20040131 ~ Cruising Jan 31 2004 Western Who's with us?

[dheller97]

Break is about over so I'll be quick.

Cheri and I born in Omaha, Nebr. We've been best friends since junior high and even better friends since we've been married our 37 years together. I drug them all over, Kansas City, Indiana, Dallas, TX and finally Armour, SD seeking better employment. We are liking life here in Tiny Town, USA and are close enough we can go to Omaha for visits.

Next person, please?

Now, I nominate Juli for beer tender.

 

[OKWMEMBER]

HAL's Zaandam just went by the Two Palms Cam!!! Still waiting for the Magic!!!

I second the motion for Juli as Beer Tender!

 

[dheller97]

As co-chair, I call nominations closed. All in favor say "aye". OK, Juli, you're elected 2-0.

 

[Juli]

I should answer my own questions:

Tony & I were both born and raised in Michigan. We actually live on the same lot where he grew up. We bought his parents house, tore it down, and built a new one. My kids are the 4th generation of DH's family to live where we do! Tony's parents actually met through the two lots we have. His Dad's family had one and his Mom's family had another. They came out from the city to spend time on the lake and met as teenagers. I think that's a sweet story.

I've lived all over Michigan with a brief semester or two in Atlanta and Connecticut. I ended up in the Detroit Metro area b/c I transferred to Lawrence Technilogical University (Larry Tech). What's kept me here are family & work in that order. Now what's keeping me is that I'm chicken to move to a small town without a big city nearby.

We split our time between southern and northern Michigan. I suspect at some point we'll be moving north.

Whew! I didn't plan on writing so much.

Juli

 

[OKWMEMBER]

Motion Carried!!! It's official!!! Congratulations, Juli, feel free to appoint assistants at your descretion.

I believe I have failed in my quest to watch the Magic go by.
She must have come into port before 6:00 A.M.

 

[Juli]

I accept the position as Beer Tender with great apprecitaion.

Raising Right Hand:

I Juli, promise to do my best, at bringing Beers promptly. To not spill beer on anyone intentionally. And, to only test a beer I'm delivering if I suspect it's been tampered with, which I here happens quite often.

 

[Juli]

Originally posted by Juli
which I "here" happens quite often

Thank goodness good spelling is not one of the job requirements.

Juli

 

[The4OfUs]

Originally posted by ArtistJudi
Juli, I don't know if cap mentioned it, but we have 2 standard wire haired Dachshunds, Woody and Tasha. We have a housesitter coming, a young woman from our congregation. We used to have our daughter, but she teaches all day, and works on the weekends too. We have put them in a kennel them, but we would rather not. At home, because we have an invisible fence, they can go out through their doggy door and run around whenever they want.
Now, Dean, I was wondering if you are the head thread? I really don't understand how all these postings got going. Ii'm not as computer literate as cap.

Really? Do those really work? Our little Silky Buddy is not one for listening once "free" - I did clicker training with him and he's so smart he got it at once, but once outside, he's deaf to that. I'd love to have a system where I knew he was "safe" running around outside, because he loves that and the run we have is just not liberating enough...

I think Tiiiiiiigergirl was the original poster. She's since moved to another cruise date.

 

[The4OfUs]

Originally posted by abusymommy


I'm new to these boards and have no idea what I'm doing so bear with me. Is there a thread that gives advice for newbies?

We've been to Disney many times, but never have been on a Disney cruise (have been on others before our son was born). We have been reluctant to go on the cruise with our son, because he is our little independent wanderer and we were afraid to leave him at a kids club for fear he would wander away. Guess we are paranoid first time parents! I was talking to a co-worker and he told me all about the Oceaneers club, after having been on it with his kids, and I felt a lot more comfortable. SOOO, we are going!!!

They won't let him out of their sight, I believe...at that age they have to be checked in and out. If there's anyone I trust my kids to, it's Disney. Easy to say with a 10 and 11 yr old, I know, but you know what i mean...

As for a thread for newbies, i'd say THIS one...I think we have quite the variety of cruise experts, with AuntRenae being a veteran of a great many, right? AND a CM at the same time?

Looking forward to meeting you and your family, get better soon - we had the flu over the xmas holidays, so we are DONE too... *knocks on wood*

 

[The4OfUs]

Originally posted by Juli
Just sitting here thinking of questions:

1) Do you live in the same state/town you were born and/or raised in?

2) If not, what brought you to the town you are in now? If so, what keeps you there?

Not expecting anyones lifes story or anything, just thought it was an easy "get to know you" kind of question. Of course, feel free to tell all if you are so inclined!

If this is totally out-of-line, just tell me to be quiet and go back to bed.

Juli

Be quiet and go back to bed!

*snicker*

Sorry. Too much coffee already. DH has been at work since 4 and I'm on my third cup. Dog has already thrown up on the carpet and gotten the tissue box. *sigh* At least it's warm!

I'll answer these, cool questions...

1. I was born and raised in Peabody, MA. My mom still lives in the house I grew up in (I lived in Holland from 1 mo till I was 6 mos old, then we moved back here to the same town I was born in, but different house). Peabody is about 20 mins that way *points*. Close enough but far enough away if you know what I mean...

2. After high school I went to school in northern New Hampshire (Plymouth State College) where I met DH. My jobs took me back to MA, and then he realized he couldn't live without me *swoon* and moved down this way, towards Nashua NH, as taht was 1/2 way for my job and his new one. Then we decided on the whole marriage/kids thing, and looked at the places around southern NH/NE Mass (we did not want to buy in NH - property tax is OUTRAGEOUS as there is no state tax there, so they attack the property owners to make up for it). Westford has one of the very best school systems in the state - BUT is very "la-de-dah" so we had to search for a while to find what we could afford. We're the "poor" relations on a street of over 500,000 dollar McMansions...we have a 1960s ranch that we managed to steal for 149K...and we've been here ever since. We're 20 mins from Oma (my mom - grandma in Dutch) and his parents (until they move to FL) and we have great neighbors and we're all of 30 mins from Boston and 5 mins from NH - for that TAX FREE SHOPPING! *grin*

Bored yet?

 

[The4OfUs]

Originally posted by Juli
I accept the position as Beer Tender with great apprecitaion.

Raising Right Hand:

I Juli, promise to do my best, at bringing Beers promptly. To not spill beer on anyone intentionally. And, to only test a beer I'm delivering if I suspect it's been tampered with, which I here happens quite often.

LOL! You crack me up, my friend!!

*waits for noontime for beer*

Oh I'm getting my hair "done" today - going a bit lighter in celebration of the "sunshine" we shall be encountering today! I never used to do anything w/my hair, would literally cut it myself - then a friend turned me onto foiling it for some highlights...and now it's the "highlight" of my daughter's day to watch me sit there with tin foil all over my head like a robot! *grin* Wish me luck!

 

[The4OfUs]

Originally posted by Juli
Tony & I were both born and raised in Michigan. We actually live on the same lot where he grew up. We bought his parents house, tore it down, and built a new one. My kids are the 4th generation of DH's family to live where we do! Tony's parents actually met through the two lots we have. His Dad's family had one and his Mom's family had another. They came out from the city to spend time on the lake and met as teenagers. I think that's a sweet story.

That's very sweet! Wasn't it hard to tear down that house tho? I think I'd have been a mess....every time my mom threatens to sell "my" house I get so upset!

*is a wimp*

 

[Juli]

Originally posted by The4OfUs
They won't let him out of their sight, I believe...at that age they have to be checked in and out. If there's anyone I trust my kids to, it's Disney. Easy to say with a 10 and 11 yr old, I know, but you know what i mean...

We've been on one Disney Cruise. I was really worried about my kids taking off from the clubs. They were 5 and had mastered the art of "you distract them while I get out" ploy. I talked to the club about this and it turned out to be a non-issue. They never escaped, but did try a few times. The club will beep you if there are any problems, even if your child just wants to see you. Some don't like that, they want the club to handle everything. I appreciated it. They didn't try to "parent" my kids and make the decision as to whether my kids really needed us or not. That made it so my kids always wanted to go back. Yes, I got beeped a lot at first, but it was easy to stop in and see what was going on and then head back to whatever we were doing. Now this time they will be 8. I don't suspect we'll hear much from the Lab when they are there. They kids won't want us to show up at all!

Juli

 

[dheller97]

Just looking for KofPShannon. We didn't scare you away, did we Barbara? Jump in whenever you see an opening.

Dean

 

[Juli]

Originally posted by The4OfUs
That's very sweet! Wasn't it hard to tear down that house tho? I think I'd have been a mess....every time my mom threatens to sell "my" house I get so upset!

My MIL was so excited. She always hated their house. It was a small cabin that had been added on to and added on to over 30 years. It was sturdy, but a big hodge podge. I thought my FIL would be upset b/c he put so much blood, sweat, and tears into the house. He didn't bat an eye. Now they have a nice guest room to stay in when they visit. Too nice! They are coming in April for 2 weeks. Awk!

The day after my IL's retired, they were up at 5 am and moved to Tenn. They left enough junk in that house to fill a 30 yard dumpster and I am not kidding. I was pretty mad. Now we laugh about it. They've since moved to Florida and we visit them often to make up for it. LOL!

How great to be close to your family, but not too close. All of our DB's and DS's live within driving distance but far enough that no one is over everyday. It works well.

I have been dying my hair for so long that I didn't even know it when I started getting gray hairs. That was a shocker. I've had every color you can imagine. Red heads and blonds do get the most attention. Tony swears my hair has been purple before. I don't remember that and I did not go through a punk phase. It was some lovely shade of red I'm sure.

Have fun today. I better take a nap if I have to go out in the cold.

See you tonight at the party!

Juli

 

[Kabuli1]

Hi All! Anyone want to come over early to help? I have 5 bodies asleep in various locations around the house. My son's cat and I are the only ones awake.

Juli, where are you in upper-lower MI? I LOVE it so much up there.

Did you really want to ask that question about where we grew up???? Ok, I'll go: I was born in Fresno, CA, my parents lived in Madera, CA. When I was almost 7 we moved to Kabul , Afghanistan - my folks were MDs for the American community there. After 4th grade my folks left the US Embassy - we drove from Kabul to CA (well, a ship took us and our old 1960 Landrover across the Atlantic). We lived in Woodlake CA for about a year until we went back to Afghanistan where my folks established a medical work w/ the Afghan people. (I guess they thought the Americans over there were too healthy.) So I kinda lived there until I graduated from high school, if you don't count the year I spent in boarding school in Northern INDIA. When I was 18 I came to the States ALONE from Kabul. Went to college in Seattle. (My sisters were in Spokane - same state nowhere close! My folks both grew up in WA.) While I was in college my folks moved to Wheaton, IL, cause my sister was here at the time. I ended up here a year after college and swore I would get back to the Pacific Northwest ASAP. But i met Randy, he had his business, then there were kids . . .

Today Jill is done with high school. Derek, with college; Collin is happily ensconced at UKY in Lexington, KY and Randy has found a new practice - in Puyallup, WA! So I guess 27 years later, I'm on my way back to the Pacific Northwest.

My story, the short version!

Karyn

 

[dheller97]

When I was 18 I came to the States ALONE from Kabul

So, that's where your screen name derived from! Now I see said the blind man. Have fun today - step over all the bodies as practice for tonite's party.

Dean

 

[Kabuli1]

Kabuli means someone from Kabul. it's pronounced cob-el-'ly with the emphasis on the last syllable. it's not, as most think, ka-'boo-ly!

Randy's story is more straight forward. Grew up in Detroit, went to Wheaton College in Wheaton IL never left. until now . . . And you all know that story.

Oh I got lots of highlights put in my hair this week, too. Has anyone done any tanning to get ready?

Dean, Gary, I thought that was the function of co-CHAIRS to carry people around on the chairs if they needed it.

abusymommy, glad you could finally drop in to say hi - just come on often and say anything - ask anything. We do tease something fierce here, but we sure love each other!

ArtistJudi, Dean may not be the "head thread" but he certainly is a thread-head!

Come on out and play today!

Karyn

 

[The4OfUs]

Originally posted by Kabuli1
Kabuli means someone from Kabul. it's pronounced cob-el-'ly with the emphasis on the last syllable. it's not, as most think, ka-'boo-ly!

LOL! Guilty as charged!!

Oh I got lots of highlights put in my hair this week, too. Has anyone done any tanning to get ready?

No...my friend did that spray on stuff, and she looks great, but if she doesn't go back often it starts to "fade" in blotches! That's all I'd need! Plus my skin is so dry they don't recommend it...stupid New England weather. *sigh*

You'll all find me, I'm the one doing the constant Casper the Friendly Ghost imitation. I am white...then I burn...then I peel...then I'm WHITER... *grumble*

 

[kmc33]

Ah man! I wish I could have gone before Karyn!!! Mine is pretty dull, well many would be dull compared to that. I love interesting stories like that.

You guys are early birds. Well, I guess during the week I am earlier, but it is Saturday. I thought I would take a quick peak before taking Luke to soccer class.

John and I grew up in the same part of Pittsburgh, and went to high schools very close to each other, but we didn't meet until college, at the University of Pittsburgh. After college, he took a job in Atlanta and me in New Jersey. Realizing that we just couldn't stand to be apart (and were tired of using all of our money on plane tickets) we both ended up back in Pittsburgh. He works for PPG Industries and I work for the CDC. We have been married for 13 years (in March).

WAKE UP -- I'm finished.