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

[Chrystmasangel]

Here I am again way behind on comments. At least I have been able to keep up with reading TR.'s though. Figure I better get with it and get my replies in cause I am heading into musical time (costume and set design, remember lion king last year?) and have also received a couple of orders for a mother daughter dance team costumes which are due this month.

Your V&A... I just loved reading about it. Such an amazing experience! I love that the people there thought to invite you to their table. You looked amazing for your special meal!

The phone...lol I lost mine on the first day of our last trip. The panic. Space mountain. No way to go back through the exit so I had to hoof it up the fast path entrance. People were giving my daughter and I dirty looks cause they thought we were trying to cut the line when we tried to get past them. We had to go all that way, then go through the chicken gate, and over to the exit. The cm said he had to asked me 2 questions before he could determine if they had my phone. . The 2 questions were... What is your name and what is your favorite thing to do at magic Kingdom? At first I thought... How does that prove the phone is mine? But I answered any way... "Jennifer and Wishes" and the cm handed me my phone. I was still baffled he just handed it over to me and I voiced this to my daughter who just broke out in hysterics laughing at me... She then says "mom... Turn your phone over" which I did and the light bulb finally came on... My phone case...


HAHA She laughed at me so long.

I love your shopping around world showcase. I do the same thing every time we go. Although I also have to have a new zip up hooded sweatshirt too cause I wear mine out so bad by the next trip. It is so fun just moseying through the shops. I always try to find snow globes or Christmas tree ornaments from each place. A new one that I don't already have. I love snow globes and they sit on my fire place mantle or my curio cabinet year round and well, special Christmas tree ornaments don't get put away in my house... they hang around my door frames in my kitchen (which is decorated for Christmas) all year round.


I really like the idea of a daughter day out. I may have to adopt this into my life. My DD turns 18 this year, so will be something I think we will be able to incorporate easily. Speaking of DD, I thought of her when you went into the Japan store. She is one of those kids that loves the Kpop stuff. Anything Aimee she is in love with. She found a dish very similar to the one you got at Goodwill. It is the same color on the bottom. It is the whole set... the dish, chop sticks, sake cup and the soup spoon. She loves it.

 

[Steppesister]

Now being in Charlotte I find that interesting.

Yeah, I found it highly amusing myself! LOL!

I love this picture!!! I also love how amused the guy behind you seems. Of course I want to comment more but right now the DIS seems to acting up and locking up on me. Hope this can post.

I'm pretty sure that guy was finding this whole scene HIGHLY amusing as well. The whole dynamic of the kids being mortified that their mother was acting like a complete and TOTAL dork, along with the fact, that I was making THEM take the photo, and, well... that's they disappeared again and I lost them until we met in Japan. OY! SO FUNNY!!!!! I LOVE the look on his face almost more than mine.

Oh more excitement! You had to arm wrestle a fellow guest to get your tickets back!

What's not to love about a catfight in the theater?

What if she was thinking, "Score! I was wondering what I was going to do tonight!"

Well, we had to show tickets to even get in the front door, so....maybe she was thinking of who to call to get to the Paramount stat...

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

I may “brag” about $350 meals at places that serve horseradish on sharkskin paddles (thank you @Captain_Oblivious), so I may as well brag about one that was not so fancy, but 100% as equally enjoyable for half the cost for 4 people too.

I am getting so much mileage out of that one. Thanks for the material!

Every year for the last 7, since coming “home” from Crapistan in 2010 (see I can do basic math), I have set aside one day for all of the girls in my family to be treated to a special day including a high end meal of some ethnic variety and a Broadway-style show, concert, or perhaps a ballet.

Awesome tradition!

We’d gotten ½ mile when I’d realized I’d forgotten the tickets.

Still, 1/2 mile...could have been much worse!

About an hour up the road, the hangries struck and we ended up at McDonalds.

You must have been truly desperate.

Why? Because she was pretty sick. As was Anara.

Well, sure. They just ate at McDonald's.

While I was busy taking photos, Anara was busy gagging herself along; she and fish do not get along.

Poor kid. I can understand that, I don't do well with seafood myself.

Near the end of the market was a chocolate shop, and while I'm not a huge choco fan, my girls seem to be, and bought a few pieces to nibble on.

Wait, you're good with seafood but not chocolate?? Who ARE you??

Last stop... potty break. I will not interject my own opinion here into the Great Bathroom Debate, but this was highly amusing... and to think... in Seattle:

Oh my...

Only $6 for unlimited time on Sundays! WOOT! And best yet? Our restaurant was merely an elevator ride up. SCORE!!

We still had about half an hour to kill before we checked into Il Fornaio, so ducked into Barnes and Noble for a bit.

This sounds like whenever Julie and I got out. We always end up in a bookstore.

We browsed and Mikki ummm…. Got hit on. Anara came over to me where I was hitting up the cookbook section and breathlessly tells me “some guy is talking to Mikki! And, MOM!, they have their phones out!” Sure enough a pretty cute guy was chatting her up in the Christian devotional section and they are smiling and talking. And we’re just over here not-so-nonchalantly spying on her (that’s what families do).

I'm not quite ready to handle this yet. My daughter just turned 15 and I just learned she shot down a kid who asked her out at high school. We asked if she didn't like him, and she said he was a little odd. When we asked what made him odd, she said, "He's nice to EVERYBODY." Which broke my heart a little bit. I mean, I'm fine with her saying no. She can do that as long as she wants. But I was also the "nice" guy so I can feel for the poor kid.

I should just go camp out in my shed for the next few years, shouldn't I?

We each started with a cocktail off of the HH menu, but still pricey at $8 a drink. At that price, it had better have some booze in it.

Or at least some horseradish.

I let the kids choose the appetizer, and since Mikki is my only real foodie, she did. And, of course, she picked the one appie that only she and I would come close to eating. I had to wonder how deliberately that was done. She KNOWS that her sisters hate fish- so that’s what she went with- the Antipasto di Pesce.

Classic sibling warfare! My brother would do this all the time when we got a dozen donuts. He'd eat everyone else's favorites first, leaving only the ones he liked for after. Punk.

Let me just say that Rebekah took full advantage of the arrival by noting that the calamari rings looked like “sphincters”.

Sounds appetizing.

Even had time to pee, where I promptly forgot the tickets on the TP holder.

All that to say, my girls were completely bewitched by the Thai elements and sub-plots. The Uncle Tom’s Cabin play scene with the Thai dancing was especially entrancing for them. HUZZAH! Mission accomplished!

Nice! Glad they all enjoyed it!

And just being a dork.

Hey, stupid hat pictures never get old!

By now, the kids were with me again, (we’d gotten separated in Morocco; remember that photo of me in the fez? Yeah, the guy behind me found it way more amusing than my kids did.)

Sounds like your kids need a sense of humor transfusion.

Pro tip: Sit on the floor under the dome. You won’t be sorry!

LOVE the Voices of Liberty.

Why did I splurge? Because I bought the same $21 overpriced CD in 2010, and…. lost it.

D'oh!

Sadly, my CD and my pink Crocs were lost in that move. < is already braced for Pink Crocs jokes>

Not at all, I'm sure they were very fashionable.

 

[Steppesister]

Hello again. Well, I'm just trying to get caught up on things after traveling back from my work overseas (and I know you can relate to the travel and jet lag). I got home Sunday night, had a snow storm Monday that closed schools and I spent most of the day shoveling (welcome home, eh?), then DD9 has been feeling a bit stomach sick the last couple days, so that's been a distraction. Thankfully things are starting to get back to normal now.

OH how I know that all so well. Hey, it's 3:00AM, brain says, time to get moving! Let's unpack now... perfect time for that. Yep!

Most of the DAY?! You Canucks are nuts! I'd think a snow blower would be like, I dunno, a winter coat or something.

My youngest has been sick too for the last couple of days. Stomach stuff as well. So now a month "off"? Can I ask where you got to travel to? or is that not something you can share?

Now, you had asked some thoughtful questions about the Commonwealth

Well, I thought they were thoughtful.....

that @pkondz was kind enough to answer better than I could.

but I think ponzi thought I was dissing Canada. Nah, I was curious why a Commonwealth even exists.

You had also been pondering a trip east someday.

Someday, yes. First W. Africa and Guam.

If you ever do find yourself coming this way, late June/early July would be nice since the icebergs are still around and the whales have arrived for the summer, so you can usually see both on a boat tour. As for weather, the warmer time of year is late July and August. The picture of DD sitting on the rock in t-shirt and shorts was taken in August and the temperature was around 25C/77F, which is fairly typical for that time of year. In June, it's anyone's guess. See, being as far east as you can go in North America, we are greatly affected by the wind direction. If the wind comes from the south the days are warmer around 20C/68F (yes, for us that's warmer). But if the wind comes from the north, particularly when the ice is on the coast, it really cools off to about 15C/59F and we get fog. To be honest, if you're coming here having nice weather is just a bonus and the focus is on the natural beauty and culture. Regardless, I think you would enjoy it. I would also suggest visiting our neighbouring provinces of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island which are very nice places and generally have warmer weather since they are not as affected by the northerly winds.

I get the wind direction factor for sure. We have an area that either gets warmer than the rest of the area or much, MUCH colder depending on it (the Columbia Gorge that the Columbia River cuts through). Hmmm, fog sucks for photography, so it sounds like a crap shoot. Doable, but harder. And yes, I do think I'd enjoy it. I know there are coastal fishing villages I have my eye on to scope out.

I enjoyed reading about your day in Seattle. I can imagine how The King and I would bring back some memories of Thailand for your family. And you can never go wrong with pasta. Your dish looked wonderful. I enjoy a good cannelloni now and then.

No, pasta just always seems to please everyone. Then again, so did the Moroccan and the Indian. I"m really glad my kids grew up with adventurous palates! Makes it fun to take them places to try.

This cannelloni was hand rolled (I could tell) and just perfect! Mmmm!

I'm not sure if Morocco is my favourite pavilion (I don't really know if I can pick one) but I really do like the back passages too. There's a nice room back there with a fountain that I always seek out because I find it so quiet, cool, and relaxing in the middle of a busy day.

Have you ever ventured into the Museum? There is a print of the letter from George Washington to King Muhammed written in 1789 in there, as well as some AMAZING sabers and traditional garb. Most people don't even know it's there.

http://www.mountvernon.org/digital-encyclopedia/article/morocco/

 

[Steppesister]

I'm surprised you remembered the keys. Or the car.

I wonder how long it'd take to walk to Seattle. Woulda been a shame to miss the show.

Well that's always my pick for ethnic cuisine.

Close to freeway, cheap, $1 coffee, filling... it had to be done.

Italian is always a winner for me!

Mmmm, carbs.

She wins. As a non-calamari fan myself, I love it!

I nearly spit out my cocktail all over the table. Really, Rebekah...? Decorum, much?

This is when I have to ask myself would I trust you to care for me in a life or death situation...

It's.... a problem.

Better than a phone book!

Oh, if you only KNEW how many phone books this butt has sat on.

Well how you could you forget something like that?

To this day she (more as a joke now) pronounces IVs as "Ivy". Cracks me up.

Thanks for saving me the trouble. Not that I'd get that anyway, it just doesn't look like something I'd enjoy.

Unless you like coconut, steer clear.

But where's the fun in that?

I confess, I was rather disappointed. $12 down the crapper.

and D) How can you not be if you even have a single patriotic bone in your body?

Yes, that too!

Yeah, the pattern is, you stop at a kiosk/booth, they think "oh boy, mom's getting liquored up, let's get out of here."

I think in this case, it was "Mom is going to make us take another stupid picture of her in props and it's SOOOOO embarrassing! Quick! Let's ditch her!" (refer to photo with fez)

 

[Steppesister]

Here I am again way behind on comments. At least I have been able to keep up with reading TR.'s though. Figure I better get with it and get my replies in cause I am heading into musical time (costume and set design, remember lion king last year?) and have also received a couple of orders for a mother daughter dance team costumes which are due this month.

Then you're doing better than me! I am having a hard time even keeping up with the reading right now.

OH Boy! Yes, I do remember. You're going to buuuuuusy! Good luck and feel free to post photos along the way!

Your V&A... I just loved reading about it. Such an amazing experience! I love that the people there thought to invite you to their table. You looked amazing for your special meal!

It was one of the magical nights of my life. Very worth every penny!

The phone...lol I lost mine on the first day of our last trip. The panic. Space mountain. No way to go back through the exit so I had to hoof it up the fast path entrance. People were giving my daughter and I dirty looks cause they thought we were trying to cut the line when we tried to get past them. We had to go all that way, then go through the chicken gate, and over to the exit. The cm said he had to asked me 2 questions before he could determine if they had my phone. . The 2 questions were... What is your name and what is your favorite thing to do at magic Kingdom? At first I thought... How does that prove the phone is mine? But I answered any way... "Jennifer and Wishes" and the cm handed me my phone. I was still baffled he just handed it over to me and I voiced this to my daughter who just broke out in hysterics laughing at me... She then says "mom... Turn your phone over" which I did and the light bulb finally came on... My phone case...

That's an AWESOME story!! I love that 1) you got it back! (best feeling in the whole world!) and 2) that the CM had a fun sense of humor and played it well.

I love your shopping around world showcase. I do the same thing every time we go. Although I also have to have a new zip up hooded sweatshirt too cause I wear mine out so bad by the next trip. It is so fun just moseying through the shops. I always try to find snow globes or Christmas tree ornaments from each place. A new one that I don't already have. I love snow globes and they sit on my fire place mantle or my curio cabinet year round and well, special Christmas tree ornaments don't get put away in my house... they hang around my door frames in my kitchen (which is decorated for Christmas) all year round.

Well, that's a fun idea! I like globes too. Decorated all year? FUN!

I really like the idea of a daughter day out. I may have to adopt this into my life. My DD turns 18 this year, so will be something I think we will be able to incorporate easily. Speaking of DD, I thought of her when you went into the Japan store. She is one of those kids that loves the Kpop stuff. Anything Aimee she is in love with. She found a dish very similar to the one you got at Goodwill. It is the same color on the bottom. It is the whole set... the dish, chop sticks, sake cup and the soup spoon. She loves it.

OH, my... .the KPop. It's come into my house with a vengeance, and I am now subjected nightly to cute young K Boys prancing around their dressing room doing Wii Dance routines and spiked pink hair and hip hop, blah, blah, blah. OY! "Mom! Watch this! Isn't it great?!"

Nice find on the dish set!

 

[Chrystmasangel]

I forgot to mention
First exam down... 97%. VERY VERY happy about that. Next exam is Monday.

Thought you might like the tie my Biology professor wore yesterday.

Been feeling under the weather for about 5 days, so finally went to the doctor today. Should have gone when it started since they told my after the Rituxin malfunction that if I got sick within 4 months of the infusion to be checked right away because of the lowered immune system. Did I listen.....nooooo.
Pneumonia and strep. Go me! LOL
However, gives me some sit on my butt time as just walking to the kitchen makes it hard to breath right now.

Love this shot!

My kids would have been hiding too

Cyprus Sun - Frozen; almond liqueur, cream de coco, orange juice and coconut milk $11.99

Such a shame it wasn't that good. I love frozen stuff!

another amazing shot!

I don’t go there without seeing VOL, so we did. My kids were appropriately blown away, because A) Period costuming B) How can a human voice go that high?! And C) Acoustics. Pro tip: Sit on the floor under the dome. You won’t be sorry!

I have never sat to listen to them. I think I will have to do this on our next trip. DD is in love with Pentatonix right now. Acapella seems to be her new thing.

Looks like the boat captain was feeling your pain with losing your kids. LOL.

 

[Steppesister]

I am getting so much mileage out of that one. Thanks for the material!

OH any time, my friend. Any time.

(It's not like I've even stolen any of your material like exploding helicopters or anything. )

Awesome tradition!

Much like a Father/Son golf trip. Except these are fun.

You must have been truly desperate.

10:30? No coffee? Yeah, I'd say so.

Well, sure. They just ate at McDonald's.

The other choice was Taco Bell, which is MUCH better IMHO, but... no McCoffee.

Poor kid. I can understand that, I don't do well with seafood myself.

What are we gonna do with you....

Wait, you're good with seafood but not chocolate?? Who ARE you??

I know, I know. Just weird like that.

Oh my...

I found it highly amusing- given it was Seattle of all places. Nothing like stirring the pot.

This sounds like whenever Julie and I got out. We always end up in a bookstore.

Best way to find half an hour alone!

I'm not quite ready to handle this yet. My daughter just turned 15 and I just learned she shot down a kid who asked her out at high school. We asked if she didn't like him, and she said he was a little odd. When we asked what made him odd, she said, "He's nice to EVERYBODY." Which broke my heart a little bit. I mean, I'm fine with her saying no. She can do that as long as she wants. But I was also the "nice" guy so I can feel for the poor kid.

I should just go camp out in my shed for the next few years, shouldn't I?

I highly suggest hiding in there for oh.... I dunno.... 6 years or so. We can pass you McDonalds through the smalll window. And if you're really nice some horseradish and sphi.... err, calamari.

Or at least some horseradish.

This is starting to sound like an equally delicious bloody mary.

Classic sibling warfare! My brother would do this all the time when we got a dozen donuts. He'd eat everyone else's favorites first, leaving only the ones he liked for after. Punk.

I can only imagine what holiday dinners are like at your place.

Sounds appetizing.

They were delicious!

Hey, stupid hat pictures never get old!

Nope! I really miss Kathy and Mark's hat pix.

Sounds like your kids need a sense of humor transfusion.

You saw them earlier at the France show, right? yeah, that didn't get any better until the party.

Not at all, I'm sure they were very fashionable.

I"ve been duly chastised per @pkondz already. I was on a Harley with them and apparently committed a mortal sin. Next time, I"ll wear my thigh high leather and see if I can redeem myself.

 

[Steppesister]

I forgot to mention
First exam down... 97%. VERY VERY happy about that. Next exam is Monday.

YAY!!! 97% is amazing!! GREAT JOB!!! You definitely have something to be happy about there!

Let us know how Monday goes!

Thought you might like the tie my Biology professor wore yesterday.

That's great! Love it!

Been feeling under the weather for about 5 days, so finally went to the doctor today. Should have gone when it started since they told my after the Rituxin malfunction that if I got sick within 4 months of the infusion to be checked right away because of the lowered immune system. Did I listen.....nooooo.
Pneumonia and strep. Go me! LOL
However, gives me some sit on my butt time as just walking to the kitchen makes it hard to breath right now.

It's hard to admit sometimes we are as bad as we say we are. I know, been there and done that.

As hard as it is, DO take advantage of it! Rest is what you need, so enjoy a new movie, and a good book.

My kids would have been hiding too

Yeah..... haha, but they hide a lot You know, like when it's time to do dishes, or laundry or take the trash out.

I have never sat to listen to them. I think I will have to do this on our next trip. DD is in love with Pentatonix right now. Acapella seems to be her new thing.

Ok, here's the deal... if they like Pentatonix, which I absolutely adore as well!, they will enjoy VoL as well. Acapella at its very finest for sure!

Looks like the boat captain was feeling your pain with losing your kids. LOL.

He was... dry, to say the least. Interesting factoid though: while we were waiting, I asked him why both routes weren't running. His answer to me wat that they simply could not find enough licensed captains to run the boats. So.... if anyone out there knows a commercially licensed Captain, they may wanna try Disney. Cool job, no?

 

[franandaj]

Keeps the true clutter down. Good for you.

Ha! If you only knew. Our entire house is clutter, which is why there may be no visit here next month.

NICE!! I hope you can make some nice cash on those. You should post your favorite originals for us to drool over!

Well here are a few.









There are a bunch more that I haven't taken pictures of yet. And even more that we haven't even got on the walls.

I wonder if they will still do that? Will check it out. I've just not had good luck with the frozen pre-mixed anythings at Disney- the GG slushies, the margs, the Cyprus Sun, etc... all have been not worth the money.

I remember the Patron Margaritas were good and pretty potent.

I just don't have time. Well, I mean I guess I do, but I'd rather be doing other stuff. When spring comes, I'd like to get out more with my camera, and finally after 6 years of living here, got through the very full attics of crap my FIL left here.

HAHA! Me too! I told the server that s/he'd just made my whole week.

Yeah, I remember the same thing from the last time I was carded.

High? Low?

I saw a lot of locals buying there, so they couldn't be too bad. I don't buy a huge ton of fish so hard for me to know.

The prices are really high from what I see at my supermarket, but I'm sure it's because the seafood there is fresh off the boat and not frozen or anything.

Well, maybe the evening wear saved our reputations.

I'm sure it did. You did not look like stoners when you went in there.

Continuing around Clockwise, because that’s how it’s done, we next WANDR’ed into Morocco.

I see what you did there!

And just being a dork.

Such a cute picture! Hat pictures never get old!

In the end, I chose this little goody for $6.95. Works pretty well as a bar accessory.

I can see that. It probably works well for olives or other garnishes.

Cyprus Sun - Frozen; almond liqueur, cream de coco, orange juice and coconut milk $11.99

Sounds blech. Coconut.

We have a thousand hibachi places around here, and frankly my Asian cooking is just better.

I could pretty much say the same thing!

For $5.25+tax, under $6.00!, I got my favorite souvenir, my most useful, and the prettiest. Whatcha think?

I think that works! How big is it?

In and out of there quickly, as it was after 2:00 now, we hightailed it to our last stop for the day- ‘Murica. I don’t go there without seeing VOL, so we did.

The VOL are always a quality production!

Well, I wasn’t 100% sure I’d do it, in case something UNDER $10 caught my eye, but nothing did. Back to Plan A: the VOL CD for $21 overpriced dollars. Why did I splurge? Because I bought the same $21 overpriced CD in 2010, and…. lost it.

Totally understand!

Somehow, I lost the kids, while I stopped at a F&W kiosk

Seems like an ongoing problem!

 

[Terra Nova guy]

Can I ask where you got to travel to? or is that not something you can share?

Not a problem. I work in Brunei. It's a very quiet place but nice enough.

Most of the DAY?! You Canucks are nuts! I'd think a snow blower would be like, I dunno, a winter coat or something.

Well, I do have a snow blower (I really want to use a Disdads joke that I posted last month, but I won't drag down the decorum of your TR, you'll have to lurk over on the "other thread" to read it). Perhaps most of the day is just what it felt like, it was more like a few hours I guess, but I did have to go out three times because the plow kept coming around to widen the street and DD16 had to get to work in the afternoon, and get back in the driveway that night.

I know there are coastal fishing villages I have my eye on to scope out.

There are so many nice villages. DW grew up in one, just 300 people (picture below), which is about 1.5 hours drive from my house. She doesn't like going there much now, she enjoys her shopping malls and all that. But I enjoy it. I find it very peaceful and relaxing. There isn't even any cell reception, which for me is a bonus!

Have you ever ventured into the Museum? There is a print of the letter from George Washington to King Muhammed written in 1789 in there, as well as some AMAZING sabers and traditional garb. Most people don't even know it's there.

No! I had no idea it was there. I must look for it when I get down again (whenever that may be).

 

[Steppesister]

Ha! If you only knew. Our entire house is clutter, which is why there may be no visit here next month.

Bummer Cakes! That cabana was needing a check out. But I do get it! You 2 have a lot of work ahead of yourselves!

I like this one over the Aristocats ones, I think... you know being an HM fan.

I remember the Patron Margaritas were good and pretty potent.

I'll keep my eyes open for those should I get back to Florida anytime soon.

The prices are really high from what I see at my supermarket, but I'm sure it's because the seafood there is fresh off the boat and not frozen or anything.

I'd think that would be the reason as well. It sure looked fresh and was hardly fishy smelling at all.

I'm sure it did. You did not look like stoners when you went in there.

Except we didn't go in... it was a drive through affair.

I see what you did there!

Who me....?

Just a little subliminal advertising....

Such a cute picture! Hat pictures never get old!

Especially ones that buy you a bit of solo time because your kids are mortified.

I can see that. It probably works well for olives or other garnishes.

Hmmm.... capers on Saturday mornings for our omelets.

Sounds blech. Coconut.

Ah, another coconut hater. I think that's one you either love or hate.

I think that works! How big is it?

I didn't measure, but about 5.5 X 5.5 inches square.

Seems like an ongoing problem!

IT wasn't long after this that I started telling them to go do what they wanted and I left them to their own devices. In fact, as you'll see in the next update, it was exactly that.

 

[Steppesister]

Not a problem. I work in Brunei. It's a very quiet place but nice enough.

Well, I've spent the last 30 minutes or so learning about a country I'd only heard about until now. Colorful history. And interesting that they now have a fully implemented Sharia law written into their penal code. The images I saw make me want to go see that palace. Holy COW!!! Unbelievable. It puts the Taj Mahal to a crying shame.

Well, I do have a snow blower (I really want to use a Disdads joke that I posted last month, but I won't drag down the decorum of your TR, you'll have to lurk over on the "other thread" to read it). Perhaps most of the day is just what it felt like, it was more like a few hours I guess, but I did have to go out three times because the plow kept coming around to widen the street and DD16 had to get to work in the afternoon, and get back in the driveway that night.

Drag down the decorum of this thread?

As far as snowblower jokes, I am well familiarized with that particular interlude you guys were having over there a few weeks ago.

As far as snow... very much and it's just ... too much.

There are so many nice villages. DW grew up in one, just 300 people (picture below), which is about 1.5 hours drive from my house. She doesn't like going there much now, she enjoys her shopping malls and all that. But I enjoy it. I find it very peaceful and relaxing. There isn't even any cell reception, which for me is a bonus!

Yeah, we've lived in small villages for months... YEARS at a time, and it sucks. Peaceful, yeah. Relaxing, yeah. But, for me that gets old pretty fast.

No! I had no idea it was there. I must look for it when I get down again (whenever that may be).

More than a few of the pavilions have little museums tucked away. Neat stuff in them!

 

[franandaj]

I like this one over the Aristocats ones, I think... you know being an HM fan.

I'm a huge Aristocats Fan. that was my first movie that I remember seeing in the theater and this art guy has capitalized on that. We also have Mary Poppins related art and Fantasia as well as Mickey and Minnes, plus some Star Wars stuff. I just need to get them out of their packaging, and maybe even on the wallls.

Who me....?

Just a little subliminal advertising....

I didn't measure, but about 5.5 X 5.5 inches square.

So it's little. It was hard to tell from the picture.

 

[Terra Nova guy]

The images I saw make me want to go see that palace. Holy COW!!! Unbelievable. It puts the Taj Mahal to a crying shame.

I have actually been to that palace and met the Sultan. He opens his doors to the public for Hari Raya (end of Ramadan) and you can line up for a couple hours to shake his hand. I did not enjoy standing in line for that long, but I'm glad to have the story to tell. The parts of the palace I saw were a bit plain but I'm sure the rest is incredible.

As far as snowblower jokes, I am well familiarized with that particular interlude you guys were having over there a few weeks ago.

More than a few of the pavilions have little museums tucked away. Neat stuff in them!

I have only been inside the Norway one. I should try to take some time to find the others.

 

[KnK]

I've been binge reading your fabulous report today and snotted my drink when I saw this picture. Yeah....too much TMI but I think you'll be able to handle it.

 

[Steppesister]

I'm a huge Aristocats Fan. that was my first movie that I remember seeing in the theater and this art guy has capitalized on that. We also have Mary Poppins related art and Fantasia as well as Mickey and Minnes, plus some Star Wars stuff. I just need to get them out of their packaging, and maybe even on the wallls.

Isn't it funny the movie we remember first seeing? Mine was Escape to Witch Mountain. And then Pete's Dragon. I remember also seeing a Benji movie on Catalina Island a million years ago. Fun stuff!

So it's little. It was hard to tell from the picture.

Yeah, probably needed something for perspective.

I have actually been to that palace and met the Sultan. He opens his doors to the public for Hari Raya (end of Ramadan) and you can line up for a couple hours to shake his hand. I did not enjoy standing in line for that long, but I'm glad to have the story to tell. The parts of the palace I saw were a bit plain but I'm sure the rest is incredible.

WHOA! I did read that he did, once a year invite the Kingdom in for a public meal; didn't realize it was at the end of Ramadan. We celebrated Owuz Ashar in Crapistan for days at all of the neighbor's houses. Fun times. Food forever.

I have only been inside the Norway one. I should try to take some time to find the others.

It'll be worth your time. Promise. I really like the Terra Cotta soldiers in China as well.

I've been binge reading your fabulous report today and snotted my drink when I saw this picture. Yeah....too much TMI but I think you'll be able to handle it.

Well,

So glad you're here!

Yeah, I snot my drink every time I see it. Brokeback? Ummm, rise and shine...? It's just... I don't get it. But oh, so laughable!!!

 

[glennbo123]

I can't believe you'd never been to Pike Place Market before. (Or at least thought you hadn't.) When we visited, one of the fish mongers had some fishing line tied to the mouth of one of the larger fishes, displayed on ice, and would make it "talk" on occasion. Good stuff. We bought some smoked salmon and every now and then I consider having some shipped to us, even go so far as to look on the internet what it would cost, and that usually takes care of my craving.

Ya gotta watch out for those guys hanging out in the Christian Devotional section -- they're the worst!!

Was it really 2010 that you moved back from Crapistan?! Doesn't seem that long ago.

Looked like a nice time shopping around the world. Morocco is one of my favorite pavilions too. We had dinner at Spice Road Table and it was pretty good. I'm sure I'll get to that chapter, one of these years.

 

[Steppesister]

Shop-Around-the-World; Pt. 3​

It’s a brand new day! Can you feel the winds of change?


A change in plans that is. And that’s what’s so great about a long, 10 day trip. Loads of room to change plans and still feel like you’re not going to miss out on something really great, or one of your must-dos. Because by now, on Day 6, we’d already knocked most of that off. Time to slow down, and go where the wind takes us. Also by now, the kids were starting to have their own ideas of what they wanted to do and where to go. So I let them.


Actually, that only part of the story. Here’s the other half:


I had some shopping to do. But I also had an ADR for 4 people that was too late to cancel. And it was not at the park where the shopping needed to happen. Our original plan was to go and spend the morning at MK then hop to EPCOT for evening plans with DISFriends.


Solution? I’m full of solutions! “Solution” is my middle name. (I have others as well, but don’t let that distract you.) The kids wanted to be at MK because Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom had been discovered. From that point forward there was no turning aside for a certain 18 year old son. And that was ok. What better way to give some independence AND fulfill an ADR for which I’d get charged for a no-show?

“Hey Kids! I have an idea. I’ll go to EPCOT and do a little more of World Showcase, and you guys go on over to MK, let Zach play his game, you girls go do some SisterFun, all of you go to the Skipper’s Canteen for lunch (but don’t spend too much money) and we’ll meet back at EPCOT later on.”


“Shopping again? Yeah, we’ll see you later.”


(It wasn’t ALL shopping. Geez, the pavilions ARE pretty cool to cruise through. At least I think so. Uncultured swi.. errr, I love my kids. Go have fun!)


WIN-WIN!!!


It’s all in how you present it, no?


All by my little ol’ lonesome (which is actually pretty great! If you haven’t done a solo trip, you really ought to try it.) I took off and made it in time for Rope Drop. This time, I didn’t, for the first time, stop for coffee at Landscape of Flavors. Instead I waited until I got inside the park and got some $ixBucks:



I also took the time to browse in here a bit. I had never seen this shop before so thought I’d take a peek. Love the original and repro prints and art in here!



Duly cafffeined up and now ready to properly start my day, I moseyed here and there. Hadn’t really spend much time over at The Living Seas, so spend a bit of time taking in the tanks. One of the things I like most about this area is the background music. I listen to it quite often online in fact. I actually found a quiet place kinda near the back, sat down, sipped on my coffee, closed my eyes and just sat. And listened. It was nice. No responsibilities, no exams to study for, nobody to keep track of, and someone else was going to do my dishes all day long.














11:00 was approaching, so I started to head towards the Showcase. Gotta beat the crowds to get people-free photos! Got myself to the Gateway and had to make an executive, counter-intuitive decision. And it wasn’t counterclockwise… the better of the 2 directions. Why? Well, you already know why. I’d gone that way the last time we had some shopping adventures. The needed treasures were left this time. So, come on! Let’s go!



Along the way, I thought this was a nice little spot. Not sure why it was left empty and unused, but cute nonetheless. There were more than a few times I found myself eating sitting on a curb; Why not put some table and chairs in there for folks to take the noshables to?



First stop: Mexico: Home of….



It’s also where I’d eventually wind up with one of these, the 2nd in a budding collection.



This year’s ^

And last trip’s V:



After the VOL CD, this was my most expensive item at $9.95. Just under the $10.00 limit. Olé!!


I typically don’t spend a lot of time in this pavilion, my least favorite. It’s small, and other than the small amount of shopping, if I’m gonna be in there, I’d almost be guaranteed to be The Ditch. I’ve ridden The Duck Boys’ Small World a couple times. That was enough.





Back out into daylight, a left turn is made, this ship’s heading is Norway dead ahead. Speaking of ships… is anyone else out there extremely sad that they took out the Viking ship play structure? My kids adored that thing; how sad that they felt the need to rob the little ones the chance to climb, and play, swing, and jump- you know… be little kids. What a beautiful chance it was to unleash the monkeys out of their strollers to a little harmless bit of fun. I wonder how many lawyers it took to convince them to send it sailing?

Ah well, all in the name of progress.

Rants aside, (I will refrain from my Maelstrom rant in order to spare you of more whining) I like the Norwegian Pavilion. The landscaping is top notch here and the Stave church museum is a fun place to spend a little time in. But above all else there, it is home of the RICE CREAM. I’d dredge up my Ode to Rice Cream, but this post isn’t about the deliciousness of the most heavenly food on earth. Well, except that I did get some to eat before shopping. Gotta be properly satiated to carry on….. and nothing satiates like rice cream.


No picture. Was busy eating.


But I did get these:







Fueled properly afore heading inside, I was accosted first by the stench of Laila. A little of that goes a loooooooooooooooong way. They really should put a scent extractor in there and bottle up the thousands of dollar’s worth of perfume hanging the air. (My Laila pricing calculator tells me that’s about 1 bottle.) Heavily doused (that’s doused, not soused!) I made my way to the other end of the Crap Shop. Oh. My. Gosh. Are you even kidding me? What a bunch of C.R.A.P. 600 or so square feet of Frozen stuff. Every last bit. Dresses, crowns, carrots for Sven, reindeer turds…… Unbelievable.

What happened to a nice assortment of authentic gifts from Norway?! You know the $850 wool sweaters? Gone. Almost all of it. I was so sad. Well, not really. I didn't have $850 to spend on a sweater. I suppose if I want the stuff that was SUPPOSED to be in there, I’ll have to go to Norway. (Not likely.) In the end, I did find this for $7.95 and have it hanging in my kitchen until I decide if I’ll put it in the Christmas boxes and use it then or find a year-round home for it. I was underwhelmed.



Taking my disappointment out the door, I stopped in the Stave Church for a look-see then started to make my way towards China.



Maybe they sell these souvenirs? Remember those Adult Care Centers I was talking about? I'm telling you, Disney is missing a golden opportunity here.




China! Lots to explore in this one! And today, I had it almost entirely to myself! Loooove that! I’m not going to write a lot for this part; there are plenty of photos to do the talking and sometimes, well most of the time, in fact, they do a better job anyway. Here are more pictures of China that you’ve seen a million times before:















In case you ever make to Shanghai Disney:



So those are ok and all, but you’re probably asking yourself, yeah, big deal! What’d she buy for her souvenir?





The good news on these is that they’ve already been used in our household, making them the most useful of the gifts I’d gotten.

Whelp, that wraps up the first part of Day 2 of Shopping Around the World. Did I care what the kids were doing? Take a wild guess….

 

[Steppesister]

So, BB Code is NOT my forte. At all. Basically, my entire post is "hot" and I have some work to do. I'll work on re-formatting tomorrow and see if I can make it so you can multi-quote if you so choose.

Sorry for the lame factor going on here....

Edited to add:

Formatting all fixed. Quote at will....