Is there anywhere other than the standard travel places (Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz,...) that one should look for nifty cruises (optimally including Brazil) at the very start of a search?

ita, I don't know if they would be your parents' cup of tea, but Windjammer Barefoot Cruises have always looked like great fun to me.

In other news, took Mom and Dad out to a steakhouse for rain-delayed Father's Day dinner tonight. Apparently it was Gimp Night, as there were three other wheelchairs and a guy on crutches on the main dining room,and we had to park the van in a regular parking spot. Mom's salad was probably 3 pounds of food, and allegedly had lettuce under the bands of cheese, bacon, egg, and croutons that completely covered the platter. I liked my tilapia, but there's essentially no ceiling to how salty a dish can be and still have me eat it—I suspect most other people would have spat out the first bite.

Also, I found out after the fact that a guy I just hooked up with is a Latin American television personality and singer. Trippy.

For the second morning in a row, I've woken up around 5 AM... and then managed to go back to solid, dreamful sleep for another 3 or so hours. Which is good, but freaky, because usually when I'm awake, I'm AWAKE and that's all she wrote.

I should not look gift rest in the mouth.

The marsupial wolf is interesting.

One of the links above led me to this. At about the 3:20 point, there are some interesting ones with wings that open and close. (yeah, some furries ...)

Speaking of Jesse dopplegangers, there's someone who works in the bookstore near work that remonds me of Jesse everytimg I see her. But I'm not sure if it's because she sort of looks like Jesse, or reminds me of her in some other way.

Curious.

We were talking about the Garner-Afflecks here, right? I know there are new playing-in-the-park pictures of Jen and Violet like every day, which, yeah, the photographers should leave them alone, but I really love that they go play in the park every day! As opposed to hiding behind a fence somewhere.

Weirdass dreams and I woke up early. Strange.

I really don't get insurance billing. I know I owe someone something, but I don't know who or how in the hell it came to that number. Well, I can figure out parts, but not what the final number has to do with the initial number. So weird. I'll wait for a real bill, I guess.

Is there anywhere other than the standard travel places (Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz,...) that one should look for nifty cruises (optimally including Brazil) at the very start of a search?

If people are recommending cruise lines, I'd like to mention Princess. They cruise all over the world, and we've looked at Brazil (including one cruise up the Amazon). Style varies by ship -- our first cruise was early in December, and the passengers skewed heavily to the older side (grandparents and great-grandparents) who acknowledged that age brings limitations after a certain point but that doesn't mean you can only sit around all day. Our second cruise was early in January with a heavy English and Scottish contingent, and the atmosphere tended more toward "spring break for the middle-aged British."

Passengers do need to dress up for a couple of dinners, but the style is generally pretty informal.

The idea of a carnivorous kangaroo freaks me right out.

This brought back to mind one of Janet Kagan's stories in Mirabile, titled "The Return of the Kangaroo Rex."

Excellent stories, well written, and funny. Pity there aren't more.

ita!!! In case you forgot, it's your mom's birthday today!

(I know this because it's my mom's birthday today, too.)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ita'S MOM!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEPH'S MOM!

Thank you being born so you can have these two great weemen!!

OK, I have looked at the fursuit show vid, which has some good workmanship, and entirely reminds me why I find the Disney Characters at Disneyland so creepifying.

However, one of the fursuiters, the guy in the baseball Tiger costume was especially obnoxious. I'm betting he's the most likely to have tattooed stripes on his actual body. :: shudders ::