THE END OF THE SEASON

IT MAY BE THE END OF THE SEASON FOR THE GREEN BAY PACKERS, BUT WHAT AN EXCITING FINISH.

"JIMMY THE GREEK" I AM NOT !!  I ALREADY MISSED TWO PREDICTIONS.  I'M NOT REAL WILD ABOUT CHEERING FOR ARIZONA OR MINNESOTA, BUT I HOPE BRETT FAVRE HANGS IN THERE AND MAKE THE SUPER BOWL.

THERE'S ALWAYS NEXT YEAR......

NOW WHERE IS THE WEATHER FORECAST?

FOOTBALL

I’VE BEEN AWFUL QUITE THIS YEAR ON THE TOPIC OF FOOTBALL.  I GUESS BEING WRONG ON THE PREDICTION THAT FAVRE WAS GOING TO STAY RETIRED KINDA TOOK THE WIND OUT OF MY SAILS.

SINCE I’M NOT REALLY A FOOTBALL FAN, BUT A GREEN BAY PACKER FAN, AND BRETT FAVRE FAN, I KNOW YOU’D LIKE MY OPINION ANYWAY, RIGHT?

FIRST THE MVP.  IT’S A VIRTUAL TIE BETWEEN PAYTON MANNING AND BRETT FAVRE.  THE NUMBER ONE CABLE TV RATINGS PUT UP BY FAVRE ARE GOING TO PUT HIM OVER THE TOP!! FOURTH TIME BRETT FAVRE HAS BEEN NAMED MVP !!

NOW FOR THE SUPER BOWL.  I PICK THE PACKERS IN A REPEAT PERFORMANCE IN ARIZONA AGAIN THIS WEEK –END. PACKERS 41, CARDINALS 3.

THE VIKINGS WILL PLAY THE COWBOYS. THE COWBOYS KNOCKED BRETT FAVRE OUT OF THE PLAYOFFS THREE TIMES IN THE ‘90’S.  NOT THIS YEAR, IN A REAL CLOSE GAME IT WILL BE THE VIKINGS 21, AND THE COWBOYS 17.

WHEN RODGERS AND THE BOYS FROM GREEN BAY MEET THE SAINTS IN THE SUPER-DOME, THEY’RE GOING TO SHOCK THE ROOF OFF THE PLACE. PACKERS 35, THE SAINTS 21.

THIS SETS UP THE “CLASSIC” FOOTBALL GAME OF THE SEASON, PACKERS VS THE VIKINGS FOR THE THIRD TIME.  THIS GAME WILL BE MORE WATCHED THAN THE SUPER BOWL ITSELF !!  VIKINGS 28, AND THE PACK 20.

THE SUPER BOWL WILL BE ANTI-CLIMATIC WITH THE VIKINGS 24 AND THE CHARGERS 20.

THERE YOU HAVE IT.  I’M NOT "JIMMY THE GREEK", BUT BRETT FAVRE WILL WIN THE SUPER BOWL!

GET YOUR SPORTS BETS DOWN EARLY !!!

There Are No Blogs Anywhere

I sat down at the computer to look at “The Happy Camper” blog and asked “new blog going up tomorrow”?  Answer: “There are no blogs anywhere”.
So now I feel I should come up with something.

2010 is a good topic I guess.  So did you make any resolutions?  Anyone go out and party on New Year’s Eve?  Everyone glad the holiday season is over?  Anyone notice longer days?

We wish  everyone  a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2010.

Beach Club, Cayman Islands

...........I wanted to tell the story of the little resort. It needed a separate blog from our other Cayman blog. As I said, the Beach Club is old and run down, the kind we like......

....the rooms are clean and neat, not fancy..............

..........the bar and the restaurant are right on the beach. We ate and drank easily $300/day at the going rate on the street. I am sure the drinks were watered, so we were forced to drink more..............

.....it sits on beautiful 7-mile beach, some very prime real estate.......

....the lobby....

....concierge (?) desk.......

....hokey Christmas tree.........

....view from across the street........

"OK, Uncle Hans, it's a frumpy old resort. What is your point?"

....Well, Renee had stayed here several times over the years and enjoyed the diving and the atmosphere and the great beach, all at a reasonable price. we were happy to find it all still here and doing well. we felt we were set for a few more visits and fun. We actually walked by this huge sign on the front lawn by the street several time before stopping to read it.........

.....Yes. You may officially add the Beach Club to the list of things "too good to be true". It closes for the bulldozers on January 15th. Living there next year will "start" at $4,000,000 (no typo). It is the last reasonable property on 7-mile beach. Truly the end of an era .............and very sad.............

....while we were waiting for our ride to the airport to return home, this empty spot opened up in the lobby...........

....the staff were removing the furniture...........

....construction equipment and steel beams were lurking at the edge of the front lawn........

....This sun is setting on more than this day

.....This sun is setting on more than our vacation

.....This sun is setting on an era. On a simple, wonderful, happy, uncomplicated, time in Grand Cayman. The door is closing to those without the necessary $4,000,000.......

.......We check out Turks and Cacoes in April. We already hear that their 12-mile beach is nicer than the Cayman. We also hear it is more expensive (this I gotta see!). Stay tuned................


Uncle Hans

Grand Cayman Island

Renee and I recently traveled to Grand Cayman. For various reasons, we did not go to Belize, but have decided to explore the Caribbean to shop and compare. Cayman was our first visit.

Our flight was at 0520 so that means the alarm clock gets set for 0200. Then a bad storm started the night before so we were on the road at midnight. It was 30-40 miles per hour for the 100 miles to the Twin Cities airport, blinding snow, no plows, and a flight to catch. No pressure!!

....we made the airport in time and Renee came out from hiding under the dash. In fact, we had a few minutes before the ticket agents opened at 0400. We rested in the lounge and decided to check our flight on the big board. Yup, there it was....CANCELLED! Delta had 70 departures that day from the Twin Cities and 3 were canceled. This was NOT weather, rather some problem in our destination, Atlanta, that they would not talk about. anyway we got in line to sort it out with an agent. we were number two in line behind a nice young couple from the cities with the same problem with the 0520 to Atlanta. They went off to their agent and we went to ours. "Tough luck" he said, "I can get you there..........tomorrow" We lost the first day of our vacation! Never happened to me before, this "Tough luck" thing. Anyway, we did some shopping, visited some friends and relatives, and spent an exotic, luxury, dream night at the Minneapolis Super 8, waking, you guessed it, at 0330 to make the same stupid 0520 to Atlanta the next morning.



This time it all went smoothly until we got to the the resort at 1400. I was beginning to feel better about the lost day (seeing the beach at the resort was helping) when we found, sitting at the table closest to the water on the left, the young couple from the ticket line!! "Where ya been?" he cracked, "can I buy you a drink?" (It's an all-inclusive and the drinks are free) THEIR ticket agent did not say "Tough luck", he said" let me get you to Cayman on a competitor's flight through Miami this evening" Hmmmmmmmmm

....As you can see, the trip was ruined. You can tell from our expressions here that we were having a bad time. This was on the boat out to the reef the next day to visit the sting rays and snorkel.........

 

.... The sting ray time was great, they are so tame and very unusual feeling......

 

....Renee is a veteran scuba diver. She was amused when I could not figure which end of the snorkel thingy to put in my mouth. The snorkeling was fun, too, like a whole different world down there.........

....Cayman is kinda expensive, to say the least. Turns out all you can afford to do is walk the beach and lay in the sun. We were at an all-inclusive resort (a separate blog on this will follow) so the eating and drinking is covered. I thought it was pricey at about $300 per day, but quickly learned it was a true bargain. We went across the street for a drink one night and spent $25 on one drink apiece. (note to brothers........ can you remember going into a bar for a drink and leaving after one? Me neither) So, to do the math, if you are not in an all inclusive, a couple can just barely make it on $200/day to eat and drink.

Ouch........we walked at least 5 miles a day....




...........the beach front is worth $150,000 per foot (not a typo). It is no wonder that they are touchy about letting just anyone wander around out there. I mean, this is no place for an ordinary surgeon from Wisconsin as his meager salary will not justify his use of this hallowed ground.........

......still, it was nice lounging and reading our books on the sugar sand. The drinks were probably watered so we were forced to drink more..........

....Renee found time to take this picture of her favorite thing (NOT the speedo)............. Her thumb..............

....In spite of all my grousing, had a great time and hated to leave. I am just too Swiss to spend money like that. We will continue our research on Caribbean vacations and report back. I know. It is demanding and exhausting work..................................but someone has to do it!

Uncle Hans