10-14-2006 Cruisetoberfest IV

[piglet33]

What a Ride !!!

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/4134055/detail.html

I was just reading this and watching the video. I couldn't even imagine a wave that size!

 

[@GoofyNut]

Kim and Bette ... all I can say is

I bet after that wave there were a lot of flushing toilets!

 

[piglet33]

Where is everyone today?

 

[jeanneg]

My ears were burning, but I thought it was an inner ear infection.

I am all for karaoke with Andy in 2006--he needs to find a song or two for us.

Marianne

I haven't heard a good rendition of "Dancing Queen" lately............

 

[fridayfun]

Just got home from work. Well, first off, Customs philosophy(sp?) on service dogs is very different from most state and local P.D.s whose partners normally live at home with them. They believe that the dog's work is their "play" and should only get to play when at work. So they have their own kennel facilities, built to certain specifications, where the dogs live during their careers. I KNOW someone's going to say, "How mean!", but, even though they don't go home, the facilities, the amount of "play" time they get each day with their partner, then the running around they do in the fenced in break area that is their's, actually affords them more "people" time than some dogs get whose owners are away at work all day. It also makes it possible for us to do the job and not have to get rid of our pets that we already had (couldn't have done that!). As to her impending retirement, I have been eagerly awaiting the time when I could bring her home, until last year. Kiya has decided she really "LIKES" dogs, as in the taste of them. She has started 4 fights and actually bit 2 dogs, no damage, due to quick intervention. So, that just did away with the coming home idea (3 cats, 1 mutt, and 1 retired dog - Chris' old pal from El Paso). So luckily a friend at work has eagerly agreed to bring her to her house, to be her 9 year old's first pet. She is currently house hunting to have a bigger house to contain the both of them! So after being assured I have visitation rights, and that Kiya WILL NOT be an outdoor dog (apparently will be sleeping in her son's bed according to him) and inside when no one is home, I feel she will be living large during her retirement and probably getting large too!

Eric - I agree on the hotel idea. I tried many of times since our cruise to convince Chris of first a Value then a Mod and he will hear none of it. Although I must admit, I get so tired while in WDW that we spend more time at the hotels some days than the parks and the Deluxe sure are nice inside! So, as long as he only wants one vacation a year I guess Deluxe is the way we will go.

Have a great week everyone! Here it reached 32 degrees today! Short sleeves here we come! Denise

 

[fridayfun]

Can't add pictures to my signature so lets try adding them to a post -

Kiya - 8 years old - chocolate lab - docked tail (work injury)

 

[jeanneg]

Marianne and Tracy: I will definitely be in Chicago October 15 through 18 and possibly a day before or after depending on how the courses go. I will have lots of free time since this is one conference that my husband seriously attends. I just had my first visit to Chicago during March of 2004 and loved it! Like NY it's a very pedestrian city and so easy to navigate.

OK, I missed something again......what exactly does Kiya do? I recall meeting Chris and Denise so I know she's not a seeing eye dog!

Eric: about the Poly.....yes, it is very much overpriced and, seeing that we don't spend that much time in the room, not really worth the cost. For us, however, it's a very sentimental thing. Our first trip to WDW was in March of 72 (just a few months after it opened in October'71). John and I were still in college.We took the Amtrak train from NYC and stayed at a fleebag motel on Orange Blossom Trail.......there were giant palmetto bugs all over the place. I cried the whole trip down because I had lied to my parents and felt so guilty about it! We only had enough money to eat one meal a day because we used our money for admission and transportation to the Magic Kingdom. (I think it cost $4.95 to get in and you got a booklet of tickets good for about 7 various attractions) Anyhow, we visited the Polynesian and were completely in awe of what we saw. At that moment we promised ourselves that one day in the far off future we would actually have enough money to stay there. That was our dream and about 15 or so years later we actually attained it when we stayed at a Poly concierge room.......and with 4 extra little people! That was our one goal and at the time it seemed so impossible that today we feel so lucky to have actually achieved it. And THAT is why the Polynesian is so very special to us and we have now promised ourselves that if and when this house ever sells we're gonna do it all again. Sound of violins softly playing in the background........

 

[Hygiene99]

We still can't understand why people are willing to pay so much for a stay at WDW, i.e. Poly or Grand Floridian We usually go to WDW to enjoy the parks as much as possible und use our room only for showering/sleeping/changing. So we're satisfied with a value resort like AllStarMovie. We once stayed at DixieLandings, but although we liked it, we didn't see any extra-value if compared to ASM.
But perhaps it's simply one of the cultural differences between Americans and Germans

Please Let me explain it for you Eric....

It is not Just a place to sleep /shower /Etc...

It Is all about the atmosphere and how the enviroment makes you feel that you Are in ..
For example our favorite resort The Boardwalk..
Themed after yester years or days of old you can almost imagine the Fun others would have had as you stroll the boardwalk in the evening time ..
with somewhat of the carnival atmosphere .. Also location and how you would like to travel to each theme park Boardwalk you may walk less than half mile into epcot, Mgm 1 mile stroll ..

or if you need or want you make take one of the friendships and have a loverly boat ride.. So I guess it is all in what you are looking for We like the whole experience and to be out of your normal routine and lets say away from the real world for a spell....
That is why we pick the enviroment we pick .. Boardwalk $250 per night and up.. We own DVC...

Peter

 

[piglet33]

Denise,

Kiya is a beautiful dog. Wow, customs is very different than regular law enforcement with their K-9 dogs. Do you know anything about who your new partner is going to be? Like how old, if it's a male or female or do you find out when it get closer to training?

 

[fridayfun]

Renee - if I get to go within the next 60 days I will be in one of the first 4 classes of the year. Our canine program has a small labrador breeding program. These first 4 classes will all be breeder dogs, purebred yellow or black labs. After those classes, they will be getting dogs from shelters, and donations of personal dogs. They will also buy a dog from someone, but the seller will only get payed IF the dog passes all tests and is sent out to work. All dogs who do not make it thru training are adopted out to good families. And someone asked earlier - ALL females are spayed, neutering only happens if necessary or if adopted out from the school.

Here is a link to the website if anyone is interested (Kiya is #14 in the Detector dog gallery link on the right!) -
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/border_security/canines/canine_training_history.xml

 

[Zapp1213]

Marianne -

I see that you're from NW of Chicago. Where at? I grew up in Elgin and then lived in Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg and Elk Grove Village. I still have lots of family up there, and we're hoping to get up there again this year for Taste of Chicago. We've haven't been to the Taste since we moved to Florida 7 years ago.

Amy--
I'm in Crystal Lake. I used to work in Schaumburg, but the commute killed me after a year & a half. Now I work in Barrington.

You'll have to give me a call when you come for the Taste. I've never been there.

Marianne

 

[jeanniec]

Denise -- Thanks for the link to the Customs website and pictures of you and Kiya. Very interesting. Glad that Kiya has somewhere to go after retirement. She is a beautiful dog. I must say that you sure look a lot different in uniform than when we saw you on the cruise -- like you really mean business which, of course, you do.

Peter -- You expressed the reason for people staying in Deluxe resorts very well. After going to the parks since 1972, we don't usually spend a lot of time there unless we have our grandson with us which is so much fun. Now that he is old enough (5) to appreciate the parks, it is great to do the intensive park thing with him once a year. We have always enjoyed the deluxe resorts, tho, even when we were doing parks all day long. The atmosphere is just so great and we enjoy the luxury whether we have been at the parks or not. Makes you feel so pampered. Eric -- if you lived here and went to WDW more frequently (like 4 times a year sometimes), you would probably enjoy the deluxe resorts, too.

 

[alikat99]

Amy--
I'm in Crystal Lake. I used to work in Schaumburg, but the commute killed me after a year & a half. Now I work in Barrington.

You'll have to give me a call when you come for the Taste. I've never been there.

Marianne

Oh my gosh, Marianne!! What a small world. My brother still lives in Elgin and my grandmother lives in Carpentersville. My mom went to Barrington High School and my aunt used to work at the Harris Bank in Barrington (I'm sure it's some other big bank now), but now she's lives here in central FL too.

I can't believe that you've never been to the Taste. It's such a great time. I just love all the food, concerts, etc. However, you can't be afraid of large crowds, because it can get crazy down there. But, it is a lot of fun!!!

 

[WDWCrazzyCunninghams]

Denise, Kiya is beautiful and our dream dog! We are looking into Labs and Labradoodles...although they can get a bit pricey! I wish her well in her new home.

 

[Hygiene99]

Peter -- You expressed the reason for people staying in Deluxe resorts very well.
Eric -- if you lived here and went to WDW more frequently (like 4 times a year sometimes), you would probably enjoy the deluxe resorts, too.

Yea.. 4 time a year sound about right ...

we like to pamper ourselves..

We have stayyed at the allstars just not our cup of tea..

 

[Zapp1213]

Oh my gosh, Marianne!! What a small world. My brother still lives in Elgin and my grandmother lives in Carpentersville. My mom went to Barrington High School and my aunt used to work at the Harris Bank in Barrington (I'm sure it's some other big bank now), but now she's lives here in central FL too.

I can't believe that you've never been to the Taste. It's such a great time. I just love all the food, concerts, etc. However, you can't be afraid of large crowds, because it can get crazy down there. But, it is a lot of fun!!!

Actually, Amy, the Harris Bank on Rt 14 is still Harris Bank, believe it or not.

Yeah, I have never been to the taste. "Fear of large crowds" is probably the reason. My husband never liked crowds & over the course of 16 years, I just got used to not going to those types of events because of that. However, now that he's no longer in the picture--I don't know if I'd venture out or not. I'll have to think about that one.

Marianne

 

[Zapp1213]

I haven't heard a good rendition of "Dancing Queen" lately............

An interesting thought...

 

[winotracy]

Marianne, I know what you mean about crowds. I don't lke them either, but you just got to pick and choose which ones are worth it. Every few years we go to the Rhythm and Booms near July 4. Draws over 250,000. But it is really worth it once in a while. Other events are just so so and it's not worth battling the crowds!

 

[Zapp1213]

I can't believe it!!!!!

 

[Zapp1213]

Number 1,600!!!!!