Dec. 16 – Fun day. We took our chances on renting a motor bike to do some exploring. It’s only been 33 years since my horrific motorcycle accident that laid me up for 18 months! I caught on real quick, as if my last ride was yesterday. We traveled on dirt roads through rice fields and worn out trails. We found ourselves at the caves on the sides of the limestone cliffs. We needed a guide to help us explore. We paid 20,000 kip ($2.50 USD) and paired up with 2 Americans, the only Americans we met in Laos. They are students at UC Santa Barbara (Casey’s alma mater). The cave is a bit different than the ones we explored in Thailand. The climbing is steep with incredibly narrow entries. It was very challenging but loads of fun.

The next day, a stomach virus got me. I stayed in bed watching movies while Michelle kept herself entertained riding a rented bike around town and the river.
Dec. 18, we took off for Luang Prabang, Laos. It is a 6 hr. bus ride through beautiful mountains and villages. It’s always a blast to see the country side at the mercy of a driver that wants to be Mario Andretti. We made it …. It was a great feeling to arrive alive!
Luang Prabang is a small beautiful historic city on the list of UNESCO preservation sites. There is an open air market every night closing down ½ mile of the town’s main street. Buddhist Temples line the streets and hillsides and French architecture is noted for the shops and guest houses. At the market we see locally made textiles, art and clothes, all hand embroidered, sewn or woven.

Two of the major rivers in Asia run along the town and meet in Luang Prubang: the Nam Kong and Mekong. Michelle and I decided we needed to get out to explore the wild. We kayaked the Nam Kong, a 15 mile adventure through many different hill tribes. We actually got to stop with our guide Lee, to visit a tribe. Most everything that keeps this tribe and the others alive, is the river. The river supplies food, shelter, and transportation. The kayak trip made us really understand the nature of the culture in Laos. All along the 4 hour journey we saw children playing in the river yelling Michelle’s favorite greeting, “Saba-dee”, which means hello in Lao. Their lives were so simple and pure. It makes one wonder about industrialization and how good that really is.

We ended up at a water fall with large azure blue pools for swimming. It was so beautiful. One morning we got up at 6 AM to watch the monk procession receive their “aims”. The monks line up single file, head bowed, as town people and tourists kneel down in a line as well to donate the monks meal. It is a beautiful procession of orange robes and watching the ritual was very humbling. Later in the day we rented bicycles to view small villages. Once outside town, a flat tire forced us to return via tuk tuk (a motorized cart). That evening we went to a special restaurant which is pure Lao Food, mostly sticky rice and various sauces. In this culture, people eat with their hands and stick their hands into shared bowls of rice. It is considered rude to leave a piece of rice in the bowl BUT not rude to stick your hand in the same bowl as others. Go figure. In our culture, we aren’t even allowed to double dip! We also had the good fortune to hear the monks do their chanting. That was a beautiful although very different sound.

The rest of our time in Luang Prubang was shopping, eating, and temple observing and learning a bit about the native culture. We learned about the silk worm and how it works and the quality of silk made products and textiles here in Laos. They are at the top end and in demand all over the world.

At the end of 5 days here we were sad to say goodbye but it was time to move on. We flew over to Cambodia to explore ancient temples of the Kumar dynasty. The first thing we noticed is that there are mega hotels here which was quite a surprise. They are all lit up for Christmas. Our hotel is nice with a great swimming pool. Cambodia is close to the equator and very warm.

This country has gone from the good, to the bad, to the ugly during its existence, and they are still recovering from it all (quote taken out of Lonely Planet book). They have found ceramic bowls that can be dated back to 4300 B.C., pretty crazy. Again, as in the other countries we have visited, the people here are very friendly, but we find that everyone wants your business and are a bit insistent about asking for it. Tuk-tuk drivers and people selling things on the street are constantly calling out to you. After a while you just don’t hear them. Cambodia has just recently opened its door to the outside world, so it’s fairly new to tourism. The city that we are staying in called Siem Reap, its fame comes from the many temples that are located around the city, some dating as far back at the 10th Century.

We took a guided tour of Angkor Wat, which is considered the largest ancient city found here. The temple is a smorgasbord of architectural design and reliefs which tells the story of the Kings religious and spiritual history.

It is now Christmas Eve. We feel like strangers in a strange land. No Christmas music or Christmas movies. No fish dinner at Darryl and Louise’s. We are happy to have each other : - ) We wish you all a Merry Christmas and look forward to making some phone calls tomorrow. Enjoy your holidays! Our thoughts are with you.

Michelle and Dave (Pictures will be added next chance we have)

15-December-2008
The Massages never happened. Michelle fell ill to something she drank or ate and rested in bed all day. ½ hour naps with 5 minute bathroom runs, then the nap again. Stevo and Deb treked around the mountains, as I did, checking out this undeveloped utopia. I got the chance to catch up on some reading and rested as well.
On Tuesday we headed out of town with a stop at the weekly Chaing Dao market. It reminded me of the Santa Cruz flea market with a few differences. Food choices included dried fish, live worms, pastel colored powders, bulk spices, all set up on the sidewalks (well what would have been sidewalks if there were sidewalks) Our travels continue with an hour ride into Chaing Mai.
Chaing Mai is a city with a Greenwich Village like charm. The city itself is over 800 years old. Buddhist Temples fill the streets. Everything around us is filled with a history we know so little about. Michelle gets a book on Siddhartha, to learn a little about Buddhism and begin to understand the culture more. We enjoy our 4 days, shopping, strolling, drinking FABULOUS Thai coffee, people watching, site seeing, and daily $3 hour long massages!
At the end of our 4 days, we head off on our own to Laos, a country east of Thailand. Our friends take off to Siri Lanka in the Indian Ocean. We will see them again in a couple of weeks in the Maldives.
Saturday, Dec. 13th is a travel day. We take two flights to get to Laos and then have to hop on a bus to get to the town we want to be in, Vang Vieng. The bus driver is about 20 years old and he has 4 of his friends riding up front with him. The road is mountainous and dangerous! The kids are laughing having a grand old time and we are worried if we will ever see life again! It’s a 3 hour ride and the bus stops periodically for all the travelers to relieve themselves on the side of the road. At home, we would get arrested for indecent exposure but here in Laos, pit stops are common place. No shame in pulling down your pants and just doing what you have to do. The culture here is lovely. The Laos people are kind and giving. We are currently hanging by the Nam Lgo River. The town is small and can be explored by foot. We have been tubing down the Nam Log river for the past two days that we have been here. Tubes cost $5 each. Bamboo bars line the river. Each bar has something different to offer. One has a zip line over the river, another has a swing, one has a diving board, another a water slide. Our regular stop has “happy” shakes. I will let you imagine what makes them happy. Then there is the bar with the mud baths, darts, etc. etc. . The ride down the river is about 3 hours long but with bar stopping, it can take you well into the evening. We are surrounded by limestone cliffs 90 feet high as we tube down the river. The experience has been breathtaking. Michelle and I do a yearly trip to Lake Tulloch to float down the canyon in Sonora California. This year due to time constraints, we were unable to make that happen but our experience here in Vang Vieng has more than made up for it. We feel at peace and have our groove.
Last night we found the night scene. Bars in town along the river. Vang Vieng is a very young spot but we were able to find the over 30 crowd at the Bamboo Bar. We sat and spoke with a few people from Germany, Switzerland, Sweden and Australia. We have not met other American’s here in Laos and the experience of other people and other culture has given us a new understanding. As always…miss you all! Dave and Michelle

Southeast Asia/Northwest Asia

We leave Malaysia using the country’s answer to Southwest Airlines….cheap. Unfortunately for us, the no frills airline forces us to come up with $150 for all our additional baggage. We fly north to the small city of Chaing Mai. The closing of the Bangkok airport has affected the entire country so the city is quiet and we get to enjoy. We check into our hotel, a favorite spot where Deb and Steve have hung before. We are right in the middle of town and the only ones at the hotel!!!!. We visit several temples in our neighborhood. All very interesting and we start to learn about Thai culture. All Thai males become a monk for at least one year of their life. They learn forgiveness, kindness, compassion, acceptance, and selflessness. We also start to see how inexpensive everything is. Lunch for the 4 of us costs about $8.00, including drinks Wow! Massages $10.00 an hour, foot rubs for 30 mins. $3.00. We are only here for one day…..but we’ll be back next week. We head to Mae hong son, an even smaller city Northwest of Chaing Mai. We hop onto a small prop plane with twice the room of our earlier flight, and off we go. The plane is only a third full. The pilot does a complete 360 around the town as we prepare to land. It looks like a small Shangrala village from the air. We check into a small bungalow, again very inexpensive ($18.00 a night, satellite tv, hot and cold showers, and a king bed which turned out to be VERY uncomfortable.)
We are in the center of town across from a small lake and next to the nightly market. The beers of choice here are Chang or Singha, both very good, and we seem to go through several at each sitting. We explore the town, do some shopping and set up our daily activities. By the way, a major event is happening here, the King of Thailand’s birthday. The Thai people LOVE their King, and they celebrate by paying respect and vacationing. No wild parties, just lots of temple visiting and showing respect and gratitude. The Thai people are hoping the King does or says something about the prime minister stepping down. All of the towns are getting things cleaned up, and looking very special.
We decide to head out for an adventure. Thai elephants reside in this part of the country. Michelle and I hop aboard an elephant and go for a ride. This was a bit too scary for us as we head across the Pai river on the elephants back. We disembark and console ourselves in a natural hot springs. The four of us lounge in the hot springs pool and soak in the minerals and the jungle scenery.
The next day, we have a guide take us to Pai. This is a hip western like town known for good music, cool people, and shopping. On our way, our guide, George, takes us to a Shaman village. We share tea with the people and watch the shaman play his music for us. While he plays his special instruments, he dances. His teeth are red from chewing too much beatlenut. He was also quite the opium smoker in his day. Opium used to be grown is these parts but the government has planted pines so that the opium can no longer take hold here. The shaman enjoyed us as much as we enjoyed him. He spoke with us through an interpreter and reminded us of a delightful leprachan. He told us about his 7 wives. He had separated from 6 of them. If a relationship isn’t right in his culture, you just move on, no negative connotation at all.
We continue off to Pai but when we get there, the town is swarming with tourists. There are no accomodations anywhere. Turns out there is a major film festival. Tents are set up in hotel parking lots. We leave and head off to Chaing Dao (city of diamonds) . The ride over was 4 hours of night time mountainous riding with two people who suffer from car sickness but we made it. What a beautiful place Chaing Dao is. Limestone Mountains tower above us in a jungle like setting. Our hosts are a Thai woman and European man. They have combined luxury and simplicity in our small bungalows with fabulous beds and linens. The food is comparable to 5 star eateries back home. Michelle is in her glory.

We have been visiting temples and hiking jungle treks. Sitting around and reading has also been on the list of activities. Tomorrow is our first massage. Two hours for $20!!!!! We are finally settling in to a slower pace and realizing that there is nowhere to go and no have to be there. It is an interesting way to be.

As we move ahead to Real Time Dec. 5, 2008, Thailand...

Time to get you caught up as we have found a way to use our laptop here in Thailand. We started our trip last Friday, Nov. 30, 2008, the day after Thanksgiving....

Thailand is under siege with civil unrest. After a 14 hour flight to Taipai, Taiwan, we change plans to avoid Bangkok Airport. We avoid the conflict completely with a flight to Kuala Lumpur (KL) Malayasia.

Dec. 1, we are now a day ahead of all of you (exactly 14 hours), so it’s our Monday morning and Sunday night football just came on at home. We have breakfast with our friends Stevo and Debbie and decide to check out downtown KL. We catch a 20 minute train ride and meet a fellow American on the train, an ex pat is what they call themselves. He has been trying to get to the USA, but because of the problems in Thailand, also had to come to KL to get there. He lives in Cambodia, running a non profit school educating the natives, and for cash, works as a back country ski guide at Snowbird, Utah. He was so interesting, so we ended up hanging with him all day …so now it’s a party of 5.

KL is a mixture of the old and the new with Hindu and Chinese Temples, colonial stucco buildings, and steel modern sky scrapers.

We went to the markets with lots of western (name brand items like purses and shoes) and eastern goods(statues, batiques, wood carvings). We bought a nice back pack and a cell phone. Prices are about 1/4th of what we would have paid back home…and we here Thailand is even less. Time will tell.

Heading out to dinner with the group at the fancy hotel we are staying at tonight (right near the airport) We have a 7 AM flight tomorrow. So far…pretty interesting culture and we are soaking it all in. People are nice and friendly and so far, all speak English..

The Island of Saba May 27 - June 2, 2008

Boy kinda nuts leaving St. Martin, but happy to.... we had to get on to a smaller prop plane because the island of Saba has the world's smallest International airport, and that's a fact. The plane holds 12 people, which 2 are crew members, so no beers or soft drink will be served. As we see this island from a distance, all we can see is a very small runway, and these large type of pinnacles surrounding the island. The landing took less than 5 seconds...and you're done.

Very exciting to say the least. We are staying on the windward side, so we get a brief tour of the tiny island. It's roads all go up and then down, there really isn't any flat areas except at a place called "the Bottom". The island has 2 taxis, and they are driven by 5th generation island nationals. The entire island is Dutch, but the American dollar is excepted everywhere. There is only 1 very small beach, that I would say is maybe 20 ft. long.

Other than that, it's all cliffs or docking areas for dive boats and supply boats. All of the roads are maybe the width of 1 and a half American automobiles, very narrow. Most of the cars and trucks are made in Europe and can fit rather well on the narrow roadways.

We are pretty much in the mix of things where we are staying, so we end up doing a lot of walking....up and down...up and down... We set up 2 dives a day with a charter service. A very nice group of people. The island of Saba is famous for it's incredible diving areas, there are shelf's that drop off at 30 feet each, with all kinda of fun stuff to look at and check out. Lot's of lobsters hiding in cubby holes. Most of our dives were in the 60- 80 feet range. one day we were out and I was having some air issues with my BCD (Buoyancy Control Device ) and all of a sudden I start floating to the surface trying to get Michelle's and the dive masters attention. For those that are not aware of safe practices in diving, you are suppose to do a shallow swim at 15 ft. to release any nitrogen you have collected in your body so you don't get the bends. So...I float to the top very worried about the next issue .....

Since the last blog of July 08 ....

Picking up the pieces... AS A FOOTNOTE while we were in Puerto Rico, which I didn't put in the original blog, I was notified by my doctor, in the USA, that I had prostate cancer and needed to come home. A small detail ... so to get a bit caught up on our travels, here is the condensed version......

after we left St. Kitts in the Caribbean, we went over to St. Martin to catch a prop plane for our next island. While on St. Martin, we had a lay over, so we decided to check out the downtown part. St. Martin is part Dutch and part French, so we went to the Dutch side. While driving there in our cab, we come to a traffic jam in the downtown shopping area. As we are inching along, all of a sudden the cab driver steps on the gas peddle, rams a car, people from the cruise ship that are shopping along the main street, dive for protection, hoping not to get hit by our out of control cab. After ramming a total of 3 cars, the driver finally gets stuck between the safety bars that are next to the sidewalk and another car, but the engine is still racing. I'm in the front seat, i reach over and turn the key off. Michelle is in the back, and everyone is OK. I crawl out the front window and then get her out. It could of been a very ugly scene, but it wasn't. Next thing we know, the police, fire department, and newscasters are there on the spot, doing their job. The cab driver had no idea of what just happened...

I think I was in shock and couldn't believe what had just happened .... time for lunch ....

The next island we head off to is a small pinnacle type island, by the name of Saba. I had never heard of it, and Michelle had picked it out for the diving. ......

On to Barbados 5/21/08

Our next stop was Barbados.... time to swim with the sea turtles. Once off the big ship, we headed out to a beach that had many turtles. We boarded a boat that took us off shore...we looked over...and there they were...just like a meal. We went swimming with them and they circled aound us playing games. They looked as if they were smiling. We had also heard of an old pirate ship party boat. We were under the impression it took off early in the afternoon...so we rushed back to the harbor to find out but there was no such pirate tour. The locals said it only goes out at night, so we just hung on the beach the rest of the day...not a bad day, eh? This was the furthest south we traveled. It was pretty close to South America. Things were expensive on this island, so we just took in the scenery. Back on the big ship was the first "dress up" night. We headed out with suit's and tuxes on. Everyone looked great. Pat in a suit...watch out! Since Shell and I needed to pack light, I had forgotten a coat and tie. While we were in New York, we went to a yard sale and picked up a great looking Italian silk suit for $3.00. I still have it. We had a lot of fun at dinner with our server. She had all of us dancing around between courses. After dinner we were off to the casino......

5/19- on to Dominica 5/20

The boat takes off from St. Thomas around 5:00 pm with everyone sharing their stories and what they did. On the beach at Megan's Bay, I noticed some guys from the boat and I see them back on the boat, Ray and Glen from AZ. Through out the trip we meet up with them many times and with their wives. Fun people. Music is played each time we leave the ports by a live band, which just adds to the fun. We have our dinner at 8 pm every night with the same sever, Nilu. Get dinners steak, lobster, what ever you want and if you extra, just order another meal....! It's Casino night tonight...watch out....wake up in Domincia. Nothing like our last stop, more of the rain forest and not as built up. Actually, lots of poverty, and we get tired of the pan handlers, we take off for a drive up to the rain forest. Very beautiful and natural. We make it to the falls, and we decide to walk down to the pools..Shell dives in as I watch. Refreshing for sure. After a short hike up to the falls and back...hey we're hungry. So big Mama is cooking up chicken at the bottom of the falls with a killer sauce...so we buy the sauce...good stuff! So we hear all the stories about how you can't bring drinks back on board, I buy some beer at the local store (Cuz beers are $4.50-6.00 each on the ship) and put them in my back pack...no problem. They x-ray ever thing as you bring it on board, but they never say anything. SO that is my MO at each stop. We have no phone or computer contact while on the ship because it's very expensive (phone calls at $6 a min. etc).... so at some of the ports we buy phone cards and try to make our calls.
Michelle is still at work so she's on the phone when she's able to be. We didn't see a lot of this island but a good taste. We have a feeling that they want to get of the destination line with the other islands, but they have some work they need to do....on to Barbados.and Lola.....

5/18/08 On the Boat

After a fun time in Puerto Rico, it's time to board the ship. We all get our rooms , which at very nice and roomie. Drinks and food 24-7, except you pay later for the drinks. We met many new friends that we would see through out the trip, even though there was 1800 people on this ship. Our bartender and dinner service person were the best. Lola, our bartender, kept the drinks coming and the smiles all the time. Our first stop, 5/19, and we travel only at night, is the beautiful Island of St. Thomas USVI. All of the gals are excited because this is the shopping mecca of the Caribbean. Nothing like waking up each morning and you're at a new island...that's the plan. Every time you leave the boat, you get your picture taken, and the picture is for sale later that night (nothing is really for free, right?). So Michelle and I decide, lets walk to town...thinking it wasn't all that far...right! Let's try 3 miles away in 88 degree heat...fun! We get to town and chug down several waters...and shopping begins. We meet the Aunt's and Pat and Luann down there too and shop away. After a while we're done so we take this cab (Shell and I) over to the other side of the island to get some beach time in...great choice! Megans Bay...very pretty and now we're getting into the mood....and local eats.

Oops....In San Juan 5/15-18

Sorry about that, still learning....the story starts here.... Back in SanJuan/Old San Juan. Met up with my cousin Pat, his wife Luann, Mom Lund, Aunt Pat (my mom’s sister in law they live together now), and Aunt Mary (Pat’s mom and my mom’s younger sister). So now there is 7….fun….first night there we all check into the same hotel…Pat is by the pool and a room that was huge. The Ladies are in the handicap room with was twice as big as Pat’s. So Michelle and I get a closet….had to be the smallest room on the block. AC didn’t work, very tight quarters, just bad all around…Michelle makes a stand…we are moving…the following day. I agree with her, there were no other rooms open because Hillary was coming to town to get some delegates…fun! So we move across the street to the Lon Concha…..a 5 star unit….nice. Over looking the ocean on the top fool was just awesome. Felt badly we split the group up, but the others were a block away. We invited them over and they had fun too. So while we are in San Juan we visit the old forts of San Juan that were built in the 1500’s. Really something, that is still holding together very well. Because the older gals had a hard time walking we left them with the hot dot vendor and the 4 of us toured the fort. At one point when I crawled out on the top of the fort, the San Juan Police rushed up in their vehicle yelling out of their mega phone….”GET OFF THE WALL!!!!”. Ouch….jail time now in San Juan….Nah…..I surrendered…. Driving around San Juan was quite the challenge, and Pat took it head on…thank god. Each street you could fit 1 and a half cars through …I don’t know how he did it in a van, but he did. The following day we toured the Bacardi Rum Factory (after getting lost for a couple of hours…) Had some samples and then back to San Juan. Getting on the ship tomorrow….)

Checking Out Old San Juan PR 5/15-18

Getting out of San Juan is like trying to get out of Los Angeles, but more confusing. So we headed to the southwest area of PR that is greatly famous for its surfing and totally surf/hippie hangout. It just so happened that a large swell was in so all of the locals were out cutting it up. They say it was an 8-10 ft. swell, I thought it was 30ft. Again, beautiful clean beaches and the blues of the water were awesome. Water temp throughout our entire trip so far was 82 degrees to 84. Always so warm. We tried some snorkeling and body surfing, but the waves were too big, we met people, ate and....drank....So 5/15 we head back to San Juan to meet up with the rest of the family that was joining us on the island cruise.

On to Rincon PR 05/13/08

Getting out of San Juan is like trying to get out of Los Angeles, but more confusing. So we headed to the southwest area of PR that is greatly famous for its surfing and totally surf/hippie hangout. Rincon, cute small size town with alot going on. It just so happened that a large swell was in so all of the locals were out cutting it up. They say it was an 8-10 ft. swell, I thought it was 30ft. Again, beautiful clean beaches and the blues of the water were awesome. Water temp throughout our entire trip so far was 82 degrees to 84. Always so warm. We tried some snorkeling and body surfing, but the waves were too big, we met people, ate and....drank.... We stayed at another apt., but with a large swimming pool. My first fresh water swim, felt good! So 5/15 we head back to San Juan to meet up with the rest of the family that was joining us on the island cruise.

Time to catch up 05/08/08

Flew from New York into Puerto Rico and traveled by taxi to the other side of PR to Fajardo. There we picked up a water ferry to the island of Vieques. I didn't even know there was an island there and yet 2 islands. Well vieques used to be owned by the US Navy and used for target practice. Well they island finally threw the Navy out (thank goodness) 5 years ago. Thank Goodness. What a pretty small island and US/ Spanish is the lingo. Beside it was Columbre, a smaller island, and just as pretty. We were there for 5 nights and we got to know the main hang outs...all 3 of them. Went diving once, a 2 tank dive, but the reefs are still in a re-building stage. Great food and drinks kept us going. One thing that stands out as really cool is they have an organism in the water in certain parts of the island that when you agitate them they light up...really neat stuff. So we kayaked out into a lagoon one night and every time you would oar, the water would actually light up. So it was time to go swimming with they little things, so I hopped in....what fun! Every movement you did would light up for a second or 2. WOW, nature at it's best. Beautiful white beaches surround this island and blue turquoise waters everywhere. Stayed at an apt. on a side street, the beach was 100 yd water away. Met lots of new friends sharing their adventures as we did also. After snorkeling and checking out the island we say goodbye and hop onto the ferry back to PR. The ferry costs $2.00, there we pick up a taxi and back to San Juan to pick up a car.....

Finally a Catch Up...5/28

Hello out there if you are still there. After the dazes in Puerto Rico we met up with my cousin PAt, wife Lu, Mom, Aunt MAryand PAt for a 7 island cruise. I am now on Saba, after a lot to share. I will be able to update this more when we return on 6/3/08. Great times with the group and now a bit quieter at Saba. Doing 2 dives a day, seeing a buch of stuff I'll share later. Hope all is well, talk to you soon.....Dave and Shell

NY Yankess

A trip to Yankee Stadium. Got there 3 hours before the game and walked to where Michelle grew up in the South Bronx. 30 blocks later I feared for my life as she basked in her memories of chocolate malts at Gene's (now Tom's) and running after the pigeons in the park with her grandparents. The park was a triangular row of benches filled with meth addicts. Times change.

We went to the game and hung for a few hours drinking with the Yankee fans. They are all heartbroken over the building of the new stadium. Season ticket prices quadruple and it is no longer a place for the fans. Corporate America takes over ...but the Yankess have always been a sell out.

We've been eating tons of NY pizza, corn beef sandwiches and saying to hell with cholesterol. It's all good.

Vegas was a gas....

after 4 days in the desert we're back to clean house....zoom everythiny is in storage except whats on our backs and in the motorhome. We are now in new York going to the Jerset shores for lunch. Looking for the Boss. heading to P. Rico on thursday....

Next Step

Testing 1 2 3

Hi all just weeks away of having some fun and wunder'in what the hell we're do'in....stay tune...