4/29/06 Eastern Magic...We're Going!!!!!

[suziemva]

OOPPS!! CG - didn't mean to ignore your question. Mimi is doing better. The thyroid medicine seems to have started to help but she is just pitiful now. They finally got her a real bath today (YEAH!!) and she just looks so frail and fragile. The Occupational therapist was there working with her on getting out of a chair using a walker to brace herself. She couldn't do it, tried and would not be able to. It was so heart-wrenching, I had to leave the room. I don't like to see her like this. You know, I was thinking today what a strong woman she is. I don't think I've ever seen her cry. Not even when my grandad passed away. She's such an elegant, dignified woman too that I know this whole hospital stay, etc has really humiliated her. There's so much I can't say but suffice it to say, it would humilate me, too. BUT she endures and is trying!

They've done some MRI, CT scans, sonograms, upper GI and something else but haven't said what they've found and are looking at more extensively. Hopefully will hear something more soon.

Thanks again for asking! I'm really glad that this process is taking a while because it's helping me come to terms that she may not be here with us much longer. Helping me deal with it for when the time comes. Otherwise, I would just have been mortally devastated!

 

[rubysmom]

Suzie, your Grandma is a trooper! I've never had anyone very close to me be very ill, so I don't know just what you and your family are going thru, & it makes it hard to know just what to say. (why do we always feel compelled to SAY something anyway?) but it sounds like extra time is helping you. You guys are on my mind often...

Also, just wanted to chime in on the housework thing. I'm a type A trapped in a type B body (and all the lack of initiative that implies). So thank you to the support group here ! LOVE the dustbunny and clothes-on-treadmill pics. I totally identify and yet still inclined to believe CG, that yours is generally a VERY tidy house, Suzie! We too have a black dog (Chester) who should get out more, if for no other reason than to leave a few hairs somewhere besides in my house! (also, he desperately needs more exercise, bless his heart!)

Question of the day: Most looking forward to the moment during my cabana massage when I finally get over the fact that I'm nearly naked in the hands of a complete stranger who is coming into contact with parts of my body that are generally kept hidden (y'know, like my thighs!)...that moment when I can actually enjoy the massage and imprint the experience on my mind for future use!

ohsodis--Have the camera ready, sounds like that girl will bring tears to your eyes when she gets her first glimpse! That's the kind of heart-warming magic we all love to see in the parks!

jewelgrrl--HOORAY for Tim! I am SOOOOO impressed! That takes such determination (unless of course you are 'vacationing' at Biggest Loser camp with your own personal trainer at your side daily!) so Congrats to you both!!

--Trish

 

[mketting]

Suzie- Glad to hear they have a diagnosis for your Mimi and are trying to help her regain her strength. Tonight I decided to take just Meghan to swimming and then out to dinner just the 2 of us. On the way to the restaurant we were chatting and she started to bawl. She said she was just thinking of Big Grandma, ( my grandma who passed away in Aug. 2004) and how much she misses her. We had a nice talk about my Grandma and why she was so special. I am so thankful that I have such a close family and that she was able to really know her Great Grandmother.

Amazing Race is on Gotta go!

 

[ohsodisney]

Susie , thats bad , I'll join ya girl . My house usually isn't quite this bad but since DH is gone I say what the ---- ! I just don't have time right now and plus noone will be here to see it this week . So here it is , how embarassing . Note the girls sleeping on the floor , futon matress on the floor. Bedroom , well that isn't even the worst part , but thank god my camera died before I got to take that picture . I did some shopping last week and that has not got put away yet . Barry would have a heartattack if he knew I post these pics for the general public , Hey PJ and CG don't feel bad , if you closely at the downstairs pic , there is a Christmas wreath still on the wall

 

[The Roses]

Here's my dustbunny! And here's my big pile of laundry burying my treadmill in the family room!! I told you I'm pitiful!

Oh stop. You are all waaaay too clean. Remember, I'm married to a guy who has actually used a 2X4 to make lines across the carpet so it looks like he vacuumed. Once he used a rake. He's even used the edge of a book for the stairs. It looked so nice, with all the little lines in the carpet, but when I looked closer, IT WAS FILTHY!

That's what you get when you marry a Pirate. Although I have to say, the other day he actually cleaned the trays under the burners in the stove. I told him he's never looked sexier!

The Wench

 

[mketting]

CG- I think you said you are a Universal Fan. Any tips would be great for our visit. We haven't been there since before kids. We have 3 days for the 2 parks.

Good night everyone.

 

[Belle&RellasMom]

 

[castlegazer]

Hey PJ and CG don't feel bad , if you closely at the downstairs pic , there is a Christmas wreath still on the wall

I told you people, it's a tree with lights, damnit!

( )



mketting - I have no words of wisdom as three days are more than sufficient to see everything, do everything, and have tons of fun. You will by that time, know what is your favorite area to repeat again. I would only say that buying their front of the line passes - Express Plus Passes, if you aren't staying on property which allows you this priviledge anyways, is pretty important. The good news is that our dates come up as the $25 passes.

Take time to hit some of the restaurants over in Universal Studios - some of them can be fun and good. I am also a fan of Mythos Restaurant in IOA - if you time it right, sitting out on there outdoor area while the sun sets is a very nice way to end the day at IOA.

If there is a line at Twister - skip it. If there is a line at Spiderman - stick it out for the duration, such an awesome ride!!!!!!! I can't say enough great things about Dueling Dragons.

City Walk is a great time and we always go before the nightlife begins - it's nice to be there prior to the crowds and just relax with some appetizers. Plus you have Emeril's, Margaritaville, and Bob Marley all as your choices.

Bob Marley's is worth walking into - it's neat inside. Pat O'Brien's too, it has a nice courtyard that is relaxing to sit and have some really good apps at. By going early enough in the evening, it's no problem bringing the kids to these places.

Oh, and on the last note, it is a goal of mine to get to Emeril's Tchoup Chop at Royal Pacific Hotel. I didn't have time this past weekend, but it was on the list as it looks amazing and has gotten wonderful reviews.

Really, you don't need any advice - Universal is not like Disney World - it's small, compact, and you will see everything there is to see there in the time you have. There is not much for insider knowledge to the park beyond getting to the front of the line. No best touring practices, no hidden secrets, it's just good rides all laid out in a very easy to manage pattern.

 

[suziemva]

Okay, I want to have my little rant for the day! I have a really good friend who works for FedEx and she is the only thing that keeps me nice about that company!!!! The bracelet package was delivery attempted to my house 10 minutes after I left to take Tori to school. Okay, not a problem. My problem is (CG - remember when we talked on the phone last night I told you I was taping a note to my door!!) that I had a SIGNATURE signed note on the door taped that he totally ignored!!!!! I purposely had my signature on it just for that purpose. Okay. The door tag he left said he needed a signature....DUH! WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT NOTE IS!!!!!!!!!!! My friend had told me before that they will just take the note and attach it to the door tag. I don't have to be here to get the package! Well, this ***hole is just being difficult! He hates the Woodbridge route and takes it out on the customers!! I HATE HIM!!!! Happens every time, too! Something always comes up that he causes a problem with it.

Okay, I feel better.

Good news is that I got Tori into the preschool around the corner from our house. It's a much better program that is really like a K4 program, getting them started for Kindergarten. She's going to learn to write her name (no, she hasn't learned that yet and I have no idea how to teach her!), her numbers, the alphabet and start to read! It's not a high pressure thing, just more a fun learning thing! And it's right across the street from her elementary school she will be going to! I'm so excited! There's a huge waiting list - my friend put her daughter on it as soon as she was born!! - and I'm amazed she got in!! YIPPEE!!! The better news is that it's four hours a day and not two and it's the same amount of money!!! Can't beat that! She takes her lunch to school and eats there which is a relief! Her current school has snack time at 11:00 and they leave at 11:45....she doesn't want to each lunch when she gets home or eats very little. Once she gets up from her nap, she's hungry! Gee, I wonder why?!

AAAAhhhhhhh.....you gotta love days like this.

QOTD - how many pieces of luggage do you think you will have?

me - probably 2 large, 2 small (daybags) and 1 medium - Hey! It's better than last time! I think we had 8 pieces of luggae and 5 of them were large ones!! Yes, I way overpacked last time. Didn't realize that laundry was so easy to do on board! So bring your rolls of quarters and your laundry detergent!!

 

[castlegazer]

Man, that was FAST!!!!!! Hong Kong must be a skip, hop and a jump away!!!!

AWESOME that they are here already!

OK people. Suzie and I talked last night about payments. Rather than PM you all with your amounts, except the people who never check in here anymore who I will be privately harassing, I will just post a list of the amounts owed by everyone right here. OK? I am going to title it "Wristband Amount Due" That way just write this down and you can then go back and search for the post by me later if need be.

I am fine with being paid on the ship or via check now. You choose - but let me know either via PM, e-mail, or right here what you choose to do so I can plan accordingly. I can't take a check on the ship, though - so if you choose to wait until we cruise, please bring the amount in cash. You will be providing me with tip money. My address is on the Yahoo site. Receipt of the bands will not hinge on payment - Suzie is going to be sending them out to you as soon as she can. She also will not need a check for shipping costs - she is going to see how much it is and then talk to you about whether she would like some reimbursement on the ship.

Off to do total amounts owed. I will be back with that post.

Suzie - Quinn has not mastered his name yet, either, his U is always upside down - what's up with that? - he is starting to read, but there is a girl in his class that draws better than I can - I swear to God we are all going to be saying, "I knew her when" - but I can't get Quinn to draw anything more than lines and circles. He can write the alphabet if asked to - but, you know boys - "Mom, do I have to????". It's begun..........

QOTD: This is my daily nightmare about this trip. I think it, live it, breathe it. I watched everyone in the airport and took notes.

We plan on taking

one big, huge suitcase - hopefully staying below 50 pounds with it (but we will have an emergency bag packed into it)

one big garment bag

one medium sized suitcase for the kids

one good sized backpack

one car seat

This is my plan until I start packing and realizing this is shiet (getting ready for St. Paddy's Day here) and there is no way in hell I can pack four people, two of which go through wardrobe changes more than Julie Andrews, into 3 suitcases and one carryon. I will look like this most likely when we get on the ship from lugging our entire house onto this trip

 

[OHJulie]

Suzie - Congrat's on getting Tori into the new pre-school!

QOTD - My plan is to take 2 Large suitcases, a Garment bag, a rolling overnight bag (mostly to take on the beer and wine) and one soft sided cooler that will hold shoes when traveling and beverages on ship. Of course, like CG - I haven't actually started packing yet, so I may be dreaming!

On our last cruise we had a huge duffle bag that held only shoes. It was ridiculous - between tennis shoes, sandals, dress shoes and water shoes for everyone we had a mountain of footwear in the closet.

Well, I have been waiting all school year to find out the date of the 3rd grade music concert and we just found out last night - and take a wild guess - it's while we are on the cruise. I am so disappointed for my daughter, this is the first real program that they have done at her school and she has been talking about it for months. I know that she will have many more opportunities, but I am just sick that she will be missing it!

I wrote a note to her music teacher today to let her know that Jessica will not be there. The info. that came home yesterday said that the performance was required for all 3rd graders. Hopefully, it won't effect her grade! I know that the school won't be happy, but they need to understand the importance of family vacations. In our case, my DH is only allowed one week during the summer and no vacations around holidays. So every other year we have taken them out of school for a week. This will probably stop as they get older, but for now the family time is more important!

Thanks for letting me share - can you tell I'm guilt ridden?

OHJulie

 

[castlegazer]

Guys, before I post how much is owed, I have a question for you all.

The total per band is $2.05 which includes shipping. We did get a break on the price due to the amount we ordered, so it was $1.75 base with $0.25 extra for the glow-in-the-dark lettering and I added $0.05 in for shipping.

I had to order 22 more bands than we actually needed. This is a total of approximately $48 in extra bands (the price of the bands on the ship will be $2.20 per band, I gave you all a discount on the shipping). I have no problem with this and knew it going in, so this isn't a question being posed to be a woe is me thing. I would like to know what you all want to do. Would you like to:

1) Fund the extra through your payment? I would bring the total per band up to $2.50 ($0.45 extra per band) which as an example would bring an order for 4 bands from $8.20 to $10 even.

The drawbacks of this plan are a) what happens when we, as planned, have people on the ship who would like the bands, weren't involved in the original order, and want to pay for them? and b) There is no way to redistribute the money to everyone. and c) this actually still leaves a slight deficit for me of about $13 which is fine. I was just trying to round up to an even number for ease in payment.

2) Go with the plan of bringing the 22 extra onto the ship and seeing if anyone needs them (I would do this anyways regardless). Then if there is a deficit have each of you throw a couple more dollars, which would be calculated based on the amount of the deficit divided by the total families who ordered - not by amount of bands ordered - at me through the cruise?

This works out to be almost the same amount of money as it would be if I just rounded everyone up but serves as an insurance policy for everyone if we do get rid of all the bands on board. This plan does favor the higher order people, though, but does not severely disfavor the lower order number families. As an example, if I round up Pat's order she would pay an additional $6.30 as opposed to just a couple of dollars for a deficit, but if I rounded up say The Roses order, they would pay $0.90 extra as opposed to at max $2.00 more. However, the average amount of money I would be rounding everyone up to if that is the plan is about $2.00 per family's order. So for most of you, it's a wash if we move no additional bands while on board. I personally like this plan.


OK, I am sure this was confusing. Remember, I negotiate for a living so I strive to be as complex as possible to confuse the opponent, so sometimes its difficult for me to be concise or simplistic when dealing with figures which is a huge drawback in instances where I don't want to confuse someone.

 

[OHJulie]

Suzie - Don't know if you noticed, but I put our contact info. on the other site so you have an address to send the bands.

I picked up a new book today that sounds interesting. It is actually for my son, but I am sure that I will read it also. It is a fantasy thriller novel that takes place in Disney World. The main characters are five teens that fight Disney villains to save the future of WDW. It's titled " The Kingdom Keepers" by Ridley Pearson.

This might be fun for those of you going to WDW next month. Yes, we can say NEXT MONTH now!!!

OHJulie

 

[castlegazer]

OHHHHHHHJulie! I do feel your pain! That is terreeebleh. That just stinks. Man - isn't it kinda late for them to schedule this?

Oh, I don't know what you can do. Oh man, I have a sick feeling in my stomach about it now too. I would be heartsick too. Maybe you can beg them to reschedule?

There is a thread about taking kids out of school that got locked, but it seems that some places its actually illegal to take kids out of school from kindergarten on. I say that is shiet!!!!! I was pulled out of school all the time as my father went to conventions throughout the country and I always went with them - it was a great learning experience and to this day I actually remember my multiplication tables from a trip to Arizona - I can see plain as day me sitting on my mother's lap in our motor home doing flashcards over and over again. I still think back to it to get my multiples right. I did it actually this weekend.

 

[OHJulie]

CG - You are so sweet! Yes, it is late to get the date for this concert. I had the schedule for my son's band concerts and all of the testing by the end of last school year and I took all of that into consideration when booking the cruise. This was the one date that I was waiting for. AARGH!

I would go with option #2 for band payment. You may even have requests for most of the bands before we leave for the cruise. I would just wait and if you still have some left a week or two before the cruise let us know how much you need and we can give it to you at the first meeting. That way you will have some extra drinking money right away!

p.s. Love your negotiating skills!

OHJulie

 

[ohsodisney]

Susie & CG , first i want to say thank you guys so much for all the work you put into getting our bracelettes , it's appreciated ! We can pay you CG when we met at WCC if that is o.k ? Oh and we don't mind chipping in the $2.00 extra dollars , so we will give you $10.00 .

Got my swimsuit today . I LOVE IT! . It was the 2 pc I posted a pic of here . I also did get the miraclesuit dress swimsuit and I'm not so crazy about that so I am sending it back and getting the high neck miraclesuit for the water sports .

Ohjulie . your right I can say next month , didn't even think of that . .

QOTD

I was afraid someone was going to ask this

3 large
1 garment
1 small rolling for shoes , yup we have lots & lots of shoes, thanks to Gymboree I feel we needed all the shoes that matched their lines , and I do have a Gymbo sickness.
we also bought a few from Hanna Andersson to match thier darn dresses . My girls will be better dressed then me or DH .I will be in t-shirts , maybe with holes LOL, JK, no holes.
1 backpack, for the cameras , we will also use this at Disney World .
I think thats it .
I am also bringing lots of Sudoku puzzles for the plane !

I am offically down 4 pounds

 

[castlegazer]

I'll wait to divy up any deficit on board because they are going to be sooo cool that non-DIS'rs are gonna want one!

By the way, I forgot to tell you that shoes are my over pack issue. On all of our cruises we had a separate bag of shoes just for the two of us. I vow to not do that this go round. I will be bringing a pair of nice black sling sandals that go with everything, my speedo thongs (which I now am back to and prefer over those crocs which gave me a damn blister this weekend - thanks DIS'r croc fanatics ), and a pair of shoes for formal night - that's it! I TAKE THIS VOW RIGHT HERE AND NOW: I WILL NOT PACK MY RUNNING SHOES THINKING THAT I WILL BE IN THE GYM ON A DAILY BASIS!!!!!! I mean come on, I am doing nothing and I still don't go to the gym. CHyeahhhhh, I'll be in there instead of sippin a drink on deck - CHYEEEAAAAHHHHH, that's the ticket!

 

[ohsodisney]

CG , your too funny . i packed 2 gym workout sets and a pair of running shoes last cruise and never made it to the gym once !

I have a QOTD . Is there anyone as nutty as me here who knows what they will be wearing to the cruise on Day 1 ?

McKenna , stripped white , yellow and navy dress with with white stretch capris
Holly light pink and dark pink stripped dress with pink stretch capris , maybe it is a blue stripped dress , , now I can't remember !
Me , Probally minnie mouse ears , with a white sailor type top and jean or white capris .
I'm so sick , yup I know anyone else ?

 

[Belle and Rella's Dad]

I just wanted to drop in and say Hi to everyone, it has been crazy at work and probably will continue until Vero Beach and then after that until the cruise.

Oh So, as far as what we will be wearing when we board, I haven't thought about it but I like what CG is going to be wearing.

By the way, I forgot to tell you that. I will be bringing a pair of nice black speedo thongs that go with everything, :

CG, you are one groovy chick, alright so I edited it a little bit.

SteveMed, just wondering if you are going to ride the Banana Boat at Castaway Cay

Tom

 

[OHJulie]

Tom,

Are you asking the right person this question?

SteveMed, just wondering if you are going to ride the Banana Boat at Castaway Cay

Tom

I can think of several other people who would be more likely to be riding the banana boat.