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

[Poolrat]

Happy Birthday Christine!!!!

July 25th is a great day to have a birthday isn't it ??? ( it is mine too )

 

[Wicket's Mom]

Well Happy Birthday Christine & you too Pool Rat!

 

[KatMark]

Happy Birthday, Christine.

 

[MEK]

I just saw on FB that it's someone's birthday!!!!!

Happy Birthday Christine!

 

[jenjolt]

Happy Birthday C Hope you had an amazing day!!!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Oh, I really enjoyed Tutto - both when I ate there a few trips back and just now - looking at that food! I believe I had that Penne Caprese. Yum.

Wonderful Illuminations pictures! How cool that the bride and groom were watching. Sounds like a great idea to me!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTINE!!!

It's definitely not as cool as ME's cake, but it's a cake!
Hope you had a great birthday!

 

[tinacaplan]

First of all, Happy Birthday to Christine!

Second, beautiful pictures of Rehobeth AND Illuminations, which I never tire of. And what an incredible looking cake. Sounds like your day was practically perfect.

 

[sunny_stace]

Happy Birthday Christine!!!!

July 25th is a great day to have a birthday isn't it ??? ( it is mine too )

Well Happy Birthday to you too!

 

[manntra]

Happy Birthday Christine!!!!

July 25th is a great day to have a birthday isn't it ??? ( it is mine too )

I am just squeaking in!!! Happy Birthday to you too!!!!


Tracy

 

[SoonerGirl]

Happy Birthday Christine!!!!

July 25th is a great day to have a birthday isn't it ??? ( it is mine too )

Well, I'm a day late, but Happy Birthday to you too Pat!!

 

[norybell]

Happy belated birthday to Christine (and Pat)!

It must have been hard to cut into that gorgeous cake!

Tutto dinner looks pretty delish to me...I've only ever been there for lunch. I love pasta, but it always seems like it might be too heavy when I'm making my ADRs. Maybe next time!

 

[eandesmom]

I'm alive! really

2 back to back trips obviously kicked my behind but I'm back and ready to settle in and provide some VERY belated updates!

Hopefully later today!

 

[eandesmom]

I'm finally all caught up!
I was very, very far behind!!

I'm a whole day behind I think now too, must get busy!!!

Really?! Are you that stupid?! At that point I got annoyed! Really annoyed!! I told her that she would call the owner of the company right then and have it taken care of or I would call the police because they were trying to steal my money! She changed her tune and said she’d call owner and call me right back.

That whole nightmare stressed me out for you! Just reading it now, UGH!

Cynthia, I must agree that the whole alone thing is a bit weird!! Traveling with DH is much different then traveling with the kids but my alone time was so much different all together! I didn’t have to worry about anyone but me! What I wanted to do! Where I wanted to go!!! WOW!! Your pictures of your time alone are AMAZING!! So beautiful! Your pics from the Libery Belle are amazing!! I don’t think I’ve been on that since I was a kid!

Weird, but in a good way. OH I could just another no kids/husband trip right now.

DD called hysterical crying about flowers they had purchased and were planting at home! She was freaking out! I was 1000 miles away and couldn’t do anything about it! UGH! I ended up calling DH on his cell phone, then getting a call back from DD and having to call DH again! I wasn’t going to tell DH about the limo company because he has tendency to get really mad about stuff like that. But I was so annoyed and upset about the phone calls I told him and explained to him that they needed to knock it off and let me have a vacation!! I believe the ladies threatened to take my phone! LOL! I also believe I was tempted to throw it in the pool!!!!

I give you SO much credit. You always answered it with a smile and dealt with whatever crises and then just got back to enjoying the day. A far more patient mama than I am for sure.

That TIW card really did come in handy for that bill! @ bottles of really good wine, all that wonderful food, it was great to have a little help there! The spa coupon was great too!

That night was also the night that Osama Bin Laden was killed. I remember getting settled back in my room, putting on my PJ’s and turning on the TV and being amazed! I texted MaryEllen and we all, minus Jen, ended up in Christine and Tracy’s room watching it on TV!

Upon getting back to my room I checked my account again to see if the charges from the limo company had been reversed. Guess what, they hadn’t! Shocking! I decided since it was after 11 at that point there was nothing I could do, so I went to sleep! The next morning was Mandara Spa!! Woo hoo!

[

The TIW card was the bomb! Hugely helpful. As was the spa coupon, I agree. Our little pj party was fun, I'll never forget it. One of those "where were you when...."

You deserved the spa after all that!

 

[eandesmom]

That looks like the perfect mug Just the right size and shape, the handle is "comfy" and the glaze is nice and slippery inside. I'm so picky about my mugs and Disney has so many that are "just right!"

It IS just right!!!!!!!!! I'm drinking out of mine right now. I love this mug!!!! And makes me think of our trip each time I use it. Which is a LOT!

 

[eandesmom]

I hope Melissa did get some good pictures with that big lens, because I just couldn't get close enough.

Good pictures or not, his expressions were priceless.

I have some that I hope to get up today

Someone's lovely salad. It belongs to whoever drank wine and not champagne. (Cynthia, I think)

For entrees Cynthia had this crepe

Cynthia had this

I did have wine, they had Sancerre by the glass and I couldn't resist. The salad was actually a pate plate, yum yum yum!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That crepe was odd. It was VERY good but odd, very crispy which surprised me, not bad different but different than I'd expected it to be. Very very rich too, I think I only ate half. Dessert was an apple something. YUM!

I'm not really sure who went where right after lunch, but I do know that Cynthia and I left together. We made a couple quick stops before we returned to our room. Looks like we stopped in the wine store. Shocking, I know!

We did Kim Possible! I have pictures I think. And it took us to the wine store.

Okay is that the African margarita or what was it called? I can't remember now, with a sugar cane or something? Not just Lost of Safari... Yeah, I like those too, but we had a round of those margaritas last summer and I remember them well, so Michelle we are ON!!! And I think there will be a few more of us, too!! OH but I must have my jalepeno Pretzel to go with it...

Yep, the African Margarita. SO good and we did SO much damage in that little shop! Very fun.

 

[manntra]

Tutto was a first for me this time. I was a big fan of Alfredo's and was having a hard time letting go I liked my meal well enough at Tutto but I am not in any rush to go back. I had the mozzarella and tomato for a starter and I think I had the risotto. One of those plates from MEK's photos look familiar!
I do remember having some delicious limoncello while watching Illuminations. It is so nice to linger and take your time when leaving Epcot instead of the rush to the bus or monorail. I can't wait for that private entrance again in October

Tracy

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Thank you, everyone, for the birthday wishes! . I had a great day and feel lucky to have met so many terrific friends through the DIS!

And happy birthday to you too, Pat! What a small world!

Tracy - you are right, we grabbed some limoncello shots for our Illuminations viewing. We got there in the nick of time...those shops lock themselves up tight as soon as the show starts! I guess I can't blame them too much. I am always anxious to leave work too.

And have to agree, access through the International Gateway is priceless!!! Would it be bad form in Oct to just sit on a bench there with a glass of wine and revel in it while others are heading to the bus?

 

[manntra]

Would it be bad form in Oct to just sit on a bench there with a glass of wine and revel in it while others are heading to the bus?

Nope! Not at all!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Would it be bad form in Oct to just sit on a bench there with a glass of wine and revel in it while others are heading to the bus?

I would TOTALLY do this!!

 

[eandesmom]

Oh my goodness, where was I? I’ve been MIA and not intentionally. A couple of things conspired to get me so behind. One, I apparently unsubscribed to our own thread! I hate it when I do that. I go to click on a posting from my phone and accidentally unsubscribe. So I’ve been missing updates and not realizing it. That and I’ve had 2 trips. The first to Denver for a long weekend for my MIL’s 70th (which meant a lot of work for me) and then a work/fun trip up to Whistler BC this past weekend.

But I’m back now and ready to get caught up!

After watching the TV, mesmerized in Christine and Tracy’s room, in our jammies, with the Bin Laden events unfolding, I slept like a rock. It may have been all the absinthe Christine fed me, or all the hard work I did the day before (NOT) but at any rate I was out cold. I’d had good intentions of a nice workout in the morning, getting up when Mary Ellen went to do her run. Getting up was a better idea in concept than reality but I did manage to make it to the ShipShape gym, albeit a good 30 minutes later than I’d wanted. I decided I could do 30 minutes of cardio and settled in on a bike with my kindle. I had not used the gym at the YC/BC before though others in my family had. It does have a very nice set up. However what it does not have is good ventilation. I’d have loved a 60 minute workout but not only did I not have the time for it, I might have passed out from heat. Honestly it was so toasty in there I’d think hard about a mid summer workout though fall-early spring would probably be fine. I didn’t have time for a longer workout because….I was off to the spa!

While everyone else except for Melissa, cancelled their appointments there was NO way I was giving up mine. It had been, oh, forever, since I’d had a massage. I’d scheduled this, for 50 minutes.

Mandara Balinese Body Polish with Massage
Experience the exfoliating benefits of Mandara’s natural ingredients from Bali. Your skin will be polished and smoothed to aglow and completed with an application of an exotic conditioner to moisturize the skin. Choose from: Coffee, Lime & Ginger,and Balinese Boreh. Includes a 25 or 50 minute massage. 50/75 minutes.

Thanks to our coupon from dinner the night before, I felt fully justified in adding on hot stones to the massage portion. I’d been joking, calling my appointment a “scrub and rub”.

After a hasty rinse I was off and walked in about 5 minutes late. With the appropriate scolding (but somehow they were able to still fit me in) I was ushered in. As Melissa mentioned, it is BEAUTIFUL! Just stunning. I’ve been to the GF Spa, and had a massage at the fitness center at WL. Not remotely in the ballpark of Mandara. After some quiet time with my lemon water I was ushered into a room by Carlito. I can honestly say I’ve never had a massage by a male therapist before so I wasn’t sure how it would go. First came the “buffing” portion. Which I really needed. After 5 days in Hawaii my skin was dry and a little peely but not bad, it just really needed exfoliation in a big way. It was WONDERFUL! Then I was instructed to take a shower, which I proceeded to take my time with, enjoying the rain shower head and all the products provided. Following my lovely shower it was time for the massage and hot stone portion. I was very pleased I’d added the hot stone, it makes me relax so much more quickly. It was a very nice massage, not too wimpy which is often my complaint. If I had a complaint, it would only be one and it would be the same as Melissa’s. No face/scalp massage which really bummed me out! After you finish you can go enjoy green tea or more water on a lovely outer patio, which I did, hoping to run into Melissa. No dice, we completely missed each other! It was really lovely out there and I could have spent a lot of time there if I’d had a book or something but without, got bored relatively quickly. Just doing nothing is not something I am very good at, despite feeling very relaxed. At checkout I was offered some products as “suggestions” of course, and was pleased they had travel sized versions to decided to pick up both a moisturizer and a shower cream/wash. Although it’s funny…they were called travel sizes but really they are both 4 ounces so they’d get taken if I tried to walk on a plane with them. At any rate they were a treat and I liked both so much, and am almost out of both, I just ordered and received big bottles of both! It was a nice way to test out the products without a huge investment or worry about lugging them home.

Finished, I had enough time for a couple pictures and a stroll to lunch.

I think it’s a bit unfair only one of these 2 gets the inner fountain. Poor Swan, just not much to take a picture of.

I strolled over to the boardwalk, at this point in the day I was STARVING. Lunch was soon but I needed a little tide me over so headed to the bakery

And then of course, just kept walking.

I had enough time to get into the park, grab a soarin’ FP and be the last to arrive at lunch. Everyone was still outside and we enjoyed watching the guy with the chairs (yes, I should know his name but don’t). For some reason that guy was out SO much on this trip. I swear I saw him 3-4 times! It did make waiting enjoyable, though it was quite warm out. Finally we were seated.

I took a couple of shots of our photographers, I mean paparazzi

And then Remy arrived.

Oh my word was the maître d’ hysterical! So many one liners. We were absolutely rolling! It’s funny, people have talked about seeing Remy and I never really thought about the maître d’s role in all of it. The casting was perfect. He even (and I don’t mean this in a mean way) kind of looked like Remy. One of the best CM’s ever in terms of being in character.

Refill time

It was just as funny listening to him at the other tables

Here’s another shot of my appetizer, so absolutely delicious!

A close up of my crepe

I have the same pictures of the rest of the food so I’ll spare you all. This was my first time at Les Chef's and I absolutely loved it. After lunch, I conned Mary Ellen into doing a Kim Possible. I did have an ulterior motive. I was hoping everyone could get back to the BC so we could do the cake reveal together. As you’ve already seen, that didn’t exactly work out despite a bunch of texting back and forth. And…I’d never done a mission and really wanted to.

We were able to choose France as our mission. How convenient!

I won’t spoil the mission but it did take us into the wine shop

And by the perfume

And over here

Among other places. As it’s the only one I’ve ever done I can’t compare but I was assured in the big picture of KP Missions…this one was pretty lame.
Oh well. We tried.
Continued in next post