August 13, 2011 Med - Mickey's Marauding Mates

[jd99]

I'm here. Starting to get frantic about our upcoming cruise. Too much to do. Too little time but we can't wait.

No swim meet this weekend so we are trying to figure out what to do. Funny how that consumes so much of our time on weekends and when we don't have it we are lost. Maybe we should get ready for this cruise!

We leave 2 weeks from today for one night at BCV before the sailing. Still tons of work to do, FE stuff to gather, packing, a business trip for me, Thanksgiving and other miscellaneous nonsense.

 

[Anal Annie]

Just a quick bump to keep us from slipping back onto page 3!!

FYI - I went onto the DCL website this morning to look up something & checked our cruise - they've finally raised the Cat 5B's to be more $$ than the 5C's!! There for awhile they were less - so I guess they either got some more bookings which raised the category or they realized their faux pas & adjusted it. Because of that screwy pricing did you end up booking a 5B Jeff?? Lucky you that you are going again so soon!! We've never gone anywhere over Thanksgiving...my parents usually come down & my MIL & DH's step brother come...THIS year we also will have BIL & SIL + baby... BIL is a major in the army & has always been stationed somewhere during the holidays - he got assigned to Ft. Meade in Laurel, MD this past year so he's living close by this year & will also be here - first time in MANY, MANY years that we'll have such a big Thanksgiving dinner. I HAVE TO CLEAN HOUSE NEXT WEEK!!!!!

Tonight is our big swim for ALS / Muscular Dystrophy...DS got some really nice pledges from our friends & family - about $740 from everyone we asked so we feel that it will be a successful event if there are others who took the pledging seriously. I know there are some who didn't really go out of their way to ask anyone which is a shame. Most people are happy to give SOMETHING if you just ask.

Anyway, it is supposed to be a really nice day here today (mid 60's) so I want to work outside a bit. I still have perennial beds to cut down & DH needs to put the winterizer stuff on the lawn. Busy weekend... Hope everyone has a good one!!! Will check in again later!!

 

[Kels Sem]

Hey, Just bumpin as we're on page 3 again
Hope everyone has had a good weekend. Mine was very quiet. I've just sat down after spending the day cleaning. Oh what an exciting life I live.

 

[Anal Annie]

Hey ya'll.... MAN!! I am POOPED! Kelly - I am right there with ya in the same boat! It was a gorgeous weekend here so I ended up spending a good part of my Saturday washing windows!! That bug just sorta bit me as I was thinking about my parents coming down in a couple of weeks. My Mom doesn't like dirty windows!! Two of the windows in our family room face the east & they have half round windows at the top with no window covering - more of a decorative look I guess - anyway, the sun coming in during the mornings made them just look AWFUL. They were sooooo dirty. DH was home to help me get the screens off so I figured while I was dragging out the ladder I may as well hit the pair of windows here in my study where I sit all day too (also facing east which makes for a dreary look outside in the mornings). Then I figured I may as well hit the back doors & the kitchen window... Finally TODAY, after lunch I worked outside on my perennial beds. Cut down the ones on east side of the house & trimmed down the hydrangea a bit 'cuz it had gotten HUGE then I did my big round bed that is in the backyard. Then I mulched all of them. I still have 2 big beds on the west side that need done but not sure if I'll get to them this fall or not. We'll see how the weather holds. But I am SORE and TIRED now!! It was a very manual labor intensive kind of weekend!!!

DS had his big swim-a-thon thing last night - he did really good and didn't even stop to ask how many laps he'd done until he'd hit 134 laps. As soon as he found out he'd passed his minimum goal by 350 meters he stopped going tho. It took him roughly about 55 minutes to swim that much. He said he wasn't that tired but he DID need something to drink. His face was beet red. He probably would've gotten sick if he didn't stop to get something to drink. I was hoping he'd keep going after he rested for a minute but he said he was done. I think he could've hit 4,000 meters with no problem. Part of the problem was he got into a lane with 2 swimmers that were slower & they stopped about 15 minutes before him. If he'd have swum in the lane with like swimmers they kept going so he probably would have too. But he wanted a less crowded lane. Next year he will be expected to swim 5,000 minimum in the group that he'll be practicing in. He kept up a really steady pace so now I am hoping he'll swim a 1,650 (mile) in the distance meet they go to in February.

OK, off to think about making dinner before I crash!!

 

[Anal Annie]

Helllloooo!!! Page 3 AGAIN!!

 

[jd99]

Sorry I've been lurking but nothing to post about. I don't want to rub it in that I'm leaving in 10 days. Ooops did I just say that? We are just so excited. Never has a cruise been needed more. DD12 is in middle school now and after a really great start to the year, girl drama has taken over and it just makes me sick. I'm ready to get her - and us - away from all that.

Trying to get a ton of work done too and I have a biz trip to NY later this week. So after a quick break, it's back to work I go. (Hi Ho, Hi Ho)

 

[west&east]

Well page 3 is not very respectable, is it?
I have been on a break from most vacation planning the last week or so. Been busy with work, kids, etc. I am strangely unmotivated to plan for our December WDW trip, I think because I am really stressed about going with another family who has never been.
Dreary rainy day here in Charlotte but I think we are forecast to get another week of sun. Hope we have nice weather for our Thanksgiving company next week.

 

[Anal Annie]

Sorry I've been lurking but nothing to post about. I don't want to rub it in that I'm leaving in 10 days. Ooops did I just say that? We are just so excited. Never has a cruise been needed more. DD12 is in middle school now and after a really great start to the year, girl drama has taken over and it just makes me sick. I'm ready to get her - and us - away from all that.

Trying to get a ton of work done too and I have a biz trip to NY later this week. So after a quick break, it's back to work I go. (Hi Ho, Hi Ho)

I am going to ignore your cruise rubbing in for now! You SEE how I post - I just come on & talk out loud to myself when there's nobody else around to talk to!! I've been doing that for about a year now!! Anything to keep the thread alive!! Speaking of alive...wonder where NJ.Ohana went off to?! And LUKE?! HELLO?! I'm assuming that Kelly is still having internet problems.

Middle school - DS started 2 years ago - 6th grade was ROUGH all year long...it took him all year to adjust. Now he's in 8th grade & I am starting to fret over him starting HIGH SCHOOL next year!! We've decided to apply to an APPS program (Advanced Placement) at his school where he'll go. The application period is from Nov. 1 to Feb. 3. They only take 60-65 kids so I don't know what his chances are to get in. There are a LOT of applicants. I've downloaded most of the forms & talked to his teachers at conferences last week. We need 3 recommendations from 8th grade teachers & his counselor & writing samples etc. The counselor was definitely onboard for it & I've decided on 2 of the 3 teachers we need (Honors Geometry & Adv. English) but can't quite peg the 3rd one yet. The English teacher was VERY helpful & said she will collect his writing samples & save them for us & help chose which ones would be best to submit. I think I'd like the Science teacher as # 3 but she was a little hesitant about his maturity level even though she said she really likes how he thinks. She said to ask her again in December or January. The History teacher was ummm....well, different. Out there. Strange. Hard to read or something. Odd chick somehow. Although he has an 'A' in her class the Spanish teacher kinda seemed weird about it too. I think he's too chatty for her maybe. GOOD THING we have until February to get this figured out!!

 

[Anal Annie]

Daily bump!!

Started cleaning up my kitchen a bit yesterday in anticipation of Thanksgiving. Not quite done yet...I am such a PACK RAT!! I keep such piles! I also washed up my tablecloth from the kitchen table and it SHRUNK!! DOH!! What's with THAT?! I had thought about buying a new one for the dining room table but I suppose there is nothing wrong with it, really, only that I've used it for the past I don't know 6 Thanksgivings ('cuz it's the really BIG 120" one that fits the table with both leaves in)?! But now I guess I'll have to pick up a new one for the kitchen instead. I am debating about doing a buffet this year as I think we're gonna have about 10 people. It just makes the table so crowded to put everything there. But then I gotta figure out where to set that up?! Hummmm...on the kitchen table with the miniature tablecloth?!

 

[Anal Annie]

OK, Friday bump!!

Jeff - let me help you count - 1 MORE WEEK!!

UK peeps - you going to the royal wedding?!

west&east - whatcha doin'?

NJ.Ohana - is MIA!! Where are you?!

OK, I am off to run errands (starting my grocery shopping for Thanksgiving & got to get a new tablecloth to replace the one in the kitchen that shrunk... Then I suppose I will come home & clean bathrooms...


(PS) I have made the last 3 posts on the thread...I'm just sayin'....

 

[luke]

UK peeps - you going to the royal wedding?!

Ah a wedding, paid for by my taxes, for two impossibly rich and out of touch people, part of an outdated institution, I think that I speak for tons of English people when I say "who the hell cares?"

Got a letter from DCL (always nice to get a letter from an exotic place like Chicago ) with our dates and when we can book things etc (not that I didn't already know ) this week, which was nice.

Still not thought any more about our Barcelona hotel tho

Saw on another thread, that you posted on Anal Annie, about that place called Cinque Terre by La Spezia, which has peaked my interest in doing something there rather than going to Pisa or Florence

 

[Anal Annie]

Ahhh...taxes and rich people!

I am 2 days behind in getting stuff done somehow. I am feeling very ADD right now as I've accomplished very little off of my "to do" list this week. That means Monday is going to be a HARD DAY to make up for it.

Swim meet this weekend...shoots half of each day...anxious to see how DS does...

Jeff....6 days to go now, right?!

It is just after 10:00 and I am hearing the bed call my name...I was up until about midnight last night...can't keep up like I used to any more...

 

[jd99]

So are we nuts or what? After inviting my whole family to our house for Thanksgiving dinner, everyone punked out for a variety of reasons. So we found ourselves thinking, "Why are we staying here again and not heading to Florida a day earlier?" So we put the wheels in motion. By the way, I LOVE Southwest. Changes made, we actually got a $38 credit. Found a DVC discounted room at Bay Lake Tower. Have to change hotels (from Bay Lake to BCV) but we're at Disney! Got a LATE dinner reservation at Whispering Canyon. We may or may not still all be awake but so what?. Now we get a WHOLE day at WDW before the cruise instead of just a few hours that evening. So now we are leaving a day earlier, get a BLT night, a late Thanksgiving dinner at one of our favorites and then a whole day (albeit a busy one) in the parks before we cruise. We are all so excited!

 

[jd99]

Ahhh...taxes and rich people!

I am 2 days behind in getting stuff done somehow. I am feeling very ADD right now as I've accomplished very little off of my "to do" list this week. That means Monday is going to be a HARD DAY to make up for it.

Swim meet this weekend...shoots half of each day...anxious to see how DS does...

Jeff....6 days to go now, right?!

It is just after 10:00 and I am hearing the bed call my name...I was up until about midnight last night...can't keep up like I used to any more...

Five days now!!!! Hope that your son is having a successful swim weekend and that he drops loads of time!

 

[Anal Annie]

So are we nuts or what? After inviting my whole family to our house for Thanksgiving dinner, everyone punked out for a variety of reasons. So we found ourselves thinking, "Why are we staying here again and not heading to Florida a day earlier?" So we put the wheels in motion. By the way, I LOVE Southwest. Changes made, we actually got a $38 credit. Found a DVC discounted room at Bay Lake Tower. Have to change hotels (from Bay Lake to BCV) but we're at Disney! Got a LATE dinner reservation at Whispering Canyon. We may or may not still all be awake but so what?. Now we get a WHOLE day at WDW before the cruise instead of just a few hours that evening. So now we are leaving a day earlier, get a BLT night, a late Thanksgiving dinner at one of our favorites and then a whole day (albeit a busy one) in the parks before we cruise. We are all so excited!

Good job!! But now I am REALLLLY jealous 'cuz we have NO trips booked to FLA at ALL this year. Our AP's expired in May so our last trip down was in March, over spring break. With the Med / Europe trip next year we decided we couldn't afford to plan any trips at regular park admission prices and knew we wouldn't able to get enough days on AP's either. For about a minute I considered buying the non-expiring 10 day tix but those are SOOO much money... Anyway, hope you have a SPLENDID time!! (I'm sure you will). My cousin & her brood were driving down last night - going to Kidani for the first time. (Heavy sigh) I think I need a or (two).

 

[Anal Annie]

Five days now!!!! Hope that your son is having a successful swim weekend and that he drops loads of time!

I am so frustrated with DS right now I could truely strangle him I think!! I definitely need a drink (thinking a dirty martini, 3 olives, shaken). He was sooooo "off" today. His coach was like WHERE is he today?! It was just awful - and we expected so much. His flip turns & his streamlines...NADA!! He's been having some great practices lately - and fast in practice too. But NOT today. Here's what I think the brat did. He never ever sleeps in on the weekends...he wakes up at 6:30-7:00 and GETS UP. He never trys to roll over & pull the covers up & go back to sleep. WELL. So I heard him up & so I finally got up too...but not until 7:30ish... I come down & he's in the basement watching TV or whatever...so he yells up "I already took my pill". He is ADHD and takes Concerta every morning. On the weekends he always tries to get out of it and a couple of weeks ago he told me one morning that he'd taken it already. So I said how do I KNOW this for sure & he said check the cup - it's wet (he always leaves a cup by the back of the sink). OK, so fine. It was wet. Well, so this morning he gave me the same song & dance...but after witnessing him at the pool all afternoon I am pretty sure he flat out LIED to me and that he did NOT take his meds!! BRAT!! Another sign was that he came up to me on the bleachers this afternoon & told me he was hungry (I had fed him a good size plate of Fettucine Alfredo with chicken & broccoli right before we went to the meet & this was at like 3:30-4:00 that he was scrounging for food - and I saw him eat a ZONE bar after he swam his 500.) Anyway, this is HIGHLY unusual - he's NEVER hungry during the day 'cuz the meds zap his appetite. That pretty much clinched it for me. I am really ticked 'cuz he BLEW it. I know, tomorrow's another day but this was a senseless, stoooopid thing. His time on his 500 was 25 seconds SLOWER than the last time WHEN HE LOST HIS FREAKING GOGGLES!! He should've killed it today. ANYWAY...let's hope for a better day tomorrow - or else I'm gonna shoot him!! I am planning to HIDE his meds tonight so he won't know where they are - so if he gives me the same story TOMORROW I'll know for SURE.

 

[jd99]

Good job!! But now I am REALLLLY jealous 'cuz we have NO trips booked to FLA at ALL this year. Our AP's expired in May so our last trip down was in March, over spring break. With the Med / Europe trip next year we decided we couldn't afford to plan any trips at regular park admission prices and knew we wouldn't able to get enough days on AP's either. For about a minute I considered buying the non-expiring 10 day tix but those are SOOO much money... Anyway, hope you have a SPLENDID time!! (I'm sure you will). My cousin & her brood were driving down last night - going to Kidani for the first time. (Heavy sigh) I think I need a or (two).

That's one of the reasons we are going down early. We have APs that don't expire until March and aren't sure if we are renewing or not. So we want to get in as many days as possible!

I am so frustrated with DS right now I could truely strangle him I think!! I definitely need a drink (thinking a dirty martini, 3 olives, shaken). He was sooooo "off" today. His coach was like WHERE is he today?! It was just awful - and we expected so much. His flip turns & his streamlines...NADA!! He's been having some great practices lately - and fast in practice too. But NOT today. Here's what I think the brat did. He never ever sleeps in on the weekends...he wakes up at 6:30-7:00 and GETS UP. He never trys to roll over & pull the covers up & go back to sleep. WELL. So I heard him up & so I finally got up too...but not until 7:30ish... I come down & he's in the basement watching TV or whatever...so he yells up "I already took my pill". He is ADHD and takes Concerta every morning. On the weekends he always tries to get out of it and a couple of weeks ago he told me one morning that he'd taken it already. So I said how do I KNOW this for sure & he said check the cup - it's wet (he always leaves a cup by the back of the sink). OK, so fine. It was wet. Well, so this morning he gave me the same song & dance...but after witnessing him at the pool all afternoon I am pretty sure he flat out LIED to me and that he did NOT take his meds!! BRAT!! Another sign was that he came up to me on the bleachers this afternoon & told me he was hungry (I had fed him a good size plate of Fettucine Alfredo with chicken & broccoli right before we went to the meet & this was at like 3:30-4:00 that he was scrounging for food - and I saw him eat a ZONE bar after he swam his 500.) Anyway, this is HIGHLY unusual - he's NEVER hungry during the day 'cuz the meds zap his appetite. That pretty much clinched it for me. I am really ticked 'cuz he BLEW it. I know, tomorrow's another day but this was a senseless, stoooopid thing. His time on his 500 was 25 seconds SLOWER than the last time WHEN HE LOST HIS FREAKING GOGGLES!! He should've killed it today. ANYWAY...let's hope for a better day tomorrow - or else I'm gonna shoot him!! I am planning to HIDE his meds tonight so he won't know where they are - so if he gives me the same story TOMORROW I'll know for SURE.

Oh boy! Well good luck tomorrow. Here's hoping he loses ALL that time he found today and more!

 

[luke]

Been having a proper look round for Barcelona hotels today but still no further in finding the one.
There are some nice looking hotels there, but for the amount of use we will make of it in the day prior to and post cruise, they're a little bit expensive looking at the moment...

 

[Anal Annie]

I am not so concerned with our Barcelona hotel any more. I have my "short list" whittled down from my guidebooks & Trip Advisor reviews and will pick from one of those 3 or 4. I won't decide for sure until we find flights. IF we end up going from Paris to Barcelona on an evening flight which leaves no time for sighseeing in Barcelona that day then we'll likely just stay out by the airport at the Marriott. May as well save time & stay close by the airport for once. They have a shuttle to the port which would be convenient too. If we end up going in the MORNING however then I'll see how far our USD will go at either the Hotel Jazz, Hotel Europark or the Novotel Barcelona City. We will most likely then end up trying TWO different hotels - one pre-cruise and one post-cruise. I am still undecided about Paris. That's of more concern to me right now. I have to get thru Thanksgiving this week before I do any more research.

Sooo, today was 2/3 better at the meet. I say 2/3 because DS was definitely more focused...I got up BEFORE him & made sure that pill went down. He dropped 1 second off his 50 Free (I was hoping for 2 seconds...one more will get him under 30 seconds which would be a nice spot.) He also dropped 5 seconds off his 200 Free - nice drop there too. TWO more seconds there would get him into a good time position for his age. The other event today was the 100 Breast. He was trying to get a new time for that. He DQ'd. I thought his time was OK (better than I THOUGHT he might do anyway) until I looked at the time postings before we left. He had a 1 hand touch. This wouldn't be such a big deal EXCEPT that our next meet in 2 weeks won't allow NT swims so it screws him out of 1 event on that Saturday. It's a REALLY BIG meet that could easily have 150-200 kids PER EVENT - AND it's 3 days long - but I am not pulling him out of school on Friday to swim. Therefore he is missing being able to do the 200 Free & 200 Back. They don't do any 50's at this meet for 13+ other than the 50 Free so he will now only have 5 events he can swim. His team has a travel meet planned in January to Mechanicsburg / Carlise, PA so I guess we'll have to shoot for a retake on the 100 Breast at that meet. You can bet this is one Momma who's probably gonna sign up to chaperone!!! I gotta make sure that kid of mine takes his ADHD meds for sure!!!!!

Well, DH missed his Redskins game today (he TIVO'd it) so he's downstairs watching that... I need to go figure out something to make for dinner...me thinks something to go with red wine!

 

[west&east]

Redskins won!!!!!

My company arrives tonight. I've shopped at Trader Joes, Costco, and Harris Teeter and I think I have everything needed to get us through this week. Thankfully, I really only have to cook Thanksgiving. My mom is having us all to her house for dinner tomorrow night and Wednesday night we will go out or get take out to keep life easy. My brother and his family leave Friday 4pm so we'll have leftovers for lunch and that will be that.

After Thanksgiving, just 3 weeks til we leave for Orlando! And I am now planning a weekend Vegas getaway with a friend for January so lots to look forward to and help pass the time before August.

Wishing everybody a peaceful, festive Thanksgiving and to those outside the US have a great and peaceful week too!