A Sensible Dinner - Pearlieq's Journal

[pearlieq]

4/30/05 - Last Day before WDW!!!

8:15am

--1 light string cheese

10:10am

--2 bites of an apple

My apples turned starchy--yuck. I keep getting swayed by sales and trying other apples but I think I'm just going to take this as one last sign and stick to Galas--they're my favorite and I've never had a bad one. As soon as DH gets ready we're going to go to the bank to cash in our change jar and then go find some brunch!

I almost forgot TTNW! After one last breakfast on our balcony we'll pack up and check our luggage at bell services. Today will be sort of a "greatest hits" day--I think our front runners are Epcot and/or MGM. Maybe we'll start the morning and MGM and take the boat back over to Epcot mid-morning. I'd love one more spin on GMR, Soarin, Test Track, and Spaceship Earth. Sigh...such a melancholy day, but I know we'll come back soon.

11:45am

--1/2 turkey on sourdough, tomato only
--1/2 strawberry poppyseed salad
--3 1/2" sourdough roll.

Yay! Panera has the poppyseed salad back! I love that salad and adore the dressing--we bought 2 bottles today. I love that it's no sugar added! WE went to turn in our change jar today--one of my favorite pre-trip rituals. We had over $200! I was pretty stoked.

So, for TTNW: We're scheduled to eat lunch at Rose & Crown--I love relaxing on the patio and staring out over World Showcase. I adore the food as well, so I'm really looking forward to this. We'll spend a last few hours enjoying the park, before my brother has to go back to OKW to catch his transfer to the airport.

5:30pm

--10 frosted mini-wheats
--2/3 cup milk

The box said that 5 bisuits was a 1 cup serving. I'm not sure if I believe that--it sure didn't look like it. I recorded it that way, though. I guess it's better to err on the side of caution. We're going to Maggiano's tonight for a friend's brithday. The plan is for DH and I to split spaghetti and meatballs and an order of broccoli. I'm going to skip appetizers, save for 1 or 2 crispbreads, and then a light dessert, either a small portion of spumoni, italian ice, or lemon cookies.

8:30pm

--4 crispbreads
--1 1/2 breaded chicken breasts with provolone and marinara
--1/2 order vesuvio potatoes
--1 small piece birthday cake

We had a wonderful time, and what a great meal! It was a splurge, but well worth it and a very happy night!

Hopefully the next time I update will be from WDW!!!

 

[mking624]

YA!! WDW is just about here!!! I love Gala apples. We have an orchard nearby us and we picked those last year and they were so good!!

I have to admit, your TTNW didn't make me all cheery today...*sigh* I hate last days at WDW.

 

[goldcupmom]

Isn't it true, you plan for months for the BIG trip and suddenly it's over before you feel it's begun.

You're doing great and will, I'm sure, have a wonderful time!

Have a GREAT weekend!

 

[toystoryduo]

Congratulations pearlieq!!!!

Way to go!!!! You made your goal, you have a new clippie, and you're leaving for WDW tomorrow!

Have a safe and wonderful trip!

 

[Lesli54]

Good morning Pearlieq! I am sure that the weather here isn't as nice as you will be experiencing down in WDW.

Yesterday looked like a great day for you! Have fun taking on the World and update us when you get a chance.

 

[goldcupmom]

Hope you have (are having) a GREAT TRIP!!!

You DID IT!!!

YIPPEE!!!!!

 

[rcyannacci]

Have a fantastic trip! We'll look forward to hearing about it when you return!

 

[mking624]

I hope you're having a SPLENDID vacation at WDW!!!! Can't wait to hear all about it!!

 

[TPCShauna]

I'm sorry I've been MIA! Congrats on reaching your goal. Have a simply fabu time at WDW and tell us all about it when you get back!!!

Happy to you!

 

[pearlieq]

5/1/05 - Lost in Orlando

7:00am

--1 Egg McMuffin

Our traditional airport breakfast.

9:30

--1 bagel stick filled with cream cheese

The snack offered on the plane. It was actually pretty tasty, and not too bad for me. The flight was nice. We took Spirit Plus seating on the way down and it was well worth the extra money. I liked being first on the plane, first off the plane, extra beverage and snack service, and not having to worry that there wouldn't be room for our carryons. We're thinking about upgrading on the way home.

1:30pm

--1/2 All American sandwich (turkey, cheddar, cranberry sauce, and ranch)
--1/2 Cannonball sandwich (meatballs, marinara, and provolone
--1/2 bag of barbecued potato chips
--1/2 banana

Just a tip for everyone--if you're renting a car, join Quicksilver, Emerald Aisle, or whatever the appropriate program is where you get to bypass the line! We got stuck in Alamo's line for almost an hour! Once we were on our way, things were fine. We got lost for the first of many times on our way out of the airport. I didn't notice the sign for exit 1B out of the airport so we had to circle around again to make sure we caught the right one. Oh well! We stopped by OKW and checked in, but our room wasn't ready, so we headed over to DTD. Wall to wall people there! We had to stalk someone for a parking space, then shuffle our way over to Earl of Sandwich for lunch. The line there was truly impressive--I think it took over 20 minutes for our sandwiches, but it was the height of lunch rush. The food was delicious and we were starving so it was wonderful to eat. We tried to shop a little, but the crowds were just overwhelming so we bailed out pretty quickly.

5:45pm

--2 cheddarwursts
--1 cup baked beans
--1 apple

After leaving DTD, we decided to go out and try to find a grocery store. We had planned to go to SuperTarget and get a full week's worth of groceries to make the whole week's worth of healthy meals I had planned. We lost ambition pretty fast and set out to find the first store that sold Doritos. We wandered out by the Mariott World Center and on to 192, and actually wound up at the SuperTarget without a clue as to how we got there. We rallied a bit when we got there and got a good stock of healthy food, minus the cheddarwursts. DH really wanted those and I indulged him. It was a high calorie which wasn't very satisfying, and I paid for it later, but oh well...

I called on the way back from Target and got our room number at OKW. I could tell from the first time we pulled in that I'm not an OKW kind of gal. It's more condo and I'm more hotel. I think we'll be spending most of our time in the future at BWV, BCV, and VWL. This is not to say I'm having a bad time--it perfectly adequate, just not my cup of tea. Our room is certainly large and well-equipped. I'm sure we'll be quite comfortable here for the week. I can see some upkeep/maintenace issues--it's not dirty, but it's not spotless, and I can see wear in the carpet and bathroom. We were lucky and got a room very close to the Hospitality House, so everything is very convenient, though we're kind of in a wooded area and I'm meeting a little more of the local wildlife than I really wanted to. Like I said, I'm a hotel gal...

After dinner we took a walk around the resort and took a dip in the pool. I was really impressed with the pool--it's good sized and the slide looks like fun. Either there isn't a hot tub or I missed it--I really hope there is one.

7:30pm

--1/2 order benigets

Or however that's spelled... We decided to try DTD again, and it was much less crowded. It's not overly warm--mid 80's so far--but it's very humid and it looked like the rain was finally going to come. We looked for the Disney Home store, but I think that closed and was replaced by Goofy's Candy Co. We made it through Once Upon a Toy and World of Disney, but didn't see too much that jumped out at us. I got a new antenna topper and DH coveted a windbreaker, but passed for now. I think we'll go back later in the week--I want to find a new T-shirt to work out in. What a way to stay motivated, eh?

This is the first time we ever rented a car, and I'm really, really glad we did it. I love having the freedom to go wherever and whenver we want. We were done with DTD but didn't want to go back yet, so we decided to do some resort hopping. The first place we went was POFQ--I was really impressed. It's very pretty and I liked the theming, size, and pool a lot. I would definitely stay there someday. We tried the benigets--they were OK, not that great. I don't know why I kept eating them. They had a strong taste--they were either overly floury or the oil was a little stale.

Next stop was POR. It wasn't really our style and we cut out pretty quickly. We were hungry again (or at least had the munchies again--that's what we get for over-carbing at WDW) and decided to head to POP to look around and get some food. We saw a great deal of WDW property while looking for POP--it's really not clearly marked. I thought it was an Epcot area resort, so we headed that way, only to wind up actually in Epcot! We turned around and headed toward the AK area and finally stumbled on the right path.

8:40pm

--1 regular cheeseburger w/ketchup
--1/2 oz goldfish crackers
--1/2 packet baby carrots
--1 cup vegetable lomein
--1 cup frozen coke

I'm not sure how I feel about this. One the one hand, I was really happy--almost giddy-happy. It felt so good to be on vacation and not worry about the rules, especially because I generally follow some pretty tight rules at home. I'm OK with the idea that I'm on vacation and I should be able to have what I want--I don't think it's unreasonable to follow the rules for 50 weeks out of the year at home and indulge while on vacation. On the other hand, I wish I was perfect. I don't think this week is going to turn out quite how I planned, but I'm OK with that. The world won't end if I break even or even <gasp!> gain a pound or two while on vacation.

I am having trouble dealing with the DH pressure. He eats a lot more, and more often than I do, and it's hard to say no and hard to pass things up as he's having them. He's interested in being healthier, but not very committed and not yet willing to make sacrifices for the effort. I'm going to have to remember that I need to make the best choices for myself, regardless of what he wants to do.

For the rest of the week, my game plan is to avoid sugar soda (I got a little carried away last night when I noticed they had frozen coke at the beverage station, though at least I stopped at 1 cup), split things with DH as much as possible, avoid unnecessary food/side dishes that are just there (like the goldfish last night--they came with the lo-mein, I didn't really want them), eat one meal at a time in small/kids portions (the lomein really wasn't necessary on top of the cheeseburger. I need to pick one or the other), and to relax and enjoy myself. There has got to be a way to have fun within reason. The rules will still be there when I get home.

 

[Lesli54]

I debated on posting every day while you were away, decided not to, but then I thought I would let you know what you are missing back here in IL. Or maybe not.

It was SNOWING this morning! At least down here, maybe not in Chicago. Very odd weather, because it is 42 degrees, but now the sun is coming out like it is a beautiful day. But the wind is biting cold.

That oughta make you feel better about being on vacation.

Talk to you soon.

 

[pearlieq]

5/2/05 - It's snowing there?!?

7:30am

--1 c. Stonyfield farm lowfat plain yogurt
--1 c. Raisin Bran

I forgot to mention on the update for yesterday, but the SuperTarget was so cheap! Much better than home--their prices were equivalent to what a good sale price would be at home. Couldn't find any cases of soda, though, which I though was strange--only 12-packs.

We had an awesome morning at Epcot. They changed the schedule and it was EMH there this morning, so we managed to drag our sorry bones out of bed for that. DH, who will henceforth be known as Pokey McSlowenstien , was not a help, but we did get to the gates pretty much right as they opened. We headed right for Soarin and got right on. It was as breathtaking as I remember from our trip to DCA! It's such a gentle, beautiful ride--a real winner. The queue (which is very long!) is supposed to be themed as different airports, including LAX, Charles de Gaulle, and O'Hare. We didn't recognize it until we got to the O'Hare section. We went again immediately afterwards and then grabbed a fastpass to return in about an hour. We then made our way over to Test Track and jumped in the standby line for a spin. Posted time was 15 minutes but we were on in 5. It was a lot of fun to do the outdoor portion first thing in the morning. We headed back and did Soarin again (tip: if you can, try for Row 1--it has the only unobstructed view--in other rows you will see the bottom of the screen and feet dangling down. It doesn't ruin the ride, but you don't feel as immersed as you do in row 1). After that we headed toward The Living Seas to see Turtle Talk with Crush. It's such a cute show, and I like the addition of Dory--her bit is short but cute. We were planning on hitting Spaceship Earth, but the morning wait hadn't died down yet, and we couldn't see the sense of waiting 30 minutes when most of the time you can walk right on.

11:50pm

--1 bite vegetable beef soup
--1 vegetable burger on a large (and heavenly!) white bun with tomato
--1/2 mini cheesecake
--1/2 mini chocolate mousse

After leaving Epcot, we went to Guest Relations to pick up our DDE letter. We signed up a few weeks ago, but they had stopped emailing letters and now wanted you to pick them up at Epcot Guest Relations. I wasn't thrilled about it, but oh well. We passed the time in line chatting with a nice man who was there with his wife and two kids. They looked like a sweet family. When we finally go to the window--no letter! The lady tried to tell us they had nothing to do with it and to call the DDE office, but I wasn't having it. I insisted she contact them and though it took her many, many phone calls and about 20 minutes, she got them to fax over a letter. It seems the DDE pickup is really causing a lot of problems for them--apparently several people have shown up and there wasn't a letter for them. I feel bad for the people in the office, but there was no way I was leaving that window without my letter!

After all that was sorted we drove over to GF for Lunch I. My brother is coming in late today, and we're planning on eating dinner with him, so we figured we're going to need both an early and late lunch. Lunch II will be around 5 or so... I had forgotten that the DDE card gets you free valet parking, but remembered in time to take advantage of it at GF. That's such a wonderful perk! The got us right in at the GF cafe, and it was a wonderful lunch as usual. The veggie burger was fabulous--it was supposed to be chickpeas, herbs, and bulgur wheat. The flavor was very delicate and well-blended--I loved it. The little mini-desserts were awesome too--perfect little sweet treats just right for sharing. I really liked our lunch. We took a spin on the monorail afterwards, then headed back here to the room to chill for a while. DH is fast asleep on the couch--I think I'm going to go try out the weight room.

Side note: I just found out it's snowing at home! Wow! It's supposed to rain all week here, but I'll take that over snow!! Stay warm, folks!!!

6:15pm

--1/2 taco salad (chicken, tomato, lettuce, salsa, shredded cheese)
--1 cup fettucine alfredo
--1 small chocolate chip cookie
--1 cup Edy's soft serve

The fettucine was DH's, but somehow my fork found it's way in there a few times...

We had a nice afternoon. I did some weightlifting, then we went over to the Pepper Market for dinner and The Dig Site to swim. My brother should be here very soon!

9:45pm

--1/2 cup baked beans
--1 cheddarwurst
--2 pieces whole wheat toast
--1 packet Butterine
--2 T strawberry jelly

I couldn't resist a late meal. Gotta love that Butterine--the Disney staple...

My brother got in safe and sound, and is looking great! He's lost about 40 pounds in the last few months and he seems very happy about it. I'm going to turn in for the night soon--we're off to MK in the morning!!!

 

[Lesli54]

Yes, there was some snow, but it didn't amount to anything and it is gone here. At least for now. With that lake effect from Chicago, who knows at your house?

Glad you are having a good time. Actually, you look like you are pacing yourself fairly well on the food. Keep up the good work and don't forget to have fun!

 

[Strings]

Thank you so much for posting whle you are there. It is the perfect cure for my Disneyitis.

Enjoy yourself.

Beth

 

[toystoryduo]

Hi pearlieq!

Thanks for posting about your trip while you are at WDW. Like Beth said, it does help cure "Disneyitis".

Have a great day tomorrow!

 

[rcyannacci]

Oh, I'm so excited you're posting while on your trip!!! I have to go to school right now (turning in grades for the semester!!!!), but I'll look forward to reading this tonight!

Have a great, magical day at WDW!!!

 

[Clare]

Hi pearlieq!
I'm so glad you are having fun! But one of your earlier posts has me thinking about Maggiano's lemon cookies.....I want one (or six.....) right now!!

Enjoy yourself & don't feel bad about indulging! You're on vacation after all.

 

[Lesli54]

Good morning Pearlieq! It was a record low last night. There was actually frost on the car window this morning! Aren't you glad that you are in FL?

Hope you have fun today and looking forward to your post.

 

[pearlieq]

5/3/05

8:20am

--3/4 c. raisin bran
--1 c. lowfat yogurt
--1 small banana

Off to MK this morning! We decided to drive instead of take the bus--I honestly say that that convenience-wise it's 6 one way and half a dozen the other. I did take the ferry for the first time, though, so that was at least something new. We went to Buzz first, which was fun but definitely needing some rehab--more of the cars needed to be stripped and repainted, and a lot of the cars were broken. After Buzz we worked our way around counter-clockwise stopping at the teacups--to be continued later. Off to rent a boat!

11:00am

--1/2 cup Dole Whip

OK, back again! After the teacups we took a spin on Peter Pan, Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain, and Pirates of the Caribbean. We stopped for a Dole Whip (split 3 ways) and then made our way back to Tomorrowland for another spin on Buzz. There was a line so we grabbed a Fastpass and went on TTA and CoP while we were waiting. After our last turn on Buzzy we headed out for lunch.

1:15pm

--1 cup cooked vegetables
--1/3 cup marinara sauce
--1 small slice cheese pizza
--1/4 cup macaroni & cheese
--1 T corn
--2 slices of watermelon
--1/4 cup ham and beans

Trails End for lunch. It was tasty, but there wasn't much selection. I mostly went because DH loves it. After lunch we made the trip back to the car--long trip... We went out to pick up a perscription for my brother--we tried to stop at a CVS pharmacy, only it turned out they DON'T FILL PERSCRIPTIONS!!! What on Earth is that about?

3:50pm

--2 small whole wheat rolls
--3oz shredded ham and turkey
--1 slice cheddar cheese
--1 apple
--2 pretzel rods

After we got back we hung around the resort for a while. We rented a paddleboat and then played some shuffleboard. It was nice and relaxing.

7:30pm

--1/3 lasagna
--1 South Beach bar
--1 3/4 cup green beans

Dinner in our room. Next time I don't think we'll buy too much food--I much prefer going out--this feels almost like a punishment. I think we'll head to PI tonight if the rain holds off. I know my bro is itching to play pool!

 

[goldcupmom]

sounds like you are having a GREAT time! Enjoy every minute!