What a weekend in Birmingham

Well, we got back a few hours ago from a weekend in Birmingham the Dixie Reptile Show (what a SMALL show that is! Lots of colubrids and very few ball pythons).

Karl and I arrived in Birmingham about 9:45, got checked in and were starving, so we decided to order some pizza from Pizza Hut. They said delivery in 35 minutes - COOL!

An hour later - no pizza, so we called, asked about it and told the driver was running behind, but tell him to knock $4 off the bill.

An hour and a half later - no pizza. Called again - he's really on his way this time, your bill is now 1/2 price, tell the driver.

One hour and 50 minutes later - he's on his way RIGHT now and will be there within 15 minutes, your pizza is free.

At 12:30, 2.5 hours later the pizza still didn't show and we put the do not disturb sign up and went to bed. I was not pleased.

So, a full night's sleep, breakfast, and Christie's on her way with her baby snakes she produced this year to get independent confirmation from myself and Ed on the sexes. Ed calls (he's staying in the same hotel) and we finally get to meet in the lobby while he and his lovely wife are having breakfast. Christie comes in with a box in a Toys 'R Us bag (to hide the Live, Harmless Reptiles that's all over her box) and we all proceed up to my room to have a popping party! We came up with 1.2 normals and 1.2 pastels, but I think after we probed them that it's really 0.3 normals, but they were awfully squirmy, so she'll have to check later on that questionable one.

We all then decide to head out to the show and Ed and Carrie follow us there. We get there and my car has smoke coming out under the hood. Oh joy! Two hours from home and my car decides to have problems. Ed takes a look and tells me it looks like a front seal leak. Yay! :(

We go into the show, check everything out and head back to the hotel, there's a Goodyear next door and they pull it in, confirm Ed's diagnosis, top me off and assure me I can drive back as long as I check my oil every 30 or 40 miles, top me off and send me on my way (they didn't have time to do the repairs by that time).

Water heater floods the apartment last Saturday, car needs major repairs this week, please - nothing else!!!!

Christie, Karl and I run to Walmart in the afternoon (fun weekend get-away, huh?) and Ed and Carrie go shopping at a nearby outlet mall.

We decide we'll go to PF Changs for dinner, drive all over Birmingham looking for it (it was MAYBE 2 miles from where we were staying), Ed forced us through a red light when we were following him, and then when Christie took the lead, she did a U-turn on Red. By that time, we're all in tears in our respective cars from our belly laughs and this comedy of errors.

We get there, get the pager and told about a 20 minute wait. We're all outside talking, having a nice time, and about 20 minutes into the wait, Karl's holding this pager, that has an end that looks like one of those stun guns you touch to someone. Karl takes his finger and touches those two connections and JUST as he say "I wonder how this thing works", it goes off. OMG! The timing could not have been more perfect! He looks as if he's been electrocuted and we're belly laughing our way into the restaurant, all five of us bent over from laughing so hard at his facial expression and the PERFECT timing of it going off.

We joke later that the waiter's going to come by and tell us that the manager said that we're cut off because by that time, we all thought everything was absolutely hilarious and were laughing so hard through dinner. At that moment, the waiter stops by and we die laughing again. We told him what we had just commented on and he says "well, they did warn me that they had just seated a group of crazy people in my section". Priceless!!!!

We managed to convince Christie to NOT drive back when she was obviously exhausted, and so she crashed on a sofa bed in Ed and Carrie's suite and got up with the birds and drove home this morning.

Karl and I got home about 3, and I've just heard from Ed that they made it back safely, but they have a family emergency and he will probably not be online for several days. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers these next few days.

I had a blast this weekend hanging out with good friends! I look forward to the next mini-get together.

We told Ed - take this weekend and multiply it by 10 and you get an idea the level of fun of Daytona!

Thanks Christie, Ed and Carrie for such a fun weekend!

Ack hope your car repairs aren't too much hon. Sounds like quite the weekend. Many prayers for Ed and his family as they deal with this crisis.

Just a quick check-in :ROFL: yea neither me nore Christie have the navagation gene and we both apperently love to run redlights :D :ROFL:

The popping party was also a dodge the pee party :D nothing like getting peed on at 9:00 am :D good times

Dinner was great good food and good laughs. :D

I'll get pictures up and Christie has some and so does Robin :D:D

As for emergancy thanks in advance guys. Heres the deal. My wifes aunt who is also her God Mother was getting out of her car at church this morning. A driver fell asleep at the wheel ran off the road and struck her on the shoulder of the road while walking to her church. She suffered two broked legs, massive internal bleading, and head trauma, She pass away from her injuries 45 minutes after the accident. My wifes mom found out and was alone when she did. I called my mom and dad to come and be with her till we could get there. This comes as a major blow to both Carrie and her family if I'm not around for the next couple of days keep my wife and family in your prayers.

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Originally Posted by Freakie_frog

Just a quick check-in :ROFL: yea neither me nore Christie have the navagation gene and we both apperently love to run redlights :D :ROFL:.

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Ya think? :P

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The popping party was also a dodge the pee party :D nothing like getting peed on at 9:00 am :D good times

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I forgot about that part! Christie definitely doesn't have to wonder if her snakes are well hydrated - they are! We finally got wise and started popping over the sink instead! LOL:D

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Dinner was great good food and good laughs. :D

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Indeed it was! I think after Karl got the shock of his life, we were all pretty punch drunk the rest of the evening!

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I'll get pictures up and Christie has some and so does Robin :D:D

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I actually think I took a grand total of five pictures. I'm sure yours and Christie's are much better!

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As for emergancy thanks in advance guys. Heres the deal. My wifes aunt who is also her God Mother was getting out of her car at church this morning. A driver fell asleep at the wheel ran off the road and struck her on the shoulder of the road while walking to her church. She suffered two broked legs, massive internal bleading, and head trauma, She pass away from her injuries 45 minutes after the accident. My wifes mom found out and was alone when she did. I called my mom and dad to come and be with her till we could get there. This comes as a major blow to both Carrie and her family if I'm not around for the next couple of days keep my wife and family in your prayers.

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Ed, please give Carrie a big hug for me. I was so saddened when you called me this afternoon. Please be safe in your travels! :hug:

Ed, I'm so sorry to read about Carrie's aunt. Please extend our condolences to your wife and her family in this sad time. Big hugs from all of us to all of you. What an awful shock it must have been. :(

You forgot that I got lost on the way to your hotel too. ;) I REALLY have no sense of direction. Actually, I seem to have a knack for picking the wrong way. (although I did finally remember The Summit! – go figure :rolleyes: )

It was wonderful to meet you Ed and your lovely wife Carrie. She was such a sweetheart, even if she prefers lizards. ;) I can’t thank you enough for help me with my babies, and for letting me crash on your couch. I crashed hard! I don’t think I’ve laughed that hard in a LONG time.

Robin, you know I just absolutely LOVE you! (and I kept trying to take Karl home with me but he kept sneaky out of my truck :love: ) I can’t thank you enough for popping those babies, and showing me how to probe as well. Not too mention for all the laughs! You forgot to mention our inquisition (nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition) at the gas station trying to buy the cigarettes for Karl. Poor Robin didn’t have her ID, and I had my ID checked over for 5 minutes while she kept looking back and forth. Sheesh, I’m WAY over 18 just give em to me! :rolleyes: Then we go to get some ice cream, and Robin gives me the oddest look. She asked what I ordered…. An M&M McFlurry. She heard McNuematic something or other so we’re giggling hysterically as we pull up to the window to pay. Then we get back to the hotel, and I go to park the truck. POP!! I looked at Robin and said WHAT WAS THAT?!? She said (with a completely straight face) that I’d hit a cat! :O I FREAKED, then did a double take…. Since when do cats explode on impact?! The she busts out laughing and I join her. (never did figure out what I hit) So we’ve got tears running down our face as we enter the lobby. The poor desk receptionist looks like she’s just stepped into the looney bin. I’m about to pee my pants, and after finally calming down Robin asks what we’re laughing about and we can’t even remember!!! :rofl: :giggle: OMG!! What a blast!

Then we settled in Ed and Carrie’s suite and talk about almost everything. It was such a wonderful evening! Thank you all again!!! :blowkiss: (oh and here’s a special one for Karl :blowkiss: )

Ed, I’m so sorry to hear about Carrie’s aunt. Give her a couple hugs from me. Take the time you need to get everything sorted out, and know that you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.

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Robin, you know I just absolutely LOVE you!

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And the feeling is mutual! :love:

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Poor Robin didn’t have her ID, and I had my ID checked over for 5 minutes while she kept looking back and forth. Sheesh, I’m WAY over 18 just give em to me!

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I had put my ID and debit card in a smaller bag for the show, so when we left to go to Target for Christie to pick up a few things, and the convenience store to get smokes for Karl, I had grabbed my purse, which did me no good, since what I needed was in the other bag. That gal was weird! Then we leave the convenience store (this is at night) and I'm like "Ummm, headlights would be good here, dear!" Christie wanted to be a Ninja driver, I guess.

You ordered an Emenatic Flurry! I swear that's what you ordered, but the lady knew what you wanted, so you're all good! :P

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Then we get back to the hotel, and I go to park the truck. POP!! I looked at Robin and said WHAT WAS THAT?!? She said (with a completely straight face) that I’d hit a cat! :O I FREAKED, then did a double take…. Since when do cats explode on impact?! The she busts out laughing and I join her.

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And your face was priceless when you asked what you ran over and I said "it was just a cat".

Yeah, I think that receptionist thought we had just a few too many. And you were in the corner of the elevator with your legs crossed, so I knew you were struggling! hehehehehe!

[QUOTE]I don’t think I’ve laughed that hard in a LONG time.
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Same here! The show was pretty much a bust, but the five of us hanging out will be a memory I cherish for some time!

Oh yeah, you forgot when we were in Ed and Carrie's suite and you started to laugh about something (I don't remember), and Karl's trying to talk you through the laughing fit (actually, he was just provoking you into more fits of laughs, don't know that he really had altruistic motives) and you can't even catch a breath to breath (you know that silent, but deadly laugh, since there's no air?). You had to throttle Karl to get him to shut up long enough so you could breath! Good times!

I miss you guys already! Ed has a wonderful laugh too!

Same here! The show was pretty much a bust, but the five of us hanging out will be a memory I cherish for some time!

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Oh yeah, you forgot when we were in Ed and Carrie's suite and you started to laugh about something (I don't remember), and Karl's trying to talk you through the laughing fit (actually, he was just provoking you into more fits of laughs, don't know that he really had altruistic motives) and you can't even catch a breath to breath (you know that silent, but deadly laugh, since there's no air?). You had to throttle Karl to get him to shut up long enough so you could breath! Good times!

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I thought I was going to pass out from lack of oxygen! My poor lungs actually hurt because I couldn't get a breath, and Karl's just torturing me some more.... I had to muzzle him or I was going to die! :D Oh good lord that was funny stuff!

I'm going to try and get those photos uploaded in a bit. I forgot to take any photos of the show, but Ed was so sweet he had burned his pics to a cd for us before we even went to dinner! Thanks again Ed! :blowkiss:

Gosh...I'm missing out on all the fun! :( :P


Sounds like you guys had an awesome time!

Ed....I'm so sorry to hear about the sadness in your family. Please know that you all are in my thoughts and prayers today. :hug:

ED im sorry to hear that...

soooo did anyone buy anything at that show????

just wondering if were gonna see any pics of new additions of any kind..;)