May 18, 2013 Magic EBTA Part Two - From Tejas to España

[1stDC2013]

That certainly helps, doesn't it?!? In November my parents drove from east Texas to the port, so they picked up my daughter and I at Hobby. Nice to plan on Dad to pick me up at the airport. Just too bad the 7 night cruise is his limit for being away from home - couldn't talk them into the transatlantic.

BTW - I taught in Brenham a few years and my college roommate lives in Houston, so I still try to get there. I'm in the DFW area now.

Check out the links here from our EBTA page - it is something that is fun to do! https://sites.google.com/site/onamagicaltransatlanticjourney/home/organized-events/fe-exchange

Check out our rollcall - and sign up as well when you get a chance:

https://sites.google.com/site/onamagicaltransatlanticjourney/home/roll-call

We are spending a few days there before moving on. Mother-in-law is with us so we will hopefully repeat the big sights as it is her first time there. It's a beautiful city with a great metro. Used it with our kids last time - oldest had just turned 5 - no problems at all.

I had wondered the same thing! On our WBTA we literally had a couple moving back home from their jobs overseas. Everything was shipped about 2-3 days before they headed to Barcelona.

Have you looked at other cruises after EBTA? NCL has a neat itinerary that is 12 nights including France, Italy, Greece, and Turkey that departs on June 4. Then you can take the train from Venice to Germany. Just a thought if you don't want to be hauling your luggage from place to place.

Nice to know. My best friend is planning on meeting us there and staying for a week! But everything IA still in planning mode.

 

[1stDC2013]

QUOTE="MandyGirl"]

Have you looked at other cruises after EBTA? NCL has a neat itinerary that is 12 nights including France, Italy, Greece, and Turkey that departs on June 4. Then you can take the train from Venice to Germany. Just a thought if you don't want to be hauling your luggage from place to place. [/QUOTE]

That sounds nice, but since we have time isn't an issue, I want to spend about a week in each place exploring the different cities.

 

[1stDC2013]

They are turning 7 on the 18th. A little older than your daughter, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind playing a game of Spot It! with her!

She has an uncle that is 7, so that is not a problem. Most people think she is at least 5 due to her size and maturity.

 

[1stDC2013]

Hi,

Myself & DW Helen will be travelling with our DD Grace who is also 4. She loved the last cruise and met some wonderful friends. Look forward to meeting you guys.

Paul

Thanks! Looking forward to meeting you and your family!

 

[MandyGirl]

If you can reply to this post, it might help see who is staying in what vicinity pre-cruise. You can list your hotel or leave blank, but just quote/respond if you would like me to add you to this post, which is linked to the first page to help organize it some No need to add to the original text - just a reply will suffice and I will edit post #487 to update your info


Galveston
MandyGirl (Tremont)
binkytell (Tremont)
Tubbsteruk (Tremont)
Tink1987 (Tremont)
BigHugsForEeyore (Tremont)
chrisandedfromCT (Tremont)
Goofynewfie (Tremont)
Lysand (Tremont)
DavidaTN (Galvez)
NancyIL (Galvez)


Houston Hobby Area
Viking53 (Hampton Inn Hobby Airport)
ramadden13 (tbd)
birkner (Hampton Inn and Suites, League City near Hobby)


Houston IAH Area
kaseyC (IAH Marriott)
Kirbo (IAH Marriott)
bobbiwoz (Town Place Suites)


Other (Houston Area)

testing

 

[kaseyC]

I believe we'll be at the IAH Marriott with kaceyC DCL is making our reservations and we don't have them yet, but I've been told that's the hotel they use.


Hey, I have a question for kaceyC, how did you get your screen name? Do you mind me asking? I hope not.

Kirbo, Kasey was the name of our dog. I'm not very creative and it was the first thing I thought of when I had to choose a screen name when I joined the DIS. We adopted her about a year after we got married. We had her for a little over 13 years before her kidneys began fail and we had to make the decision to put her to sleep. She was the best dog ever!!

 

[1stDC2013]

testing

I live near Hobby

 

[Maza]

Tremont here too

 

[Kirbo]

Kirbo, Kasey was the name of our dog. I'm not very creative and it was the first thing I thought of when I had to choose a screen name when I joined the DIS. We adopted her about a year after we got married. We had her for a little over 13 years before her kidneys began fail and we had to make the decision to put her to sleep. She was the best dog ever!!

I'm sorry about the loss of your dog. It's amazing how attached we get to our animals. Our fabulous dog, Boomer the Wonder Dog, had a terrible allergic reaction to something yesterday and I thought we were going to lose him. I was beside myself with worry. Thankfully, he's fine today after tons of meds from us and the vet.

Anyway, I've wondered about your name ever since I saw your real name . I had assumed you were a Kasey.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[SaraCat]

If you can reply to this post, it might help see who is staying in what vicinity pre-cruise. You can list your hotel or leave blank, but just quote/respond if you would like me to add you to this post, which is linked to the first page to help organize it some No need to add to the original text - just a reply will suffice and I will edit post #487 to update your info


Galveston
Precruise Meet: 7:00 pm on 5/17 at Rooftop Bar of Tremont
MandyGirl (Tremont)
binkytell (Tremont)
Tubbsteruk (Tremont)
Tink1987 (Tremont)
BigHugsForEeyore (Tremont)
chrisandedfromCT (Tremont)
Goofynewfie (Tremont)
Lysand (Tremont)
DavidaTN (Galvez)
NancyIL (Galvez)


Houston Hobby Area
Viking53 (Hampton Inn Hobby Airport)
ramadden13 (tbd)
birkner (Hampton Inn and Suites, League City near Hobby)


Houston IAH Area
kaseyC (IAH Marriott)
Kirbo (IAH Marriott)
bobbiwoz (Town Place Suites)


Other (Houston Area)

We are staying at the Lancaster Hotel in Houston on the 16th May and then moving to the Tremont on the 17th.

 

[MandyGirl]

I think I captured them so far

If you can reply to this post, it might help see who is staying in what vicinity pre-cruise. You can list your hotel or leave blank, but just quote/respond if you would like me to add you to this post, which is linked to the first page to help organize it some No need to add to the original text - just a reply will suffice and I will edit post #487 to update your info


Galveston
Precruise Meet: 7:00 pm on 5/17 at Rooftop Bar of Tremont
Tubbsteruk (Tremont starting the 15th)
MandyGirl (Tremont)
binkytell (Tremont)
Tink1987 (Tremont)
BigHugsForEeyore (Tremont)
chrisandedfromCT (Tremont)
Goofynewfie (Tremont)
Lysand (Tremont)
Maza (Tremont)
SaraCat (Tremont on the 17th)
DavidaTN (Galvez)
NancyIL (Galvez)


Houston Hobby Area
Viking53 (Hampton Inn Hobby Airport)
ramadden13 (tbd)
birkner (Hampton Inn and Suites, League City near Hobby)
1stDC2013 (Lives near Hobby)


Houston IAH Area
kaseyC (IAH Marriott)
Kirbo (IAH Marriott)
bobbiwoz (Town Place Suites)



Other (Houston Area)
SaraCat (Lancaster Hotel in Houston on the 16th May and then moving to the Tremont on the 17th)

 

[MandyGirl]

I'm sorry about the loss of your dog. It's amazing how attached we get to our animals. Our fabulous dog, Boomer the Wonder Dog, had a terrible allergic reaction to something yesterday and I thought we were going to lose him. I was beside myself with worry. Thankfully, he's fine today after tons of meds from us and the vet.

Anyway, I've wondered about your name ever since I saw your real name . I had assumed you were a Kasey.

Thanks for sharing.

Glad Boomer is okay!! I had my sweet baby 14.5 years and had to put him to sleep almost 3 years ago. We are going to get another one this summer, but are researching breeds. Hubby is afraid for us to get another sheltie because he knows no other dog could compare to our first, and being the same breed might make it even harder to not compare them. (I am trying to persuade him I would not have favorites.... )

 

[Kirbo]

Glad Boomer is okay!! I had my sweet baby 14.5 years and had to put him to sleep almost 3 years ago. We are going to get another one this summer, but are researching breeds. Hubby is afraid for us to get another sheltie because he knows no other dog could compare to our first, and being the same breed might make it even harder to not compare them. (I am trying to persuade him I would not have favorites.... )

DH and I married in '97 and got our first dog three months later. I loved that dog (she was a pure-bred mutt ). We had to put her down last summer at the age of 15. We were all so sad. But I knew I wanted another dog. DH wasn't so sure. I did a lot of research and had told DH that I wanted a purebred (I'd never had one before, but his dad was a vet and they always had purebreds). DH didn't care one way or another.

Anyway, I researched and found that Boston Terriers looked to be the best fit for us. I found three very reputable breeders in our part of the country and got on their waiting lists (good breeders breed so rarely ). It took a few months to get contacted by one of them (and they all had amazing applications that pretty much ask you everything about you and your families including underwear preferences ). We had bought a house and moved in on October 25th and got a call the next night! It was not expected. We ended up getting Boomer on November 3rd. We've had him less than four months and I am completely and totally in love. As are the girls and DH.

This dog is so smart it freaks me out. And training him has been such a dream. I've never had a dog so easy. I loved our last dog, but still have PTSD from her puppy years . But Boomer is so darn easy.

So yesterday was awful. He got bit or stung while asleep in his crate (which freaks me out since it means we have something in the hosue that he's allergic to). His face swelled up and his eyes shut. He had lumps appear all over. We made the awful discovery that our vet's office doesn't have after hour docs on call! I thought we were going to lose him. But we found another vet in the phone book and she talked to us at 6am and then met DH in the office. So he got a shot of steroids and is on benadryl. Thank goodness for this other vet.

I'm still struggling to decide if we should switch offices. We love our current vet and have used them for the past ten years, but we've never had an emergency after hours. DH said the vet that he went to yesterday was wonderful, but the office looked as if it was set up for large animals more than small. I guess we can keep her for an emergency but stick with our other one the rest of the time.

I do plan on writing a letter to our current office letting them know how upsetting it was to have an emergency and no way of contacting them. Boomer could have died.

Oh my gosh, I can't believe I just spilled all that out

 

[Tink1987]

DH and I married in '97 and got our first dog three months later. I loved that dog (she was a pure-bred mutt ). We had to put her down last summer at the age of 15. We were all so sad. But I knew I wanted another dog. DH wasn't so sure. I did a lot of research and had told DH that I wanted a purebred (I'd never had one before, but his dad was a vet and they always had purebreds). DH didn't care one way or another.

Anyway, I researched and found that Boston Terriers looked to be the best fit for us. I found three very reputable breeders in our part of the country and got on their waiting lists (good breeders breed so rarely ). It took a few months to get contacted by one of them (and they all had amazing applications that pretty much ask you everything about you and your families including underwear preferences ). We had bought a house and moved in on October 25th and got a call the next night! It was not expected. We ended up getting Boomer on November 3rd. We've had him less than four months and I am completely and totally in love. As are the girls and DH.

This dog is so smart it freaks me out. And training him has been such a dream. I've never had a dog so easy. I loved our last dog, but still have PTSD from her puppy years . But Boomer is so darn easy.

So yesterday was awful. He got bit or stung while asleep in his crate (which freaks me out since it means we have something in the hosue that he's allergic to). His face swelled up and his eyes shut. He had lumps appear all over. We made the awful discovery that our vet's office doesn't have after hour docs on call! I thought we were going to lose him. But we found another vet in the phone book and she talked to us at 6am and then met DH in the office. So he got a shot of steroids and is on benadryl. Thank goodness for this other vet.

I'm still struggling to decide if we should switch offices. We love our current vet and have used them for the past ten years, but we've never had an emergency after hours. DH said the vet that he went to yesterday was wonderful, but the office looked as if it was set up for large animals more than small. I guess we can keep her for an emergency but stick with our other one the rest of the time.

I do plan on writing a letter to our current office letting them know how upsetting it was to have an emergency and no way of contacting them. Boomer could have died.

Oh my gosh, I can't believe I just spilled all that out

Thank god Boomer is OK! That must have been so worrying for you. Poor thing. Hopefully he will be back to his normal self soon!

 

[twopeasonepod]

DS just told me that a kid in his class and her family is also on this cruise! I wonder if they'll join the DIS??? Really nice family. The girl is in third grade and her brother (who also shares the same name as DS) is in kindergarten. Very sweet kids.

 

[bobbiwoz]

DH and I married in '97 and got our first dog three months later. I loved that dog (she was a pure-bred mutt ). We had to put her down last summer at the age of 15. We were all so sad. But I knew I wanted another dog. DH wasn't so sure. I did a lot of research and had told DH that I wanted a purebred (I'd never had one before, but his dad was a vet and they always had purebreds). DH didn't care one way or another.

Anyway, I researched and found that Boston Terriers looked to be the best fit for us. I found three very reputable breeders in our part of the country and got on their waiting lists (good breeders breed so rarely ). It took a few months to get contacted by one of them (and they all had amazing applications that pretty much ask you everything about you and your families including underwear preferences ). We had bought a house and moved in on October 25th and got a call the next night! It was not expected. We ended up getting Boomer on November 3rd. We've had him less than four months and I am completely and totally in love. As are the girls and DH.

This dog is so smart it freaks me out. And training him has been such a dream. I've never had a dog so easy. I loved our last dog, but still have PTSD from her puppy years . But Boomer is so darn easy.

So yesterday was awful. He got bit or stung while asleep in his crate (which freaks me out since it means we have something in the hosue that he's allergic to). His face swelled up and his eyes shut. He had lumps appear all over. We made the awful discovery that our vet's office doesn't have after hour docs on call! I thought we were going to lose him. But we found another vet in the phone book and she talked to us at 6am and then met DH in the office. So he got a shot of steroids and is on benadryl. Thank goodness for this other vet.

I'm still struggling to decide if we should switch offices. We love our current vet and have used them for the past ten years, but we've never had an emergency after hours. DH said the vet that he went to yesterday was wonderful, but the office looked as if it was set up for large animals more than small. I guess we can keep her for an emergency but stick with our other one the rest of the time.

I do plan on writing a letter to our current office letting them know how upsetting it was to have an emergency and no way of contacting them. Boomer could have died.

Oh my gosh, I can't believe I just spilled all that out

I am glad this is a happy ending.

Another dog lover here. Our current is Belle, 9 years, was rescued by us 1 1/2 yeas ago. She is an English Bred Black Lab, who walks behind me like Mary's Little Lamb. This is wonderful, since I have difficulty walking, and walk slow. We adopted her a week after our previous Black lab, Emma, passed. I never thought I could find a CALM black lab, but I fervently hoped for one more Black Lab in my life, and we found her. Thank you Ohio Labrador Rescue in Vandalia!

 

[Kirbo]

Thank god Boomer is OK! That must have been so worrying for you. Poor thing. Hopefully he will be back to his normal self soon!

Thank you. His hives seem to be coming back, but not the facial swelling (which was affecting his breathing). But he's doing really well and his next dose of benadryl is due in 15 minutes.

DS just told me that a kid in his class and her family is also on this cruise! I wonder if they'll join the DIS??? Really nice family. The girl is in third grade and her brother (who also shares the same name as DS) is in kindergarten. Very sweet kids.

That is so cool! What a small world. What would have been really funny is if you only learned of it when you saw them on the boat!

I am glad this is a happy ending.

Another dog lover here. Our current is Belle, 9 years, was rescued by us 1 1/2 yeas ago. She is an English Bred Black Lab, who walks behind me like Mary's Little Lamb. This is wonderful, since I have difficulty walking, and walk slow. We adopted her a week after our previous Black lab, Emma, passed. I never thought I could find a CALM black lab, but I fervently hoped for one more Black Lab in my life, and we found her. Thank you Ohio Labrador Rescue in Vandalia!

Black labs are such fantastic family dogs . How wonderful that you found her at such a needed time. Sounds like the perfect fit.

I must say, all of the dogs I've owned in my life have been rescues, so getting a dog from a breeder was pretty foreign to me and I did feel guilty about it. I've gotten over the guilt as I'm so in love with this little beast . I'm sure we'll have other rescues in our lives as well.

 

[sumeto]

Regarding Post#487
SUMETO (Country Inn & Suites By Carlson) Houston IAH area

 

[kris3kid]

We are staying at the Marriott at George bush, IAH I think.

 

[MandyGirl]

DS just told me that a kid in his class and her family is also on this cruise! I wonder if they'll join the DIS??? Really nice family. The girl is in third grade and her brother (who also shares the same name as DS) is in kindergarten. Very sweet kids.

Very cool!! Definitely a small world
The DCL CM I just got off the phone with for a client's reservation is watching our cruise and hoping to join for her birthday!

Thank you. His hives seem to be coming back, but not the facial swelling (which was affecting his breathing). But he's doing really well and his next dose of benadryl is due in 15 minutes.

Isn't it crazy the meds our pets can also take! We gave our's benadryl as well.

Regarding Post#487
SUMETO (Country Inn & Suites By Carlson) Houston IAH area

Got it

We are staying at the Marriott at George bush, IAH I think.

Got it