09/28/2002 Cruise

[papa]

Cathy received them both just fine. They have a bed bath and beyond store in the opry mills shopping center about 2 miles from the house. I will give it a try there. Have to get dinner started in a few so that Kathy will have something to eat before she goes to work. A retired man that runs the house has something to do all the time

Picked up a nice ham to fix for easter and as you know previous octoberfest cruisers, I don't miss many meals Mike

 

[power_alaska]

GoofyNut

Cathy - Got logos but second one was fragmented. Understand that Alabama has sent you a response. She indicated that it looked like a pretty simple effort. She may be home in late April, she could work on it then ... She is pretty good at that stuff.
Me ... I just pay the bills and try to keep her in a manner to which she likes to be accustomed ~~~ that way she won't bug me when I want to go off flyfishing and/or golfing ~ most all the time if I am not feeding my workaholic tendencies.

Anticipating trip to Alaska within the month so I should be able to pick up some pins for the lanyards ~ how many is enough?

Health, Happiness & God's Blessings ... My birthday gift to all!!!

 

[Twinave]

Been reading the boards almost everyday. Getting a feel for what our cruise will be like. I'm so glad DTS (darling twin sister) has clued me into this wonderful place. The logo t-shirts sound great, so do the name tags. I'm sorry but I haven't been able to keep up with all the names/screen names. It is not as easy when you have never met the person before. But I'm hanging in there. After all, the trip is still 5 months away. I have a few questions if someone could help me with please. At Castaway Cay is the food served included in the price of the cruise or is it extra? What is everyone opinion of the spa? Is it worth the price? I was thinking of doing a manicure and pedicure for myself and DD (12). But I'm thinking it my be wiser and a whole lot less expensive to have that "special treat" done right before we leave. More money for hair braiding.
I spent 10 days in Key West Oct 98. The beaches stink! But the underwater stuff is great. My SIL and I spent about 2 hours in the old cemetary. Very interesting Mallory Square is a must at sunset. Very wierd little "shows" going on.The "Silver Man" was my daughters favorit. Some real terrible acts too, but you can always just walk away. Thanks for listening, Ave inkbounc

 

[papa]

Food service is included at castaway cay. The crew from the ship are the local inhabitants. The take the food off the ship fix it and then load everything back onboard when we sail. Mike

 

[RellingTwin]

TwinAve...also, no one under 18 allowed in the spa. Get your manicure/pedicure before going.

186 days to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[papa]

185 now Mary

 

[@GoofyNut]

TwinAve ... Don't worry we will be easy to spot ... just follow the noise! We'll be the group having the most fun. You'll think I'm nuts but I have a planner type binder that I have made up cards for each DIS family ... I put little notes in like what their dog ate (haha) what their kids are like, etc ... then as I read the boards I keep putting in more notes ... that way It's easier to keep track of each other. I know I'm anal!!!But it's been a lot of fun and every once in a while I catch my DH paging thru. By the way are you and your sister identical --- If so I know what you look like from Mary!!!!!

I don't know if it is possible but every day I seem to get more and more excited about this trip. I can remember from last yar and it was just the best ... even DH now admits to that.

Last night I was trying to get on the boards and do a post when the skys opened up and POOF lightning again. Didn't want to press my luck cause my neighbor lost her modem in the last fiasco.

Mike - any luck with the back massage pad? Art was on mine when I got home last night. I guess if AshLee could figure it out with her paws she'd probably be using it too!

Alaska ... Yes I did hear from the little woman. By the Way my husband wants to know what a guy from Alaska is doing with our group? Hey you gotta get some sun and fun sometime!

Check back latter...

 

[Twinave]

Papa: Thanks for the info. I guess you can charge drinks and shopping to your ship account as well.
Goofynut: I'm the same way about taking notes! And I love to plan,plan,plan. DH caught DD and I perusing the menus from previous cruises and just rolled his eyes.
Mary: Thanks for letting me know about the age limit at the spa. It will save me a bunch of money.
Goofynut: Here are some facts for your cards. Like my sis I am a nurse, hubby Mark operates heavy equipment for a company that sells steel. DD age 11 is named Mary after someone you may know. DS is 4 y/o, his name is Casey. We live in Panama City Beach FL. We have made at least one trip per year to Disney World since our honeymoon 13 years ago. Mark, Mary, and Casey will all be celebrating birthdays the last weeks of Sept. Sister Mary's DH will also have a birthday at the end of Sept. And what better way of spending it!!
We have a 5 y/o golden retriever named Sandy, and a 6 y/o cat named Nala. (As in Lion King, of course). This is the first time we have ever been on a cruise so I'm thankful for any and all info I can get. Thanks again, Ave

 

[papa]

Correct Ave.
When you check in at the port if you are doing cruise only, they give you a key to the world card. This is like a credit card that you use on the ship for mixed drinks, cokes(sodas or pop to you yankees),pictures and such. It also serves as your room key and the first one that is used in the room safe is the only one that will open it. One word of caution do not give the kids charging privilages on their cards or it is look out arcade here we come.

Mixed drinks are put on the card. Another caution the tip is already included for anything that comes from the bar. Cokes are free at lunch if you eat in the dining rooms. If you eat topside you have to pay for them.

We had a golden, but had to put him down several years ago due to cancer. Oh well with all these other animals I am like noah. Mike

 

[power_alaska]

Twinave ~ "Virgin Cruiser"? You are in for a special treat. Have done several of the "other" lines - Disney does it right!!! Only thing I miss occasionally is a casino - Talk about saving $$$!!! If you do others after Disney, you will wonder about stepping down.

GoofyNut ~ What's wrong with being from Alaska and being in the group? - You have Texans!!! JOKE!!! My in-laws are Texans!
They have trouble with the fact their #1 daughter married a Yankee. Can you imagine the social faux pas of it all?

Actually, I ended up getting "into" Disney when, between attending Disney University and Floatplane School, I took a two hour tour of DVC at OKW. Bought in and never looked back!!!

About the fun & sun, when in Alaska, my job REQUIRES me to travel to Hawaii ~ Life treats me SOOOOOOOOO unfairly!!!!

Off to WV, will drop by to check on happenings in a week or so.

HH&GB to all

 

[GoofyDisney]

What do you get when you cross a Texas Blonde with a New York Italian.....a beautiful little Italian girl with a southern accent!!!!
Won't my in-laws be shocked when someday we have a blonde haired blue eyed Italian boy named antonio!!!!

 

[GoofyDisney]

So, my best friends are on thier cruise this week and called us from St. Thomas. They are having an AMAZING time! They have had Zeta in Palos and they love her! My personal fav was Salvatore, and they said hello to him and he remembered us. (We were with my inlaws and dh and inlaws all speak sicilian, and inlaws and Salvatore and Marco are from the town right next to theirs in siciliy and they knew some of the same people. ) He was wonderful to us. He gave us two free bottles of wine, and we spent 2 1/2 hours at dinner. It was awesome! Christophe is still the maitre 'd and we loved him too!

Makes me start thinking about our Sept cruise. What to pack, what to leave at home, how many times to go to Palos, etc.

I will really start looking at excursions in the summer, but for now, I keep thinking about what to bring and what not to bring. Bought a disposable underwater camera the other day just to get ready.

Anyone ever experienced the Sea Lice thing? The article on the front page was really fascinating.

DD will be old enough for the clubs then.

(FOR POWERALASKA IN A WEEK OR SO) So, Power are you a Bush Pilot? And we LOVE Hawaii! Our first trip to Hawaii was for work. Our second was for pleasure, and our third will be next year for pleasure! We usually saty on Maui, but have done Oahu also. next time we will split between Maui and the big island.

So, we have three nurses in the crowd? Kathy is ICU PostNatal (?), and Mary and Ave, you both are OB nurses???? Our ship will surely be in safe hands! ehhehehe

Goofynut - Okay, maybe you are a little anal, but in a really great way!!! Some of us had folders last time, with our print out from the boards of eveyobody. But writing in it periodically is a smart idea!

Everybody have a great day!!!

 

[@GoofyNut]

OK ... I admit it I am anal at some things. BUT it is fun when someone asks (mainly DH-Art) who has the husband that is the Airport ssistant Fire Chief, Who is the part-time travel agent, who has the dog that just had the paw surgery, who has the twin sister that is going on the cruise with us, which one is the pilot from Alaska, who is the at home DH that makes the great Creme Brule .... you know junk like that ... and I can just go to my card binder and yoila, I have the answers. I keep adding notes right up to Cruise time and even on the Cruise.

By the way .... any of you cooks out there ? What kind of glaze do you use when you cook your Easter Ham? I saw a good one a few years ago on Martha S ... 1 pound of brown sugar and 1 can of cola, with the usual pineapple. Wondering if there may be a better one out there.

Mike ... thought of you last night, they had a recipe for Banana Brule. Have you made any lately. Can't wait for the one from the ship ... let them burn the house down doing the glaze!!!

Really nice and sunny today ... hope it stays for the Bunny this weekend. HAVE A NICE EASTER EVERYBUNNY

Alaska ... Just wondering if you are flying in from Alaska for the cruise ... are you picking up any of the DIS group on your way down!

Check back later......

 

[GoofyDisney]

TIMEOUT! Someone makes great Creme brule??????? Yummy!!!!! Mike is this you? May have to stop in nashville on our way down to Florida in April. P.S. Bro and SIL are still loving their bibs. Thanks!

Goofynut - how is your community this week. Such a tragic thing to happen to you guys. Sorry to hear about it.

Is eveyone else on Spring Break this week?

 

[peagreenid]

You two are entirely too too goofy.......and I guess I'm entirely too blonde. I was reading your posts.......and I'm thinking.....WOW. There is someone else going on this cruise whose DH is an Asst. Fire Chief.........LOL. Then I realized you must have been talking about me....LOL.

We had a major tragedy in our communty a few days ago also....
Micron has a plant in Italy. They have transported people from our community to work over there. They just announced that A truck crossed a road and hit a van, Killing almost the entire family. The father and 2 sons of one family, a daughter (cousin) of them and the grandmother of all of the kids. Both of the Moms of the children lived (they are sisters) but are in serious condition.
They are frantically trying to get family members passports to get them over there. How devastating, 3 separate families, yet all intertwined, it will certainly make it difficult for all surviving members.

well got to scoot............
smiles Patty

 

[papa]

Karen, Kathy is a neonatal ICU nurse, She has worked in the city owned hospital for 18 years. All of them in the NICU. Had to quit making the creme brulee, cardiologist had a scowl on his face the last time I saw him We are having catfish nuggets, french fries, fried okra and hushpuppies tonight though

Cathy for the glaze on my ham I use honey and brown sugar along with the pineapple rings. Stick whole cloves in the outside of the ham while it is cooking. Mike

 

[@GoofyNut]

Peagreenid ... Well at least I know my threads get read LOL. By the way my DH & I are retired from Volunteer Fire Service after 25+ years. He was Chief and I was President and we were both EMTs.

I heard that about the accident in Italy ... why is it that these things seems to really hit home more around the holidays. How awful for the families being so far away and you know it's going to take a long flight to get them over to Italy too. Not to mention that there has been terroristic threats against Americans in quite a few of the cities in Italy.

The brother and sister that were killed in the car accident are having a "viewing" on Easter Sunday afternoon. They were the only children of the family and that just seems to make it even worse. The brother and the other boy that was killed have been friends since childhood and on the golf team together. The sister was a freshman cheerleader. The accident was only a little more than 1 mile from the High School.

Well let's just say a prayer for all that had tragedy in their lives in the last year ... 9-ll and everyone else.

Hope the "bunny" leaves what you want in your baskets this Easter. Not just those darm black jelly beans that he leaves in my yard for my DD AshLee to roll in .... wait, maybe they aren't jelly beans after all!

Well gotta go .... the stuff on my desk isn't doing itself!

 

[papa]

Have a nice day tomorrow Cathy and don't work too hard. How is Art doing with his router? I bet the easter bunny will not be able to get to your house for all of the wood shavings.

Karen we are looking forward to meeting you and all the bunch. Mike

 

[@GoofyNut]

Mike ... Just skip one of the fried meals and have the Creme Brule anyway!!! As we speak Art is off for the day and is probably in his "play room" working on finishing a porch glider.

Got Art 2 new bits for his router for Easter and the token big basket of candy. Can't believe it but I got DD AshLee a really big Stuffed Easter Bunny (looks sort of like a bear rug) to lay on. She loves to put her head on or under pillows. I'm telling you, When I die, I want to come back as my dog but preferably living on Castaway Cay!

So far we are having a nice quiet dinner at home Sunday .... if the weather is nice, maybe followed by a nice walk by the lake.

Does Kathy have to work Sunday? Mary, Ave are you working? Holidays are tough on nurses. Ops almost forgot, Peagreenid, does your DH have to work? MAY EVERYBUNNY ON THIS CRUISE BE OFF TO CELEBRATE!

Hope all the Kids (both with skin and fur) get all they want from the Bunny and everyone stays safe.

Take a few minutes to reflect on how lucky we are, and pray for those affected by the tragedies of the last year.

Any word on a parade on TV from WDW?

Check back later ... gotta work

 

[papa]

Cathy, Kathy is off this easter and the whole family is stopping by. Hope that everyone has a nice easter and enjoys their families.

Have to do the flight of the bumblebee thing and get the house straightened up. Thank goodness for hard wood floors. Just vacuum and mop. This house was built in 1953 and hardwood was the cheapest floors back then. Need to have them refinished I guess. Cruise or home improvements, cruise or home improvements. Whats a fellow to do?