VintageKnight
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2002
- Messages
- 303
Hello DISers,
First of all, a big thank you because if I hadn't found the forums way back in 1998(I've had to change names) I truely doubt the trip would have been as enjoyable as it was. I've lurked, asked questions, and been pretty nosey and all of those that responded were wonderful.
This all started summer of 1997, when I met my future wife Stacy and had made the decision to marry her, Disney World was to be our honeymoon spring of 1998. Well, me loosing my job thanksgiving weekend didnt help matters, I didn't get fired but the writing was on the wall on a power move that no longer had me in it so I bowed out in a hurry. So all of our honeymoon and wedding money went to survival, so we ended up getting married a few days before christmas at a friends house with just family and our closests friends. The only 2 things we spent any money on was her dress, and the mickey-minnie wedding themed wedding cake. Our wedding dinner was at panchos mexican buffet, and the only physical gift I remember getting was a new vacume cleaner. No one in my family has money, so it fit well.
Well the dream lived on, and after going to school, having a son, Vertical banding for the both of us ( were of SIZE), buying our small house and Stacy being able to increase her paycheck by her former employer REALLY needing her back. It seemed plausible. So after many numbers being crunched, plans being changed we settled on a extended land sea vacation May 18-29, 2005. We booked Feb 8th 2004 and my parents even got in on the deal since non of us had been to WDW since new years 87. If im going to spend the time and money to do this, its going to be done right.
Well, life happens.
We lost our private daycare for Ryans kindergarten school yr so had to find real daycare, 410 a month starting aug04 .
Stacy's sister quit her job were she had worked with Stacy for 4 yrs, so no more sharing rides, so got a 2001 neon for 5200, 200 a mo in Sept04 (awsome little car by the way).
My 1999 Taurus has the exhaust ripped off of it after hitting a piece of a truck tire, had to pay it out of pocket since the shop that fixed it wouldnt sign of for my insurance co, 1200 Oct04.
Same Taurus' transmission intercooler rots out and pops a hose. Seems this cars radiator and intercooler share a common wall, and when the piece of tire hit multiple places under the car it did a few things, first was put a nasty dent in the bottom of the radiator that after 4 weeks finaly rotted through and caused this to happen so a new radiator and tranny flush and 520 dollars later its fixed Nov04.
December, nothin breaks but Christmas as planned was slim.
January we get caught up on bills.
Feb, well, more life happens. On the same day our hot water heater has a hemorage and seems to be leaking through every connection it has, and my wifes little neon throws up a spark plug. Plummers estimate on the replacement and install of a new water heater about 2000, the auto shops estimate of complete head replacement on the neon (plug had been stripped out) 1600.
Well we cry alot, had just done tax returns and our refund will be enough to take care of everything but not the trip. But we dont give up that fast, get second and third opinions and to our releafe, weget the water heater bought and installed for 500 by a handyman friend of ours, and get the car fixed for 156 bucks.
The same day we get our water heater fixed, the first load of laundry doesn't get washed, it got wet, but not washed. The transmission ( thing that makes it spin) goes out on our 4th hand washer. Well we just decided to go get a new pair so now the wash is clean and it doesnt take 3 times to dry a load of laundry.=D
And the final thing, I owed (past tense) the state of oklahoma money on a student loan repayment but as per the repayment agreement they are not supposed to hold any of my tax refunds. Well they mess this up and we get barely enough back to pay the trip off. The loan is paid off though.
We pay off the trip. The deadline was march 20th? for final payment we make it barely, but at this point have no more money for rental car gas or the important thing food, but darn it we made it through this and I AM NOT GIVING UP YET!!!
Originaly budgeted, NONE of our refund money was to go for the basics, just the fun stuff like Cirque, souvies and of course konk koolers. This was not to happen, had to cut a day off the trip, and then canceled our first night arrival at POR to do Howard Johnsons Maingate just to get there on current budget.
Original plan was May 18- 29 2005. Me, my wife and son and her mother ( awsome person but a little to big of a heart) wensday - wensday parks days then 3 night wonder and come home. MIL bowed out when she found out her eye surgery would be in the middle of the trip but still promised to pay her half of the rental car since she was going to spend the entire time with her inlaws in Sebastion about an hr south of Port Canaveral.
How it actually happened?
Drive down after Stacy gets off work on wednesday 18th, MIL stiffed us on her half of the car to help out stacy's twin brother pay his gas bill, he'd decided to go to six flags with his family instead of paying bills. the only thing gas in there house is water heater and stove, the never cook at home and well, I'd bet on not bathing either. fri- wen parks and 3 day wonder.
Well, thats the path we wondered to get here, next installment I'll start on the trip.
Thank you again DIS
DVK
First of all, a big thank you because if I hadn't found the forums way back in 1998(I've had to change names) I truely doubt the trip would have been as enjoyable as it was. I've lurked, asked questions, and been pretty nosey and all of those that responded were wonderful.
This all started summer of 1997, when I met my future wife Stacy and had made the decision to marry her, Disney World was to be our honeymoon spring of 1998. Well, me loosing my job thanksgiving weekend didnt help matters, I didn't get fired but the writing was on the wall on a power move that no longer had me in it so I bowed out in a hurry. So all of our honeymoon and wedding money went to survival, so we ended up getting married a few days before christmas at a friends house with just family and our closests friends. The only 2 things we spent any money on was her dress, and the mickey-minnie wedding themed wedding cake. Our wedding dinner was at panchos mexican buffet, and the only physical gift I remember getting was a new vacume cleaner. No one in my family has money, so it fit well.
Well the dream lived on, and after going to school, having a son, Vertical banding for the both of us ( were of SIZE), buying our small house and Stacy being able to increase her paycheck by her former employer REALLY needing her back. It seemed plausible. So after many numbers being crunched, plans being changed we settled on a extended land sea vacation May 18-29, 2005. We booked Feb 8th 2004 and my parents even got in on the deal since non of us had been to WDW since new years 87. If im going to spend the time and money to do this, its going to be done right.
Well, life happens.
We lost our private daycare for Ryans kindergarten school yr so had to find real daycare, 410 a month starting aug04 .
Stacy's sister quit her job were she had worked with Stacy for 4 yrs, so no more sharing rides, so got a 2001 neon for 5200, 200 a mo in Sept04 (awsome little car by the way).
My 1999 Taurus has the exhaust ripped off of it after hitting a piece of a truck tire, had to pay it out of pocket since the shop that fixed it wouldnt sign of for my insurance co, 1200 Oct04.
Same Taurus' transmission intercooler rots out and pops a hose. Seems this cars radiator and intercooler share a common wall, and when the piece of tire hit multiple places under the car it did a few things, first was put a nasty dent in the bottom of the radiator that after 4 weeks finaly rotted through and caused this to happen so a new radiator and tranny flush and 520 dollars later its fixed Nov04.
December, nothin breaks but Christmas as planned was slim.
January we get caught up on bills.
Feb, well, more life happens. On the same day our hot water heater has a hemorage and seems to be leaking through every connection it has, and my wifes little neon throws up a spark plug. Plummers estimate on the replacement and install of a new water heater about 2000, the auto shops estimate of complete head replacement on the neon (plug had been stripped out) 1600.
Well we cry alot, had just done tax returns and our refund will be enough to take care of everything but not the trip. But we dont give up that fast, get second and third opinions and to our releafe, weget the water heater bought and installed for 500 by a handyman friend of ours, and get the car fixed for 156 bucks.
The same day we get our water heater fixed, the first load of laundry doesn't get washed, it got wet, but not washed. The transmission ( thing that makes it spin) goes out on our 4th hand washer. Well we just decided to go get a new pair so now the wash is clean and it doesnt take 3 times to dry a load of laundry.=D
And the final thing, I owed (past tense) the state of oklahoma money on a student loan repayment but as per the repayment agreement they are not supposed to hold any of my tax refunds. Well they mess this up and we get barely enough back to pay the trip off. The loan is paid off though.
We pay off the trip. The deadline was march 20th? for final payment we make it barely, but at this point have no more money for rental car gas or the important thing food, but darn it we made it through this and I AM NOT GIVING UP YET!!!
Originaly budgeted, NONE of our refund money was to go for the basics, just the fun stuff like Cirque, souvies and of course konk koolers. This was not to happen, had to cut a day off the trip, and then canceled our first night arrival at POR to do Howard Johnsons Maingate just to get there on current budget.
Original plan was May 18- 29 2005. Me, my wife and son and her mother ( awsome person but a little to big of a heart) wensday - wensday parks days then 3 night wonder and come home. MIL bowed out when she found out her eye surgery would be in the middle of the trip but still promised to pay her half of the rental car since she was going to spend the entire time with her inlaws in Sebastion about an hr south of Port Canaveral.
How it actually happened?
Drive down after Stacy gets off work on wednesday 18th, MIL stiffed us on her half of the car to help out stacy's twin brother pay his gas bill, he'd decided to go to six flags with his family instead of paying bills. the only thing gas in there house is water heater and stove, the never cook at home and well, I'd bet on not bathing either. fri- wen parks and 3 day wonder.
Well, thats the path we wondered to get here, next installment I'll start on the trip.
Thank you again DIS
DVK
