From Oil Wells to Jingle Bells-Bells,pg.66, See you in September!

[Queenofallthings]

Oh I can't wait....this sounds like it's going to be a great TR

 

[my2boysrtwicethefun]

I'm in!

What in the sam hill is going on around here?

NEEEEEBO!!! *jumps into arms in a HUGE hug, mis-reads her target's stability, knocks him down raising questionable eyebrows from all involved...*

I'm IN, babeee. (Facebook me when you update )

Hi Wendy. How are your nursing classes going?

 

[Backstage_Gal]

 

[DisneyLaura]

Was reading Monica's trip report and she said to come here and read yours too.

So I'm in!

 

[nebo]

"Aaaaaaaaaaaand, We're Off!!!"

I looked at my watch, 3:34, not bad, only running a couple minutes behind.

As I pulled out of the driveway, I started firing questions at her.
"Didja bring the lunchmeat? Didja bring the extra bag of ice? There were a lot of widja didjas in the next two blocks, then it was her turn.

"Didja bring a jacket and a hat?"

"Crap!"

And just like that, two blocks down the road I'm tuning around.

Unfortunately, her hitting on something I didn't bring right away was the worst thing that could have happened. Why?

Because then she stopped asking me anything else!


Hi, my name is Nebo, aka Steve, sometimes, my partner is Smidgy, also known as Diane.
This is our 17th trip to Disney, we are empty nesters, (at least for now) and this is our 15th trip since we have gotten back together.

( This is the first trip of a two parter, this report flowed right into a December trip that wasn't supposed to be but wouldn't be denied and I just kept this report up and running. If you'd like to just go to the December report it basically starts in a pretrip fashion on page 59.
But I encourage you to read this first if you are new to these reports, I can't imagine another trip being and weirder than this one was.
However as I write this the Holidays Disney trip is still ten days out so you never know. )

Yes, you read that right. We were divorced in '99, got back together in '02 and remarried in '03. The downside is neither of us can figure out now how many years we've actually been married, I think it's around 28.

And no, we don't celebrate two anniversaries now! Stop it.

But Disney had a lot to do with us getting back together, and we never lost sight of that.

She likes to say that the divorce just didn't work out.
I prefer to say that we were closed for refurbishment.
It's still basically the same marriage, only with new special effects added, like understanding and compassion.

Now I have to mention a few things about myself. For those that know me, sorry to have to put you through this again, but you know it's necessary.

I can't see, I can't hear, and I break easily.

All true. Many eye problems resulting in being blind in the dark or night. I did finally get hearing aids this year, much to Diane's delight. And along with a bad back I've also had 5 surgeries on my foot resulting from crushing it in a work accident. Part of my hip is even in my foot now to rebuild it.

Did I mention that I walk funny?

I'm like the six million dollar man after budget cuts.

One other thing, I'm also accident prone, especially at Disney.

Perhaps you've seen me on tv doing Vicodin commercials?

"Don't leave home without them"

And I DON"T!

But vikes aren't my addiction, Disneyworld is. Every time I try to take steps to rid myself of them, I trip. So, here it is, 3:40 in the morning on Friday, July 9, and we are headin south again, baby!

About this trip:

We have always said we would never go in July. Too hot, too crowed, too many thunderstorms. July, March, and November are the only months we have never been there in.

Then she found out that the restaurant where she works was going to close for the entire month. Sooooooo, maybe we should go someplace?

You see, we have a problem.
No, not you dear reader, I mean we, us, Smidgy and me.

Ok, ok, I'm the one that has a problem!
I can't leave something alone, I have to change it, alter it, fiddle with it, embellish it and just plain mess with it until what is left has very little resemblance to what I started out with.

Once, in a past life Sophocles once asked me to put some rocks around the campfire to contain it when we're roasting marshmallowsw.
Today they still call it Stonehenge. Perhaps you've seen it?

But worse than that, I can take a "three day weekend whirlwind trip" and turn it into a two week, four resort getaway with a stop in Sheboygan.

Which is exactly what ended up happening.
Except for Sheboygan.
Hey, something had to go.

Oh, our reasoning made perfect sense.
"You know, being the Dis veterans that we are, we don't need to do that much in the parks, we can just spend our time relaxing at the resorts."
Yep, sounds good on paper, but the resorts cost a fortune in July.

THis is where our friends came in. We know DVC owners who seem to have an insane amount of points, and we are just pleased as punch to help them out!

Then, the not -so- secret anymore codes were extended into July.
By the way, even though I used a phone book when I was looking for a lawyer back when we got divorced, the lawyer and his wife run into us a lot at Diane's restaurant.

Care to guess who's giving us the great rate with the DVC points?

Life can be very strange.

So here is how the trip stands in it's final incarnation, after much wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth. ( mostly her from every time I proposed a new change)

Drive as far as we can Friday, stop along the road somewhere
Stay in Kissimmee, or Ocala Saturday, leave early in the morning.
Drive to Vero Beach, a DVC we have never been to, stay for 5 nights
Drive to All Star Sports for fri and sat, check out sun.
Drive to Beach Club Villas for 5 nighs, back on the points,
Finish the trip with 3 nights at Music, using 25% off code, same code for Sports.

There you have it, that's why I'm doing this in 3-D
Dumb, Deranged and Delusional.

Before we return to them still sitting in the driveway,,,,(hmm, I think I just referred to myself in the 4th person, is that possible?) I'd like to mention that I do plan on trying to shorten this report up a bit from past reports, you can only do a blow by blow or ride by ride report from the parks so many times. Honestly, I wasn't planning on doing a report, but enough weird things happened that I just couldn't go quietly into that good night.

Besides, people seem to enjoy it when I'm in pain. Well, every person needs a mission in life.

But the most important thing we are going to do here is have fun. I enjoy sharing our adventures, and I hope you will enjoy reading them too.

Oh, the title you ask? It's simple, when we made the original rezzies, no one knew BP was in the gulf even drilling, much less screwing things up. Even the cast members at Vero Beach were concerned that the oil would hit the gulfstream, be carried right around the tip of Florida and just south of Vero Beach is where the GS swings back to the mainland. If that happened, it could easily be there by mid July!
When I first thought about doing the report, due to how the trip went, "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" was also a title thought.
Or the hyena's version, "The Good, the Bad, and the UUUUGGH-LYYYY! but it is what it is.

One last thing and I think we're all caught up.
I didn't wait to hurt myself at Disney this trip, I beat the Christmas rush.

Happened about two weeks ago, wasn't even sure if we'd keep the trip.

Everything was going fine, the guy in front of me jumped, his chute opened, then it was my turn.
I jumped, the chute opened, everything fine, but about 30 feet from the ground, a gust of wind caught me and blew me into a chain link fence, tore some cartilage in my right knee.

or


Would you believe;
I was crouching, going around the car and checking the air in the tires?

Well, yeah, that's how it happened but the first way is more fun to tell. But somedays my knee is just gigantic, and really hot to the touch. And every time I move it sounds like somebody stepping on fortune cookies.

And of course it's the same knee I blew out almost 20 years ago trying to win a bottle of Cold Duck in a Limbo contest. Hey, it was down to just one other guy and me!

So now we're back in the driveway, I have my jacket and hat and we're almost ready,,,,,, again. Even though I'm scared to death to drive at night, I'm not worried this morning cuz the first 45 minutes are the same exact route I took to work for 25 years, and the rest is well lighted until we get to route 57. By then it will be dawn. BTW, Smidgy doesn't drive on highways, that's just a fact of life.

This time before we left, we held hands and Diane led us in the prayer we had forgotten to do the first time. She's better then I am in praying out loud. At 3:30 in the morning I think the best I could have come up with is "Dear lord, please don't let us crash!"

Now, once more with feeling!
"Aaaaaaand, we're off!!!"

Sorry, it's a ritual, been saying this before every trip now for years. This is the 17th trip, 14th time driving down and the 11th time in our good old trusty
'03 Santa Fe

Boy, if only I knew then what I know now,,,,,,,,,,,,,g'night

 

[Backstage_Gal]

I just love your reports, Nebo! Hope you didn't get hurt too badly

 

[nebo]

please bear with me, trying to figure out what works and doesn't

 

[smidgy]

just so everyone remembers, I brought everything I was supposed to bring![/I][/COLOR]

And no, we don't celebrate two anniversaries now! Stop it.

what? you can't take me out to dinner twice a year?


Drive as far as we can Friday, stop along the road somewhere
Stay in Kissimmee, or Ocala Saturday, leave early in the morning.
Drive to Vero Beach, a DVC we have never been to, stay for 5 nights
Drive to All Star Sports for fri and sat, check out sun.
Drive to Beach Club Villas for 5 nighs, back on the points,
Finish the trip with 3 nights at Music, using 25% off code, same code for Sports.

originally, we were supposed to do the beach and hang around stormalong bay a lot; do the Jellyrolls he has owed me for umpteen trips now, and stay at a motel in Kissimee the 2 nights in between the nights we rented points(since points are much more on weekends)
Besides, people seem to enjoy it when I'm in pain. Well, every person needs a mission in life.

nebo, you really don't have to take your :mission" so seriously!
]

arrgh! It's saying my message is too short! so I'm adding this line of dribble to see if it will let me post. here goes...

 

[smidgy]

see my sunny-D bottle in the last pic?

 

[DisneyLaura]

Yeah you're in the car

 

[lexmelinda]

Wow! This is an epic trip! Two weeks? Can't wait to hear about BWV. I've always wanted to stay there! Was it all that and a bag of chips? Has your friend got any more points?

So sorry about your knee but I guess it was smart to put the Vero portion first. And I do like the skydiving story better. I'd stick with that one.

I keep wanting to plan an "adult" trip w/ my new guy. But he wants to go on a vacation to Disney about as much as I want to go moose hunting in Alaska. It's a conversion in process I guess.

 

[monymony3471]

NEEEEEBO!!! *jumps into arms in a HUGE hug, mis-reads her target's stability, knocks him down raising questionable eyebrows from all involved...*

Were the lights on or off when you did this? Plus its you and nebs, no one will be lifting eyesbrows questionably. Please!


Hey, I have a part of my hip in my foot. Who knew? We are destined to be friends, its in the stars!

Hey Lexy! Following you on one of Nebo's trip reports, some things never change.

 

[nebo]

Monica, I know I share the same b-day with one of your kids, but now we're sharing the same hip bone?

Lexxy, keep working at him, I know you can break him sooner or later.

Wendy, great to see you again, yeah girl, you sure like to make an entrance!

i'm not trying to ignore anybody, I appreciate all that post, I'm just trying to get this report on the road so to speak, there will be plenty time for callouts.


We are on the way again, and that had better be the last time I give the opening charge.

Like I said, even though it's still pitch black, I know this part of the trip like the back of my knee.

90 to 294, 294 all the way to the end of the tollway to rt. 80, couple miles west on 80 to rt. 57.

Then rt. 57 south till you fall off the edge of the world.

Everything was going along just wonderfully until only about 10 miles south on 57 she asked me if we could stop at the rest area coming up?
"Already?"

"Yes, already, trust me."

Ok, I know that tone, and I probably know that feeling she has.

15 minutes later we are back on the road and everything is fine again.

Or so I thought!

Her navigational skills are no longer needed for many hours, she has actuallhy taken the atlas off her lap! I look over and see she has her head back with her eyes shut, I thought she might be dozing.

I couldn't be more wrong!

60 miles down the road from the last rest area, I see a sign that says Rest Area one mile. I debate on mentioning it to her but decide I better.

"There's a re........"

She was already putting her shoes back on.

Once again, 15 mkinutes later we are back on the road, she says she is fine now. Ok.

NOW, I'm gonna make some time!

The sun is just coming up, I love sunrises, especially when the pertain to vacations.

I bump the cruise control up to 72, it's only 65 in Illinois and that's the highest I'll set it and not woryy about cops.

I check the gages one more time:

fuel; about 3/4
temp; right where it should be, 140
speed; 72
wind; ssw
dow; up 20 points
BP 140 over 90
score White Sox 5, Cubs 2

Yep, everything is in order, and I started wondering to myself; how far do I think I can make it before the back starts really bothering me along with the tailbone before I have to hit the painkillers? Probably Nashville but I'd really like to save them till we almost check in tonight, maybe I can get by on the Ibuprofen if my stomach can take it.

(yeah, the pills are right behind me in my bathroom bag, right behind the seat where I always put the bag, right behindtheseat whereIalwaysputtheba........)

It was like somebody just slugged me in the stomach!
I remember putting my blood pressure medicine in the bag, then putting the bag on the short half wall in the foyer,,,,,, and that's it!

"Diane, did you bring my bathroom bag?"

"Of course not, you always told me that you will take care of that."

Withing seconds she is crawling around behind the seats looking for it, and coming up empty.

Now the discussion starts, what can I do without? What was all in there?

"Ok, my blood pressure pills, the vikes, the usual bathroom stuff, sunglasses, the digital camera, oh, and my hearing aids!"

We quickly talked about maybe getting someone to ship the bag to us, but it's friday morning and we don't check into a place we know we are going until Sunday, without the bp meds I may explode by then!

No, I'm not always a fun date.

Any Walgreens will replace the bp meds, but the vikes? Hardly. Maybe just a few and that will pop up red flags all over the place.

As far as shipping the bag goes, again, we have a controlled substance in the bag, plus, I don't really want to ship my new hearing aids that cost a couple grand.

But the idea of just turning around now was just sick.

I honestly did not know what was the right thing to do.

I DID have one idea that appealed to me.

I'll just pull over on the side, get out and stand in front of the next 18 wheeler that came along, yep, that'l work.

Still heading south I wasn't going to let one more exit go past and I made my decision, I got off, crossed over the bridge and got back on going the other way.

My brain could not accept that I was doing this.

I"m going the wrong way!

My body was vibrating, my stomach hurt and I'm sure there was a little spittle forming between my lips.

But on I drove.
You have no idea how hard it was not to go 90 mph.
And now we get to head back into Chicago during rush hour.
Oh joy.

But probably the worst thing I had gnawing at me was this;
What if I DID grab the bag, and placed it on the roof before I got in the car?

With the luggage racks on top, it might now have fallen off right away,,,,,,,,it could be anywhere!

And I won't know till we get home.

Six hours later from when we first left we pulled back into the driveway, carefully opened the door so the cats didn't get out and I was afraid to look. Didn't matter, Diane yelled out "Yeah, there it is, still sitting there."

I sat down and lit a cigarette, had to decide.

Two minutes later, I said, "Well, you ready?"

I was seriously considering waiting until the morning before we left again, heck, that was when we were originally going to leave anyway, and part of me was remembering the old saying; "Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today", which I have often countered with; "Put it off till tomorrow, you've done enough damage for one day."

But I thought that the best way to beat this was to get started right away again.

Right after I fill the tank up once again across the street.
Turned out to be a 42 dollar screw up, with the gas.

And total miles driven just to end up right back where we started from:

331 !

Yep, that was a character builder alright.

I DON'T NEED A BUILT UP CHARACTER!

The way my stomach felt the whole time, it should have worked on my abs.

those can stand some building.

At 20 to 10 that morning as we are buckling up our seat belts sitting at the Citgo she said, "You sure?"

"I'm sure."

As I pulled out onto the street for the 3rd time this morning, I heard in a faint voice next to me,,,,

"Aaaaaaand, we're off."

"Shut the ......... up!"

I drove with that bag between my legs for the first hundred miles. She started calling me "Linus".

I have to admit, as hard as this was to do, at least I'm heading back in the right direction now. Plus I didn't feel really good until we passed the point of the return, which was a little north of Champagne.

At least now we don't have to worry about pleading with a Walgreens, having to wait while they try to get a hold of my doctor, or having the bag shipped somewhere, that's all taken care of now.

That night we pulled into a motel in Murfreesboro just as it was getting dark.

We had picked up coupon books at the Ten. welcome center, found those rates usually beat AAA rates, she called ahead and they have a ground floor smoking room for us, 34.50 that included tax.

Well, can't beat that!

My cat's litter box in the corner was more inviting then this room was.

And cleaner.

The Safari Inn, should have known by the name.......not good.

After we checked in, I followed Smidgy in the car as she walked to the room to check it out.

She was back out before I even finished parking the car, saw the manager outside and he went and opened a door a few doors down from what he originally gave us.

It appeared that this room was going to be as good as it gets, she said the other room was so disgusting it wasnt even an option.

The mold growing on the inside of the drapes was the worst, she thought it was moving.

"This is the room that Clark Griswold would have said, "Aunt Edna, this is your room."

Dinner that night was sandwiches on rye, and my favorite kind.
Think Rolling Stones:

"Braun Shweiger, how come you taste so good?"
(sung to the tune of Brown Sugar)

Ok, getting tired, but at least we're getting closer. soon

 

[tiggerbell]

I winced fore you - and I already knew the story!

Nebo is BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Madisonsmom45]

Let's see what this one brings. Count me in...

 

[dwheatl]

Bummer, Dude! Well, at least the bag hadn't fallen off the roof. That could have resulted in some very happy, albeit confused crows pecking at vikes along side of the road.

 

[monymony3471]

You surprised me several times: Turning around, AND getting right back on the road again, AND not having to take a few vikes at that point.

Now I'm gonna be worried I will forget something of vital importance.


I'm a visual person, no picture of Aunt Edna's room?

It can only get better from this point, right?

 

[smidgy]

nothing worse that "intestinal disorders" on a road trip. nebo was very patient with me.

he didn't tell me about the "did I put it on the roof of the car?" thought till later. wasn't that sweet of him, to save me from the angst? (isn't "angst" a perfect word for that feeling?)

even though we were trying to make it back to Champaign, we both could have used a little Champagne at that point. (sorry, honey, had to do it)

after the trip, when we told son #2 this story, he feigned anger,"why didn't you call me? I could have met you half way or something?"

yeah, we're going to call him to miss a half day of work, drive 45 miles from his house to ours, the 75 miles to meet us halfway... esp since we didn't even tell him or the other son about this trip in the first place! "um Jeremy, we're in Champaign, IL. could you zip over to our house, grab a bag and meet us somewhere on the road? why are we in Champaign? um,. tell you later"
(non-disney people just don't get the multiple trips thing, and it gets embarrassing. the owners or my coworkers at the restaurant STILL don't know we went, nor will they. I didn't have to take time off, after all; they don't need to know how I spend my money... and this way, when I take time off for any possible next trip, they can't say "you were just there in july") this was our "secret trip" and we felt kinda "naughty" sneaking away. ......It's fun to feel "naughty" (at our age, this is about as "naughty" as it gets)

the first room at the luxurious safari Inn also had a punch hole in the wall. and there was a stupid "step up" to the vanity/bathroom area in both rooms,which Nebo had all kinds of fun with!

the ad in the motel coupon book said "jacuzzi rooms available". I should have known better, when I saw a sign in the office "we rent rooms for short term 'afternoon naps'."
sheeeesh!

 

[my2boysrtwicethefun]

the ad in the motel coupon book said "jacuzzi rooms available". I should have known better, when I saw a sign in the office "we rent rooms for short term 'afternoon naps'."sheeeesh!

 

[DisneyLaura]

Oh no you had to turn around.

Now the room - we were coming back from Disney in April (driving to VA to see some family members) and used our GPS for a hotel to stay the night it was at the border of FL and GA. We paid for the room, went to put our bags in the room and literally almost vomited when DH and I saw. Neither of us said anything to each other except going to dinner 15 minutes after we paid for the room. He said to me if we find another place we're staying there. He said he would have not be able to sleep there at all, it was gross. So we ate dinner, found another hotel, much nicer with clean sheets and he and my son went and got our luggage out of the first hotel room and left the door key on the bed. Yup we paid for two rooms that night