OK, you asked, here they are...I must say though, that the camera does not do Elivra's stunning beauty justice...now, as for my hair, check out those roots!!!! They look much better now, and my hairstylist fixed me up on Monday night...I asked her how bad it was, she just said "Good thing you have a LOT of hair to hide the mistakes!" LOL! I look horrible, but consider the situation...

If you notice the heart necklaces that Sherry and I are wearing, Sherry bought those for us along about week 3, as a symbol of what we were/did/had gone through together...we are going to wear them at the service on Sunday

Left to right:

Colleen the nice nurse, me, Sherry, Elvira


Collen, Rafa, me, Sherry Elvira...too bad Colleen and Sherry had their eyes closed! Elvira, blame it on Doyle!

Beautifull indeed.
Thanks for sharing these pitures cynde.

It's nice to see what Elvira looks like.

sjossss

Ya know, Cynde, that doo just screams for a mullet

cheeseit

Nice pictures, Cynde. Now we know how Elvira as well . Considering the situation, I don't think you look so bad as you described, Cynde.

Thanks for sharing the pics, Cynde, and yes good to see Elvira 'in the flesh' so to speak. Give yourself a (big) break. Remember your beauty comes from within to outwith, not the other way round!

Cynde. Thanks for posting the pictures, but you do yourself a great injustice. I think you ALL look beautiful, and it it nice to see Elvira at last. Annie B.

Great pics Cynde, now I can put a face to Sherry as well as Elvira. They are both very pretty. And that Colleen is just a muffin too.

All babes picture (well except for Rafa of course). Great pictures, lousy circumstances.

Cinthia, here is my share.


Old San Juan (Doyle & Elvira)


After we met /Cinthia, we went & met Beatriz.
(Doyle,Elvira,Beatriz,Rafa & Ed-friend of Rafa)


This at Arecibo where the largest telescope is located and where Contact was filmed.

Take care!

Sorry guys, the pictures were too big.
Let me try again.


In Old San Juan (Doyle & Elvira)


We met Beatriz (Dr. Nieves sister friend)
(Doyle, Elvira, Beatriz, Rafa & Ed)


This is at Arecibo where the one of the biggest telescope is located and where Contact was filmed - very impressive.

OK - I am not doing something right
I'll try later.

Elvira, email them to me at work, and when I get there I will fix them if they are too big...or someone else may volunteer before I make it in

Cynde -thanks for letting us see your new doo and the stunning Elvira!!!
As Cecil said - all babes - plus one stud!!! WOW - what a great looking group!!!

Cynde love your new doo!!!

Elvira - you can email them to me if you need help in fixing them to post. mary.mueller@rtp.ppdi.com

I know this has nothing to do with the pics - but I had to share this - I was just emailed this!!!

Had me ROTFLMAO!!!!

THIS IS THE BEST LAWYER STORY OF THE YEAR, DECADE AND PROBABLY THE CENTURY.


A Charlotte, NC lawyer purchased a box of very rare and expensive cigars, then insured them against fire, among other things. Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile of these great cigars and without yet having made even his first premium payment on the policy, the lawyer filed claim against the insurance company.


In his claim, the lawyer stated the cigars were lost "in a series of small fires." The insurance company refused to pay, citing
the obvious reason that the man had consumed the cigars in the normal fashion.


The lawyer sued.. and WON! (Stay with me.)


In delivering the ruling, the judge agreed with the insurance company that the claim was frivolous. The judge stated nevertheless, that the lawyer "held a policy from the company in which it had warranted that the cigars were insurable and also guaranteed that it would insure them against fire, without defining what is considered to be unacceptable fire" and was obligated to pay the claim. Rather than endure lengthy and costly appeal process, the insurance company accepted the ruling and paid $15,000 to the lawyer for his loss of the rare cigars lost in the "fires".


NOW FOR THE BEST PART..


After the lawyer cashed the check, the insurance company had him arrested on 24 counts of ARSON!!! With his own insurance claim and testimony from the previous case being used against him, the lawyer was convicted of intentionally burning his insured property and was sentenced to 24 months in jail and a $24,000 fine.


This is a true story and was the First Place winner in the recent Criminal Lawyers Award Contest.


ONLY IN AMERICA! NO WONDER THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES THINK WE'RE NUTS.

Hi Mary! I sent that story to some of my friends, and I was told Brad Paisley (country singer) actually wrote a song about this on his latest CD. So I checked it out on BradPaisley.com and sure enough there's 'The Cigar Song' on his 'Mud on the Tires' CD. Pretty cool! So I don't know which came first, the story or the song, but I still like it!

Good morning!

Nice pics, Cynde!

Well it's probably because we are crazy. What's the definition of crazy, doing the same thing over and over again and expect a different result. America does that all the time, here take this money and all we ask is that you like us, we leave, they burn our flag and blow up our embassies. Crazy.

Anyway this is what I did Monday.

Mark's boat morning.


Mark's boat noon.


Mark's boat afternoon.


Lot's of fun in the rain.

Cecil....nice boat.....here is a picture of a friends 32' Carver, this boat sat in my yard until Monday!!!! Too funny!!!

LaDonna

everyday that includes a boat is a good day.

The lawyer story is too good to be true. It has to be an urban legend.

Elvira, thanks for your comments on my Bonaire pics on www.reefdwellers.com I would love to see you at a meeting. We meet at the Brookhaven Jocks and Jills on the 2nd Tuesday of the month. Give you a chance to meet a lot of divers, many who enjoy Bonaire.

I still have to play catch up, but...
Good Afternoon Everyone! I have a moment to say Hello! Quinn is excellent, doesn't cry much (yet) feeds really well, the diaper part though...... LOL!

It is a beautiful warm day outside today and we had our first outing (I need to get out of the house and the fresh air is great for baby). I also miss socializing!

Wonderful photo Cynde! Joel is going to print out a photo of your mom for Quinn to keep. Cecil, I am sorry to hear of Pearl. I am keeping my fingers crossed for you job. I just quickly scanned through everything so if I missed anything sorry...

I hope everyone is doing well - I have been thinking about you all and hope everyone is well!

Some photos... Have a wonderful day!

The first photo is of my dad when he was very small, can you see the similarities?

Quinn was so hungry that he thought my nose was food.

Mary....I love that story of the lawyer...but it is indeed an urban legend! I wish it were true!!! Just once I'd like to see some of our current crooks like that caught and punished!!!!

LaDonna

ok smarty plant people, name this plant

Hi Eileen - good to see you on the boards, and also see the pics of Quinn. Boy! Is he adorable or what! And yes, I can see the likeness.

Michael, that plant looks a bit rude from where I am

very cute baby.

oh get your mind out of the gutter, its a very rare plant found only in one plce on the planet, almost went extinct, theres a clue.

Eileen - cute pics of Quinn!!!

Speaking of diaper changes - boys are fun to change aren't they - how many baptisms have you had. Had to learn to slap the new diaper over my boys as soon as my as I was taking the old one off!!LOL!!!

Michael - clueless on the plant!!! Definitely not native to NC!!!

Michael....I have no idea....but then again I am NOT a plant person....very brown thumbed....have killed so many plants I should be arrested for murder! But it is a cool looking plant...I'm thinking maybe some sort of cactus?????

LaDonna

ouch

Eileen...Great pics!!! I know Quinn looks like you....so you must look like your Dad!
LaDonna

sorry didn't mean it that way, just laughing at it myself

still getting used to this form of comunication, havent figured out the smily faces yet. actually I was very exctited about stumbling onto this plant and yes I agree to its questionable apearance, sorry

OK

Michael, you are so funny!!!!

smileys/frownies are made by using the colon : and the open "(" or closed ")" parenthesis! : ) or : ( without the spaces!

LaDonna

WOOHOO!!

Michael - smiley face and frowns are easy!!! type a : and the a ) the two together produce . for a frown type a : and a ( the two together produce

Jenni - Your mind was in the gutter!!!LOL!!! But you were said what we all thought!!! Hope things pick up on the house - sorry to hear about the no shows -that is very rude!!!

Michael - Its nice to have you posting here - look you have over 20 posts now!!!

OK, here's the answer I know you were waiting for
The Haleakala silversword (Argyroxiphium sandwicense ssp. macrocephalum) was near extinction in the 1920's because of human vandalism and browsing by goats and cattle.
The Haleakala silversword is endemic to a 1,000-ha (2,471-acre) area at 2,100- to 3,000-m (6,890- to 9,843-ft) elevation in the crater and outer slopes of Haleakala Volcano, within Haleakala National Park, Maui, Hawaii.

Thanks Mary, I was not at all pleased, especially after tidying and cleaning etc etc

I think the cam needs cleaned......what are we gong to do???? Jake is in LA......when does he get back?
Ok deep breath....don't panic....I know.....wait for a diver and yell, REALLY loud!!!!!



LaDonna

Jenni, believe me, Michael did not mean it that way...he was using virtual sarcasm...which is hard the first few times...

OK, my guess, then I have way too much work to do today...I say it is located on a volanic island, looking at the black lava rock it's on...HB, do you remember the catcti on Bonaire I took a pic of, hopefully I still have it and you will see it now...get your mind out of the gutter


Eileen, Quinn is just adorable! I'm glad you are enjoying him so much, I am sooo happy for you and JOel

and thus ends my ill-fated botany experiment,

Mary...I am laughing so hard my sides hurt!

LaDonna

Here's a boat, LaDonna, so get ready to holler

Do you think we all have to shout at the same time?

Lanzarote has black lava rock too. Is it from there?

Jenny....I am dying here. I am posted on the wrong thread 'cause I was so excited!!!!

LaDonna



(Message edited by bamba on April 29, 2004)

Well, couldn't find the cactus picture, but it is on the road coming back from Rincon...I'm sure that those of you that have been on Bonaire know the row of cacti I'm referring to

The above pic is of Michael, aka Honey Bunny, aka plant botonist (sp)...with his candygram shark hat on

Just make sure you don't post a gif on the other one

how was the practice shout at your end?

La Donna, what has you so excited?

Cynde/Michael, what is a candygram shark hat?

Cynde.....who knows?!?!?! I just get this way sometimes....maybe too much caffine???? maybe not enough oxygen from laughing too much!!!!

Jenni....practice shout went good here....now the boss is calling for a straight jacket! the good news is I don't have any gifs to post, so I can't make that mistake

LaDonna

I don't know Cynde...if that's a piture of Michael...he looks a lot like you

LaDonna

Eileen...whatta handsome young fella you have there!!!
Been thinking about you this morning and wondering how you 3 are doing!

Cynde, Cecil, et al...enjoy the pics you post! Keem 'em coming!

Mary...funny! Had to slap my hand over my mouth so I wouldn't distract the students

So, LaDonna. You are a serial killer. Ah, well. Thats why I take pics of 'em!!

Aunt Blabby

Cinthia & Mary thanks much for offering to help w/the pics I tried to post.

John, would enjoy mtg you but there is one thing I am not a diver my boyfriend is so I'll bring him along. I snorkel if that is ok!

Michael, you are something else!

And yes what is a candygram shark hat?

LaDonna, do you like my bare chest? LOL!

Jenni, the rock that sticks up on the South Beach cam always looked like a shark fin, so years ago, we used to call it "candygram" old Saturday Night Live skit by Chevy Chase...he would come to the door dressed in a shark outfit and say "Candygram, your limosine (sp) is waiting)....so Michael wore a shark hat, and I wore a monkey face...from Cecil's monkeyboy pics...good lord, that was a LONG time ago!

Cinthia, I forgot to ask you about the lovely necklaces that you and Sherry were wearing the other night, did you get them in PR?

Eileen, glad all is ok w/Quinn he is just adorable and yes there is resemblence.

Cynde....I thought it looked like you had on a white swim suit! ROFLMBO!!!! Now that you say so...I can see it is Michael....guess I should have looked A LOT closer before I posted that!!!! ok...no more coffee for me...

LaDonna

LaDonna, ROTFLMAO! Elvira, yes, Sherry got them in PR

OK Elvira, here they are, but is that Ed with you, Doyle and Beatrice?



Rafa looks like he's modeling in this picture...very GQ

Great pics, Elvira, and thanks for helping with the configuration for her, Cynde.
LaDonna shout went well this end too, but neighbours are twitching their net curtains and watching me and my house even more than usual. LOL

Thanks for the explanation, Cynde. I do vaguely remember that being talked about when I first came on BT, and understood absolutely nothing then. Not saying I understand much more now.

Elvira, that tall guy your fella?

Michael, I didn't mean to upset you either. Where you gone? I am having a tough day and was upset, maybe too quickly. I recovered real fast with your responses. Please don't go away

Elvira - great pics!!! Thanks for posting then Cynde!!!

Cynde - thanks for explaining the candygram thing!!!

LaDonna - no more caffeine for you!!!

Jenni, I think he's working...something I need to get to! LOL!

Look at this!!!forgotten diver
Can't believe the dive boat would not notice someone was missing until the got to the second dive site!!!!

Jenni, you are so sweet! no I actually had to work some. (I try every day to work "some") i have filed the "happy plant" incedent under "posts I wish i never made" and moved on. I'll put you on the beer list twice to make up for it.

hey that's the world's largest single-dish radio telescope in that last picture, very cool.

Mary...that is one fortunate diver.....imagine...they thought he was missing at the second dive site!!!! Did his buddies not miss him either?????

LaDonna

ok....I'm going home now.....talk to you Monday....if I don't pop in over the weekend!

LaDonna

LaDonna - last time I checked you waited for your buddies to descend with you - you did not just go down and start to swim away!!!!

By LaDonna - hae a great weekend!!!

as much as I encourage people to dive in so california there is a real "on your own" attitude. guided tours are unheard of, and I am constantly suprised at how many people solo dive.

HB, and just WHERE is that radio dish located????

On the diver, I want to know what dive boat the guy was on. They say he and 3 other divers entered the water...you're right...you are supposed to surface after losing your buddy for one minute...let alone not check for them on the boat. The cattle call boats out here usually do a head count when you get back on the boat and check your name off so they would know if they left someone behind...that's just fricking scary!

and those oil riggs are WAY advanced dives, not for the fiant hearted, no room to be stupid.

Michael is right, there is an "on your own" attitude and the DM's rarely get in the water. We tend to stick to one dive boat that has a good reputation for NOT leaving divers in the water. Mary, a lot of divers on the boats we go on out here go solo, or are hooked up with a buddy if they want one, but that doesn't mean that buddy will be a "buddy." Poor Michael, I have a horrible time with my ears clearing, so usually, he has to wait for me to SLOWLY desend and get to the bottom. You usually have to drop down to at least 40 feet to the sand to start the dive. But this was on an oil platform dive...in probably 700-1000 feet of water, just plain not right...

its in Arecibo, Puerto Rico

Just found out it was on the Sundiver...HB, is that the boat that was for sale, and that guy on the BS was buying?

no he was looking at the pacific star

Wow! HB, you know your dishes...gee, I was in PR for 5 weeks, how did I miss that?

A lesson about not knowing your buddies...a few years ago Michael and I were diving Wreck Alley off San Diego. We did the first dive, and conditions were really rough, and Michael got a little sick (sorry to spill the beans HB)...anyway, I wanted to do the second dive, but had no buddy. The Yukon is in 100 feet of water, vis was about 15 feet, water about 60F. There were 3 yahoo's that told me I could go with them, but they were going to penetrate the wreck, and I said "I'm not certified for wreck pentration, so I won't be going inside" they said "just go along the top and follow our bubbles and we will meet you at the stern of the boat, then come up."

No way, I stayed on the boat and ditched the second dive...these guys were 30 minutes late coming out of the water, they went into deco time and were all proud of themselves when they got back on the boat cause they had gone into the "red" on their computers...sometimes a no dive is better than a dive with a bad buddy...just my 2 cents worth...

OH, Mary, most dive boats here carry between 20 to 35 divers depending on the boat...this particualr one lists seating for "16" which means they could have up to 25 divers on board...

P.S...my spelling is horrible today, please just ignore it!

Cynde - what do you mean how did you miss the dish!?!?! - don't think site seeing was the first thing on your agenda while you were down there!! Still thinking and praying for you everyday!!! Love the pics of your mom - she is beautiful - just like her daughter!!!

How correct you are that no dive better that a dive with a bad buddy!!! Not worth risking your life.

Bet the guy that got left will never dive with that operation again!!! I am still shocked the boat left the site without doing a headcount!! Very scary!!!

Mary, I was joking about missing the dish...LOL! Thanks for the thoughts...just trying to keep it together, and as usual, BT is a GREAT distraction!

I was just talking to Michael on the phone about it. The oil rig dives here are way off shore, and in DEEP water, 700-1000 feet. Most dive ops would be EXTRA careful about making sure they had a good head count before they left for the next dive site considering where they were at...just plain scary...in fact the oil rigs were off limits to divers until sometime last year after 9/11, so lots of boats are going there again.

Cinthia - MANY THANKS/MUCHAS GRACIAS! And yes it looks like Rafa is modeling, I am going to give him a hard time on this one

Jenni, yes that's my fella. I think he is good looking (ji-ji)

Tia Blabby, como estas?

Michael, that telescope is very impressive and is very, very big !

All have a great evening, see you tomorrow. Sending all lots of hugs with a smile

Cinthia, forgot - yes, that is Ed. He is really a nice guy and he is buying a condo on the otherside of the street where Rafa lives - actually he is signing papers today. See you!

Michael, you found it and it really looks like the picture you post. The drive to Arecibo is very nice, looks like if you were driving on the highways here in the states. Cinthia, nothing like Carolina or Isla Verde, etc.

Cecil, didn't mean to ignore you! Nice boat pics wouldn't mind ride on one of those. Take care.

Elvira, we thought Ed looked like Wayne Brady! And, he kept laughing at the way I pronounced "HampTONE" Inn...he is a sweetheart too

This thread has covered a lot of territory today. One reference that's to good to pass up is Monkeyboy. Here's the original from Oct, 2001.



It's just some flotsom but looks like a battery powered monkey that plays cymbals.

Cecil - it does look like a monkey toy playing symbols - strange things floating in front of the cam!!!

We do tend to wander over many topics during the day - don't we!?!?!

Cecil, thanks, I was hoping someone would find the monkey picture and post it! LOL! And you're right...we did cover a LOT of territory on this thread today!

Last time people were left behind in the Keys, the Capitan lost his ticket. The Dive Shop was required to give lessons on safety. There is no excuse for crap like that. (My position is based upon enlightened self-interest.)

Elvira you are welcome at our dive club meetings. You snorkel, have an interest in diving, and hang out with divers on BT.

Hi guys... Just got back after a scuba lesson (second module of my first open water course as an instructor...)

Michael, wasn't this telescope part of a James Bond movie???

Hi guys... Just got back after a scuba lesson (second module of my first open water course as an instructor...)

Michael, wasn't this telescope part of a James Bond movie???

Hey, what happened here???

Technically the James Bond one was Arecibo like but not suppose to be the original. The bad guy's made one to do they're wicked stuff. It's coming back to me, the James Bond one was suppose to be in Cuba.

Cecil, I think you are right, but I doubt if it was recorded in Cuba...

Wow, this thread is almost as long as the tunnel thread! LOL.

I see four lovely ladies in the first pics...all just simply lovely. Rafa and Elvira have the same smiles, too!

Loved the name of the boat, Cecil....Joing Custody...can take that a couple of ways! LOL.

Michael...that's quite a mouthful...(the plant's name)..oooops! No pun intended there.

Monkeyboy...wow, missed that one for a long time! Welcome back.

I'm getting too old to remember the rest of the thread.....Oh....Eileen...what a beautiful little boy!! You really can see the resemblance between Quinn and your Dad. Amazing!

That's all my brain can comprehend for the moment! Ayo. Carole

Mary,
Claim: A cigar aficionado insures his stogies against fire, then tries to collect from his insurance company after he smokes them.
Status: False.
Example: [Collected on the Internet, 1997]
http://www.snopes.com/crime/clever/cigarson.asp

It smelled urban legend.

Lots of things to cover on this thread...

Elvira, those pictures are great. I love your hair !! Rafa definitely looks like a GQ model ladies. Pictures don't even do him justice. When he picked us up at the apt., I got in the car and said (to myself of course) Whoa! How YOU doin?? lol

And Ed.... god love him.. what an absolute cutie. They are two of the nicest guys ever. They really showed us a good time.

Cecil, that boat looks great !!

Eileen, the pic of you with Quinn kissing your nose is priceless. I want one !! The baby, not the nose. lol

John, thanks. I'll try to make to one of the meetings.

Cynde/Kelly, yes Ed is a sweetheart. Imagine Ed and Rafa leaving just across the street from each other!

Carole, lots of people say that Rafa and I looked alike, wonder why

Elvira, actually think of all the lucky women who live near them! ha ha Getting to see them come and go all day..... lucky women!

You and Rafa definitely look alike, it's easy to see where he gets his looks.

Hey, Dr. D. will be in Atlanta next week sometime for business I think, you should try to meet up with him for dinner or drinks or something! He's a riot, and we BTers must stick together ! lol

Kelly Jo is correct. I will be in the Atlanta area on Monday night. I will be in Tucker just off I-285. If Elvira or anyone wants to get together for drinks, let me know, we can set up a meeting place. I will have a car and I know my way around Atlanta a little. I used to live up north of John in Acworth.

Great pics Cynde, Elvira and Eileen! Been too busy to peek in much this week and this thread is LOOOOONG!
Michael, I took a pic of one of those up on Haleakala a couple years ago...I couldn;t quiet place it at first but it is a very cool plan and such a limited habitat!

Kelly, I know what your are saying. It will be great to meet w/Dr. D.

So Dr. D., if you get the chance when you are in Atlanta, let me know and maybe we can get together.

Have a good weekend.

Mike, I guess I was typing my msg when you sent yours. I worked in Doraville so is close to Tucker and 285. I'll give you my mobile number (770) 401-2738 and work number (770) 246-3426, call me and let me know where. Maybe John can joins us or anyother person in Atlanta. This will be really nice! Thanks!!!!