How Do You Think We Stay So Happy?*Final Thoughts & Farewells* 10/7 p100

[KatMark]

Great beach pics, MaryEllen. And so glad you took "Mickey" wth you.

 

[MEK]

In my last update the ladies and I had just finished our first dinner together at Raglan Rd. We had a lovely meal and I was so excited that we were finally all together. WOOT! as Jen would say.

I left off at 1am when a nasty headache woke me up and kept me awake. I couldn't understand why my head hurt so bad when I had already taken 3 Motrin. I laid in bed, wide awake, wondering how I could get to the ED for a quick dose of Dilaudid. I knew that was in the realm of possibilities, but logistically it would mean no sleep. Plus, how would I tell Cynthia. There was no way I was going to wake her up. And a trip to the Emergency Room would ultimately result in a Cat Scan of the Head. You can't really walk into an ED, ask for narcotics for a head ached, and not get a Cat Scan. At least not in America.

So I made a deal with myself. I said if I wasn't feeling any better in a couple hours, I would go. I would just call and get a ride and I would deal with the lack of sleep later. I felt pretty anxious, but I just forced myself to be calm. And....then.....miraculously - I fell asleep. And when I looked at the clock again it was 6am. At this point I knew what I needed to do. I had to get up and fix some caffeine, I mean coffee. Fortunately, my skill at filling the premade coffee filters was improving, and I managed not to make a pot full of grinds.

As I sat there sipping my coffee, Cynthia woke up. I told her what had happened and that I really wasn't in any shape to rush out the door. She completely understood and was super supportive. So, Cynthia is officially the ....BEST ......ROOMMATE.....EVER! As the caffeine started to sink in, I started to feel immensely better. Just knowing that Cynthia did not think I was a hysterical hypochondriac made me feel a million times better. We talked - for a long time - about all sorts of things and a lot of things that will never leave that room. So thank you Cynthia for making a dark moment a lot brighter.

After we were sufficiently caffeinated and buffed and puffed, we rolled our luggage out the door and in the direction of the main lobby. We had a coffee in one hand, a camera in a second hand, and I have no idea how we were managing all our crap. It didn't matter. We were enjoying the slowness of the morning and the ability to take more pictures of this beautiful resort. After leaving POR we were checking into the Beach Club Villas for the last four nights of our trip!

[

Cynthia's Stuff:

Our first stop was on the bridge. Our next stop was near the pool.

I am a sucker for any "fossil" in the concrete sidewalk

I enjoyed taking pictures through the trees.

And then without the trees

When we reached the front of the main building I was able to grab only a couple pictures before our cab arrived.

I forgot that Melissa had called or texted us shortly after we left the room. I explained that we were moving very slow and I advised her not to wait. Our plan today with MK with lunch at the Plaza.

I don't have any pictures of our arrival to the BC. All I can say is that the CMs there were the absolute nicest CMs I have met anywhere. They could not have been more gracious and helpful. Before I knew it we were escorted directly to the main check-in desk. Naturally, our villa wasn't ready, but we were told we'd receive a text when it was.

After check-in we were escorted to bell services who took care of storing our luggage. Everything was quick and painless.

I have a feeling it must have been 10:30 or later now. I felt bad because I had really held up Cynthia. We went outside and over to pool drink dispenser for a quick drink. Then we headed over to Christine's private entrance. The plan - Soarin FPs and then MK. Only, the further we walked, the more I knew I was not in the right shape to head over to MK. I felt weak and a little dizzy and definitely not 100%. I told Cynthia to go on without me. I planned to stay at Epcot until our villa was ready.

Unfortunately, I didn't feel like doing too much. But I forced myself to take a few pix.

I stopped at sunshine seasons and got a pastry (no - I did not get strawberry shortcake). I people watched for awhile and I remembered when I sat here on one of my previous trips watching a poor woman in tears while the rest of her family went off to do a ride. Now, I felt like the woman who was going to burst into tears. I was frustrated and I just couldn't make myself feel the way I wanted to.

I didn't feel much better after eating, but I got up and went outside. I had a Soarin FP, but I doubted I would be in Epcot long enough to use it. I thought about going to see Captain EO, but I knew loud noises was not what the doctor ordered.

Continued......

 

[MEK]

I found this cute little alcove which I have never noticed before. I got the impression they may have been using the area for some smaller dance shows.

My next stop was the butterfly house. I wanted to go in this last year, but never got around to it.

Butterfly homes:

One word about the butterfly house - HOT! I can only imagine what it's like on a 90 degree day. OUCH!

Let's just say that I did not stay in the butterfly house all that long. In fact, when I got out I found the closet building with AC. I pulled open the door to the building across from Innoventions and here's what I saw on the wall.

A Time Line Depicting all the Major Epcot Milestones.

I would say that of all the billions of people who have visited Epcot, very few have stumbled on this cool little time line.

Once I was sufficiently cooled after my near suffocation in the Butterfly House, I set back towards the direction of the World Showcase. I was really not in the mood to do any rides. I just wanted to use my down time to take some more pictures.

Don't even try coaxing me back into that butterfly house, because I'm NOT going!

Horrible Eeyore pix (and he's my favorite)

Up Next: Relaxing In Canada, A Villa with a View, and Rum Therapy!

p.s. I am going to recruit the ladies to write about their adventures in the MK, so hopefully THAT will be the next update!

 

[MEK]

Did they add sand to Rehoboth? It doesn't look as rocky as it has been. We usually skip Rehoboth and go to tower Beach or Fenwick because of the crowds and sand. I am thinking of taking the kiddos to the boardwalk sat tho. I have a ton of ride tickets for Funland. Enough for at least 3 trips.

The beach looked in Excellent shape so perhaps they did do a replenishment. I usually go to Tower Beach as well, but since my brother was staying in Rehobeth I had no choice. I actually really enjoyed hitting the beach there. It surprised me. But there is something to be said for being 3 minutes from Grotto's.
Thumbs up to the ride tickets. I sure as heck burned through a bunch of them the other night.

Great beach pics, MaryEllen. And so glad you took "Mickey" wth you.

Thanks Kathy. I'll upload this weekend and see what I got for "real". Oh - and I never leave home without some Disney Item. I have a feeling I'm not alone in that respect!

 

[glennbo123]

I'm originally from northwestern PA, so I call it "the beach" too. This whole "down the shore" thing that people around here say, drives my wife crazy.

Sorry about your headache troubles. But I'm glad that you were able to deal with it without having to make a trip to the ER. I'm sure that would have been a major ordeal.

I'm glad you liked taking pictures of POR. I think it's a beautiful resort.

Hey, was the butterfly house hot?

 

[SoonerGirl]

Nice beach pictures Mary Ellen, I'm jealous that you live so close to the coast!

What a bummer about your headache! Hope the day wasn't a total wash out for you

 

[3sweetpeas]

Hello East to West girls! I read the whole trip report today! I love that you got to go on this adventure together. I am as my kids would put it, "Disney obsessed" and in my world I am alone in this......sooo it is fun to watch your trip play out!

MEK, I am so bummed for you that you were sick. I hope it turned out well for you

Cynthia, beautiful, thought out books!

Melissa, If I left home I would get just as many phone calls! I feel your pain. I can't even go to the mall for a few hours.

So glad you enjoyed POR. I love the tranquility and coziness there.

I think this the most I have talked on the DIS though I've been lurking for a year or more. It's nice to "meet you all" and thanks for letting me tag along.

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

Wow. Interesting. I know a lot of my patients who have mitral valve repair are minimally symptomatic but their ventricle has already started to dilate so they have no choice. The surgery must have been almost a relief for you, because at least you knew the future meant less symptoms.

I bet. I tell you - the patients who can have this surgery through a right chest incision really have it made. My surgeon does that type of repair. It's technically more challenging, but I think the smaller incisions definitely help with recovery. Unfortunately, not every patient is a candidate for the minimally invasive approach.

It definitely was a relief in a way. Everything started happening very quickly (I started having symptoms in January, and just kept getting worse until my surgery in July), and I had never ever had a problem with my heart before.

The surgeon I went to does do the minimally invasive too, but my repair was too complicated for that, so I have the midline scar (you can see a teeny bit of it in the picture in my signature, but it's a small pic lol).

Nah Nah Nah Nah - I'm not listening! We did have a great time. I think I am gonna talk Denny into an overnighter down there in September. It was really fun!

shore shore shore shore shore!

I'm glad you were able to get some sleep through your headache, but I'm sorry to hear you weren't feeling like yourself the next day! How frustrating to be in Disney and not being able to do what you want! I hope your villa was ready soon so you were able to go back and rest!

Where is this little timeline located? Is it hidden by one of the Innovations?

 

[podsnel]

Oh ME!! Your poor head!! I feel so bad for you, and admire you tremendously for being such a trooper! I hope this headache vanishes SOON for you in this TR.

Glad you had fun at the beach- yes, I am a Jersey girl, 100%, and I NEVER say shore- I say Beach. I think it depends where you grew up, whether you are goin' down the shore or to the beach. The pic of where you once stayed- I think we had lunch at that little restaurant when we were down there a couple of years ago. Wish we had a Rehoboth Tournament THIS summer, but we don't- we have all local ones for both boys (well, Timmy plays tournaments, Tyler plays Legion AAU League). I am VERY jealous of your beach time, though- Joan has been going down to Avon every week with her DH on day trips- I, on the other hand, have been waaaaaaay too busy with my big time volunteer job! Maybe I'll go next week.... Hmmm....there's an idea!

 

[sunny_stace]

Oh Mary Ellen....What a rotten feeling! A couple of years ago my DBFF got a really really bad flu bug while we were there and she didn't leave the room for a couple of days. She was so upset. I know it leaves you feeling somewhat helpless and you need a lot of pixie dust to get out of it! But I'm glad you did and were at least able to spend some quiet time at Epcot! Your photos were lovely (as usual)

I also remember the butterfly area being super hot last spring. But it was worth it! So pretty! At least now you've seen it and you don't have to go back if you don't want to!

 

[chloe770]

So sorry about your headache. I think the worst migraine I have ever had I got while I was at Dutch Wonderland with a friend and our kids. NOT the place to be with a migraine. I never said a word to anyone about the headache but could not wait to lay down in the dark w ice on my head and take some strong meds.

Oh and I moved to DE from Jersey and it's definitely THE BEACH!

 

[tinacaplan]

Another great update. I haven't been to Rehobeth in years. My godparents live in the D.C. area and owned a house there for awhile and we visited them. Hard to believe that just down in Delaware in was that warm in mid-May that so many people were at the beach already!

That's too bad about the headache. I used to get migraines frequently when I was younger and then they stopped for a long time. I've been getting pretty bad headaches again recently. Don't know why. Luckily Excedrin migraine takes care of it most of the time. How horrible to feel so bad you almost went to the ED. I'm sorry.

You did take some beautiful shots of EPCOT, though. The flowers are beautiful. And I'm so excited to hear that CMs at BC are so wonderful!

 

[KatMark]

UGH....so sorry about the headache and not feeling, ME. The last place you want to feel unwell is Disney. Your pictures are just breathtaking, as always.

 

[John's Mom]

I was born and raised in Delaware and we went to the Jersey shore every summer. When I got older, we occasionally visited the Delaware beaches.

Kathy

 

[manntra]

Awwww MEK so sorry about your poor head. I used to suffer from migraines....the aura beforehand....ughhhh don't even want to think about them

I had different plans than the others this morning and early afternoon. My cousin Laurie from Oklahoma was going to do the driving experience at Richard Petty. I haven't seen her in about ten years so of course I wanted to catch up with her
I woke up, took a shower and then was out the door for a very short trip to MK.
Necessary Castle picture

Big horse

Walked through the shops checking out the Anniversary merchandise.....oddly didn't buy as much as I thought I would have
Wanted to check out the HM queue but it was a bit too long....I didn't have a lot of time in the park so I headed over to Space Mountain for a quick ride.
I was going to meet my cousin in the BC lobby around 11:30 so I hopped on a monorail to Epcot for a walk through the park on my way to C's entrance
Saw my cousin and her husband right away seated in one of the comfy chairs in the lobby. We hugged and chatted before heading over to Beaches and Cream for lunch. I think we all had cheeseburgers. Sooooooooo good!! I have only been there once before when I stayed at BC a few years ago. There were two tables that got the Kitchen Sink while we were there. I never did pay attention to see if they finished them.
After lunch we walked around the BC grounds...
Here I am with my cousin and my Oklahoma hat that she made me wear

Soon enough it was time for them to check in for the driving experience so we parted ways and I ran (well not really ran more like took the elevator) upstairs to change into my bathing suit.
I headed down to the quiet pool around the same time as ME. She was over in the shade presently in therapy

Tracy

 

[podsnel]

Hi Tracy!

WE are going to be one of those tables with a kitchen sink this November- should be interesting...Pods detests bananas and Timmy only likes vanilla ice cream with sprinkles...while Sean will only eat chocolate. I plan to claim as much hot fudge & peanut butter topping as I can, myself.

I sure hope Tyler's hungry that day!!

How did your cousin like Richard Petty?

 

[SoonerGirl]

You know I love that hat your cousin made you wear Tracy! Go Sooners

 

[DisMomAmy]

Oh no... I'm sorry about the headache!! My friend, who was at Disney during the same week as us in Feb/March, was with her two girls at DTD when her oldest (12) got her first migraine! Not knowing Disney all that well, they took the bus back to POR rather than grabbing a cab. Turns out our resort (and rental car) were just a short drive away from DTD & I could have helped her out. Unfortunately, she didn't want to "bother" me! I felt so bad for all of them. I hope you were feeling better soon!

 

[MEK]

I'm originally from northwestern PA, so I call it "the beach" too. This whole "down the shore" thing that people around here say, drives my wife crazy.

I always knew I liked Judy! That girls got sense. I guess "down the shore" really is a Philly and South Jersey thing.

I
Sorry about your headache troubles. But I'm glad that you were able to deal with it without having to make a trip to the ER. I'm sure that would have been a major ordeal.

I'm glad, too. Trips to the ER are never good because they always take 3X longer than you think they will. I think just knowing it was an option helped.

I'm glad you liked taking pictures of POR. I think it's a beautiful resort.

:

I love that place. What's not to like. It is so pretty and so relaxing!

Hey, was the butterfly house hot?

Maybe a little!

Nice beach pictures Mary Ellen, I'm jealous that you live so close to the coast!

Thanks! You know, sometimes I forget how fortunate I am to live so close to the beach. I really think I take it for granted. But, believe me, I spent many a summer down there BC (before kids). Of course, a lot of that time was spent in bars. But whose counting?

What a bummer about your headache! Hope the day wasn't a total wash out for you

Not a total wash, but it really limited my park time. The day did get much better as it went on and turned out to be an excellent evening.

Hello East to West girls! I read the whole trip report today! I love that you got to go on this adventure together. I am as my kids would put it, "Disney obsessed" and in my world I am alone in this......sooo it is fun to watch your trip play out!

3sweetpeas! Thanks for joining us on this crazy journey! We are all Disney obsessed too, so you came to the right place! I promise many more adventures!

MEK, I am so bummed for you that you were sick. I hope it turned out well for you

Thanks! Actually, I was much better my the late afternoon / evening. But just being in the bright sun was getting to me at Epcot. You will soon see how I got back on the "right track".

Cynthia, beautiful, thought out books!

They really were gorgeous!

Melissa, If I left home I would get just as many phone calls! I feel your pain. I can't even go to the mall for a few hours.

See - technology is not always a good thing! When my kids were little cell phones were just starting and people didn't use them 24/7. It definitely encouraged independence.

So glad you enjoyed POR. I love the tranquility and coziness there.

My thoughts exactly! POR was my first Disney resort stay and it holds a special place in my heart. If I wasn't DVC I would probably be back there a lot more!

I think this the most I have talked on the DIS though I've been lurking for a year or more. It's nice to "meet you all" and thanks for letting me tag along.

The more the merrier!!!! I am glad you decided to delurk. I always thought there were places on the boards where people were down right hostile, but we are quite friendly over here. So please keep tagging along!!!

It definitely was a relief in a way. Everything started happening very quickly (I started having symptoms in January, and just kept getting worse until my surgery in July), and I had never ever had a problem with my heart before.

The surgeon I went to does do the minimally invasive too, but my repair was too complicated for that, so I have the midline scar (you can see a teeny bit of it in the picture in my signature, but it's a small pic lol).

That's got to be such a shocker. I'm so glad that your valve was able to be repaired. I know that sometimes it involves reimplanting the chordae tendinae to the to the leaflets. It really is a gift to be able to repair a mitral valve. It's skill, but it's also a gift and a passion. I'm glad that you found the right surgeon. The surgeon I work for actually gets excited when he has a mitral valve repair case because its his specialty. He's like a little kids. His eyes just light up. That's a passion.

shore shore shore shore shore!

ARRRRRGGHHH! You're killing me!

I'm glad you were able to get some sleep through your headache, but I'm sorry to hear you weren't feeling like yourself the next day! How frustrating to be in Disney and not being able to do what you want! I hope your villa was ready soon so you were able to go back and rest!

You know - I was just happy to be there considering I thought I might need to cancel. So, I figured the headache was just a bump in the road. And that's what it turned out to be. But at the time I was a little preoccupied with it. I'm not gonna lie!

Where is this little timeline located? Is it hidden by one of the Innovations?

Yes. It is in the building across from Innoventions. It is on the side closest to the Land. I remember they took us in there for a bathroom break when I took the segway tour last trip. I don't know what else is in that building. Apparently its not a real hot spot!

Oh ME!! Your poor head!! I feel so bad for you, and admire you tremendously for being such a trooper! I hope this headache vanishes SOON for you in this TR.

Thanks Ellen. You know - I think I was just perplexed as to why I kept having one ailment after another. I was starting to feel like a real pain because first the strep throat, then the stupid cold, and then the killer headache.

As you will see, I tried a little alternative medicine later on during the day and it worked wonders!

Glad you had fun at the beach- yes, I am a Jersey girl, 100%, and I NEVER say shore- I say Beach. I think it depends where you grew up, whether you are goin' down the shore or to the beach. The pic of where you once stayed- I think we had lunch at that little restaurant when we were down there a couple of years ago. Wish we had a Rehoboth Tournament THIS summer, but we don't- we have all local ones for both boys (well, Timmy plays tournaments, Tyler plays Legion AAU League). I am VERY jealous of your beach time, though- Joan has been going down to Avon every week with her DH on day trips- I, on the other hand, have been waaaaaaay too busy with my big time volunteer job! Maybe I'll go next week.... Hmmm....there's an idea!

So not all Jersey girls are shore girls....Good to know!

My beach time was really nice. I have to admit - I really fell in love with Rehobeth again, despite the ridiculous parking arrangements. Next time I go I am just going to stay right in Rehobeth where I have dedicated parking. I'm just such a resort snob these days that it's hard for me to stay in run down places. The room my brother stayed in had a fabulous location, but it was seriously in need of a reburb. Unfortunately, a lot of rooms right in town are like that.

I used to stay in Dewey when we had a beach house there. I miss it. But I definitely have some plans to go down with Denny for a night or two after school starts.

Lucky Joan!

 

[I Believe In Magic]

Oh Mary Ellen, your poor head!!! I am glad to hear the day does redeem itself, but that stinks that you were miserable in the first place.

GREAT pics!!!