DDA Chapter 3

[Tammi67]

thank you!

one year anniversary, huh?

remind me..is Bob a match.com guy?

Yes he is.

 

[PNO4TE]

I am trying not to get hung up on things...today was supposed to be the day we saw the heartbeat...instead...well...you know what I mean...

we will still go on the trip...so at least we will get away for a few days...not quite the trip I had envisioned...but still a trip nevertheless

I am so, so sorry. For both you and Bill and the kids.

 

[KristineN]

maybe the 4 of us could make a commercial!!

Yes he is.

 

[PNO4TE]

Then toss Kona! It's 'old hat' at this point! Isn't this trip about new places/experiences????

You are right! But what will I feed Bob for that morning?!? I know... In-Room Dining! No... that won't work... that would be another 4 credits!

 

[PNO4TE]

maybe the 4 of us could make a commercial!!

I'll write the background music for it!

 

[PNO4TE]

and now I am REALLY going to go get food... so long, y'all!

 

[KristineN]

a group collaboration!

I'll write the background music for it!

 

[Tammi67]

maybe the 4 of us could make a commercial!!

No kidding. We'd be a good advertisement.

 

[Tammi67]

You are right! But what will I feed Bob for that morning?!? I know... In-Room Dining! No... that won't work... that would be another 4 credits!

Um, Pop-tarts?

 

[Tammi67]

Good night Elin.

I'm heading that way too.

 

[tink2020]

Well, they just left, and now I'm crying. She looked so beautiful, so grown up. It's quite the shock seeing my "baby" look like a young lady. John took the camera with him, so I'll post after they get home. The corsage was beautiful. Hot pink roses with babies breath and ribbons.

Thank you for the pictures! She looked beautiful, and the shots from the dance look like she had a great time!

I am trying not to get hung up on things...today was supposed to be the day we saw the heartbeat...instead...well...you know what I mean...

we will still go on the trip...so at least we will get away for a few days...not quite the trip I had envisioned...but still a trip nevertheless

I'm glad you are still going on your trip, and I hope a change of scenery will be somehow a bit helpful with the healing process!

 

[my3princes]

PD to everyone who needs it today.


I have been trying to read for a while and keep getting pulled away.

I have been toying withthe idea of making my pillowcases for $$, but it can cost me as much as $10.00 to make a case if the fabric cost me alot, then I use a firm backing for the embroidery.
I might be able to do it cheeper if fabrics are on sale. I would have to get a group that I could try it out on and see if it would pay off.

So the survey is....
What would you all pay for a custom pillowcase? Fabric and embroidery?

$10, $15, $20 more or less?

As a parent of a child in an activity.... Would you be willing to pay for a specail pillowcase for that band, dance group, basball team etc?

OR would you find it bothersum that that are pimping you for more money for a silly thing?

Sample for those of yo have not seen one of my cases in a long time.

Thank you for your time DDA, I am thrilled to have you all to ask these questions.

The last time I searched for plain red pillowcases I paid $12 for one and it wasn't in any way designer. I would think you could get $15 - $20 each. If you could come up with some coordinating items you could do sets and really make out well.

Pictures from tonight.

She looks beautiful. It is nice that your school does things like that. No school around here does anything even remotely like that.

Hanging in there...been a precarious few days...but am moving forward. Now that I have finally received medical clearance I have been feeling a little blue...fear put sadness on the back burner for awhile.

There are no words that I can find to comfort you. I had a miscarriage and didn't know it until around 12 weeks. There was nothing that anyone could say to comfort me. I'm here if you need to talk.

I also received your check today and couldn't believe that you took time to send it with all that you are going through.

yes...today we were given the go ahead...I wasn't going to go...but at this point a change of scenery may be good...(at least that what Bill keeps telling me) and since we had so many nice things planned...I might as well just go

I hope that if nothing else WDW will give you something to occupy your mind.

 

[tinknme]

Denise thank you for sharing the pictures. BK looks beautiful!

Elin thanks for the the offer of your Bob

Kristine I am so sorry I do hope Disney brings you some happiness.

 

[KristineN]

if anything it will certainly be nice to see some sunlight...I am starting to feel like mole out here

I'm glad you are still going on your trip, and I hope a change of scenery will be somehow a bit helpful with the healing process!

 

[KristineN]

Thanks Deb...and your'e right....there is really nothing anyone can say

I am glad the check got there...now if I can only finish the project!

There are no words that I can find to comfort you. I had a miscarriage and didn't know it until around 12 weeks. There was nothing that anyone could say to comfort me. I'm here if you need to talk.

I also received your check today and couldn't believe that you took time to send it with all that you are going through.



I hope that if nothing else WDW will give you something to occupy your mind.

 

[KristineN]

Thanks Janet...

are you guys getting this crazy rain tonight?

 

[PNO4TE]

Elin thanks for the the offer of your Bob

When should I ship him out to you?

 

[Tinkaroo]

Hi all! Wendy just called and Michael is out of surgery and in ICU now. They
started surgery around 10:45 this morning and finished up around 5:30.
The doctors were able to accomplish everything that they hoped and are
very optimistic about the outcome. Michael is currently intabated and
under sedation primarily to minimize movement, etc and not disrupt the
surgery site. He will be in ICU for a few days and the recovery will
still be awhile, but things look really good.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers!

I'm so glad to hear this, Tia. Prayers for Michael and family as he recovers!

Betty Crocker has kicked me out of her wannabe club.

I'm probably the only woman alive that could burn a crock pot meal......

Nite all....

I'm sorry, Stephanie. I can promise you, I've been kicked out of the club, and it ain't all that bad!

Well, now Brantley-Kate has the stomach flu... It's going to be a long February...

You guys just can't catch a break. Thank goodness you're not at Disney right now, though! Lots of for BK and the rest of the fam. I hope everyone else can avoid it!

Good morning,

Sorry I haven't had a chance to post individual responses. and for everyone!!!


It's been a long week & today is looking no brighter. Daniel just came back off the bus (after he got on & drove away) & now he's sick.
Dana has been in Dallas all week on business, so his mother came to "help out". Well she got the flu the 2nd day she was here & lets just say I have been cleaning up alot of messes between my kids & her. I am still not feeling well (my head is pounding) & I have to work today. ugh.
Dana came home last night thankfully so he can take his mother either to the dr or home..I have had enough.

I know alot of you can relate to this one. Katie tells me last night at 8pm that she has a huge geometry test & that she hasn't been taught the work in class? Hmmmmm?? Ok anyway I help her til 10:30pm. I was half asleep trying to explain the area of a circle to her which took forever.
I got her up early to get some more studying done. Why does she wait til the last minute!?

Now the kids are whining..seems like they want to be fed! Gotta run!

Homework problems seem to be the theme lately. I hope the MIL is gone, and that things return to normal, and you get to feeling better! Sounds like Dana and I switched places this week!

Thanks for all of the well wishes yesterday! I don't physically feel much better today, but it was great to feel that people care. I really wanted to leave work yesterday around noon, but because the kids are in school here in Dallas and I live in Kaufman, I had to stick it out until almost 5. Since I get to work before 6:30, that makes for a long day, especially when sick.

The boys get out earlier today and I pick them up, so I hope to make it till then, then try to get some more rest. I don't remember it taking near this long to feel better when I had my last UTI, but I also didn't let it get out of hand and was quite a few years younger.

Have a good day everyone!

I was so sorry to hear about your infection, Marci! I hope today has provided the rest and recuperation you needed!

Anne Marie sounds like you have had a very rough week. Hopefully with Dana home everything will go a little smoother for you As far as the homework, yep I can relate! Just last night Garrett told me he has a project due today. He needed a poster board to do this on. Um the night before is a little late to be telling me. No I did not run out & get him one, yes he will be in trouble today. He needs to learn that he can't wait till the last minute & now he will face the consequences. I'm not trying to be mean, but this is not the 1st time & I have always before ran out & got him what he needed. Now he is worried about what the teacher will say, guess he should have thought of that sooner! Sorry I know this is not exactly the same as Kate, he just really upset me with this one. Rant over

These kiddos will learn one day! Way to go for standing firm with him. Everyone needs to face consequences of their actions!

 

[tmfranlk]

Oh man, 10:30 cannot come soon enough. AnneMarie and Glynis, are your girls and their friends really loud? These girls are insanely loud. It is just crazy. My head is pounding from the din of noise. Luckily, only two are spending the night.

I may have to catch up in the morning. When they all leave, I think that bed is calling my name. If I don't make it back...night all.

 

[Tinkaroo]

Unlike Vicki and Deb I have NOT been spending my time away from the DDA accomplishing anything remotely resembling housework or costume design. Well, I DID guilt myself into cleaning the bathrooms this morning before I got on the DIS.

(This is going to be long and if you are not interested in reading my brainstorming, please feel free to skip the rest of this post! My feelings will not be hurt in the least!! Besides, I think this is what you all lovingly call a pre-trip report! So maybe I need to post it on the TR Board too... )

The Eaters and Drinkers: DH (Bob): 58, Disney Veteran because we drafted him and he had no pre-existing conditions that allow him to be exempt. WDW is not his favorite place to be, but he knows it is mine and has found delight in being allowed to spend time alone in the resort reading and downing a few mugs of suds.

Me (Elin): 57, Lover of all Disney Parks and resorts, but especially WDW and all it has to offer. We are celebrating our 35th anniversary on this trip, albeit a couple of months after the fact. We were at DL last year for our 34th and just cannot get away to Florida this year in July. We don’t really WANT to be in Florida in July, but that is another story…

We are AP holders. I have been to WDW more than 50 times. Bob and our DDs, ages 29 and 21 (who are not going this trip), have been more than 30 times. WE usually go during the F & W Festival because we like to eat and drink. And we also spent 12 of the last 13 years at WDW for Christmas. This trip we are once again staying at AKL.

I have been playing around with my DlxDDP credits for our trip. I rapidly came to the realization that there are waaaay too many restaurants that we want to try!

Our flight does not get in until 2:50 p.m. on our first day but does not leave until 7:30 on our last day. So that gives us 4 1/2 full days of park/eating time. Since this trip is more about the gastronomic pleasures of WDW restaurants and festivals we will probably be spending more time on the eating and drinking part than on the thrill ride aspect. We are not (at this time) planning any special events at the F&W Festival. I have done many of them in the past but none of the wine pairings or things like Party for the Senseless events would make Bob happy. If the Beermaker's Dinner thing-y happened to be the weekend we are there, I would probably book that for him as a surprise. I, of course, would be “forced” to tag along on that one. Otherwise, if there is something that just jumps out at me when the special events are announced, I would book it for myself and Bob would happily stay at AKL and drink another beer... er... I mean read another book.

I sat down and determined what each of us would probably order to eat at all the restaurants we want to try. I figured the costs using DDE alone and also using the DlxDDP Option with DDE used for add-ons (like any sides or alcohol). We come out about even with our choices so we opted to do the DlxDDP since it will allow us to have pre-paid most of our food costs for the trip. We also debated the new Disney Dine & Wine add-on. But, at $40 a night it is not a smart option for us. There is a set wine list to choose from which changes AND you have to use 2 credits at any signature restaurants. As you will see, those are the bulk of our prospective dinners so I would use up $80 for one bottle of wine and I know I can get a decent wine for a lot less than that.

We have 24 TS/CS credits and 16 snack credits to play with. Snack credit use is a no-brainer... we will use them up easily at the F&W Festival. It is how to utilize those 24 TS/CS credits that is causing the headaches! It will probably come as no surprise to any of you that we are not using them as CS credits!

The Plan: BigBreakfast for Bob every morning. We both love breakfast. For goodness’ sake, 35 years ago we were married at 10:00 a.m. so we could have a sit down breakfast for our reception! So, one TS credit each day will consist of Boma or an appropriate substitute like Kona Café or Spoodles, both of which we also like. We, so far, are not planning lunches. We will haunt the F & W Festival mid-day. Dinner will be a Signature Restaurant most nights, although there are 1 credit locations we also like the sounds of and will happily attach to the ColorCodedMatrixOfFun. Here are the choices we have to work with (the numbers in parentheses are the required credits needed for that meal):

SIGNATURE DINNERS
Citricos (4)
California Grill (4)
Jiko (4)
Yachtsman Steakhouse (4)

TABLE SERVICE DINNERS
Chefs de France (2)
Tutto Italia (2)
Coral Reef (2)
Boma (2)
Spoodles (2)
Kona Café (2)

If you add those up you come to 28 credits. We only have 24 to spend. So we have to whittle away at this list and see what we can do to make this work out. We have never eaten at Citricos or Tutto Italia, so those probably need to stay on the list unless someone has a really good reason to eliminate them. We ate at Jiko last October and it was the best meal of our F&W Fest trip. We usually eat breakfast at the last three restaurants on the list so we will keep them there, untouched.

We have eaten both lunch and dinner at Coral Reef numerous times and have had good/bad service and wait times but always a good meal. It has been 11 or 12 years since we last ate at Chefs de France and we both enjoyed that meal, but our DDs did not, hence the lagtime between visits. Our Christmas Eve 2006 dinner at Yachtsman Steakhouse was one of our best meals ever on WDW property. That brings us to California Grill. This used to be our favorite restaurant. But 5 years ago we had such a bad experience there that we vowed it would be a very long time before we came back. We know that the wait time for a table will still be long (hopefully NOT 3 hours past our reservation time like in December 2002) and the offending server is probably not there anymore. So, we decided to put it on the list this trip and possibly give it another try.

So, you see my puzzle here… what to choose and what to delegate to a waiting list. Any suggestions will be read with care and consideration. But the decision of the two judges will be final. I think…

Elin, just thinking aloud here...

I would probably skip Tutto Italia. Who knows, it might not even be open at that time, as last I heard, I thought TI was just a temporary restaurant until the Patina Group closed that space down for a refurbishment into the new Italian restaurant that is to go in that spot. I have also not heard very good things about it.

I would probably also leave Coral Reef off, since you guys have been there numerous times, and the service has been spotty. You don't want a less than satisfactory experience on this trip!

So, that gives you 4 credits right there. That leaves you the 4 signature restaurants you want to try, maybe a lunch at Chefs de France one day, and the 3 big breakfasts.

It all sounds great, though. For what it's worth, we love Cali Grill and Yachtsman. I was not overwhelmed by Citricos (we're more Narcoossee's fans), but we might need to give it another shot. I didn't care for Jiko all that much, either, but Jonathan went back there on a business trip, and had an amazing meal! I know they changed chefs not long ago, and don't know how that has affected the menu.

Have fun deciding!

ETA: If you go to Cali Grill, ask for Gary or Topher - both excellent servers!!!!