10/24/2009 Bash On the Boat (I'm with B.O.B.) - Thread #26

[GOS]

Good morning peeps.

Stooopid busy day yesterday but today is a little easier. I still have to sort out bits and pieces for Neils 40th on Saturday, then our weekend away the following Sat, then my birthday, Ellis back to school (and me!), then Ellis' birthday, then Mom's birthday, then then after that its all cruise cruise cruise!

Now I have the cases down I'm itching to get packing properly
So far I have a big bag full of stuff, but I want to get it packed properly... the time passes quicker when you pack early!

Anyone else owning up to have started packing yet?

I won't think about packing till after Bank Holiday. Rick's parents are staying with us that weekend and we have to clear the bedroom.

 

[millerpjm]

I just booked a hotel room for the night before our Flight on the 22nd.

Our flight is out at 6:05 a.m. and we don't like waking up at 2 a.m. to make the drive to Sacramento to catch the flight. So, I've found that the pre-flight hotel in Sac is a good deal.

I did something that I've never done before though. I got a Park, Sleep, Fly deal. The Hotel will let us park our car for the duration of our vacation for a small fee that is rolled into our nights stay. Since parking at the airport would cost me $90 I figure that this may be more convienent. I don't figure that I have saved any money. But convienence is worth a lot. Their Shuttle runs 24 hrs with a 24 hr notice so we should have no problem getting to the airport. There was a reviewer who had difficutly with the shuttle service of the Hotel, but the Hotel made it good by paying the cab fare to the airport for the family. That's service.

We do that when we fly out of O'Hare. We got a great deal at the Renaisance when we went to Mexico with AFEG. It was like $99 for the night when it usually is $179. Plus we could keep the car there up to 14 nights - IN CHICAGO.

Did you go through www.parksleepfly.com or just randomly find a hotel?

We did this last Christmas - got an $86 room in Chicago with 10 days parking (only needed 8) and the hotel had an airport shuttle. I might pick a different hotel next time, but overall it's a great deal. I couldn't have parked at OHare for that amount.

 

[millerpjm]

It's so quiet here today!!!

I've been so distracted today... can't seem to get any real work done (it's all cruise, all the time.)

I do want to share something funny my dh said to me yesterday. As most of you know, I've been begging for a cruise for 15 years. Dave told me that there would be no more for quite a while. Well, yesterday, when I was ordering my Fish Extender from ebay, I asked his opinion on a Halloween themed one. He said "No - get this other one... in case we go on another cruise and it's not around Halloween time).

Woo hoo!! There is hope yet!!!

That's good news!!!

BTW...I copied you - I got Ohana90 to make me a sign too!

 

[cntkg1]

Here's the latest on my "I need to sell my Truck" saga.

I'm not sure that I have told the whole thing so here goes the whole story:

As many of you know Laura's grandmother died a short time ago. She had been sick for a long time and had not driven her PT Cruiser in over 2 years. (Laura's dad kept it up while she was sick) Well, I've been thinking for a long time that I would like to buy it. It is 2005 and only has 11,000 miles on it. The whole thing looks like the day it was driven off the lot and that's no exaggeration. Well, after she died, Laura's parents offered it to us again. High Blue Book was $8000 on it and that's what we agreed upon.
Our original plans for a new car were that once my F250 was paid off, we would buy a FULLY loaded mini-van for Laura. But the way the economy is going and with gas prices fluctuation so much, we decided that a more economical car would be in our better interest. The PT Cruiser was perfect.
Well, taking on another car payment, means that I need to pay off the F250. I only have $3100 left to pay and I figured that I'd easily be able to sell the Laura's Explorer for that once I got it cleaned up a bit. The Explorer is a 2000 year and has less than 100,000 miles on it. It was fully loaded when we bought it and it looks great for having raised two kids from infant to school age in it. But when I took it from Laura (I don't drive it much) I noticed that it was running a bit roughly. I knew instantly it would not pass smog. So, it went into the repair shop. $600 later it roars out of the dealership as if it were new. So now I think, I have to sell the think for at least $3700 now. But once I cleaned the carpets, leather and buffed out all the various scratches and marks I began to realize that the cleaner I made it the more that cracked console cover stood out. It took me $200 to order a new one. Now I need $3900. Grrrr! It passes it's smog with only a small glitch (burned out check engine light) and I'm out another $100. $4000 is what I need now.
I proudly display a FOR SALE sign on it with a price of $4950. A very fair price. Low Blue Book is $4500 and High is $7000. It really is in High blue book territory but only dealerships can demand that kind of money and get it for a 9 year old car. So the Explorer is only on the street for 1 day and I suddenly notice a small puddle under a vehicle that heretofore has NEVER dripped in the 8 years I have owned it. DOGGONE IT! Someone offers me $4000 for it "AS IS" and I decided I'll take that before anything else goes wrong. But then they call me back the next day and want me to repair the leak THEN they'll pay me $4000 for it. No friggin' way! I know that it'll cost between $300 and $400 to fix that and that means that I'll be giving the thing away!
So I put it in the shop today. Cracked Radiator. Can you flippin' believe it? $650. And as an added bonus, the Battery is not holding a charge very well. add at least another $50 Now I need $4700 to break even on this truck. If I could afford it, I'd keep it. But what am I going to do with another car? Oh well. I'll be putting it back on the Market and I think that I'll be asking $5250 so that I can be chewed down to $4700. I may take it to CarMax and see what they'll offer me.

Good luck with all that Steve.

Don't you just love the "money pit" that older cars are? We dropped $2,500 into the Bravada the other month, but there we plan on driving it for another 3+ years. Just hate dropping that kinda cash in a vehicle.

We own three of them. One is in the shop as we speak. It'll need a new alternator, battery and struts.

Good morning peeps.

Anyone else owning up to have started packing yet?

Ummmm, maybe.

 

[JOANNEL]

Joanne, I saw Destin and the surrounding areas on the news tonight. Scary stuff huh?

Stay safe kiddo.

Thanks, This one was not bad at all, one of the condos where i work was hit by lightning, so their phones & internet are out. The beaches lost some sand, but this was minor so I hope they all are like that this summer.

 

[JOANNEL]

I won't think about packing till after Bank Holiday. Rick's parents are staying with us that weekend and we have to clear the bedroom.

HAvn't even thought about it. DS # 2 wants to go to WDW for his 21st birthdsy so he can drink around the world at Epcot in the Wine & food Festival. So I need to plan that one first. Sept 25-26-27! I am hoping to get beach club so we can walk to Epcot. I will call today and see what's open.

 

[JLDSMD]

No no no. No H word talk.

Dave, Bev and the kids (from the KK1) are on that this week. Hope they're OK.

They'll cruise away from the storms, like we did on the Repo. I just think it stinks that you pay the extra money to get on the Tortola cruise (those did seem to price at a premium from the get go) only to sail a Western.

 

[millerpjm]

Anyone else owning up to have started packing yet?

I am gathering stuff together, but nothing in suitcases yet.

However, I do have a 4 column packing list written out - usually half my packing is done ahead of time in my head/on paper, then I just get it all in to the bags a couple weeks ahead of time.

 

[JLDSMD]

HAvn't even thought about it. DS # 2 wants to go to WDW for his 21st birthdsy so he can drink around the world at Epcot in the Wine & food Festival. So I need to plan that one first. Sept 25-26-27! I am hoping to get beach club so we can walk to Epcot. I will call today and see what's open.

I want a vacation in WDW too. Can I go?

Funny story, DS is out of camp after Wed and I'm home with him until school starts next week Wed. DW asks what he'd like to do in Milwaukee this Friday and his reply, "go to the airport, that's in Milwaukee, right, and get on a plane to FL and go to WDW for a long weekend".

Gotta love kids. If it were only that easy.

 

[millerpjm]

Good morning alll....

Well, Thomas is starting soccer again - he has his first practice today, and the last game will be exactly 1 week before we cruise!

 

[JOANNEL]

I want a vacation in WDW too. Can I go?

Funny story, DS is out of camp after Wed and I'm home with him until school starts next week Wed. DW asks what he'd like to do in Milwaukee this Friday and his reply, "go to the airport, that's in Milwaukee, right, and get on a plane to FL and go to WDW for a long weekend".

Gotta love kids. If it were only that easy.

I guess we raised them right!! It's a little easier from here. Only a 6 1/2 hour ride!

 

[JOANNEL]

Good morning alll....

Well, Thomas is starting soccer again - he has his first practice today, and the last game will be exactly 1 week before we cruise!

Have fun, I miss those days!

 

[millerpjm]

I want a vacation in WDW too. Can I go?

Funny story, DS is out of camp after Wed and I'm home with him until school starts next week Wed. DW asks what he'd like to do in Milwaukee this Friday and his reply, "go to the airport, that's in Milwaukee, right, and get on a plane to FL and go to WDW for a long weekend".

Gotta love kids. If it were only that easy.

I guess we raised them right!! It's a little easier from here. Only a 6 1/2 hour ride!

My DS must be deprived then....we haven't taken him to WDW yet!

Although DS has asked the same thing about DL and Door County.

We've been thinking about a big trip to WDW in 2011, but I'm wondering if the deals will keep coming from Disney so we'd be able to do it next year instead. Is it wrong to not want the economy to bounce back too quickly??

 

[millerpjm]

Have fun, I miss those days!

Thanks! I've enjoyed each age and stage, and school-age is no exception. I love going to the soccer games, school programs, etc. I'll be registering him for school this Thursday, and school starts Spetember 1st. He's also anxious to sign up for Cub Scouts!

 

[millerpjm]

Ok, I suppose I'd better go do some work now....see y'all later!

 

[GOS]

They'll cruise away from the storms, like we did on the Repo. I just think it stinks that you pay the extra money to get on the Tortola cruise (those did seem to price at a premium from the get go) only to sail a Western.

Have they definitely changed the ports of call then?

 

[GOS]

Lunchtime FO?

 

[JOANNEL]

Has any one cruise Holland America? What about a hotel near the port in Tampa?

DH's two sisters and their husbands are going 12/27-1/3. So we are going too!! It will be the last family vacation for us with Ds # 2 before he ships out to germany. I was pricing Disney cause that is my favorite, but Holland America was much cheaper. So we will give it a try. We cruised Holland America on our Honney moon, but that was sooooooooo long ago.

 

[disgrits]

Has any one cruise Holland America? What about a hotel near the port in Tampa?

DH's two sisters and their husbands are going 12/27-1/3. So we are going too!! It will be the last family vacation for us with Ds # 2 before he ships out to germany. I was pricing Disney cause that is my favorite, but Holland America was much cheaper. So we will give it a try. We cruised Holland America on our Honney moon, but that was sooooooooo long ago.

Sorry I can't help with info, but it sounds like it'll be fun. What are your ports?

 

[disgrits]

It's the last day of Summer for the Mitchell's...

School starts tomorrow!

My kids are ready to get back to their routines. It'll be a tough one, though. Emily is carrying a heavy load of classes this year (Junior year), and Alex has the crappy teacher of 4th grade (according to some). We'll see how that goes. I may be supplementing at home. Derek should be fine though. He is back to having a tough teacher for Language Arts, after having an easier teacher last year, but I don't mind. This "tough" teacher is a good teacher-very organized, fair, and the kids learn lots from her. He just hates language Arts. He's a Math kid.

Anyway, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to getting my house back, but I will go through tomorrow wondering how the first day is going. I am trying to hold each memory of all of this close to my heart. I know tomorrow I will be sending my youngest off for his senior year of college, right Joanne?