Cafeen
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2009
- Messages
- 4,852
Hello all! Been reading these boards for a few months now (yeah, not quite the lurker that some of the other folks are) and thought it was about time to step out of the "shadows".
A little bit of warning though, I tend to write "books" for posts, so if you're looking for a quick "Hello, it's me!", I'm sorry to have to disappoint. However, if you're really that bored, then continue on!
Me
First off, my name isn't really Cafeen. Go figure eh? It's just the name I've used in various online games and message boards for about 10 years. My real name is Allan, but I answer to both (even in "RL").
As far as background, it's fairly uninteresting. I'm a QA (Quality Assurance) specialist for a software development company down here in Mobile, AL. I personally moved down here in April after working from home in New Hampshire for 4 1/2 years (for the same company). It's a bit of a change, and this winter is going to be strange (no snow? huh?), but it's working out ok.
As far as interests go, I am a fairly avid PC gamer and World of Warcraft player. I also love photography and used to go out just about once or twice a week for a few hours to shoot. That's faded a bit in past years (since film got so expensive), but recently picked up a digital point and shoot so going to get back into it a bit. I also do a bit of programming on the side.
So, overall, you can call me a computer nerd for sure.
Disney History
While I'm not outwardly the Disney fanatic that is commonly seen here (though, sometimes I wish I was), Disney holds a place in my heart for sure. Growing up, we had the (almost) yearly trips down and I can still remember many details of those "long gone" days. We traveled down there about 9 times I think between when I was 2 and when I was 13. We've stayed on-site at Poly, YC (when it was new!), CBR (also when it was new!), as well as having camped at Ft. Wilderness (we even got to swim at River Country). We also stayed off-site a number of times. The real number I'm not sure of, but I'm saying 9 for now
.
I do still remember much from the early years, although it's tough to put a date on those memories since we went so much (and years get mixed up together), but for those parents thinking 2 or 3 year olds will never remember anything...
I don't remember quite which year it was, so I was either 2 or 3, but I do very clearly remember riding the monorail around EPCOT (it was capitals back then!) before it had finished being built. Spaceship Earth was only partially covered in the silver "tiles" that we know today, and there was much construction going on elsewhere (the EPCOT monorail station hadn't even been completed). So yeah, early memories can and will stick
. (While I haven't been able to exactly date this trip, it did obviously have to happen before Oct 1982, which even if it was 1982 that I remember this from, I was only 3.)
Upcoming Trip
After all this, you may be wondering "Why in the heck would he be posting all this tripe now? Well, then answer you've been looking for for the past 3.5 seconds is coming soon, I promise!
Back home (New Hampshire for those playing along at home), I have a very close friend. She had a daughter a couple years ago (the most adorable little princess in the world, albeit I may be a bit biased), and since then I've been dreaming to take the two of them to Disney. Upon looking at my post relocation finances, and then playing with the Disney site, I realized that "Hey, I can afford this!", and plans were made. Well, initial plans at least, I had no idea of all the stuff beyond the "I want to go from this day to this day."
So, plans were made in May, and then remade the next day to add 2 days to the trip, and then remade (with the same dates) to add Free Dining to the trip (Duh Feen, you have to apply the code... it's not automatic!) With all that done, our dates were set and time off requested.
The official dates (for me anyways) are 9/18 - 9/27, though Disney will be 9/20 (Visiting family first) - 9/27. They will be flying down from NH on the 20th and meeting me at the airport and then heading to CSR for the week.
Now, the last bits, which I may have skimmed over. The little one is 2 1/2 years old now, and I haven't seen either of them for almost a year
. This trip is also a gift to both of them, since they've been going through some tough times lately. Yeah, I'm awesome, what can I say? Well, to be honest, at least half the reason I even planned this trip was because I personally wanted to go, but not alone. It sounds more selfish when I say it that way though .
At any rate, if you've made it down to this part, then I give you lots of respect. Heck, I doubt I'd read all this, and I WROTE IT! Anyway, /wave to all the DISers.
A little bit of warning though, I tend to write "books" for posts, so if you're looking for a quick "Hello, it's me!", I'm sorry to have to disappoint. However, if you're really that bored, then continue on!
Me
First off, my name isn't really Cafeen. Go figure eh? It's just the name I've used in various online games and message boards for about 10 years. My real name is Allan, but I answer to both (even in "RL").
As far as background, it's fairly uninteresting. I'm a QA (Quality Assurance) specialist for a software development company down here in Mobile, AL. I personally moved down here in April after working from home in New Hampshire for 4 1/2 years (for the same company). It's a bit of a change, and this winter is going to be strange (no snow? huh?), but it's working out ok.
As far as interests go, I am a fairly avid PC gamer and World of Warcraft player. I also love photography and used to go out just about once or twice a week for a few hours to shoot. That's faded a bit in past years (since film got so expensive), but recently picked up a digital point and shoot so going to get back into it a bit. I also do a bit of programming on the side.
So, overall, you can call me a computer nerd for sure.
Disney History
While I'm not outwardly the Disney fanatic that is commonly seen here (though, sometimes I wish I was), Disney holds a place in my heart for sure. Growing up, we had the (almost) yearly trips down and I can still remember many details of those "long gone" days. We traveled down there about 9 times I think between when I was 2 and when I was 13. We've stayed on-site at Poly, YC (when it was new!), CBR (also when it was new!), as well as having camped at Ft. Wilderness (we even got to swim at River Country). We also stayed off-site a number of times. The real number I'm not sure of, but I'm saying 9 for now
.I do still remember much from the early years, although it's tough to put a date on those memories since we went so much (and years get mixed up together), but for those parents thinking 2 or 3 year olds will never remember anything...
I don't remember quite which year it was, so I was either 2 or 3, but I do very clearly remember riding the monorail around EPCOT (it was capitals back then!) before it had finished being built. Spaceship Earth was only partially covered in the silver "tiles" that we know today, and there was much construction going on elsewhere (the EPCOT monorail station hadn't even been completed). So yeah, early memories can and will stick
. (While I haven't been able to exactly date this trip, it did obviously have to happen before Oct 1982, which even if it was 1982 that I remember this from, I was only 3.)Upcoming Trip
After all this, you may be wondering "Why in the heck would he be posting all this tripe now? Well, then answer you've been looking for for the past 3.5 seconds is coming soon, I promise!
Back home (New Hampshire for those playing along at home), I have a very close friend. She had a daughter a couple years ago (the most adorable little princess in the world, albeit I may be a bit biased
), and since then I've been dreaming to take the two of them to Disney. Upon looking at my post relocation finances, and then playing with the Disney site, I realized that "Hey, I can afford this!", and plans were made. Well, initial plans at least, I had no idea of all the stuff beyond the "I want to go from this day to this day."So, plans were made in May, and then remade the next day to add 2 days to the trip, and then remade (with the same dates) to add Free Dining to the trip (Duh Feen, you have to apply the code... it's not automatic!) With all that done, our dates were set and time off requested.
The official dates (for me anyways) are 9/18 - 9/27, though Disney will be 9/20 (Visiting family first) - 9/27. They will be flying down from NH on the 20th and meeting me at the airport and then heading to CSR for the week.
Now, the last bits, which I may have skimmed over. The little one is 2 1/2 years old now, and I haven't seen either of them for almost a year
. This trip is also a gift to both of them, since they've been going through some tough times lately. Yeah, I'm awesome, what can I say? Well, to be honest, at least half the reason I even planned this trip was because I personally wanted to go, but not alone. It sounds more selfish when I say it that way though .At any rate, if you've made it down to this part, then I give you lots of respect. Heck, I doubt I'd read all this, and I WROTE IT! Anyway, /wave to all the DISers.
