What's the deal....
Huge gap in information and communication..
not gonna lie, a little disappointed.
Let's pick it back up huh?

oh yeah and tomorrow..... make some moves!

i might be out. there could possibly be some family responsibilities that i have to attend to. life rules

What is the word guys? I thought we needed to have a down payment in sometime soon. How did the conversation go with the Royal Caribbean people yesterday?

Go get 'em!

Stirm - even if we dont have 16 people, im sure we can still work a way to get the group discount. the tourism and luxury industry is down right now and im sure they would rather get a sale than nothing. lets call them up today and constrain them...they dont know what theyd be missing. im free from 12-1.30 pst.

if that doesnt work then we'll have sven get on the phone and start yelling at them in german.

its a privilege to breathe and its a joy to live.

Hey Guys,
Here is where we stand, I NEED TO KNOW MY MAY 5TH, THIS WEDNESDAY AT 3:00 P.M. WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE 8 CABINS FILLED (16 GUEST CONFIRMED) IN ORDER TO HOLD OUR SPOTS! IF NOT, HERE IS WHAT WE LOSE...
OUR 8 CABINS, THAT WE HAVE RESERVED WITHIN THE SAME VICINITY TOGETHER!
$75 DOLLARS PER CABIN FOR WHATEVER USAGE (ALCOHOL, ETC...)
BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER OF GURANTEED SEATING ARRANGEMENTS TOGETHER
DISCOUNTS AT GROUP RATES

Even if Cheeks and Mikey's girl come on the cruise, we are still 2 people short! Any last minute ideas on who else we can bring?

If we cant confirm 8 cabins filled, we will have to sign up individually and lose discounts and the extra perks of being a group! Are people fine with that if we can't get all cabins filled?

If I don't get final word by Wednesday, we will have to sign up individually.

Hey All,
Well, Do we have a total of 16 guest committed to this cruise? If not, we will lose the group rate, and have to sign up individually. If so, then I can post the information.

I am going to talk with Mikey today about bringing his girl. Unless he responds to this posting with a confirmation.

I have not talked with Cheeks yet about the cruise. Hopefully both of them can make it.

Congrats to Stevo on scoring last night! Really excited for you!

Stirm

MORE UPDATES

First of all, Steven scored a goal last night to tie the game against Seattle -BIG TIME :)

As far as the cruise:

- Jimmy is officially out - I chatted with him last night

- Caserottes are out, too.

- Cheeky is still pending - he wanted to give Brandon a call.

Stevo: Can you check with Dusty.

So I think we're all good pretty much. What needs to happen from here, Brandon???

Randie is also out.

UPDATES

Thanks, Damon. I updated the following:

- Dates on the top are now correct - sorry about that. A whole month would be freaking sweet though!!! Why not...
- Jared is officially out.
- Blomquist is out because he will be dominating at the National Tournament.
- E.W. is out because he'll be at a new Target and doesn't know if his new boss will approve his vaca then.
- Danny is in - for the fifth time :)
- Sven and Sara are officially in :)

Lastly, Brandon: Are you still all over this?

I'll call and/or text the pending people to see who is coming or not...if anyone gets a hold of them, please let me know so I can update it here for Mr. Stirm...

Tomorrow is May 1st, thats when Stirmy said he needs to know..

Sven.. might want to redo the dates above. i mean i would love to cruise for a month, but i just dont see it happening.

Jared is out for sure

I am in. What do I need to do?

Thanks, Damon. I just added Danny to the pending list.

Can a view people reach out to the pending Cougs to figure out yes or no - so we can let Stirmy know?!

add Danny sundberg to pending list

im bringing my no limit credit card for stirmy to play endless hours of texas holdem while he wears a hawaiian shirt.

rho - if you were coming, id just give you $20, have you sit at a blackjack table for 5 hours and watch you come away with $300.

hi guys,
i'm sorry but im going to have to bow out for this trip - hope you all have an amazing time though!

List

Brandon, I just added a permanent list on the right side of the blog so it stays there and doesn't move down in the blog. So whenever people confirm I'll just update it so we'll have an ongoing list that's updated. Cool fool? Let me know if you here from anybody or if anything needs to be adjusted.

Keli: Are you still in?

What's the deal with everybody else?

- Jimmy?
- Eric and Natalie?
- Randie?
- Jared?
- Dusty?
- Caserottes?
- Blomquist?

Anybody else?

karen so were good? cool. cordially, steven l

Cruise

Hey all,
We are planning on going on Royal Caribbean 7 night Mexican Riviera Cruise that Departs Los Angeles on November 28th 2010 at 5:00 p.m. and returns to Los Angeles on December 5th at 7:00 a.m. Since we are a group, I believe the price per person will be around $550 per person including $75 ship credits that could be used for anything we want (coffee, drinks, ALCOHOL). We will be able to eat together in groups, cabins in the same vicinity, and so forth. The cruise ship has many fun things to do, like golf, courts, pools, ice skating, clubs, casino, and so forth! If you want more information on the cruise itself, I have attached a link. I also looked at the weather during this time since 1996, and it ranges anywhere from a low of 75 to a high of 92 degrees.

AGAIN, I NEED TO KNOW BY MAY 1ST WHO ALL IS GOING!

CONFIRMED LIST OF PEOPLE!
SIMONS - PENDING APPROVAL OF TIME OFF WORK
BROOKS
STIRMS
DONNY
MIKEY AND MAYBE PLUS 1
STEVO
CHEEKS - PENDING TIME OFF WORK

SO LET ME KNOW SO YOU DONT MISS THIS SWEET TRIP!!!!
STIRM

Here is the link...www.royalcaribbean.com, type in the information for the cruise, and you will see all the details

After getting a few requests, I added a few more people to the blog and the email filter. Every post is currently forwarded to 23 email addresses :) NIIIICCCEEE

Brandon, can we nail this down or what?

Can you give us a quick update on exact dates and costs again to make sure we're all on the same page, please.

Also, I'll look into adding a list to this blog to show who is in, etc.

PS: I like you guys a lot :)

Sven

yah i need a room mate too please... Stirmy, when do you need how much by?

I'm in. See you at the bar.

I predicted this post villero :) I know you too well!

Karen, let me tell you: You would have a blast ... and you would probably be the next bride :) I can't wait...

i need a room mate too karen.

I'm in, but I'm not married so I'm going to need a roomie.

New additions

I just added Karen, Randie, and Blomquist to the blog...not sure if they can join us or not...I hope Blom will be tied up with the National Tournament :)

Also, Sara and I will chat with our boss this week about time off to make sure we're good to go :)

Sven

Damon in
Michele in

Cruise

Hey Everyone,
Since we added this new blog and some new people, I need to know how many people are in for sure. I only booked 8 cabins for our group, 2 per cabin, so a total of 16 people. If there are more people than 16, I need to know right away to see if I can add some cabins to our group. Also a reminder, by MAY 6TH, a $500 deposit MUST be placed on each cabin for our cruise. For married folk, or soon to be married folk, that probably easy to figure out, but as far as the singles, please contact another single to work out the money issues. I tried to see if we can have more than 2 people per cabin, but Royal Carribean would not let us. Hope you all doing well, and Congratulations again to the future Cheeks!
Stirm

Tanks

damon brooks --> Men's Large
michele brooks--> Women's Small (OR) Men's Xtra Small

Great idea, Michele and I were thinking about that too!
Thanks for heading that up!!

One more thing...

By the way, let's not respond to the email you get, please. Because it's my work email (I'm only using it to be able to use a distribution list to automatically forward it to all of you guys) and because everything should be written on the wall of the blog :)

Alright, Mr. Sundberg ;)

Over and Out...

Sven

Fixed :)

Hey Cougar Cruisers,

This is probably the first email you receive from our blog. There was a minor technical difficulty that I just fixed. It should work fine now and you should receive an email notification whenever somebody posts something to our blog - just like this one...

I can't wait to put on my European speedos ...

Sven

the email notification didnt work for me sven. technical difficulties. here is the deal. i am going to be in charge of making shirts for this damn cruise. send me your shirt sizes. or should i say tank top sizes. cant wait to rock out on this cruise.

Email Notifications

Happy Friday everybody :)

Just want to let you guys know that I set up email notifications for this blog. This means that you should get an email to be notified that someone posted something to our Cougar Cruise blog - so we don't constantly have to check if something got posted. I hope this helps...

Let's get the discussion rolling again and nail it down. I'm excited and can't wait to snorkel with you guys...

Where is our cruise leader Brandon ???

Sven

i like boats. This is gonna be fun. just tell me where to sign

just personally installed a new faucet and plumbing in the kitchen.. big time.

make some moves. its monday

WELCOME COUGS

Hey guys,

Below is our original Facebook thread.

For those who are new, some super cool Cougs threw out the idea of going on a cruise together. All of us liked it and we're in the process of making it happen - so read up and jump on board - literally :)

Strudel

Original Facebook Thread

Donny Dequine April 11 at 12:38pm Reply
Donnydequine@gmail.com - I have never been on a cruise before...

Keli Jordan Thoma April 11 at 11:10am Reply
kelithoma@gmail.com

Steven Jim Lenhart April 11 at 11:01am Reply
lenhart3000@gmail.com you guys are bigtime. i just hung out with the wolfs and they are some quality people. i let ivan on the field last night after the game and he ran for days away from me. hes the next arshavin. the wolfs say hi and they are in for the cruise. peace fools

Michele Chapman Brooks April 11 at 12:43am Reply
sounds good... damonmichele@hotmail.com

Brandon Stirm April 11 at 9:54am Reply
I know I don't have everyone's email, so please post your email and I will create a email chain.

Sven Simon April 10 at 8:00pm
Guys...I just looked into some blogs and it seems like that's the best option for this. Let me know and I can set it up - or not.

Feedback, please :)

Sven Simon April 10 at 6:56pm
I talked to Danny today. He's in :) Unfortunately, we can't add people to this facebook thread. I have not heard back from Jared, yet. I'd suggest we start an email chain just like this thread so we can loop people in after we start it (like Danny, Miky, Jared, etc.).

Unless anybody has other thoughts, I'd volunteer Stirmy to put an email together with the details, etc. and send it out to everybody here and whoever is missing - make sure you have the right emails: Mine is sv.simon@yahoo.com; Sara's is: svenandsara@gmail.com

A blog might work, too. Any thoughts?

Sven

Sara Simon April 7 at 1:43pm Reply
i was just sitting at work imagining i was on the ship as i read through that list. great and it's only 2! have to say that i did laugh after reading "for teens but you know we will crash that party". Let's be honest, we will dominate the disco club.

Damon Brooks April 7 at 11:50am Reply
OK, just took a virtual tour of the ship..... just to give you guys a little taste of the possibilities:

- inline skating course
- separate indoor ice skating rink
- 9 hole miniature golf
- sports court (with walls! basketball, volleyball...futbol) someone pack a balon
- a disco club (for "teens" but you know we will crash that party
- separate night club ( for "grown ups")
- multiple pools
- an english pub
- sports bar
- johnny rockets
- casino
- day spa
- weight room
- production theater
- board game room

.... with this crew the possibilities are endless!!

Damon Brooks April 7 at 11:24am Reply
P.S. Brandon, you are stud for putting this whole thing together for everybody!

Damon Brooks April 7 at 11:14am Reply
HA. that's what I thought you might be doing. Funny guy.

Brandon Stirm April 7 at 10:31am Reply
Yep, sorry guys, got mixed up between Cancun and Cabo San Lucas!

Steven Jim Lenhart April 7 at 10:26am Reply
its cabo san lucas not cancun. cabo is at the tip of baja california.

Brandon Stirm April 7 at 8:07am Reply
Ok guys, here is the schedule for the cruise
We LEAVE from LA (I am guessing Long Beach) on November 28th on the Royal Carribean Ship Mariner of the Seas, WE DONT HAVE TO FLY ANYWHERE! From there, we sail down south to mexico where we stop in Cancun (First Stop) and then 2 other places, but I forget what they are called off the top of my head. I know one of the main reasons for this trip is because we didn't have to spend any money on airfare which saves us all a TON of money! Of course, we return to LA. So for the NORCAL crew, I know we are going to carpool down south to LA I am assuming.

If you want to view the cruise we are going on, click on the link below
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/cruiseDetails/itineraryAndPricing.do;jsessionid=0000zzW-bSvdTJAaxsO_YpxLq3d:12hbioan0?packageCode=MA07X010&sailDate=1101128&date=201010&selectedCurrencyCode=&promoType=&hasSenior=&hasMilitary=&hasFireandPolice=&state=



Cruise Details - Royal Caribbean International
www.royalcaribbean.com
: Mariner Of The Seas Departure Port: Los Angeles, California Ports of Call: Los Angeles, California; Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Mazatlan, Mexico; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Los Angeles, California 2010 Date(s): 28 Nov


Sven Simon April 6 at 11:34pm
Ohhh what about Eric Winblad and Natalie???

Sven Simon April 6 at 11:34pm
I'm not from this country but if there's a little sneaky Royal Caribbean path that goes from LA to Cancun then I'd be very happy. Stirmy :) Can you clarify this, please - I can't sleep tonight - I'll just keep thinking about this sneaky path...

What about David and Michelle and/or Rotunno and Sheryl - Also, I think Danny and Jared would be thrilled.

Thoughts?


Damon Brooks April 6 at 11:23pm Reply
I don't think we have enough in the bank account to fly down there, then cruise

Damon Brooks April 6 at 11:13pm Reply
trying to figure out if anyone caught which cruise we are going on. Brandon I don't know which cruise you are trying to sign us up for. Are we leaving out of LA or are we going to Cancun. Can't have both. Cancun is on the other side of mexico. So, that would require us to fly down to the south before hoping on a cruise. Just tryin to figure out cost savings and flyin before the cruise might get a little pricey.. just a thought.

Michele Chapman Brooks April 6 at 9:02pm Reply
Does anyone have a significant other that they want to bring? If there is an odd # of single guys or girls then that significant other can bunk with the same sex if they aren't wanting to stay as a couple.
James would be great! What about Danny or Jared?
What is everyone doing for memorial weekend? Should we camp then? Thanks Brandon for reserving! That works great for us! Anyone have a problem with the 28th?

Steven Jim Lenhart April 6 at 7:34pm Reply
zach baker! for sure

Brandon Stirm April 6 at 6:40pm Reply
I just sent Jimmy James a request! I am assuming he will say YES since we have a sweet crew!

Donny Dequine April 6 at 6:22pm Reply
What about Jimmy James?
Sent via Facebook Mobile

Keli Jordan Thoma April 6 at 6:19pm Reply
let's camp big sur

Sara Simon April 6 at 5:42pm Reply
WOW....that was alot of info. Sven and I are definitely going to have to work on our boss. Since it's towards the end of the year, I think we should be ok. I will have Sven work his magic and see what we can do. As far as another person, Karen Lawrence is in. Just keep feeding us the details and we will make it happen. In the mean time can we all plan a weekend trip in Napa or Big Sur or something. I mean let's be honest, November is soooooo far away :(

Brandon Stirm April 6 at 4:04pm Reply
Hey Everyone,
I have a great update for all of you! I just got off the phone with Royal Carribean and I have secured a group with all of us for the November 28th cruise trip to Mexico! Because we are a group, each cabin, will receive points (I believe 75) which can be used at your pleasure i.e. drinks, alcohol, or anything else on the boat.
Some details
-Our group name for the Cruise Ship is Tae Kwaba!
- I have reserved 8 cabins in the general vicinity (2 per cabin)
Now including everyone, we need 3 more people to complete, otherwise we don't get some of the other benefits of being in a group! Any ideas on who else we would like to come???? Bloomquist? Wolf's? Peck? Please throw out your ideas!
-We eat anytime we want AS A GROUP!!!!!
-We are all on the same floor of the ship
- Total per person with tip included is 553 per person
-By the 30th of May, Royal Carribean has to have the dposit required per cabin
- The deposit for the cabin is $500
- For the single crew, it is 2 per room
- Group ID is 1627064 when booking the trip

I am going to send a file with some more information.

Does this work for everyone? If not let us know and we can work it out!

Alison Stirm-de Snayer April 6 at 2:26pm Reply
oooo sorry keli!!! I CANNOT believe I forgot you! I hope you are doing well


Brandon Stirm April 6 at 2:26pm Reply
As Sven requested, I looked up the weather in Cancun area since 1996 and the average temperature in Cancun is from 77 degrees to 93 degrees Farenheit not counting humidity. On the cruise we would do, Cancun is the highest point and the first stop, and we continue southeast towards the equater and more inland Mexico so I assume its only going to get warmer.
Hurrincane season usually ends in the end of October so we will miss that completely and some of the sites I have looked at, recommend the months we are traveling in because of Holidays and not as busy. I attached a website link if you want to check out the weather down south.


http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/MMUN/1972/11/28/PlannerHistory.html?dayend=5&monthend=12&yearend=1972&req_city=Cancun+International&req_state=&req_statename=Mexico



History : Weather Underground
www.wunderground.com
Weather Underground provides weather information for worldwide locations, including current conditions, hourly forecasts, radar and satellite maps. Specialized weather products include severe weather alerts, ...
Share

Keli Jordan Thoma April 6 at 2:03pm Reply
im not married!!

Sven Simon April 6 at 1:34pm
I'd like Steven to be able to make it. So if we can make it happen around a holiday and when Steven is good to go then I'd prefer that. The weather should still be good then, right? Can someone check that out, please. I want to make sure it's warm when we go on a cruise so that I can get a sweet tan line...haha

But seriously, let's check on the weather - if it's not warm then I'd like to do something else rather than a cruise, I'd think.

Just my two cents :)

Auf Wiedersehen...

Alison Stirm-de Snayer April 6 at 12:52pm Reply
HAHA....you aren't the only one not married....how about donny, mike, ryan and amy.

Steven Jim Lenhart April 6 at 12:49pm Reply
sex

Sara Simon April 6 at 12:20pm Reply
Steven, I will be happy to bring a babe along for you. I already got one in mind :) Please refrain from using the word sex in these conversations :)


Steven Jim Lenhart April 6 at 10:01am Reply
is this going to be a marriage cruise? it could get a little weird with all you guys having sex and stuff and me just chilling.

Michele Chapman Brooks April 5 at 10:26pm Reply
Steven- be nice!
Rho- you're not gay, you're GREAT. That's what Steven meant!
Kolt- we miss you and Holly and think you should somehow find time and $$ to come with us. Maybe we could all chip in an extra $10 or $20 towards your crazy flights back to LA. (Rho also)
Stirms and Simons- you have awesome ideas, thanks!
Everyone- I miss you and I am TOTALLY stoked that we are doing this! I like the sound of the 28th of November. It has a nice ring to it. Would that work for Steven and the Simons?

Kolt Callaway April 5 at 10:05pm Reply
Yeah, nice Steve. I got your back Rho. Hey everyone, also would love to come and being out of the country has its disadvantageous. i think you should all make a trip to Thailand or something near here and then we can all meet up. Thailand’s a sweet place. Just throwing it out there. Hope all is well.


Rhoman Goyenechea April 5 at 9:33pm Reply
thanks steven...that really makes me feel good.

Steven Jim Lenhart April 5 at 8:56pm Reply
rhoman youre gay.


Brandon Stirm April 5 at 12:08pm Reply
Hey Guys,
So now that we have established that everyone is up for a cruise, next we have to establish a date. I know Stevo season ends in November, so I think we should go right after Thanksgiving, unless some have a problem with that. Is that alright with everyone? I believe right after Thanksgiving, there is a departure date from Los Angeles, November 28th to be exact.
I am going to call Royal Carribean and talk to someone about the group we have going and what is the best way for travel. Once I get more information from them, I will relay it to you guys! Looking forward to this AWESOME trip!
Stirm

Rhoman Goyenechea April 3 at 8:35pm Reply
ok....i am really jealous but excited to see you all continuing to hold it down. i wish i could come, but i need to be realistic here...i live on the other side of the world. if i was near you all...i would be quit my job of selling cars while being on vacation and prolly change my tickets 3 or 4 times. anyways..keep it gangsta...try to get as dark as me, and play some serious settlers for me. love you all. peace for now. rho rho

Damon Brooks April 3 at 1:21pm Reply
We're In, and as of right now fairly flexible.. 5th date should work.. thanksgiving could work but as you all know isn't ideal... A suggestion for $$ minimalization would be to look on the AAA website if you guys are AAA members. All this to say BROOKS ARE IN AND READY TO SET SAIL!


Alison Stirm-de Snayer April 3 at 9:47am Reply
Hello Everyone! Its the other half of the Stirms :) I hope you are ALL doing well. Happy Easter. Sara had written me with this idea, and I am excited to see it taking off! I guess the list looks like this now:
-Stirms
-Simons
-Cheeks-Amy
-Mikey
-Keli
-Stevo
-Donny
This is awesome!! There are still a few more to hear from :)
Brandon is planning on calling the cruise line to see if there are any type of group rate, or any ideas on the best way for us to do this.
Again, everyone have a blessed Easter with all your family and friends! Take care

Donny Dequine April 3 at 9:26am Reply
I agree with the Simons on the 5th date.. I think! But also think thanksgiving weekend is good to. Completely different topic, but anybody going to Bues wedding? I just got an invitation a week ago... I can't make it and feel bad..
Sent via Facebook Mobile


Steven Jim Lenhart April 3 at 8:13am Reply
how about mid june... during the world cup. i have break. just throwing shit out there.

Keli Jordan Thoma April 3 at 2:08am Reply
I'm in!

Amy Mitchell April 2 at 5:04pm Reply
me and ryan are in!!! we have to figure out if we can swing it financial...and with dates but we really want to...yeah!!!!! so fun.


Brandon Stirm April 2 at 4:25pm Reply
Ok, guys, I just got done speaking with Mikey, and he is in! Looks like we have a good crew so far!
Here is who I have as a yes
Simon's
Stirm's
Stevo
Donny
Mikey

And we havent heard from a few other people, and once we do, then I we will discuss a date to book

I am soooo pumped for this trip!

Donny Dequine April 2 at 3:19pm Reply
Whenever, whatever, as long as we'll be together... - Shakira
Sent via Facebook Mobile


Sara Simon April 2 at 1:56pm Reply
September 5 is best since we have Monday off but if you all want to do Thanksgiving, that can work too.


Steven Jim Lenhart April 2 at 12:21pm Reply
lets go over thanksgiving weekend. come on guys. thats when im done. its a holiday for sven and sara and i know typically everyone spends thanksgiving with their family. i think that is awesome but lets mix it up. peace homies
steven.

Brandon Stirm April 2 at 11:04am Reply
Okay, I did some research and here are some dates and prices:
For the month of August, dates are the 1st, 8th, 15, 22, and 29 of August. All these are week long cruises with stops all over Mexico.

September, dates are 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th of September.

October, dates are 3rd, 10th, 24th, 31st of October.

The cheapest prices I have seen is $470 for an interior room, but maybe if we get a huge room, for a big price, we can split it and make it really cheap. I will keep looking.

Can everyone please let me know what dates would be the best?

Sara Simon April 2 at 8:39am Reply
You stole our idea. Just kidding, but we did just have this chat a bit ago with Damon and Michele about the whole group going on a cruise. We would love to go! We just have to see what the dates are looking like. Unfortunately, we used all of our vacation plus a week of no pay for our honeymoon. If there is anyway to plan it around a holiday weekend, that might work best for us so we can avoid as much no pay as possible. I am told that we should be able to get some more time off but unfortunately no pay :( but if it's to hang out with all of you, we are game :) Hope you all are doing well and have a wonderful Easter!!

Love,
Sven and Sara


Brandon Stirm April 2 at 8:08am Reply
Hey Guys and Gals,
So I have been thinking of a way we can get together since we wont have a wedding or any special event coming up soon within the year. I have been looking at cruises online at the Royal Carribean website. There are cruises out of LA that go to Mexico for the week (7 day cruise). Prices for the cheapest room range about $475 per person, with it being all inclusive. The months I have been looking in are August, September, or Ocotber. I just feel a cruise would be a sweet thing for our group and we can have a really fun time together on a cruise. If you want to look at more information, go to royalcarribean.com and check it out for yourself. Since we will be docking out of LA, we dont have to pay any extra fees like a plane ride or rental cars, but only for the cruise itself.
If this is something you think you would like, please let all of us know. I would love to go on a cruise with all of you, and if we can plan it for later in the year, hopefully all of us can make it.
If i missed anyone in this email, you can forward it to them. I know Mikey is not on facebook, so I cam going to bring it up with him. Having this plan would allow us to get together and see each other for a sweet week in mexico. I mean, soccer on the beach in Cabo San Lucas sounds pretty good!
Hope you all are doing good and looking forward to hearing from you.
Brandon Stirm