2/15/2013 - 8 Night Western Cruise, Galveston, TX

[MKCQuilt]

Thank-you Michaela, John, Natalie, Paula, Andrea, and Beth for all your best wishes and prayers (hope I haven't missed thanking anyone).

I spent about 5 hours with my Grandpa last evening, and then he passed away in the night with my mother (his daughter), by his side. No one thought he would go that fast, but he is pain free and in heaven with Grandma now.

Thanks again everyone for your support!

Peace be with you

 

[Gina]

So, the poor Magic is still out at the mouth of the Galveston channel as we speak... She's finally moving, but this puts her like 4 or 5 hours behind schedule. Luckily, they're usually able to really hustle and make up a lot of that time, but I feel sorry for the CM's responsible for the hustle. It also means they generally won't have time to go ashore.

It's still really foggy! http://www.galveston.com/cruisevideocam/

Good news is, it appears at this point that we will have a cool front come through right around next Friday... Stinks that we might be a little chilly in our flip flops, but I'll take that over another fog delay!!!

On another note -- A big thank you for putting your names to your posts!! I'm chanting them to myself in the hopes they stick in my overworked brain.



-gina-

 

[Gina]

The Magic is pulling in on the cam right now!!

 

[KPetty725]

So, the poor Magic is still out at the mouth of the Galveston channel as we speak... She's finally moving, but this puts her like 4 or 5 hours behind schedule. Luckily, they're usually able to really hustle and make up a lot of that time, but I feel sorry for the CM's responsible for the hustle. It also means they generally won't have time to go ashore.

It's still really foggy! http://www.galveston.com/cruisevideocam/

Good news is, it appears at this point that we will have a cool front come through right around next Friday... Stinks that we might be a little chilly in our flip flops, but I'll take that over another fog delay!!!

On another note -- A big thank you for putting your names to your posts!! I'm chanting them to myself in the hopes they stick in my overworked brain.

-gina-

GAH! This fog freakiness has got me sweating bullets. I've already warned my kids that we could be delayed and promised that we would find something fun to do in Galveston while we wait but it would still be a bummer.

DD6 asked last night before bed if we could look at pictures of the rooms on the ship when she gets home from school today. Yep, she's got it as bad as me! She actually cried when she got off the ship after her first cruise (she was only 3!). She's already talking about her "new friends" because I've told her there are other kids her age on here. I may as well get her a DIS sign-on now I think!

Katie

PS - I'm HORRIBLE with names and faces so I'm apologizing in advance for not remembering anyone! I'm the person you run into in public who says "Hey....you! Good to see you again!" LOL!

 

[betsy2010]

Nicole, I'm so glad you got to spend time with your grandpa and that your mom was by his side. That's all any of us can hope for at the end, the love of our family around us.

Best
Betsy

Nicole:

So sorry for your loss. I'm sure that he is in a better place. He wanted you to be able to go on your cruise.

Take care,

Natalie

 

[fatfish]

Thank-you Michaela, John, Natalie, Paula, Andrea, and Beth for all your best wishes and prayers (hope I haven't missed thanking anyone).

I spent about 5 hours with my Grandpa last evening, and then he passed away in the night with my mother (his daughter), by his side. No one thought he would go that fast, but he is pain free and in heaven with Grandma now.

Thanks again everyone for your support!

I am so sorry for your loss. He was with family when he passed, and he is at peace now. Prayers go out to you and your family.

 

[Gina]

GAH! This fog freakiness has got me sweating bullets. I've already warned my kids that we could be delayed and promised that we would find something fun to do in Galveston while we wait but it would still be a bummer.

Yeah, but you're driving in too, right? For our longest fog delay, even though we just kept watching the cams and ship tracker and didn't even leave the house until the ship was in and had been there for a while, we still had to wait for hours in line just to park... All those people delayed in getting off the ship still had to empty the lots so incoming passengers could enter. And then even though it was past the point where they finally started boarding, everything was so backed up from trying to process everyone at once it was still 8:30pm before we got aboard -- after crossing the causeway at around 3-4pm.

Let's not go there -- we WILL have perfectly clear skies and a beautiful sailaway, right on time!!!!!!

DD6 asked last night before bed if we could look at pictures of the rooms on the ship when she gets home from school today. Yep, she's got it as bad as me! She actually cried when she got off the ship after her first cruise (she was only 3!). She's already talking about her "new friends" because I've told her there are other kids her age on here. I may as well get her a DIS sign-on now I think!

So cute!!! Hey, we gotta train 'em up early, right??

PS - I'm HORRIBLE with names and faces so I'm apologizing in advance for not remembering anyone! I'm the person you run into in public who says "Hey....you! Good to see you again!" LOL!

Thank goodness I'm not the only one... LOL


-gina-

 

[hudson3709]

I was disappointed when we booked flights that the only flight home we could get wasn't until 7:00pm. With these latest fog delays, I'm pretty happy with a little leeway.

-Tyler-

 

[fatfish]

The last of the FE gifts arrived yesterday. We are all set now! Even dd11, who is now too cool for everything, liked these, so I think they will be a hit.

I was as surprised as anyone to hear about the fog this morning, and I'm only an hour and a half from the port. It was humid, but no fog where we are. We will have nice weather on embarkation day - I will accept nothing less! Actually, I'm more worried about the asteroid buzzing by the earth that day, but I'm weird.

 

[Gina]

I was as surprised as anyone to hear about the fog this morning, and I'm only an hour and a half from the port. It was humid, but no fog where we are. We will have nice weather on embarkation day - I will accept nothing less! Actually, I'm more worried about the asteroid buzzing by the earth that day, but I'm weird.

I guess it was just the coastal counties, maybe? It was really bad this morning driving into work! Super foggy down where I live, but lighter as I got into Houston (I work right by the ship channel.)

Now what's this about an asteroid?? Sounds cool!!


-gina-

 

[FloridaFun]

Nicole, sorry for your loss. I know there are no words right now that can make it feel any better. Our prayers are with your family.

Beth

 

[nzkiwi]

I am glad that you were able to spend some time with your Grandfather before he passed.

 

[Tass]

Nicole - I'm sorry for your loss, but glad to hear that you were able to spend time with him last night and that loved ones were with him when he passed. Our family is sending hugs and prayers to your entire family

Steph

 

[fatfish]

Now what's this about an asteroid?? Sounds cool!!

-gina-

From the NASA website:

http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news174.html

In this oblique view, the path of near-Earth asteroid 2012 DA14 is seen passing close to Earth on Feb. 15, 2013.


Discovered by the LaSagra observatory in southern Spain, the small asteroid 2012 DA14 will pass within about 3.5 Earth radii of the Earth's surface on February 15, 2013. Although its size is not well determined, this near-Earth asteroid is thought to be about 45 meters in diameter. Asteroid 2012 DA14 will pass inside the geosynchronous satellite ring, located about 35,800 km above the equator. Its orbit about the sun can bring it no closer to the Earth's surface than 3.2 Earth radii on February 15, 2013. On this date, the asteroid will travel rapidly from the southern evening sky into the northern morning sky with its closest Earth approach occurring about 19:26 UTC when it will achieve a magnitude of less than seven, which is somewhat fainter than naked eye visibility. About 4 minutes after its Earth close approach, there is a good chance it will pass into the Earth's shadow for about 18 minutes or so before reappearing from the eclipse. When traveling rapidly into the northern morning sky, 2012 DA14 will quickly fade in brightness.

Maggie had several science projects on the solar system due last week, so we stumbled upon this while doing the research. My first thought was "that asteroid better not hit and ruin my cruise!"

We had no fog on the west side, but you are much closer to the Gulf. We just had lots of sticky humidity, but it beats fog!!

Dorothy

 

[SnipsNSnails]

Thank-you Michaela, John, Natalie, Paula, Andrea, and Beth for all your best wishes and prayers (hope I haven't missed thanking anyone).

I spent about 5 hours with my Grandpa last evening, and then he passed away in the night with my mother (his daughter), by his side. No one thought he would go that fast, but he is pain free and in heaven with Grandma now.

Thanks again everyone for your support!

Hugs Nicole! I am so sorry for your loss. It's so similar to what we went through 3 weeks ago. We were able to take the boys over the evening before he passed and my brother and SIL were there too. I'm glad that you got that precious time with him. I will pray for you and your family in the tough days ahead here. You will need this vacation as much as we do.

-Stephanne

 

[Gina]

From the NASA website:

http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news174.html

In this oblique view, the path of near-Earth asteroid 2012 DA14 is seen passing close to Earth on Feb. 15, 2013.


Discovered by the LaSagra observatory in southern Spain, the small asteroid 2012 DA14 will pass within about 3.5 Earth radii of the Earth's surface on February 15, 2013. Although its size is not well determined, this near-Earth asteroid is thought to be about 45 meters in diameter. Asteroid 2012 DA14 will pass inside the geosynchronous satellite ring, located about 35,800 km above the equator. Its orbit about the sun can bring it no closer to the Earth's surface than 3.2 Earth radii on February 15, 2013. On this date, the asteroid will travel rapidly from the southern evening sky into the northern morning sky with its closest Earth approach occurring about 19:26 UTC when it will achieve a magnitude of less than seven, which is somewhat fainter than naked eye visibility. About 4 minutes after its Earth close approach, there is a good chance it will pass into the Earth's shadow for about 18 minutes or so before reappearing from the eclipse. When traveling rapidly into the northern morning sky, 2012 DA14 will quickly fade in brightness.

Maggie had several science projects on the solar system due last week, so we stumbled upon this while doing the research. My first thought was "that asteroid better not hit and ruin my cruise!"

We had no fog on the west side, but you are much closer to the Gulf. We just had lots of sticky humidity, but it beats fog!!

Dorothy

That is too cool! But yeah, I definitely agree with Maggie. No cruise-ruining asteroid, please and thank you!!

(I am now apparently too excited to even type. There was a "4" in the word yeah above - the 4 is silent, you know - and I had cloned Maggie and made her plural! You're welcome, LOL )


-gina-

 

[graysonsmom]

Oh I'm so nervous abbot the fog ... it seems like more mornings than not I end up driving in fog. .. this morning it wasn't too bad when I left but I also get up SO early that it typically rolls in about half way through my drive! I live about 20 miles from port! 10 days people... anyone else suffering from I don't wanna work I'm in vacation mode already!?! Oh and Unless you have a name rag or I talk to you a LOT I will forget your name. .. now I prob will remember your kids names but I'm horrible with adults. .. please forgive me in advance!
Jennifer

 

[Harrisdreamteam]

Was so glad that the kids put on their pirate costumes to play last week. My son looked like an orphan in his it was so small. The new one arrived today and it looks like it should last at least a couple of weeks! LOL! My mom shipped our fish extender and it arrived yesterday. Ryan texted me today to ask me when we could get on the boat. I think we are all READY!!!
-Alana

 

[SunshineCruiser]

Thank you so much to everyone here who have shared their stories, prayers and condolences. It's nice to know we'll be on the cruise with such caring people. You have all been so great.


Now, I have heard a few people mention that they are not good with names, but I can assure you all that I am the worst. My daughter dances with a girl whose mother after a couple of years, actually warned me that she was going to start testing me every time she saw me to see if I could remember her name. It took that warning to finally commit her name to memory, and I remembered her name all through dance competition season and through the summer, but I haven't seen her in a few months, and at this moment I can't for the life of me think of what it is. To make matters worse I am not great with faces either, luckily my husband is usually there to help me out. I'm sure I'll remember a few of you, but when I look clueless, please know that I actually do want to talk to you, and I am not being rude, so please just come say hi.

It is going to be a great cruise - thanks again. Have a good evening

Nicole

 

[KPetty725]

Oh I'm so nervous abbot the fog ... it seems like more mornings than not I end up driving in fog. .. this morning it wasn't too bad when I left but I also get up SO early that it typically rolls in about half way through my drive! I live about 20 miles from port! 10 days people... anyone else suffering from I don't wanna work I'm in vacation mode already!?! Oh and Unless you have a name rag or I talk to you a LOT I will forget your name. .. now I prob will remember your kids names but I'm horrible with adults. .. please forgive me in advance!
Jennifer

Amen! I haven't wanted to work all week! And I've got a strange craving for chocolate ever since Gina mentioned that Cove Cafe has chocolate covered strawberries! I had to force myself to cook dinner tonight rather than going out...definitely in vacay mode already!

10 meow days.....we can count on our fingers!!

Katie