Cheeky Chicks (and a rooster) Can Cyber Chat For A Whole Year! Part 2

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

 

[GoofyDad869]

Greetings from GoofyDad869, Wash DC edition!!!

A short (sorta) Trip Report (in-progress) - for those of you who read the "Mixed Nuts" thread this is an exact copy of my post there, I'm too damn lazy to change any of the wording:

I am so freaking tired. We left the school in Maryville at 6:15 yesterday morning (15 minutes late) and got into DC yesterday at 4:30 (1 1/2 hours late due to DC area traffic). NOBODY slept on that bus, which in hindsight might not have been a good thing. After we got into DC, we did a walking tour of Arlington Cemetery (5:30 Changing of the Guard at The Tomb of the Unknowns, John & Bobby Kennedy's gravesites, Iwo Jima Memorial). After that was dinner, 80+ kids w/ 20+ chaperones in Pentagon City Mall food court. It was Nucking Futs. Insanely crowded. All of my boys decided to have pizza, which was right next to a Thai place - I got pad thai w/ pinneapple steamed rice (pretty good). We had an issue with some of the girls wandering off from their chaperones to shop right after eating, which made us late to round everybody up (the girls' assigned chaperones searched all five floors of that mall). After everybody got rounded up and on the buses, we went back to The Mall and did the Jefferson Memorial and the new FDR Memorial, in full dark (keeping track of unfamiliar kids in the dark is not fun, but we did OK) until about 9:15. Jefferson is great in the dark, but I think we could have gotten more out of FDR in the light of day. We then attempted to drive to our hotel in Maryland, and the front bus got lost twice. Soon after, our bus (#2) took over lead and we did make it in to our hotel about 10:30. We were checked into our rooms by 11:15 (immediate curfew for the kids since we got in so late so my boys just took showers and got into bed, watching Nick), and a chaperone meeting was called for 11:45 to discuss the Pentagon City Mall problems and how to not have that happen again. Yeah, that was fun. We also busted a half-dozen girls for violating curfew while we were meeting (You'd think they could duck their heads back around the corner faster like I could do at that age...). The meeting ended about 12:30, and I stayed up and read until about 1:30.

This morning wakeup call at 6:45. I have boys in my room and since both had decided to shower last night, it was just me - we were ready to go by 7:10. Downstairs for the continental breakfast (yogurt & a banana for me), out the door and on the buses at 8:00. We got back into DC proper by 9:00 and went directly to the Supreme Court. It was pretty cool, if you like lots of marble and stuff... We toured that and walked next-door to the Library of Congress at 10:15. The Library of Congress is very impressive. We were scheduled to do the kids' portion of the Holocaust Museum before lunch, but we had time constraints at the Nat. Cathedral that we had to be there for. We decided to punt on the Holocaust before lunch and ate at Union Station for an early lunch. I talked a couple of the boys into Indian food - I had an excellent curry chicken. This meal went much smoother than Pentagon City from the "kid-korralling" standpoint. I had warned my boys that it WOULD NOT BE PLEASANT FOR THEM if they got separated from me for any length of time.

Our afternoon consisted of a tour of the Nat. Cathedral starting at 1:30 - it is a beautiful church. I took about 100 pictures of *just that*. Next was the National Zoo. Since this is a blitzkrieg trip (we're pretty much hitting the high points according to the tour guides) we only had 1 1/2 hours in the zoo (and it's easily an all-day deal). We saw the pandas and the boys elected to do the reptile house and aviary of we had time. No time for the aviary as it turned out - we still had the Holocaust Museum to do before dinner. We got back on the bus and went back into The Mall. We did just the kids' presentation in the Holocaust Museum (a thing called "Daniel's Story") which was very moving but skimped on alot of the more unsavory details (instead of saying '6 million' were killed it said 'many million', that sort of thing). The kids were drawn to the gift shop like moths to a flame, and I ended up buying myself a book there too (I'm a sucker for museum books). Next was dinner at the Ronald Reagan Office Plaza food court. Most pleasant meal by-far, so far, much less crowded than either of our previous meals. Since it was relatively uncrowded we gave the kids much free-er range (there weren't any stores other than newsstand-places also). Most of my boys had nachos and subway sandwiches, and I had a gyro (one of the guys decided he was brave enough to try one too). Normally when I eat Thai, Indian or Middle Eastern (ok, Greek), KAMommy complains about my breath. So I don't usually get a chance to eat a lot of it. I use times like these to my advantage - eat all of the stuff that gives me dragon breath...

Coming out of Reagan plaza I almost got into a fight. There are bus pick-up lanes right outside the building. DC has a 3-minute idle law in effect for buses, to keep traffic moving (in theory). A group of 4 buses from Cleveland OH had been parked there for about 15 minutes and took up all of the available bus lanes. Our 2 buses came along and had to double-park so that we could load. One of the Cleveland drivers got pissed and started yelling at some of our kids when they crossed in front of his bus. I ended up calling him a "semi-bad" name (I think I said something like "Geez-o-Pete, you've been parked for more than 15 minutes and we'll be out of here in 2 or 3, you dick!!" - I definitely remember saying the "dick" part). It's not like he could have done anything short of ramming us out of the way. Anyway, I should probably apologize to the kids who overheard me (I heard snickers behind me as I was arguing with him). FWIW, I don't think any of the teachers or other chaperones overheard my exchange with Mr. Sphincter from Cleveland.

Tonight was World War II memorial at dusk (awesome!!!), followed by Vietnam Memorial. At Vietnam Memorial (as simplistically powerful as always), it was getting to be full dark and one of my boys got separated from me (but he was still with our overall group). After a couple of minutes of terror on my part I found him, and I made sure he was attached to my hip after that. Next we did the Korean War Memorial. It was cool but would have been better in full light (plus I was sorta on edge with what happened a few minutes before at the Vietnam Memorial). To cap off tonight we did the Lincoln Memorial - this time I was sure to count the steps as we climbed (56 step risers - Lincoln was 56 when he was assassinated). Got on the buses at 9:15 - bus ride back to the hotel was uneventful. Kids have all been in the pool and curfew passed by at 11:15 (it's 11:25 right now). I'm gonna shave my peach fuzz on my head, read a few minutes (Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"), and call it a night.

Maybe I'll see y'all tomorrow night.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Havefun!!

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

good night Peeps!!


(get it? Those littl candies? they are chicks??)

So i am calling you guys Sweet Chicks

and a rooster of course!

 

[jtnsami]

I killed a spider this evening that I think could have eaten my dog. I bet I used a can of Raid on him. At one point, he started coming back toward me. Of course I had to give him another dose of Raid. Now he's just a big black and brown ball lying on my basement floor. YUCK!!!! What kind of bug would a spider that size be after? If I see it (the bug), I'M MOVING!!
__________________

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

good luck with all that!!!

 

[jtnsami]

I'm gonna need ALOT of luck, cuz now I can't sleep. Good thing the internet was invented, and direct tv so I can flip through 900 channels with not one thing to watch.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

hahahahaha!

i'm thinking i should be getting to bed otherwise i'm going to be exhausted tomorrow!!

 

[Jeanny]

Good Morning Chicks and Rooster!

Just driving by real quick to say "Hey" .... today is the the first day of finals! And my last full weekend I have to work! That's a big Whoop!!! I'll work the day of graduation, but then I have weekends free for the summer!

Have a great day everyone! The sun is shining up here and it's going to be in the 60's today!!!

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

Good Morning to you, good morning to you, good morning chicks and rooster, good morning to you.

Well it's

.

Kendall is having her skating "birthday" party tonight. I have a ton of things to do today. Now if the rain would just stop I could get on with it.

Have a good one everyboby.

Oh, GD have fun in DC.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

One Week One Week I Leave In One Week.....

 

[Sthronds]

Just doing a drive by Morning Greeting. I'm off to my hometown for the wedding. I'm still in my sweats and we are leaving in 40 minutes! No time to chat but have a great day!

 

[Grumpy's Wife]

Have fun at the wedding Susan.

 

[FroggyinArk]

I would love nothing better (well, unless you were inviting me to meet you in the Magic Kingdom), but alas, I can't make it. I have a list of projects longer than my arm. We're getting our house ready to sell. Our Realtor is coming on Wednesday and I have to make a good impression.

I didn't realize it was open already. Actually, I'm not sure that I've ever been there! We were just talking about it and the water park place today at the office. We're putting together a special giveaway with those as part of the prize package. Are you regulars there?

ok so we had left already,,lol,, we ussually go at least once a year, will likely buy seaason passes because it really is cheeper. its a pretty nice place, we had a few issues this trip, but are satisfied with the way they ha ndled them they are doing a big expansion on crystal falls this spring, and its not open. magic springs is in its weekend only stage , until next week i think.


watch for atrip report with photos soon.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

Have fun!!!

 

[jtnsami]

Evening all!

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

 

[jtnsami]

Hey! It's a wonderful evening here. Just popping in for a fly by. Family in from Texas. I love it. We spend all evening, and usually most of the night just shooting the breeze. Hope everyone has a wonderful night.

DMM, YOU'RE UNDER A WEEK NOW!!!!!

 

[jtnsami]

400th POST!!! I seem to remember doing this before. I made it to Dis Vet and had it all taken away. I think I'll keep it this time.

 

[AllAboutPluto]

400th POST!!! I seem to remember doing this before. I made it to Dis Vet and had it all taken away. I think I'll keep it this time.

Naaaah! Let's see if we can offend people and get the thread deleted!!