A few races and food, some theme parks and food, and a cruise...

[bumbershoot]

I made almond milk today. The process would have been faster and easier if I had the right equipment. I was spurred to do it by a friend who had some interesting nutrition/dietary advice for me, and who made almond milk right there in her kitchen to show me how easy it is (though I'll mention that she did have the almonds soaking in water already). Sure, if you have a Vitamix and a proper cheesecloth type bag it's totally simple. Oster and a fine sieve, however...not AS easy.

Added some agave and vanilla, and yum! The friend sweetened hers with dates then put in organic cocoa powder and coconut oil. Wowza.

It's hard to figure out how to track the calories/points for this!

But it's tasty.


That has nothing to do with planning. It's just what I did today. After helping the kidlet learn about the government. Zoinks. Tomorrow involves some dental work for the kid. He thinks he'll be going to play with his friend (son of the friend mentioned above) after that but after having lidocaine, who knows if he'll be up to it?


My training is not going as well as it had been. Eek! It's just so darned cold! Just ordered a hydration backpack, though (the Nathan Intensity for women). Almost no time to try it out, but I gotta have it, gotta use it. No real choice, know what I mean? If I can hand-carry a 22oz bottle of water with me and not chuck it in a firey retention pond, I can deal with 2L of water on my back. Right? Right! It almost has to be less annoying than my waist pack which kept migrating in circles.


I have two boxes of magicbands on their way to me right now. Love that I'll get the variety of colors, but it's all so silly. Hope they can work it out soonish so we don't have to end up with 18 million MBs. Not everyone likes all colors; not everyone wants all colors. My aunt, for instance, simply wanted blue for the 3 stays she's on my reservations for.


Just noticed this on my magicband page.

The MagicBand uses radio frequency (RF) technology and can be read by short and long-range readers located at the Walt Disney World Resort. If you prefer to use an RF card, which cannot be detected by long-range readers, you can request an RF card at your Disney Resort hotel, and you do not need to customize your MagicBand.

Good to see it in writing. I wonder if this card is the same card that ISN'T being given at a few resorts all of a sudden. Considering that I'm staying at one or two of them on this trip, that notice is interesting.

 

[bumbershoot]

Did 12.5 today. Did 3.1 first with Eamon, dropped him off at home, and went on back out. Started too late, was out too late. Won't do that again! But I did have my bright while hydration backpack on and blinky lights both front and back. And while I was wearing grey top and black shorts, I think my blinding white legs would be a clue that there was something on the sidewalk.

My toes hurt.

2 weeks from now...14 miles. I've GOT to find a route where I'm not climbing 600 feet in the last 2 miles.


Given how I felt, I'm going to have to cancel one of my dining things that afternoon/evening. I'm not going to have the energy or the belly for both, I think.

 

[kaoden39]

Molly,

I have energy for a couple of hours after exerting myself and then I bonk. I would need to recover for sure.

 

[bumbershoot]

Disney is coming up so soon! And, I see by your ticker, so is a newly usable driveway?

 

[kaoden39]

Disney is coming up so soon! And, I see by your ticker, so is a newly usable driveway?

Yes it is! I can hardly wait!


Yes, they tore up our driveway and poured a new one right before we moved home. We had to wait 30 days to park on it. Tomorrow is 30 days. It's a silly thing but I am excited by it.

 

[bumbershoot]

I don't think it's silly at all. I know that my brother spent YEARS trying to decide what sort of driveway he would like to put in, if he got a chance to re-do his driveway. As it is, he'll just be selling his house without a new driveway, but he has his NEW place all planned out with the perfect-to-him-and-his-wife driveway situation planned. YEARS. And he has ample funds to do whatever he wants with it, but he wanted it to be *perfect*.

Driveways are a big deal!

 

[kaoden39]

Ours was no longer level. I love the things they did for us. We have a gas fireplace, although I thought I would never like another fire I find that the gas fire doesn't bother me. I think it is because it doesn't have that same smell. I need to post some pictures with the furniture in. I have been waiting for it to be perfect but you know perfect doesn't seem to happen. They also redid our walkway into the house and instead of the square edges they rounded the edges. It isn't a huge thing but it looks really nice.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm so glad the fireplace doesn't bother you. You are very brave for even trying. I remember someone on the DLR forum who had had a house fire, and their daughter (?) couldn't even go into the Grand Californian because the smell of their fireplace brought it all back. Hmm, that might be worth remembering for your family, actually. Flashbacks are probably going to happen for a long time to come, so to be aware of where they might be triggered is good, and that big fireplace at the Grand could be one. Hope that helps and doesn't hurt.

No, perfect doesn't happen. Not easily, or without paying people, at least!

 

[kaoden39]

The smell of wood smoke still gets me. Thankfully we have been having the spare the air days. We have a neighbor that has one every night otherwise. It isn't as bad as it was. Sirens are still the things that trigger the worst stress for me. If I see a firetruck when I am out I sometimes turn around and go back.

I honestly didn't think about the fire in fireplace. There is a fireplace in the lobby of the Ayres too. Well I doubt I will be sitting the lobby this trip. That was something I enjoyed on the past.

 

[bumbershoot]

I suppose it's better to remember the lobby fireplace now rather than when you walk in.

 

[bumbershoot]

This is the oddest yuletime. First, we managed to miss doing our present-opening on Yule/solstice. So we're going with the 25th to be "normal" Americans.

We got out our artificial tree that we got for free last year when Goodwill wouldn't accept it from the guy next to us at the donation station. Alas, we didn't protect it well enough, and when DH moved it from our storage space in the garage, 8-legged critters came out of it. That's the whole reason we switched to artificial (the real trees we kept getting tended to hatch a few weeks into the season) so it went to the dump. And while DH was donating some clothes, he was able to find another interested person who didn't mind our issue with the tree.

So we have no tree. Might just have to decorate the easel again.

Amost treating today more like getting ready for New Year's, with lots of cleaning up! Hey, nothin' wrong with that!

 

[kaoden39]

There's nothing wrong with that at all!

 

[bumbershoot]

And you are there, in your rebuilt home, having all sorts of meaning and wonder. So happy for you.


Robert is vacuuming.

 

[kaoden39]

There is nothing hotter than a man vacuuming.

 

[bumbershoot]

It was pretty great.


A certain someone in the household asked for Infinity, so when I saw some of those amazing amazon.com and GameStop deals on the set and play pieces, I went along with it.

The guys are now playing it. They seem to be enjoying it. Me? Not so much. I have a feeling that soon all our Lego games will be mine, mine all mine.... So...win-win situation!

Because of the setups at the stores, I was picturing the Infinity base to be this big elaborate thing...thank goodness it's not. Very inobtrusive. Whew.



I now have two "staging" areas for packing. One for the running stuff, one for clothing I will only need for the trip (like bathing suits).

I got realistic and met with a seamstress to have my two long pretty dresses taken in, so that I don't have to go find something new for the two formal nights on the RCCL cruise at the end of January. Taking in clothes to that degree gets into the cost range of buying something new (or nearly so), but I do love these dresses, and I'm pretty excited to see them in a week.

Now we just have to get the guys sorted in terms of formal-wear.



Michele, how are your plans going? Getting excited for your epic trip?

 

[kaoden39]

Hi!!

I normally procrastinate on my packing. This year I am ready to start pacing 10 days out. I just have one slight problem.....um we don't have luggage. It kind of went poof as it were. So, I am busy doing internet shopping. Amazon is my best friend. I am sure they love me. We order things frequently. I have my kids trained. They go straight to Amazon to look when they want something. Train them well I always say.


I am always tempted by Disney games. I haven't fallen into this latest one. At least not until after our trip. Did you watch the Disney parade on TV this morning? Or should I say long Disney commercial featuring Neil Patrick Harris and Nick Cannon? I have never noticed what a self serving commercial it is.

 

[bumbershoot]

We did not watch it. Kinda glad now. As much as I like Neil, I don't care much for Nick.


Why did I think you were borrowing luggage from friends? Well, amazon is a good place to buy stuff like that. If you're a Costco member, I like their Ful brand rolling duffle-type bags. And hey, you're driving, so you could even buy big plastic bins if you absolutely needed to do that.



I'm truly starting to pack today.

And we booked DH's flight to get out there. E and I have ages when it's just the two of us (and also time with my aunt and later with cousins) and we needed to wait to see DH's work travel plans. But today we booked it. Yay.

 

[kaoden39]

We were going to borrow but I decided that maybe we wanted some. I just dread where we are going to put it when this trip is over. My daughter Kody who is 19 was stressing because she thought that I had intended to make everyone take their clothes in plastic garbage bags.


I am always horrible about packing. I always am parking at the last minute. This trip I am a bit more organized or excited. Not quite sure which.



I know it had to be a relief to get DHs flight set. I am thrilled that you get to spend time with the family. That is always so nice!

 

[bumbershoot]

Poor Kody.

Spending time with family will be nice, but probably a bit odd this time. My cousin found out she's having a baby; found out in October, and she's due at the end of January. Our family carries long, but this IS her third, and I've heard everything changes with your 3rd. Honestly I have NO idea why she's OK with us visiting; there's no chance you would have seen me allowing visitors by that time.

 

[kaoden39]

Maybe your cousin is nesting. I know when I reached a certain stage I wanted family around. She maybe is in that stage.


I don't know about you but I really need my trip.