EWP group?

[IASW Rider]

Hi Everyone!

Hi Linda!

Thanks so much for thinking of and worrying about us, but we're fine! Parts of NJ WERE extremely flooded, after the past week of (almost) constant rain, but fortunately, we were not affected.

Just wanted to stop in and say a quick "hello" and to remind our Suite Fellas to start planning our Bon Voyage Party for Colleen and her family.........they'll be blasting off for WDW in just a few days!

And we're still waiting to hear your great trip report, when you have a chance, Becki!

Will reply to your post - and your e-mail - very soon, Linda! And will stop in with a longer post in a bit (not that I have anything so "earth-shattering" to report! )!

Hope that all is well with all of you! Wishing you all a great and fun 4th of July!

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Let's see each of us go to DW twice, or more a year, on average which means that there are very few months where ONE or more of us are NOT at DW! Are we a lucky bunch or not??

Hi ya Lisa! I had a feeling that you and Frank were high and dry but just wanted to make sure. Glad I was right, again! It is not necessary to always have big stuff to share. You always have more than your share anyway. BTW, did the rain keep you from having Frank's party outdoors? If it did, I bet you had a good time anyway. Cozy can be good, if you have the right company and I know you did.

Colleen, you had best hope that the rest of my week goes better than the beginning or you just may find a hitchhiker at Bob Evans on the day of your departure and it will not be one of those cute grim grinning ghosts either. I hope that list of snacks I sent you will come in handy on the trip. I used mine to find some healthy things that might fill the bill when I want something but not a whole meal. Tom will not mind eating more of my share of whole meals. He is very handy that way. Dalton and I call him our "junkyard dog" just for that fact alone.

Becki, were you still at the park for the fireworks on the 4th? I had a good time at mine in spite of the fact that you did not get away to come. It would have been better though. How did Carson handle all the noise? My son used to sit and try to blow them out before they 'got' him. He was 5 at the time.

I have a tow truck coming for our truck tomorrow. I hope it is nothing serious but if it is I am still going to have it gone over since the body is in such good shape. It would cost $25,000 to buy a new one and for 30 miles a week it just is not worth it. Probably would not cost over $3,000 to do everything and as far as I know the engine and tranny are good and those are the expensive things. I used to know how to change a fuel pump but I have conveniently forgotten how in my old age. Glad I have some bucks so I do not have to remember. Won't have many bucks after I get done buying, repairing or whatever all that is on my 'list' right now though. As long as I have enough for the next Disney trip I will be a happy gal.

Love, Linda Lou

 

[JoiseyMom]

Hi all! Linda invited me to stop by, she said the view was beautiful, and she was correct!!

I guess I will start by introducing myself. My name is Merryl, I am a 45 year old mom of 4. My kids are DS 22, DS 21, DD 10, & DS 5. Dh is Hal, and he is 37. We live in Monmouth County NJ, I am originally from Brooklyn NY. I am currently a SAHM, doing some part time work. I was a computer programmer pre- DS 5! We also have 2 dogs and 2 cats, and I can't forget the 2 goldfish (our newest additions, and they are still alive!!!)

My 21 year old just flew the coop, he graduated college in May, and is set to arrive today in CA at Ewards Air Force Base, where he will be for the next 4?? years.

DH, and our 2 youngest are headed back to the world for free dining on Aug 25! They still don't know yet!!

 

[Janet2k]

Hello, everyone! I haven’t posted in this thread in eons, and for that I sincerely apologize. I hope all is well with everyone!

I haven’t really been on the Dis much this year. I had a bit of a stalking incident that left me a little gun-shy. Because of it, my postings have been very sporadic, to say the least. I’m here today because SlightlyGoofy keeps in touch with me. Her e-mail today mentioned the EWP thread so I decided that it was about time that I checked in and grabbed something yummy to eat. Whoever left the scones out (and lemonade), thank you. They're yummy!

I hadn’t been on the Dis in a few weeks when I logged in the other day. On the Weddings/Honeymoon board, I discovered that someone had posted that the official Fairy Tale Weddings website had been updated slightly. Well, I went to the website and found that Disney had indeed added a few photos to it. I was pleased to see that they had even used a few photos from my vow renewal’s dinner party (in particular, the Great Movie Ride’s "Western" and "Land Of Oz" setups).

To see what I’m talking about, click here. On that webpage, on the right-hand side (towards the middle of the page), is a link entitled, “See Photos & More.” If you click on it, another webpage will open up and photos of the Great Movie Ride will begin to appear in slideshow format.

The "Great Movie Ride – Western Set-up 2" photo is from my event, as are the "Great Movie Ride – Oz Set-up 4" and "Great Movie Ride – Oz Set-up 5" photos. Here are the original versions of two of those photos:

Western Area Setup (corresponds to "Great Movie Ride – Western Set-up 2")
Land Of Oz Area Setup (corresponds to "Great Movie Ride – Oz Set-up 4")

When Disney had asked permission to use my event photos on their official website, I gladly gave it. There had been very little information shared with the general public up until that point, and I thought it was important that folks saw as many events as possible. Hopefully, as time moves forward, more photos will be shared. I know that I, for one, love looking at photos. They give me all sorts of wonderful ideas for potential events.

Well, I’m getting ready to head to WDW on vacation. I’ll be doing my usual sleeping around: All-Star Movies, Beach Club, Polynesian, a couple of different DVC resorts, and the Grand Floridian (my favorite resort). When this vacation comes to an end, my quest will have been completed. Yes, I will have slept in all of the official Walt Disney World Resorts. It will be a happy day for me, and time to find a new vacation destination. (Just kiddin’!)

Janet

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Hi there Merryl! I delighted to see that you found time to stop by.

Here goes - Merryl, I would like you to meet Janet. Janet, I would like you to meet Merryl. There, you have been officially introduced.

Janet is sort of like Santa Claus, it is hard to believe that anyone so wonderful exists. I promise any of you that have not been lucky enough to meet her that she is not only a real person but also very REAL, in that there is not one pretensious bone in her body. She just plain loves Disney and knows her way around to things that us mere mortals would never even be able to guess exist. I got to hear all about her plans in person and I was awed. It is wonderful that someone like herself could have her dream come true and I am sure it was a trip of a lifetime for the rest of her party as well. I am always interested in what she might be up to next. So glad to see you in the Suite Janet. We missed you.

As most everyone else knows -I am an almost 58 year old SAHGM, who volunteers to teach reading to the children of this community (over 30 years now). My hubby is retired and we travel to DW a couple of times a year. Our personal best was 4 trips in one year. This year we are combining trips for one 20 day trip. I have been into computs since 1966 and should know more than I do but do pretty well. I read a book a day, garden and rehab our huge house. By the time I get one room done it is time to start on another.

I will let everyone else introduce themselves even though I think I could do a bio on each of them. Many animal lovers and Jerseyites wander in and out around here. It is a good thing cause they keep the joint jumping.

I am off to a rabbit show. Dalton is showing. His team won both their championship games last night and are playing again tonight. He refused to go with his parents to eat between games so that he could practice. WTG Dalton!! I stayed with him while they ate. His All Star Games start in a week or so. We will be at the Fair most of the next week or so as both boys exhibit their projects. Austin made a lectern for the church for his woodworking project. What a wonderful thing!!

See you later, not tonight though, I will be one tired woman.

Love, Linda

 

[colleen costello]

Welcome and welcome back to Merryl and Janet! Nice to see some action in the Suite!

I am just checking in before leaving for Orlando in the morning. Very exciting! We will drive to Atlanta tomorrow and arrive at Mom and Dad's new home Sunday afternoon. It is hard to believe that my parents actually moved to Florida and live within 1 hour of Mickey! Can't wait to get down there and check it out. Thursday we check into Beach Club Villas for 8 nights and I can not WAIT to jump in that wonderful pool!

We are going to sleep in, swim all day and visit parks at night when it is cooler. Ian wants to go to Disney Quest and I have visions of making my hubby take the kids there while I lounge and re-read a Harry Potter book. We have great meals planned -- at Kona Cafe, 'Ohana, Cape May Buffet, and of course CHEF MICKEYS and I am already plotting to capture the perfect Xmas card photo, one of my summer trip traditions. I will be torturing my kids by making them pose everywhere... I will give a little spoiler here and say that I hope this year's winning photo will be taken at the Polynesian, a favorite place of my whole family. We might even go down to Vero beach for an afternoon if time allows. Disney has a wonderful DVC resort there and it is nice to see the ocean at least one day every year! Merryl, I am a Jersey girl from way back but have lived in Indiana almost 20 years and so my poor kids don't see the Atlantic very often. Last year we spent an overnight at Vero in the middle of our WDW trip and the kids LOVED it!

We will have our laptop computer with us and will splurge on internet service a couple of nights, so I will post some pics if I can. Hope everyone has a great week and I will check in once I am back.

xoxo

 

[Janet2k]

SlightlyGoofy, you are too funny (and your check is in the mail – thanks for telling everyone that I’m for real even though you know I’m as loony as they come).

I’m sure everyone here knows how wonderful SlightlyGoofy is. She may downplay things by saying that she’s an “almost 58 year old SAHGM,” but I know she is really a wild woman. I had a ball with her (and her adorable husband) one night in the Magic Kingdom: click here. It was one of my most enjoyable nights ever in Walt Disney World, and I look forward to bumping into her again on a future vacation.

JoiseyMom, welcome to the suite! Make yourself at home. I’m sure our butler will stop by any moment now to take your food & beverage order. He has been known to mix up a little something extra special for the ladies. *Hiccup!*

Colleen Costello, thanks for the warm welcome. I am very envious of your parents for living so close to the World. You are one lucky daughter! As to the Christmas card photo, I went that route a few years ago. I used a photo that one of the Disney photographers had taken of my family in front of the Tree of Life. It worked out beautifully on our holiday greeting card that year. My fingers are crossed that you’ll get a lovely photo of your family at the Polynesian.

Everyone, I’m putting out a plate of cheese and crackers since it is so late in the evening. I hope everyone enjoys the little snack. I’ll try to check back into the suite soon. Have a wonderful weekend!

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Dear Janet

I am a chameleon. I reflect the people I am with so if you perceive me as wild you must look into YOUR mirror. I have friends who run the gambit from ribald to religious and try very hard not to get them confused at times. I am likewise, at any given moment in time. I enjoy people in all their various forms and even can find things to like in people that I rarely agree with. It is not something I demand since I rarely agree with myself.

If your check arrives I will simple frame it as a keepsake of a lovely evening spent with a lovely woman. As often as we all go to DW it is amazing that we do not cross paths more often. On those occasions when we do it is simply wonderful!!

I am setting up appointments to hold seats for the MK parade for fellow DISers. There is a thread where all the people who are going to be there the end of Sept are posting their ADR's so I might manage to set up some dinner companions as well. When you have been married as long as I have you run out of topics of conversation.

Joiseymom, you should be aware that the fellers of the suite are uniquely suited. They are all strong, good looking, willing to wait upon us hand and foot, excellent cooks and companions who are willing to listen to our every whim and find ways to accomodate our every wish. They have had a revolving sundeck installed so that we can view every single corner of our Kingdom. We have virtual credit cards that will pay for any possible excursion we might be interested in. Our media room cannot be eclipsed by even Bill Gates. If you see any need for remodeling or updating please feel free to express your wishes to the fellows and they will make sure it is done. Each person has added something special to the group and I have no doubt that you will add your own special stamp to the group and suite.

Colleen, the only problem I forsee for you in finding the perfect Christmas picture is which one you are going to choose. Should you have that problem you can solve it by making a collage of all the best ones. Your kids always pose so nicely and I have never seen one single pair of rabbit ears.

Speaking of rabbits - lol.. Dalton won Best of Show, Grand Champion etc. with his rabbit yesterday. Austin, bless his heart, won Grand Championship State with his church lectern that he made in honor of his SS teacher that died suddenly at a very young age last year while on a mission trip. He got a blue ribbon on his welding project as well. Dalton's baseball team failed in their bid for the championship last night but (I say this without one bit of pride (yeah, right) not without my whirling dervish of a grandson covering pretty much most of the field in a vain attempt to catch each and every errant ball. He made some pretty amazing outs and made a hit on each and every 'at bat". He still has one more attempt at garnering a trophy as he has been picked for the All Star Baseball Team and they will start playing in about another week.

Austin will be in the tractor driving contest Wednesday morning, I will be working at the Family Arts Building that noon and then Dalton tries to keep his Pedal Tractor Pull Contest Title he won last year. Thursday they show their cattle. (I take a book for the many hours in between showings)

For me to sit in a building filled with large, smelly animals is an act of love and Dalton even managed to get me to pet his rabbit a couple of times yesterday. He was quite proud of himself. I did not want to tell him that since his rabbit is quite docile that he did not engender any fear in me.

Love to all you wild women, Linda

 

[IASW Rider]

Hi!!!!!!!!

So glad to see that all of you have stopped by for Colleen's BON VOYAGE PARTY!!!!! Yes, Colleen and her family set forth for THE LAND OF MAGIC, yesterday morning.........and are most likely relaxing in her parents' beautiful new home in The Villages, en route to WDW, right now..........but IT'S NEVER TOO LATE FOR A BON VOYAGE PARTY, HERE IN THE SUITE!!! So let's get those boys out there, cooking for us and serving us drinks, and let's wish well to one of our own and her family!!!!!!

Welcome, Merryl!!!!!! And greeting from a fellow Jerseyite - I live in Somerset! It seems like the next BON VOYAGE PARTY will be for your DH and children, later this month! We'll have to start planning it, now! Great to "meet" you and looking forward to getting to know you in our Suite! (I'm a 39 year-old full-time graduate student, pursuing a Masters in Public Health degree after spending 15 years in the Finance / Brokerage industry. I live here in Central Jersey with my DH and our 5 cats, and am looking forward to making my 17th visit to WDW for my 40th Birthday, with DH, in January! We're also set to sail around Europe with Mickey on the Disney Magic, next summer! )

WELCOME BACK, JANET!!!!! Always so wonderful to hear from you! And so excited to see that some of your wonderful Vow Renewal Celebration photos were used on the web site - that is so exciting! Thanks so much for sharing with all of us!

Hi Linda!!! As always...........will send a better response to your posts very soon (I know, I am so bad at keeping up, these days!) As always, we're thinking of you!!! Just wanted to stop by and say "hi"!

Hope that everyone had a great weekend! Will be in touch at greater length ASAP!

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

The Villages will never be the same after Colleen and crew arrive. As skilled as they are in all things home improvement and arts and crafts they will find things (hard to do there) to improve upon.

It is only natural that so many of our own Suite members have plans to retire there someday. It is a natural progression as the place is so very Disneylike. That figures since it was Imagineers that helped to design it. The thing that still boggles my mind is the town square which looks like an ancient Spainish locale. You meander around the square checking out the many shops and restaurants, as well as movie theater , bowling alley and other modern amusements. In the evening the denizens gather at the many outdoor dining establishments to listen to the music from the bandstand while partaking of an adult beverage or six. After you eat you can go over to the bandstand and sit to watch the evening's entertainment with fountains providing a nice background. When it is all over you can go around the back of one side of the ancient Spainish town square and find a throughly modern strip mall with anything your heart desires. It is an odd transformation though and a bit hard to get used to. Watch out for the many golf carts that whiz around. Since they have their very own road system they are not apt to hit anyone and the folks sure do have fun dressing up their machines to appear as something they are not.

Rider/Lisa, do not stress yourself out. I know that I currently have a few photo emails that you have sent me that I have not yet had time to peruse. I like to take my time looking at your pictures and my connection loves to take its time downloading them all so I seldom get to more than one such a day. It wears me and my machine out just downloading them all.

I have done much research in my quest to find out what is ailing Tom's truck. It worries me that it could conk out at an inconvenient time and he might get hurt. He worries not, that is MY job. I am thinking it might be vapor lock which is a condition no longer found in modern vehicles. Since he is not able to keep a reasonable amount of gas in his tank it is the likely culprit. I currently keep check of his tires, oil levels etc. so now I need to check gas levels also. I wonder if I were like a computer and subject to memory failure if having to check one more thing would mean that my recipe for homemade biscuits would be permanently deleted that would jog HIS data bank?

Easy day today. I just need to find carpet and paint for the bathroom that I plan to renovate while dh is gone for 3 days visiting his brother and hunt for a few other small things. Oh yes, I need to pick up and pay for the truck that they found nothing wrong with. If it had just been Tom and I that could not start the thing I might think we were just dumb but many intelligent people tried too. I may not be poor but if I had to go out and buy TWO new vehicles right now I might get that way.

Merryl, if you should get a chance we would love an introduction from yourself. It is always wonderful to get to know new people.

Bon Voyage Colleen!! I am glad for the party as I could surely use an adult beverage, or twelve.

Your Suite Friend, Linda

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

I just finally found time to get on line today. You know it is a busy day when I do not have time to log on.

My computer calendar informs me that TODAY is the 4th anniversary of the EWP Suite! The only reason that I am unsure of whether this is fact or not is that Lisa has not set up a party. She is our official Pearl Mesta. (you youngsters can ask me who she was. She is even beyond my time but I read so I know a lot of strange things. )

In honor of our anniversay I am proposing that we immediately stop all worldy chores and such and congregrate in the newly refurbished Suite. We have been each presented with a state of the art laptop so that we might be better able to communicate. It is so new that it has not hit the market as yet and we will be the first to try it out. It fits nicely in a shirt pocket and uses wireless technology so we can be on line, all the time. The new generation is going to be a watch sized unit. Maybe for our tenth anniversary??

The buffet is laden with Boisin Cheese appetizers, artichoke dip, butternut squash soup, pretzel bread, O'Hana's shrimp, prime rib, salmon, salads, and a gigantic dessert tray with bitesized treats from every on property restaurant. Bottomless and (calorie free) milkshakes or any other 'beverage' of your choice.

An additonal few stories have been added so that we have a more complete view of our kingdom.

We have been chosen to be part of the EWP parade in order to better celebrate this momentous occasion.

I can truly say that, while I know many fantastic people, you guys rank right at the top of my list as friends and buddies.

Long may the EWP Suite thrive and prosper!!

Love and Hugs, Linda

 

[IASW Rider]

LONG MAY THE EWP SUITE THRIVE AND PROSPER!!!!!!!!!!!

So sorry that I was late in joining the party, this year (I DO have the date on my calendar, of course! ), but believe it or not, the reason that I wasn't here in the Suite, yesterday, was that I was at the big North East Disney Fans Meet in Allentown, PA! So I was THINKING of our Suite and all of the wonderful people in it, while carousing with other DIS'ers, AllEars'ers, Passporters'ers, MousePlaneteers, WaltDisneyWorldTrivia'ers, and the like!

Please know that I was thinking of all of you and of all of the wonderful fun and friendship that we have shared in the Suite, over the past 4 years! And please know how much you all mean to me and how much this wonderful place means to me! And now...........LET'S PARTY!!!!!!!!! (Love the menu and the party favors, Linda! )

Hope that all has been well with all of you! We had a fantastic time at the Meet, yesterday! It was organized (for the third year in a row) by Fred AKA "Majestic", who did an amazing job, as always - there were 350 of us there, this year! And fantastic guest speakers, as always - Mike Scopa of MousePlanet and WDW Today podcasts, Steven Barrett - the Hidden Mickeys author, Deb Wills of AllEarsnet, Jennifer and Dave Marx of Passporter, Lou Mongello of WaltDisneyWorldTrivia books and web site, John Rick of the Central Jersey Pin Trading Association, and representatives of the official travel agency of AllEarsnet, who specialize in Disney vacations! Frank and I volunteered, as we always do. I didn't conduct my trivia contest for the guests, as I have the past 2 years, but we served as greeters and directed people to their tables and to the breakout session rooms for the various presentations. We had so much fun! Then we spent Saturday evening, after the Meet, with the other staff members and speakers, having a few (or many!) drinks and talking Disney! It was a wonderful and fun weekend! Here are the pictures that I took, if you'd like to see - you'll probably recognize the webmasters / authors of the various WDW vacation planning resources whom I mentioned!

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/lisar...//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/lisaruthb6/my_photos

Glad to hear that Tom's truck wound up being all right, Linda! Hopefully it IS just a low gas tank that was causing what ever problems it was having! Hopefully now that it's back, you'll find that there was no serious issue at all!

Hi Merryl! Do come back and visit with us again, when you have a chance!

Hi Becki! Come on back to the Suite and post your trip report for us, when you have a chance, please!

Hi Janet! Great to see you here, last week - hope that you will be able to join us for our annual Suite Anniversary Festivities!

Hi out there, Colleen! Hope that you and your family are continuing to have a wonderful and Magical WDW vacation! (I have been privileged enough to hear from Colleen, several times since she's been gone. She and her family had a wonderful time at her parents' beautiful new home in The Villages - will let her tell you all all of the details, though! And when last I spoke with her (and her wonderful DH!), she and her family were enjoying all that Beach Club Villas have to offer! Will let her fill you all in on all of the details about THAT, as well! ) And hope that you all stayed at the MK 'til its 3:00 AM closing, on Saturday night - you all deserve lots of nights of Magic and fun!

Hope that all has been well with all of you and hope that you all had a great weekend! And HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!!!! LONG LIVE THE EWP SUITE!!! Lots of love, Lisa

 

[JoiseyMom]

Hi all! Wow a party, what a great introduction to this suite. Janet, it is an honor to meet you. Not that it isn't an honor to meet everyone else also!!

I need a nice drink and a place to relax. Where do I start..hmm...last weekend we found something leaking in our basement from upstairs, guess what?? My ice maker/water hose from my fridge is leaking. Last night I went to put the laundry in the dryer, and it was full of water. My washer (only 7 years old mind you, the same age as the fridge) overheated. DH took it apart, and when he put it together it did work again. Oy, and of course we never renewed the warranty contracts 2 years ago, cause DH had gotton laid off again.

And my 5 year old has a virus and is on day 3 of a fever. Of course this is my hectic week for work and I have tons to get done before Friday night. Can I do it?? Hmm..can he have no fever today and go back to camp tomorrow??

And now the good news... DH just called. HE GOT A RAISE!!! He has only been there about 6 months, and they never do this. But DH was a little worried about his position. He is a consultant, and their client is looking like they may not renew his companies contract, and DH is worried about what happens if the client goes "south". Well his bosses loves him, and they brought him to the home office last week, and he met VPs and the President and the CEO, and they all loved him. So, since they want DH to stay, and not leave, they gave him a raise.

How is everyone handling this heat??

 

[IASW Rider]

Hi Everyone!

Just wanted to pop in and say WELCOME BACK, COLLEEN!!!!

Hope that you and your family had a wonderful, Magical time in Florida and in WDW, and can't wait to read all about it in your trip report (hint, hint! )! We sure did miss you, here in the Suite!

Hi Merryl! CONGRATULATIONS to your DH on his raise! That is wonderful news! And of course it is a great compliment to him, his abilities, and his company's value of him, as well! That is great!! Hope that your little one is feeling much better, by now! And hope you've had no more problems with your household appliances, either! I can totally relate - in this month alone, we've had to replace our dishwasher, the motor in our furnace........and we found out that we will have to replace our furnace IN ITS ENTIRETY before the cold weather comes, too! UGH - everything always seems to happen at once! So I understand!

Hi Linda!

Hi Janet!

Hi Becki!

So sorry that I haven't been around very much, lately. I have absolutely no good "excuse", since school is not in session and I'm not taking classes this summer. I've just been distracted by "usual summer stuff" and some other stupid friend-related-drama! Nothing big! I promise to be around as much as possible, from here on in!

Not too much to report, this week. We had a relatively quiet weekend, just taking a trip to the Atlantic City area, yesterday, to visit some old friends of mine, which was wonderful!

My father and uncle made their reservations to travel to Israel for a month at the end of September..........I just keep watching the news and trying not to panic too much.........I know that things could change a lot before then.........I just hope that they change FOR THE BETTER, so that I'm not a nervous wreck the entire time that they are away!

We're having the second of Frank's (my DH) very-belated-45th-Birthday-parties, this coming Saturday night. (This is Frank's "Birthday that Keeps on Giving" - we already celebrated the entire month of March, again in NYC in April, then had party #1 for him last month.........then we'll be celebrating again on the Magic in Europe, exactly a year from this week! ) It should be fun - this will be a different group of friends (and my SIL), whom we haven't seen in awhile, so it will be nice to catch up with them.

Aside from getting ready for the party, this should be a relatively uneventful week.

Just wanted to stop by and say "hi"! Hope that all is well with all of you and hope that you all had a nice weekend!

 

[IASW Rider]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LINDA!!!!!!

Here's wishing a special EWP Suite Day to a very special and wonderful Suite Mate! Wishing you lots of happiness, today and every day!

Come celebrate on the Poly Beach, tonight - our Suite Boys are arranging a private Luau in your honor.........followed by a special presentation of the EWP, of course!!!

Have a wonderful day!

 

[IASW Rider]

And hope that all is well with Everyone else! Have a nice day, Everyone!

 

[JoiseyMom]

Hi all. Yes, my little one is better. He was sick for 5 days!! That was a long run, but typical for him. I was able to get all my work done, and all my appliances (KNOCK ON WOOD) are currently fine. Well if you count we still can't use the ice maker/water in the fridge .

DH loves his car, a 2007 hybrid Camry, and is getting about 40 mpg! He is saving almost enough to cover his new car payment.

We moved Paul (ds5) to his new room this weekend. I still have lots of toys to move, but so far so good. He likes his bigger room, and loves the view of our back yard, and most of our neighbors back yards!

All is good. I am in the process of finalizing our trip. I am trying to figure where to fit in the Bibbidie Bobbide Boutique for DD 10 (this was DH's idea), and which Pirate cruise to book, if I can find an opening. They went to the GF last year and loved it.

Hope all is well with everyone!

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Hi y'all! Hectic does not begin to cover what all is going on here.

Tom's truck went down again and the last time it happened the shop kept it for a week and could not figure out what, if anything, was wrong. Very frustrating. Luckily I was behind Tom when it went down this time so I was able to take him to a friend's house to call AAA. The shop called yesterday and they were able to replicate the problem and the parts will come in today. I am so happy as I have been scared to death. Tom only drives 30 miles a week now, if that, and buying a new vehicle would be out of the question on our budget and in these circumstances. A bit of good news in among all the bad.

My bil in Florida passed away and I have been trying to get Tom to talk to his sister. She has a checkered past and the boys have pretty much written her off in spite of their own histories.

My dsd called and wanted our credit card numbers so that she could give them to a cab driver and a motel as she found herself 'homeless' once again. Turns out that the motel was only a mile away which would be walkable even by myself and she was in the salon that she works in so it was suggested that she use a chair or even tanning bed for the night. It is a common occurrence so we are not quite as heartless as it seems, just resigned. If it were not for the fact that her poor mother is dying and does not need the stress fireworks would be lit under that not so young woman.

I cannot find anyone to put a new roof on the garage as he had a huge hail storm and everyone is using this as an excuse to get 'free' roofs for their homes. The good news is that we might be in line for one of them ourselves. I will wait and see and be glad that it is not our house that has a leak.

Tom has a rare skin disease, which is pretty benign, but it flares up sometimes. This time has been a doozy. Will not go into all the gross details but I took him to the doctor yesterday and he is on medication that makes him even sleepier than usual so I have him tucked into bed. It is not a whole lot different from his regular life except that he is laying in bed instead of sitting at the table in the kitchen.

Thank you so very much for the wonderful birthday party. I had one back here in the real world too with some friends and had the most delightful day going, at least in the morning and then everything started falling apart but I survived.

I owe a certain someone a phone call. I tried to call once but did not want to just leave a message. Maybe I will have some time this evening. Dalton and his family leave on vacation Sunday so I will have a whole week to catch up on some things. Not enough time but it will have to do. I will miss my boys while they are gone though.

Meryl, I have finally come to the conclusion that it is far cheaper to just buy ice than to keep an ice maker in operation. I will never buy another one. That is the most common repair on a fridge. If you have hard water it is a certain problem. Five days sick for your little one? That must have been hard on you. Was he the kind of sick where he was able to watch TV? That is the best kind for all concerned. My grandkids move in with me when they are sick. The Camry sounds great. The battery takes up too much room for me though. I have to pack too much for our trips. I am still shopping but have had to put it off right now because of all that is going on. I am even thinking of checking out a Corolla as there are a lot more of them available and they get about the same mileage as the Hybrid Camry. I think I forgot when you were headed to DW next. I wish it were when I was going to be there as I am going to meet so many people and it would be delightful to add you to my agenda. Congratulations to your hubby on his raise. It is always nice to be appreciated and to get cash too is sublime!

Colleen, what a fantastic trip you had. I was wondering how you liked the commute from The Villages to DW and back? There is probably a short cut that makes it a lot simplier than the route we take. (please send if you know as we are going to be there soon ourselves) My friends say it takes them 45 minutes to commute but they drive a Corvette and also have very heavy feet. I just love all the pictures of your parent's home. What a change in lifestyle from living in the cold north to the sultry south. Bet they will enjoy it though.

Becki, are you still on the job? I have been thinking of you and hoping that all goes well for you. It is hard to make changes, especially ones that concern not only livelihood but how you live your life. You will be an asset wherever you go and make a difference in lives along the way, just maybe a bit differently than before.

Lisa, I am sorry that you did not learn you needed an entirely new furnace before replacing the motor. I hope your state offers a tax rebate for upgrading to a more efficient furnace. Our new ones paid for themselves in a little over 3 years. (Yes, I keep track of things like that) Is it 4 years or 5 years that we have been together? Time flies when you are having fun. I would be terrified to take a trip to the Middle East right now but I am going to be hoping that things calm down soon, not just for your father and uncle (although a very important part) but for all the poor people who live there and have to live in fear each and every day. It is truly heartbreaking and I am willing to think that it is even more so for the One for whom they ALL fight. Dorthea used to celebrate her birthday for longer and longer periods as she aged. It worked for her and should work well for Frank as well. Celebrating life is a good thing. I will try to call again tonight if I am still able to dial. Between Dalton and Tom I am kept hopping. Dalton finished "White Fang" today. He has decided to read ALL the classics. Yeah!!

Love and Hugs to all you delightful people!! Linda

 

[IASW Rider]

Greetings from "balmy" 100 degree New Jersey! (Well, I guess that you're already here, Merryl, but.......! )

How is everybody doing, this week? Sorry that I haven't had a chance to check into the Suite in a few days - we did so much wild partying for Linda's Birthday, here, that I needed a chance to recuperate!

Glad to hear that all is well, Merryl - you must be getting so excited about your upcoming trip! I know that your signature says that it's this month, but what is your exact departure date? We'll have to plan a "BON VOYAGE" party for you and your family, here in the Suite! Then, a few weeks later, we will be wishing Linda and Tom BON VOYAGE as THEY head to THE WORLD!

So sorry to hear about your BIL, Linda. That is very sad news. And so sorry to hear about your DSD, too - I hope that she is all right and that she has found a place to stay. I certainly agree with you and Tom for not giving her your credit card number. I'm sure that she will find her way on her own - hopefully! You both have already done so much for her - hopefully she'll be able to help herself, now.

And I hope that Tom is feeling better, too! I hope that his medication helps him and that he adjusts to it and isn't as sleepy!

And I DID receive 2 very sweet and special phone messages! So sorry that I keep missing you - I spent most of the day with my father, today, who was kind enough to ferry me over to GoodYear to pick up my car (which broke down yesterday, while I was taking one of our cats for her annual check-up at the vet!). Fortunately, the car was OK - it was just the battery - and the one that died was the 7-year-old original, so I really can't complain!

Wish that I had some interesting news to report, but things are pretty "status quo", here! We had the second of 2 belated 45th Birthday parties for my DH, Frank, over the weekend, and it went really well! He's off from work next week, so we're hoping to sneak in some day trips to the shore (our first time this summer, believe it or not!), New Hope, PA, and some other local places!

Hi Colleen! Hi Becki!

Hope that all is well with all of you and hope that you're all staying relatively cool in this crazy heat!

 

[SlightlyGoofy]

Dear Lisa

I truly did try to stop some of that heat from reaching you. Not just for your sake but because my dd and her family are presently in Washington D. C. The boys call early and late when they get free calls with their cell phones. Austin has been ready to go home since he left but Dalton is in hog heaven. He told me that the tour guides are telling him the same things I have already told him. That is what you get when you have a grandma who loves history almost as much as language arts.

I am glad to hear that you just needed a new battery. I always get one that is high powered as it only costs a tad bit more and gives me some insurance should one of our car doors be left ajar for a few days. (has happened often) The truck is now up to a bit over $1,000 in repair bills as they have determined that it also needs a new computer. If it fixes it and the truck runs for another year it is a worthwhile investment. I do not have much experience in tending to older vehicles as I did not learn to drive until late in life and we have always bought new vehicles every few years.

Merryl, we will be awaiting your trip report on how your upcoming trip goes. Are you on the Free Dining? Advice on how to NOT gain weight would be most appreciated. I plan to give at least half the food to my husband. I am thinking of getting a Corolla instead of a Camry as it is hard to find a Camry like I want. We shall see. Better gas mileage might not be a bad thing nowadays.

My dsd has evidentally found another sucker because she left a message that someone had paid for her a week in the motel and enough money to get her into a new apartment. Next calls will be for utility bills and furniture. We have been to this rodeo many times. One would think she would take the hint and quit asking. Wonder how long it will take her to wear out her welcome in Tulsa? She has gotten run out of several places so far, heavily populated ones at that. Like father, like daughter? I had to retrain Tom as to how to live also. Our first big fight was over his borrowing money from his parents to pay our first car payment. Just not the right thing to do. If you cannot afford it you should not buy it.

I am cleaning the Utility Room today. So much FUN!! It is far too hot to work in the yard. I nearly burned my feet working out there the other day.

I hope everyone's a/c is working and you are able to hide out inside today.

Back to work for me. I am also paying the balance due on my trips today. Whoosh, goes the bucks. I do not mind these dollars flying away though. It is the ones for the mundane things that frets me.

Hugs, Smiles and Guffaws, Linda