145 Middle Schoolers: Wicked Awesome or Epic Fail???DeParting-Such Sweet Sorrow p. 76

[333disneymom]

I totally understand the not buying a poncho. I would have hated to buy one knowing my raincoat was in the room. I did the same thing last December and opted to skip the poncho too. Love the country pics

 

[natebenma]

Who could be using those ponchos now???!!!???

Oh I'm so with you. I refuse to buy those expensive ponchos!! I love the wet in each country pictures, too funny. You're such a good sport!

I didn't mind being wet, but there were consequences... I had underpacked for the trip. I had clothes for the travel day tomorrow, but I was actually wearing my sleep shirt, because I ran out of t-shirts.

That was going to be way too wet to sleep in.

I totally understand the not buying a poncho. I would have hated to buy one knowing my raincoat was in the room. I did the same thing last December and opted to skip the poncho too. Love the country pics

Thanks! I figured I would approach the circumstances with humor. Always makes things better.

I'll get a new update up as soon as I can. Hopefully in a day or two.


Hope all my friends in Sandy's path are safe and dry. We lost power from about 4 yesterday afternoon until 10 last night. So glad to be back on the grid!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Hi Dee life has been crazy busy for me lately and while I've been following along I havent posted much but I just wanted to say I've been thinking of you today and I hope all goes well for your mum's service

 

[MEK]

I am glad I am not too terribly far behind. Can't see pictures now, but I can't wait to see your drenched around the world shots. I can tell by the comments that they are pretty hysterical.

Mother of the year!

 

[MEK]

Your round the world showcase in a wet clothes cracked me up, as expected. But I really laughed at the group shot with all the pink heads. Nice editing.

 

[Queila]

Oh no... rain at World Showcase cab ne miserable. I know it from experience but you did the best of it. LOVE the idea of taking pictures soaking wet at every country. When life gives you lemons... Awesome!!!

I am still curious about the kimono situation. I checked it out for Beatriz but ended up passing on it. The idea is not completely forgotten though.

I wouldn't worry about Nate being the only one without the poncho. He probabl thought he was the coolest one. Joey and I bought ourselves Disney ponchos at our first trip in 2009 and the same ponchos keep going back every single year. Gotta make the most of them.

Looking forward to reading more.
Q

 

[teekathepony]

Hmm, unless I'm mistaken, HAPPY BIRTHDAY wishes are in order!

 

[natebenma]

Hi Dee life has been crazy busy for me lately and while I've been following along I havent posted much but I just wanted to say I've been thinking of you today and I hope all goes well for your mum's service

Thank you for your thoughtfulness! The service went well, and I will share a little anecdote that made me smile...

My dad had some ideas of how he wanted things done. We had the service in a chapel at a nursing home, but not the one my mom was at. The mass was during the regular daily service, so a lot of the attendees were people we didn’t know. The boys didn’t have school due to after effects of Hurricane Sandy. My brother, nephew and niece were there. Two of my dad’s sisters, my inlaws and my dad’s good friend and his wife were there.

I did a reading and Ben did a short reading. His theatre training really paid off- he was not nervous and really projected his voice. After the service, the priest complimented Ben, and they discussed their mutual interest in the theatre. Father Don had once portrayed Macbeth, so he and Ben recited the Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow soliloquy together.

During communion, my dad wanted Ave Maria to play. The church had an organ with the song programed. My mom also had an organ with the song- my dad asked me to bring it. But he ended up using a cassette player with a tape of my mom playing, without her knowing she was being taped. One of the songs she played was Ave Maria. Nate was in charge of pushing play at the proper moment. Which he did. And out came “Chopsticks”!

Apparently, my dad had not bothered cuing up the right song!

 

[JanetMom]

Thank you for your thoughtfulness! The service went well, and I will share a little anecdote that made me smile...

My dad had some ideas of how he wanted things done. We had the service in a chapel at a nursing home, but not the one my mom was at. The mass was during the regular daily service, so a lot of the attendees were people we didn’t know. The boys didn’t have school due to after effects of Hurricane Sandy. My brother, nephew and niece were there. Two of my dad’s sisters, my inlaws and my dad’s good friend and his wife were there.

I did a reading and Ben did a short reading. His theatre training really paid off- he was not nervous and really projected his voice. After the service, the priest complimented Ben, and they discussed their mutual interest in the theatre. Father Don had once portrayed Macbeth, so he and Ben recited the Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow soliloquy together.

During communion, my dad wanted Ave Maria to play. The church had an organ with the song programed. My mom also had an organ with the song- my dad asked me to bring it. But he ended up using a cassette player with a tape of my mom playing, without her knowing she was being taped. One of the songs she played was Ave Maria. Nate was in charge of pushing play at the proper moment. Which he did. And out came “Chopsticks”!

Apparently, my dad had not bothered cuing up the right song!

That's a great story. Always nice to have something to make you smile, during times that are also sad. Glad to hear the service went well. (And who doesn't love the song chopsticks!)

 

[natebenma]

I am glad I am not too terribly far behind. Can't see pictures now, but I can't wait to see your drenched around the world shots. I can tell by the comments that they are pretty hysterical.

Mother of the year!

Your round the world showcase in a wet clothes cracked me up, as expected. But I really laughed at the group shot with all the pink heads. Nice editing.

I'm happy you enjoyed the updates, with and without pictures! I'm glad you liked my editing job with the pink dots. Much better than blurring out the faces. And did you notice the Hidden Mickey? I didn't see it until after I had posted or I would have created more.

Oh no... rain at World Showcase cab ne miserable. I know it from experience but you did the best of it. LOVE the idea of taking pictures soaking wet at every country. When life gives you lemons... Awesome!!!

I am still curious about the kimono situation. I checked it out for Beatriz but ended up passing on it. The idea is not completely forgotten though.

I wouldn't worry about Nate being the only one without the poncho. He probabl thought he was the coolest one. Joey and I bought ourselves Disney ponchos at our first trip in 2009 and the same ponchos keep going back every single year. Gotta make the most of them.

Looking forward to reading more.
Q

I remember your experiences with a very wet World Showcase

My update about the kimono purchase is coming up. I will try to write it in between Trick or Treaters coming to our door.

Hmm, unless I'm mistaken, HAPPY BIRTHDAY wishes are in order!

You are not mistaken! Thanks so much for the good wishes!

As I said on the Beach Club FAQ board- I love having a birthday on Halloween. Everyone (well, almost) is excited for Halloween, there are plenty of parties to choose from and there is always a LOT of chocolate around.

 

[natebenma]

We arrived in Japan and the student who wanted to get a kimono went to check them out.

I was very impressed with the amount of time and attention the CM gave helping him to fit the kimono and a pair of sandals.

The boy also wanted a set of engraved dog tags. It was going to take 25 or 30 minutes while the engraving was done. I decided to take some time to look around the shop, inside and out.

Then I watched the Pick-A-Pearl Ceremony for a while.

We still had a few minutes before everything would be ready, so I decided it would be a good time to get some dinner. The counter service sushi place (Katsura Grill) was nearby. I figured sushi would be easy to transport if I decided to carry it over to Hollywood Studios. I ordered a Sushi Combo- I usually go for sushi that is cooked, but I decided to take a little gamble and go with raw fish. I picked out a cookie for dessert because I figured it would be easy to carry.

I plunked down my meal voucher.

And the CM looked at me like I had 3 heads.

I looked at the back of the voucher. Katsura Grill was not listed. Most of the World Showcase places were not there. But it was too late. I had already ordered. So I used my Key to the World card and charged the meal. That left me with a meal voucher to use for breakfast the next morning.

Had I known that I couldnt use the voucher for the meal and had to pay for everything I ordered separately, I wouldnt have gotten the cookie, but by the time I realized that, I had already paid.


I took my meal, found a little corner that was under cover and protected from the rain, and I ate my dinner.

When I was done eating, the boys purchases were ready and we were ready to move on. It was around 8:00.

We texted the rest of the group and found that they had gone on Spaceship Earth again, they had their picture taken by a Photopass Photographer and they were going to return to the resort instead of meeting us and going to HS. If I recall correctly, there was a Bruins playoff game that night and I think some of the guys wanted to go back to watch the game. The four of us decided to stick with the plan to see Fantasmic!

Next up: A Glimpse of Home

 

[eandesmom]

Thank you for your thoughtfulness! The service went well, and I will share a little anecdote that made me smile...

My dad had some ideas of how he wanted things done. We had the service in a chapel at a nursing home, but not the one my mom was at. The mass was during the regular daily service, so a lot of the attendees were people we didn’t know. The boys didn’t have school due to after effects of Hurricane Sandy. My brother, nephew and niece were there. Two of my dad’s sisters, my inlaws and my dad’s good friend and his wife were there.

I did a reading and Ben did a short reading. His theatre training really paid off- he was not nervous and really projected his voice. After the service, the priest complimented Ben, and they discussed their mutual interest in the theatre. Father Don had once portrayed Macbeth, so he and Ben recited the Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow soliloquy together.

During communion, my dad wanted Ave Maria to play. The church had an organ with the song programed. My mom also had an organ with the song- my dad asked me to bring it. But he ended up using a cassette player with a tape of my mom playing, without her knowing she was being taped. One of the songs she played was Ave Maria. Nate was in charge of pushing play at the proper moment. Which he did. And out came “Chopsticks”!

Apparently, my dad had not bothered cuing up the right song!

Oh the service sounds lovely, and fun, all at the same time. Perfect.

Love the Japan update, that is quite the process on the kimono and dog tags! Clearly the boy had planned this out, which is pretty cool in and of itself.

Bummer about the voucher but it did look tasty and that is a pretty sitting area. Hopefully you were able to dry out a bit while you enjoyed your food. I'm just glad you got to eat, somehow I had visions that you didn't end up getting dinner at all.

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Glad all went well with the service and love that you were able to chuckle at chopsticks. Happy belated birthday hope you got lots of treats
Glad you are all safe in your neck of the woods

 

[natebenma]

Oh the service sounds lovely, and fun, all at the same time. Perfect.

Love the Japan update, that is quite the process on the kimono and dog tags! Clearly the boy had planned this out, which is pretty cool in and of itself.

Bummer about the voucher but it did look tasty and that is a pretty sitting area. Hopefully you were able to dry out a bit while you enjoyed your food. I'm just glad you got to eat, somehow I had visions that you didn't end up getting dinner at all.

The service was just right. Casual. Close family and friends. And strangers. And a bit of levity thrown in there for good measure.

Yes, it really was a lengthy, but interesting process with the kimono fitting. I enjoyed watching it. It turns out that it was a good thing we didn't do the night we were in EPCOT very late.

The food was fine, but I would have prefered something other than sushi since I had just had that for lunch the day before. I love the food at the Tangierine Cafe, and I love the roasted beet and goat cheese salad at Sunshine Seasons, but it was just TOO WET to manage stops at either of those places.

I did have something to eat, and that was good, because I do not do well on an empty stomach!

Glad all went well with the service and love that you were able to chuckle at chopsticks. Happy belated birthday hope you got lots of treats
Glad you are all safe in your neck of the woods

Thanks for your thoughts and for the birthday wishes. There are always a lot of treats around for my birthday and for the past two years there have been tricks! We had no school on Halloween last year due to a freak snowstorm/power outages and this year's storm took out power for some amount of time for over 80% of our city. But it doesn't compare with the hardships our friends in NYC and New Jersey are facing!

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Glad you had a nice service to remember your mom. It's always better to smile than cry.

Great Japan update. I haven't been able to read everyday with working now. I'm home sick today UGH!!! (Damn kids lol) .So I'm able to do some catching up. I had to leave yesterday b/c I lost my voice. I still can't talk today. So frustrating!!!

 

[AnjieNet]

Oh, gosh, the wet World Showcase photos had me in stitches! Wonderful way to just go with the flow. But yes, wet sneakers are no fun. Hope they dried out for you before you had to slip them back on. COLD, wet sneakers are even worse!

The kimonos are so beautiful and what a great experience for the boy. I wanted to pick a pearl this year but with F&W, everything at World Showcase was just packed. Another reason to head back in a couple of years!

 

[teekathepony]

That's really neat that the CM gave the boy so much help with the kimono. They're so gorgeous! I always have to look at them, even if I never buy one.

 

[natebenma]

Glad you had a nice service to remember your mom. It's always better to smile than cry.

Great Japan update. I haven't been able to read everyday with working now. I'm home sick today UGH!!! (Damn kids lol) .So I'm able to do some catching up. I had to leave yesterday b/c I lost my voice. I still can't talk today. So frustrating!!!

Hearing Chopsticks during Communion at the mass added a little bit of lightness to the service, and makes for a pretty darn good story. Members of my family all have great senses of humor, so this fit right in.

I hope you are feeling better!!! How did you make out during the storm? I believe at one point you said you did not lose power. School cancelations for you?

I enjoyed my time in Japan. My boys are not really shoppers (neither am I), so it has been years since I have been in there. So much to see! And not a bad place to wait out the rain.

Oh, gosh, the wet World Showcase photos had me in stitches! Wonderful way to just go with the flow. But yes, wet sneakers are no fun. Hope they dried out for you before you had to slip them back on. COLD, wet sneakers are even worse!

The kimonos are so beautiful and what a great experience for the boy. I wanted to pick a pearl this year but with F&W, everything at World Showcase was just packed. Another reason to head back in a couple of years!

Glad you enjoyed the wet & wild World walkabout!

Hmmm... is it wrong that I made a poncho for Flat Ben, but didn't bother using one myself or getting one for Nate on this trip?

I really enjoyed watching the Pick-A-Pearl ceremony. The CMs doing it were so animated!

That's really neat that the CM gave the boy so much help with the kimono. They're so gorgeous! I always have to look at them, even if I never buy one.

The CM was really attentive to him as he was trying on the kimono and sandals. I haven't been around before when one was sold, so I don't know if that is customary or not.

When he purchased the kimono, he said he intended to wear it to the 8th grade graduation dance, but I'm not sure if he did.

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Right we didn't lose power. No school for 2 days just like everybody else. The coastal town where I work had it rough but are ok.

My parents live in Westport which is a coastal community- they lost power for only about 10 hrs. So it wasn't to bad.
I'm just bummed about having to make up 2 days and we haven't gotten any snow yet!! Hopefully we won't get much this yr.

 

[ddluvsdisney]

I forgot to tell you we are definitely going to FL in July. Hoping to go 7/1-7/11. Flights come out Nov. 19. I'm sure the flights will be a lot better than April.

You've been in July before right?