I couldnt begin to describe how great it was to get back to the room a little earlier than expected after our long day at DCA. We tend to pack so much into our trips that those few times we get to spend relaxing with nowhere to go is a welcome site. We dont get them very often. T-Mans sister tends to say that we are brutal when it comes to vacations
well
her brother is brutal
I just go with the flow. But you definitely have to be in shape to keep up with his pace.
The thing is, we never know when we will be back, so we pack a lot in to make sure the trip is worth every second, This includes not only seeing all we can of DL and DCA, DTD and of course Garden Walk, but also Universal Hollywood, and
SeaWorld San Diego!
So its Wednesday
I wake to T-Mans phone playing an interlude from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. You know, the one where they are at the ball, and have to actually dance and mingle with the other schools. Its been T-Mans alarm ring tone for ages now, and Im so used to it being the wake up call that when I actually have to set my own alarm for some reason, it takes me a minute to register that I have to wake up, since I dont have that spiffy song.
Anywho
That was way off topic
.
Waking up, coffee is being brewed, and I am trying to stretch the kinks out of my back. I was so exhausted the night before that I literally hit the bed and I was out cold. I dont think I moved much, and now my back and neck are a little stiff. I stretch and turn, letting my back do all the talking as it snaps, crackles and pops.
T-man brings me my coffee and I smile and greedily take the cup from his hands. Mmmmm
Coffffffeeeeee
.The aroma gives me great pleasure. The heat from the cup is welcoming, even though its probably already 60 something degrees outside at the crack of dawn. I take my first sip and sigh happily, this is heaven.
Once my eyes finally open fully and I can bask in the post caffeinated glow, I kiss T-Man and say, Morning.
He shakes his head at me, This is me pretty much every morning, so hes used to it by now, but I still think it makes him laugh to see me like that. What can I say, he married me, knowing full well what he was getting into.
I get up and start the routine, shower, dress, do something with this mop of hair on my head
you know, the usual. However, there was something different this day. Since getting up I have had something irritating my eye. Since I went to bed last night before taking off my make-up I figured I probably just had mascara or eye liner or even foundation run into it somehow. I made sure to sort of wash it out a little in the shower in hopes that would clear the ache
but as I stand at the bathroom mirror getting ready to put on my make up I can still feel something in my eye. I rub it a little, careful not to rub too hard, and I get right up to the mirror in hopes of being able to see something. I open my eye as wide as I can, and slowly and gently move the pad of my finger across my bottom lid
Nothing. I look up, I look down, still nothing. Now my eye is tearing up because I am messing with it.
I take a good hard look at myself in the mirror with my good eye and decide, its just not worth it. We will be at SeaWorld all day, which more than likely means, being in the splash zone of most shows. Is it really worth it to look good when the make up will be gone shortly after we get there? I contemplate a paper bag over my head,
but dont think I will be able to get through security that way. So I take a deep breath and throw caution to the wind and go sans make up.
T-man is very sweet, and always goes on and on about how I do not need the stuff. I say he is love blind and doesnt see the scary person looking back at me through the mirror. We agree to disagree.
We fill our backpacks once again with water, a soda for the road, as it is already getting pretty hot, our tickets and money, and after checking to make sure we have everything, off we go.
San Diego will be about an hour and a half drive. The hope is that we can beat some traffic and get through relatively unscathed by California drivers. This will be a drive up the coast, and it was definitely a beautiful drive.
We arrive in San Diego in record time. The traffic here is light enough now,
since its about 9:30 in the morning. SeaWorld opens at 10 and we are cruising along perfectly. The views are spectacular.
We were in San Diego a couple of years back. My first time seeing the Pacific Ocean, and I couldnt get enough of how beautiful it was. The trees, and grass, the houses on the hills, everything is breathtaking. Maybe its because we dont live here, we dont see these views everyday, but I could easily spend hours just sight seeing and be happy.
As we start the ever-winding road to the entrance, T-man has a light bulb go off in his head.
Before we came on vacation, T-Man purchased our parking for SW over the internet. This way we didnt have to worry about it when we got here. The parking receipt was kept in a manilla envelope that T-Man had all our park passes and reservations in. The manilla envelope is in our hotel room. Back in Anaheim. With the parking pass still inside it.
As I pay the nice lady the $15 for parking, I glow inside knowing I am not the only one who forgets things and I my inner goddess stands triumphant on a cloud, holding her head high, and smiling brightly. Why? Because she can.
We find a decent parking, grab all our stuff from the trunk of the vehicle, and head to the front gates. After security makes me take off the paper bag, and rummages through our backpacks, we are escorted through the turnstiles and into the park.
Our first stop of course is the lockers. Which are located just to the right of the entrance area. This is great, however, to get the key, you must go over yonder, around the building, to the east, take three steps north and 2 steps back before getting lost and turning right back around to find the kiosk for the locker rental.
Once we finally found it, we pay for a large locker and head back towards the entrance to the park. Finding our locker fairly quickly, we discard all our stuff except for the essentials. A bottle of water, and our waist packs that hold our money. Then getting out our handy dandy waterproof lanyards, we place our cameras and tickets in there and head out.
The next stop was at a small kiosk nearby for the Quick Que tickets and as we waited for the person in front of us to finish up, we noticed they were also selling the all day dining plans here. Its not a bad price. I believe it was $36 a piece, but that was all day long. With the plan you got an entrée, salad or dessert and a drink every time you walked up to the counter. There were only certain places you could use the plan at, but they were pretty decently spaced through the park, and you had unlimited number of visits. You could even go in just for a soda or water or a dessert and water, you didnt have to get all three items, but you had the choice. For the price we said, to heck with it, and got it.
Since we have it, we might as well use it right? So we walk over to the Marketplace and stand in line for breakfast. After ordering our entrees, and letting the guy at the counter see our wrist bands, we gather utensils and condiments and head outside to feast.
I believe I had the basic breakfast. Potatoes, scrambled eggs, bacon
I want to say T-Man had the same thing, but with sausage. I dont quite remember.
As we sit out on this fine day, we notice some birds hanging around, just waiting for one of us to drop a crumb on the floor. Eager to be the first to take any morsel we would give them.
Sorry birdie
This food is all MINE! MINE! MINE!
Ahem
Sorry
Once we finish eating, we stop and take a few pictures and then make our way to the other side of the park. Our first stop will be Manta. T-man wants to see if it will live up to the one in Florida. I want to see if I can survive it after just eating breakfast.
As we approach the roller coaster, I breathe a sigh of relief. There are no loops and you are upright the whole time. I can deal with this. Upon closer inspection, I notice that it is only a waist enclosure. Which means that there is no over the head harness. It isnt a lap belt per se, more like a lap restraint, but its better than being tied in as if I was in the space station with a harness and leg shackles like the other Manta. I can already see T-Mans eyes light up as he looks at it from our vantage point and I remember that I dont HAVE to go
he would be happy to go on his own. But I also know that deep down, this dumb wife is well
dumb
and she cant leave well enough alone.
We cruise to the entrance and notice its only a 15 minute wait. We stow our lanyards under our shirts, and after showing our quick que wrist bands to the body guard, who barely registers we are walking by, he gives us a half wave and off we go.
Of course the wait time is pretty much the amount of time it takes you to get through the que. Wandering down into the depths of the cave before returning to the bright sunlight. Im trying desperately to take my sweet time, but am having to sort of catch up to T-Man as he is practically skipping.
Finally we get to the front. The line is very minimal, unless of course you want the front seat, thats where everyone is waiting. We choose the shortest line and are on in no time. Securing myself safely, I now have time to reflect on what I am doing. Prac!
This is why I like the moving walkways on some coasters. We recently did the Rip Ride Rocket at Universal in Florida, and you have absolutely no time to freak out. By the time you are secured and ready to think about it you are already climbing to the first drop.
Not with this one. They took a few moments to make sure all were secure. Finally giving the thumbs up to the teenager in the booth. I sure hope they know what they are doing.
Finally, someone comes over the speaker to say something along the lines of enjoy your flight, and we cruise into a tunnel.
Once in the tunnel, you start to feel the car move back a little. You automatically expect to be launched right away, but no, they toy with you. Easing you back and forth, back and forth, all the while you are watching sting rays projected onto the tunnel walls float over and around you.
Finally on the third thrust back, the doors open and off you go. DUMB WIFE, DUMB WIFE, DUMB WIFE!!!!!
I slowly open my eyes and through my eyelashes I can see the track ahead of me. We go under and over and sideways Im starting to enjoy myself a little. I open my eyes a little further, just enough to see what may come next. All of a sudden the car slows to almost a stop, then lurches forward to make it around a side slope, the car does this 2 more times, skidding almost to a stop and then lurching full speed to the next incline of downhill slope. Finally it slows to the end.
Ive made it. Im alive and Ive made it through. Unscathed!
We clamber off and I breathe a sigh of relief that I am back on terra firma. We take the long walk back, only to be brought through the obligatory shop, where you can find your picture and purchase one, or buy a souvenir. We walk right out and come to the feeding area for the stingrays.
T-man is jumping up and down like a little kid, wanting to go again. Unless he wants to give me a jump from the AED, which Im pretty sure he doesnt want to do, I think I may pass. I walk with him back to the entrance, where the bodyguard has now decided that paying attention to people coming in is a good thing. He tells us that we need to take off our waist packs in order to get on. We try to explain to him that we just got off the ride and had them on the whole time, but he refuses to acknowledge that, and is adamant that we take them off.
This is my out. I tell T-man to give me his pack and his lanyard, and Ill hold onto them while he goes on it. He tries to tell me that we can use a locker, but I tell him, Im fine. I can watch.
He doesnt hesitate. He gives up his pack and lanyard and kisses me and off he goes. The bodyguard looks at him as he shows his wristband and tries to get T-Man to try the sample seat next to him, to make sure he will fit. Again, T-Man explains to him that he just got off the ride, and there were no problems. The bodyguard gives him a glare and shrugs, and T-Man takes off.
I take a few pictures of the stingrays as I wait.
And as I wait some more, I take a few pictures of the ride. Maybe Ill catch T-Man on it.
Nope. No T-Man. Will I find him? Will he be able to find me? Will he be lost forever on the roller coaster? Will he be fed to the Stingrays? I guess you will have to tune in next time for the continuing adventures of
T-Man and Lady H take over SeaWorld
(echo, echo, echo).
Good ol' Disney magic. 
can't wait to hear your thoughts on DLR.
Well during our conversation with this couple, they asked how long we had been there and how much longer were we going to be around. We told them this our 4th day here and we'll be here for another 3 1/2 days. I wish I could remember where this couple was from, but the lady offered us her 2 adult passes for the shuttle. They had bought or received a 3 week pass with their hotel package and still had several days left on their passes, so they gave them to us to use. We thanked them graciously and offered to take them to dinner in the future, should our paths ever cross again.
:
Unless you're getting to that point in your life where you will sit by the curb with sunglasses on and a tin cup.
