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[PrincessInOz]

Catching up! Love the Old Plantation Houses. Shame about not being able to take pictures...but you still did great!

What a shame you started to feel unwell.

Awesome distillery! And I'm hungry after seeing your food.

And yes. I was chuckling at your "Small World" story and that evil old neighbour. What are the odds, right?

 

[pkondz]

This is not the den of iniquity you are looking for.

This is not the den of iniquity I'm looking for...

operated by the Tavern's owner, Jean-Luc Charboneau,

You can't get more French than that!

Instead of us waiting for what Fran now refers to as "the bunny bus" (Easier than saying "hop on hop off" she says),

I like it.

I believe this house’s sign states that it is from 1810.

1857

They were growing their own vegetables out in the yard.

That's a good sign. Means they care at least a little.

We got an almost private tour (halfway through another person joined in).

The nerve of that person, horning in on your private tour!

The first part of the batch was essentially poison and only good for cleaning tools and other abrasive tasks.

Gotta wonder what happened to the dude who tried it on that first batch.

Once the aging process was complete he needed to add water to make it just the right proof. 80 proof with only a .5 variance in either direction. Less than 80 and it would be considered a "rum liqueur" more than 80 and it's considered over proof.

Pretty precise.

This machine corks the bottle and this seals the cap on the top of the bottle.

So it's all done by hand. Nice.

The bottle shows the Mississippi River on its label.

Like that too. Nice design.

Then we were given a taste, maybe 1/5 of a shot, and the distillery tour was over.

Reminds me of our Beer tour. Neither Ruby or I drink it, so that glass lasted quite a while.
I'd pass on the rum probably. Maybe since it's such a small amount I'd try it... dunno.

We could complete the tour by heading up to the tavern gift shop (where you could purchase a bottle, we got two)

Guess you liked it, then.

We didn't actually go to the gift shop ourselves. As we were entering the tavern we ran into one of the gals who ran the shore excursions. She was "doing research" into the stops along the route. She really was working because she declined the offer from the bartender for a drink. But she was kind enough to climb the stairs and purchase the rum for us.

That was nice of her.

Then the Tavern would take all the purchases for the day from passengers and send them back to the boat on the last bus, all we had to do was pick them up at the gift shop onboard.

Convenient.

It was about 3PM by this point and I really needed a nap! For me to need a nap is really saying something!

You've been busy girls.

Beautiful shot.

the Main dining room was advertising a Caprese salad, and you all know how I like that!

I was sad to see that the Caprese salad I had hoped for was now a strawberry and mozzarella salad. Not what I really wanted.

Throw the cutlery! Smash the dishes!

For the starter, I had a Crawfish and Country Grits. I didn’t really care for the crawfish.

Too bad. I've always wanted to try them.
My cousin and I used to catch them.
Then we'd just dump them back in since we didn't know what to do with them.

It was very good, but on this meal I started to cut down a bit and was only eating about half of each portion. It really helped because I actually woke up hungry in the morning instead of full of indigestion.

Smart thinking.

For my Main I had the lamb medallions. I really wouldn't call them medallions, more like sliced leg of lamb.

Those are definitely not medallions.

It was good. Not monumentally so, but I didn't spit it out or anything.

Such high praise? "I didn't spit it out."

I didn’t pay much attention to the Navigators because we were not planning on doing the bunny bus the next day. We had an excursion in the afternoon and wanted to save our strength for that.

Sounds intriguing.

when the sun came up, I had this lovely view. I did mention that the river level was high?

Did you find that a little disconcerting?

We also pitied the poor sod who had to tie the boat up today.

"Short straw ties up the boat."

...

"But... the water's cold!"

Again I woke up feeling like there was a giant cotton ball in my nose. However, now I also had one of those coughs that was gurgling in my chest. Fran was also feeling the stuff in her nose and was starting to cough as well.

Uh, oh... again.

Can you tell whose plates are whose?

I will graciously refrain from answering.

The washer that was supposed to be all done now had 20 minutes on it still!

I wonder if someone stopped it to take out/put in more?

There weren't many outlets in our room. In fact, there was only one in the room and one in the bathroom.

I get it. But in this day where everyone's got a phone (or whatever) that makes it a bit tough.

Then we got a brilliant idea to make mini sandwiches out of the rolls and corned beef on the buffet.

I think this was one of the ones where I walked her scooter over the hump and let her get back on once it was settled.

I get it this time. It really does look a little insurmountable for a scooter.

 

[dolphingirl47]

The distillery tour sounded interesting and the complimentary rum punch was a nice touch. The sunset photos were stunning. What a shame that the menu had changed and you did not get your Cabrese Salad. The strawberry and mozzarella salad looked delicious.

What a shame that your laundry plans did not work out. Breakfast and lunch looked nice.

Corinna

 

[franandaj]

But that's where they make movies! It's not the happiest place in the world??

They make movies in Canada. Disneyland is the happiest place on Earth!

You did better than I would have!
Mine would've been "I (waves wildly at the chair I want to sit in) is good?"

Except there weren't any chairs except the two that they were sitting in.

Oh! Well, that just won't do.

No chairs, no drinks = not staying long

I wanted to, but I wasn't going to force it.

Well you can put it on your bucket list.

Worked out okay, then.

Actually better than OK.

So... you need a time machine.

I'm good with staying in the 21st century.

I think even going to places (when I was school age) would've not gone over well.

Hmmmmm, so you were an ornery little kid? Eh?

Have a great trip! I'm of course super jealous! Ride TOT for me, it's my favorite! Eat a bunch of really good food. And then come back and tell us everything!

Thanks! I will do my best!

Thats awesome you pretty much had a private tour at the Rum Distillery and the guide from the boat was able to get you the bottle of rums without you having to do the stairs!

It was pretty cool. Just as we were leaving a party of about 10 people from the boat walked in for the next one.

That sucks they changed the menu on you - its similar to when you look at Disney and expect a certain dish and then its gone!

I know. When I go on a Disney vacation I almost always have my entire dining situation planned out before I leave.

Following along on this river cruise has been interesting. I'm not sure its something I'll ever do myself (growing up in the south - I've had my share of Southern-ness for a lifetime) It does seem like a nice relaxing way to cruise though with a much smaller group! Its interesting that the docks in these towns don't seem to be better cared for especially if there are a few different cruises that go around there!

Well this is actually the only sleeper ship that travels the Mississippi. A lot of the boats only dock in the bigger cities and do day cruises. I can understand that this is not the kind of trip for everyone.

 

[ACDSNY]

Beautiful sunset shots of the bridge. Looking forward to the next installment.

 

[franandaj]

Catching up! Love the Old Plantation Houses. Shame about not being able to take pictures...but you still did great!

But wait there's more!

What a shame you started to feel unwell.

Just wait.

Awesome distillery! And I'm hungry after seeing your food.

It was pretty cool to see the process.

And yes. I was chuckling at your "Small World" story and that evil old neighbour. What are the odds, right?

I know! Too funny.

This is not the den of iniquity I'm looking for...

1857

Ooops! Well it's still pre civil war.

That's a good sign. Means they care at least a little.

The place was supposedly serving sustainable and natural food, but not vegetarian stuff, the menu looked pretty good.

The nerve of that person, horning in on your private tour!

I know!

Gotta wonder what happened to the dude who tried it on that first batch.

Yeah really! How DID they find out the first batch was poison?

So it's all done by hand. Nice.

I think there was only one other guy in on the whole process.

Reminds me of our Beer tour. Neither Ruby or I drink it, so that glass lasted quite a while.
I'd pass on the rum probably. Maybe since it's such a small amount I'd try it... dunno.

It was really a tiny amount.

Guess you liked it, then.

Yes, it was very smooth. I've mostly had Bacardi Rum and this tasted nothing like that, it was very easy to drink and no harsh aftertaste.

That was nice of her.

It was. I wonder if they get a commission!

You've been busy girls.

We were and I did a good deal of walking and standing.

Beautiful shot.

Well Thank you!

Throw the cutlery! Smash the dishes!

Burn down the Kitchen!

Too bad. I've always wanted to try them.
My cousin and I used to catch them.
Then we'd just dump them back in since we didn't know what to do with them.

They just kind of freak me out and all that talk of sucking their heads out has made me not so keen on trying them.

Those are definitely not medallions.

Such high praise? "I didn't spit it out."

Well? It was OK, but I've made better lamb.

Sounds intriguing.

And you'll probably find out sooner rather than later. I seem to have more time on my hands than I anticipated.

Did you find that a little disconcerting?

No, I was getting used to the trees near the boat.

Uh, oh... again.

Oh, yeah.

I will graciously refrain from answering.

That's mostly for Jenny. She always laughs at me for having plates where none of the food is touching.

I wonder if someone stopped it to take out/put in more?

Whatever they did, it messed me up for the morning.

I get it. But in this day where everyone's got a phone (or whatever) that makes it a bit tough.

I know. Fran used her outlet to charge the scooter, and her 6 port hub for the phone and tablet. I used the bathroom one to charge my phone and camera batteries. Thank goodness for the 4-6 port hubs!

I get it this time. It really does look a little insurmountable for a scooter.

At least the worst one was behind us now.

The distillery tour sounded interesting and the complimentary rum punch was a nice touch. The sunset photos were stunning. What a shame that the menu had changed and you did not get your Cabrese Salad. The strawberry and mozzarella salad looked delicious.

I wish I knew where the recipe for the Rum punch went! It was very good and I would love to make some!

What a shame that your laundry plans did not work out. Breakfast and lunch looked nice.

The day is not over yet!

 

[franandaj]

Beautiful sunset shots of the bridge. Looking forward to the next installment.

Thank you! You're in luck. It's a lazy Sunday and I've caught up on my other stuff so it's time for another giant update!

 

[franandaj]

When we last left off, we had spent the morning relaxing on the boat, I wasn’t able to do laundry and we were on our way to tour two Southern Plantation homes…

St. Francisville is one of the only cities left on the river that doesn't have a levee, so when the water rises, there is nothing to keep the water out of the small creeks in the area. You can see how far inland the water extends.







I found it interesting that all these houses were built on stilts.





When I saw the town I was really glad we didn't waste the energy to go in. It was really small. It may have been quaint and a nice stop if we had a car, but being at the mercy of the buses really doesn't make it fun.





There were two buses and we each went to one of the spots on the trip separately. We went to what was listed as the second spot first. It was Catalpa.









Now it would have made more sense to visit Rosedown Plantation first as far as the genealogy is concerned, but I’m glad we did it the way we did because the second house was much more impressive.

This was a house that at one time was a plantation manor, but the original house burned down in the Civil War. In the 1890s, it was rebuilt in the Victorian style. The homeowner still lives there and leads the tours herself. She only gives them for passengers on the American Queen. She is a descendant of the original owner and explained the bloodline, but it's really confusing. I’ll try to give it a shot.

Rosedown Plantation was built by Martha & Daniel Turnbull. They had three children (two boys and a girl). One boy died at the age of 7 and the other son died at 27 leaving behind a widow and two children. The last surviving child was Sarah Turnbull who married a local plantation son. The two moved into Rosedown Plantation and had 10 children. One of the eight daughters, Sallie Bowman, married William J. Fort Sr., who built the original Catalpa Plantation. The two of them had a son William J. Fort Jr. who married one of his mother’s sisters from Rosedown Plantation. Fort Jr's first wife died after 18 years of marriage, and so he married another one of the sisters. They were married 18 years before his death. William J. Fort is the man who built the house that we toured today. His second wife died in 1954 at the age of 87.

From both of William Jr's, marriages he ended up with four children. One of those children, Mamie Fort Thompson, lived in this house until her death in 2002. She started the tradition of leading tours of the house, and following the tour she offered her guests a glass of sherry on the porch. Her daughter Mary has taken over her mother’s legacy, but as I mentioned earlier, she now only gives tours to guests of the American Queen.

Clear as mud?

Mary greeted us from her Porch.



Originally the home had lots of gardens, but the soldiers of the Civil War destroyed a lot of that when they destroyed the original house.







As we stood outside, she talked about this pair of dog statuettes which were outside the home when the Union soldiers came. With the butt of his rifle, he put that hole in the neck of the dog as he walked on to loot and destroy the house.



I always stay behind on these tours so that I can capture the spaces without a ton of people inside. Here is the porch once everyone went inside to see the rest of the house.





It was a typical Southern house with the one hallway down the middle. Bedrooms were off to the right when you entered the house. Mary explained to us that much of the furniture in this house came to them from Rosedown when the place was sold in the 1950s.



I believe that this picture was of the original lady of the home, Sallie Bowman Fort. And I could also be completely mistaken.



This vanity was an original from Rosedown Plantation



These pictures were very unique, you can’t tell by the photos, but they are made with real fabric for the women’s outfits.



This trunk was authentic for the 1800s, pretty much a suitcase for the time. This was the middle bedroom on the right side of the house.



This was the third bedroom on the right side of the house, I gathered that this is the one that she used for her own bedroom.





This was the living room/sitting room at the front of the house on the left side.










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[franandaj]

[Continued from Previous Post]

All the pieces in the rooms that she showed us were authentic to the Civil War Antebellum period.





She was a dog lover and had something like 8 or 9 dogs. One of the guys on the tour got bored with the inside of the house. I heard him say he was going outside, and all of a sudden the dogs all went crazy, barking and stuff!



This was in the dining room which was adjacent to the sitting room.





All of these pieces of china we from the period. Many of them were buried in the yard to hide them when the Union Soldiers came. She showed us a chip on one of them where it had been chipped during the digging up process.





Fran has quite an extensive cane collection, and she particularly admired this one and had me take a picture. She even has a couple of these vintage canes.



Mary talked about this pot during the tour and how she would have loved to use it as a “cooler” to serve beverages at for parties, but she was afraid it would get broken so instead it became a plant holder.



After the extensive tour she then served everyone a glass of sherry on the porch, which is evidently a southern tradition.



Now it is interesting to note that she does live in the house. There was a small room just behind the main hallway which was her living room/family room. There was a flat screen, and I saw a DirecTV remote. She had a couch with cuddly blankets and such. Sometime in the 20th century the back porch was converted to a kitchen. We didn’t go in there because that’s where the dogs were being kept for the tour. You see in Antebellum houses, the kitchen was never attached to the house due to the risk of fires. Besides in that prosperous time the residents of the houses never cooked their own meals. That was the job of the slaves. It was interesting to think that she lived in a museum.

After our Sherry, we all got back on the bus and headed back to the next destination. Rosedown Plantation. But let’s take one last look at Catalpa.





Here we are approaching Rosedown.



This was a very successful plantation in the Ante-bellum south. Owner, Daniel Turnbull was a great business manager and the property was completely paid off when he passed just after the war started. At least when the US government came knocking after the war all the finances were in order. His Widow Martha Turnbull was able to part out the plantation to their former slaves who worked as sharecroppers. Her Daughter Sarah Turnbull and her husband James Bowman took over the plantation, but elderly Martha was still tending her garden up until about three weeks before her death in 1896.

In 1907 the boll weevil came along and wiped out all the cotton crops, and the family was left penniless. Our guide is dressed in green here and she took us through the entire tour.



As we walked from the Parking Lot to the main house, we passed the old stables.



The yard was full of beautiful Azaleas.





And there were quite a few statues in the garden as well.





Can you imagine riding up this impressive drive in your horse and carriage?



And finally the house itself.



Now I will say that I heard the Europeans on the tour saying that they thought these houses would be more impressive. I know that there are far more impressive castles in most of Europe, but you have to remember the South is a bloody swamp! Many people lived in shacks, the fact that these people have giant houses with all the amenities is no small feat for the 1800s in the middle of a swamp in the middle of nowhere!

I believe that this was the groundskeeper’s house.



Pretty fountain.



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[franandaj]

[Continued from Previous Post]

This is the entry way to the home. Notice the wallpaper. This is not the original as it was painted over so many times that it was ruined. However, they were able to find the manufacturer (someone in France) and they still had some of this left in their archives, so it is “original” just redone in the 20th century.







This flooring was quite remarkable for the time. It was painted canvas, it was common in the fancier houses, but the less grand homes were lucky if their floors were anything besides dirt.





Not all the furniture is original to the house, most of that is at the place we just came from. However the pieces are correct for the period.





Now before we go on, lets finish the history of this house. We left off with the daughter of the original owner taking possession of the house with her husband. Keep in mind, they had the house set up as a combination as if the original inhabitants Martha and Daniel Turnbull were living there, but also a little bit of if Sarah Turnbull Bowman and James Bowman were living there with their 10 kids.

You’ll recall from our discussion at the last house that Sallie, one of the Bowman daughters moved to Catalpa and became the first matron of that house. Then her son married one of Sallie’s sisters (who died 18 years later) and then he married a second sister, and she outlived him by almost 40 years.

It’s not clear to me exactly what happened with four of the other children from Sarah and James, but by the turn of the 20th century, three of the (eight) sisters were left living in the house as spinsters. With the boll weevil wiping out the cotton crop, they had to find new income. They realized that there was a market in charging for tours of their grand house. Between the cost of admission and a merchandising plan, which included selling postcards featuring their father sitting on the porch waving to the guests, they were able to squeak out a living until they died in the 1950s.

Around that time the wife of a wealthy Texas oil tycoon happened upon the house and learned it was for sale. She needed a hobby and loved beautiful gardens, so she purchased the home and eventually put 10 million dollars into the place restoring it for eight years. It opened for tours in 1964. Even though Mrs. Underwood passed away in 1970, the house remained in the hands of the family until 1994, when it was purchased by a Georgia businessman. He eventually sold it to the state of Louisiana in 2000.


Then we moved to the Dining room, the flapper in the ceiling would have been operated by a slave boy.





The table is set for a typical supper which would have been the main meal of the day served around 2-3PM.





The built in cabinets are not typical for houses of this era.



Most of my pictures were taken on the “auto” setting so the shutter of the camera adjusted for ambient light. The room was not nearly as bright as it appears. I took this picture of the fireplace on “manual” setting so you could see how dark the room actually was.



This is part of the set of china that we saw at Catalpa.



Looking back at the Dining Room with no tour guests.



Next is the butler's pantry where meals would have been placed in their serving dishes.





You can see the slave staircase hidden here. It extends from the top floor to the basement.



The next room was probably the lady of the house's office. She kept a journal of mundane items such as harvest figures, sunrise, sunset, and other very dry figures. No personal matters or juicy gossip. (I missed some of the discussion regarding this room trying to get pictures of the last two rooms)





This was the music room.





This room was added on, the ceilings in this wing were 17 feet instead of 14. The grass cloth flooring was for summer months. When the family was away summering in Saratoga Springs NY, the furniture would have been covered and the rugs stored in the attic so as not to become dusty while the windows were open in summer. Once the war approached, southerners found that the hospitality of the north was waning and soon they were forced to spend year round in the south either by Northern intolerance or lack of monetary resources.











Your “sink” for tidying up before bed.



This room had an innovative shower mechanism, but it could only dispense cold water so it really wasn't practical.



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[franandaj]

[Continued from Previous Post]

Husband's office. Door to outside so managers and other trades people could enter without "calling" on the household.







This was the family sitting room, where guests would be greeted.











Martha Washington cross stitched this for the couple as her sister’s great granddaughter married the Turnbull’s son who was killed crossing the Mississippi at age 27.



Men’s parlor was off this sitting room.





Then we went upstairs. People who didn’t want to climb the stairs waited out on the porch where the man who drove people back and forth from the parking area on a golf cart sat with them and told stories. Fran had quite a nice time listening to him talk.

This was the landing at the top of the stairs.





Master bedroom.



Throughout the entire tour, our guide continued to point out the unique and “ahead of their time” features that were incorporated into building the house. Most of the bedroom had closets, which at that time were not incorporated into building design. Most people had a “wardrobe” for their clothing. However this master bedroom had two built in closets.









There was a nursery off the master bedroom.



Another look at the slave staircase.





This was just a part of the hallway.



And looking back out in the upper staircase landing from the hall.



This was another daughters room. I missed a lot of the commentary because I kept staying behind to get pictures of the rooms without people in them. I heard the docent say that they knew they were (Sarah's) things because she wrote her name on all her toys.







And another children’s bedroom or perhaps a few children slept here.







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[franandaj]

[Continued from Previous Post]

Then they let us out on the upper balcony. All these Azaleas were supposedly grafted from one original plant.







They mentioned that the greenhouse was only for winter and that in summer they take the plants out so it doesn't kill them.





That was the end of the tour, and I headed back downstairs to meet Fran.







We headed back to the bus via the gift shop but didn't find anything. While we waited for the rest of the people on the tour to board the bus, we ate our mini corned beef sandwiches and cookies.



It was while we were having our snack that I sat and talked with the bus driver and got all the information that I’ve been telling you over the past few chapters of the report. We probably sat for a good 20 minutes waiting for the other passengers. I’m not sure what they were doing because there wasn’t much else to do!

This is the route back to the boat. I was amazed at how far inland the water was.






Look at how the boat just literally pulled up to the end of the road.



When we got back to the boat, we went back to the room and she took a nap. I found out how the boat got tied up that morning. I pity that poor sap!



And here we are pulling away from the stop.









I liked the look of this bridge.











I decided to try and do laundry again. There was loads running in the washer but they only had about 10 more minutes so I ran down to the room (not really, my legs were too tired to do that) and got my hamper full of dirty clothes. When I came upstairs the person using the machines was just finishing up, so I got both machines and started my whites in one machine and the rest of the load in the other. I set the timer in my phone to sync with the washer and went back to the room.

 

[franandaj]

Oh and for those of you who have been reading along for the River Times. Here are the ones from today.

 

[ACDSNY]

Beautiful Southern Plantation homes. I grew up in a home built in the late eighteen hundreds so enjoyed seeing familiar items in your pics.

 

[jedijill]

Another great day! Natchez looks like a really cool town. Loved your sunrise pictures with the bridge. I loved the almost private rum distillery tour!

All the food looks really tasty.

Jill in CO

 

[dhorner233]

Very interesting as always! The plantation houses were very interesting!! Thank you as always for doing such a detailed report with so many wonderful pictures! Love the azaleas!

 

[mvf-m11c]

That was neat that you got a private distillery tour during your visit. Your pictures are very nice especially the sunset with the bridge.

The tour of the plantation houses looked very interesting and you got a lot of pictures. Very nice updates.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Wow so much information and eye candy thank you. Yes to reply in answer about the coca cola museem we have been and it was a yawn fest. Not at all what I hoped. The jelly belly factory was amazing in Fairfield Ca and free! This was very dissapointing.

I love the term bunny bus! The Kings Tavern looks an interesting stop.

I love distillery tours I find them fascinating. How nice the tour person to fetch the rum. How I love rum. It's adorable in cooking in addition to a drink. There is a reason they use oak barrels but I forget I must look it up.

Lunch looks great. How I adore oxtail soup. Lamb and salmon. Do they give you an option to have a little of each if you wanted?

The homes on stilts are something else aren't they. We have a few of those on The Thames.

I adore those Antebellum houses. I actually prefer the look of the Catalpa to the Rosedown from your photos. It seems lighter and more inviting I prefer the china and decoration. But the wallpaper in Rosedown is something else! Isn't that flooring in Rosedown odd. Like you would not place in that era at all. More like 1970's!

Thank you for sharing. We saw a few Antebellum houses on our tour of the south. One had a dome on the top I recall that. It was charming. Europeans can be snobby. Ignore them. We found them quite eye taking and interesting. We were lucky enough to also catch a reinactment of thr civil war. Folks dressed up. Well they don't do that here that I know of we were delighted to see the old costumes etc. What an amazing thing to do!

 

[dolphingirl47]

Wow, that water level is high. I loved all the photos of the houses. The furniture and the china were amazing. I can't believe that people were turning up their noses at this. Sure, we have much older buildings, but that does not make this part of history any less impressive. I for one would love to visit those houses.

Corinna

 

[franandaj]

Beautiful Southern Plantation homes. I grew up in a home built in the late eighteen hundreds so enjoyed seeing familiar items in your pics.

That's interesting. I grew up in a brand new land development and they were constantly building new tracts while I was in Elementary School. We used to play in the construction sites after hours! However, my Grandparents had a house that was built in the 1850s. I always used to marvel at that.

Another great day! Natchez looks like a really cool town. Loved your sunrise pictures with the bridge. I loved the almost private rum distillery tour!

All the food looks really tasty.

Jill in CO

Natchez is a place we would like to go back to when we have a car, all we need them to do is repeal their silly laws so we can spend our money there again.

Very interesting as always! The plantation houses were very interesting!! Thank you as always for doing such a detailed report with so many wonderful pictures! Love the azaleas!

I was glad that decided she wanted to do that tour afterall. I was sure that she would have liked it.

That was neat that you got a private distillery tour during your visit. Your pictures are very nice especially the sunset with the bridge.

The tour of the plantation houses looked very interesting and you got a lot of pictures. Very nice updates.

Thanks. It was fun learning how they made rum. I can't believe how many pictures I took, but I can't say that I kept that up!