4/29/06 Eastern Magic...We're Going!!!!!

[BLBCB]

My sister (the one that won the trip) has been delayed by a day in London. I don't know all the details since she had to go through a different Travel Agency, but she couldn't take her flight back to Canada yesterday. This is another reason that you should never travel without insurance. Somebody has to be paying for the extra night and extra food. London is not cheap.

[castlegazer]

Did she make it home?


What's her report? Was it awesome!

:wave: Hey guys!

[BLBCB]

Her trip was great. The kids surprised me with a set of Disneyland Paris mousears!! :cool1: We are such a big family so many kids, we long ago made the deal that nobody would bring back souveniers for anybody, it is just too expensive. They made the exception for me so I could put them in my office along with the rest. Make for good advertising!!

As for their trip home, it was horrible. I won't get into too many details, but keep in mind that they have a 7 & 8 year old. They left Paris at 9:00 am local time. They stood in various lines all day, and each time asked about their boarding pass. Turns out that since there were so many flights backed up, they gave their seats to someone else. This is supper time already and they have had enough. My sister is usually very calm, but I think she lost it then. Her kids were crying and she said she was just about ready to cry herself. British Airways finally put them up in a hotel and paid for a breakfast the next morning, but they lost their baggage so they gave them an overnight bag for the night. This thing is such a joke, it looks like a pocket protector, only you couldn't fit a regular 8 X 10 paper inside it. They did finally get onto their flight the next morning, and were delayed again in Toronto. When they finally reached Winnipeg, they actually had 1 of 6 suitcases with them. Explain that? They had no luggage in London, but one caught up to them in Winnipeg. They still haven't found the other 5 suitcases, and all of the kids summer clothes are in there. She had to go through another Travel Agent because the trip was a prize, and that travel agent told her she had insurance. She doesn't!! So she can't even go out and buy stuff to tide them over until the baggage is found. NEVER TRAVEL WITHOUT INSURANCE PEOPLE!!! I could have even got her insurance at my company discount, but she thought she had it already. If the airline actually says it is lost, she will get something from them. But they will continue to look for it for a while. I feel a bit guilty that I got my mouseears and the kids don't have clothes. It just happened to be in the suitcase that caught up with them. I made the kids some journals for their trip, but since they couldn't take any carry-on at all on the way home, they are still in the lost suitcases. I sure hope they find them.

The first day of their trip they went to Buckingham castle I think, and someone offered to take their picture. They posed and the guy dropped their camera. He calmly picked it up and handed it back to them and walked away. They had no camera for the rest of their trip. At least they had borrowed a digital video camera and it took stills, so they do have some pictures. They're just glad it wasn't the borrowed camera that got broke. I had borrowed their camera for one trip to WDW and it was stolen. I had to buy them a new one when I got home. That's the one that got dropped.

They did enjoy their trip but think it is too far to travel with young kids. Maybe if things would have worked out better and they wouldn't have had to spend so much time in airports. The youngest was also horribly air sick and threw up for most of the over-seas flight. When they landed in London, they took them to the wrong hotel so what should have been a 20 minute ride was over 1 1/2 hours. Again, my nephew was sick for most of it. I asked them what their favourite things and least favourite things were about their trip, and he said his least favourite was throwing up. My niece said that she was only a few feet away from the Mona Lisa :artist: she thought that was really cool. My nephew was tired of looking at "old churches" though. They all really enjoyed Disneyland Paris, and I'll have to see if she can give me a run-down of the parks. She did bring me back some maps that I'm going to frame for my office.

Sorry this ended up being so long. :blush:

[castlegazer]

http://bestsmileys.com/scared/5.gifhttp://bestsmileys.com/fainting/1.gif

OMG!!!!!

I am so sorry for her! Holy dog pile! OMG! I shudder at the thought of that trip. Oh, please tell her our hearts are with her. Man. Well, things are replaceable, and their memories of Paris are there to stay.

[suziemva]

There has been a Rose sighting! Or at least phone call!

I finally found the Roses number and called. They are fine, just busy little beavers! Sue had set up lots of things for Jon's birthday month that is still ongoing! Little suprises everywhere! So, with that and all of summer, they just have been really busy but promise to get on and update soon!

I know this is a load off our minds! WOOOHOO and bring it on, Jon and Sue!

[The Roses]

aaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrggggggggggg!!!! pirate:

Well, we are just a couple of slugs! We got home and immediately zipped off to a weekend in a haunted house (no ghosts, just some heavy breathing at night. Oh, wait. That was us) :rolleyes1 Then we zipped off to the coast for a family vacation, then my mom came to stay with us for the summer, but she was sick for most of the time she was here, the next thing we know it's the end of the summer and we haven't even been to the board and we're getting a call from our favorite Suzie wondering where the heck we are.

We is fine, thanks. But we miss you all! The pirate hasn't been in a kilt since, and I haven't even written our trip report!

We celebrated the Month of Jon. We renamed July 2006 to Jon 2006. Every day our favorite Hemi-Centurian got a present (my mom and I went to the GoodWill, the Dollar Store and other fine shopping establishments and bought 31 goofy presents), he got his breakfast every morning on Happy Birthday plates, and we did something every evening. I flew his best friend in as a surprise, we did 9-course dining, we stayed in a huge suite for the big night, we did a dinner cruise one night, we went to concerts, we went to the zoo....Man, by the time MoJ was over we were exhausted and broke and that guy better never have another 50th birthday. Ever. :) But the best is yet to come; I snagged an invite to Club 33 at Disneyland!!! WhooHooo!

We're going to Club 33! We're going to Club 33! Neener neener neeener! :cool1:

Hey Suzie, guess when we're going? Yup, Oct 9. :teeth:
But in the grand scheme of things, it's nothin' compared to the joy you will be having. Kinda puts things in perspective, doesn't it?

Ok, enough waxing poetic. Back to rubbing it in. We're going to Club 33! We're going to Club 33! Neener neener neeener! :rotfl:

So, that's our life. I'm gathering things up for a scrapbooking party this weekend, so I am looking at pictures and remembering what a wonderful time we had with all of you. We came across our SteveMed Fan Club buttons and pinned them to our chests. The other day, I saw a patient from Bellingham, WA and almost asked her if she knew Trish.

I am going to be in NYC in Feb (yes, Feb. What was I thinking?) Any chance for an east coast reunion? At the least, we West Coasters oughta plan another road trip to the Olympia pizza place.

We miss you all.

The PAHW
pirate: :coffee:

[Lisa D]

Nice to here from you guys! Sounds like you had quite a summer! We celebrate birthday weeks here, but the birthday month sounds good too! Happy 50th Jon!

We are about 1 1/2 hours from NYC. It really isn't too bad in February (much better than the summer) and we've been having mild winters out this way lately.

One of my friends is boarding the Magic this Saturday on the Western itinerary - I am SO jealous! Another family we know is headed down for WDW tomorrow. I've actually started planning our next trip a year in advance - we're going to swelter at WDW next August (just can't do the missing school thing any more with a kid in high school).

Hope everyone out there is doing well!

Lisa

[BLBCB]

Sue & Jon,
So great to hear from you guys! We were all starting to worry. But you posted without your trademark :surfweb: I can't look at that smiley without picturing the two of you!

I was going to say "I hope you had a great birthday", but by the sounds of it that question is redundant. Sue you are going to make the rest of us look bad. Leonard turned 40 a few weeks ago and my sisters all threw him a party. The band Streetheart (which probably wasn't such a big thing in the US) played at our town's 100 birthday, which happened to be that weekend, so I just pretended that I planned it all and invited the 4000 people to the week-long festivities. I think he caught on though! :blush:

Lisa, I know what you mean about missing school in high school. I will have two in high school in 2008, and I'm already having to really think about it. The one good thing about living in a small town though is the class size. If we do decide to go, the class sizes are so small that it probably wouldn't be a big deal to catch up. Brittany only has 8 other students in her class, and Caity has about 12 others. I told them already that everything depends on their marks. We'll see how that goes.

My sister has had a chance to relax from her trip home, and can't say enough great things about the trip itself. She is a teacher and starts work in two weeks, but she said she will try to give me a report on her 3 days at Disneyland Paris before things get too crazy. I love the mouse ear hat she got me, but I'm surprised by how plain it is. I would post a picture but I don't know how. It just has embroidered in white thread "Disneyland Paris". No graphic or anything.

Have a great day everyone!

Barb

[suziemva]

Only 6 weeks tomorrow. Hard to believe I'm already 32 weeks along! Seems like just last week I was posting that I was pg! WOW! Time sure flies!

Jon and Sue, think of me while you're having your wonderful time at DL and Club 33! I expect pictures! I am sooooo jealous! But what a wonderful time you guys will have! Miss you both alot!

We're trying to see if we'll be able to get to WDW in January. Tori's first trip was at 2 1/2 months old, so things will be on track for this one, too! Just not sure if we can swing it with Ed's work. Such a shock from being able to hop on down for the weekend, etc. Haven't been since we got back from the cruise. Definitely miss it, too!

Heading to PA for the Labor Day weekend. Gonna go to Ed's HS for football on Friday, go to the amusement park on Sunday - free concert there by one of our favorite bands, too!, The Creamery is a possibility on Saturday but Penn State has their first game (at home, no less!) that day, so we may have to steer clear of State College. Phil, we'll be thinking of you! You know that they're having alumni stuff that weekend? Hmmmm.....

So, what's going on in y'all's lives now? C'mon! Speak up, would ya'!?

[BLBCB]

Wondering of someone here might know the answer to this one. There is a discussion going on at the Canadian DIS boards about It's a Small World ride. Are there any dolls representing Canada there? :confused3 Someone seems to remember there being Mounties, but they said they have been removed. I also remember some Eskimos which I assumed were representing Canada because of the joke of Canada always being cold. Does anyone know the real answer to this question? :confused3

By the way, someone asked about whether we always had temps in the 100s F during summer and yes, it is normal to be in the 100s F during summer here in Manitoba. We are starting to get cold at night already though, but our days are still nice. This morning when I got up it was 4 C (39 F) but it is supposed to be 27 C (81 F) by this afternoon. During the middle of summer it doesn't cool off at night hardly at all, so you know fall is coming when the nights get cold. Snow is only about 7 weeks away! Normal daytime temperature ranges for southern Manitoba where I live now are -40 F in winter to 105 F in summer. When I lived in northern Manitoba, it would get to -69 during January and February for daytime highs with the wind chill. Don't miss that weather. We also have a major change in daylight hours from summer to winter as well.

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

Well hey everyone, just wanted to keep everyone updated and say hi to all.

A few facts it has been 116 days since we sailed, and to go back to 116 days before we sailed it was January 3rd (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=656727&page=68&pp=15), also something interesting was that this thread was started back on October 4th 2004.

So what does all that mean, absolutely nothing except that I have way to much time on my hands, oh yeah and also it means that if anyone is interested we should get ready to book May of 2008, because rates should be out before the end of September.

Other than that, good to see Jon and Sue, and what was Trish suppose to tell us?????

82 days until we are at Disney!!!!

Tom pirate:

[rubysmom]

Hey, everyone! I just spent the last 2 hrs trying to figure out how to put a picture in my post. The best I could come up with is a link. I hope it works!

http://render2.snapfish.com/render2/is=Yup6aQQ%7C%3Dup6%3DzqH%3AxxqUD7qRUrKxzX7BHpUUKx gXPoG%3F87KR6xqpxQQoexGGGxolQxv8uOc5xQQQPa0n0ooQnn qpfVtB%3F*KUp7BHSHqqy7XH6gXPoG%7CRup6JlJ%7C/of=50,590,342

This is just a little reminder of a must-have for all Stevemed fans this fall season. And the little tidbit that Suzie was referring to was the fact that I was recently stuck on the freeway in stopngo traffic behind someone who was toting an obvious imposter of the Stevemed Truck Accessory(TM). He had a bumper sticker with the website and phone number to order your own "Bubba Balls". I dare not try the phone number and could not get the website to come up, so sharing this with you is not nearly as much fun as it could have been, but there it is anyway. Accept NO SUBSTITUTES! Only genuine certified authentic Stevemed Truck Accessories for the DIS!

So anyway, lemme recap some August postings:

Suzie, Ed is a crazyman (which we all knew already) for even trying that wild bull! Glad there were no serious injuries!! :duck: I seriously hope you can get together with Lisa & Phil this weekend. Let us know how it goes!

Steve! How was your trip???

Barb--That is an amazing story about your sister's trip! I'm going to a scrapbook crop in a cpl weeks where the theme is travel and there's a competition for worst travel story...hers would win hands down! I've never bought trip insurance even for the cruise but I know I'm taking a chance. I can't imagine not getting it for overseas travel though and your poor sister was misled to believe she HAD the insurance...grrrrrr....! I'm just so thankful to hear that everyone made it back safely. :goodvibes

AAAAARRRRGGHH! Jon & Sue!!! :wave: :wave: What a summer for you two! I remember when you mentioned the haunted hotel and then never wrote back...I thought for sure you were goners :teeth: AND CLUB 33??? How in the world did you do that? (Nevermind, I don't want to know, lol) I'm so excited for you guys. When is the big day? Be sure to tell us all about it. The month of Jon 2006--I absolutely love it--especially since that means my birthday was Jon 8th. We've never done birthday weeks or months but now I've got to try it.

Has anyone else on our thread ever dined at Club 33? Somehow I think I remember this coming up before, but memory does not serve me apparently.

Tom & Julie--Are you guys fully immersed in soccer yet? Thanks for the stats updates. Keeps it real for me--116 days wasnt all that long BEFORE the cruse, and therefore that means it hasnt really been all that long SINCE, right?

Up here in my corner of the world, we are just gearing up for soccer, school and fall in general. My 15k is coming up in 2 wks. No new weight loss to report (perhaps there would be if I were actually COUNTING points!). Mike is the proud new wearer of some incredibly obnoxious orthodontic contraption called a Herbst appliance. This doc prefers this over head gear (does anyone use headgear anymore?) since it's in 24-7 and works more efficiently. Braces are to be installed somewhere along the line and then of course retainers, etc. I had no idea that the process was almost as much art as it is science, as the doc watches things progress and uses the various tools to move teeth in to place over time. Anyway, this Herbst thing is a serious bummer, seems to be larger and further forward in the mouth than what his friends have experienced. It's not forever though and the end result will be worth it, right?

So that's all I have to report. Miss you all! Biding my time until those 2008 dates are released!

[suziemva]

Trish, no, we were too far away from Phil and Lisa....boo....but we had a great time, despite the rain! Went caving and got soaked on Saturday. Didn't make it to the football game on Friday night but it was also pouring buckets! I don't do football games in that kind of rain! The amusement park on Sunday was great! We were there for 8 hours and all were pleasantly exhausted when we left! Made the 3 1/2 hour ride home so much faster!

Found out that she is a little daredevil (like her daddy) and not afraid of anything (unlike her mommy)! She rode the tilt-a-whirl three times and the free fall three times! I love the tilt-a-whirl but would never get on the free fall! Too much like ToT at MGM! NO WAY!!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v227/suziemva/DSC00956.jpg

Tori started back to school today. She goes for 4 hours and has lunch there. She did very well and the teacher complimented her on her friendliness to the other children in her class. She says she had a great time and can't wait to go back tomorrow!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v227/suziemva/DSC00986.jpg

Only 34 more days! My patience is starting to wear thin with time but it will pass and be here before I know it!

Nice chatting with y'all!

[Lisa D]

Phil and I would have loved hooking up with Suzie, Ed & Tori - if we had not adopted that naughty little puppy in July! It's funny how you just can't jump in the car and go somewhere for the day when they're that small. It's about a 4 hour trip for us out to State College. I'm glad the weather was not quite as bad as they were predicting, and that Sunday and not Saturday was your amusement park day.

We were keeping a pretty close eye on Ernesto too since we had friends on the Magic, in WDW, and on the Outer Banks last week. Turned out no one made out too badly.

[suziemva]

The gas prices have been dropping like crazy around here! I took this on the way home from Target this morning.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v227/suziemva/DSC00994.jpg

This is a forty cent drop over two weeks! Man, oh, man! Keep it coming! The news said that it will be around $2/gal by Thanksgiving!!! WOW!

[BLBCB]

Suzie, you say gas has come down a lot. How much was it at it's highest?

Gas prices in Manitoba got to about $1.19/L this summer (which is about $4.50 / US gallon), but it has come down to around $0.987/L (which is about $3.74/ US gallon). Where I lived up north, it was closer to $5.67 /US gallon. We had to drive our big 4x4 3/4 ton Surburban up there too. It holds 160 L of gas. Talk about taking out a loan just to fill up. It was also around $4.00 for a 2L of Coke or Pepsi and 4L of milk was over $6.00. But beer was the same price as down south. Go figure?

What about the rest of you? How much is gas right now where you live? Maybe driving down to Florida wouldn't cost us as much as I thought. Since moving down here we are now around 12-14 hours closer to Florida than before. :moped: (they need a car smiley!)

School started here on Wednesday. :teacher: Grade 6, 8 & 10 this year. Just last year they were starting Kindergarten. Time flies when your growing old! Len was 40 this year and I'm only a few years behind. Britt lost a few kids from her class this year and she is down to 6 people in her entire grade. I bet none of you have class sizes that small! Nice to get back into a routine again.

We are starting on the outside of our house now. Borrowed some scaffolding and starting ripping the stucco off the old part of the house. I hate this job more than plastering gyproc. I know, I'm a whiner. I like to build furniture so I'm anxious to get all of this work out of the way so that I can start building my kitchen cabinets. I've found a great product that you paint on in various layers and it makes your counter look like granite. This way I can patch and match the old and new countertops and it will look like one solid piece of granite when I'm done. I'm still trying to design what Len & I will be doing with the build-outs I want for the new windows and such. Somewhere in there I have to find time to run my company too. :rolleyes: A woman's work is never done. :)

By the way, we woke up to 2C this morning, (around 35.6F) but it's supposed to be around 27-29C today (80F). There were some places around here that actually froze last night, but it didn't look like anything froze here. The cold nights make for beautiful colours on the trees though. All the leaves are turning amazing colours of yellow, orange and red. I'll have to take some pictures to show you. Still haven't figured how to post them though. :badpc:

Have a great weekend everyone!
Barb

[suziemva]

Highest I saw gas here (didn't pay it, just saw it!) was at $3.49/gal for 83 octaine. Out Suburban sat in the driveway those days unless I absolutely had to go somewhere! Yikes! A 44 gallon tank takes a second job just to fill it up! I did get gas yesterday for $2.63 for 93 octaine. Decided to give the Subby a treat! The 83 is now down to $2.42 and dropping! WOOHOO!!

[Lisa D]

Hi everyone!

Kids started school here on Tuesday. Jonathan started middle school (6th grade) and fortunately knows pretty many kids in class either from elementary school or baseball. Jimmy started high school (9th grade) and is completely exhausted by the end of the day - he leaves the house at 7:10 and doesn't get home until 3:20. The high school is huge - over 2,000 students! He has to carry all his books for morning classes until lunch, which is the only time has can go to his locker. Barb, your kids are very lucky to have the small class sizes. How different things are in Canada! The prices are amazing. Milk in PA runs about $2.30 a gallon and I can usually get a 2 liter bottle of soda for about $1.00 if I shop at the right store. Beer is about $19.00 a case for Miller Lite. Gasoline here is about $2.59 in our neighborhood, but Phil did find it for $2.49 on the other side of town yesterday.

I can't post pictures either. I think Suzie needs to hold an online class for us!The house soiunds great!

Suzie, Penn State plays Notre Dame at 3:30 today! This one will definately have Phil glued to the TV. Of course we root for Penn State, but there are alot of Notre Dame fans from where Phil comes from (small Italian Catholic town). Go Nittany Lions!

Hang in there Suzie - one month to go!

Have a great weekend!

Lisa

[suziemva]

We have already cleared our schedule for this afternoon! 3:25 we will be getting all snack, drinks, etc in our possession so we don't have to get up during the game! Potty breaks will be taken as necessary!

GO BLUE!!!!

Milk is anywhere from $2.19 (BJ's) to $3.99 at the more expensive grocery stores. We get a 2 liter at Safeway for about $1 - sometimes cheaper when they are on sale.

Okay, picture class.....you have to have a place to get your pics from that is not on the hard drive of your computer - something like photobucket.com. Once you have your pics on there (and the right size - can't remember what it is but around 60K is good), click on the picture icon (yellow picture with a mountain that is right under the size and color drop downs). Insert the URL for your picture in the pop up window. Click Okay and your URL should show now in your post!

Another way to do it is to just copy the IMG tag into your post. All you have to do is copy and paste into your post where you want the pic to show. This saves steps but if you are still just learning to post pics, well, it can get confusing, I think.

Anyway, I now expect to see more pics in the future. Upon viewing these pics, you will be granted your diploma for passing Picture Posting 101!

Good luck and good night....okay, it's not night time but I just like the sign off tag......

[suziemva]

May I just say

THAT GAME SUCKED!

Pardon my French but I have never been so disappointed in Penn State. They beat themselves! The way they played, they had no right to win - which they didn't! 41 to 10 is an embarrassment! I can only hope that JoePa runs them ragged this coming week in practice. No excuse for that game!

Okay, my vent is over.

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

Just wanted to pop in and say hey, I hope all is well with everyone, and please take some time to remember all the people involved in September 11. I remember it like it was yesterday, in fact we were at Epcot that day when they made the annoucement that they were going to close the park. My MIL and SIL and her 2 girls were with us and suppose to fly back that late afternoon. It was a horrible day and lets hope it never happens again.

Tom pirate:

[castlegazer]

HI guys! - The following is just a cathartic recounting of the day for me - no need to read it. I am still feeling the after effects of 9/11 to this day - both in my work which changed profoundly due to economic shock waves, to the constant feeling of loss for those people who were taken. It always helps to write it out on the anniversary.

I'll check on prices today for you guys and post them. We have the same milk price as Suzie said, but we have been buying HGH free milk lately and it's around 2.99-3.99 a gallon.

__________________________________________________ ______________


It is definately an epic event in my life where I will never forget what I was doing.
I was just pulling into my space at work and a commuter plane had inadvertantly hit the World Trade Center. I went up to my boss' office to watch the news of it because we have the TVs all over up there for the stock market watches. It was then that we realized what had happened and about an hour later we had an indication that our Chairman of our Board was on board the first plane as were 8 others from our sister company here.

It was a chilling realization that deepened the chill of the terror. We later found out that due to a scheduling issue, our Chairman had sent someone in his stead, but we still lost that woman, and the 8 others from our sister company. But most shocking was when they released the name of the pilot - his cousin is my colleague here at work with the same last name. He had been taken away that day and no one noticed. I didn't see him again for a long time. I then kept finding out about more and more people I knew who died that day.

It just kept getting freakier that week as the FBI was combing the area around our corporate offices - they found that some of the terrorists had resided for some time about a mile from here. We continually had helicopters overhead. Rumors were flying about people knowing the terrorists. For us it was a personal loss event that later became a horrifying realization of the act of profound terrorism and how easy it is to do something so unimaginably disgusting.

It was a terrifying time. I am still terrified to this day.

It was made even worse by the fact that I was pregnant and hadn't told anyone at work. I was terrified by what the effect of the stress of the event was having on my baby also.

I am horrified and so deeply and profoundly changed by the loss and tragedy of that day. It was not a far off event for us here - the knife of death touched us so closely. I mourned so deeply for everyone, more deeply than I mourned my own father's death. To be taken in that manner...................


__________________________________________________ ____


http://www.knowltonmosaics.com/images-main/a-a.jpg (http://www.knowltonmosaics.com/imagepages-halfsize/a-a.htm)

[castlegazer]

$2.53/gallon seems to be the going low right now around our house.



That is rockin'!!!! See, they get us all excited for what is still a super high price. But that is going to help enormously! :cool1: :thumbsup2 I paid $3.25/gallon not that long ago.

[BLBCB]

I was just listening to "themickeyroom" podcast and my name was picked as their contest winner! :cool1: :banana: It isn't a big contest and I'm sure the prize isn't much, but I'm just excited to hear my name read! :rotfl: It's episode #9 if anyone is interested! My couple of seconds of fame! :cheer2:

[suziemva]

Barb, that is so cool! Let us know what you won, 'kay?

[rubysmom]

Shy--thanks for sharing your 'catharsis' on 9/11. It truly is so important for people to be able to talk about what they experienced and I really appreciate hearing your perspective. We were physically so far removed out here and yet there was such amazing coverage and eyewitness reactions that made the horror of it hit home to me, and to everyone who calls America home, really. I will never forget the phone call from my husband telling me to turn on the TV. I'm so thankful I had the day off, because I could not tear myself away from that TV for hours... :sad1:

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2002/yir/interactive/gallery/10.jpg
__________________________________________________ _______________

Barb, I love your fa-mouse moment, but Len truly has you beat with his Village People gig. Congrats, though! ---be sure to tell us what you've won when you find out. You guys really have the best of both worlds when it comes to weather...when it's hot it's hot and when it's not it's not. No messing around with these whimpy 40-60F temps like us cloud-huggers here in WA.

Gas prices have been upwards of $3.50/gal in June/July, down to $3.25 in August, and now at the super low price of $3.09. We routinely have the highest gas prices in WA in our little corner of the state, and as Suzie has heard me complain numerous times, "We have 3 refineries right her in my county!!" Go figure.

Suzie--sorry about the game. Have you seen Invincible? It'll make you feel better, honest. What a great movie!

Our school started last wed also--the kids are happy to be seeing friends every day again. I agree about the small schools--ours is very small and I like it that way, but unless we enroll the kids in public school sports (which is allowed for home-schooled and private schooled kids but is logistically very difficult) they tend to miss out on extracurricular opportunities. I'm sure they'll survive with all the community sports and arts we have around here.

I know I've reminded you guys each time I post, but my 15k is this Sat am. On the 10k, I came in something like 681 out of 771 (yeah, I know :lmao: ) so I'm hoping for a little better showing this time... perhaps top 500, lol! Doesnt matter to me really--I'm just doing it to get in shape and feel healthy, not to compete...but I do have a shame threshold, so it would be nice to do better!!

When do those sail dates come out again???.... :boat:

[suziemva]

I think one of the worst things about Sept. 11 for me was that about 2/3 of the people I worked with at the time had family in the military working at the Pentagon or in DC. I remember one girl freaking out that her mom AND hubby both worked at the Pentagon and couldn't reach either one. Her hubby worked in the section that was hit (once we found out where) but thankfully was in another section for a meeting! I remember hearing the F16's pass overhead as we were all outside trying to get better cell phone connection. I remember finally getting ahold of Ed, who was working at our Dulles facility. They had grounded the planes on the runways at the airport and there was rumor of another terrorist attack on a plane there (false rumor it turns out). A painter out at Ed's office was knocked off his ladder while painting the outside of the building from the sound barrier blast from the F16's.

A friend of mine was deliverying Pepperidge Farm bread to the commissary at Fort Myer. He saw the plane hit the Pentagon. Said that people were out of their cars on the highway and just watching it all. Like zombies. Worst thing he's ever seen, he said. Never will he forget it.

I remember going to visit my grandpa's inurnment site at Arlington cemetary later on. They had so many funerals each day that they were limiting them. We were actually there when they had the stealth bomber do a fly over for the funeral. Never will I forget the site of the riderless horse in the funeral march. Never will I forget the site of the Pentagon side blown out, desks and file cabinets still visible in place. Just no people there. Like a ghost office.

We lost friends that day at the Pentagon. My boss had something like 15 friends he'd served with gone. One lady I had been friends with at the TO (transportation office) at Fort Belvoir. I'd known her about 10 years. Gone.

It was very hard to see the footage then at the time and no way can I watch it now. I stayed very far away from tv yesterday. Bummer is that even the football game was invaded by it, so we turned it off.

It's funny how America changed after that day. I remember people with flags all over their cars. Barely see one now. I remember people being courteous, letting others in front of them in traffic and in lines at the stores. Don't really see that now. I remember people being so Patriotic. I won't touch that one. It's a shame that the unity we felt then seems to be gone. Hm.

[castlegazer]

God, please never let this happen to our great country again. http://www.baptistboard.com/graemlins/praying.gif http://www.baptistboard.com/graemlins/tear.gif

http://bestsmileys.com/usa1/2.gif

http://bestsmileys.com/usa1/14.gif

http://bestsmileys.com/usa1/15.gif


Good Luck in your 15K, Trish! When I get down to working out, I want to be just like you! I really do!

Barb - Have you found out yet? Give us the web address, please. I am unfamiliar with that.

[BLBCB]

Barb - Have you found out yet? Give us the web address, please. I am unfamiliar with that.

I don't know if you can put a link to a site on here? The website is themickeyroom dot com show number 9. Is that how I put things on here? I still have to go back through Suzie's picture course and see if I can finally figure it out. As for what I won, they didn't tell me, just that I was to expect it in the mail. We know how slow the mail is from the U.S. to Canada, so it will be a while before I see it. I will let you all know when it comes though.

[castlegazer]

Nevermind! (I edited out a request, but I found Amy and all is well)

Thanks. :wave:

And Thanks Barb - I'll go check it out! You always know all the coolest sites.

[suziemva]

Not a problem. Glad you were able to get ahold of her!

[BLBCB]

Just thought I'd give you an update on Len's knee. Sorry it's so long.

I'm sure you have heard good and bad things about the medical system up here in Canada. It is great, but it really needs some kinks worked out. We can pretty much go see whoever we want, how ever often we want, with almost unlimited amounts of "second opinions" without ever having to pay for any of it. Bill goes directly to the government. Most people don't abuse this, but there are always some that don't mind abusing any system. But I won't get onto that soap box right now.

As you all know, Len hurt his knee on Cataway Cay and was evacuated off the island (wish I could post a picture of that, but I haven't had a chance to finish Suzie's pictures 101 course yet!). Keep in mind this is the beginning of May. The doctor on the ship says that he believes it's a tear and must have surgery. As soon as we get back home, Len sees a GP in the neighboring town, about 1/2 hour from here. Up here in Canada you must see a GP first, and he has to refer you to a specialist. So the GP sends in the request for a specialist appointment, and we should hear within a few weeks when the appointment will be, but it could be a few months before the actual appointment. Turns out there is a specialist coming from Winnipeg to a town only an hour from here (most specialist are only in Winnipeg - 4 1/2 hours from here or Brandon which is almost 3 hours). We can get into see him the end of June. :Pinkbounc He checks it out and says that he needs an MRI before he decides what to do. The MRI request goes out and we hear back a week later that they were able to squeeze him in for Aug 17. After the MRI, the technician says it should be about 3-5 days before the report is ready. From experience dealing with our medical system, we ask that copy of the report be sent to our GP as well. (We don't really have a GP because there is such a doctor shortage out here that they aren't taking any new patients, so we just go to walk-in clinic and get whoever is on call.) Aug 30 we do get to see the same GP and he just received the MRI that morning. The specialist hasn't called us back, even though the report said there was a total rip of the ACL, and partial tears of the ligaments or something on either side of the knee. The doctor just keeps shaking his head and saying "your knee's a real mess". The GP himself calls the town where the specialist comes one day every 2 months and finds out he will be there the end of the next week. They will squeeze us in. :woohoo: We ask for a photocopy of the report just in case. When we get to the specialist, he does an examination of the knee again, and says a brace should work. I ask why the other doctor says a seperated ACL and the other tears requires surgery, and he doesn't know what I'm talking about. You see the MRI report went to his office in Winnipeg. They have no file on Len there so it was sent to Dauphin. The specialist doesn't see patients in Dauphin, he sees them in Ste. Rose. So he has never seen the MRI report at this point! :confused3 I happen to have a photocopy in my purse so I whip it out and he changes his mind completely about what should be done. Yes, surgery will have to be done. He then says that he doesn't do surgery anymore, so he will refer me onto a really good surgeon who does this type of thing. So we have at this point been waiting since early May, it is now the end of August. The doctor now says that Len is to only walk on even ground until something can be done with the knee. He is a power technician, working on transformers, etc up on ladder working with extremely high voltage electricity. How is he to only stay on level ground? But it gets better yet! :furious:

We wait a week to make sure the request has got to the other doctor's office and we call to see when the appointment is, hoping to speed things up a bit. The sectretary says that "the request hasn't been received yet, but the doctor is currently booking new patients the end of December. After the initial visit, surgery could possibly be done as early as 6 months from then." This is only if the request gets to them right away. If it is slow to get typed and sent out, it could be January before he even sees the surgeon. And this is only if the surgeon is happy with only one visit. With all of my surgeries, I have never been able to just see the guy once and then have surgery scheduled. They don't get paid as much that way I guess. So Len is suppose to stay on level surfaces until next June possibly, if all goes good. I know I've had surgery postponed 3 times and it was almost a year after the first scheduled date that I finally got in. This doesn't even count the recovery time after the surgery!! What gets me really mad is that a local football player had a similar injury a few weeks ago, and he was operated on the next day. They won't allow private health care here, but are you going to tell me that it isn't a two-teered system when the football player who has the money and connections can get the surgery within a day of the injury! :furious: :furious: Anyone got some extra pixie-dust to send our way? :wizard:

In the whole scheme of life, this isn't a life-threatening thing and we shouldn't complain. The pain is pretty intense but he can still walk with the brace. Looks like I'll be going for more surgery again too, but this could be done here in Dauphin so there shouldn't be as long of a wait. A few months hopefully. We end up spending quite a bit of time in Winnipeg at the Health Science Centre where most of the specialist are and you see some people there that really put your life into perspective. There are kids without hair hooked up to breathing tanks that are still smiling, people in wheelchairs that will never walk, etc. They have found a way to be happy with their lives, what do I have to complain about. :)

Thanks for letting me rant about our medical system, and I am now stepping off my soap box and going back to work. :wave:

29 C here yesterday so summer still comes to visit a bit. Cold and rainy today though. Have a great weekend everyone.

Barb

[Lisa D]

Hi everyone,

I haven't been here for a while - we've had quite a wild ride around here in the last week.

During the first week of school Jimmy was laying around alot and complaining of a pain in the middle of his stomach. We thought it was jitters from starting high school with 2800 students, and the exhaustion from getting around such a large school. Well, he got worse instead of better over the weekend and seemed to be losing a lot of weight. Monday morning (Sept. 11, no doubt) we took him to the ER where he was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. He was admitted where they spent the first day rehydrating him and stabilizing his sugar, and the second day teaching him (and us) how to do the insulin and sugar testing. This whole thing came as a MAJOR shock to all of us - we have no family history whatsover. I never knew stomach discomfort could be a sympton, and of course we felt terrible for thinking it was just nerves!

Barb's story about Len's knee (and I am sending pixie dust your way :wizard: how can they decide which people should have surgery pronto while others who have jobs and families are made to wait!) got me going on an insurance rant. Our largest hospital in the area (Hospital #1) does not "participate" with our insurance company. We have no choice on who our company is - with Phil's job they only offer one health insurance carrier). Because of this, we went to the ER of Hospital #2 who does participate. Hospital #2 does not handle pediatric diabetes, so they want to transfer him to Hospital #1. When the whole insurance thing comes up, the insurance company decides we should transfer him to a Hospital #3 which is 60 miles away! So they want to transfer my son in an ambulance in which he cannot be administered the insulin he needs for an hour and a half ride! Finally one of the doctors at Hospital #1 convinces the insurance company to let him be admitted there. We do have some insurance coverage at Hospital #1, but it's considered "out of network" and we'll be on the hook for about half of the bill.

Jimmy is feeling much better and will be totally fine. It's just an adjustment for us all. Apparently they are making advancements in diabetes all the time. Thanks for letting me get my "rant" out of the way.

Lisa

[suziemva]

Trish - how was the run?! We want details!!!!

[rubysmom]

Barb & Lisa--

Both of those situations are so awful for you and your 'boys'! As I read and was trying to brainstorm ways around both of your situations, I realized they are textbook examples of the downsides of both socialized medicine (Canada) and private insurance carriers (USA). I can't get over how the two situations compare and contrast that way. From the point of view of a medical biller, it's absolutely fascinating.

However, from the point of view of a friend, it's extremely frustrating. I've been on that phone trying to get doctors and insurance companies to see eye to eye, and meanwhile someone you love is suffering. I'll be praying for both Len and Jimmy :hug: and sending bucket loads of pixie dust your way! :tink: :tink: :tink: :tink: :tink:

As far as my race goes, it was really great! I did not break 500th place, but I did finish 570th which is over 100 places better than my last race, even with the additional 5K. So on the 10K my pace was a 11:49 mile and this time it was 11:57, but that's because when I got to 8 miles, I just could not keep up my pace. I checked my watch at each mile marker and did great until the 8 mile marker. If you feel like it, you can go to fairhavenrunners.com and check out the stats. Below is a link to my race photo. This was taken about 50 yards from the finish. The other photographer was about 1/2 mile back on a long dock over the bay called Taylor Dock...the photo of me there is not good. :crazy:

http://www.photoreflect.com/scripts/prsm.dll?eventorder?photo=07Q6007F000596&start=0&album=0&adjust=-1

After looking over the Seattle Marathon website, I've decided that I'm not ready for 26.2 miles, but I am going to register for the half. Next year, I'm planning to do the Portland Marathon, so I'll be getting in touch with The Roses and ulittletinker when the time comes! :wave:

[mketting]

Hello again everyone! I was on the Disboards tonight because I am helping friends plan a trip and thought I would check in with the April 29 Crew. I couldn't believe you guys were right up there on the first page still.

I did not take time yet to try and catch up with all the posting but hope you are all doing well.

Things are here are back into the full fall swing. I am enrolled in the Master Of Social Work program as planned so I am busier than ever but loving the 3 classes I am in.

Wish we had another Disney Cruise to be planning for but alas do not see one anyime in our future.

Take care

[suziemva]

Michelle - nice to see you here! Glad you stopped by to catch up! Please come back and join us again.....feeling a bit abandoned by some.....okay, guilt trip over!

Trish, I don't care what place you came in, you're my hero! To even be able to run 1 mile is impressive to me! You go girl! BTW, that pic is pretty sexy! Dave gonna get one blown up for the house? It would look great over the fireplace downstairs! hee-hee! Love ya', baby!

[BLBCB]

Trish,

I am so impressed with your race!! :cool1: :thumbsup2 :banana: :cheer2: :woohoo: I don't care what place you come in, it's all about personal goals. Have you ever thought about running at the marathon in WDW? I think that would be so incredible to be able to run through the parks. They say you run through "back stage" areas too. Great excuse to go to WDW I think! :teeth:

Lisa,

I can't even imagine the stress you are dealing with right now. No matter how old they are, when they are sick they are always our little kids in our hearts. It must have been so frustrating to be dealing with a diagnosis like that and having to fight for the hospital/insurance company to accept him so you didn't have to travel. I know what it's like to have to travel for doctors! What do you do if you aren't at home? How do you know which hospital you can go to? Do they make allowances if you are out of your "home area"? How is Jimmy doing emotionally now that it's sunk in a bit? He's now old enough to understand what's going on, but he's also at an age when the world is against them anyway. My thoughts are with you guys. :grouphug:

[castlegazer]

Oh my! Barb, that is beyond awful! A few companies here is the states have been promoting a new health care insurance system where they will help you go to Canada and other countries to get medical procedures performed due to it being less expensive. That way they save, the insurance carrier saves, and well, you get a vacation (that's the way they are spinning it) - from the moment I heard about this I thought, waaaaiiiiiiittttt just a freakin minute here! That is soooo not a solution! It puts way too much stress on the other country's health care system if suddenly tons of United States people start flooding in for precedures and get priority because they are paying cash, and then I certainly don't want to go to another country for an intensive procedure, then I also don't even know what type of regulatory procedures they have in place to ensure I am safe - and that's only to name the few questions that immediately popped to mind let alone the thousands of other questions I could come up with.

Is there a way you can bring the inequity to the forefront? I mean, is there someone you can go to? For us it would be our Congressman and Senators who would help - I used to do just that for tons of consituents who felt cheated or pushed aside by the system. To me, the status quo of Len's situation is unacceptable. He needs surgery now!

Lisa - that is very disturbing. I always think - adult onset diabetes comes later in life - kids Jimmy's age could not just suddenly get diabetes - boy was I wrong. I just went and read up on Type 1 diabetes on WebMD and learned a ton. My thoughts and prayers are definately with you guys. I am glad they figured it out and got him stabalized. I am very glad they figured out what to look for also. I had no idea that something like that could happen - but now I know - and I also know that he will be fine with an adjusted life that is going to be hard on all of you for a while. :hug: pixiedust:

I currently have a Point of Service health plan and I love it. It has come in extremely handy with my daughter's, well, what we call her "things", but they boil down to minor birth defects that has mandated we have myriads of specialists for her in her short lifetime. It is an amazingly difficult proposal to fight with the insurance companies. I am very sorry you had to go through this while trying to stabilize Jimmy.

Trish - GREAT JOB!!!!! You are my hero!

Michelle - Nice to see you! Good luck in your courses!

[rubysmom]

We do have Canadians who come here for medical care all the time, usually for major procedures, but often for routine care, and they pay cash, but they do it to avoid the very thing that Len is going thru. It makes sense to me in a private MD/private insurance set up, but to tax the system the other way 'round will only make it worse, like Shyla said. It's sad when the ins co doesnt even try to hide its blatant greed. :sad2:

In other news...

Happy Birthday to Suzie!!!!

:cheer2: :cheer2: party: party: :jumping1: :cake: :rainbow: :cake: :jumping1: :bday:

http://www.ezthemes.com/previews/a/adisneybirthday.jpg

Have a wonderful day, Sweetie!! :hug:

[suziemva]

Aw, thanks Trish! My first birthday wish came true already! I got to sleep in till 10:20!!!! Ed and I were up til 2 am doing a final edit on his relocation manual he is marketing. He has two meetings set up today and needed it done! I, on the other hand, procrastinated editing it until we were down to the wire. Anyway, he stayed in this morning so that I could sleep! Yeah!

In other news, tomorrow is National Talk Like a Pirate Day! I keep thinking it's today, but, uh, no, that's my birthday! Hey, two celebrations in two days....gosh, makes me almost feel like I'm on vacation or something!!!

[castlegazer]

http://bestsmileys.com/birthday1/19.gif

http://bestsmileys.com/birthday1/20.gif


My son's birthday is a week prior to my birthday which is one week prior to our anniversary - it makes one big holiday! Hence the cruise!

Here's hoping you have the same luck with a big holiday of your birthday and your new daughter's!!!! :goodvibes

[castlegazer]

http://www.trippytext.com/gen/79/495/238cd6319faf2b73a9a74ee9ce89a0cf.gif (http://www.trippytext.com/)

[suziemva]

Thank you, Shyla! So special, I get TWO birthday posts! Thank you! Thank you!!

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

Hey everyone just checking in so us men are still represented, happy belated Suzie, and congrats to Trish, you are the woman, running just to run, that would be like drinking beer because I liked the taste, you are a better person that I, keep it up. It won't be to long before the new rates will be out and we will be booking 08, we have decided that it doesn't matter eastern or western, just so we go the 1st week of May.

I don't know if everyone likes my lookbacks, but to be honest I really do it for me, so here goes. We are 136 days from which we got off the boat, on that day we were at post 936 and it was page 63 (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=656727&page=63&pp=15) it really does seem like yesterday.

We have just under nine weeks before we are at Disney over Thanksgiving, we are going to be down there for 11 nights and looking at our schedule it does not seem like we will be able to get it all done.

Hope all is well and everyone is doing fantastic,

Tom pirate:

[suziemva]

WOW~~~!! Page 63 was a blast from the past. Having been home only a few weeks from visiting Trish and her family, and the countdown to cruise time! WOW!

Tom, hope all is well with y'all. I know you said that you were traveling quite a bit this summer for work. Not the travel I would have been doing, but we all have bills to pay, right?

You guys are going down for Thanksgiving right? Weren't you meeting up with SteveMed? Wonder how he's doing.....found the pics of him and his "Special Speedo" the other day! Lordy, laughed so hard....well, we won't finish the rest of that!

Anyway, hope the time passes quickly for you guys and that your trip to the World is wonderful. I truly miss it! This past weekend would have been my birthday trip followed 6 weeks later with our annual vaca...the time we met you guys down there prior to the cruise! Boy, seems like yesterday at times! We so enjoyed getting to meet you guys then! Way cool that you would take time out of your first day there to meet up. But then, Tom, YOU THE MAN!!!

Alright, gotta go help Honey-Do with hanging things in Ameera's room. This should be the last of it and not a day too soon, IMHO! Only 19 more days tomorrow! Time is flying!!!!!

[castlegazer]

Well, my son has stopped wetting the bed - that's progress from Page 63!

:blush: :bitelip:

Um, I got in a car accident yesterday, and well, I tustled with a semi tractor trailer and decided it would be a good idea to kiss it's rear end and see if those metal bars really do keep cars from sliding under their wheels. I am here to report to you that, yes, they do, and man do they screw the living doody out of your car in the process. I am fine - embarassed but fine - and the kids were not with me. [BIG HUGE SIGH] :guilty: The car, not so fine. But it was not my new one. But, we're not going to put it onto insurance, so........well, let's just say, my allowance has been cut short. :guilty:

[SIGHHHHH]

Life........

[suziemva]

Shyla! Sorry to hear about the accident but so glad no one was hurt!

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

Hey Shyla,

How much do travel agents make, I know you gotta put food on the table, and what is all this about customer gifts?????

Sorry to hear about your accident, glad you are alright.

Tom pirate:

[castlegazer]

Hey Shyla,

How much do travel agents make, I know you gotta put food on the table, and what is all this about customer gifts?????

Sorry to hear about your accident, glad you are alright.

Tom pirate:

My husband would say, "they don't make any money!" - Thank God I am not doing this for the money! It is just sad, sad, sad, how little you earn per hour when you break it down. But it's mostly fun to do.

I just sent my clients who checked in today an awesome gift and they are staying at Pop Century, so no big money there, but they are incredibly sweet and we have been intensively planning this trip for months now - free dining takes a lot out of you as a TA. I usually send flowers - but this was on special and I loved it!

http://a80.g.akamai.net/f/80/71/6h/florists.ftd.com/pics/products/09-4086AA:EarstoYou-Adult.jpg

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

You know I was just teasing you about another post that I saw you had replied to. You are going to let us know when the new rates come out, right.

Tom pirate:

[BLBCB]

I've been gone for a few days and have a lot to catch up on I see. Reminds me of before the cruise when you would have pages to read everytime you stopped by.

Suzie, Sorry I missed your birthday!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY :cool1: :cheer2: Hope you had a great one! At your stage of pregnancy, the best present would probably be a quiet house and a soft warm bed! Not much longer and you'll be creating another birthday. :cloud9:

Castlegazer, Hope you are OK from the accident. Is your vehicle still drivable? I liked your pictures by the way. Do you custom order the ribbon, or is this a package you have delivered through Disney? I'd love to be able to use that ribbon on my client's packages, but it's never been available to us up here before. It makes a really nice touch. OK, I'll stop obsessing about the ribbon now.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Barb

[suziemva]

Barb, have to tell you something to pass on to the kiddos! Tori has show and tell every Thursday and it has to start with the letter they are learning that week. So this week was the letter M. She looked around her room and found the Moose with Money in it that y'all gave her! It was such a hit in school, the teacher asked where we had gotten it. Was such a great story to tell her and we had a little walk down memory lane!

Thanks again! Can't look at it without thinking of you guys! Trish, just like Seattle Bear! And yes, it still has to be in bed with her before she will go to sleep!

[suziemva]

oh, yeah....one more little tidbit of info.....

As of tomorrow, we only have.....


16 more days till Baby Ameera arrives!!!!!!

Okay, had to get that out of my system. I feel better now.

[suziemva]

Tom - is it Congratulations or Condolences to you? I can never remember - State or not?

If not, Congrats on the game. If State, I'm so sorry! Stayed up to watch the end of that game really thinking that they would win.

Sorry I can't remember. We have so many friends that are Michigan fans and it's hard to remember State or not.

[castlegazer]

You know I was just teasing you about another post that I saw you had replied to. You are going to let us know when the new rates come out, right.

Tom pirate:

Duude, I know that - It's just that it is sad.

I quit my job today! :scared1: :faint: And I am thinking you all can guess I didn't do it to do TA full time now, right???

I was offered a position as a Vice President and I would be located in their regional office right in my home town! No more commutes!!!!! :cool1: Oh, I am sooooo excited. It's a dream job for me also!

YIPEEE!!!!

[Lisa D]

:thumbsup2 Congratulations Shyla! :thumbsup2

[BLBCB]

I just received my prize that I won through The Mickey Room Podcast. :cool1: :cheer2: It is a Pirate Mickey plush about 18" tall. He's from the Disney Store. Makes me think of our cruise too! pirate:

Barb

[castlegazer]

Cool!!!!

Thanks Lisa and Thanks Barb for your message to me! I am getting short timers disease hee at work. I am having a lot of problems getting motivated to do my work that has to be done prior to leaving.

[BLBCB]

Cool!!!!
I am having a lot of problems getting motivated to do my work that has to be done prior to leaving.

Doesn't help when some people keep emailing you every few minutes when your busy eh! :rolleyes: Have a great weekend and I'll be talking to you next week. I love ya for all your help! :love: Have a wonderful weekend.

Barb

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

Alright, come on page 3 just will not do!!!

Shyla, Congrats on the new gig, as far as the motivation you sound like me before we go to Disney, the sad part is, it is 48 days away and I am already getting that feeling.

Suzie, any news on the baby????

How about a history lesson, tomorrow will be exactly 2 years from when this thread was started, which means I have been checking on this thing for that long. I remember it like yesterday when the Queen put out the first post, as we are about to go at it again.

You all want some more??? Well today we are 150 days from when we were forced to leave the ship, which takes us back to November 30th, 2005. We were on page 57 (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=656727&page=57&pp=15) and it was post 845, in which SteveMed put in for 4 green wrist bands.

Well I am off, still waiting for Spring of 2008 rates to come out so that we can do it again.

Tom pirate:

[suziemva]

Nope, nothing yet. Monday is my scheduled day so October 9th will be the latest date she will be born. Waiting is hard.....don't know which is worse, waiting for the baby or waiting for the cruise! LOL!

Those wristbands....such a great idea! Really helped to "find" people on the ship! Definitely gotta remember that for future cruises!

48 days?! That's all?!?!?! My gosh, time really does fly! Before you know it, you'll be screaming on Rock N Roller Coaster or seabreezin' it by the pool! Just remember us poor schlubs up North with all the cold weather...no sunshine, no pools, no Fastpasses, no Dole Whips, no Mickey Bars, NO DISNEY!!! Waaaahhh!! Tori asked me the other day when we could go to Disney and why we weren't there! Ha! The girl has the bug, too! Like mother, like daughter.....

Have a wonderful time and keep things going!

[BLBCB]

Without the wristbands, I wouldn't have known the person sitting across from me in the limo bus on the way back to Orlando was "one of us"! Party Pat and I hadn't met on the cruise so I wouldn't have recognized her any other way. Brittany still wears her wristband everyday. I promised her a trip anywhere she wants to go for her 16th birthday next year. As the agent who gets the discounts I get to go too of course. :cool1: She has the whole world to pick from and she has decided she wants to go to WDW. :love: I've obviously raised that child right! :thumbsup2 Her best friend, who also lives across the road from us is coming too. The funniest thing is, is that she has the same last name as us too. There are only 6 kids in that class, and two have the same last name. They were both born in the same hospital a few hours from here too. And no relation at all. We used to live about 1/2 hour from eachother but never met. Of course the towns are so small around here that we had heard there was a family there with the same last name but had never met up with them. What are the odds that with all the moves we've made and she's remarried and all, that we would move in the the farm across the road from them! Fate is what I call it.

Len, my Dad and I built the hot tub room on the side of our house this weekend. Pretty soon we'll have a complete home! :Pinkbounc

Have a great day everyone.

[suziemva]

Barb, you'll have to let us know when you are going...maybe we can meet up! That would be so cool! We all miss you guys. Ed keeps asking about Len and Tori about the kiddos! Your kids made such an impression on her! Actually Ed asks about a lot of the guys! He had such a great time! Thanks everyone!

So cool to hear about the hot tub! Man, we will have to come visit! Just maybe not winter time.....

[BLBCB]

It's safe to come in the winter, the hot tub is inside now remember! And once we get some windows on that side, we can sit in the hot tub and look down the cliff to the river. Snow looks very nice when viewed from a steaming hot tub! :rotfl: We own the local toboggan hill too remember. What more could you ask for! If I keep asking, somebody is eventually going to come up for a visit to "Friendly Manitoba". :thumbsup2 The offer of the Crown Royal tour is still available too.

[suziemva]

Forgot to tell you that I have a friend on my 2002 PG board that actually has family that lives near you...sorta....Anyway, she's driven through your town before! WOW! A small town that someone else knows about! Can you believe it!

[castlegazer]

GOOD LUCK SUZIE!!!!! :love:


You will be amazed at how fast it goes if it is natural and not a C-section.


We still wear our wrist bands around - plus if I had gone this past weekend on the cruise, I would have gotten to wear it for real again.

The kids love the glow in the dark stuff.

I just had my exit interview and cried again. This is really hard no matter how much you really want to go.

[BLBCB]

Forgot to tell you that I have a friend on my 2002 PG board that actually has family that lives near you...sorta....Anyway, she's driven through your town before! WOW! A small town that someone else knows about! Can you believe it!

Someone actually know about my town? :woohoo: Tell her to look on the west side at the top of the hill. She will see my business sign at the end of the lane. Does she live around here, or at least in this province? If she lives anywhere in Manitoba I've probably lived by her at one time or another. One advantage of moving a lot is all the great people I've been able to meet.

Shyla, After you've been working at a place for a while it becomes your second home with many friends. In some ways it is leaving what you know to go to something that is new too. Just keep thinking about how great the new job is going to be. We're all here for you when you need to vent feelings, good or bad. :grouphug:

:yay: I might be heading down to WDW for more training in Dec. Keep your fingers crossed for me that all the numbers line up. :woohoo:

Have a great day everyone! :wave:

[BLBCB]

Forgot to mention that we had our first hard frost last night. Woke up to the grass and vehicles all white. :cold: Everyone keeps saying the signs are there for a really cold winter this year. Can I come live with some of you?

[Lisa D]

Barb, I've got my fingers crossed for you! I wish we were going sooner - November was always our WDW month until the kids got older and I got addicted to cruising! Last week I just did my DVC ressies for next August - over 300 days away! Just can't take the kids out of school anymore - they really did miss alot while we were on the cruise - but I'm still extremely happy that we did it. I think our school district is making it harder and harder for parents to take their kids out of school for a family vacation.

Shyla, don't be ashamed of the tears - I even cried when I left my job to take care of my kid! After many years it's a part of your life. I almost cried when Jonathan left elementary school because I spent so much volunteer time there over five years - and I don't consider myself an emotional person (although Phil might think differently!).

Hang in there Suzie ! Only a few more days to go! I'm thinking of you!

Lisa

[BLBCB]

Just thought I'd remind you all that it's our Thanksgiving up here this weekend. I just read a great article in our local paper about the differences between Canadian & American Thanksgiving, much more than just the dates. Too long to get into here, but something I thought was interesting to share.

Have a great weekend everyone (I took Friday off to go along with the Monday off :woohoo: ). We will be at a wedding for Thanksgiving (who plans a wedding for Thanksgiving weekend?!!), but Len & I will be sure to give thanks for all of our new American friends. :grouphug:

Barb

[rubysmom]

Shyla, I havent ckd in for awhile, but Suzie told me about your new job and I'm SOOOO excited for you! :cool1: :cheer2: The commute endured by so many east coasters just blows me away. I guess it happens around Seattle too, but what a relief for you to be close to home! Does your new job start today or do you have some time off between?

The days are getting chillier here too...still sunny, but our furnace comes on now...there goes the gas bill!

Happy Belated Thanksgiving to the Novaks!!..on both sides of the road ;) ! How did the wedding go? They shouldnt feel bad about having it at Thanksgiving...Dave & I got married on Christmas Eve--What were we THINKING!! :confused3 While the colors were lovely, I don't recommend it to anyone. What a score for Brittany to have a TA for a mom, lol! You girls will have the best time. One of my favorite trips was when just Emma and I took the train to Disnelyand in August '05. Just me & my Rubygirl! (remember, Tom, that's my DD, not my DH :rotfl2: What page was THAT on anyway?)

Suzie, I'm thinking about you every day, wondering if anything is happening early. Ameera's room is all ready, the csection date is set...what are you doing to calm your racing thoughts??

Lisa, we're facing that too, about taking kids out of school for vacation. No trouble thru about grade 5, but after that it gets more difficult every year it seems. Did I mention Dave's going to be in your area soon? He'll be in State College on the 24th & 25th and Pittsburgh on the 26th. Okay, I know it's not exactly close by, but if I were going with him, I'd be finding a way to come see you guys!! :grouphug:

I can't believe we're into October already! 2008 really is NOT that far off. When do those dates come out again??? :hyper: I keep thinking that we all HAVE to convince Suzie that she will be fine on the cruise with baby Ameera. It wouldnt be the same without you!

[suziemva]

Well, boys and girls....tomorrow is the day. In less than 20 hours little Ameera will make her grand entrance into this bright new world. Y'all have been there for the whole trip and made it really fun! Had a great time cruising with you guys and putting up with the preggo woman!!! Hope to have pics soon to show....I'll probably be sending them out on the regular email group instead of here....

Love you guys!

[inthemood]

Suzie,

We'll be thinking of all of you !! :sunny:

Jonna

[BLBCB]

Suzie,

I'm sure you and Ed are on cloud 9. Tori will be so excited too. Let us know the weight, length, etc (We still measure babies in pounds and inches up here so don't worry about converting!). Hope you are feeling good. Did you end up with a C-section?

Today is only October 10th, and it has been snowing all day! That's right I said SNOW! I'm not used to this down here. You expect it where I used to live up north, but not down here in the south. They say it might last for two days! Although I guess it's not too uncommon because this time 15 years ago I had Brittany and Len got storm-stayed at the hospital with me for 3 days.

We had a great trip out to Saskatchewan for the Thanksgiving wedding. The ceremony was in a church, but the music playing was current songs instead of hymns. She had three readings, but instead of being from scripture, they were quotes from a song, a book, and my favourite, Winnie the Pooh! Not your typical wedding, but fun none-the-less. We had a wonderful traditional Thanksgiving meal, and I didn't have to cook it or help with the dishes! My three sister-in-laws and I all get along great but don't get much of a chance to see each other, so it was a really fun weekend.

Have a great day everyone, and welcome to baby Ameera!

[rubysmom]

Ameera has arrived!!

http://www.infantxpress.com/photo.php?id=9968dff4b04685fd27f8c96f567b9b87&w=223
(not sure how to get it to just put the picture in there rather than the link!?)

Born yesterday at 10:59 AM, 19 3/4 inches, 7 lbs, 5 oz.

:cheer2: :cheer2: :welcome: :jumping1: :cheer2: :cheer2:
A True Disney princess: !

Way to go, Suzie & Ed! Great big :grouphug: for you and Tori and Ameera!

[STEVEMED]

Way to go Suzie and Ed.....Looks like we have a new member of the fan club. :cool1: :banana:

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

Suzie and Ed sitting in a tree, K I S S I N G!!!! :banana:

So here is the real question, When you going to Disney????

Also isn't it great to see Jonna back

http://koti.mbnet.fi/~vitriini/kannet/roadie.jpg

and what about SteveMed

http://www.nutimesnewroman.neu.edu/v3i4/assets/articles/sleaze.jpg

We have missed you buddy!!!

Now all we need is the Eggman and we will be all set.

http://www.sugarscostumes.com/images/mascots/corporate/foodbev/EggMan.jpg

By the way if anyone wants to crack up check out the last couple of pages before we left. Here is the link to a page that is a couple of days before we left!!!! (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=656727&page=281&pp=15)

Tom pirate:

[BLBCB]

Does anyone remember the songs they were playing in the background in the hallways and elevators? One I remember is Goofy singing "I'm Blue". I would like to get a list together so I can start finding these songs.

If you feel like making a snowman or have a snowball fight, come on up. Some buses didn't run today because of the storm this morning. Our kids were upset that our bus did run, they thought they might have a day off!

Have a great day everyone. :grouphug:

[suziemva]

I'll keep this short since I'm so exhausted....

The c-section went good but I had a massive panic attack just as they started the actual surgery so they had to give me some meds to calm me....almost put me to sleep. Recovery was better since they gave me Demerol for the shakes and Nubane for the itching! Great nurses at the hospital! Hated to leave them but really wanted to be home.

Ameera was born at 7lbs 5 oz and 19 3/4" long. She's had a latch problem (just like her big sister, big suprise) but has lost a little more weight than what we'd like. She's down to 6 lbs 8 oz at last weighing...and now a bit of jaundice. So, we have two little things to work on and get over and then I will destress!

She has a TON of hair (no wonder I had so much heartburn!) and is just such a cutie! Tori loves her and keeps asking to hold her!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v227/suziemva/DSCN3659.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v227/suziemva/DSCN3652.jpg

[The Roses]

She is beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations!

Hey! The Pirate's all misty-eyed! This from the man who used to change diapers by putting a new one on right over the old one....

The PAHW
pirate: :surfweb:

[BLBCB]

She is so perfect! Even just looking at the pictures I get that ache to hold her. I guess it never goes away. Tori looks like she is such a proud big sister. :love:

Take care and remember to get lots of rest. You are recovering from surgery as well as having a baby. Don't lift anything above your head, avoid stairs, etc. OK, I'm done my nag now. Enjoy your new precious little angel as much as you obviously do your new "big sister" precious angel. :grouphug:

Barb

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

Suzie and Ed,

Congrats to you, she is adorable.

Tom

[tiggersister2]

Awww -- Such good timing for me :) -- Congratulations on that BEAUTIFUL baby!
I just occurred to me that I haven't checked in here for a couple of months so I was amazed to see us still on page 1 - wow!
I skimmed through the pages and forget now what else I wanted to respond to -- Oh - Lisa -- sorry about your son - that must have been a stressful time and I know it's hard to watch a child with any kind of illness - my prayers to you. ALso- - Barb - -sorry about your husband. I lived in Canada many years ago and the system was better then but I've heard nightmares lately from friends. I don't think we do a lot better here - it's really shameful how insurance companies run our health. I've had health problems for years and it's just a mess. My husband is sick with some mystery malady right now and has been out of work on disability fo 2 months -- - I won't get into all of that here. We wer supposed to go to Disney in August and cancelled and then again in September and he just couldn't make it so he insiste I go to get some rest from taking care of him. So, my 25 year old daughter came with me and one of my twins who turned 30 that week (her birthday is 9/11 which makes it a days of mixed feelings for me - the good and the bad) came down for the weekend. It was a short 5 day trip and we stayed at the Beach Club and got another free upgrade to concierge - I was in heaven - we did very little at the parks - this was a rest trip and lots of time was spent in the pool. We did hit the first night of the Halloween Party - in the rain - but we had fun.

Everyone stay well. When are the 2008 cruises going to be announced - anyone know? I still have a reservation for this coming April but doubt I can do it then anyway.

[suziemva]

Just got back from the ped and things went great! I love this ped dr (new one we just switched to this year) and her nurse! Ameera's jaundice is going away and she wasn't even concerned about it...said it looked normal. She had me nurse Ameera there and then weighed her after she was done. Ameera gained almost 2 oz just from that feeding! WOOHOO!! And her weight is already on the incline! She weighed 6 lbs 10 oz then 6 lbs 11 1/2 oz by the time we left! Up from her hospital discharge weight and what we weighed her at last night at home! What a relief for me!!!!

[tiggersister2]

Hey -- that's great news. My third daughter started off as a lazy nurser and had the jaundice also -- but the same thing happened and after a few days she was a pro and got fat :) Good luck with everything - eat well, drink lots of fluid and enjoy!!!

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

Is that it?????

Are we done?????

The bottom of page 3 without activity since the 13th!!!!

10 days and we got nothing!!!!

I just hope this is not the last post!!!!

Good night JohnBoy,

Tom pirate:

[BLBCB]

I've been too depressed about all this snow to write. Can't let Tom be the final poster though. Got to keep this thing going. Suzie's busy with the new baby, Shyla with the new job, guess the rest of us have to pick up the slack.

We have almost all of the old stucco off of our house. My dad welded up a claw-type thing to help rip the stucco down. It has sure saved on the arm work of pulling with a crowbar. We are then putting up styro. insulation and then housewrap which will have to do until next spring. We are going to put vinyl siding on since it's something we can do ourselves. We are also going to build the corners out to look like pillars and are going to try to do the stucco work ourselves too. Since we've never done stucco before, we will be starting on the back of the house in case we make a few mistakes! The benefits of living 1/4 mile from the nearest road, nobody will see our mistakes! :rotfl: Hopefully by next spring I can show you pictures of the finished project. When you do the work yourself, the job takes a lot longer.

Update on Len's knee: We pulled some strings through his employer and got an appointment with the surgeon last week (same doctor we were supposed to see through normal channels, but we would have had to wait until February!) He has officially said the knee has to be reconstructed (he is the 4th doctor to tell us this). They say he will be able to get in for surgery as early as next July. It's free, but it's slow.

Have a great day everyone.

[suziemva]

Barb, I guess that's good news about July????? Not sure how I would feel about having to wait that long....Can't wait to hear more about the house. Sorry I've not been the best emailer around lately - will get in touch soon.

Baby is doing much better. Things seem to have clicked with her but a few speed bumps along the way. Ameera is 2 weeks old today! Hard to believe! Tori is still very infatuated with her and has a hard time keeping her hands off!

Got a question for you guys/gals. We're planning our next Disney trip in January and hoping to bring our friends. They've never been to WDW and I don't think HE is too excited. He's fighting it because it's hunting season and he's been gone overseas for a year and missed out last year. BUT I think he would have a good time once he got there. Question is this: For a first time family (3 year old little boy included) what would be the things not to miss or take special time with at the parks and surrounding areas? It's been so long since we were DISNEY VIRGINS that I can't remember!!!!!

Tom, NEVER say good-night until the Fat Lady sings! I ain't heard no singin'!!!! Hugs to you and yours, baby! Don't you have a trip coming up soon?!?!?! Let us live vicariously through you, please! Tell us all about it! We're listening!

[rubysmom]

Barb :worship: That's all I can say to you!! You guys and your fearless house projects are amazing--I can't wait to see the pillars, what a great idea! Good news for Len, too. I've got a new typing account and have been doing a ton of ortho reports lately, learning so much--and there's so much that can be done for joints now...crummy that you even have to wait that long, but it will be a relief to get it taken care of. Len, you just keep the late night parties and stage dancing down to a dull roar until then, you hear? ;)

Suzie! 2 wks!!! I can't believe it! Glad to hear things are settling a bit.

These are some of our favorites:
Epcot:
--For a 3 y/o boy, don't miss Turtle Talk with Crush,! (I'm betting both of the new Nemo things will be very cool.)
--There's also the Nestle Tollhouse cookie baking at the Land.
--Mexico Pavilion with all the colors and giant hats to try on and maracas to shake, and of course the Rio del Tiempo
--Dinner in Germany; there were several young kids who went up and danced with the musicians (is he outgoing like Tori?)
MJM:
--If he watches Playhouse Disney, that would be a good choice.
--I heard they were going to make some kind of pseudo-permanent thing out of the Jedi Training Academy. Mikey would have LOVED that at 3.
AK:
--Y'know how the Dino-Rama area is like a parking lot carnival? His dad might not like paying so much to go to something he could do back home, maybe. Otherwise, The Boneyard made my kids happy forever and Primeval Whirl made them crack up laughing when they were younger.
MK:
--Everything ( :thumbsup2 )
--Storytime with Belle. Even Mikey at age 8 enjoyed this, and of course all the younger kids did too, boys and girls alike.
--Plan to get a haircut at the Barbershop (make the appt now if you can!)

Also, PUSH the talking trash can and Wes Palm the talking palm tree. If you see them, and he's not scared of them, it's captivating to watch kids interact with them and see the amazed look on their faces.

Are you going after Jan 22nd? The Pirate and Princess Party sounds like it's going to be so cool.

Kids can be entertained with the simplest of things, like the petting zoo and Boneyard at AK, the fountains at Epcot, and Tom Sawyers Island. I just wonder if it will be equally important to make sure dad feels like the trip was worthwhile, something he couldn't find anywhere else. Hopefully he'll see the wonder in his son's face and realize that Disney is different! 3 to 5 is the absolute best age, I think, for children to be captivated by Disney. I think the main thing is knowing whether or not your child will be afraid of the characters, and once you know the answer to that, you really can't go wrong.

No, Tom, it's not the end!! We just need some topics whilst we await the 2008 sail dates (such as Barb's house, Suzie's baby, and any upcoming Disney trips...hmmm?).

In other news, did I mention I got a note from a secret admirer last weekend? :love: Something about beautiful angels walking the earth and the clouds parting and the sun coming out and an invitation for coffee, along with a phone number. Probably was left on the wrong car or written by a scary person, but I'll just pretend otherwise and keep it to refer to again later for a "pickmeup", lol! Dave said he'd be happy to call and tell the admirer thanks for the compliment, but he's married and isn't really into guys that way. Yeah...I don't think so, honey. But we did look up the # online and found it's a local cell, so no dice.

[BLBCB]

Trish, I don't think it's a matter of being fearless, it's a matter of being to poor to hire the work out! :confused3 I guess I must be preaching a lot lately about saving money because Caity asked me the other day something about "are they poor like us". :rotfl: Poor to me means having trouble putting food on the table. We are just having to be a bit more imaginative with the way we spend! And Len's not doing too much dancing at all right now, but the pictures sure have been passed around! :cool1: I am so glad you had your camera that night. The only time I didn't bring mine of course.

Suzie, When I'm planning a trip for first timers, I usually try to put something in the itinerary that is special to that person. Without being able to talk to him to find out his needs, I would guess that if the dad has been away overseas for a long time, he will probably be looking for a few things out of the vacation. He will want to see his son living the "magic" of Disney, he will want to spend some grown-up time with his wife, and also maybe have a bit of something for himself. The first thing is automatic at Disney if you are willing to see it, the second could be done with booking the child into one of the "Disney Daycares" so the adults could have a nice meal and maybe go to Pleasure Island. The third one could be something as simple as fishing, or something exciting as the Richard Petty Driving Experience. He sounds like the type that would really love that. The biggest thing is remind them not to rush through everything. First-timers are overwhelmed with the size and options at WDW and try to do everything all at once. They have to be reminded to slow down and "feel" the magic. And if all that doesn't work, you can bribe him by saying that if he goes, he can then stay at your friends house up in Canada where the hunting is amazing. If I keep offering, someone is bound to come up and visit!

We now have the styro insulation 3/4 the way around our house. From the road it looks like we've painted it bright pink! :artist: We really must be the talk of the neighborhood now! The sun reflects off the snow and makes the house look like it's glowing right now. Maybe that's why nobody comes up here, I keep saying how ugly our house is and how much work it needs :rolleyes1

Have a great day everyone. :wave2:

[STEVEMED]

Suzie....I know what might be special for a group of first timers....How about a visit from stevemed himself. :banana: We will be in Disney from January 20th to the 27th and would love to see you guys.By the way congrats to you and your family on your new arrival.

To everyone else...Hello and I hope all is going well.

Barb...Tell Len good luck with his leg.

Tom....How about them tigers.See you in 2008.

[suziemva]

Steve! That's when we'll be there!!!! :Pinkbounc Where ya' stayin? Or is it a suprise? I know how you love to suprise the wife! Do let's try to get together - even if it's just for dinner or something! WOOHOO!! How cool is that!?!?!?!

Now, if I could only get Trish to get over on this coast.... :rolleyes1

[STEVEMED]

Suzie...We will be at Old Key West.We are going for my youngests birthday.Send me a pm and we can work out the details to get together...I can't wait to see the new addition to the family(and Tori too)

[suziemva]

Steve, I'll email you when I get the details straightened out! Sounds like fun! Looking forward to it!

Bummer note: Our friends here can't go with us. He asked for time off but the Marines need a few good men and can't let him off. Since he just got back a few months ago, he's low man on the totem pole and the only one assigned for his duty job. Bummer. So, Quantico ruined our good time but we will try again later next year....

Barb, will you email me? I can't find your email addy in my mailbox! I have some questions that maybe you would be able to answer....Thanks!

[BLBCB]

Great news up here. We've been around +2 to +4 for the past two days and almost all of the snow has melted! :cool1: :banana: :cheer2: :woohoo: Don't get me wrong, I love winter, just not in October.

Suzie, I sent you a message, but the address has Ed's name not yours. I hope I'm using the right one. :wave:

I still haven't started Halloween costumes yet, so guess what I'll be doing this weekend! :rolleyes1 I work best under pressure. I haven't unpacked my sewing room yet so it could be interesting trying to find everything in the boxes. Why did we decide to rebuild this place instead of just moving into a finished home? :confused3

Have a great evening everyone. :wave:

[Lisa D]

Hi Everyone!

Suzie, sorry to hear your friends won't be along on your trip. I pulled out my album from 1998 when Jonathan was three (the first year he went and we joined DVC and discovered the DIS and the rest is history) to see what he enjoyed at that age - which was everything except the Tower of Terror :guilty: . He met the height requirement so we took him on it and he wouldn't go back on until he was seven. And, girl, you are so lucky to be having not one but two Disney experiences with Stevemed! And Steve, if you read this, you will love Old Key West if you haven't already been there. The rooms are so big you could almost live there. They practically have to kick you out - which is kind of how we all felt when we had to get off the ship.

Barb, hang on in there with your renovations. Our house is five years old now and we're starting to have to do some minor repairs, which is even a pain so I can imagine how you guys feel. I hope everything works out well for Len and his knee surgery. How are Lilo and Stitch doing? They must be getting big by now!

Trish, I can totally believe that you do have a secret admirer! A divorced male friend of ours was looking at our cruise pictures and asked us if you were single :love: We told him no, you were on a girls trip, and you had a wonderful husband back out west.

Getting ready for the big Halloween weekend here. We have two parties two nights in a row. I don't think we've gone out two nights in a row since we were on the cruise! Tonight is a family party at our neighbor's house - tomorrow is an adult costume party which I don't have our costumes for yet. Phil hates dressing up - I think that's from back in his Penn State Frat days when they made him paint his face blue and white and wear a wig. The theme for the party is "Famous Couples" just to complicate things. We finally decided on Gilligan's Island - Phil will be Gilligan and I will be either Ginger (yes I have a red wig) or Mary Ann depending on what I can find in the consignment shop which is where I'm headed next.

Happy Halloween!

[The Roses]

We just got back from a trip to Disneyland and dinner at CLUB 33!! :cool1:
It was very cool, and we will post pictures as soon as we figure out how to do that. But I have to tell you this: when you go to the little girl's room, you get to actually sit on a throne! Seriously, there is a throne in there! Naturally I used it and I felt like a queen!

The pirate says the men's room was no big deal, but he took pics of that too.


The Roses

:surfweb:

[suziemva]

We just got back from a trip to Disneyland and dinner at CLUB 33!! :cool1:
It was very cool, and we will post pictures as soon as we figure out how to do that. But I have to tell you this: when you go to the little girl's room, you get to actually sit on a throne! Seriously, there is a throne in there! Naturally I used it and I felt like a queen!

The pirate says the men's room was no big deal, but he took pics of that too.


The Roses

:surfweb:

:lmao I'm glad you clarified that it was you, Sue, who went in the little girl's room! I had to think about who was writing the post at first! I hope that you took a picture - and yes, I would have!!!

Call me if you have question on how to post pics. It's just too hard to try to explain in writing instead of talking in person.

Lisa - you'd better take pics! Hey, and what's wrong with dressing up in blue and white paint?!?! He SHOULD be HONORED! :rotfl: And I so can believe the guys going gaga over Trish! So sweet and cute too! (are you blushing yet?!)

Barb, hang in there, honey. It's all worth it! The house will be great and you will have the knowledge that YOU did it!!!

[STEVEMED]

It's good to see this thread is starting to pick up again.Tom would be proud(that's a call out old Tommy boy). :cool1:

Lisa D...We are looking forward to seeing Old Key West. I have long wanted to stay at this wonderfull resort.


Suzie can't wait to see you guys.It may be a little to cold for me to pull out the old.... :banana: :banana: :banana: (I think this is a good thing because we don't want to scare the new addition to the family)

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

Steve,

I got your shout out, it is funny to look back again, it has been 177 days since we left the ship and if you go back 177 days prior to us boarding we were on page 47 and it was November 3, 2005 the post number was only 693!!! (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=656727&page=47&pp=15)

We were leaving for the Food and Wine festival and to meet up with Suzie and Ed, what a great trip that was. We are only 3 weeks today from leaving for Thanksgiving.

Barb, Suzie, Trish, Sue, Lisa, and Steve thanks for keeping this going, I still have fond memories of it all and would hate to see it end.

Tom pirate:

The dates for 08 should be out very soon!!!!!!

[suziemva]

Gosh, was that only a year ago!?!?! That was a great time, Tom! Really enjoyed meeting you and Julie and the girls! It really seems like so long ago....

Tori asked tonight when we were going to Disney next. We told her that we are going in a few months and we'll see Steve and his family and Aunt Judy and Uncle Dennis....then she asks me "They're going to be on the cruise, too?" Oh, boy! We've created a Cruise Monster!!! She doesn't even think of the parks anymore! Except Tower of Terror since she saw the movie the other night on Disney Channel!

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

Page 3?

Is anyone out there???

[suziemva]

We're here! Finally got all our plans for January done. We are staying at Orange Lake the 19th thru the 26th and then Wildneress Lodge the 26th thru the 29th. Really looking forward to a nice long vaca!!!! We had a devil of a time booking our flight because of some vouchers we had from our cruise flight . The woman at United told us we had to go to the airport to do everything because they had to confirm by sight that we had the vouchers. Come to find out we should have booked it then gone to the United agent....so after 30 minutes on the phone with the automated United ticket thing we finally got it all straight....it was so noisy in the airport that the automated system kept thinking I was changing or cancelling something! Had to do my credit card 5 times because the agent was yelling over my head to the person next to me! I almost strangled her!!! BUT it's done now!

Even got a great rate for our car! WOOHOO! Passes are paid for, everything is done! I am SOOOOOO ready to go!

Other news.....Ameera will be 4 weeks old tomorrow. She's such a cutie and such a good baby (except when she has little tummy problems then all hell breaks loose with the crying!!! Kinda like colic at times....). Big Sis Tori is such a big help. She has now gotten into playing with her dolls like a mommy. She even got a diaper bag with all the stuff from some friends! Too cute!

Ed's business is doing good. He's got some things in the works that will enable him to not have to renew the PITA contracts he's dealing with now. I never knew adults could be so petty or childish! But we found them! So glad that he won't have to deal with them when the contracts run out! The phone calls and emails are driving me nuts!

So, let's hear what's going on in YOUR lives.....

[suziemva]

Question of the day:

Where's Castlegazer and what is she up to?!

[rubysmom]

Roses-- :bounce: :thumbsup2 :rolleyes2 ::yes:: :crazy2: :shamrock: :tilt: :jumping2: :yoda: :hmghost: <---- that's all the little green monsters I could find (other than ones that were either laughing hysterically, smoking, or about to toss their cookies) to describe how jealous I am of your Club 33 dinner! I can't wait to see the pictures!!! (while you're at it, how about posting some from the cruise, hmm...? The snapfish site is still available, right Suze?) Miss you guys!!

Suzie, you've got to update your signature with new pictures every week or so. After all, the princess is changing every day! Kathy's going to DLR in January and I've already tried to conjure up a way to get there...didn't work out. So, probably WDW is out too. "Don't give up on us, baby" we'll get out there someday!

Lisa! Tell me you were Ginger! I can totally see it, girlfriend! BTW, tell your friend thanks. Never did call to find out who it was, but I'm keeping the note handy to look at when I get grumpy...such kind words will make me smile, despite the fact that they could be written by a :crazy: or meant for someone else, lol!

Steve--Have you seen Borat? If not...don't. Trust me on this one. Dave & I were either laughing hysterically or so embarrassed to be watching that we hoped no one we knew would see us leaving the theater. No kidding, we felt the need to go home and watch a Disney movie to 'cleanse' our mental palate!! (Sky High did the trick.) But if you have seen it, you may or may not be pleased to know that he and his amazing :banana: hammock reminded me of you. :lmao: (Just for the record, please know that I don't ONLY associate you with that subject...it was very nice visiting with you at RockinBarD and I don't recall bananas being mentioned even once among the group that time!)

Barb, I'm anxious to hear what was the final product for Halloween?? I know the costumes were amazing...do tell. +2 to +4 is like 35 to 39 degrees F, right? Practically balmy! :p

Tom, Thanks for keeping us going! When, oh when are those sail dates going to be released? Anyone? Anyone?

As for current events with us, nothing exciting except soccer...Mike's doing indoor now, first game ever last Sat, scored 3 goals :cheer2: and has an outdoor soccer tourney next weekend. Sadly, I think this 3-day trip to exotic Mukilteo, WA is going to be our big vacation for the winter. So we're making the most of it and staying in a hotel with an extra star or two on the rating. woohoo! It's a great bunch of parents, so it should be a good time anyway!!

Emma was a pirate for Halloween, of course. She had a modified version of what she wore on the cruise, slightly less skin showing, lol. Super cute and very much in character--I'll post a picture soon. Mike just stayed at a friend's house that night and (with permission) they "forked" another friend's front yard. Big excitement for the preteen...I don't even want to know what comes next year!

TTFN, except for one last shout out....CASTLEGAZER, where are you? We need an update on the (not-so-) new job!

[suziemva]

Tori as (modified) Kim Possible and Ameera as a cute little bunny....
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v227/suziemva/DSC01181.jpg

She just looked soooo peaceful in her carrier, I had to take a picture.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v227/suziemva/DSC01174.jpg

Sad to say, I haven't had time to do pics but we're trying to do our Christmas card photo this weekend. At least an excuse to take pictures!

Yes, the snapfish account is still open as is the yahoo site. Any questions, just email me.

Still waiting to see Halloween pictures of The Castaways! BIG HINT, Lisa!!

Not much really to update here. Life with a newborn and a 4 year old is never dull....big tadoo today was baking cupcakes with Tori while Ed was at his meeting. Woopee.....

Hard to believe that Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Remembering last year and discussing what we were going to do! The food and cocktails! Aaaahhhh....those were the days!

[rubysmom]

Now that's an angel face!! (both of them, actually!)

Ah, Thanksgiving. I do love this time of year for visiting friends and remembering what's really important in life. Shall we have a QOTD, everyone?

What is your favorite Thanksgiving tradition?

I would answer, except we don't have any!! Basically we just try to see all the family (which requires several stops throughout the state) and we always eat too much. Pretty universal stuff, but we'd like to start something meaningful, so what do you think?

[suziemva]

We have the new tradition of No Stress. Last year, we all came to the table (leisurely) in lounge clothes! We had no set time for dinner, watched all the football on tv we wanted, ate tons of hors doevres and had a great time! We realized that this was a no stress day in honor of Ed's heart attack (will be 2 years this Thanksgiving). The friends that rallied that night and helped out make us realize we need to enjoy the day and slow down.

Other traditions include the specific food. Fried turkey and streuseled sweet potatoes are a must for our table! And being with the ones we love...family and friends!!! Wish you all could fit around my table this year!!!! We'll be thinking of everyone!

Hard to believe it's just around the corner! We celebrate 16 years married on the 17th and then Thanksgiving the next week! WOOHOO!!!

[STEVEMED]

Suzie...I love your tradition.I would love to make that a tradition in my house.

My traditions is turning into working on thanksgiving.I've had two work the last two years and I'm working again this year.

God bless the troops and happy veterans day to everyone. party:

[suziemva]

Sorry to hear that, Steve. But may I say Thank You for being on the job, too. We had such wonderful EMT and firefighters that came to the house when we called that Thanksgiving. I know it kind of stinks to be working and not being with the family but we really appreciated those ones that worked that night!

And a big Thank You also to all the Veterans and Troops serving our country. Thank you for serving. Good Veterans Day to everyone. Oh, and Remembrance Day to our Canadian pals up North!

[Lisa D]

Suzie, I promise, I have the picture and it will be coming soon! I promise! Been thinking of you this week - I got a mailer from Snapfish and it's addressed to "Suzie M" at my address because I ordered some of your pictures!

Steve, happy Veterans Day - to me this applies to all of our brave armed forces as well as the police and fire forces who protect us all.

As far as Thanksgiving traditions go, I have great memories of many years getting together at my grandparents ( and later my aunt's ) house with all the cousins on that side of the family. We had a big long table for about 30 people - used to kind of remind me of "The Waltons". Unfortunately this tradition no longer continues but we do Thanksgiving at my house with my mom and my sister's family - and of course Phil always looks forward to the Cowboys playing football (he will never give up on them no matter what).

The Gilligan and Ginger picture will be coming soon!

Lisa

[STEVEMED]

Hi guys.Just wanted to pop in and do my best to keep the thread going...

Suzie...How are the plans for January going?

Rubys Mom...Sounds like borat has some explaining to do to the original :banana: (I'll have to get my lawyers to look into this matter) :teeth:


LisaD...Thanks for the Veterans Day shout out but this day belongs to all of the brave men and women who keep our country safe...

Anyone think about the next cruise.My group wants to go next year in April.I'm trying to hold them off until the first week of May so the can see Tommy Boy.(and anyone else who cares to join us)

[suziemva]

Steve, plans are going great! We booked our flight and resorts! Got a GREAT deal on our rental car.....so ready to go! I'll be emailing you shortly to see when/if we can get together! Found a CN deal and emailed Barb, but doesn't look like that will happen...big sigh.... Now, I feel like I'm starting to count the days til this vacation! Hard to believe the last time we were there was last May after the cruise! WOW! Feels like forever ago!

[suziemva]

Tom and The Queen
Just wanted to send my well wishes for your upcoming trip to The World. Have a wonderful time and a safe trip!

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

Suzy,

Thanks honey, we are leaving in 4 days and will be there for 11 nights, it seems like forever since we have been there. The only thing that keeps you going is you have to have another one booked before you even go, always have at least one trip planned that way when you leave you already know when you are going back.

I hope everyone is doing great, Steve keep holding out on those Rhodies, we need to do it the first week in May. I checked into the last week of April and it is 2500 more for us than it was this last May.

Keep up the activity, and we will be back in a couple of weeks.


Tom pirate:

[suziemva]

Gee, Tom. Heard there were some snow flakes down in Orlando yesterday. Hope y'all are having a good time, though!

Thinking of everyone today.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

[STEVEMED]

Hope everyone is having a great Thanksgiving

[suziemva]

Tom, are you home yet? Dying to hear how everything went!

How was everyone's Thanksgiving? We had a great time with friends and the next day with family. Fried turkey was awesome, again!

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

Suzie,

Just got back late on Friday night, had a fantastic time. Went to Thanksgiving with BowTie Joe, crowds were bad at first but the Sunday after Turkeyday it all lightened up, weather was spotty, but I was still at Disney so it really did not matter. When are you guys going in January, just found out that I am going to be in Florida the week of the 8th, so the Queen and the girls are going to fly down for the oldest Princesses Bday that next weekend.

Tom pirate:

[suziemva]

Tom - glad you had a good time! It really doesn't matter as long as you're at The World, does it?!

We won't be arriving until the 19th (staying til the 29th)....bummer....could have been fun with the SteveMed fan club again! We'll have to keep trying! Have a great time and wish Princess L a Big Happy Birthday! I LOVE spending it with The Mouse!

[suziemva]

For all you fans out there.....DUCT TAPE RULES!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v227/suziemva/RedneckTimeOut.jpg

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

Suzie,

Love the picture, I am on the road for work again and figured I would check in. Saw the email from the other site and that some people responded to it, but for some strange reason I still feel the need to post on this thread. Hope all is well with everyone and that in 13 days everyone has a merry Christmas.

Tom pirate:

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

Christmas eve and just wanted to wish everyone a fantastic Holiday, Merry Christmas everyone and have a great new year.

Tom

[suziemva]

Merry Christmas everyone!

:santa: :santa: :santa: :santa: :santa: :santa:

Thinking back a year ago, where were we???? Still planning away, sharing quips online, getting to "know" each other. What a year it has been! We have a new addition to our family, some great friends from the cruise, and lots of wonderful memories! So very glad we got to know everyone and cruise together! We're talking about when we can cruise next, so hope to catch y'all on the boards again!!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v227/suziemva/DSC01281.jpg

[STEVEMED]

Happy Hollidays to all.....

Suzie...The picture of the girls is so cute.

[suziemva]

Thanks, Steve. I think so too, but I'm a little tiny bit biased!!! BTW- need to get with you to see when, what and how you want to meet up next month, if you're still up for it!

[STEVEMED]

Sounds good to me...give me a call about a week before and we can work out the details.

[suziemva]

Will do....

Anyone else having issues with this site? I can't use the emoticons or quick reply......

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

Well haven't checked in lately so I thought we could take a look back into the past. It has been 243 days since we left Mickeys Boat, and if you go back 243 days before we boarded it would have been August 29, 2005 we would have been on http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=656727&page=35 page 35. I don't know about all ya all but I think it is cool to go back and check out what we were talking about.

Tompirate:

[DisneyJam]

Wow!!! You guys are still going on this thread!

I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe holiday and Happy New Year!!

Tom, again my friend we had a great time over Thanksgiving! I wish we had more time, but I guess we'll just have to do it again!

Suzie, I love the photos!!

Steve - Well after hearing the praises from Tom, I will just have to meet you one day!!

Everyone have a great 2007!

[BLBCB]

Hello everyone. Haven't been on here in so long that I was worried you might have all forgotten about us! I ended up down at WDW for 11 days the beginning of December. I spent 6 days by myself touring resorts and taking 3000 pictures. Would have been nice to have some company though. Everyone down there was complaining about the cold weather, but it was -37C when I left home so I was walking around in shorts the whole time! The course was great and I met some great friends during that time.

I was able to stop in at two things during MouseFest. :cool1: I really want to figure out some way to get there again for that next year. One night we met at Raglan Road, and I was really nervous about going down there by myself, but I Nathan Rose was so great to make me feel welcome, and I ended up meeting some really great people that night. I was only able to make the last half hour of the Mega Mouse Meet, but what I saw was great. Lou Mongello (sp?) signed a couple of books for me and I was able to talk to a lot of podcasters that I listen to all the time. :banana:

I can't remember if I updated everyone on Len's knee or not. We got into see a specialist really quick by pulling some strings. He was supposed to have his appointment in Feb, but saw the doctor quickly and was put on a cancellation list because his knee was in such bad shape. He ended up getting his surgery Nov. 27th, just a few days before I left for Florida! :rolleyes1 He has now gotten rid of the crutches and is just down to a cane. The doctor said yesterday that he will be able to go back to "light duties" in about 4 more weeks.

I hope everyone has had a great Christmas and New Years. We had some bad news which made the Christmas & New Years a lot quieter, but we must go on and live for the living. :grouphug:

I don't want to quit on a sad note here, so I will tell you about touring The Wonder a few weeks ago. It was so amazing to go up those escalators and nobody was in sight. I got some great pictures of the ship model, and then we went onto the ship. We weren't allowed to take any pictures on the ship as it wasn't "stage ready", but it sure was nice to be able to see everything without a bunch of crowds. We even got to tour the Walt Disney Suite. Amazing. That's the closest I'll ever get! I sure wish I could have taken pictures in that one! Really makes me want to book another cruise though. Maybe by next year, but I won't be holding my breath!

Sorry this is so long winded, had a lot to catch up on. Take care everyone, and stay in touch.:hug:

Barb

[rubysmom]

Great to see everyone keeping up the thread, though I haven't been doing my part! Tom & Julie, Suze & Ed, Steve & fam, and especially Barb (TOURS!), I am a little green monster here, longing for a bit of Disney vacation! My favorite WDW trip was just after Thanksgiving thru the first few days of December. What a great time to be there, with all the Christmas decorations up and light crowds. Hope everyone had a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and a wonderful start to the NEW YEAR!

I just checked the official DCL site and found 4/26/08 listed as a sail date (it's that last one on the list)...is this our date???!!! (Probably old news to most, but I'm always running a little behind, I think.) Let's get on it, people!

[suziemva]

STEVE!!! I can't find your phone number!!!! Please PM me or call me....or post here and I'll try to get to you....geez, can't believe I can't find your number and NOW I can't get on the Yahoo site! 8 days and counting!!!

[rubysmom]

Here's Suzie: :surfweb:
Here's me: :scratchin
Here's me again: :idea:
Here's Suzie again: :rotfl2:
Here's me: :blush:

Ck your PM dahling.

For all of you wondering, I called and left Suzie a message earlier today with the venerable Rhodie's ph #, even repeated it for clarity, and lo and behold it was her OWN cell #. Just figured that one out. 2 hrs later. You sure you want to cruise with me again?? :thumbsup2

[suziemva]

tee-hehee!

[BLBCB]

Trish, I got your PM, but I can't reply for some reason. I have emailed you from both of my email accounts though. I used the email address that you listed on the yahoo cruise contact info page. :thumbsup2

Just thought I'd give a weather report for those of you lucky people heading down to Florida soon. Last week we had beautiful weather for Christmas Break. Temps above freezing and most of the snow melted. Tuesday night, a storm blew in and didn't leave until Thurs. night. No school for two days :banana: Get up this morning and buses are cancelled again, this time due to windchill. The kids are getting a 5 day weekend. It was -50C with the windchill this morning. :scared1: :eek: How can we go from above freezing and then a few days later this. I said I wasn't going to move again, but I think Florida is calling my name!

Have a great day everyone!

[suziemva]

Can I just say OH MY GOODNESS!!! Freezing your ney-ney's off, are we?! Geez, we're getting so spoiled with this weather that 40 deg feels cold!!!

This time next week, I'll be in my shorts and tank tops again....sitting by the pool possibly.....just streets away from my buddy Steve...aka BORAT.....still have to find that email, Trish....

Tom, gotta give a shout out to ya'! How're things going? Still traveling alot? Soccer season will be here before you know it!

Gotta run...decorating for a baby shower tomorrow for a friend....

[The Roses]

AAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!pirate:

Well, the Pirate and I are settling in to our post-cruise depression. We still haven't figured out how to upload the pics so we will just have to wait until the next cruise to show them to you. We'll be on the ship showing you our 2-year old pics of the ship.

Life here is danged cold. There is a bunch of white stuff falling from the sky and our stingy landlord (that's me) won't let the Pirate turn up the heat. He turns it up, I turn it down. I want him to get so cold that he finally figures out that the only way he will warm up is to take me back to the Carribean. :)

In the meantime, we have become carnivores. We decided to spend the new year dropping some pounds. I wanted to do South Beach, heck I wanna do anything that has a beach. But Jon wants to do big hunks of animal flesh. He says it's more manly. This from a guy in a skirt. (Bunch 'o smilies out there and I can't find a single one of a Pirate in a kilt.) Anyway, hunks of animal it is, and I think our little doggie is feeling a bit nervous.

So, Suzie are you near NYC? I will be in the big city next month. Never been; I will be the one staring up at the Big Buildings with my mouth wide open. Hmm, can't find a smilie for that either. And Trish, how far are you from Spokane? I will be there in March.

You'd think with all of this traveling (I'm going to Oakland this month) that I would get to see Mickey, but oooooh nooooo. I have to spend the time with a bunch of stuffy researchers.

Have we set the date yet? Are we going April 08 or May 08? I need to get the Roses Hospitality Suite scheduled! (Official party suite of the Steve Med Fan Club).


The PAHW
:surfweb:

[The Roses]

It was -50C with the windchill this morning
OMG Barb! Holy cow! How do you keep the pipes from freezing?
How's Len's knee? I guess he doesn't have to keep ice on it, huh?

The Roses
pirate: :surfweb:

[STEVEMED]

Hello Roses glad to hear everyting is going well with you guys.I think the plan for the next cruise is for the first week in May.

Hello to everyone else and just wanted to say GO PATRIOTS:yay:

See ya....Now and always your leader SteveMed:rolleyes1

[suziemva]

Good to hear from you guys! We STILL haven't gotten any snow yet this year, Tori is so disappointed! Was 73 here today!!!!!

Sue, we are just outside DC....about 5-6 hours south (driving) of NYC....BUT we're inbetween Dulles and Reagan airport!!!! Hop on an Express and come on down!

So good to hear from you guys.....we are starting to think about cruising again...I know, I know. Cruising with a 15 month old at that time is crazy but maybe we can afford to bring a nanny with us. Would solve alot of problems!!! We'll have to see what pans out in the next few months. Lots going on but nothing I can talk about at this time....if I tell you, I'd have to...well, you know the rest!!!

Give Jon a big hug for us! Can't stop thinking of The Pirate! We're taking Tori to the Pirate and Princess Party at WDW next week - suprise to her - but I converted one of my old costumes I forgot I had to a girl pirate outfit for her! I'll post pics when we get back!

Steve - 4 more days!!!! See you guys in a while, tell Shannon we said hi! Can't wait!!!

[ohsodisney]

o.k o.k , I give in . I have been reading and keeping up with you all for awhile and did get a lovely e-mail from Suzie but what drag me in was Tom's link back to page 35 when I was just babbling away :)

I am so glad you are all doing well .

I had the Cruise withdrawal when we got home and just went about my chores trying to keep my nmind off of it. Yes I was teary-eyed on the last day. Barry has been as usual out of town so I have been volunteering at my daughters new school , yup we did send them this year. The house feels so lonely.


Oh' we did catch parts of the shows featuring Tom and the boys :rotfl2: but we got paged alot from the daycare because McKenna was crying for us. She definitely liked the cabin and Smuckers PB&J's more then anything it seemed.

Roses Thanks again for hosting the party, it was lovely.

I did go ahead and book a cruise for Halloween this year only because I miss it so. I gave up on the RCCL one , just couldn't come up with the funds so quickly.

Suzie once again your new baby is absolutely beautiful :angel: , yes Tori too :angel:

Have fun in Florida :cool1:

[BLBCB]

Cruising with a 15 month old at that time is crazy but maybe we can afford to bring a nanny with us.


Oh, pick me, pick me :yay: :yay:

[STEVEMED]

Oh, pick me, pick me :yay: :yay:

:rotfl2: :rotfl:

[suziemva]

:rotfl2: :rotfl:

Ditto - :rotfl2: :rotfl2: :lmao: :lmao:


Barb, you would make the supreme sacrifice, wouldn't ya'?!

[STEVEMED]

Suzie....Three more days:yay: :yay: :yay:

[suziemva]

Suzie....Three more days:yay: :yay: :yay:

Geez, with a thirty degree drop in temperature from yesterday, my body is screaming for FL now more than ever!!!!

:dance3: :dance3: :dance3: :dance3: :dance3: :dance3: :dance3: :dance3: :dance3: :dance3: :dance3:
:yay: :cool1: :yay: :cool1: :yay: :cool1:

[BLBCB]

All that sun will just tire you out. You should come up here and check out what snow is really all about. :rolleyes1 I'd find room for everyone!

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

What the heck is going on, I go to Florida for a week of work (and play) and you guys go nuts. Jon and Sue, Trish, Maria, The one and only SteveMed, and then the standbys, Barb and Suzie, glad we still have this thing going.

Just came back from Florida yesterday it was 84 and sunny in Tampa when we left, and Detroit was freezing rain and 26 when we landed. We spent two days in the parks for the oldest princess it is her 11th bday today. Happy Birthday Lindsey!!!!!!!

The new dates are suppose to come out tomorrow and be able to book them late in the month. I think we are looking at the 1st full week of May which will be the 3rd of May I believe, it is a Western if that is alright with everyone, my hope is that Disneys special annoucement will be two trips to Cast A way Cay, but Steve that means that you have to bring twice as much beer!!!!

Hope everybody has a great time at WDW and check in when you get back, I have to get back to work and will check in with details again very shortly.

Tompirate:

[rubysmom]

And Trish, how far are you from Spokane? I will be there in March.

So picture my state...we are in the upper left hand corner just over the border from Vancouver BC. Sadly, Spokane is the same distance from here as Portland is! I'm considering the Portland Marathon this year, though.

It was -50C with the windchill this morning. :scared1: :eek:

Barb, that is crazy! Once in Banff, I experienced -47F. We were on a trip with Kathy and we were walking outside...she felt like her contacts were going to freeze and pop out of her eyes! I checked the Farenheit equivalent to -50C is -58F!! :cold: (on a weird side note, Farenheit and Celsius cross over/are the same at -40 degrees.--Fact of the Day. :teacher: FOTD.)

Stevemed, Shannan, Suzie & Ed, you're probably doing last minute packing or already out the door, but you guys have a fantastic time and tell us all about the Pirate & Princess party. I'm excited to hear about how that goes.

Tom, welcome back! Happy Birthday to Princess Lindsey! princess: :cheer2: :cheer2:
7-day double dip western!??? Sounds PERFECT!!! Actually it sounds like a....okay nevermind. :scared1: Anyway, thanks for keeping us up on this. BTW, does this mean the infamous BTJ might join us??

Oh, pick me, pick me :yay: :yay:
:lmao: :lmao: I'm thinking of the Mrs. Doubtfire phone interviews: "I...job?" :happytv:

Maria, hi there. :wave2: You see we are all in post-cruise therapy together. The Halloween cruise is just what you need to help with that!

[BLBCB]

Barb, that is crazy! Once in Banff, I experienced -47F. We were on a trip with Kathy and we were walking outside...she felt like her contacts were going to freeze and pop out of her eyes! I checked the Farenheit equivalent to -50C is -58F!! :cold: (on a weird side note, Farenheit and Celsius cross over/are the same at -40 degrees.--Fact of the Day. :teacher: FOTD.)


We are supposed to have a balmy -4C today. :cool2: I just might have to dig out my shorts for weather like this after last week! :woohoo:

Len is doing great without his cane now. He is in physiotherapy twice a week and doing exercises at home. He is going nuts not being able to work though.

[The Roses]

I'm considering the Portland Marathon this year, though.
Hey! Then stay with us the night before! We'll load you up on pasta and cheer away! We have a big 'ole guest room and and the kids can sleep downstairs in the cave.

Yes, I said "cave". The Pirate has decided that all manly men MUST have a cave. So he created one in the basement. He comes home with a beer fridge and tells me "Hey! This would make a great end table!". So down in the cave it goes. Now he's campaigning for a 60-inch HD. We *already* have a HD TV, but ooooohhhh nooooooooo it's not NEARLY big enough for a respectable cave.

The only good thing is that he sorts laundry while he's down there. He has to - the laundry shoot dumps out right above the couch. When I'm mad at him I drop laundry on his head.

The PAHW
:surfweb:

[rubysmom]

Sue, thanks for the offer! The marathon is Oct 7th, so you have almost all year to come to your senses. :scared:

The Pirate has decided that all manly men MUST have a cave.
::yes:: I can see that Dave & Jon would get along famously. He's constantly bringing home stray building materials and suggesting that we somehow use them in our house. Our friends have a Man Room with theater seats installed stadium style & a retro 50s style fridge. I just want to know what is the female equivalent to such a place?? :confused3

[The Roses]

Our friends have a Man Room with theater seats installed stadium style & a retro 50s style fridge... Yes, our hubbys would get along fabulously. Your husband drags home lumbar. And I'm married to the man who dragged a 2X4 across the carpet so it looked like he vacuumed. We can't put them together. Please don't tell Jon about the Man Room!

pirate: AAAAARRRRRRRGGGG!!!!!

Too late, now he wants one. I can feel the testosterone rising already. Pretty soon I'm gonna start spittin' and scratchin' just to keep up.


The Wench
:surfweb:

[Lisa D]

So glad to see this is still going on! I thought we lost it after Christmas! I was locked out of the Yahoo site and thought I had lost touch with everyone forever, so I'm glad to see so many of you are still here!

BarbI can't even imagine what weather that cold must be like! You must go through a lot of Chapstick! People around here gripe when it goes below freezing!

Sue,we live about 1 1/2 hours west of NYC. I don't get into NYC too often - last time was two years ago to see "Live with Regis and Kelly." It's one of those places we always say we should go but never seem to get around to it! You definately need to have a game plan for that city. Another time a friend of mine and I went to see "The View" and had no game plan after that. They gave away free DVD players that day on the show, so afterwards my friend and I were wandering the streets of New York carrying around DVD players with no game plan in mind! Needless to say we just had lunch and took the next bus home! When are you going to be there? John's "cave" sounds hysterical - Phil would love it too!

Trish,I sent you a PM. You go girl with those marathons!

I guess Suzie and SteveMed and their families are soaking up the Florida sun by now! Hope they have a great time. We have to wait until August - a loooong time to wait! I guess we'll have to start eating beans and tuna fish sandwiches to save up for the next cruise! Hmmm, the Western is the only one we haven'tdone...

[The Roses]

...on a weird side note, Farenheit and Celsius cross over/are the same at -40 degrees.... Trish! I am so impressed! You have exceptional gray matter in your noggin!

So we were whining about the cold and snow and I mentioned to the Pirate that it was -50C in Canada. He thinks for a minute and decides that's the Farenheit equivalent of 20 below. So, using my Cliff Clavan voice, I say, "No, dear. Farenheit and Celsius cross over at -40 degrees. Neg 50 is actually neg 58."

Wow, he thinks I'm really smart! Shhhh.... Let's not tell him that I actually stole that fact of the day from you!

LisaD! Good thought on NYC! We will definitely need a game plan! I hadn't thought about going to see a TV show; I wish Charlie Gibson was still on GMA. I admit I sort of have a crush on him. (Don't tell the Pirate that either!)

Sue
:surfweb:

[tiggersister2]

Wow - I am impressed to see this thread still on the first page -- you go guys! I'll check in occasionally for the fun of seeing how you are all doing in the future.
I'm glad you are all well and happy and that some of you have been to see Mickey in the last couple of months.
I went in April with 2 of my daughters but our Christmas trip got cancelled as DH has been ill and was diagnosed with late stage lyme. He's doing better now under iv antibiotic treatments, but it's been tough. I'm in the middle of major dental work so we are a pair.
We had planned on going on the Western Caribbean cruise at the end of April but since we saw the announcement of the West Coast cruises and I have always wanted to see the Panama Canal -- we are going to go on the repo cruise to LA in 2008 -- 15 nights - oh what glory :).
Anway, again....stay well - I'll always have great memories of meeting you all - even if only briefly - :love:

[Lisa D]

Got to keep this somewhere near the top.Suzie would be very disappointed in us if she came back from WDW and found us on Page 10!:scared1:

[suziemva]

Got to keep this somewhere near the top.Suzie would be very disappointed in us if she came back from WDW and found us on Page 10!:scared1:

You're so right...but I have our forum bookmarked, so it goes straight to it instead of the cruise forums....

Anyway, just back a few hours. Good time for us but glad to be home. SteveMed and family were actually right next door to us (in the next bldg) the first night!!

Let me get unpacked, then we'll update all. Missed the snow here but it was getting chilly down in FL....in the 40's when we left!

Tom, was this a state of Michigan sick week? Saw lots of Michigan sweatshirts and hats down there!!!! Kept expecting you to pop out from behind a cart yelling "Suprise!!" LOL!!!

[rubysmom]

BUMP!
Welcome home Mattern & Medeiros families! I know you had a blast, and we all want to hear about it.

This waiting for the next batch of sail dates is killin' me...

[The Roses]

We got a call from Disney and need to book the Party Room now!

Western is May 3, 2008
Eastern is April 26, 2008

We have to book NOW in order to reserve the Official Hospitality Suite of the SteveMed Fan Club. By the way, the Western 5/3 is the LAST caribbean cruise before the repositioning cruise to the west coast, so I think that one might be cool! (Big sale in the Castaway Cay gift shop!) :) And the Pirate wants Pango and Tom to take him on the official Jimmy Buffet tour. He's already picked out the stogies and is training the parrot to sit on his shoulder and not poop. If it doesn't learn soon, it will be stuffed. AAARRRRR!

So, it's decision time! Let us know asap.
Suzie, I don't think 16months is too young to do a cruise. We'll take turns with your little ones!



The Roses
pirate: :coffee:

[suziemva]

IF we are able to go, I vote for the western only because the eastern and that d*mn 6 am customs crap sucks! We're in serious negotiations and waiting on a new client. Can't talk about it more here. Just wish us luck and quickly!

[ohsodisney]

Bump
Wow, page 3 , thought I give you a little push back to page 1 :)
I see you are all in the planning stage for your next cruise venture. We wish you well and hope you all have a wonderful trip. I know if I make plans for the April or May cruise I would be seeing the divorce papers.

We are making national news here in Oswego NY. Schools have been closed for 3 days and we now have 4 feet of snow. I'm afraid to let the girls venture as the fear of never seeing them again has set in :eek: . If they were only a few inches taller.

Take care, we will peek in from time to time.

Glad you had a nice trip Suzie.

[castlegazer]

http://andreaweckerlecopywriting.typepad.com/new_millennium_pr/images/20060214_elephants.jpg
:wave: Happy Early Valentine's Day Everyone!

[suziemva]

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Good to see you here, Shyla! Wondered what happened to you! Hope all is well with the new job. Drop a line when you have time!

[Lisa D]

We are sitting here under half a foot of white stuff in PA today! Our first snowstorm of the season. At least now the skiing is good!

Suzie[B], that is the most precious picture of your girls! Glad you had a great trip. Now [B]Steve needs to check in so we can hear about his family vacation.

[suziemva]

Lots of ice here and the airports were closed last night...I think Dulles is still closed....FedEx is not even working today!!! Only a few inches of snow but lots of sleet last night. The roads are being plowed but not ours. The snow melted a bit today but it's supposed to be in the teens tonight so that makes for treacherous roads tomorrow....so NO SCHOOL again!! Tori really doesn't like this and "wants to be in Ms. Bobbie's class, please!". She misses school but I know that will change in years to come....LOL!!! Just glad we don't live in upstate NY!!!! Whew! Hey, isn't that where OhSo lives????? 12 feet and still coming is what I've heard...yuck!

Steve, come out, come out where ever you are!!!

I have to resize my pics but I'll post some in the next few days. Busy keeping the Elder Miss busy with things and not begging me to go outside. I just wish it wasn't so darn cold....

[castlegazer]

Hey guys! :wave:

Sorry to drop away for so long. New job is very, very cool. I love it. I am not in front of a computer all day long anymore.

So when we going again?

I have October 2007 booked right now as a place marker. I don't think I can go in April or May, but maybe. We are going to WDW in December this year. That will be a first for me. I usually go in April or May.

I think we are going to move the ressie to the September 2008 5 night cruise. It's a double dip also.

Barb - I gave it up. I was too insane and it was affecting a lot of things in my life. We'll chat.

Pirates - Here's an article from the Boston Globe on man caves:
http://www.boston.com/realestate/articles/2007/02/04/to_the_man_cave/

I'll try and stop by more often. :wave: :thumbsup2

[BLBCB]

Castlegazer, it's so great to hear from you. :banana: I was starting to worry about you. I'm so glad you are enjoying your new job. Have things slowed down a bit yet or are you still working long hours? The nice part is that you don't have the long commute though.

Take care and drop me note when you get a chance. :hug:

Barb

[STEVEMED]

Hi Guys,

Hope everything is going well for all of you.

Suzie...How was the rest of your trip?

Castlegazer...good to see you back in the saddle.

Did everyone see the good news...Disney is getting two new ships.:banana:

I'll talk to you guys soon.Take care everyone.

[suziemva]

Steve, we had a great trip! How's Shannon doing now? Hope all is well.

TRying to dig out of the snow now....sorry, Ameera is ghgelping me type....

Just a few pics

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v227/suziemva/DisneyPhotoImage129.jpg

First day at MK!


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v227/suziemva/DisneyPhotoImage101.jpg

Ameera and Eeyore meet at last and yes, he is soft!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v227/suziemva/DisneyPhotoImage47.jpg

Tori meets up with her hero Kim Possible!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v227/suziemva/DisneyPhotoImage4.jpg

Our last night at MK with our best friends from Palm Harbor, FL....never done a night time pic before - WOW!

Gotta feed little one! Started on rice cereal yesterday and loved it! Round two today....

Stay warm everyone!! Hard to believe March is right around the corner...

Hey, Tom! What's the stats for today last year???

[castlegazer]

We book'd the October 27th 2008 special Costa Maya Double Dip cruise! :cool1: :cool1: :cool1:

Halloween on the ship! :scared1: :donald: :dumbo: :eeyore: :goofy: :earseek:


So no one answered...when is everyone going again?

[Lisa D]

Thought I'd move us back towards the top!

Shyla, I wish I knew when we were going cruising again - going to WDW in August this year. It is [B]so hard[B to take the kids out of school anymore, especially with one in high school. Also thinking about college tuition coming up in a few years...yikes! WDW doesn't hit us in the pocketbook too bad since we're in DVC, but looking at cruise prices over the summer and school holidays really has some sticker shock! Congrats on your new job. I'm actually finding myself with alot of time on my hands and may possibly be interested doing a Disney thing like you were for awhile. If you have any input on that - let me know! I am forever helping everyone plan their Disney trips and would love to start a business involving that but really have no idea how to begin!

Susie, loved your Disney pics, especially the one with you and Ed and the girls, and your nighttime pic. Glad you had a great time. I can't believe I've already had to make my ADR's for the August trip!

Hope everyone is doing well out there. Last year this time we were really all psyched up for the trip!

Lisa

[BLBCB]

Shyla - Congrats on the cruise! What a cool way to spend Halloween! You've asked when everyone is cruising, it is the May 3rd Western.

Don't think we'll be able to make it. Two in high school and one in junior high. Too hard to take out of school. I'm really working towards a trip out to Disneyland. We are limited to the end of August, or a week starting Dec 27 because I have a couple of surgeries scheduled for this spring and summer and don't think I'll be doing too much walking then.

It's our 20th anniversary this June and since we renewed our vows at our 15th in WDW, I thought we could celebrate the 20th at Disneyland and surrounding area. We'll see if it works out.

I know I always seem to mention the weather, but it's a major issue up here all winter, so of course I'll put in a bit about it now! :rolleyes1 We had that horrible snowstorm hit us last week, just like most of North America. The kids had Thurs & Fri off of school (8th snow day this year). I've waited months for an MRI, so I had to keep my appointment on Friday. The drive is normally about 2 1/2 hours, but with the snow and road conditions, it took longer. Good thing I left early. Good news is that the weather has warmed up completely, and we have had above freezing all this week. We are hosting a sledding party this weekend for everyone who works for the only power company up here (where Len works) within about a 100 mile radius. Did I mention that on our land is the local tobaggan hill? I don't know what I'll do with everyone though if the snow keeps melting the way it is. Imagine all those kids in the sloppy wet snow. My house is still under major construction, and it certainly isn't big enough for all of those people. Not that I'm asking for the cold temps. again, just maybe hold the snow for a couple more days! :confused3

This proves that I should come on here more often, then I wouldn't be writing a novel when I do get on. Take care everyone and have a Disney Day! :hug:

[suziemva]

Just a quick note......came across this pic and had to post it! What a great time!!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v227/suziemva/DSC00163.jpg

[Lisa D]

Suzie - you are the best! Did we have a great time or what! Can't believe it's almost a year ago!

[The Roses]

When are we going?

We are booked on the May 3, 2008, but I don't see that anyone else is going with us! (Was it something we said? :) ) But it looks like Shyla is going on the Oct 25, 2008 double dip, so we are thinking that maybe we should go then. Not that we are stalkers :goodvibes , but we just had so much fun last time getting to know all of you. So...we gotta change our reservation soon. When are the rest of you going?

The Clock's tickin'.....:hourglass

So? What's it gonna be? (Insert the soundtrack from Meatloaf's Paradise by the Dashboard Lights here). What's it gonna be, boy?


The Roses
The Official Hospitality Suite of the SteveMed Fan Club

pirate: :surfweb:

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

Sue and Jon, and everyone else,

i haven't been on the boards in forever, so I check in this morning to find your post and I feel sort of bad, so for that I am sorry. Our group sort of fell apart, we had originally planned on going that first week of May, and then when the prices came out (they went from $3800 to $6400 for our family for the same cruise), the excuses started flying. We really shouldn't pull the kids out of school, we will be traveling for soccer, we will just be getting back from Spring Break, and so on, and that was just me!!!

All in all it came down to price for us, and I should have come on here much sooner and let all ya all know, that we had to back out. I have been checking and for that kind of price, we can take the kids to a family all inclusive for almost two weeks, or take back to back Royal Carib cruises. I know it won't be the same, and I called Disney to express my displeasure with the prices, but as they said to me "Disney cruises are not for everyone", by the way that person might have ended up in a little trouble, because I demanded to speak to their supervisor and ask what the heck they meant by that. But to no avail, my sales skills failed me, and the price stuck, are friends at home agreed, so to make a long story even longer, we are out, we had a great time and will miss everyone, so thanks for the memories and hopefully some day there will be more.

We will be at the bar again this year (FishLips) watching the Magic leave on March 31st, before we head down to Disneys Vero Beach Resort for Spring Break.

Hope all is well and I will check in again, sorry again for getting everyone stirred up and ready to go in May of 08 and then backing out.

Tompirate:

[rubysmom]

Grr...composed a huge 'quick reply' and decided to 'go advanced' but didn't copy my text first and it's gone! Rather than re-do it all let me just say,

Hello to everyone! Suzie love the pic, love the memories even more. Tom & Julie say it isn't so! CG welcome back! Halloween Double dip? Sounds fabulous! Roses, I'm on the 5/3 but I'd be happy to postpone. Lisa, can't take DS out of school either...Trip planning...if only there was a way to make $$ doing what you love...Barb--DLR for your 20th? Super--We've got to talk! :) Hello to Stevemed!

So that leaves us, The Roses, and CG cruising in 2008? Suzie...?

Gotta get back to work here for now.

[The Roses]

Tom, I have to say that it just won't be the same. The last night of the cruise, when you and Pango were out on the verandah smokin' those stoogies, the Pirate was one happy man. He even took a picture of the stoogie butts in the ashtray. I can't believe how the prices have gone up! Man, they gotta pay for those new ships, huh?

We are booked on the May 3, 2008 and we are delighted that Trish will be there too! Way Cool!!! For a moment, we thought we were gonna be all alone drinking that case of wine!

So, Trish, if you guys decide to switch to October (CG - what are the dates? I couldn't find a 7-night double dip in Oct 2008), then we will switch too.

Suzie and Ed? How now brown cow? LisaD? Barb? April? Julie? Summer? Michelle? Pat? Patty? SteveMed? Bueller? Bueller?

The Roses
pirate: :surfweb:

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

Sue i gotta tell you that me and the big feller (Pango) have been outside smokin cigars back in Michigan and have both commented numerous times about hanging out with Jon on the balcony and how great that was. It is times like that that i won't ever forget, or being President of the SteveMed fan club, the hammock dash, 1 cent, 2 cent, 5 cent a dollar, and what about my man Hollywood. Good Times, Good Times, we will definately miss all, but tell the Pirate that we talk about him often.

Tompirate:

[BLBCB]

I can't believe how the prices have gone up! Man, they gotta pay for those new ships, huh?

The reason the May 3 prices are more is because it is the last cruise before the Magic heads to California. Eveyone who wanted to cruise that summer was waiting for the new dates to come out, and when they did, they found out there was only one week to pick from because the ship would be gone.

So, Trish, if you guys decide to switch to October (CG - what are the dates? I couldn't find a 7-night double dip in Oct 2008), then we will switch too.


The October 25 cruise is under the "Special Caribbean Cruises" section. It is a 7-night Caribbean Cruise to Costa Maya & Cozumel with two stops at Castaway Cay. The prices are quite a bit lower than the May 3 cruise and what fun it would be to spend Halloween on the ship!

[rubysmom]

What about the weather? I know the ship can divert if necessary, but does anyone have experience with this type of situation or cruising this time of year? I'm TOTALLY game for October 2008, PAHW, but just wondering about that one eensy-weensy issue.

Anyone want to consider reconsidering their reconsideration of cruising since prices will be so much lower and such awesome people will be on board...? hmm...? (pretty please?)

One more thing...the CMs on board usually go in 6-month stints, and I'm guessing that going in October will give us a completely different set of CMs. I know they wouldn't all be the same anyway, but I bet there are some who keep coming back, like maybe Hollywood, his co-host Michael, my man Kadir, and our server William--I'll miss not seeing them!

[BLBCB]

One more thing...the CMs on board usually go in 6-month stints, and I'm guessing that going in October will give us a completely different set of CMs. I know they wouldn't all be the same anyway, but I bet there are some who keep coming back, like maybe Hollywood, his co-host Michael, my man Kadir, and our server William--I'll miss not seeing them!

When I was at MouseFest in December, I met someone who does the scheduling for the cruise staff. She was saying that depending on what job they had, they worked different scheduled on/off time. She was saying it's very hard if one spouse is in housekeeping for example and the otherworks in a different department. Some departments only work on the ship for 2 months at a time she told me.

[rubysmom]

Oh, I didn't think of that. Of course there would be couples working on the ship together. When I talked to William about it, he was 'on 6/off 6' with family back home in India. He was a server but was bussing on deck one morning too. Can you imagine trying coordinate departments and schedules for a staff that huge?? It will be awesome regardless--there are so many great CMs. :goodvibes

I've tried to imagine cruising with just my family. It would be wonderful, but it's hard to imagine NOT seeing friends around every corner. :grouphug:

[BLBCB]

Suzie and I were talking yesterday about the possibility of a Disneyland meet, maybe this August or just after Christmas. I know they are busy times to go, but it's the only time I can travel right now with 2 in high school and one in jr. high. Nothing definate of course, just something we were tossing around. I can't travel during my actual anniversary, but I could share the celebration with all of my cruise friends! I know this doesn't help the cruise question, but it is a chance for us to get together this year. :grouphug:

[Lisa D]

Hey, everyone! Sitting in the middle of a Nor'Easter right now - and two days ago it was 80 degrees.

I don't know about the October 2008 - we will still have the "two kids in school" thing to contend with - but somehow it always seems easier to catch them up in the fall rather than Spring. Trish, I can tell you one thing - although the two cruises we took in October were just on the Wonder to the Bahamas, that boat did not rock and roll neeeeearly as much as our Magic cruise did! From what I understand you can get rough seas anytime, and they do divert the ship if need be (my neighbor was on a Western-turned-Eastern last August).

It would be great to see and hang out with as many of you as possible! While I don't have an extra $1000 laying around right now to deposit with WDW, I'm not ruling it totally out either. We have so many great memories - I still have my photo album on my dining room table and the boys and I are always looking at it and remembering how much fun we had!

[castlegazer]

Hey guys! :wave:

I had no idea I had started a cruise trend here! Gotta stop working so much and start DIS'ing more! And, yeah, Barb, thanks, things are great - it's a whole new world being right at home and being able to go home for lunch or see the kids or take them to the docs when need be and not waste a whole day on it. I am LOVING it! It's a lot of work, but it's cool.

Plus, I was able to start this adventure boot camp for women in the mornings and I feel great. I never had time like this before to work out in the morning.

So, we were also struggling with the whole price thing - I was absolutely floored by the prices in May and April. We were looking at a very whopping bill. There was no freagin way! So, I looked into the double dips and this cruise on October 25th works out to be almost the same price as I had for a cruise just placemarked in 2007 and my daughter was older and cost more - so this is a good deal for this cruise. Plus, two Castaway Cay stops :woohoo: ROCKIN! I really like the itinerary - we always do the Eastern and we have never done the Mexican Riveria.

We were also struggling with the kid in school issue - and the school we chose for him is really vehement about not pulling them out. But, when it all came down to it, the additional cost of a cruise during a school vacation time was as much as his whole year of tuition. I decided, to hell with it, and we chose a time that seemed to work OK in the school calendar. For those on quarters, it may be the end of the 1st quarter so keep that in mind. I decided that my son will be in 1st grade and how many tests could he possibly have? The other thought process was any parties that occur around Halloween - again, I said, to hell with it - this is the best party ever! But, that being said, there usually are a lot of parties in school and out so the work load may be lighter in school during this time also. Who the heck knows!?

The November cruise is over Thanksgiving so that was way high price, and the December one is over Christmas, so again, no way.

Look for the cruise under special cruises - it's the cruise to Costa Maya.

Weather: Now remember that it is rare for there to be a hurricane that hits the Mexican Riveria. Hurricane Wilma did hit this area in October of 2005. But rare shmare, here is the true history of hits on Cozumel (note that between 1995 and 2005 there were no hits):

How often this area gets affected?
brushed or hit every 2.83 years

Average years between direct hurricane hits.(usually within 40 miles to include small hurricanes)
(18h)once every 7.56 years

Statistically when this area should be affected next
before the end of the 2008 season

Last affected by
Oct 21st,2005 Hurricane Wilma passes over the Island. Extensive damage to nearly the entire island.At this time Wilma had winds of 140mph & was moving very slowly at less than 5mph.Hurricane force winds pounded the island for over 24hrs.

This areas hurricane past
1873 oct 1st a hurricane from the east with 90mph winds move just NE of here turning north
1877 80mph just east while turning north sept 29th
1880 aug 9th a hurricane from the ESE hits just south
1903 a cat 2 hits in august
1912 a cat 2 hits in october
1913 a cat 2 hits in june
1933 a cat 2 hits in sept
1938 a cat 2 hits in august
1944 a cat 1 hits
1951 hurricane Charlie hits with 125mph winds in august
1967 Beulah hits as a cat 2
1988 during hurricane Gilbert 52 were killed towns were destroyed by a 17ft storm surge,175mph ruins only had minor damage. Satelite photo (http://www.hurricanecity.com/Images/1-gilbert.jpg)
1995 hurricane Roxanne hits with 115mph winds press 28.29
2005 July 17th & 18th Hurricane Emily hits as a cat 4,although surface winds were much less. Sporadic damage to buildings in & around Cozumel,Mexico. Damage shot from Playa del carmen on mainland #1 (http://www.hurricanecity.com/IMAGES/EMILYDAMAGE1.JPG) | #2 (http://www.hurricanecity.com/IMAGES/EMILYDAMAGE2.JPG) | #3 (http://www.hurricanecity.com/IMAGES/EMILYDAMAGE3.JPG) | Animated radar at landfall (http://www.hurricanecity.com/IMAGES/emilyradar.gif)
2005,Oct 21st, Hurricane Wilma passes over the Island while moving slowly NNW. Extensive damage to nearly the entire island.At this time Wilma had winds of 140mph & was moving very slowly at less than 5mph.Hurricane force winds pounded the island for over 24hrs. As of early 2006 many hotels are still shut down & the cruise ships docks have been destroyed.Satellite image of Wilma as a cat 5 before landfall, strongest ever in the Atlantic basin as of 2005. (http://www.hurricanecity.com/images/wilmasat.jpg)


Now Costa Maya has an even rarer occurrence of Hurricane hits, here is some general weather info:

When is the rainy season?
The rainy season is from June to October. "Rainy" is relative, because it will rain really hard dumping a lot of rain and then get sunny. Seldom does it rain for days since most of the rain is either from thunderstorms or related to tropical storms. Tropical storms usually last a day or two, but this occurs during hurricane season which usually begins mid July.
What is the best time to visit the Costa Maya?
We get asked this all the time. I have finally decided that it requires a chart with all the variables of the weather as well as some other monthly highlights. The truth is that any month is good depending on what you want out of a vacation. (Average rainfall and temperature is taken from www.worldclimate.com)
MonthAverage Rainfall Average 24 HR Temp.CommentsJan.2.1"75 F High season. The first week in January seems to have a little bit of a "lull" in terms of the number of travelers. The weather can be cold enough to warrant a jacket at night. If you like birds, green parrots are starting to show up as well as some other migrating birds. Feb.1.7"76 F February can have some cool winds. The water can feel quite cool as the wind blows across the surface making it hard to snorkel or swim for long periods of time. A wet suit helps. (Cool is relative, but bring a jacket for evenings). Migrating birds make February one of the best "birding" months. Mar.0.8"79 F Normally a great weather month with comfortable temperatures and little rain, but can be breezy. The downside is that there are a lot of people vacationing at this time, including those on spring break. It is good to make reservations far in advance. Apr.1.0 " 82 F Can be breezy affecting water activities, however not every day. This, on the other hand makes for great visits to the ruins and few mosquitoes due to the dry conditions. May3.6"83Great month for water activities with fairly calm water. The days are quite hot, but the humidity is fairly low making nights comfortable for sleeping. Few mosquitoes.June5.5"82Water can be like glass making for great water activities. The humidity is usually fairly low early in the month but starts to raise in the later part of the month. Travel with insect repellent if you plan on venturing off the beach.July4.0"82July can be quite humid. If you are from anywhere on the east coast you can understand. However, it may be the best month for water activities with the water like glass. Later in the month there is a chance of tropical storms. Travel with insect relent if you plan on venturing off the beach. Biting Flies (similar to deer flies) can be a problem in the day - use insect repellent.Aug.4.3"82August can be humid, but again the water can be like glass so it is great for water activities. Hurricane season is in full swing, but the Costa Maya does not have a history of high hurricane damage. Travel with insect relent if you plan on venturing off the beach. Biting Flies (similar to deer flies) can be a problem in the day - use insect repellent.Sep.6.7"82Fairly pleasant but the rainiest month due to the fact that it is late in the tropical storm season. The rains are usually brief but heavy. This is one of the slowest times of the year, so you may find yourself alone on the beach! Travel with insect relent if you plan on venturing off the beach.Oct.4.5"80Very pleasant weather and very slow! Many hotels close because it is so slow. If there has been a lot of rain in August and September there may be lots of mosquitoes at dawn and dusk. There is still a chance of some significant rain in Oct. Nov.2.1"76Great weather month. Can be some cloudy and cool days, but usually the water conditions can be good. Few crowds. Bring lightweight jackets. Dec.1.9"76Sporadic weather. It can be cool or warm, windy or only slightly breezy. Bring jackets and long pants for cool breezy nights on the beach. Usually lots of sun even if it is cool.


The biggest issue I am worried about is mosquitos. You can not give blood for one year after visiting this part of Mexico. There is a high malaria rate here. Bring bug spray!

This is still hurricane season, but hopefully, not a strong season. We just won't know.

Here is the Wikipedea info on Costa Maya: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Maya

[castlegazer]

technical difficulties.

By the way, no where in that long post did I say what I really meant, which was,

IT WOULD BE AWESOME IF EVERYONE WANTED TO HEAD ON OUT ON THIS CRUISE TOO!

It looks like such a great beach and fun itinerary!

TT - Hey tough guy! Tell your beautiful bride that it's really her we will miss!

STEVE - How's it hangin' down there in Rhodie?

Suzie - she looks just like her papa! She is really beautiful (regardless)!

[The Roses]

IT WOULD BE AWESOME IF EVERYONE WANTED TO HEAD ON OUT ON THIS CRUISE TOO!

OK! We're in!
The Pirate just changed our cruise to this one!
October 25, 2008, DOUBLE DIP to Castaway Cay!! :cool1:
And I think Trish is in!

C'mon! It will be FUN!!!

The PAHW
pirate: :surfweb:

[OHJulie]

Hi everyone!

So sorry I have been AWOL.

I have been thinking about everyone and our awesome cruise - hard to believe it was a year ago.

I am so happy for those of you that are working on the next cruise! I just don't think that there is any way we can do it. My DS will be in high school next year and we can't take him out of school. This really stinks because the only breaks they get are during the most expensive times to travel - Christmas, Easter week and summer. Also, my husband is holding firm to his vow not to cruise again after our rocky experience on the Magic. I sent up a trial balloon when I read about the October cruise - but he said we would be going without him. HMMM... so if I leave DH and DS home the cruise would be really cheap wouldn't it! just kidding.

CG - now that my kid's are older I am sooo glad that I took them out of school for vacations when they were younger. Trust me, there is no reason not to take them out during first grade - it is easily made up. In fact I really would have no qualms about taking my daughter out of school and she is in 4th grade.

We are going to NYC next week and then to WDW in July - is anyone else going to WDW soon?

Julie

[rubysmom]

Julie-- so nice to 'see' you again! I've been talking with Mike about whether or not to take him & Emma on this cruise. It's currently booked for just DH & I. Mike & Emma want to go and I was saying, 'maybe Kyle & Jessica will be able to come'. We'll have the same problem, though, since Mike will be a freshman, wants to play football, and will likely be doing soccer at that time as well. I keep telling myself, it's only 1 week, but I just don't know yet.

Too bad Ken had such a crummy time with the rocking & rolling! He'd have TWO opportunities to dress up in that fabulous snorkel gear on Castaway Cay!

No WDW trips in our future...unless we tack on something to the cruise...hmm...

Enjoy your trip to NYC!!

As, the PAHW said, we're in on the October 2008 for sure. That's one big hospitality suite verandah... :)

[castlegazer]

:cool1: :goodvibes AWESOME!

:wave: Thanks Julie - so nice to see you here also. I am AWOL for long stints now also. I know, it's not like we will be able to do this much longer. It will get harder and harder each year to pull them out of school. 1st grade certainly can't be that big of a deal. It has to be 1st grade for him because I don't want to cruise while my daughter is any younger than 3.

I am just shocked at how much money, even right off the bat, the cruises during vacation weeks are. I can't see spending that much on a one week disposable thing for quite some time. I want something tangible if I am going to shell out that much money.

All right - gotta go. I have a tough week. Plus we are in the final stages of getting ready to put an offer on a house - that would be a tangible item.

[castlegazer]

Here's a little bit of a weird thing....

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1343332&referrerid=&highlight=25%2C+2008

I am intimidated to join in. I already know I like you guys. There are so many posts already and so many people......popular cruises apparently.

How do we handle this? Join in....stay here.....It's got a ton of people going - which makes parties a bit scrunchy......I don't think I am going to be a daily poster for these people like I was for you guys. Just don't have it in me anymore. I am going to check in, though. Just to put it on my radar.

What do you guys want to do?

[castlegazer]

after a short purusal - I'm all for at least keeping this thread going. I don't have it in me anymore to pay attention again - especially with such a large group. :guilty: Sad, so sad, that I just can't stay on top of a thread daily anymore in this job.

[Lisa D]

Really, really wish I could be coming along too! Doesn't look good for us but I'm not totally giving up hope yet.

[The Roses]

... after a short purusal - I'm all for at least keeping this thread going. I don't have it in me anymore to pay attention again - especially with such a large group. :guilty: Sad, so sad, that I just can't stay on top of a thread daily anymore in this job.
Us too. I might lurk on the other group as it gets closer, but I'd like to keep this thread open in the hopes that some of you will come to your senses and join us! C'mon, it will be fun! It's the official Halloween Cruise of the SteveMed Fan Club!

Besides, seeing the Pirate's halloween costume is well worth the price of admission!

The Roses
pirate: :surfweb:

[castlegazer]

Alright! I am here for the next 18 months!:cool1: :goodvibes

[suziemva]

Echo...echo...echo.....

Hello?.....
anyone out there????
Please??????

Miss you guys! Tell us what's going on!

[The Roses]

Echo...echo...echo..... Hello?.....anyone out there???? Please?????? Miss you guys! Tell us what's going on!
Marco? (moving closer...) Marco!

We would write more, but we are caffeine-depleted. Jon decided to sign us up for some sort of research study which means that instead of making my 3 pots of coffee each morning, I now have to make them one cup at a time in this high-tech coffeepot that dials into a computer somewhere and tells some market researchers how much coffee we Pacific Northwesterners drink. I used to be able to just sit and enjoy my coffee, but oooohhhhh noooooooo, now we have to be posterchildren for Coffee Drinkers of America and I spend my entire morning standing by this stupid machine making my coffee one blasted cup at a time. It takes me an hour just to get one eye open. Hello! There's a reason we Pacific NW'ers drink so much coffee - we haven't seen the sun since we got off the ship last May! :)

We are the same 'ole PAHW. Jon is on his way to Alabama for a meeting (where *HE* will be able to drink real coffee, I might add!). I am retaliating by letting the dog sleep up on the bed and drool all over his pillow.

We reserved our room for the Oct cruise which means we will bug you guys every month for the next 18 months until you finally give in and decide to join us.

I am going to be in Wash DC the first week of July and trying to convince the Pirate to join me. Anyone close? (Please bring caffeine) ;)


The Coffee-Deprived PAHW
pirate: :surfweb:

[Lisa D]

Remember how excited we all were a year ago this week?

Sue, I was laughing at your post. Phil and I ran out of coffee once and tried to make do with decaf and it was one if the worst days in my life.

Suzie, we are headed to Ocean City MD this summer to stay with some friends - how far from 95 are you and Ed?

Miss all you guys - I've been spending alot of time on the Transportation board speculating when Southwest will release the rates for our airfare to WDW in August. So far they can get me to Orlando but not back to Philly - hey, that might not be a bad thing!

Lisa

[suziemva]

I am going to be in Wash DC the first week of July and trying to convince the Pirate to join me. Anyone close? (Please bring caffeine) ;)


The Coffee-Deprived PAHW
pirate: :surfweb:


ME, ME!!!!!!!!

Sue, we're only 14 miles south of DC!!! PLEASE COME VISIT ME!!!!! We would love to see you guys if you can make time! It's also Ed's birthday on the 6th, 4th of July and the newest holiday - you guys on the East coast!! WOOHOO!!! Oh, please say it's true?! Make sure Jon comes!!! We'll have a blast!!!!

(in my best pleading voice) PLEAAAAAASSSSEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

[suziemva]

Suzie, we are headed to Ocean City MD this summer to stay with some friends - how far from 95 are you and Ed?

Lisa

Lisa, we're about 2 1/2 hrs from OC but we are right off of 95 south of DC. Potomac Mills exit for all you shoppers (one of the largest outlet malls - blech...)...so unfortunately not that close.

We are going to Pittsburgh in June to visit Ed's bro and family. They moved there about 4 years ago and we haven't been there yet! How sad is that? Worse they used to live about 20 minutes away and we only saw them on the major holidays - if we were lucky!!!

Wow! Lots of travels this summer!

So, everyone else, where are you going this summer?

[The Roses]

Sue, we're only 14 miles south of DC!!! PLEASE COME VISIT ME!!!!! We would love to see you guys if you can make time! It's also Ed's birthday on the 6th, 4th of July and the newest holiday - you guys on the East coast!! WOOHOO!!! Oh, please say it's true?! Make sure Jon comes!!! We'll have a blast!!!! (in my best pleading voice) PLEAAAAAASSSSEEEEEEEE!!!!!!
Wouldn't that be cool!!! I looked at my info sheet and I won't be in DC, I will be in Silver Springs, MD. Is that still close to you?

The PAHW
pirate: :surfweb:

[suziemva]

Silver Springs is just the other side of the DC about 45 minutes from here! STILL DOABLE!!!

YIPPEE!!!

[The Roses]

Silver Springs is just the other side of the DC about 45 minutes from here! STILL DOABLE!!! YIPPEE!!!

Alrighty then! We are there!
I'll send you an email when we get the details. WhooHoo! :cool1:

The PAHW
pirate: :surfweb:

[suziemva]

Alrighty then! We are there!
I'll send you an email when we get the details. WhooHoo! :cool1:

The PAHW
pirate: :surfweb:

Awesome! Can't wait!!!!

[suziemva]

Attention 4/29 cruisers!!!! This is important!!!

If you have any pictures on the snapfish account that you wish to print, do so now!!! I got an email that if there were no orders by 5/19 that the online pics would be deleted.

Any questions, email or call me!

Now, back to your regularly scheduled program.....

[BLBCB]

I haven't been keeping up my end of writing on here. Great to hear that Suzie and The Roses will be getting together. Is anybody coming up this way this summer??? :confused3 Everything is turning green finally, and it's supposed to be 32 C today :banana: :cool1: I don't imagine we'll be travelling any where this summer, still too much work to be done on the house. Our schedule has been slowed down with Len & my surgeries, so we really have to work hard this summer. Anybody out there really into landscaping that can give me some ideas on what to do with my yard? My latest idea is to make a windmill to pull water up from the river and use it to make a waterfall off of our cliff beside the house. That way it would cost me anything to run it, and the water wouldn't have to be treated because I would just be recirculating it back to the river again. Len thinks I'm nuts with all my ideas, or maybe he just doesn't like the fact that I keep adding to our to-do list! :rolleyes1

Have a Disney Day!

Barb

[castlegazer]

:cheer2: Hey sounds like fun down there in DC!

I just got back from a Florida vacation! Oh it was heavenly! It was our first vacation since the cruise - sad, so sad.

We stayed at the condo in Cocoa Beach for most of it - went to MGM one day, Downtown Disney another, and believe it or not, the highlight was Kennedy Space Center. I got to test the new ride - Shuttle Launch Experience. It was pretty good. Much better than Mission Space. The kids had a blast there.

Now we are trying to decide on a new house, plan our December Disney vacation, and work craziness. OK - head spinning. I want to be back on the balcony overlooking the ocean in Cocoa Beach! We watched the Wonder sail off also - that was fun!

OK - there's my mini update.

Hope all is well with everyone!

[BLBCB]

Great to hear from you Castlegazer. :hug: I still have this thread set with the immediate email notification when someone posts on it, so I was pleasantly surprised when I saw your post come through.

It would have been great to see the ship sail off, but I think it just would have made me want to be on it! I had a quick tour of the Wonder in December, and it was so hard to get off after only a couple of hours. Was great seeing the Walt Disney Suite though, that's the closest I'll ever get to staying in it! :rolleyes1

We just bought an old camper (1976) so that will be our vacations for a while. It has a dark orange counter with a gold stove! Most of the colours are dark orange and green though. :scared1: It does have a unique layout, especially for that age. It has a back bedroom with 3 bunk beds in it, which is just great for our three kids. School is over in three weeks, so hopefully by then I'll be off the crutches and we can do some camping.

Have Disney Day!

[Lisa D]

Is everyone ready for summer? My kids are done with school next week so it's almost here!

Barb, it would kill me too to see the ship and not be sailing away on it! The boys still say on a regular basis that it was our best vacation ever.

Shyla, we haven't really been on a real vacation since the cruise either, unless you count our miserable time at the Jersey shore last summer when the ocean temp was 57. Got most of our plans together for Disney this August.

Have a great day!

Lisa

[suziemva]

Tori's out of school now and ready to play this summer! We bought her a pool that is big enough for all four of us (with a bit of room to spare, too!) that sits at the end of our driveway. We don't belong to a pool, so other than invitations from friends, this is it! We all love it and Ameera just tools around in her little floatie! Really cute to see the girls in there playing!

Tori and her class on Pool Day at school (she's third from the left...Princess bikini, what else!)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v227/suziemva/DSC02417.jpg



Anyway, we're doing well. Ed had his latest heart catheter done and all is well. Doc is very pleased with how things look and won't have to have another done for 2 years! Sure beats every 6 months!

Business is doing good. We're STILL waiting for the contracts to be signed for our new ventures (seems like it's taking FOREVER!!) but I'm trying to learn patience......

We're going to Pittsburgh this weekend to visit Ed's brother and family. Haven't seen them in some time, so this should be good! Wish it was closer to Philly, Lisa! Darn! I can get to the state but just not that side!!!!!

So, how's things where you are?! Drop in and update us all! Wonder what Tom and Steve are up to??????

Not sure if I posted this one....but Ameera is still a little peanut! But she'll be 8 months old on Saturday.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v227/suziemva/DSC02189.jpg

Tori on the pony ride at the petting farm

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v227/suziemva/DSC02300.jpg

[Lisa D]

Happy (almost) 4th of July to anyone still out there!

I'm trying to plant the idea for the Halloween double-dip 2008 cruise. I would like nothing more than to do it over again! Although this time we'd also be looking at hiring tutors to catch the boys up in school (high school is what collage used to be) and boarding the dog and probably some seasickness meds for me (for those of you who remember seeing me on the first sea day of our cruise).

Don't count us out yet!

Suzie, it was great hearing from you and Ed. Somehow, someway we will get to see you guys!

[castlegazer]

Hi everyone! I just took another impromptu vacation to maine for a week. Again relaxing. This is turning from a vacation drought to a vacation glut this summer. SWEET.

Hope all is well- hope it's not too hot - and hope all the wee ones are doing well.

:wave::goodvibes

[STEVEMED]

Hi everyone.I know I have not checked in for quite some time.Just wanted everyone to know all is fine with stevemed and family and I hope all is well with all of you.

Taking a trip to Disney in August with Eggman and family.(what am I thinking with August heat)

Suzie the girls are getting so big.Glad to hear all is well with Ed.It was so sad not to get to meet up with you guys last time we were in Disney.

Take care everyone.:banana: :banana:

[suziemva]

Taking a trip to Disney in August with Eggman and family.(what am I thinking with August heat)

HA! I have you beat! We're leaving on Tuesday for a week at Disney. Heat, what heat?!?! You Rhodies....actually I'm wondering what the heck we were thinking of to do this trip! We never go this time of year...oh, wait. It's for Tori's 5th birthday! WHOOHOO!!

Have a great trip and tell the Eggman et al we said hi! We really did miss seeing you guys (well, minus our parking lot rendevous) and hope that Shannan was well enough after. I can only imagine the pain she was in! I actually have a cartoon for her ( a friend sent it to me and I could only think of our Desperate Disney Housewife)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v227/suziemva/desperatedisney.jpg

[suziemva]

Well, well, well....our own Celebrities! Tom and Julie, kudos~~~~!!!!!

[castlegazer]

Well, well, well....our own Celebrities! Tom and Julie, kudos~~~~!!!!!

what, what, what???? I missed something! Give me some reference points........ I am not plugged in any more.

[suziemva]

Named in the Mickey Monitor for The Laugh Floor Comedy Club - in BOLD print may I add! WHOOHOO!!!

[Belle&RellasMom]

Ahh, yes. We are famous! Somebody's got to do it!!! It only took 19 trips over the past 7 years for a CM to finally talk to us!!!!!

I can't believe that it has been 15 months since our awesome Disney Magic cruise....time sure flies!

Here is the condensed version of what we have been up to since then:
Soccer
4th of July at Hilton Head 2006
Soccer
Thanksgiving at Disney 2006
Soccer
Florida and Disney in January 2007
Soccer
Disney and Vero Beach for Spring Break 2007
Soccer
4th of July at Hilton Head 2007
And more soccer!!!!!

We've got a trip planned the first week of November for Food & Wine (73 more days) and we may do a cruise with my extended family over Presidents Week in February. Sadly it won't be a Disney cruise though because with a family of 5 it is waaayyy out of our price range. That and the fact that we tend to take a lot of other vacations so there is no way to save just for a Disney cruise.

This summer has flown by...I can't believe that the girls will be starting school exactly two weeks from today. And believe me, I will be a mess on September 4th. My youngest BABY is starting kindergarten :sad2: , and my oldest BABY is starting middle school :eek: (middle BABY will be in fourth grade :sad1: ).

It was nice to read some of the posts from the past few months and see what everyone has been up to. Sounds like the October 08 cruise will be another great time!

[OHJulie]

Hi everyone,

It is great that this thread is still going.

We were at Disney in July and had another fun week. It's amazing that even though the kid's are getting older there are always new experiences for them. We went to the Comedy Warehouse this time and they both had a blast! We stayed at the Yacht Club - loved it, but this was not our first choice. We had booked AKL, but were moved due to the construction.

Did have another new experience this time. Ken had to go to the hospital! He started having abdominal pain and it got so bad that we had to take him to Celebration Hospital. They thought that it was his Gull Bladder, but after doing every test possible they found nothing serious. Gave him some pain med's and told him to follow-up with our MD at home. He is fine now. It was no fun, but I must say we were very impressed with the hospital. Ken said even the X-ray room had a theme. The doctors and nurses were great also.

Believe it or not we are going on another cruise. This is very surprising since Ken said he would never go again after getting sea sick last time. We want to go somewhere for spring break and I was looking at all-inclusives for awhile, but we ended up going for a cruise. Not Disney though - the pricing for Spring Break is outrageous on Disney, and now that the kid's are older we are ready for something different. We will be going on RC's Mariner on 3/23/08 if anyone wants to join us!!

We will be loading up on the seasick med's for Ken - any recommendations? He will also take them before we board. He did not do this last time because when we went on the Wonder he had no problems, so he wasn't prepared.

Julie

[suziemva]

Sorry to hear about Ken and hope that all is well now.

Seasick meds....no recommendations, sorry. We're very fortunate that we don't need them (although that cruise was a bit rocky, wasn't it?!?!).

We LOVE the Yacht Club. Very good experiences there and so close to EPCOT and MGM! The pools are great too! We'll be staying there on our next trip!

Good to hear from you! Have a great cruise and tell us all about it when you get back!

[castlegazer]

http://www.intercot.com/infocentral/holidays/halloween/images/mnsshpcover.jpg

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

It's been too long and stagnant around here - we need some boorific happenings.

:banana: alittle banana dance, a little :rotfl2: rollin on the floor - now that is more like it.

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to check in also, I saw Shylas post and it definately brought back some great memories. On the road tonight, back for Trick and Treating tomorrow, and then we leave Friday for a week at the Food and Wine festival (my kids think we are doing all things Disney, but I am going for the F&W).

Sorry so short, but someone has to pay the bills for the Queen and her daughters.

Tom

[suziemva]

Hey, Tom! We'll be at WDW on Sunday and Monday! Gee, wouldn't that be funny, running into you guys! Have a great trip and tell everyone hi! Tori still asks about Abby! How cute!

[The Roses]

I *finally* dug into the bag 'o stuff we brought back from the cruise in the hopes that I could finally make a scrapbook. As you can guess, my 'arts and crafts" turned into "arts and crap" pretty quickly. But the memories were great!

Happy New Year to all. There are a bunch of us going on another cruise this Oct (Suzie, Trish, Virginia, and I think Shyla?) and the Pirate and I think the rest of you should just get off your duffs and join us. After all, we still have the Steve Med Fan Club signs. This time around we will be hosting the Official ManCave of the SteveMed Fan Club. Yup, the Pirate is into ManCaves. He is in the process of trying to figure out how to put a beer tap into the wall so he just has to reach up for a cold one. This should not come as a surprise to any of you, after all he is the same guy that has been known to drag a 2X4 across the carpet so it looks like he vacuumed. So Tom, Len, Steve, Pango, Phil, and any other Pirate with testosterone, get yer butts down to your local travel agency.

The PAHW
:surfweb: pirate:

[suziemva]

LOL! Good to hear from you guys!!! We need to get in touch soon!!!

Hello to all! Hope everything is going well in the time since the cruise! WOW!!! Would be cool to hear what's up!

[mketting]

I can't believe you guys are still posting. I was checking the cruise meets to see if one had been started for May 17,200 4 Wonder cruise and came across this one.

Hope any of you checking in here are doing well. We will be cruising in 2009 to celebrate my Masters Graduation, Can't wait.

Take care