20041218-cruise-friends-memories Part 4

[justmestace]

13,500!!!!

And a T.O.P.!!!!!!!!

Seaman Elizabeth the Horny Toe!!!

 

[karaeric]

Hi all...bear with me today, I need to vent a bit.

My MIL, who was supposed to come to our house during this trip to watch our dog and two cats backed out yesterday. We now have to scramble with only 40 days before we leave to find alternative pet care over the Christmas holiday, when most pet sitters are most busy and usually booked months in advance.

Worst of all, my DH is devistated that his mother could do this to us. I feel so bad for him. We asked her months ago, and she was happy to do it for us. We bought her a plane ticket and everything. Now we are out the money for the ticket and we have to find someone to pay to watch our "kids" on top of it all...I'm very stressed right now. We aren't even totally sure of why she changed her mind.

The only thing keeping me going is knowing that I need this vacation even more now!

Thanks for letting me vent.

 

[justmestace]

Kara, I am sooo sorry. Under any other circumstances, I would love to go to Sunnyvale!!

Such a major upset. We have some family members that have done something like that before. Try really hard to not let it cause major problms with your relationship, she must have some reason.

Can you salvage the ticket at all? Use it for another time?

Sometimes the gals who work in our Vet's office do pet sitting, but they don't advertise it. Try asking at your vet's.......

 

[magicalfam5]

Kara--sorry to hear about your MIL backing out. I wish you luck in making new arrangements. I understand how hard it is to find something this close and over the holidays. I had my dog booked months ago. We take her to a kennel about a half hour from us. It's a nice place and the couple (that runs it) lives in a house right next to the kennel.

Judy

 

[ohiominnie]

Originally posted by magicalfam5
ohiominnie--Are you driving down? (I read you were leaving coats in the car, that's why I was wondering) We're driving down. I'm hoping the weather will be ok.

Yup, driving. We originally planned to fly, but my parents are going and my mom HATES to fly. So, it seems rude to say "we'll fly, you drive, see ya in FL." We're now trying to figure out how to get all 6 of us (and luggage) into a car so we don't have to drive two vehicles like we usually do.

Ideas, anyone?

 

[WVMD]

I'll chime in on the other side of the sign in - sign out. We let DD sign in last year on our first 3 day Wonder. She had specific rules that she had to follow including paging us when she was leaving the club, not riding the elevators, not going into anybody elses cabin without permission, etc. It worked fine for us. She knows that she'd lose her privileges if she breaks the rules, and she did fine. She'll have the privileges again this year (automatically as she'll be 10) but we'll still carry a pager and have her page us.


Kara.... so sorry to hear about your troubles.... Hope that things work out OK....

Virgil
TFD

 

[karaeric]

Thanks Stacey, I was going to call the vet's office in a few minutes when they open...

And thanks everyone for the support. I really appreciate it right now. You can choose your friends, but not your family...

I found two web sites on this morning, the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters and Pet Sitters International. Both web sites had several people in my area that are bonded and licensed, so I'm trying to contact several of them for interviews.

scuba diver, I sent you a PM. I don't usually have time over the weekends to read the boards, so I just saw your post about the Key West Island tour. Yes, we're on the same tour!

Cheers, Kara

 

[ohiominnie]

Originally posted by justmestace
Sometimes the gals who work in our Vet's office do pet sitting, but they don't advertise it. Try asking at your vet's.......

Kara, (HUGS) So sorry you're having to stress about this. What a bummer. I hate when relatives do that to you. Recently Mike asked his dad and step mom to an OSU game. They cancelled LATE the night before and we had to scramble to find someone (or the tickets would go to waste) Of course, this is the same dad who has been bugging him for years to take him to an OSU game. Guess we won't be asking him for a long time.

Try those doggy daycare places too and see about petsitters. I know of a couple around here and all the employess petsit also (and the dogs go to daycare with them while they are working their real jobs)

Good luck.

 

[ohiominnie]

Originally posted by WVMD
She knows that she'd lose her privileges if she breaks the rules, and she did fine.

I'd also like to add, our rules will also include that dd MUST page us when leaving the club, just to let us know where she's going. AND, she cannot leave the club ALONE....must go with AT LEAST one other girl (not boy!)

Also, I think we'll add that she cannot leave the club if we are off the ship on an excursion---and as soon as we get back we'll let her know so she can leave if she wants. I don't expect it to be a big problem as she LOVES the clubs and probably won't WANT to leave much.

 

[WDWLVR]

Originally posted by ohiominnie
Yup, driving. We originally planned to fly, but my parents are going and my mom HATES to fly. So, it seems rude to say "we'll fly, you drive, see ya in FL." We're now trying to figure out how to get all 6 of us (and luggage) into a car so we don't have to drive two vehicles like we usually do.

Ideas, anyone?

Have you thought of renting one of thos tiny U-haul trailers for the luggage.

 

[Dancind]

Originally posted by magicalfam5
Hi everyone!

Is everyone planning on bringing a sweater or sweatshirt? I really wasn't thinking about it. My DD will bring something since she's aways cold. Does anyone know how cool it gets at night?

Judy

A sweater is good. If I remember correctly, some of the large rooms can be a little chilly. ie the Show Room, the dining rooms, the movie theatre. If you are planning on visiting WDW before or after the cruise, however, you might need more. It can get downright COLD in FL in the winter, though not always.

 

[tksbaskets]

Kara - have you though about asking at church or in your neighborhood about a teenager who'd like to earn some extra cash over the holiday? That's how we found our great pet/house sitter. Luckily she has three younger siblings to be groomed for the position when she is too old to want to do it any more. My animals are much happier staying at home.

As for allowing you children signing in and out priv - I highly recommend it! (of course depending on the personality of your child). On our 4-day cruise the boys were 11 and we gave them priv. It was wondeful that when DH and I were lingering over coffee and desert, the boys could go and sign themselved into the lab. We got a page whenever they left the kid's program and the deal was that we would then meet in our cabin. This way if Walt and I were enjoying some adult time (having a drink in the Rockin' D Bar) we could finish what we were doing and then go to the cabin. I think this is why the boys had such a great time on the cruise. They enjoyed their little bit of freedom from mom and dad!

 

[Dancind]

We have had a couple of different college age girls babysit our cat while we have been gone. They have all been responsible kids, and they're old enough to be willing to stay here at night alone. That gives us a housesitter too! Plus, the cat likes someone to sleep with, under the covers and between the legs. I'm used to it, but it freaks some people out, don't know why. So, if you know anyone with a college age kid, preferably not a partier...

All Disney employees are Cast Members, on the ship too. It means that they are part of the "show".

 

[ohiominnie]

Originally posted by WDWLVR
Have you thought of renting one of thos tiny U-haul trailers for the luggage.

Thought of it. Didn't know if that would be a problem leaving one at the port parking lot.

 

[jhemond]

This should have been posted yesterday, but I just got it today, so here it is:

Keeping up appearances


A cabbie picks up a Nun. She gets into the cab, and the cab driver
>won't >stop staring at her. She asks him why is he staring. He replies, "I have a question to ask you, but I don't want to offend
you."

She answers, "My son, you cannot offend me. When you're as old as I am and have been a Nun as long as I have, you get a chance to see and hear just >about everything. I'm sure that there's nothing you could say or ask that I would find offensive."

"Well, I've always had a fantasy to have a Nun kiss me."

She responds, "Well, let's see what we can do about that: #1, you have to be single and #2, you must be Catholic."

The cab driver is very excited and says, "Yes, I am single and I'm Catholic!"

"OK" the Nun says. "Pull into the next alley."

The Nun fulfils his fantasy with a kiss that would make a hooker blush. But when they get back on the road, the cab driver starts crying.

"My dear child, said the nun, why are you crying?"

"Forgive me but I've sinned. I lied. I must confess, I'm married and I'm Jewish."

The nun says, "That's OK, my name is Kevin and I'm going to a
Halloween party."

 

[ohiominnie]

TOP?

YIPPIE

 

[ohiominnie]

Did some searching. A U-haul is pretty expensive for the length of time we'd need it (and most of the time it'd be sitting there empty)

So I was thinking something like this:
http://www.stowaway2.com/item.asp?ProductID=7

I'd go rooftop hardshell except for two things....one, they don't seem to have THAT much storage space. Secondly, the kids, my parents, and Mike can't schelp the luggage up that high (Mike gets costrocondritis if he lifts anything too heavy, too high) so that leaves ME to haul the luggage up and down. YUCK!

Anyone use anything like this? What's the actual capacity? (I know they say 12.5 cubic feet, but I'm talking capacity in terms of how many suitcases and what size.

 

[DVC4US]

Well, I am back from the clinic and my fingers are all in one piece(or at the least the way they should be) They sure are swollen and they really hurt so I hope this goes away soon.

Mary - great newsletter as usual.

Christine - I was going to mention this the other day and forgot, but we are neighbors. Howdy neighbor! Where do you live in Wisconsin? We love going to the Dells. We don't do laundry on the ship. But we do try to pack less and then we send things out to be cleaned every couple of days. It's really not that expensive and I don't have to hang out in the laundry room on vacation. I know that's really lazy of us, but I hate doing laundry anyway.

 

[DVC4US]

I finally talked to Debbie (at DCL) a few minutes ago and she still does not have an answer on the theme nights. She did say that it would be posted on the website as soon as it is released so I guess I will just keep checking.

 

[scuba.mom]

Well, we had tons of kids for Halloween last night. I think they were driven from other neighborhoods as we don't have nearly as many kids in our sub-division as we had last night. We went through 8 bags of candy. I love the small children, but I am tired of the teens (I mean high school age kids or older) who come to the door long after the porch lights are out (9pm or later).

Lisa went as a pirate. She will be already for the cruise priate night. She has a stuffed parrot for her shoulder. Some of the little kids thought it was real. Most of her friends went as princesses, cheerleaders, etc, but she was happy being a pirate. With Jim in California diving (rough life), Matt did the "parent" duites of walking her around so I could hand out candy. I knew she would be safe with him since he is taller than his father now and a black belt in karate.