ABCs of a Nursing School Grad Trip + FL Keys Mini Report;D is for: Dang! Last Chapter of this TR...

[HumblePie]

What an amazing experience!

 

[franandaj]

You two do know that's my kid you're talking about right?

I was the one who said we had to set a good example!

 

[afwdwfan]

Alas, it was not to be, and you know what?! I was TOTALLY okay with that. I have done many solo vacations and have spent a lot of time by myself just doing my thing, and I am truly, completely comfortable in my own company.

I could handle that myself.

All Guests - Proper attire is required.

Men - Sport coat or suit jacket with slacks or dress pants; tie is optional.

Women - Cocktail dress, evening dress or elegant separates, such as a pantsuit or skirt and blouse.

Casual attire, such as jeans, shorts, capris, sandals, flip-flops or athletic shoes, is not permitted."

And that's why I've never been there. Way too classy for me!

I found yet one more reason to wear my tiara. Who doesn’t love a tiara? (guys, I’ll allow you to skip that question.)

It's probably for the best.

We continued to talk and I told her I was going to a very special dinner, so I wanted to look like a princess too. Of allllll the magical things I experienced over the course of the evening, her telling me that I did was the best of all.

Awwwwww...

Awesome picture!

I was greeted and introduced to my, not one, but two, servers, Sharon, and some other guy.

I like his name. Easy to remember.

The next course after that afforded my only slight faux pas of the night.

Your only slight faux pas??? Oh my, I could only imagine how many I'd have. I wouldn't know the first thing about the proper way to eat most of those dishes.

When the roasted duck course was served, Sharon presented me with the Red Wine of the Sommolier’s choice, a Pinot Noir, from right here in the Willamette Valley- the varietal we are famous for.

Well how about that! You fly across the country to drink some wine from home. I guess if they're serving it in V&A's that only confirms how good the stuff in your backyard really is.

Easy enough. Did my potty thing, used the linen guest towels, wiped with gold leafing, and then…..




Got lost trying to find my table again.

In my defense, once you get past the dining room, it’s a bit of a maze back there and I wasn’t paying any attention when I left my seat as I passed the chocolate truffle cart and got a little.... distracted.

Ok, I'll give you that one. I'm easily distracted by chocolate too.

Sharon went WAY above and beyond at this point and offered to take my phone to the kitchen and get pictures of all the labels from the 5 selections I would be tasting.

Wow. That's some great documentation. I just hope you don't lose your phone since you don't back things up to the cloud.

Now, I’m gonna be honest. I started to peter out right about the middle of the cheeses. JUST. TOO. MUCH. Too much food. Too much wine. Too full!!!!

NEVER!!!

I know good coffee when I taste it. This was not good coffee. It was GREAT coffee, brewed using a method I’ve never seen before.

I don't know good coffee let alone great. In fact, I'd argue that it doesn't exist.

<This is where things get really, REALLY COOL, People!>

And just when I thought the evening was about to end.

I turned to the first gentleman and he exclaimed (a bit loudly in heavy brogue), “I blimey just invited the family to dinner!”

Well how about that for a random family reunion! So why did they invite you over? Did they think you looked lonely? Did they like your henna? Did they somehow just know you had some Scottish blood?

In addition to the check, she handed me a black embossed bag with my personalized menu, a box of 5 assorted truffles and a long-stemmed red rose. Normally, each guest would choose their truffles from a cart wheeled tableside, but wisely they chose to let our conversation continue without interruption. Again, attention to detail and impeccable service.

Excellent service. She's a good one! Although I'm sure they all are.

SEE?! I found my monorail home no problem!

Cool picture! The monorail looks as blurry to us as it did to you!

 

[Steppesister]

Yes it does. I don't think we have anything similar here. Maybe zero contract hours but we have strict employment laws where the employer must offer benefits.

Interesting. I dunno, I'd hate to see my employer having to pay full benefits for me, when right now, I'm only working a (very) few hours a week. Just not good for the business, and without the business turning a profit, I wouldn't have a job at all. Someday, maybe I'll go to PT status, but that would obligate me to work and I'd not have time to travel like I want to. This Africa thing could actually turn into a multiple trip deal. So we'll see....

Wow Victoria and Alberts! What an amazing experience and what a beautiful princess you were that night. How neat wearing a tiara.

Thanks, Polly! It was just beautiful- everything about the evening was so spectacular. I always seem to find at least one occasion at Disney to wear a tiara.

That little girl you made friends with beyond cute.

Beyond. Just too adorbs!

I have often wondered if it was worth the price tag sounds amazing. Caviar.. The service.. Smoke duck! That presentation. Nice touch to bring you a garment when you were cold.

The caviar alone was probably a good $20 of the bill. At least. Very mild, not fishy AT ALL. Mmmm!

The whole evening was definitely eye candy, from the atmosphere to the food.

How nice the Scots asked for the pleasure of your company and you could trade names!

RIGHT!? So fun!

Loved reading your report on V & A.

Thanks! I really had a LOT of fun writing it!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

For those of you who might be unfamiliar with Vic and Al’s

Or who will never, ever set foot in there...

I mean how many times in my life will I drop almost $350 on dinner for one?

One more time than I will!

Alas, it was not to be, and you know what?! I was TOTALLY okay with that. I have done many solo vacations and have spent a lot of time by myself just doing my thing, and I am truly, completely comfortable in my own company.

Glad you could make the best of it. It would have been cool to have a partner.

"Please prepare for your unforgettable evening by reviewing Victoria & Albert’s dress code.

All Guests - Proper attire is required.

Men - Sport coat or suit jacket with slacks or dress pants; tie is optional.

Women - Cocktail dress, evening dress or elegant separates, such as a pantsuit or skirt and blouse.

Casual attire, such as jeans, shorts, capris, sandals, flip-flops or athletic shoes, is not permitted."

PANTS?! Forget it, I'm out.

I found yet one more reason to wear my tiara. Who doesn’t love a tiara? (guys, I’ll allow you to skip that question.)

Whew! Dodged a bullet there.

I mean who wears a formal dress, gold heels, and a tiara when they’re at Disney unless they are about to do something pretty dang special?

Not me! I mean, not anymore.

She asked her mom and dad if she could sit with “her new friend”. This sweet little girl, 7 years old, wanted to sit by me! Awwwww!

We arrived at the platform and had to part ways. She was just about to the door, but suddenly turned around and ran back to me, and gave me a huge, giant hug. I nearly burst into tears.

Oh my goodness. So precious!

Apologies in advance for the rest of the responses. I can't help being uncultured swine.

For you wine snobs, and I know there’s a least one of you, a German Kabinett is:

“In 1971, the term Kabinett was officially noted in German wine law, and it was given its current definition which applies to wines which are light and non-chaptalized. Kabinett's current definition differs greatly from its etymological implications of it being areserve wine. Before 1971, the terms Naturwein (natural wine) orNatuerrein (naturally pure) were used in place of Kabinett. These terms designated non-chaptalized wine, where no other designations, such asSpätleseorAuslese, applied.[5] “ Thank you Wikipedia.

Yes, it was just like in the movies.

I feel like I'd need to wear a tux, order a martini (shaken, not stirred), and sit down to a game of poker with a supervillain.

Yes. Why in fact that is a mother of pearl hand carved spoon that I shall dine from.

Thanks! I was just about to ask that very thing.

If there is a food in Heaven, this is it. I’m pretty sure God Himself was in the kitchen and prepared this.

But there's no Philly cheese steak.

Hey, I recognize that! Bread!

The next course after that afforded my only slight faux pas of the night. The first fish course was the sablefish and was served with a little heap of fresh grated horseradish served on a sharkskin paddle. No idea of the significance, but there ya have it.

Is that real sharkskin? I demand proof! None of this faux sharkskin for my horseradish.

I don’t know a lot about wine actually, but I could carry this conversation well and it was fun hearing about how they compared with the French Noirs that grow in similar Laterite soils. Don’t I sound hoity-toity? LOL!

Well, you probably lasted a lot longer in that conversation than I would have!

Hey, soil! That's dirt, right? Yeah, we have some of that back home...

Did my potty thing, used the linen guest towels, wiped with gold leafing, and then…..




Got lost trying to find my table again.

I wasn’t even that juiced up, but I am CERTAIN he was like…”Sharon, cut that chick off!”

Have you ever had a dish served to you literally served IN its smoke?

Well, the Tex-Mex place brings out the fajita stuff when it's sizzling.

Ok, fine, that sounds cool.

Hey, bread!

Hidden Mickey.

Here is the presentation of the cheeses; I will spare you from the cheeses' labels.

Soft cheese, hard cheese, stinky cheese. Got it.

Yes, I ate the gold leafing:

Mmm....foilicious.

JUST. TOO. MUCH. Too much food. Too much wine. Too full!!!!

Is that possible?

I know good coffee when I taste it. This was not good coffee. It was GREAT coffee, brewed using a method I’ve never seen before. It is prepared using a vacuum method and hard to describe. Best just to see it yourself. Suffice to say, it’s a pretty cool show and quite mesmorizing.

Wow, that looks like a neat contraption. I'd be fascinated, too!

“Liesa, sorry to bother you, but the table of 4 just over there, is asking for the pleasure of your company for coffee and conversation.”.

Was it the Duke of Weaseltown?

I turned to the first gentleman and he exclaimed (a bit loudly in heavy brogue), “I blimey just invited the family to dinner!”

And it was TOTALLY worth it. TOTALLY.

All of my crass kidding aside...I'm SO glad you enjoyed this, and that it was such a highlight for you. You were looking forward to it so much, and I'm glad it met expectations. A great way to celebrate all of your hard work to get that Nursing degree. Very special!

The only thing that would have made for a more perfect evening would have been a dinner partner.

You'd need the right partner. I would have ruined the evening!

And that's why I've never been there. Way too classy for me!

C'mon, Andy, let's head back to Casey's Corner.

I don't know good coffee let alone great. In fact, I'd argue that it doesn't exist.

The trick is putting in enough sugar. Then you get coffee-flavored sugar water, and it's fantastic!

Cool picture! The monorail looks as blurry to us as it did to you!

 

[irene_dsc]

I've heard that it does mess with some people's blood pressure a bit, and their equilibrium. So that's not surprising. Have you tried Green?

I'm pretty sure we did Green on our first trip. But, that was so long ago (9 years!) I'm not absolutely positive! I also didn't react very well to most motion simulators on our last trip. I'm blaming bifocals for a lot of that, too, which wasn't an issue on our first trip!

LOL! What are 3 projects you'd love to see done?

The priorities keep changing, lol. There are a few little things, like drywall repair, including an annoying one in the kitchen where we had a leak that took us a few years to actually find and fix the leak. (When we bought the house, there was a Franklin stove in the basement, that we removed, and closed up the hole where the flue had been. In the process, there was a random nail hole, that took ages to find! In the meantime, where they patched the drywall, the tape has fallen off. It's an awkward fix, since it is above cabinets now.) We also never got our final kitchen counters or nice kitchen sink, since we bought our house at precisely the top of the market, and then didn't manage to sell our old house. Oops! We did totally redo the kitchen - just ran out of money when it came time for the counters, so we have partly cheap laminate and partly Ikea butcher block. The DIY butcher block counter is an example of why we shouldn't DIY!

Plus, we really ought to get the entire house painted. It got painted when we moved in - but it really could use a fresh coat. We've done a few little areas, and I probably *could* do it, but it has only recently been creeping to the top of the to do list.

Oh, and the kids need replacement ceiling fans. We put in a bunch of ceiling fans when we moved, and let the kids pick out the ones for their rooms. Naturally, they picked cute but cheap ones, and those are the ones that broke after just a few years.

I guess that's four, unless you lump the first two into "kitchen"!

 

[Princess Leia]

I'm coming back to comment. I need to go and help clear up after dinner and get things laid out for tomorrow, otherwise DH will be filing for divorce.

What's the small dome between the flowers and your plate?

I do believe it is a bell for summoning service. I'm certainly not getting one of them round here! Alan might use it when I go missing in action. "Coming dear!"

 

[irene_dsc]

Some evenings are magical. And some are almost perfect. This was one of those.

I'm so glad it lived up to your expectations!

Women - Cocktail dress, evening dress or elegant separates, such as a pantsuit or skirt and blouse.

That, I could actually pull off.

It is no doubt my favorite photo of the entire trip.

That was adorable!

Here is my personalized menu to guide you through the courses:

So cool! And rather than keep repeating myself, I will settle with simply letting you know that everything looked absolutely delicious and gorgeous, and I will probably never be able to convince myself to spend that much money on one meal!

 

[Steppesister]

Just a tad late... but trying to catch up!

A pkondz is never late. He arrives precisely when he means to.

I was thinking... "Maybe I should get one?"

So this morning, just for fun, I decided to see how much one would set me back.

Um....

I saw to split windows (which, believe it or not, are not my thing.) and a 56 red and white one (which is) and....

The cheap one was $130,000....


So.... no.

As much as I'd love a silver '63 with the splits, I'd gladly take a $56,000 stock 2017 in red.

You can afford that for me, right?

Did you pick some up after all?

No. Sadly, I didn't.

Yeah....
But... hopefully in the middle??

I will give this another try.

Ok, fine. I'll give it another try. But I'm totes gonna ask for the middle.

Funny how time seems to stop in those situations.

There are others as well.

Like when you can find your way back to your seat. And the entire restaurant, you're sure, is staring at you.

So.. no waves of relief washing over you? Really?

Maybe a tinge. Maybe.

Sounds like a real character.

You have no idea.

That's those gps tiles, right? I should do that too... hmmmm..... where do you get them?

I'm not sure. When you find out, could you let me know?

Well, now I want to see your phone to see just what sort of naughty things are on there that you don't want on the Cloud.

Me? Surely not!

<quickly deletes browsing history>

No. At least I wouldn't. This is why.
"Pkondz paces back and forth... 'Where could she be??' Maybe I got the time wrong. Maybe she did. Maybe she got delayed. Maybe I'm in the wrong spot. Maybe..... Oh! There she is! Yay! Hi Liesa!"
And I'm too happy to see the person I'm waiting for to even remember all the angst.

You're a very kind gentleman.

(Kinda wishing it hadn't been.)

Oops!!! Spoke too soon up there^. You're evil, you know.

Two pretty ladies.

Aw shucks.

Not in pockets? So... in the bag... which you left behind?

... which has actually been done a time or two...

And you did... and successfully too.

YES I DID!!!!!!! WOOT!

I can already taste my Canadian Choco!!

Be jealous... be very jealous.

You don't ACTUALLY picture me as a biker chick.

(do you? )

Kitchen remodel done!

Speaking of which... I just got my bid back this morning and it came in $1400 less than I'd budgeted for!!

Hey, that's almost enough to go to Disney!!!

I'll take full credit when you show off your new kitchen.

Alright, I'll credit you.

 

[Steppesister]

Really! Hadn't heard of that.
I'm a little surprised.... That flies in the face of freedom of expression, doesn't it?

Well..... uh.... Wow! Aren't the DISboards great!

Well yeah, a little, but....

THEY ARE! I mean they can be, when it's not crashing and freezing in the middle of responding. And when it's not between 0100 and 0300.

You two do know that's my kid you're talking about right?

Sorry, Ponzi, we (ok, I!) was just kidding. We will indeed try to be on our best behavior and keep our shenanigans to a minimum. Better?

You v & a meal sounds amazing. We did V & A for our anniversary 2 years in a row. Both were out of this world experiences. We didn't get to pick out truffles either time.

Thanks, lj!!! Such an incredible experience. One I'd actually do again, in fact. Hmmm... just maybe I will. I don't know if the truffles cart was a new thing since you've been? I know the table next to me took quite a while choosing- very amusing to watch. LOL!

I remember the looks we got in the bus from SSR going to MK.

Fun, huh! Almost as good as sauntering past the Stand by line with a FiP!

 

[Steppesister]

So glad to hear that you had a wonderful time.

I do remember that call. I would gladly have accompanied you if I'd been able to go then.

There were actually a couple of folks who seriously considered it. Maybe someday I'll go with someone I know.

Meh. We see people in toques up here all the time.

The only one I saw was on Chef, who came to the table sometime around the 2nd red meat course. Very nice guy!!

Ditto... but... not for years and well... definitely not Ruby's cup of tea.

Nor Mike's. Honestly, I think it's a unique kind of dining that not everyone would be comfortable in. Totally okay. More ADRs available for the rest of us.

I know that feeling.
I usually say I'm my own best entertainment.

I enjoy my solo trips a lot. Trips with friends are the best, but solo is very nice too.

What? Dress pants? What's wrong with a classic sport coat and jeans????

Fine. I'll pack pants if I ever do this (not likely to do that solo, though... and Ruby's probably not going to go to WDW any time soon and definitely would feel super uncomfortable doing this, so.... )
At least I can wear my runners.

Because those are business casual. This is... not.

Dang it!

Sorry.

That's not dressing up. That's costuming.
Must admit... I prefer costumes to dressing up...


Then again... I seldom get the chance.

It's dressing up if you actually intend to use the costume for what's it's intended. ie. Ballroom dancing.

And no, just not a lot of opportunity nowadays to costume.

I'm seriously considering going to a Dapper Days sometime in the next few years. I've wanted to do that for A LONG time!

You go on ahead without me.

If you insist.

Don't understand.... it takes someone 10 minutes? Slow. Huh.

I hate that I WAY overguessed on your Contest. Might cost me chocolate. I mean I went with (yes, I actually took time to calculate and do the math) an average of 7 minutes per wait for your 19(?) trips. Factoring in the time you already gave us on the front end. Sadly, I forgot to consider it was... you I was calculating for.

Ah. So if Disney said "Mrs. Buren, we would like to take you to dinner in our Cinderella carriage." You'd be "Nah. I'm good. I prefer the monorail."

Got it.

Well, actually, yes. No one can see you all dressed in that thing.

This is really nice... and.. I'm a bit jealous.
You can get away with that. If I had a little kid come up to me and engage me like that, the parents would be looking at me suspiciously the whole time.
I try to keep a distance as a result. Makes spreading pixie dust a bit problematic.

And that is understandable. It makes me incredibly sad that a few rotten apples have messed this up for some really great men. Sad.

And I totally see why. That's not only a great memory, but it's an excellent photo.

Yes, to both! I was blown away by the fact that it's a quick snapshot on a cell phone. Just pure dumb luck I guess.

Beautiful.... I've never been.

It's a very quiet, sedate, peaceful space worth pausing in for even a few minutes.

In pkondz's hustle and bustle trips, I doubt I'll ever have the chance to do this.

Slow down. Stop. Smell the lobbies' roses..... Feel that? It's called vacation and RESTING!

Question. I noticed you are not wearing your MB. Did you have it with you in a purse? Or how did they know you?

It was in my bag. Just felt weird about wearing it with a rhinestone tennis bracelet.

So that's what it takes!

Tuxes or jeans... equally sexy. I mean knowing your lady's name certainly helps too...

Very pretty. What's the small dome between the flowers and your plate?

I believe it was a bell for summoning service. I never needed it! There was always someone very nearby to see to my needs.

Is this a foreign language? No idea what you just quoted.

I had to do some further research, because I'm kinda nerdy like that. I didn't know what chaptalizing was until I looked it up. Now I know!

Now that I would do.

I'm happy with a good rib eye, so the even BETTER beef is lost on me.

I actually had to go back up.
"Wait a sec... she said personalized."

Sure enough... your name... and a personal congratulations! Nice touch!

I was wondering if anyone would actually catch that or not. Yes!!!! I truly was PERSONALIZED! My name, my occasion. Just too cool for school. I'm glad I got this, I was looking at my photos and had no idea anymore what half the stuff I even ate was. But yes, one more detail not lost on V&As.

I've done that once.

You have?! I"ve never done other 5 Diamonds before. We came close once in Dubai, but turned it down in lieu of a sand duning excursion with a belly dancing dinner show set up in the dunes. That was pretty cool too.

I'm not a fan of horseradish... but then again, I've never had fresh.

This was very light. Almost like finely chopped green onions, kinda.

Oh, really! Who knew more? Him or you?

Him. By a long shot. I've learned most of what I know about wine from my neighbor- the WVV wine rep who actually sells to Disney (and is there right now schmoozing with the proprietor/chef/steward of Artist Point and a couple of other places). We do a lot of wine chat over cards and it's free unlimited wine if I cook. Sweet deal, if you ask me.

My wine knowledge comes in two packages. "I like that." and "I don't like that."

I think everyone has that same level. Well most. Some only have, "I don't like that."

Sure you weren't.... Sure, Liesa....

Nope, 2 glasses is still in my "I'm still doing ok." realm.

Of course when you add in stumbling around drunk to the equation....

I was in heels. And still on them. So....

No. Way!

That is COOL!
Never seen that. Or even heard of it.

I KNOW!! I was pretty... impressed.

This right there. Totally impressed. I've never heard of a restaurant doing that.

Me neither. I think of all the special touches, this was certainly the most classy!

But... was there one (or more) that you noted the label and want to buy?

Hmmm.... hang on...



Those were my two favorites. I love hard and soft cheeses alike, and enjoy a stinky cheese if paired well, but the soft cheeses are my favorite.

Get out! That never happens to me.

Well, it had never happened to me either!

What are the odds?!?!?!?

SLIM. Very, VERY slim.

And so weird!

Now that's funny!

It was so funny. I about died laughing.

So you went alone... but wound up with company after all.
Best of all worlds.

Definitely made the evening a bit more enjoyable in the end.

Not bad actually. I would've expected worse (as in more.)

It was a bit more than it actually HAD to be. 4 glasses of wine and that tip was quite possibly quite a bit more than it needed to be.

Definitely sounds like a life highlight, not just a Disney one.

It was indeed.

Uh, huh.... ".... and Liesa was found the next morning, snoring quietly in the lobby... at the wrong resort."

I always wanted to stay at the GF. But somehow the Poly was very comfortable.

I am so happy this turned out so well for you.

Thanks, my friend. Thanks.

 

[Steppesister]

Amazing experience Liesa!

It really was, Karilynn. Just spectacular!

What an amazing experience!

VERY! If you like fine dining, this is definitely something to do at least once!

I was the one who said we had to set a good example!

See? You're so much better behaved than I am, Alison!!

 

[Steppesister]

I could handle that myself.

For those of us who've done solo trips, I think we'd all agree, it's a great way to go if you don't want to be tied down to too many opinions on how to spend time and money. I love not having to be anywhere except where I want to be when I want to be there. HOWEVER, given the RIGHT company, others around make for a pretty awesome time too. Very different dynamic; equally fun.

And that's why I've never been there. Way too classy for me!

Oh come on. I'll bet you clean up pretty well, Andy!

It's probably for the best.

Really? Shoot! I was hoping to get at least ONE photo of the guys wearing theirs.

Awesome picture!

Isn't it! And I don't mean that because I'm in it! She's is just too adorable and it turned out really nicely for a crappy cell phone camera.

I like his name. Easy to remember.

I really had to think long and hard what to name him.

Your only slight faux pas??? Oh my, I could only imagine how many I'd have. I wouldn't know the first thing about the proper way to eat most of those dishes.

Lesson #1: Chew with your mouth closed.

(I hope I did that!)

Well how about that! You fly across the country to drink some wine from home. I guess if they're serving it in V&A's that only confirms how good the stuff in your backyard really is.

We do REALLY well at only a couple of varietals. Pinot Noir is one. It also happens to be a favourite, so it was win-win.

Ok, I'll give you that one. I'm easily distracted by chocolate too.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

Wow. That's some great documentation. I just hope you don't lose your phone since you don't back things up to the cloud.

OH, fine, rub it in Andy. I'll bet it's like nothing to level up. I should just pull the trigger and do it. Then again, my passwords.... .Hmmmm, still nervous.

I don't know good coffee let alone great. In fact, I'd argue that it doesn't exist.

That's ok. I feel the same way about beer. Every kind. Every form. Just. NO.

And just when I thought the evening was about to end.

Ohhhh, the tricks I have up my sleeve.

Well how about that for a random family reunion! So why did they invite you over? Did they think you looked lonely? Did they like your henna? Did they somehow just know you had some Scottish blood?

You know that's actually a good question! And one I'm not entirely sure I can answer.

There was only one other solo diner in there, and he/she left before me. Maybe they saw that I was alone and thought it'd be a nice gesture? Maybe they felt sorry for me? Maybe I actually was chewing with my mouth closed and wasn't an uncultured swine and they could? I dunno. I'm REALLY happy they did, though!

Excellent service. She's a good one! Although I'm sure they all are.

Everyone was very attentive; very classy and smooth.

Cool picture! The monorail looks as blurry to us as it did to you!

LOL! I was walking a straight line, though!

 

[Steppesister]

Or who will never, ever set foot in there...

It was the pants part, wasn't it?

One more time than I will!

More stinky cheese for me!

Glad you could make the best of it. It would have been cool to have a partner.

I tried. Maybe again sometime... I think if I resort to bribing...

PANTS?! Forget it, I'm out.

I KNEW IT!

Whew! Dodged a bullet there.

Oh come on! If Tim can post a photo of him with a whip (naturally provided by me) you can post one of your tiara. Hmmm.... this gives me ideas for my Contest Prize! (How are you feeling about winning now, eh?)

Not me! I mean, not anymore.

Plantar facsiitis catching up to ya?

Oh my goodness. So precious!

She was just so cute and sweet. Disney... ahh..... creating princesses daily.

Apologies in advance for the rest of the responses. I can't help being uncultured swine.

You said it...

I feel like I'd need to wear a tux, order a martini (shaken, not stirred), and sit down to a game of poker with a supervillain.

You know what. I'd never play poker with you. You've taken stats, I'm sure multiple classes of it, and would clean my clock badly, I'm afraid. (Actually I have too, but I still suck at it.)

Thanks! I was just about to ask that very thing.

Too bad pocketing Disney property is frowned upon.

But there's no Philly cheese steak.

I love me a Philly just as much as I love gold-leafed choco. I'll bet Hunnel could deconstruct the CRAP out of a Philly and make it look like gourmet delectibles.

Is that real sharkskin? I demand proof! None of this faux sharkskin for my horseradish.

Honestly, Mark, it looked like anything made of plastic, so I have no idea how gullible I am in this dept.

Well, you probably lasted a lot longer in that conversation than I would have!

Hey, soil! That's dirt, right? Yeah, we have some of that back home...

Funny, you engineers are the same way you know. We regularly have a conversation that goes something like this:

"Hey, that's a nice new bridge they put in."

"You mean the flyover on 217?"

"Yeah, I like it."

"You DO know that's referred to as a 'structure', right?"

"Whatever. Dirt...Soil. All the same stuff..."

"No, honey...."

<huge eyeroll>

Well, the Tex-Mex place brings out the fajita stuff when it's sizzling.

Ok, fine, that sounds cool.

You should suggest a glass dome for the skillets and you could safe about $300 for a classy meal too.

Hidden Mickey.

Wrong.

2 Hidden Mickeys.

Mmm....foilicious.

Watch your mouth!

Is that possible?

In this case? Yes. I can stop at 15 Casey Corn dog nuggets. Those are only $10. This was not something I could show restraint in. Too much cash on the line.

Wow, that looks like a neat contraption. I'd be fascinated, too!

My brain nearly exploded trying to figure out the physics of the silly thing.

Was it the Duke of Weaseltown?

I'll steal pkondz's thunder and guess he'd reply with:

"That's Weselton to YOU!"

All of my crass kidding aside...I'm SO glad you enjoyed this, and that it was such a highlight for you. You were looking forward to it so much, and I'm glad it met expectations. A great way to celebrate all of your hard work to get that Nursing degree. Very special!

Thanks, Mark. It was very special for sure.

You'd need the right partner. I would have ruined the evening!

Or made it more funny without pants on.

C'mon, Andy, let's head back to Casey's Corner.

Don't forget your Gas-X.

The trick is putting in enough sugar. Then you get coffee-flavored sugar water, and it's fantastic!

Gross.

 

[pkondz]

I was the one who said we had to set a good example!

Uh, huh......

Cool picture! The monorail looks as blurry to us as it did to you!

Was it the Duke of Weaseltown?

That's Weselton!

I do believe it is a bell for summoning service. I'm

Oh!! Really! I wouldn't think that would be required with two servers. Huh.

I'm certainly not getting one of them round here! Alan might use it when I go missing in action. "Coming dear!"

A pkondz is never late. He arrives precisely when he means to.

While true. I don't advertise it.

That would be beneath me.

It would be tantamount to my saying I am amazing.


While also true, it would be in poor taste for me to say it.

As much as I'd love a silver '63 with the splits, I'd gladly take a $56,000 stock 2017 in red.

You can afford that for me, right?

That's it? Hmmmm.......


("That's it" 'cause I have that much just lying around... )

Ok, fine. I'll give it another try. But I'm totes gonna ask for the middle.

Like when you can find your way back to your seat. And the entire restaurant, you're sure, is staring at you.

Oh, come on. No one would ever do that!

I'm not sure. When you find out, could you let me know?

'cause I ain't got nothin' else going on right now!

https://www.thetileapp.com/?opt=SEM&gclid=CJndlbPj29ECFcOCswodfE8NKQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

<quickly deletes browsing history>

You're a very kind gentleman

Nah. That's just for show.
The real me is simply horrid.

Oops!!! Spoke too soon up there^. You're evil, you know.

There it is. See? Toldja.

... which has actually been done a time or two...

whoops!

YES I DID!!!!!!! WOOT!

I can already taste my Canadian Choco!!

Long way to go still!

You don't ACTUALLY picture me as a biker chick.

(do you? )

Nah... That's Alison.

Speaking of which... I just got my bid back this morning and it came in $1400 less than I'd budgeted for!!

Hey, that's almost enough to go to Disney!!!

Nice! How about March?

Alright, I'll credit you

 

[Steppesister]

I'm pretty sure we did Green on our first trip. But, that was so long ago (9 years!) I'm not absolutely positive! I also didn't react very well to most motion simulators on our last trip. I'm blaming bifocals for a lot of that, too, which wasn't an issue on our first trip!

I think mine's gotten a LOT worse since having kids. I don't know WHAT got messed up there (aside from my free time), just know that something changed. I wonder if taking off the glasses would help. I'll try that next time.

The priorities keep changing, lol. There are a few little things, like drywall repair, including an annoying one in the kitchen where we had a leak that took us a few years to actually find and fix the leak. (When we bought the house, there was a Franklin stove in the basement, that we removed, and closed up the hole where the flue had been. In the process, there was a random nail hole, that took ages to find! In the meantime, where they patched the drywall, the tape has fallen off. It's an awkward fix, since it is above cabinets now.) We also never got our final kitchen counters or nice kitchen sink, since we bought our house at precisely the top of the market, and then didn't manage to sell our old house. Oops! We did totally redo the kitchen - just ran out of money when it came time for the counters, so we have partly cheap laminate and partly Ikea butcher block. The DIY butcher block counter is an example of why we shouldn't DIY!

Plus, we really ought to get the entire house painted. It got painted when we moved in - but it really could use a fresh coat. We've done a few little areas, and I probably *could* do it, but it has only recently been creeping to the top of the to do list.

Oh, and the kids need replacement ceiling fans. We put in a bunch of ceiling fans when we moved, and let the kids pick out the ones for their rooms. Naturally, they picked cute but cheap ones, and those are the ones that broke after just a few years.

I guess that's four, unless you lump the first two into "kitchen"!

Countertops are definitely a high ticket item. But ours is long overdue. Leaks... yeah. Don't even get me started. They take forever to find and fix. And they're a total mess to do. Drywall suuuuuuuuuuuuucks. Replacing dryrot sill is even worse.

Yep, a total house painting is on our list this summer too. It's a HUGE undertaking. My DSIL offered to do it for pay, and I'm thinking that may be the way to go. We have a sprayer and COULD do it, but we also have a deck that needs replacing. Not to mention the entire house sliding off the bank. Hmmm....

I'm coming back to comment. I need to go and help clear up after dinner and get things laid out for tomorrow, otherwise DH will be filing for divorce.

UH OH!!! Get on it, GIRL!!

(Does DH take a turn now and then?)

I do believe it is a bell for summoning service. I'm certainly not getting one of them round here! Alan might use it when I go missing in action. "Coming dear!"

Nor I. Although my kids would probably wear it out in 5 minutes, so there is that.

I'm so glad it lived up to your expectations!

More than so!

That, I could actually pull off.

I'm sure you could!!! Pix when it happens!

So cool! And rather than keep repeating myself, I will settle with simply letting you know that everything looked absolutely delicious and gorgeous, and I will probably never be able to convince myself to spend that much money on one meal!

Just don't take the entire clan to Hoop, and go to this by yourself. Same amount of money.

 

[DonnaBeeGood]

.

 

[pkondz]

THEY ARE! I mean they can be, when it's not crashing and freezing in the middle of responding. And when it's not between 0100 and 0300.

I was the one who said we had to set a good example!

Sorry, Ponzi, we (ok, I!) was just kidding. We will indeed try to be on our best behavior and keep our shenanigans to a minimum. Better?

Well, @franandaj and @Steppesister ...

You are both very, very mis-guided.
I mean, really. Sending her off on her own to Space Mountain so you can have fun?


WITHOUT ME?!?!?!?

Besides. I plan on bribing the Fun Wheel of Death operator to keep her on that for a couple of hours.
No need to risk a short line.


Really you two.
You need to plan these things out a bit better.

 

[Steppesister]

That's Weselton!

I KNEW that's how you'd answer! (See I DO read your updates!) Excuse me for taking liberty with predicting your comeback up there ^.

Oh!! Really! I wouldn't think that would be required with two servers. Huh.

I never even lifted the lid. Not necessary.

While true. I don't advertise it.

That would be beneath me.

It would be tantamount to my saying I am amazing.


While also true, it would be in poor taste for me to say it.

That's it? Hmmmm.......


("That's it" 'cause I have that much just lying around... )

Maybe if we went halfsies. I get it from March-October though.

Oh, come on. No one would ever do that!

Well, certainly not me!

'cause I ain't got nothin' else going on right now!

https://www.thetileapp.com/?opt=SEM&gclid=CJndlbPj29ECFcOCswodfE8NKQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

Will take a peek soon- headed out the door soon.

But thanks!!!

Nah. That's just for show.
The real me is simply horrid.

Leave that evaluation up to me in March...

There it is. See? Toldja.

Not March yet...

Long way to go still!

REALLY?! I thought this TR was almost done. No?

YAY! I get more reading material AND I can widen my lead.

Nice! How about March?

Ummm... lemme think about it.


Oh, ok. I guess.

 

[Steppesister]

Seriously, tears welling up at your magical description of such a fantastic evening. This sounds absolutely wonderful, and what a special splurge for you - you deserve it! Now to discreetly stop the tears as I am illegally DISing during a work meeting, eek!

Awww, Donna, thanks! It was such a nice evening- def one to remember.

HAHA! Uh oh, another mandatory meeting in which I hope you got pizza for attending. Perhaps the only thing you'll remember about it tomorrow.