The era of FORMAL NIGHTS is fading rapidly...

On Thu, 11 Oct 2007 02:25:09 -0400, Brian K wrote:


On 10/10/2007 11:46 AM AZ Nomad consulted a Magic 8 Ball and declared:
On Tue, 09 Oct 2007 14:40:23 -0400, Brian K wrote:





Ladies, do you remember those constrictive girdles that went from thigh
to bra? Well, that's what a tux feels like for some men, hot and
restrictive. They don't call 'em monkey suits because they are the nth
degree of comfort.


That's a real problem. I suggest that when you put on such attire that you go
directly from your stateroom down to the air conditioned dining room and
not do any heavy manual labor. It would be best to put off that engine
room pump rebuild you were planing on accomplishing until after dinner.

Thanks for the left-handed advice. I do not engage in heavy physical
activity in formal wear. I feel hot and restricted nevertheless. Plus,
my clothes fit, they aren't a size too small. I dread formal nights,
and as soon as I can I get out of such clothes into something comfortable.

Eating is a simple function as is using the bathroom or brushing one's
teeth. Yet, you don't see announcements for formal tooth brushing or a
formal loo. So why make this big ritual about eating?

No problem. Stick to eating in the cafeteria.

jay lunis wrote:

Well, I can't remember exact dishes, but one I do remember is Broiled
Goat. I asked our server how many people order Broiled Goat and was
told something close to 'Don't know . . . I have been here 4 months and
no one at my tables has ordered it.' The supervisor over the waiters (I
forget his title) said it war 'infrequent' to see Broiled Goat ordered.

Goat would be unusual to find on a dining room menu. At the Rotisserie
on a Carnival cruise, they had frog's legs. You do not find that on a
cruise ship very often, in fact, that is the only time I saw it.

Becca

Brian K wrote:
On 10/10/2007 10:02 AM jay lunis consulted a Magic 8 Ball and declared:

George Leppla wrote:

"jay lunis" wrote

Well, I can't remember exact dishes, but one I do remember is
Broiled Goat. I asked our server how many people order Broiled Goat
and was told something close to 'Don't know . . . I have been here 4
months and no one at my tables has ordered it.' The supervisor over
the waiters (I forget his title) said it war 'infrequent' to see
Broiled Goat ordered.



I look at this totally differently. On the rare occasion that I see
something on the menu that is different or I have never had... I
usually order it. If I don't like it, I can send it back and get
something else. If I do like it... I am happy I tried something new.

I also tend to try to order things that I normally don't cook at home
if available.

BTW - I have eaten goat... in Jamaica, years ago. It was pretty good.


First let me define 'strange.' It will mean exactly what I want it to
mean.
I do NOT mean 'strange' as something no one would want or it is
startling to think someone would eat it. 'Strange,' in this context,
means 'why would a resturant provide a food it knows is ordered not at
all or infrequently' when a different food get more takers.
My few guesses . . .
part of the snob appeal
some obsession chefs have with variety over customer demand
a sense that baked chicken, spaghetti, meat loaf, etc. are too
pedestrian for the cruise menu. (maybe the same as 'snob appeal.')
Yes, I have also eaten some of these strange foods.

What say we throw another dozen scorpions on the barbie? Then we'll top
it off with Madagascar Hissing Roaches in aspic or we could start the
whole thing off with some goat's head soup sprinkled with live African
termites. You guys have to get to experience real exotic cuisine before
you think boiled goat is adventurous dining.


Brian, please don't bring any of these delicacies to our Saturday
luncheon! vbg

Ermalee

Brian K wrote:

On 10/10/2007 11:46 AM AZ Nomad consulted a Magic 8 Ball and declared:
On Tue, 09 Oct 2007 14:40:23 -0400, Brian K wrote:

Ladies, do you remember those constrictive girdles that went from thigh
to bra?
I remember my grandmother and great aunt (born in the 1880s) wearing
the corsets with the zippers and laces and hooks and eyes. I
certainly never wore something like that myself, and I doubt that any
women that you know have done so either.

My mom (born 1909) wore a girdle, but it was just around the hips. I
did sometimes wear (under a strapless formal gown) what we called a
'merry widow' which was somewhat akin to a bustier except that it was
also a bra. It had a long row of hooks and eyes up the back. The
only problem with it was that it was boned, and sometimes the bones
broke and they tended to poke you after that. I have an old one that
I've sewn cotton over the breaks.

Well, that's what a tux feels like for some men, hot and
restrictive. They don't call 'em monkey suits because they are the nth
degree of comfort.

I don't believe that a reasonably fit man who has a properly fitted
tux would be uncomfortable. If you think it is like a girdle, then
maybe you need one.

That's a real problem. I suggest that when you put on such attire that you go
directly from your stateroom down to the air conditioned dining room and
not do any heavy manual labor. It would be best to put off that engine
room pump rebuild you were planing on accomplishing until after dinner.

Thanks for the left-handed advice. I do not engage in heavy physical
activity in formal wear. I feel hot and restricted nevertheless. Plus,
my clothes fit, they aren't a size too small. I dread formal nights,
and as soon as I can I get out of such clothes into something comfortable.

That's just because you don't want to wear them. If you wanted to
wear them, then they wouldn't be uncomfortable. i.e. you EXPECT to be
uncomfortable, so you are.

Eating is a simple function as is using the bathroom or brushing one's
teeth. Yet, you don't see announcements for formal tooth brushing or a
formal loo. So why make this big ritual about eating?

Eating isn't the same kind of function as brushing one's teeth. It is
a social occasion (especially on a cruise ship), and not something
that is usually done in private like using the bathroom. You CAN eat
just to live, but it would be a waste of the cruise.

In article , Becca
wrote:

Goat would be unusual to find on a dining room menu. At the Rotisserie
on a Carnival cruise, they had frog's legs. You do not find that on a
cruise ship very often, in fact, that is the only time I saw it.

I have seen frogs legs a few times on the menu on cruises. Also I have
seen rabbit.

--
Charles

In article , Rosalie B.
wrote:

I don't believe that a reasonably fit man who has a properly fitted
tux would be uncomfortable. If you think it is like a girdle, then
maybe you need one.

Some tuxedos, especially the rented or really cheap ones are a
wool/poly blend, and those can feel hot. One should not feel hot in a
100% wool tux.

--
Charles

On 10/11/2007 11:22 AM Ermalee consulted a Magic 8 Ball and declared:
Brian K wrote:
On 10/10/2007 10:02 AM jay lunis consulted a Magic 8 Ball and declared:

George Leppla wrote:

"jay lunis" wrote

Well, I can't remember exact dishes, but one I do remember is
Broiled Goat. I asked our server how many people order Broiled
Goat and was told something close to 'Don't know . . . I have been
here 4 months and no one at my tables has ordered it.' The
supervisor over the waiters (I forget his title) said it war
'infrequent' to see Broiled Goat ordered.



I look at this totally differently. On the rare occasion that I
see something on the menu that is different or I have never had...
I usually order it. If I don't like it, I can send it back and get
something else. If I do like it... I am happy I tried something new.

I also tend to try to order things that I normally don't cook at
home if available.

BTW - I have eaten goat... in Jamaica, years ago. It was pretty good.


First let me define 'strange.' It will mean exactly what I want it
to mean.
I do NOT mean 'strange' as something no one would want or it is
startling to think someone would eat it. 'Strange,' in this
context, means 'why would a resturant provide a food it knows is
ordered not at all or infrequently' when a different food get more
takers.
My few guesses . . .
part of the snob appeal
some obsession chefs have with variety over customer demand
a sense that baked chicken, spaghetti, meat loaf, etc. are too
pedestrian for the cruise menu. (maybe the same as 'snob appeal.')
Yes, I have also eaten some of these strange foods.

What say we throw another dozen scorpions on the barbie? Then we'll
top it off with Madagascar Hissing Roaches in aspic or we could start
the whole thing off with some goat's head soup sprinkled with live
African termites. You guys have to get to experience real exotic
cuisine before you think boiled goat is adventurous dining.


Brian, please don't bring any of these delicacies to our Saturday
luncheon! vbg

Ermalee
Oh Ermalee,

You're tempting me! I know a place in New York where you can get deep
fried tarantulas on a stick. But they wouldn't be crunchy by the time
they got to our destination. Nobody should have to eat deep fried
tarantulas that have gone soggy for their first time. It could totally
put them off this snack.

--
________
To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address.
Brian M. Kochera
"Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!"
View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951

FAT cruisers hate foemal nights(my cow included)
"Charles" wrote in message
d...
In article , Rosalie B.
wrote:

I don't believe that a reasonably fit man who has a properly fitted
tux would be uncomfortable. If you think it is like a girdle, then
maybe you need one.

Some tuxedos, especially the rented or really cheap ones are a
wool/poly blend, and those can feel hot. One should not feel hot in a
100% wool tux.

--
Charles

Br

What say we throw another dozen scorpions on the barbie? Then we'll
top it off with Madagascar Hissing Roaches in aspic or we could start
the whole thing off with some goat's head soup sprinkled with live
African termites. You guys have to get to experience real exotic
cuisine before you think boiled goat is adventurous dining.


Brian, please don't bring any of these delicacies to our Saturday
luncheon! vbg

Ermalee

Oh Ermalee,

You're tempting me! I know a place in New York where you can get deep
fried tarantulas on a stick. But they wouldn't be crunchy by the time
they got to our destination. Nobody should have to eat deep fried
tarantulas that have gone soggy for their first time. It could totally
put them off this snack.

Thanks for resisting the temptation. I may have you down for a rabbit
dinner sometime. g

Ermalee ----looking forward to Saturday

Charles wrote:
In article , Becca
wrote:


Goat would be unusual to find on a dining room menu. At the Rotisserie
on a Carnival cruise, they had frog's legs. You do not find that on a
cruise ship very often, in fact, that is the only time I saw it.


I have seen frogs legs a few times on the menu on cruises. Also I have
seen rabbit.

I have seen them and have ordered and enjoyed them. I even ordered and
enjoyed Mountain Oysters. I too tend to go for the dishes I cannot or
do not have at home. I love variety in my life. (grin)
Mary