The Final Frontier in a Theater Near You

Stardate 66382.3

20:26 - There has been many questions as to why this blog is called a 'log.' Most of those people are not fans of such legendary shows as Star Trek or Battlestar Galactica. Everyone of their crew writes a log to make sure everything is recorded for future generations. Therefore, like their logs, my log is for anyone who will listen.


So far we established my nerdiness, but you haven't seen nothing yet. Last night I took it to another level. Star Trek: The Next Generation came out on DVD with its episodes digitally enhanced. To celebrate, they released a few episodes along with cast interviews. I found a few a friends to come along with me. By friends, I mean a random group of people organized by the internet.

Just brewing away

My Mentor

We met up for drinks beforehand in Ballston. Our bar of choice was Rock Bottom. It a pretty cool chain restaurant that specializes in brewing its own beer. Literally, it is right behind the bar. They have everything you could want in a bar: decent beer, great prices ($3 a beer), and great TV screens. I tried their winter specialty Winter Tartan. The draft featured a Scottish snowman. How could I go wrong? It was a bit darker than I was used to, but oh well. I mean the Scottish snowman solved that problem. How?  I don't even know. I don't question the Scottish snowman. Focus Foxies, you are probably wondering how many did I have. One. Time for the movie...

The featured show was more than I could ever hope for. They did an extended version of the episode The Measure of a Man. For those non-informed Focus Foxies, The Measure of a Man has a trial that debates the merits of Data (the andriod) being a sentient being. Having the distinction of sentient being has major benefits, mainly you get to decide your future. Data was fighting for his very life against a scientist who wanted to dismantle him and study him. Another episode they showed was equally as important was a 'Q' episode. The 'Q' is a space entity with almost limitless power. Well, an individual from the 'Q' (called 'Q' which can be confusing) has the crew brush with destiny in the form of the Borg. The Borg are a fearsome race of beings that form a larger conscious 'being.' They act in unison to take over every other race and take their technology, lives, and knowledge for The Borg's own. Basically, they are scary as hell on the small screen, but absolutely terrifying on the big screen.

In between the episodes, they showed an interview with the whole cast. I have to say the biggest surprise was from Michael Dorn who played Worf the Klingon. You would think his personality would at least resemble his on screen category. Absolutely not. Unlike Worf, he was done right delightful with hipster glasses to boot. It was fun to see everyone about twenty-five years later still be in sync and still devoted to the fans. They has to get annoying after a while, but they still do it for us!

Star Trek Fanatic Focus Foxies: Caitlin (she knew everybody) our fearless organizer, Paul, Ben, Lisa, and Amy. Yes, the girls outnumbered the boys. 

Night, Classy Night

Stardate: 66327

15:30 - As explained before, the guiltiest of DC pleasures is the thrill of going to happy hour. It is not the worst of our sins, but it plays a prominent role in our lives. My friend Kelley and I decided to give that driving force a bit of direction in the form of MINT. We set a little group that would have our friends go to different locations for happy hour. We need a change up from our usual haunts. Well, so far it has been successful. We decided to celebrate with a different type of happy hour: a classy happy hour. It just so happened that the latest Bond movie (Skyfall) debuted around the same time. Our happy hour became a Night, Classy Night.

We dressed up in our finest. I was in a cocktail dress, Rob donned a tuxedo and top hat, and others did not disappoint.  We found ourselves a nice cozy corner in La Tasca to share pitchers of sangria. I am sure La Tasca serves other drinks. I just never bothered to figure it out. It may seem lazy, but they just have so many kinds of sangrias. I mean huge jugs after jugs of different sangrias. Each one is better than the last one. We finally tore ourselves away from La Tasca to make our way to Skyfall by way of Bar Louie. I have to say that we were the classiest people in the theater by far. Everyone cheered our initiative.

Overall, I think it was a pretty successful night out with a twist. No one wants to just go out and party like everyone else. I like having different themes and having fun with life. They make for better blog posts.

Sangria sippin' Focus Foxies in attendance: The Whole of MINT (it was the place to be)

Colder Weather

Stardate 66255.3

12:40 - On Friday (Stardate 66248), some friends and I went to see the Zac Brown Band. Since they're one of my favorite bands, I was thrilled to get a last minute ticket to the show. So we drove until the city lights dissolved into a country sky to arrive at the Jiffy Lube Live Amphitheater. 

Before any good concert, you must tailgate; it simply is a fact. My well-prepared friends brought hot dogs, chicken, and beer. Also, they brought a grill. Class acts, all of them. We sicced Justin on the chicken, and we relaxed with cold beer in our hands. Life was good. Speaking of being prepared, they brought jackets. I did not. I had no forethought and did not believe that the weather would drop to forty degrees. With only a scarf and a long sleeve shirt, I was stuck in colder weather. 

It was seriously cold. Seriously.

Zac Brown Band has an amazing group of musicians with a wide range of talents, skills, and musical instruments  They go beyond standard country music; they represent every sub-genre of country that I love.  They blend Southern Rock, Caribbean, folk, blue grass, and gospel harmoniously together. My favorite aspect of Zac Brown Band is that their music inspires you to jump right in. Their music pulls you in and does not let you go until they are good and ready to. They never take themselves too seriously. My favorite part is how effortless they make it look. Music, much like life, is too easy to be so damn complicated. They just play whatever they want, however they want to.

Girls' Photo

Focus Foxies, you can understand why I would be excited about seeing Zac Brown Band live. Believe you, me they do not disappoint. They played for over an hour and a half. Their play list was half album hits, half jam session craziness. The whole musical experience just washed over me and helped to put the outside world away for a minute. It felt great to pretend that I didn't live in it. The only worry in world was when the music was going to stop. Eventually their main set did; then, they had a dueling drum solos; then, they came back onstage for an encore. They are that awesome. True story.

After the encore, we saw goodbye in their eyes; we didn't think we could change it. They had to be on the road to their next stop, and couldn't wait around for us. We never questioned why; they just kept chasing those melodies across the US. We were just thankful they stopped by our town. The next time Zac Brown Band comes back by, keep them in mind. I know I will be waiting. In my humble opinion, live music, good friends, and beer are the keys to paradise. 

Focus Foxies in attendance: Justin (Ticket Purchaser), Alex (Photo Queen), Rachael, Kara, and some dude named Thomas?

Hail to the Falcons

Stardate 66236.5

15:28 - On Sunday (Stardate 66233.7) Rob and I made our way to Landover, Maryland to Fedex Field. We had tickets to see the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Redskins battle it out. Being from Atlanta, Rob wanted to be there to support Matt Ryan trampling the Redskins. I wanted to support RGIII and the home team, but I secretly wanted the Falcons to win.

View from the outside

Despite having Washington attached to their name, the Redskins' field is not located in Washington. It is barely in what I would consider the metro area. It's outside the beltway! But I digress, Focus Foxies, the Landover location allows Redskins' fans plenty of room to tailgate. They tailgate pretty well for not being in the South. They have tents, grills, and games set up all around the parking lots. We had to dodge footballs to make it into the stadium. I think they were aimed at Rob's Ryan jersey, but there is no way to be sure.

We got inside the bowl shaped Fedex Field at last. Let me tell you something, Focus Foxies, no one comes to the stadium until kick off or a bit afterwards. We were worried that no one would show up. For the first half of the game the Redskins remained competitive with the 4-0 Falcons. They met them touchdown for touchdown. In fact, they looked like an awesome team for a bit there. After the touchdowns, I was introduced to the Redskins' Marching Band. Each touchdown they play their fight song: 'Hail to the Redskins.'

Rain and cold weather didn't stop us!

Well, the Redskins' good luck couldn't last very long. The Falcons came out ready to play the second half. They kept RGII contained, and then they sent him to the sidelines with a mild concussion. The Falcons were trying to make short work of the Redskins, but the Redskins kept limping along. One of the more special aspects of this game was the opportunity to see a career die. It wasn't RGIII's (although he should take lessons from Harper in sliding); it was the kicker Cundiff. We watched the sad field goal attempts to keep the Redskins in the game. Missing a 30 yard field goal was an especially low moment for Cundiff. His next extra point attempt led to the crowd booing him. I mean the guy could not kick a simple field goal; why add to his struggle by booing an extra point attempt? Redskins' fans that's why. Cundiff was eventually cut the next week in disgrace. The Redskins had a few chances at the end of the game, not that their fans would have noticed. A majority of them left before the last 5 minutes. Two turnovers in the last 3 minutes sealed the deal for the Redskins defeat. So I guess their fans' bet against the home team worked.

Superman Rob over Fedex Field

Well, a bunch of people in the stands were happy with the Atlanta win. I credit this with Atlanta fans being the only ones left (I cannot stress enough the emptying of the stands. Incredible). Focus Foxies, what you are more interested in knowing is why would I want the Falcons to win? Is it love? In a way yes. I would love to have a Falcons/Texans Superbowl. I would love to see the hope drain from falcons' fans eyes. I would love to see them leaving the stands as degraded as Redskins' fans. The picture that I want to paint for you, Focus Foxies, is one where our dear Superman is shaken up by the kryptonite that is the Texans Defense. It would include the one-two punch that is Foster/Johnson duo masterminding a Lex Luther like destruction of the Falcons Defense. Unfortunately for the Falcons, there will be no Parker Posey to save them. So yes, love is the reason.

Stage Presence

Stardate 66174.8

02:45 - We planned to make the last day on the ship Legen.. wait for it, and I hope you are not lactose intolerant….

We started out with brunch. Because alcohol costs money on board, we used our winnings to make mimosas. We had our mimosas, piles of food, and trivia. Always with the trivia. Rob’s team ended up winning Pictionary, but this day was all about winning. Rob and I had a bunch of time on stage and in the spotlight.

 

I made it to the spotlight by way of towel animals. Carnival had a class on how to make towel animals. I had been dying to know how to make them. During the class, I got up on stage and made a dog, an elephant and a couple of seals. Also notice the Aggie pride. That is the day we mopped the floor with SMU.

Rob’s time came when he got to show off his karaoke skills. He won a competition to be Elton John on the Carnival Legends show. They dressed him up, and he performed Crocodile Rock. He has come a long way from the third place win when we met.

Winning!

Our last act of the day was to gamble. Both of us do not really gamble. In fact, Focus Foxies, I had never gambled. We had two coupons for a $5 match, so we took a chance. It was the last day on the ship. We took $20 and gambled away on Black Jack. Let me tell you, we were so successful. We took $20 and made it into $70. This holds the second spot for best $20 spent on the cruise!

Dairy. It was legendary. The whole cruise was awesome. True Story. If I had to pick my favorite part it would be Grand Turk. My least favorite part was final debarkation. Rob and I made good travel buddies. I can’t wait for our next trip!

The Lucayan Marketplace

Stardate 66170.9

16:12 - Our last port of call led us to the town of Freeport, Bahamas. Freeport is a popular destination for cruise ships; I say this because when we debarked, two other ships were docked as well. Cruisers swarmed the place. Lucky for us, we woke up early and rushed off to Port Lucaya.

 Freeport does not have a whole lot to do. It resembles more of an industrial town than anything else. The comparison would be Port of Houston vs. Galveston. Freeport is Houston, and Lucaya is Galveston. Lucaya/Galveston is a bit prettier and with few better beaches, but you still are next to Freeport/Houston. For non-Houstonian Focus Foxies, that probably didn't make much sense. To you, I say Freeport had a bunch of manufacturing plants, but no beaches. Lucaya had fewer manufacturing plants, and more beaches. Also, shopping, Lucaya has more shopping. 

We headed out to the marketplace in Port Lucaya with several other cruisers and a lively cab driver. Our cab driver, Eddie, had lived in the U.S. - Los Angeles specifically. He moved back to The Bahamas because he wanted a better school and healthcare system for his children. Apparently, the LA system wasn't cutting it; I don't blame him. The Bahamas has a universal healthcare system. Another interesting fact, Focus Foxies, is that The Bahamas does not have income or sales tax; they rely primarily on import taxes. With 80 percent of the consumption coming from imports, the government can bring in a lot of revenue. Eddie explained that he was thinking about bringing in a new van in the country, and he would have to pay a 60 percent tax on it. So a $30,000 van would cost $50,000 once it clears customs.

Eddie dropped us off at the market, but we were early. Shops didn't open until 9 AM, so we wandered around until they did. The Lucayan marketplace had many shops both formal and informal as well as two straw markets. we found one little shops with straw fans for sale. I bought five of them. I have four sisters, and the shop owner put the each of their names in them. She let me take a video of her sewing.

Once we got all of our souvenirs we grabbed a local beer at a small bar. I had been dying to try conch fritters. The raw conch tasted pretty good, but I wanted it fried. We ordered a batch, drank our beers, and watched a bit of football. The conch fritters tasted amazing, but the beer left a lot to be desired. I missed the beer from Grand Turk.

While at the bar, we noticed that a bunch of people put up dollars with their country or school on them. We also noticed a definite lack of an Aggie dollar. With markers borrowed from the barmaid, we worked to correct it. Now, if you go to that bar, you will find a Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of 2010 and a whoop dollar. Focus Foxies, you should go check it out. I mean right now; jump on a cruise, and go to The Bahamas.

Our cruise ship set sail early from Freeport, and we had to be back at the dock by 13:00. We did have one more misadventure regarding a Bahamian dollar and jerk chicken. What is it with us and jerk chicken? We had a great morning in Port Lucaya. We had one more day on the ship before we had to go back to the real world.

The Best 20 Dollars Spent

Stardate 66168.7

21:26 - Our second port of call led us to the sunny and privately owned island of Half Moon Cay. This little island is a part of the Bahamas and is designed for Carnival Cruisers to enjoy a nice day at the beach.  I have to say that the beaches there are quite wonderful, but we did have a bit of trouble getting to them. Since the island is so small, they did not build a dock for the cruise ship. The cruise ship anchors itself, and we ferry to the island. The trouble came from all of the rain showers that were happening. Rain delays are the worst. Despite the weather's best attempts to stop fun, we had a blast on the beach.

They had a pirate ship there!

The absolutely first thing to note, Focus Foxies, is no one lives on the island. Well 40 people live on the island, but they don't come by that island naturally. Most of the workers boat in from other islands or come off the cruise ship. Basically, it has the feel of a deserted island but all the comforts of luxury. Also, wild roosters run about the island. Second thing to note is that we might have run into a cockfight. I was trying to get a picture of the roosters, so we traveled behind the kitchens to locate one. We found more than one; there were two. An older worker was there too, and he was trying to get the roosters to fight one another. We just backed away from the situation. Long story short: I don't have a picture of the wild roosters for you, Focus Foxies.

Little Boat is Rob; Big Boat is Cruise Ship

Our main Carnival-endorsed adventures on the island consisted of snorkeling and kayaking. I snorkeled with  huge angel fish, and by that I mean they were much bigger than the ones I had growing up. I would go under water, swim around with them, and mostly disrupt their swimming patterns. It was awesome! Some fellow cruisers found starfish under the sand. I got hold a live starfish. It felt boney. Rob rented a kayak and rowed around. I tried following him out there but got in trouble. Apparently swimmers can't be out that far. We just find trouble where ever we went on this island.

Ominous, but not that bad

The rain came and went through out the day. Knowing a bit about the tropics, we stayed on the island. We didn't run for the cover of the cruise ship since these rain showers just pass by. That being said, a bunch of people went back to the ship while we sat under our little clam shell and waited for the sky to clear up. For the record, Focus Foxies, Rob admitted my purchase of the clam shell cover was the best $20 spent. This should serve as proof of my awesome abilities to plan ahead. We did have a bit of a scare when the cruise ship started to move. Rob got a bit nervous then, but I sat around making this little video for y'all.

After one more drink, we eventually boarded the last boat to go back to the cruise ship at 15.30. I have to say I am a bit proud of us for that. I didn't want to leave the island, but we had fun things to do aboard the cruise ship.