bert425

Still trying my best to stick to my healthy eating with daily exercise plan - at least thru my Birthday next Sat (where I'm gonna massively cheat, and have lots of cake) this past week was extremely stressful, and all the Challah French Toast (and other assorted carbs), as well as the sodium from the soy sauce I had with Sushi in the week didn't help, so when I weighed in on Tues, I hadn't dropped even an ounce from the prior week. So today, I weighed again, after giving the carbs/sugar/sodium time to get thru my system, and saw a nice ~4lb drop. Even if that is because I hadn't eaten or drank yet before weighing, and had just gotten out of a long hot soak after my 1:30 walk today. so. . . . this week's update: 2/18: 218 lbs 2/28: 209.4 lbs 3/6: 206.4 lbs 3/11: 205.2 lbs 3/18: 201.6 lbs 3/25: 198.8 lbs 4/01: 196.2 lbs 4/08: 192.8 lbs 4/18: 189.0 lbs (so down ~29 lbs !) I'm really proud of that, and am in within 5lbs of my "goal" of 185 lbs, and only 9 lbs from my stretch goal of 180 lbs. How's everyone else doing?

Greg Abbott just announced the reopening of most all Retail Business in Texas should be open by 4/24 (some open earlier). restriction being it's for To Go orders only.. . so basically he's announcing to reopen all bushiness, but no allowed inside- curbside pickup. (not sure *how* that will work with business such as hair/nail salons, or similar. . .but that's what he just had a news conference on). I'm not 100% with Abbott, but I could see this being a somewhat workable compromise for a few businesses (such as my local comic shop) to allow them to staff back up to do online shopping basically. so this is a. . . . good (???) move? I worry that Texas hasn't come close to peaking yet. . . cautiously optimistic. he also announced State Parks will reopen on 4/20, but people are still required to maintain social distancing. here's the link to the story: they got it up fast, since he just finished the press conference. https://www.kvue.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-texas-update-gov-abbott-reopening-business-plan/269-5bc600d9-d5fc-4902-a1e8-94e3013d7485

^ the queue was directly across from Space Mountain. . I'm sure you were just distracted. I really enjoyed it, tho only got to ride it once (and that was with fast pass too.. the line was NUTS the whole time we were there. . just as long as Toy Story, Pooh, and Monsters Inc). . . but when/if we go back, we'll have to ride it together!

really great to see these reports. . somehow I had missed that you started updating again. and Texas parks too.. . tho it's odd to see your assessment of NTAG as "best coaster in the park".. as I will always give that honor to Shockwave. and I think actually I might like Runaway Mountain better than Giant too. We stay at the old Holiday Inn Express around the corner from the park (it's rebranded into some Hilton brand now, but still has the same layout/options) ..still walking distance if we care to, but it's got such nice rooms and a great restaurant in the lobby. it's been so many years since I'd been to SeaWorld, that it is basically a new park to me when I eventually get back that way. Glad you had a great time tho. did you not go to Fiesta Tx? That one is really my "home" park, and the one I visit most. It's a great park, and it's beautiful.

great pics, John! especially the DD ones. but I have to give you kudos for the color blocking on this one. . . how perfect that y'all are all "Red up top"

Fixed. Do you anticipate having a cell phone by 2024? ^ I would put $$ on "no" hell, the only reason i have one is because my Spouse forced me to about 8 years ago (and for a long time, it was a flip phone, only going to Smartphone ~3 years ago) but yeah, Bill.. you gotta get a smartphone to make the most of the Parks nowadays.

these are fantastic, Chuck. can't wait to see more. I think this is my favorite pic tho. . and not for "Jerry" or what's going on inside him. . . but for that absolutely spectacular (and appropriate) look on the girl in the stripes. awesome

and since Robb has video of Bandit linked to the front page. . . (the Magnet I bought at Yomiuriland)

it's been a brutal couple of days, and it's highly likely that I'll be unemployed in the next few months. But that ain't gonna stop me. if there's anything worth spending savings on, it's going back to Japan. And after all, what are savings for, if not to spend on something worth doing that you enjoy? And Japan definitely fits that bill. Hell, even the Spouse is ok if I spend $$ on trips.

ABSOLUTELY! and as i mentioned to Chuck, I do have a handful of pics from flight home, and then souvenir pics, but thank you Elissa! For both the compliment, and for all the work & effort you put into making this such a fantastic trip.

thanks, and agreed 100% Thanks, Bill. and I really did have a fantastic 1st visit. . it was a bucketlist dream, and it totally lived up to it! and yes, earlier this year, I renewed my Passport (thank goodness got that done before things went nuts, since I'm certain it would have been more difficult nowadays, what with restrictions and wait times increased - especially since very little overseas traveling is happening at the moment). but I've got it renewed, and fully intend to go back in the future aww. .thanks so much, Alice. glad you've enjoyed reading thru, I'm so happy that folks have enjoyed the pics/stories. yep. . that was sausage sitting on top of smoked salmon near the smiley face potatoes. . and with a bunch of pork dumplings in the front. and the other plate has a chocolate croissant with a schmear of Nutella on top. everything was so yummy.

I LOVED Possessed. . but then again, when I rode it, the Holding Brake was still working, so that might be why I really loved it (way more than Wicked Twister, which is just "meh" to me). the only thing I was sad about not getting to experience at Dorney during our visit was Stinger. . it was down during our visit, and now gone. hopefully they do get a new coaster on the dry side.

See in the USA, we have freedom! We have some states just dying to be first to re-open. Personally, I am going to see how they do first. I got my Warsteiner and tamales from Trader Joes and gonna watch this from afar. Yup, German beer, and Mexican food. They go together well! Gov. Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick both had press conferences today and leaks are coming that Abbot is going to have an executive order to reopen Texas non-essential businesses at some point next week. Abbott has been in constant contact with Trump (per the local news). . .and they are itching to get the economy going again ASAP regardless of any pesky pandemic. Leaks from a round-table that Patrick was involved in say he wants things open back up by May 1. all I can say is: Idiots (if the science is there? yep, fine. . but all the Doctors are saying it's too soon, and wait until June). so we'll continue to be staying home, regardless of what our Gov & Lt. Governor say.

me too! I cannot ditto this enough. thanks, I take that as a great compliment. and I did have an absolutely incredible time (regardless of things like a Typhoon), because Robb & Elissa do such incredible planning, and that we had such a great group of people, who truly seemed to get along and enjoy hanging out with each other. I do have a few additional updates (final day/plane flight, all the souvenirs, etc), but yeah, this was the final - in a park on a TPR trip update can't wait to go back to Japan in the future!

luckily, never really been much of a drinker. as to the weight tho, if I can do it, anyone can.. . just start a routine (if not a walk outside, then jumping jacks inside). and stick to it. I'm looking at it as kind of a bright side, that I have a little more time to get back into coaster riding shape.. tho it sucks we'll be stuck inside for my Birthday

staying accountable, and hit a milestone # this week. this week's update: 2/18: 218 lbs 2/28: 209.4 lbs 3/6: 206.4 lbs 3/11: 205.2 lbs 3/18: 201.6 lbs 3/25: 198.8 lbs 4/01: 196.2 lbs 4/08: 192.8 lbs(so down ~25 lbs!)

I got to ride it for the 1st time on the TPR USA 2018 tour. . . so this is gonna be the 2nd time (keep putting it out there, that things will be close to normal by then) I agree with several things people have said. I'd by lying if I said I wasn't nervous about crowds tho, even if the parks are open. . not sure I want to be around that many folks. but taking it day by day, and hope things will get better soon!

Last Day final part my scavenger hunt for the Haunted Mansion candy holder eventually brought me here, to Huey, Dewey, and Louie's Good Time Cafe. why would the Haunted Mansion Candy holder be here? Beats the hell out of me, but thank goodness in my search at locations where it was supposed to be for sale, a castmember thought they remembered seeing them here and sent me to ToonTown. the line here was super long, so before getting in the line, I asked the castmember who was directing the ordering lines about it. and she brought me up to this display and pointed, asking, "this?" YES!!! and note the sign that you can purchase up to 3 items. . .. so you bet I got 3 (two for me, and one as a gift for a friend who also loves Haunted Mansion) amazing.. and yes, the ghost glows. Speaking of friends that love Haunted Mansion? I texted Jon this pic and told him what I found. . his immediate response? WHERE WHERE WHERE????? (he ended up buying 3 of them also) killing time in ToonTown waiting for Jon to meet up with me. it was getting late, so I told Jon I'd just meet up with him later, and told him where to get the candy holder, and I headed off to Frontier land. i wanted another ride on the Jungle Cruise. yep, it was pretty crowded, but they fit so many on each boat, that the wait was only maybe 15 minutes. I ended up riding on Senegal Sal. Another great ride, tho again in the dark. . so never got a daylight ride. . next time! I then headed sorta next door for another visit to the Tiki Room no apologies, I love this stupid show. . and it's a chance to sit down. right at the end of the show, I got a text from Jon asking where I ended up and told him I was in Tiki Room, but was just heading out. he was nearby, so we met up again to spend the rest of the evening hanging out. I think we may have headed over to Big Thunder Mountain, and on the way back we passed the ferry station for the Mark Twain. I stopped to take a pic of one of the lit decorations outside. .then just kinda noted I'd never actually been on the Mark Twain Riverboat. It hadn't been on my "hit list" of things I'd like to do today, but Jon was up for it, so we headed into the station as the boat was pulling up from it's prior voyage. cool little model in the station. the ship returning with some happy passengers close up to show it's the Tokyo Disneyland version. it wasn't super packed, but Jon had told me that when we get on, we should go all the way up to the top level - especially since I'd never been on it. I was expecting a lot of things to be hard to see, since we were riding in the evening (something I had noticed on Jungle Cruise which is SO dark once the night falls). But lots of things were really well lit around the river and the views were really great. Glad I finally took a ride on the Mark Twain. possibly my favorite picture from this day: The Castle from the top deck of the Mark Twain, before it pulled out of the station. yep. . I done rode it. and away we go! these scare the crap out of us. . . SO LOUD when the horns and bell rang as we pulled away. holy that was loud! LOL the ship is really beautiful at night too. so is the surrounding areas. Big Thunder Mountain here. love this pic too. . .Splash Mountain in the evening from the riverboat. after our Mark Twain riverboat ride. ..we needed to *BOUNCE*. . . so over to Pooh's Hunny Hunt! (with I think maybe a stop along the way for Small World). such a fantastic ride, with a fantastic queue. . you are IN the storybook. Pooh butt !! (with a face on it.. . silly rabbit!) we had been invited by some of the TPR folk to meet up by Splash Mountain towards the end of the night. . so Jon and I headed over where we met up with Alex, Allison, Zach, and soon, Luke joined us too. we had a wonderful ride on Splash Mountain. . . and I think we *may* have gone over to Big Thunder for another ride too. . .but then it was getting close to closing time. I didn't want it to end . . but all good things must. and so with a consensus. . we decided that the last ride of the night / trip should be: yup. Tired but happy TPR group in the line for Space Mountain (sorry, my selfie camera sucks in the lower light). and after a wonderful last ride, we exited into the park which was pretty much shut down. . . Luckily Luke's selfie camera (or maybe Alex's?) takes a much better picture in the evening. So was able to get a really good final pic of us at the Monorail station while waiting for it to come and bring us back to the hotel - where it was time to pack, since we all had flights out the next day. As tired as I was (and suspect everyone was), look how dang happy we all look.. . and the Disneyland hotel behind us - across the Monorail tracks - is striking when lit up at night, so it made a lovely backdrop. and with that, the Monorail showed up, and brought us one stop and back to our hotel exit. Some may have gone to get a snack (I can't recall).. . I wasn't really hungry despite not eating anything since the Chandu bun earlier in the day, but since I still had a bit of Peanut Butter and Jelly (in the mini-fridge) leftover from Typhoon preparations? I went up to the room and ate PB&J while finishing up packing, talking to my Spouse, relaxing and actually turning on the TV to watch some whacky Japanese Television for my last night in the Country. i also organized and played "Tetris" figuring out how to pack all the containers of Chocolate Crunch (and other flavors) into my luggage. it had been a great day. and a great trip.

part II it was only 1 stop up (and between TDL and TDS), so I stopped off at the hotel to drop off all the souvenirs I had bought - including several tins of Chocolate Crunch . . and then quickly headed back to the Monorail Station for a 1-stop trip to Tokyo DisneySea and perfect timing. .here it comes, and there's the hotel in the background. Ariel and Belle cosplay on the monorail. I *did* ask to take their pic, and they said yes, but then didn't look up from their phones. . so this really is NOT a "stealth" stalker pic. . . hello my lovely! the main courtyard of Tokyo DisneySea from the Monorail station. the TDS version of Walt and Mickey So of course I had to take a picture of it here! headed to Sindbad for another ride, came across this group posing for a pic on the Camel prop. they were ok with me snapping a copy too Sindbad !! coming out after my ride? Abu was out! for Abu? yeah, I'll wait in line for him. . . awwwwwww Lilo & Belle cosplay at the Arabian Coast area, with Stitch - and his girlfriend (??. . no idea, never seen this character). but they were out posing with guests. THIS is the main reason I wanted to come back to TDS today tho.. the Chandu bun Sold at a little stand across the way near Sindbad. the packaging is adorable. and I love how the packaging adds the "cuteness" I believe this was a pork bun (tho could have been chicken). .but the "hat" was SO good. Only topped by the chicken in the main body. . OMG. . easily the BEST thing I ate at the Disney Parks. so, so good. while enjoying my snack in the Arabian Coast, I snapped some pics of Raging Spirits and Indy across the river and thru the trees if you look close, the coaster is on the track just behind the fire. also a perfect picture of Mermaid Lagoon with Mount Prometheus behind. ah.. THAT'S why it's such a good pic speaking of Mount Prometheus, of course I have to cut thru there - stopping to wash my hands with Mickey Soap - for another ride on 20,000 Leagues. but I need to head back to TDL, I don't want to miss the Spooky Boo parade, and the weather has really gotten rather nice, although it's a bit overcast. on the way towards the front of the park, I spot Geppetto out near Soaring ooo. .Gideon is out??? Wow, a character I don't think I've ever seen as a walk around character! (come to think of it, with the Aristocats the other day, and the popularity of Geletoni? it shouldn't surprise me that cat characters are popular at TDR). and then there were lots of bells going off. and applauding.. looking around? it was a wedding at Tokyo DisneySea. a closer look at the happy couple. Jiminy Cricket was out too. . *sorta* got a pic with him. . LOL. . he can't really see in that outfit, so didn't know I was behind him. guest cosplay. . as Pinocchio (and I *think* Lampwick as a donkey?) and since Gideon was out, I wasn't surprised to see Honest John out and about too. on the way back out to Monorail, Goofy in a different Halloween costume was out and about too. snapping a pic of the TDS entrance map as I passed by. not a whole lot of folks on the Monorail in the afternoon either, so I was able to stand at the front and watch the track as we headed towards TDL. I believe this is just a cast member, and not the operator - as there was nobody over there running anything. he just spent the whole ride waving to folks out the window as we passed I'm still here at Disney! for at least another 6 hours or so! back in TDL, I headed over to grab another ride on Haunted Mansion NBX. . . . but passed by It's a Small World on the way there (it's sorta next door). . HOLY. . look at that line! after my Haunted Mansion ride (and I believe another spin on the Carousel right there), it was time for the evening Spooky Boo Parade. The weather had held out, with no more drizzle. . and they announced they were going to be doing the Rain Version. but I quickly found my spot when they called my ticket #, and I sat down with everyone else to await the start of the parade. it was a great spot, and shortly before start time, they removed the hanging railing to allow us fantastic views of the Spooky Boo Parade. these are the kind of views I got from my "lottery" ticket spot I won. even with the rain version, there were quite a few marchers between floats - with the main thing noticed is that they were all wearing clear raincoats over their outfits. but the incredible outfits were still clearly visible during the parade. . very good, with some great music (I bought the soundtrack CD). the parade was wonderful, especially sitting so close up to it. . but by the time it was over, my legs were asleep, so I had to take a moment to get steady again. gave me time to enjoy the area, and the evening lights were starting to come on. fan cosplay - double Rapunzel and her mom from Tangled, and Snow White, who were happy to pose for me heh. .hadn't noticed the "ghost driver" earlier. wandering around the castle, while on a treasure hunt to find the Haunted Mansion candy dispenser - it was really a hunt too, but it worked out well, since they were so hard to find (and not at either of the locations they were noted as being on sale at on the "special Halloween merchandise" map), that when I eventually DID get pointed to the right place (a food stand in toontown) they had plenty for sale. anyways, here's a castle pic. and some topiary on the castle grounds I'm back in Toontown for my search

Final Day at Disney (Last full day of the trip) Part 1 although I knew this was going to be my last full day in Japan (and at the DisneyParks), I declined to meet up with those who were going to be meeting up early to head to the parks at open. they were going to meet at 6:45 am, as both parks opened at 8am on Saturday. I understood, as some folks were leaving this afternoon and had things they wanted to do. but I was exhausted, I'd been getting up early for nearly 2 weeks and had been cramming in long days. Oh, it had TOTALLY been worth it, but even tho I had a few things on my "hit list" i wanted to get to in the parks? I needed to sleep in. So I had set my alarm for 9am - although I woke up before 7:20am anyways, and got out of bed. I was dressed and down at the breakfast buffet by 7:30, and it really worked in my favor that I had slept in a little bit. The restaurant was WAY less crowded than it had been on previous days, and not only was everything fully stocked up and tasty, but I was able to get a fresh egg from the chef who was making them as folks were asking. yeah, this is "bert is not super hungry". . . LOL. . but everything was delicious! the smiley faces are hashbrowns! since I was by myself, they sat me towards the back of the room, near the windows looking out the backside of the hotel. it looked very overcast and drizzly, but I got this lovely view - that I hadn't noticed on prior days - of some fountains, sculpture, and a quaint temple building out back of the hotel. I finished up my breakfast at just around 7:50 and headed to the Monorail station. . really the only one I saw walking. yep, the Monorail was deserted, as most everyone at the resort stop who had planned to go to the parks, was either already at the park gates, or was waiting for the weather to clear up a little. love the glasswork on the monorail. . so lovely. here's the whole Monorail route. . . I was going all the way around, since i wanted to go to Disneyland 1st. I had a few things I wanted to do today - at both parks - but 1st on my hit list was Buzz Lightyear at Disneyland, and I wanted to get a fast pass for it. showing up just after the gates have opened, really makes a difference in terms of how many people are in the courtyard! but as you get closer to the gates, there are still some folks around lining up to get in LOVE this view. . . hell, I've been dreaming about it. I can't wait to go back at some point in the future and see it again in person. headed to the right towards Tomorrowland, as I was gonna get my fast pass for Buzz, but stopped to take a pic or two of store windows along the way. the Star Tours castmembers out front trying to entice folks into the attraction. As you can see from the clock there, the park had been open ~45 minutes, and it was still a walk on. I told them I'd be back, after getting my fast pass. after getting my Buzz fast pass - which I think ended up being around 10:45am, I then went into the lottery building to try my hand at getting a Spooky Boo Parade lottery ticket. Since I was solo this am, I hit jackpot the first try (and got premium seating by the main parade stop). Now I just had to keep fingers crossed that the rain would hold off enough the parade wouldn't be cancelled. Peeking at the already LONG line for Space Mountain, I headed back to Star Tours, where the cast were thrilled to see me again. gee. .I wonder how they remembered I had just passed by. . .LOL Exiting Star Tours, you cross over the main walkway, and come out near the top level of the pizza restaurant there. it was way too early to eat (and I had just eaten anyways), so no one really in the restaurant ordering downstairs. . . but I noticed upstairs? an entire animatronic display of alien & machines making Pizza and buns. very cool. even in the rain, folks still lining up to see "One Man's Dream" show (and Space Mountain behind it) I think I will go ride Pooh's Hunny Hunt. . which means I have to take a detour thru the new Beauty and the Beast area. .and pass by the new Baymax ride. a peek of the building by lifting my phone over the hedge barriers. after a ride on Pooh, I rode a few more things in Fantasyland, and remembered to take a pic of the unique top of the Pinnochio ride. it was starting to drizzle, and the timing was good that I was in Fantasyland anyways, as there was something here that was on my "hitlist" Yep, Philharmagic - Tokyo Disneyland style. the lobby wasn't super crowded, so was able to take some nice pics. the show was wonderful, and it's been so long since I've seen the American version, that I can't recall if we get Donald's butt on the back wall in America. but I loved this. I did a little bit of wandering and admiring the Halloween decorations around, before I had to head back to Tomorrowland for my Buzz Lightyear fast pass. on the way back, watched a few moments of this street entertainment - he was pretending to be TDL maintenance, but the cart was full of props and magic tricks (and fought back against him). Didn't have time to catch the full show, as I had a fast pass, but it was wonderful to stumble across this as I was walking. Toy Story soldiers. buzz buzz buzzz. . . . . .just as fun as I remembered it being. Even tho I only got to ride it this one time? glad I got to get a ride on it. Coming out of Buzz, the Spooky Boo Parade was passing thru the main area. . i noticed it was the "rain" version, with not a lot of dancers between the floats and the characters wearing raincoats. so snapped a few pics, while still hoping that my reserved spot for the later parade would still happen - if the weather held out from pouring rain. and honestly? it didn't look all that appetizing to me. (and this is the example of what it looks like.. so you KNOW they picked the best one to display). . LOL a sign in a restaurant window caught my eye and distracted me from the parade. . and I discovered a NBC Jack Skellington themed Tomato/braised beef sandwich. which i was SO tempted to try. . but I wasn't all that hungry, and I really had my stomach set on a Mickey Waffle. . so settled for a picture of it. I decided while in the front section of the park, I'd do some shopping, sightseeing. . so was in and out of a few main street stores. what DOES Grandma say???? (mine always said, don't sit on the couch! it's for guests only!). some store window displays, including the unique "Chocolate Crisp" tins they had for Halloween too bad the cranes are up. .but still a wonderful view. next time, I hope to get to go thru the castle more displays in the Stationary store. (i was on the hunt for magnets, diecast cars, any kind of fun souvenirs. . . and I bought a bunch of em on this day) as I shopped I made my way towards the New Orleans Square area. . .. and the Mickey Waffle Stand. the theming over here is fantastic (and Pirates is just back behind this building, which are bathrooms) looking up the "street" for a fantastic view of the castle - from in front of the Waffle shoppe. the line was LONG. . but oh so worth it. line in front of me to even get into the shop. . . and extending out behind me into the walkways the menu tho they have a cast member walking the line and taking orders, who then hand you the pre-written order so they can move the line fairly quickly. (tho i think I ended up in line for ~25 minutes) I got Strawberry and Custard with Iced Coffee. the line zig-zags back and forth inside the shoppe, and thru a big window you can watch the chef churning out waffles. it's quite the show. once I got my waffle and found a window seat (not too hard, surprisingly, as crowded as the place was!), a Pirate brass band popped up on the walkway outside. oh how was the waffle? AMAZE-BALLS. SO good, I'd say it was worth the trip to the park *just* to try one of these. I thought this would be the highlight of the food I ate today, but it did get one upped later at TDS. . .(in part II) waffle and coffee and since right here by Pirates, it would be "wrong" not to ride it, right? If I recall, Jon had texted me while I was eating my waffle and asked if I had made it to the parks and where was I? It turned out that he was close by, so we met back up and I think we rode this together (and possibly did Country Bears and Tiki Room together again too). some Halloween atmosphere in Frontierland, near Country Bear Jamboree I still had a bunch of time before the Spooky Boo Parade and there was some things I wanted to do at Tokyo DisneySea. . . so I parted ways with Jon and headed past the Castle and towards the front of the park. the transportation system double bus was parked and ready to take on passengers, but this one wasn't on my list, so just snapped some pics of it as I walked by. the closest I could get to the castle, during the refurb. Still incredible to see tho. . as I keep saying. some more Halloween decorations up in the main courtyard. I mean. .it's a pic one *has* to get, right? Beauty and the Beast Cosplay. . holding Gelatoni cosplay. . LOL the bicycle Piano guy entertaining among the crowd around him in the Main Street area that I passed on my way out. TIGGER! bounce bounce bounce and Piglet too and Eeyore. . all just outside the front gates, and mingling in the main courtyard in front of the Monorail station. the lines were just a bit too long for me to stop and wait, so I was happy just taking pics of others posing with them. Cinderella and Prince Charming cosplay on the way to the monorail.

been cautiously watching our planned trip to Carowinds on 6/13, and wasn't feeling super confident - even tho it's still ~2 months away. but luckily, Southwest changed our flight, and since they made the changes? we had option to adjust the reservation for free if the new flights "didn't work for us" - up to 60 days out. So I've rescheduled us for late July now. Feeling much more confident things will at least have calmed down, and it's much more likely the park might actually be able to open by then. It's 3 1/2 months from now, so thinking positive! (and hotel let me rebook, with only a slight increase in room rate, since we went from early summer to right smack dab in middle of summer, so of course the rates are higher. . but who knows? they might be begging for customers then, so they might drop the rate by the time of the trip). but I'm looking at this as a positive. . giving things more time to get back closer to "normal"

so cool to see the construction pics. never got to the park when this existed, so sadly never got to try it out myself.. but used to watch videos of it.

in *most* of the States with Stay at Home orders, Construction is considered "essential" and is being allowed to continue. ESPECIALLY Construction in open air/outside situations - as it's possible to maintain social distancing. Austin has allowed construction on buildings downtown to continue, as an exemption to the original City Shelter In Place order (well before the Governor issued a State-wide decree). just sharing info, not judging.

nice update. we didn't eat at that restaurant / bar during our visit a couple of years ago (the restaurant was too expensive for what we were in the mood for at that moment), but we did marvel over the fish in the bartop.