capt. Mustache, the engineer is the old “a place for everything and everything in its place” packer.

Then, it was time to do “the dance” again. The process of jockeying the cars and golfcarts from the site, overflow, and the marina lot. Once again the cool music on the Settlement speakers caught my ear and stopped me short to admire. It was Bela Fleck playing Katmandu from his Acoustic Planet series. Here’s a version of it for your dining and dancing pleasure… give it a minute or so and you may recognize it…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOgTuPUPuZM

Back to the camper, where the whole crew is buzzing around the site chucking, tucking, and folding up our home for the past few days. Once again, Ben backed up to Maria to drag her on home, and who was I to argue? After all, that gas mileage fairy had shone upon us on the way up, why not close the deal?

A final trip to the comfort station, final check of the site, and check of the camper lights and we were rolling. Out of Big Bear, right, past the 1500, tennis courts, pool… By the way, don’t you almost hate seeing new campers arriving while you’re leaving? Bastards… To the four way stop and left. Then… it was almost like the Fort didn’t want us to leave.

I’d never seen the exit backed up this far, all the way to the hitch/unhitch swerves. Apparently, we’re not the only weekend warriors! I couldn’t believe it, so I took another photo.

Then, I snapped a photo of the spot that really does make me sad. For me, this is the threshold.

Once I pass that spot, I’m focused on home. Prior to that, I’m still at the Fort, and the normal rules don’t apply. Once past that gate, I’m a dude with a career and a mortgage.

And a reason…

And finally dear fiends, we finish with the shots we tried to get on the way in.

Homeward bound…See ya real soon! Why?

Because we like you (somebody had to say it), but it wasn't me, it was the Mustache. MD and the Trip Readers (sounds like a new rock group), have given the mustache a life of its own; it wants its own account and login. I look forward to the next trip and the monster bass that keeps eluding us. Glad to have been a part of this MLK weekend. --BM