10-14-2006 Cruisetoberfest IV

[WDWCrazzyCunninghams]

CONGRATS PLUTO!

Yesterday, the boys didn't tell me that the news crew was there video taping the first day if school. One of the neighbor boys came over and said he and Connor were on the TV. So, I DVR'd the nightly news and then took this photo off the TV. This is like the 4th or 5th time our famiiy has been on the news. We just always seem to be at the right place at the right time.

 

[jeanniec]

Hooray, twins!! No hurricane for you!! I also have the same computer setup as Ave and Jeanne -- quite basic (the TV-like thing on the desk, the box under the table, etc.). If I could only figure out how to reverse the logo for Cruisetoberfest T-shirts, I would be happy with my simple setup and limited knowledge of all things related to computers except for surfing the net and email.

Sharon -- Haven't heard from you for a long time. Are you lurking or busy or ?? Still cruising with us? Thanks again for your help with our T-shirts last year. It was so much appreciated!

Had the moving sale at my mom's house today. Yesterday (as a result of the house inspection), I was so delighted (NOT!) to find out that we had to replace the furnace. Just a few thousand more dollars to spend before we close on Wednesday. I have practically had the house rebuilt and redecorated inside and out since May. I think I'm at about $15,000 in repairs, etc. Her house has been my major focus in life (isn't that sad) for months, and I can't imagine having some time to work on my own house and life.

Sam's job was eliminated by the hospital Thursday. He had a meeting with his boss that afternoon and was told that "This is your last day. Your position has been eliminated. Turn in your ID and keys at the end of the day". They forgot to say anything like "Thanks for your 16 years of loyal service". Of course, that is the American way of life these days, and Sam's job was just a part-time retirement job, but he still loved it. It's a shame that he never got to say good bye to all the people that he knew. So now, he wil be home with me everyday. That is a terrifying thought! Maybe I need to go back to work part-time which I have been thinking about for a while anyway. I have lots of projects for him to work on, and he will really wish that he was back at the hospital. First job is the green pool that I have been neglecting while working on my mother's house. What fun!

 

[Viking]

I have an interactive whiteboard in my classroom. It's connected to my PC and a data projector. At it's most basic level I project powerpoint lessons onto the screen and move text /diagrams around. We can also write/annotate over word documents and print them off. I take photos of the specimens pupils are looking at down the microscope and label them, play education games etc. Put it this way it is being upgraded this week and I have been totally lost without it!
Wendy

Wow,
that's what I call a HiTec-Classroom. Is this a private school or a public one?

 

[Viking]

That sounds horrible, Jeanne Even though I work for an American company such an attitude would be unthinkable over here. Quite contrarily my company honours long-time employees. I just received a $600-bonus for my 10-year anniversary in March, went to lunch with my manager, and had tea with our CEO. When someone retires there's usually a party.
We also had to fire people, but those people were caught stealing or made mistakes that cost a lot of money. When someone's position is eliminated, we always try to find another job for him/her within the company.
But I also know that in our American headquarters people are often fired on short notice - it's a cultural issue, I guess. But too be honest: I prefer our way Nevertheless with 5 million unemployed right now in Germany, it seems to be necessary to make it easier for employers to fire people, to make them hire new employees. Nowadays many employers are reluctant to hire, because it is so difficult to get rid of them again. As it seems to be more or less a certainty that our conservatives will win the upcoming elections,, those laws gainst firing will surely be changed - at least for people getting new jobs.
But it sounds like you won't have a problem keeping Sam busy

 

[usetheforceluke]

Sam's job was eliminated by the hospital Thursday

Having been 'down-sized' a number of times I can sympathize. The first time it happened, I had no clue whatsoever what was about to transpire or I would have been better prepared. The other times I was able to pick up on the warning signals and had a fair idea that it was going to happen, but I just didn't know when. At one point in my career, I worked for a Large American credit card company who would routinely off large sections of their staff on Fridays or call everyone in on Saturday and do group down-sizes. You'd have to go up and get your documents when your name was called and then you got to be escorted to the door with your personal stuff flanked by two beefy security staff. On Mondays the survivors would come in to all of these blank desks/cubes and sort of sit around wondering when they would be next. After I got the bullet, within a year they out-sourced the entire department; 150 staff gone.

I like my current boss though. He lets me nap in the afternoon, I can drink coffee at my desk, and he really doesn't care what I wear (don't wear) to work, although I'm a lot more careful with hot coffee now.

The funny part is I'm so busy now with what I'm doing I couldn't conceive going back to working for someone else.

I want to go to WDW for my birthday I can look into it.

It's really surprising how quick she can move when she wants to. She had it entirely booked and paid for (using my card) in, like, 15 minutes. She's in a real snit, though... she only has seven days to decide where she wants to have her Birthday Supper before making the Advanced Dining Reservations. I don't think it's enough time.

Watching Hurricane Katrina.

(I read every day, and I've tried posting a couple of times but my computer has gone back to chewing up postings so that's why I don't contribute a lot.)

Jim.

 

[wendym]

Love the video! So sorry about Sam's job.
My classroom is a real contrast - hi-tec in some ways but very low-tec in others. Still has 3 sets of straight desks and only 1 functional sink - not good for practical work. It is a private school - only job going at the time but we are really lucky in Aberdeen in that most of our schools whether public or private are good. I did quite a lot of grovelling to get the board but I am the only one willing to put in the time to learn how to use. The first time my boss had to use my room to teach in he used marker pens all over the board - the class warned him what my reaction would be!

 

[Viking]

Wendy,
that happened to me numerous times: Some jerk left permanent markers on the desk, which I then used unsuspecting on the whiteboard when giving first-aid-lessons. Then I took the swipe to clear the board and nothing happened Fortunately we always have disinfectant with lots of alcohol in it, which is quite good for cleaning the board again.
Nevertheless for the participants in the course it always was fun

 

[padisneyfan]

Ave--- I got the books thanks so much. I'm finishing up Kathy Reichs "Crossing Bones" and then I will start on Honeymoon. I'm glad to hear that Katrina is not coming your way. It looks like a very dangerous hurricane.

I'll have to check on cruise critic where some of the ships are being diverted to that would be docking in New Orleans. From the size of the storm, I would think that no ships are going into the gulf at this time.

Jean-- Sorry to hear about Sam's job. Just one more thing that you have to deal with along with selling your mom's house. It sounds like you have done a lot of extensive renovations to her propery. I hope you are able to get your investment back.

Fiona or Jim-- When are you going to WDW in Dec. You will love that time of year. Where you able to get an AP rate. I needed just 1 night before going to OKW so could get an AAA rate at CBR. The rate was very good so for 1 night it works for me. Depending when you are going Pop Warner football is there and they stay at the all star resorts.

We are fininished moving for the semester. Since DS#1 is coming back and now have all this extra stuff thrown in the workshop room downstairs. We refused to bring back the old sofa, love seat and chair. That can go in the trash. But everything else made it way back to my house. I am going to have to go down there and move stuff around since you can't even get out the door.

It was long day yesterday as we took the rest of DS#2 things out to him. What he forgot to mention is that it was moving in day at the college. He lives in an apartment complex off campus which is run by the university so there were a zillion people moving in stuff plus the complex is right by the football field and there was a football game. Thanks heavens we didn't have that much stuff to move in since everything was mostly there from last year. We went to Wal Mart next, Wal Mart is bad enough on Saturday without having every college student and their parents shopping for food. We were glad to get on the road again to get back home. That is the first time we have had to experience the moving in process with everyone else since he was a freshman. Thanks heavens it is the last year.

Time to go make lunch.

Nancy

 

[Viking]

I just checked out numerous websites about the situation in New Orleans: That one looks really scary!! And this storm looks like it may even be a problem for our friends in Tennessee as the NOAA predicts that it will keep a lot of its strength during its way across the continent.

 

[WDWCrazzyCunninghams]

we are going to get it here on Tuesday and Wednesday. We just had a day of heavy rains Friday! More rain means we'll have flooding! The ground is already saturated. Stay safe everyone!

 

[cdnmickeylover]

The predictions for Katrina are horrible. Hope it won't be as bad as they predict it might be.

Nancy - we are going Dec 3-8 (my birthday is the 7th) and we will be staying at Pop -- got it for $59/night which isn't too bad. Since it's just the two of us we actually like to stay at the value resorts. Jim asked about where I wanted to eat dinner on my birthday -- I jokingly said Victoria and Albert but he said that he's not paying for one meal what the entire hotel stay is!! Haven't told them at work yet but I think it will be ok since I'm not taking 2 weeks in October and it's my birthday. We are coming home on a Thursday so that I can work on the Friday and the weekend if need be. I've never been in December so am really looking forward to it.

DS is home for good now. 10 seconds in the door the attitude started but then realized he had to sing a different tune since my mother is out tonight and he wanted a car. We went out for dinner and he actually paid 1/2. He got a promotion to corporal which is a pay raise too. Actually he was on an exercise for the past two weeks and there was a company (?) of American reservists there just back from Iraq. They still had to do their two week summer training course so came up to this exercise. Sounds like he had an ok time and now it's back to school.

Take care everyone.

Fiona

 

[BigRed1]

I just checked out numerous websites about the situation in New Orleans: That one looks really scary!! And this storm looks like it may even be a problem for our friends in Tennessee as the NOAA predicts that it will keep a lot of its strength during its way across the continent.

The weather service won't call it an Inland Tropical Storm Watch, but we are being told to prepare for tropical storm force winds and severe weather. Now i'm not a meteorologist, but.. ... We have put away all of our lawn furniture and things of that nature. We'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Viking]

We keep our fingers crossed for everyone in Katrina's path. We'll watch the coverage of the storm on TV tonight, we even have some special features after the evening news, which will postpone tonight's movies.

 

[wendym]

We'll be thinking of all of you - please keep safe.
Fiona - Dec is a great time to go and that is a good price to get Pop for - you could always argue that what you are saving by staying there would pay for Victoria and Albert's!
Wendy

 

[WDWCrazzyCunninghams]

Well, another day of rain here. NOT good! The rain came so hard and so fast that the interstate was probably 3" deep with water. I hydroplaned twice in my big SUV with full time All Wheel Drive. Once the car next to me threw up a rooster tail so big it covered my windshield, leaving my blinded, and then I started to drift. The second time, I hit a puddle and it rooster tailed up over the front of my truck! Of course, both times I was in the outside lane up against a wall. Needless to say, I am happy to be home safe and sound. We have friends that just moved to Baton Rouge a few months ago. I talked to another mutual friend and he said that he thought they were going to try and drive back home to WV. I have tried to call the cell phone and the house phone, but the lines are all out. The rain we got today has nothing to do with the Hurricane. We are to get MORE rain from it starting tomorrow and all day Wednesday. I have the feeling the flood warnings/watches will go into effect sometime today and school will be either delayed/canceled or let out early in the next few days. We are in the hills of WV and where there are hills there are valleys and when there is rain, there is flooding! Everyone stay safe!

 

[Viking]

Michele,
you fell for one of the most common misconceptions:All wheel drive has NO advantages when it comes to hydroplaning, it doesn't matter wether your car is rear, front or all wheel driven. It's just a matter of the amount of water on the road, your tyres' profile, and your speed. As a repeat participant of driver's perfection courses with ADAC (German equivalent to AAA) and instructor for our ambulance drivers I even tested this on the skidpad with numerous different vehicles.
This is BTW one of the reasons why SUV are more often involved in certain types of accidents: The drivers overrate their vehicles abilities. 4WD accelerates better than 2WD due to less wheel-spin/better power-distribution, but when it comes to cornering, braking, or hydroplaning unfortunately the same laws of physics apply to all types of vehicles.
When an Autobahn or highway is covered with water there is only one way to arrive safely: Drive as slow as you think it is safe - and then slow down another 10mph
I often drive at speeds in excess of 125mph on a dry road, but when it's raining I never exceed 80mph.

 

[Viking]

Talking about the wetaher, guess what: Our convertible is in the shop and we have blue skies and temps in the high 80ies, but we drive friggin' microvan as a rental. OK, it has a/c, but it's a tincan

Today I made reservations for our vacation after the next vacation
I talked to our TA for Thailand (It's an agency specailizing on Asia) and he informed me that the flights for April are filling up pretty fast. So I made a reservation for the flight leaving Frankfurt for Bangkok on 03/31 and returning from Phuket to Frankfurt on 04/15. So far everything is free, we won't have to pay for anything before October/November when we finalize our plans by booking our hotels for the stay: Three nights in Bangkok and 11 nights on the island of Phuket.

 

[Viking]

We're watching 'Heffalump' right now: That is one cute movie

 

[Viking]

Michele,
today I was presented with a couple of Surprise Eggs by a coworker, because I did her a little favour. That reminded me of your wish to get some of those. Still interested? I'm asking because we're leaving for the States in slightly more than four weeks and and now start shopping for things to bring to America. I would take them to Boston and mail them from there.
Right now we have a special edition of Surprise Eggs with little figurines of Spongebob Squarepants and his friends. The odds are one in seven, that you find one of those. So
A) let me know how many you want and
B) please send me your snail mail address

OK
We call it a day. Won't be online tomorrow night as Anja does the lateshift again and so I will spend the evening with Gramps, but will check the thread during breakfast and lunch breaks

 

[wendym]

Eric - congratulations on the new vacation to look forward to!
I've just purchased a Dell Inspiron 6000 - thanks for everybody's advice.
Wendy