Canadian Buffoon's Disney With a Teen Vacation - 08/13 - The Wrap

[DISNEYMOON10121991]

Just got caught up. WOW! You had me on a rollercoaster of emotions there:
Poor Luna, that made me sad and worried
Vet $$ , felt sorry for your wallet
No couples only Disney trip! That sucks! Poor Ponzie
Luna's surgery went well
Crazy dog not being a very good patient. Running around like that! Really her foot through the cone?
Glad you and Ruby still found a way to plan a trip together
What!! Now, what must be one of the sweetest wife ever (along side me of course ) tells you to go to Disney anyways!! Awesome!
Of course selfishly that also make me so happy ...More TRs We can't get enough! This may never end.
I can see it now, many years from now we'll be reading about your adventures in a nursing home:
"Took my wheelchair down to the rec room for bingo. Won nothing , took no pictures, had to use Betty to find my way back to my room"

Sound like you had fun getting your poker chips. Harley tub/poker runs happen around here a lot, I mean Milwaukee is only a little over an hour from where I live. With a popular dealer in the town I work in.
That parking ticket machine was both trouble and a rip off. First I was worried you'd find out later that you got charged more then once. It'd hard to be smarter then the machines sometimes.

Will always be ready to sleep.. I mean read another update when you have one

 

[pkondz]

Just catching up on the chit chat.

Sure. Now that you have nothing
but free time on your hands.
Having passed and all.

I know everyone has their style, but for us, it just seems to be best to go for a LONG trip (like 10 days) and slow down a bit (still busy, but doing less line standing and more of the "off the beaten path" stuff). Then we can also do other trips too and see more than just Disney. GASP! I know... But yeah, there is more than Disney vacations.

Oh, I'd love to.
But.

The one time we had time...
we drove there.

That chews up about a week right there.

 

[pkondz]

Beats a large number of my other choices.

While that may be true... ahem...
And considering the DIS isn't supposed to allow politics...


I will say that there are many Canadians who
are more than a little... terrified...
if one particular candidate becomes Mr. President.

Vouch for me and maybe I could immigrate up that way…
That might be a significantly better option.

You're on your own bub!
Re: the conversation above...
We may be inundated.

Everyone! Join in for our official Club Cheer!

I!
D!
Ten!
T!

I!
D!
Ten!
T!

I!
D!
Ten!
T!

Duuuuuuuuuuh!

I don't get it.

I do the same…
And then I get around to not writing about it.

Well.... your heart's in the right place.
In your chest, of course.

You’re probably correct, but part of being a smart-a** is focusing on trifling, mundane, and irrelevant details in order to draw attention away from one’s deficiencies in understanding.

There are those who regularly give grandiose and long winded speeches every couple years down this way that prove the point.

Thanks for the grandiose and lengthy explanation!

Ummmm…

Well…

Ok, take the notion of a little bit of nibbling combined with the potential phraseology implied by “sumptin-sumptin” and…

Well…
You know, family board and all…


Ok, I’ll go over and stand in the corner for a while.

I was wondering how you'd answer that!

Cool! We got those down here as well.
Do the folks up that way park so as to cover up as many of those lines with a single car as possible like they do here?

Not all that often actually.
Now having said that...
Who's side are you on, here?

Probably, If I thought it though.
I was really interested in how far off that was for any other type of event parking that I might normally encounter. $9 is pricey, but parking along the coast of SC can vary from $5 up to $15 (US) for a day and depending on the city and area, that might even be an hourly rate. Parking in downtown Atlanta is comparable to what you experienced as well. It’s really the fact that it was all for not that made it painful.

Yeah, that's pretty much it.
Sporting event? Could be $30.
But $12 for 5 minutes?
Seems a little steep.

Since it stuck in my mind I did go do some quick wiki research (not definitive but relatively reliable of general topics). The tower wasn’t finished at the time the games opened and the tower and roof weren’t completed until 1987.

I found a shot of the opening ceremonies where you can see the base of the tower with the construction crane overhead.

Well, there you have it.
Now we know.
Cool pic BTW.

Humor has also changed since I was a young man.
It’s become all about being awkward, purposely embarrassing others and drawing that pain out for excruciatingly long periods of time. To me, stuff like that isn’t funny, it’s just bullying and I don’t laugh so much as just feel awful for seeing it.

Now that's interesting.
I find that when I watch an older movie,
the comedy is completely lost on my DDs.

And I’ve yet to hear an acceptable explanation as to why super “heroes” are fighting each other rather than serving the common good.

Don't ask me.
I didn't see either Batman vs Superman or Civil War.

I just assumed they were fighting over
the last slice of cheesecake.

That I get.

What we learned very quickly is that longer is better. Three days is only enough to make you want more. Five is really about the shortest cruise that is satisfying, but don’t give up on a random 3-4 day if the price is right.

I really should make myself restart that TR I began on out last DCL trip.

Interesting.
I guess we're a little gun-shy.
Our neighbours went on a cruise
and it was a disaster.
We're worried about going on a cruise,
hating it... and being stuck for x days.

That's why we want to start with a shorter one.

Pbfffft!
Like you weren’t already planning it out in your mind.

Pa-lease…

Seriously... I had zero intention of writing
about Banff.

When are you leaving that Sunday?
We hope to be On-World by mid-morning and have a 1:30 lunch reservations at Raglan Road.
Likely too late, but if you were to drop by I’d gladly offer ya' a drink for the road.

I think the flight is at 2pm.
Which means DUD pick up time is 10am.

 

[Mrs T 2009]

See? See? There ya go!

YES... unfortunate, but school is important- so they say..... haha

First it's "I've got all year to figure this out."
then it's "I've got six months."
then it's "I've got six weeks."

Then it's "So I'm on this cruise
and I know nothing about it."

yeah yeah yeah.... I started to take notes when we first booked... I need to get on that note taking again, before I forget and it's a week away... haha

 

[pkondz]

Just got caught up. WOW! You had me on a rollercoaster of emotions there:

Poor Luna, that made me sad and worried

Vet $$ , felt sorry for your wallet

No couples only Disney trip! That sucks! Poor Ponzie

Luna's surgery went well

Crazy dog not being a very good patient. Running around like that! Really her foot through the cone?

Glad you and Ruby still found a way to plan a trip together

What!! Now, what must be one of the sweetest wife ever (along side me of course ) tells you to go to Disney anyways!! Awesome!

Of course selfishly that also make me so happy ...More TRs We can't get enough!

Whups! Gotta use words now.
I was on an emoticon roll, there.

Now... you say "TRs".... you want a Banff one, too???

This may never end.

Oh, dear Lord.
It will... it must!

I can see it now, many years from now we'll be reading about your adventures in a nursing home:
"Took my wheelchair down to the rec room for bingo. Won nothing , took no pictures, had to use Betty to find my way back to my room"

Whataya mean "won nothing"
It was rigged! Rigged I say!!

Sound like you had fun getting your poker chips.

It wasn't a bad day!
Damn the TR, full speed ahead!

Harley tub/poker runs happen around here a lot, I mean Milwaukee is only a little over an hour from where I live. With a popular dealer in the town I work in.

That location, I would expect nothing less!

That parking ticket machine was both trouble and a rip off. First I was worried you'd find out later that you got charged more then once. It'd hard to be smarter then the machines sometimes.

Thank you for paying off the city debt of Montreal.
Your credit card has been charged $12.... eight times.

Will always be ready to sleep.. I mean read another update when you have one

Oh, you can say sleep.
I fully realize what a dull chapter that was.
But if I'd skipped it...

"Hey! Ponzie! What gives!?!?
You skipped an entire day!!"

 

[pkondz]

YES... unfortunate, but school is important- so they say..... haha

Oh, stop chortling...

yeah yeah yeah.... I started to take notes when we first booked... I need to get on that note taking again, before I forget and it's a week away... haha

I do have some notes... but I wasn't quite expecting this,
so there's lots of times when I didn't bother.

Poop.

 

[Princess Leia]

Sorry to hear about Luna and the impact on your finances. Glad to hear she is recovering - hope your finances do likewise.

That's good you have been able to plan a trip to Banff and another solo trip to WDW. I was just looking yesterday at a trip report I did on our Western Canada trip in 2010. Apparently we had a lovely evening meal at the Keg steakhouse.

Its happening here as well plastic is taken over. But good old Fife is still a bit behind the cosmopolitan areas we can still pay to park with cash. Lots of Harley stores there we've only got one in Scotland and that's in Edinburgh

No, we have two - you have forgotten to count West Coast Harley Davidson in Glasgow. In fact they are building a new 10 million pound motorcycle village on the outskirts of Glasgow which will be home to West Coast Harley, Ducati Glasgow and Triumph Glasgow.

 

[SoccerDogWithEars]

You're lucky there, that's for sure.

We could go via Birmingham,
but it adds time.

See, and I'm the person who took the route to Indianapolis that was an hour longer, just so we avoided Ohio. I HATE driving through Ohio.

Oh, man. I'm sorry.
That's not something anyone would want to see.

One of Ruby's co-workers just saw her dog
get hit and killed about a week or two ago.

It's awful. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

Now that's hysterical!
I called Kay over and read that to her.

I used to have a video of it, but it must've been deleted. I'll have to take another one.

We also use it at the lake, so I'm sure the people at the campsite across the way and boaters probably wonder what the heck the green light going back and forth on the opposite shore is. We get a lot of amusement out of imagining their confusion.

Deep breaths. Deeeeep breaths.
Wedding planning can be stressful,
but if you do that... it makes for
an (hopefully) unstressful wedding day.

I keep telling myself that. Next week we have a tasting, so yay free food!

What the heck does PJ stand for, anyway??
Pre-wedding Jitters?

Lol. Planning Journal.

Unless you're at ECU, in which case it's a drink that's basically fruit punch and Everclear.

 

[MHSweb79]

I hate politics in a GOOD year, so this time is ridiculous. My sisters and I are doing a long weekend "roots" tour of New Brunswick in a few weeks and we are wondering if we are Canadian enough to just stay across the border forever. Or the next 4-8 years anyway.

 

[pkondz]

Sorry to hear about Luna and the impact on your finances.

Hey! You're back!
Thanks for the sympathy. It was not a happy time.

Glad to hear she is recovering - hope your finances do likewise.

She may recover, but as for our finances?
It works like this.
"Oh, look. We got a little extra."



SPEND IT!!!!!!

That's good you have been able to plan a trip to Banff and another solo trip to WDW.

Making the best of it wasn't half bad!

I was just looking yesterday at a trip report I did on our Western Canada trip in 2010. Apparently we had a lovely evening meal at the Keg steakhouse.

See??? See???

 

[pkondz]

See, and I'm the person who took the route to Indianapolis that was an hour longer, just so we avoided Ohio. I HATE driving through Ohio.

Oh? What's up with Ohio?
I've only driven the northern part
(Toledo/Cleveland) and didn't have a problem.

I used to have a video of it, but it must've been deleted. I'll have to take another one.

Yes! Do that!

We also use it at the lake, so I'm sure the people at the campsite across the way and boaters probably wonder what the heck the green light going back and forth on the opposite shore is. We get a lot of amusement out of imagining their confusion.

I can just imagine.
"Harold! There it goes again! See? I'm sure it's aliens!"

I keep telling myself that. Next week we have a tasting, so yay free food!

Free food is always good.
When Ruby and I were planning,
we stopped at a chocolate shop
(Don't remember which one, now.)
and asked about getting chocolates
as gifts for our guests.
We wanted one white and one milk chocolate heart/guest.

So they gave us each a free sample.

Free?


We may have gone back to that shop a couple of times
and talked to different employees
and gotten a few more free samples.




We did use them, so... probably 300 chocolates or so?
So I don't think they lost money from our "tasting".

Lol. Planning Journal.

Unless you're at ECU, in which case it's a drink that's basically fruit punch and Everclear.

Oh! thanks!

 

[pkondz]

I hate politics in a GOOD year, so this time is ridiculous. My sisters and I are doing a long weekend "roots" tour of New Brunswick in a few weeks and we are wondering if we are Canadian enough to just stay across the border forever. Or the next 4-8 years anyway.

You won't be the only ones trying to do that...

 

[SoccerDogWithEars]

Oh? What's up with Ohio?
I've only driven the northern part
(Toledo/Cleveland) and didn't have a problem.

Ok. So. To get to Indianapolis from NC, the most direct route generally requires you to go up through West Virginia, then cut over west through Ohio. Our first trip, on the way there, no big deal. On the way back, we notice a smaller windy road called "Ohio River Scenic Route" so we decide to take that. It's a little two lane highway that follows the river, but it goes through a lot of towns so the speed limit is something like 45mph.....35......45....55.....35.....45......35. And even though it was Mother's Day and a beautiful day, we never saw another soul. The whole road. It was very eerie. I wasn't sure we were going to make it back alive.

Then this past Christmas, we drive to Columbus to see Joe's family. On the way up, there's a freak snowstorm with almost white-out conditions for a few minutes. Then we hit a really bad accident that completely stopped traffic, so we got off the main highway and onto another windy side road that added about 2 hours to our trip. And it was dark, and creepy, and the funniest part is we were going through farmland that had cow crossing signs, but all the fences were knocked over and there was a barn that looked like a dinosaur had escaped from it. Joe even remarked "What kind of cows are these?"

So, yeah, I haven't had terribly fun experiences going through Ohio, so I avoid it if I can.

I can just imagine.
"Harold! There it goes again! See? I'm sure it's aliens!"

I'm waiting for their to be a story about the ghostly green light or something like that. Though last time somehow she bumped it and turned it off and essentially turned invisible

We may have gone back to that shop a couple of times
and talked to different employees
and gotten a few more free samples.

I'm reeeeeeeeeeeally tempted to set up appointments at bakeries for cake tastings. Generally my conscience wins out though, because our family friend is making our cake for free. But still, I figure people must make appointments and change their minds right?

 

[pkondz]

Ok. So. To get to Indianapolis from NC, the most direct route generally requires you to go up through West Virginia, then cut over west through Ohio. Our first trip, on the way there, no big deal. On the way back, we notice a smaller windy road called "Ohio River Scenic Route" so we decide to take that. It's a little two lane highway that follows the river, but it goes through a lot of towns so the speed limit is something like 45mph.....35......45....55.....35.....45......35. And even though it was Mother's Day and a beautiful day, we never saw another soul. The whole road. It was very eerie. I wasn't sure we were going to make it back alive.

That doesn't sound eerie... it sounds great!
No old lady or old man in a hat putting along
at 15mph with no way around.

Then this past Christmas, we drive to Columbus to see Joe's family. On the way up, there's a freak snowstorm with almost white-out conditions for a few minutes. Then we hit a really bad accident that completely stopped traffic, so we got off the main highway and onto another windy side road that added about 2 hours to our trip. And it was dark, and creepy, and the funniest part is we were going through farmland that had cow crossing signs, but all the fences were knocked over and there was a barn that looked like a dinosaur had escaped from it. Joe even remarked "What kind of cows are these?"

So, yeah, I haven't had terribly fun experiences going through Ohio, so I avoid it if I can.

Okay, that one wasn't so great.
But I love the windy roads.
Fun to drive.

I have it in my back pocket that some day I'll do a road trip
and instruct Google to avoid highways.

I'm waiting for their to be a story about the ghostly green light or something like that. Though last time somehow she bumped it and turned it off and essentially turned invisible

Ooohhh, that makes it better!

"Harold!! Harold!!!! It was right there a second ago,
and then it just disappeared!!! Harold!!!!!!!"

I'm reeeeeeeeeeeally tempted to set up appointments at bakeries for cake tastings. Generally my conscience wins out though, because our family friend is making our cake for free. But still, I figure people must make appointments and change their minds right?

Wait... What were you saying about your pants over on your PJ??

 

[orangecats2]

I was talking about some movie
and saying how you used to have to have
a bit of intelligence to "get it".
Now they mostly seem to play to
the lowest common denominator.

That's what I think about a lot of TV shows these days. I know what's going to happen before it does. Either that or I'm too smart!

See, and I'm the person who took the route to Indianapolis that was an hour longer, just so we avoided Ohio. I HATE driving through Ohio.

I have no trouble driving in Ohio. I think every place has some creepy back roads. Maybe you were in Amish country?

Ponzi, I always forget to ask - Did you notice the Harley on Rt 90 right after Elyria? I know you didn't stop. It's in Avon on the north side of the highway.

 

[Thumper_Man]

Well, I sure as heck ain't gonna risk it!!

Don't forget to duck, afterwards.

Well I followed your directions. I told her you said "Happy Belated Birthday" and ducked immediately after. I even put my hands over my head expecting the worse. What happened next is still a little puzzling to me.

Nothing happened.

I lowered my hands and slowly stood upright. Now here's the puzzling part. She simply stated:

"Don't worry. I'm not gonna do anything to you. You're not the "ONE" that forgot my birthday. He did."

What do you make of that?

 

[pkondz]

That's what I think about a lot of TV shows these days. I know what's going to happen before it does. Either that or I'm too smart!

I asked about 80 different people...
and they asked a bunch of people...
and no one knows what's going to happen on TV before it happens.
So... obviously you're too smart!


In related news, Ruby and I watched Flight Plan last night.
It stars Jodie Foster as a woman who's husband has died
while they were in Germany.
She and her six year old daughter were flying the body back to the States.
In mid-flight, her daughter disappears and no one remembers seeing the girl.
Plus she's not on the manifest and she can't find her boarding pass.
Did she imagine her daughter was there? Or is she really missing?

Ruby and I spent an entertaining several minutes
picking apart all the plot holes.

Ponzi, I always forget to ask - Did you notice the Harley on Rt 90 right after Elyria? I know you didn't stop. It's in Avon on the north side of the highway.

No!! Or... maybe.
If it was right on the highway, I might have seen it,
but you're right, I didn't stop.
I didn't do any Harley shops on the way to Niagara Falls
I don't think.
I'd have to look to make sure.
I do remember I got a poker chip in Toledo.

 

[pkondz]

Well I followed your directions. I told her you said "Happy Belated Birthday" and ducked immediately after. I even put my hands over my head expecting the worse. What happened next is still a little puzzling to me.

Nothing happened.

I lowered my hands and slowly stood upright. Now here's the puzzling part. She simply stated:

"Don't worry. I'm not gonna do anything to you. You're not the "ONE" that forgot my birthday. He did."

What do you make of that?

Quite simple actually.
Don't accept any packages (especially if they're ticking)
from New Mexico.
Don't travel when she is.
Apologize profusely and often.

And accept that even with all that,
the inevitable punishment will arrive
some day, anyway.

 

[orangecats2]

I didn't think Flight Plan was too bad. I think I'm able to suspend disbelief for movies better than for shows. We need to see the new Star Trek. Probably go next weekend. I start dog, cat, house sitting next weekend for two weeks! Their central air is so nice! The hot tub's not too either.

I thought that you weren't aware of the HDS by me. I would have told you about it but I don't think that I knew you collected chips back then. I'd send you one but I think you said that you like to get them yourself.

I told Heather HB on FB so I'm not in trouble! Doesn't FB sent you a reminder? Maybe you have notifications turned off.

 

[MarieLightning]

Awww poor puppy And poor you. Must've been a roller coaster of excitement and then... not so much. Hopefully she gets better fast, and you'll soon be able to plan another similar trip.

Also, that is crazy, about the lady out in the middle of the night. I mean, having known my share of controlling moms/grandmas (and thinking of certain past personal events...), could also be that she kicked herself out and blamed it on the daughter, but whichever the situation is, it's a good thing she likely at least got to the airport safe.

Sure enough.
Even though the vet stepped her up to a bigger cone,
she figured out how to get her foot in it.

Sounds about right!

No, today I decided... to drive around
and pick up poker chips at Harley dealerships.

Well, you know. Live your life

Yeah. Okay. I'm an idiot.
(Would you please stop nodding in agreement!!)
Stanley street runs pretty much right up to
the Bell Centre.
Where the Montreal Canadians play.
Hockey, that is.
And they play for... the Stanley Cup.
Just one of the oldest trophies in the world.

I wasn't gonna say it, but since you did..

Then again, I've never particularly thought of street names as having much logic, unless they're major streets.

The first Harley store I was going to hit
was 48KM (30 miles) away.
I figured, I should get there in half an hour or so.

(Okay, I'm done laughing at you, I swear).

In all fairness, half an hour would typically be right with the distance and speed limits. If it didn't involve being downtown Montreal as a starting point.

I punched "Tim Hortons" into the GPS
(I don't remember which one.)
and there was one just a couple of blocks away.

Of course there was.

Of course there was

The Montreal Garden is one of the largest in the world
and the Chinese Garden specifically
is the largest Chinese garden outside of Asia.

Uh oh... I can already tell where this is going...

That's the Olympic Stadium in the background.
Well... part of it.
Actually, what you can see,
is the tallest inclined tower in the world.

Most people around here (well, people who remember those Olympics and everything around it) call it the toilet bowl. They may be taking it down.

Yep... should've asked me, I could have told you that. We were there just the day before you.

Until I reached for my iced lemonade.
The one that I'd had maybe a quarter of.
The one that I left on top of the #$&^#* ticket machine!!!

You are having a rough day of it man.

Rush hour.

Apparently, in Montreal, rush hour means
every man (or woman... or uber... or Tesla...)
for himself (or herself.)

100% why I do not drive in Montreal. Or anywhere for that matter. But especially in Montreal. That, and the 10,000 (approximately) one way streets.

Well.... maybe we can try next year on the cruise.
Gives me more time to research it, anyway.
And... <puts on flame suit> maybe a Disney cruise
isn't the best option for us.

No flaming from me. I love Disney. I love cruising. We will, possibly, some day, do a Disney cruise. Maybe a three nights Bahamas. Maybe treat ourselves to the Alaskan cruise.

But at the end of the day... I just don't feel like it's worth the premium of the cost. I can accept Disney World being so expensive, for the most part. It's a pretty unique experience. It doesn't compare to other theme/amusement parks.

But the only thing that pulls DCL apart from other cruiselines is the characters, and some of the shows (which we only sometimes go to see anyway). I'd rather pay a whole lot less and get just about the same experience. We've done Princess, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, and all three were great.

(In other news, if you're ever looking for a cruise and want insight, I sell cruises for a living )

Ruby said do it.
"You've been working so much. You need this."

I fly out on September 14th, arriving that afternoon.
Spend a few days in Disney.
Fly home on the 18th.
It's all booked.

Yay for both Banff and Disney! This took a turn for the awesome fast