Flowers, 5Ks, and Fiancées-A May 2011 TR *Updated 4/30 The Last Update*

[amazingact21]

Why, what is this? An update from Alicia????

I know it has been a month since I touched this TR, and I would understand if nobody even remembers this little thing. It wasn't very polite to leave it just hanging in the thread pages, halfway done, but I just had to take a DISboards break.

Alex and I moved in the middle of the month, and I had to devot all my time to packing, then unpacking, then buying house items. It was stressful and chaotic, and I didn't have much time for signing onto the boards. However, the house is pretty much finished and my life is returning to somewhat normal, and I feel like I can pump the rest of this TR out in no time.

So, once again, my apologies for deserting the boards for a bit. (If it helps, I haven't even thought of my upcoming trip since early November.)


Early Afternoon of May 9th:

Alex and I walked back into Future World and stopped at a shady spot to put on some sunscreen. DH is very vigilant about preventing sunburns, and surprisingly enough, both of us managed to avoid it the whole time we were down there. And if you take a glance at my pictures, you'll see that I'm extremely fair skinned and burn when I go for 15 minute runs. So for me to have been out in the Orlando sun all day for 4 days and not get a spot of red on me was a miracle.

After that was done, I dragged DH to our next adventure. It was an attraction that I'd read about on other people's TRs, and I wanted to finally check it out for myself.


The Seas with Nemo and friends!

Before we went inside, we stood around the entrance for a few minutes. I wanted desperately to hear the seagulls chirp, "Mine!" but they just were not cooperating with me. I was starting to see sweat beads form on DH's forehead and could feel the heat getting to me, as well. It was the hottest part of the day, after all, and I knew once we walked inside cool air conditioning would greet us.

So, sadly, I ushered DH forward and took one last look at the seagulls.

And then...

"Mine! Mine! Mine!"

Right when I turned my back on them, those sneaky little birds let out their declarations.
DH turned to me and raised an eyebrow.

"Happy now?"

"Absolutely. Wasn't that cool? You have to admit-that was pretty cool."

DH laughed. "Yeah, it was."

As we walked into the queue, I saw the ride's informational sign:


It brought on a whole new smile.

One of the million things I love about WDW is that no detail is too small for Imagineers.

Guests don't merely board cars or buggies or seats.

They get on clamobiles.
(My favorite is doom buggies.)

The line for the ride went on and on, but I entertained myself with all the scenery.

I think it is wonderfully creative and neat that the hand rails for the line look as if the salt has rusted them.


My only negative about the Seas experience was that the queue line was way too dark. I kept banging my hips on the rail, because I couldn't see where I was going. I have terrible eyesight to begin with, but throw darkness on me and I'm all but blind. I mean, it's so bad, that I avoid driving at night if I can, and when I do I have to wear these special glasses.

So, I was like a lost puppy in that line. It was only at the end, when you hop aboard the moving escalator to get in your clamobile that I got my orientation back and knew where the heck I was going.

Speaking of clamobile:


I love doom buggies' name, but clamobiles are my favorite seat to ride in. I'm not sure why.
I just love that the shell opens up and lets you climb aboard; then when it shuts, it feels like you are in this protective cocoon while you explore the ocean.

DH and I both enjoyed spending time with Nemo and the gang, especially the jellyfish part. I always get this weightless feeling in a dark ride when everything's black except for the objects being focused on. (Like in Peter Pan's Flight when you're taking off into the night sky among the stars.)

After exiting the attraction, we both went up the escalator to the aquarium. I find the tanks very relaxing and could stare at them for hours, so I planted myself in front of one of the big glass windows and prepared to settle in for a nice long "fish-gazing" session.

DH, on the other hand, doesn't like to stand still for very long, so he left me to my own devices and went to explore the rest of the showcases. Plus, he didn't see much need to view the aquarium when we have a beautiful one where we live. We're about twenty minutes away from a "gulfarium" that hosts dolphin, sea lions, and penguin shows. So to spend precious Disney time looking at fish was a bit wasteful, in his opinion.

I didn't mind being deserted, though. I spotted the sea turtles and stingrays and several variety of fish.





I'm not sure how long I was at the tanks, but DH eventually returned to get me. He knew I wouldn't leave without being told to. He took me to the manatee room, where we saw a CM feeding the two rescue animals.

I know a lot of people love manatees, and I understand they are an endangered species, but having lived in Central FL and encountering them on a daily basis...I just don't get them.

I suppose it's like me and fish. You either like it or you don't.

DH had found some smaller tanks downstairs that he thought I would like, so we made our way there.


We first went into an informational room, where I took a sea-life quiz with Mr. Ray. The questions were a bit more challenging than I expected, which was a pleasant surprise. I just assumed the test was designed for young children, but that definitely not the case.


Unfortunately, while I was in the room I made a goof.

I crossed the room to tell DH about the quiz and saw someone with their back turned wearing a light red shirt, looking at some display case.

I went right up next to them, almost putting my hand on their shoulder, and said, "I did pretty good on that quiz!"

The person who turned to me was not DH!

Aaaaahhhhh!.

Me and my poor eyesight.

I mistook the stranger's red shirt for DH's orange shirt, and started talking to this man like I'd known him for years.

He looked at me like I had 3 eyes then walked away really fast to go stand next to this girl he was with.

I was so embarrassed!

DH came strolling around the corner and almost laughed at the expression I had on my face. It was a mix of shame, confusion, and amusement.

I told him what had happened, and he burst out laughing.

"That poor man! He probably went over to that girl and was like, 'You meet all these crazies at these theme parks. I told you we shouldn't have come here!'"

What made it worse was that they seemed to follow us everywhere we went. That guy probably thought I was nuts.

But, hey, it makes for a great story, right?

Remember that time you chummied up with that stranger at Epcot?

In an effort to stop the incessant blushing filling my cheeks, DH told me about a starfish that was hanging out on one of the tank's glasses.

Naturally, that was just the cure I needed from overcoming an embarrassing act.

I followed DH into another room, and together we began searching the tanks to see if the starfish was still on the glass.

After circling the third tank we came upon, DH spotted it:


My only response was: "I want a starfish like that!"

It was tiny, about the size of my nail, and it seemed perfectly content hanging out on display for all the WDW guests to ooh and aah over.

I looked at DH and could see that he was about fished out. Being polite, he didn't mention his boredom, but I felt like I had made him suffer enough.

"You know, looking at all this water makes me want to swim. What do you say we take a break from the parks and go hang out by the pool for a bit?"

It wasn't even 1 yet, but I was ready to take a break.

DH thought about it, then said, "Sure, but can we stop at one more place before we leave?"

Sure...

Where?


Up Next:Sum of all Segways.

 

[PirateKate]

I love how the queue of The Seas feels like you're really going underwater, but I have heard many people say it's too dark, too. I bet the Imagineers were thinking people would be moving through it slowly, waiting in line, rather than walking right on every time.

Too bad about the mistaken identity. I would have hated to keep seeing the guy all day.

 

[TanzUnited99]

I'm glad to hear your house is pretty much sorted and things have calmed down.

Yay on the seagulls shouting 'mine, mine, mine' even if they were a little late!

Thanks for posting pics of the queue - I totally wish I had paid more attention to the details but we didn't have much of a queue and I was just happy to get in a clamobile! I'm glad you enjoyed the fish and lol at thinking someone else was DH!

 

[Shannon84]

I love the Seas with Nemo and friends...it is so relaxing on the Finding Nemo ride, I wish it would last a little longer, I like the little clammobiles too

I was laughing so hard at your story, mainly because ALL the time I am talking to DF walking in a store or somewhere and boom I turn around and he isnt behind me anymore and someone else is embarassing I am glad that someone else has a similar moment!!

 

[Nermel9]

Aren't the seagulls so cute? I would have been upset if I didn't hear them say "mine, mine, mine" too!

I love the queue to the Seas, it's so pretty, but you're right, it is dark!

OMG, embarrassing, going up to the wrong guy! I have fears of doing that all the time, especially in Disney where there are so many people!

 

[amazingact21]

I love how the queue of The Seas feels like you're really going underwater, but I have heard many people say it's too dark, too. I bet the Imagineers were thinking people would be moving through it slowly, waiting in line, rather than walking right on every time.

Too bad about the mistaken identity. I would have hated to keep seeing the guy all day.

I'm sure that was why the queue was so dark, and I'm sure when the attraction first opened that was the case. But now I feel like I need a flashlight to get through there.

I'm glad to hear your house is pretty much sorted and things have calmed down.

Yay on the seagulls shouting 'mine, mine, mine' even if they were a little late!

Thanks for posting pics of the queue - I totally wish I had paid more attention to the details but we didn't have much of a queue and I was just happy to get in a clamobile! I'm glad you enjoyed the fish and lol at thinking someone else was DH!

I loved the queue design and wanted to show my family it, because they are all like me and love the beach.

I love the Seas with Nemo and friends...it is so relaxing on the Finding Nemo ride, I wish it would last a little longer, I like the little clammobiles too

I was laughing so hard at your story, mainly because ALL the time I am talking to DF walking in a store or somewhere and boom I turn around and he isnt behind me anymore and someone else is embarassing I am glad that someone else has a similar moment!!

I wish the ride was a little longer, too. It lasts long enough to get you all relaxed and cooled down, and just when you're thinking, "I could sit here all day," a CM is standing in front of you directing you to exit your clamobile.

Aren't the seagulls so cute? I would have been upset if I didn't hear them say "mine, mine, mine" too!

I love the queue to the Seas, it's so pretty, but you're right, it is dark!

OMG, embarrassing, going up to the wrong guy! I have fears of doing that all the time, especially in Disney where there are so many people!

It was embarrassing, but at least it proved to DH that I really am blind. He always thinks I'm overblowing my lack of eyesight.

 

[amazingact21]

Okay, I'll be honest, I just have not been in the TR updating mood. I am, however, going through and editing all the remaining pictures from the trip, which is always the hardest and longest part of TRing for me. I've done about 200 and have about 200 left.


My off-topic post is to say 2 things.

The first:

We're signed up for the Expedition Everest 5K race!

I helped my mom register last Sunday, and Alex and I signed up this past Friday.

Which was a feat for me.

Here is what happened at my house on December 13th.

It was 4:45pm, and I signed on to my facebook. On my wall was a post by runDisney asking guests if they had what it took to face the yeti.

I got all excited, because myself and some other DISboards members were anxiously waiting for registration to open.

I yelled upstairs to Alex, who had just returned from work and was changing out of his uniform and into civilian clothes.

"Alex, the race just opened."

Quickly, I shared the post and tagged my mom so she would be aware, then met Alex at the bottom of the stairs.

He was reaching for his car keys.

"What are you doing?"

Alex, in a deadpan face, answered, "Going to the bank so we can register."

"Alex, it's 4:47...the banks close in 13 minutes."

"I could make it."

"I don't think so."

"I bet I could."

See, Alex knows if he says, 'I bet' he can normally get his way, because I have this odd compulsion to prove him wrong.

Not this time, though. I put my foot down and insisted we did not have to register that very day.


Looking back, I don't see how I got him to wait a week to register.

But...now all 3 of us are in for sure and I can start really planning our trip in May.
And, in addition to that, Alex's sister called and told us "great news."

She wants to participate, as well.


....


.......




Oh, yeah, I almost forgot.....yay.


That'll be explained more in my PTR for the May trip, but let's just say my excitement for the race got turned down a few notches.


And my second off-topic news is:

Alex's family wants to take us to Universal Studios for the day as our Christmas present.

I have never been to Islands of Adventures before, so I'm really excited to explore a new park and see the WWoHP.


BUTTTTTT.......


They told us about the trip last week. Annnnd, they have no plans.

I repeat...THEY HAVE NO PLANS.

I mean, Alex's poor brother didn't even know until last night, when Alex told him about it, and the guy wasn't sure if he could take a day off work without notice.

Alex's family is very, go with the flow. They won't buy tickets until the morning of, won't leave until everyone has gotten up at whatever time they want, won't decide what to do until they get there.


I asked what vehicles we were taking over there, and they said we'd figure it out that morning.


Up until yesterday, they didn't even know what day we were going to visit the park.





Now, since I'm not the one paying for our tickets, I've kept pretty calm and under the radar, because it's not my money I'm wast-spending.

But this brings up a whole new slew of potential hazardous situations.

The first being: his family does not know how type-A I am. In fact, everytime I visit they joke about all those crazy, organized, over planners and thank the heavens they don't have to deal with any of them.
I'm afraid I won't be able to stop myself by saying something small like, "Well, if we go do this attraction first, we can beat some of the crowds." They'll look at me like I'm nuts, then probably get peeved that I'm trying to take over the family vacation day. It will be a true test of my patience to see how I do.

Then there's the problem of them being kind of....mean when it comes to rides. As all of you know from reading my TRs, I'm not a huge thrill rider. Give me BTMRR and SM and I am good.
So, I will most likely be sitting out of the Hulk and Dueling Dragons. I'm glad Alex will get to ride the Hulk, because it's his favorite coaster, and he completely understands my not wanting to go on it.

Buuuttt....his family won't. They'll call me not so nice things and I wouldn't put it past a family member to say I wasted their money on a ticket. They'll even go so far as to make a snide remark to Alex about the wife he picked. It's bad, but they are a very blunt family.


So, I'm excited, but VERY nervous to head to Universal next week. I'm looking at it in a positive light, saying I get to see something new and Alex gets quality family time. Plus, I really want to compare WDW to Universal and see what each theme park has going on that the other does not.
I just hope that I can keep my mouth shut and not freak out about the lack of plans that I will be dealing with.

 

[TanzUnited99]

Lol, I've been the same recently! Think I'm going to wait until the new year before my next update!

Yay on registering for the EE race! Oh no on the excitement getting turned down when Alex's sister decided to join.

That's great news about Universal though I can understand about being nervous about touring with laid back people...hope it all works out and you have a great day!

 

[Nermel9]

Yay for signing up for the EE race! I wish we were going in May still, I would totally do that race. Although I really want to do the Royal Family 5K in Feb. I'm so doing it in 2013, I don't care if I have to fly down alone, I'm doing it!

Have a great time at Universal! I'd have a hard time keeping my mouth shut too, but I wouldn't want to take over everything!

 

[amazingact21]

Happy New Year everyone! Hope 2012 brings great things to everyone. I know Alex and I are ready to start this year, because we have big events planned!

Before I begin the May update, I just wanted to say that we ended up not going to Universal over Christmas break. Alex's father was in a motorcycle accident Christmas morning. It wasn't too serious, but he suffered a minor concussion and big aches and pains.
Since the whole day was meant to be a family outing, the trip was put on hold until further notice.


However, all of Alex's siblings, us, and a boyfriend of one of the sisters went to CityWalk. We saw a movie at the AMC theater, ate dinner at Latin Express, grabbed some TCBY, and walked around. I was not a fan of my dinner at Latin Express, but everyone else seemed really happy with their selection, so I think I just chose the wrong dish. Unfortunately, we were a group of 8 so we automatically had an 18% surcharge added to our bill. I don't care about that, but as soon as our waiter, Mike, counted heads and realized the gratuity charge, he became a pretty bad server. Alex and I never got a refill on our sodas and he never brought extra sour cream for someone who asked.
It was slightly frustrating because we all watched him give great service and attention to a table right next to ours.
Oh well...

Alex and I also got to say hello to someone we met on the cruise a few months back. His wife, Shannon, is on the DISboards, and we were both honeymooning on the Magic. Alex and Rush (her husband) hit it off and when we were there that day we remembered him saying he worked there. So, as luck would have it, he was working that afternoon and we were able to catch up for a few minutes.

That's just one form of proof of how great the DISboards can be. Allowing fellow fans of WDW to meet and know one another.


As it's the first of the new year and my May trip is creeping closer, I'm really antsy to start my PTR. But Alex insists I finish this TR first. Hmmpf, we'll see...

May 9th Early Afternoon:

Since Nemo was such a huge success, Alex and I wanted to try something else new. We also felt that since it was our 2nd time at WDW, we needed to explore its hidden corners and learn more about what was inside the park.

So, we headed towards here:

The building had air conditioning, which in May was a huge blessing.


We walked around a bit, taking in all the models and demonstrations taking place. Eventually, we came upon the Segway section, a small area that allowed guests to handle a segway for a lap or two.

To me, that sounded embarrassing and stressful. As uncoordinated as I am, I did not want a bunch of strangers watching me struggle on a moving machine.

No, thank you!

But DH was very interested. He really wanted to try it and see if he liked them.

There were two or three people waiting in line when Alex signed his name in a binder, probably agreeing that any loss of limb or life would not be blamed on the Walt Disney company.

I took a spot to the side of the festivities and got my camera out, a sick part of me hoping something funny would happen while DH was on the segway so that I could land a fantastic picture.

DH's turn came around and he went to one of the two open machines:


While the CM was giving him a brief run-through of how to operate the segway, I couldn't help but notice this crazy couple also participating in the trial run. The wife had been a few people before Alex, and when she was riding, her husband cut under the ropes and was trying to videotape her in the middle of area.
The CMs kind of freaked out and were saying things like, "Sir, you cannot be in here! Sir, you MUST get back behind the ropes!"

I just shook my head.

I don't think I could ever blatantly go over a rope line, no matter how bad I wanted to capture a memorable moment. I'm just too much of a rule follower.

The couple didn't end their antics there, though. After the woman's turn was up, she started arguing with the CM, her husband quickly joining in, "That's it? That's the whole thing? I want to go on it longer."

The CM was polite and told them that the test run was only to the wall and back, no exceptions.

So the woman ran (and yes, I mean ran) back to the waiting line and prepared herself to go again, all while her husband hung over the rope, technically not going over but pushing his limits.


Alex was too busy listening to what he was supposed to be doing to even notice the scene, so it gave me an amusing story to tell him once he was finished.

Here is DH giving the Segway a try:






He said he wasn't too sure about the handling, and he wasn't a fan of not being in control. (Having to forget 23 years of habit in favor of a machine telling you how to walk can't be easy.)

I asked him if he'd ever try them again and do the Segway tour, and he said he'd be up for it, so they couldn't have been too bad.



With that adventure under our belts, we headed to the other Innovations center to see what else we could find.

That ended up being:


DH has always been fascinated by building things, so this attraction really drew him in. The actual number of people in the line wasn't a lot, but due to the fact that only 6-12 people or so could go ahead at a time made the wait a little long.

When it was finally our turn, we were directed into a briefing room, where we watched a video about how cool it is to combine math and science into something fun. The math nerd in me spazzed out a little and I told Alex that this would be the perfect thing to let upper-grade elementary students participate in.

Once the video was done, we were directed to a station, where we designed and named our coaster. Ours was called the Cobra something and had 3 inversions:


After completing the construction of the ride, we took our card with the information on it and were sent to one of the 4 or so machines. They had little lockers that we put all our things in, and we sat down in this- claw with seats. (Our feet dangled and our arms were exposed.)

A CM lowered a lid over each of our heads, and a screen appeared. We rode the coaster we made. The screen showed us the "ride" while the claw shook us around.

It was fun and entertaining but way too short.

A lot of work for 30 seconds of play.

DH seemed to have a wonderful time, though. He debated doing it again, but passed because it was getting late and we wanted a resort break before our dinner later that night.


So, we left Innovations and waved goodbye to the Epcot globe, promising it we'd be back the following day.




Up Next: You're Having a Panic Attack, and Your Pocket Book is Having One!

 

[amazingact21]

Aaah, I officially start my 5K training today. It's a little intimidating, because I haven't ran in 8 months, and for some reason I just have no motivation whatsoever. After I finish on the DISboards, though, I am going to make a new playlist for my Zune and try and make a new ADR for my May trip. Music and food-if that's not enough to get me off my feet then I don't know what is.


May 9th Afternoon Break:

Well, the time has come to write the one Disney memory I wish I could forget. I wish I could just skip over it completely, but it sort of set the tone for the rest of the evening.

Alex and I don't even speak of this at home. We might make an off-hand remark about "that scare at Disney" but otherwise it's become sort of taboo.

But, for record's sake, I'll discuss it here.

Once.

And only once.

And in future reports I will deny it vehemently.

I didn't almost lose my two week old engagement ring. What are you talking about??? You must have me mistaken with someone else. I would NEVER do such a reckless thing.

Oh, wait, maybe that was me...

Whoops.


DH and I drove back to ASSp and decided the thing we needed after such a nice morning at Epcot was some pool time.

But more importantly, we needed some clean clothes.

And the laundry room just so happened to be next to the pool.

So it was a win-win situation.

We got ourselves into our suits, lathered on enough sunscreen to keep up from burning for a week, and put all our dirty clothes in a bag.


Have to love our military duffel bag.

We travel in style.


We went into the laundry room and it was a ghost town. Apparently, nobody else found 2 o'clock to be a great "get clothes clean" time.

Meant more machines for us.


I'd love to say that because these were Walt Disney Resort laundry machines they were more magical.

But alas, you still had to add boring old detergeant and needed to run the dryer twice. (I don't get why they can't make dryers that get the clothes completely dry on the first run? We bought new machines on Black Friday and I still have to send the clothes through a second cycle.)

While our clothes were getting washed, we headed out to the pool and found it pretty deserted.

I guess people don't do their laundry OR go swimming at 2 o'clock.

We picked a table with an umbrella that way we'd be closer to the laundry room and I'd have a place to put my pool bag.

Because just like every other location I visit, I have to bring 2,873 items along. That afternoon, I was lugging around my cell phone, my book, Alex's book, extra sunscreen, (because 25 lbs might not be enough, you know) my sunglasses, Alex's sunglasses, 2 towels, a KTTW card, extra change for the laundry machines, a Sudoku puzzle book, and probably three or four other things.

I don't get why I have this compulsion to take everything but the kitchen sink with me everywhere I go. But I do...


As we were unpacking all of my life's belongings on the table, we saw a Mousekeeper checking out our window decorations:


We thought that was pretty cool. I could just imagine what that guy must have thought about us. "These guests- I don't get them. They come on vacation and announce to everyone why their here. That's not normal."

Alex slipped off his flip-flops and danced to the pool. The downside to having a seat so far away from the pool was that we had to walk across steaming hot pavement to get to and from the water. So we became one of those people who you see doing knee raises between the chairs, yelping, "Ouch, hot, hot, HOT!!!"

I opened my book up and read for a couple seconds, then remembered that it was the 9th of May and that I needed to call my older brother and wish him a happy 25th birthday. He didn't answer so I left him a nice voicemail and hung up.

It was time to hop to(I mean, IN) the pool.


DH and I swam around for a bit, luxuriating in the knowledge that we were at WDW and were having a great time. There were three young girls swimming around playing Marco Polo, and I got a teensy bit nostalgic.

I was remembering when I was their age and my parents took us kids to WDW. We stayed at the Double Tree by DTD, and it was there that my dad taught me how to float on my back and doggie paddle. And whenever they banished us to the shallow end of the pool, my brothers and I played Marco Polo, having the time of our lives and experiencing that same feeling of wonderment that I was having 13 years later.

About ten minutes passed. Alex and I swam to the center, where Goofy was attempting to shoot water out of his cannon.

And it was then that it happened.

The very bad thing.

I cringe just remembering it.

I was lifting my hands up tap Alex on the shoulders when I noticed my left hand.

There was nothing on it.

There had been something on it for 2 weeks and now there wasn't.

I kid you not, my eyes bugged out of my head. I got this tunnel vision, where my focus zoomed onto my fingers and saw with crystal clarity what was missing.

All I did was gulped in a big gust of air. It sounded sort of like, “Huuhhhhhhh!!!!!”

Immediately, DH froze and looked at me.

Then looked at where I was looking.

Then said" "No."

I had no idea what to do. Cry, yell, call the ring police to take me away for being irresponsible.

Instead, I did something very unlike me.

I kept calm.

I think if I had shown just the tiniest form of panic, both DH and I would've lost it. So we opted for cool indifference, pretending that it wasn't a big deal.

That I had simply misplaced a pair of sunglasses or a keychain.

DH mentioned something about the water being really clear and that we would see something glittering at the bottom if it were there.

I took solace in knowing that the pool was empty with the exception of a few other couples on the opposite end of the pool and those three little girls.

Those same girls noticed us searching and feeling around and swam over. Alex asked very nicely if he could borrow their goggles. They asked if we'd lost something, and Alex replied with, "Yes, a ring."

The girls immediately saw this as an adventure opportunity. They swore allegiance to us and promised to help us recover the lost item.

They were the sweetest girls.


We described the ring to them and they took off, diving back and forth into the water, telling us it would be all right, that they would find it. Even though it was a terrible situation, I never felt more appreciative. For the girls, it was something new and exciting to do to pass the time, for us, it was a helping hand.

DH jumped out of the pool to check my pool bag, hoping it had gotten lost in the 2,873 items.

No luck.

I was becoming miserable.


The ring was a little loose on my finger, but I wanted to be able to wear it at Disney, so I was planning on getting it resized after we returned. I had thought I was being so careful, constantly making sure it was on my finger. I wasn't used to wearing a ring on that finger, anyways, so I found myself always twirling it around and looking down at it.

I did not see how this was possible.

I began thinking about all our family members who would be so upset to hear what I'd done.

I thought about the trouble we'd have to go through to figure out if losing the item was covered under the insurance and warranty.

I DID NOT think about Alex, because I was not about to imagine his anger at that moment. He had gone through a ton of trouble picking out the ring, and it meant so much to him that he had chosen the one that I had been looking at in the store display for months.

Not something you can just re-do if you lose.

He came back into the water and told me to replay the last half hour and see if I could remember the last time I saw the ring.

Okay.

Pool. Don't remember it.

Laundry room. Don't remember it.

Packing the pool bag. Don't remember it.

Sunscreen. Don't rememb----

Oh.

Oh no.

I gave DH the guiltiest look on the planet.

I really didn't want to tell him what I had just realized.

But I sort of had no other choice. I had just thought of the fact that whenever I put sunscreen or any kind of lotion on, I usually removed my rings, because I didn't want them to get greasy and dirty.

I don't remember Alex walking.

I remember him flying.

Flying out of the pool.

Flying across the concrete. (Letting one little "HOT!" escape his mouth along the way.)

Flying up the 3 flights of stairs to our room.

Flying through the room's doorway.

A minute later the door to the room opened, and DH stepped out to where I could see him.

I held my breathe.


"I got it."

The little girls stopped swimming and turned to me. "He found it?"
I nodded.


Oh goodness gracious, I had just taken five years off my life.


When DH returned to the pool, he gave me a look that I don't wanna see again anytime soon. And, of course, I couldn't blame him. I had just made a very big glitch. I begged him not to tell anyone about what had happened, and he agreed. And, to this day, nobody but my younger brother knows.

The little girls clambered out of the pool and were drying off. As they did so, they relayed their adventure to their mother. She put down the book she was reading and looked at us, mouth agape.

"Oh my gosh."

My embarrassment grew. I knew she was giving me all kinds of judgment, but I really couldn't blame her. It looked pretty bad.

"Man, you're having a panic attack," she said, pointing to me.

I let out a somewhat hysterical laugh.

Lady, you have no idea...I wish I was having a panic attack. What I was having would be defined as something much worse. Losing my mind, giving myself an ulcer, going nutso...

Then she pointed to Alex, "And your pocket book is having one!"

That comment right there pretty much summed up the whole situation.


After that we had had our fill of the pool. We retrieved our laundry, took it upstairs, and grabbed a nap, hoping that some rest would calm our still-frazzled nerves. Unfortunately, we were both rattled, tense, and on-edge the rest of the evening.

But that's a story for another update.


Up Next: Can I Have Extra Teriyaki Sauce, Please?

 

[Shannon84]

Sum of all thrills...Tim wanted to do that but I totally talked him out of it the wait was soooo long...but it does look fun!!

I can't believe the crazies at the Segway area...some people amaze me!! I have been on one for a few minutes and was so scared I would fall, I have no sense of balance

OH MY GOSH I would have had an all out panic if I lost my ring...and trust me I lose things like its my job I am so glad you found it!!

 

[Nermel9]

That Segway test looks fun, minus the obnoxious people of course! I think I read they don't do that anymore? I kind of wanted to test one out so I would know if I could use it before I book the Segway Tour someday, but I guess I'll find out then! I really want to do that tour, it looks like so much fun!

OMG I can't believe you lost your ring!!! I'm so glad you found it, that would have been awful if you didn't! I got engaged in Disney and my ring was too big too, but I wanted to wear it, so I wrapped a band aid around it to keep it tight! But still, I obsessively checked my finger to make sure it was there!

I need to restart the Couch to 5K soon...problem is, I don't have a treadmill, it's way too cold outside, and I'm not sure if I want to join the gym and have random people watching me attempt to run, it's not a pretty sight! I might just have to suck it up and buy a treadmill! Ugh! One of my resolutions for this year is to do a Disney 5K!

 

[UGAFan0829]

Ok, wow...my blood pressure is up just a bit after reading the last installment. I can only imagine what yours was like. Wow...

I love that y'all checked out Sum of All Thrills...I've been wanting to try that for some time, so hopefully we can on the next trip!

How exciting that you're all signed up for Expedition Everest! I know that is going to be a blast. Though, I do have to say that I'm a bit intrigued as to why your excitement level has come down a bit since Alex's sister announced that she's coming with.

Speaking of running, are you following a particular plan for your 5K training??

Can't wait for more!!

 

[amazingact21]

Sum of all thrills...Tim wanted to do that but I totally talked him out of it the wait was soooo long...but it does look fun!!

I can't believe the crazies at the Segway area...some people amaze me!! I have been on one for a few minutes and was so scared I would fall, I have no sense of balance

OH MY GOSH I would have had an all out panic if I lost my ring...and trust me I lose things like its my job I am so glad you found it!!

Well, if there's ever a time when you want to do something at Epcot that Tim doesn't want to participate in, send him over to Sum of all Thrills. I think for any guy or girl who likes video games and/or building things this is a great attraction. However, the wait was pretty brutal.

That Segway test looks fun, minus the obnoxious people of course! I think I read they don't do that anymore? I kind of wanted to test one out so I would know if I could use it before I book the Segway Tour someday, but I guess I'll find out then! I really want to do that tour, it looks like so much fun!

OMG I can't believe you lost your ring!!! I'm so glad you found it, that would have been awful if you didn't! I got engaged in Disney and my ring was too big too, but I wanted to wear it, so I wrapped a band aid around it to keep it tight! But still, I obsessively checked my finger to make sure it was there!

I need to restart the Couch to 5K soon...problem is, I don't have a treadmill, it's way too cold outside, and I'm not sure if I want to join the gym and have random people watching me attempt to run, it's not a pretty sight! I might just have to suck it up and buy a treadmill! Ugh! One of my resolutions for this year is to do a Disney 5K!

I've also heard that the Segways are not there anymore, so I'm glad DH was able to try it then.

That was one of the scariest moment I've had at WDW. And, amusingly enough, I haven't had one issue with my ring since then.


I was really dragging my feet when starting the C25K program. I think I was afraid I wouldn't be able to do it again. That, and I knew how much it was going to hurt.
I want to use a treadmill to train, but I am waiting until I become a little stronger of a runner. Like you, I don't want people to watch me and judge my skills. Not to mention, Alex works at the base gym so all his coworkers will have to see his wife floundering on the machines....I don't think I'm ready for that.

I love that one of your goals is to do a Disney 5K. I have fallen in love with runDisney, and I can't seem to get enough. It's made me actually want to run/train. One of our "lifetime" goals is to complete the Coast to coast challenge.

If you were still going in May, I would totally try my hardest to convince you to do the Expedition Everest 5K. Just because I know that one is a ton of fun, and the scavenger hunt adds a bit more excitement to it.

However, I don't doubt that any 5K will be amazing. After all, anything Disney does is above and beyond perfection.

Ok, wow...my blood pressure is up just a bit after reading the last installment. I can only imagine what yours was like. Wow...

I love that y'all checked out Sum of All Thrills...I've been wanting to try that for some time, so hopefully we can on the next trip!

How exciting that you're all signed up for Expedition Everest! I know that is going to be a blast. Though, I do have to say that I'm a bit intrigued as to why your excitement level has come down a bit since Alex's sister announced that she's coming with.

Speaking of running, are you following a particular plan for your 5K training??

Can't wait for more!!

Definitely give Sum of all Thrills a try on your next trip if the line isn't too bad. I don't think a lot of guests really check out Innovations, so if you go at the right time, the wait time "should" be short.

I'm really excited to be signed up for the 5K. Alex and I talk about it on a pretty regular basis.

The excitement level issue just comes from some added stress to the trip. Originally, it was going to be myself and Alex on a team and my mother as a single runner. The plan was for each of us to do our own run and scavenger hunt (calling each other on the phone if we needed help with a clue) then meeting up after the race to ride the attractions.

We made it very clear to the sisters that my mom was going to be there and that she was my priority after Alex, and they sort of just ignored us and went through with it anyways.

Well, now that his sisters (found out both of them are doing it) we're not sure how it's going to work out. Mainly because we are going to have our own schedule and they won't exactly be happy to not see us during the event. (meaning, we will be spending the morning in a park and the afternoon napping, and they will want to meet up with us early, which won't happen.)

Annnndddd....my mother isn't exactly a fan of either of the girls. They burned her pretty bad at our wedding, and my mom would prefer not to be around them. And, knowing what happened, I can't really blame her. (Honestly, I don't really get along with them either, but seeings as their my family I have to suck it up and deal.)

So, Alex and I are now facing the problem of making 3 other people happy, and it's looking like we'll be splitting up after the race. Me with my mom, Alex with his sisters, which just bums us a little because we do like to spend time together in the parks.

 

[TanzUnited99]

Happy New Year!

I'm sorry to hear about Alex's dad being involved in an accident but am glad to read it was nothing too serious.

I'm sad that the Segway course is no longer at Innoventions but yay on Alex enjoying it.

OMG on losing your ring!!!! Wow I was nervous for you whilst reading the story!! Yay on Alex saving the day and locating your ring - I don't blame you for wanting to forget that incident ever took place!

 

[amazingact21]

May 9th Evening:

DH and I woke up from a nap rested, but still a little antsy from the earlier event. The shirt I was wearing that morning was still drying so I had to throw on something else, and I ended up matching Alex again. *sigh* I promise, we don’t do it intentionally, it just happens.


We got into the car and zoomed off to our most anticipated dinner of the trip.

Alex’s favorite restaurant…Kona Café!
Yes, we had just eaten breakfast there the previous Saturday, but in our minds, you could never get enough Kona.

We passed through this beautiful sign:
f1 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

And were directed into the parking lot.
Never one to forget previous errors, we took our mandatory photo of our parking spot.

f2 by Alicia Wolchick, on Flickr

I tried to think about what this lot is now that they changed it, but I’m not sure. I’m thinking Jafar, but I’m not positive. I know that the Heroes/Villains theme is very popular, but I will kind of miss the old names. I liked the classic characters, such as Happy.


Anyways…we went to the resort monorail to an empty line and boarded the next available monorail. We proceeded to the Polynesian stop, exited, went to the left upon entering the resort, checked in for our 5:30pm dinner, and were seated within 10 minutes.

They placed us in a booth at the back of the restaurant. The table was huge, and I almost felt a little guilty for taking up so much space for 2 people.

We were both looking forward to our meal and happy as clams. I kept telling myself, “This couldn’t get better. I’m eating at my favorite WDW restaurant, and later, we’re going to do one of our favorite things…nighttime EMH at Magic Kingdom.”




Our waitress came over to take our drink orders and bring us bread.

Excuse me…THE bread.

THE bread consisted of Hawaiin bread with a macadamia nut butter. I had some of it 5 months prior, and I could still remember the taste vividly.
Soft, sweet bread, with a creamy spread on top.
My mouth is watering as I type this, and my stomach is yelling at me, “It’s not polite to tease us like this!!!”


When the waitress placed it on the table, my first thought was, “Yay, it’s closer to me! First dibs!” Great way of thinking on an engagement trip, but if you’ve tried this bread before, you know that your other family member are thinking the exact same thing.

Alex and I ended up getting the teriyaki steak with rice and vegetables, and I got a virgin Pina Colada.




I had ordered the coconut almond chicken last time, and it was good; I just wasn’t in the mood for the greens that night.

The teriyaki’s what makes this dish so delicious. I know I rant about the bread, but the main dish is just as good. It’s one of those meals where you’ve stuffed yourself to the brim, but you feel like you have one more bite left in you, and you can’t decide whether or not to go for the remaining piece of steak on your plate or take one more chunck out of the bread.

And such are the worries while at Disney World….Do I take the steak or bread. Steak or bread? Bread or steak? I don’t know, I don’t know!

Halfway through our meal, Alex said, “I think I’m going to ask for some extra teriyaki sauce.”

To which I got a little frazzled. The reason comes from 2 facts.

Number 1: Alex drowns all his food in extra sauce. No lie. His chicken sandwiches…you can’t see them through the ketchup. His rice….it’s black from all the soy sauce.

Number 2: I was terribly afraid that DH’s need of extra sauce would insult the chefs at Kona. I was terribly afraid they’d be like, “What, my steak isn’t good enough, you have to drown it in teriyaki to mask the taste?” Plus, I am bad about not liking to inconvenience people. I could see that our waitress was swamped with a ton of people at each of her tables, and I didn’t want to make her job harder.

I know, I know, it’s ridiculous, and I’m slowly getting better about it. But, remember, my nerves were fried and I just wanted to eat my meal with no uncomfortable moments.

So, for about five minutes our conversation went like this:

“Can I ask for some extra sauce?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“I just don’t want to bother the waitress.”

*Insert DH sighing due to him realizing I was in one of those crazed moods* “Okay.”

“Do you think Main Street will already be crowded when we get there?”

“Probably.”

“Yeah.”

“Can I please just ask, Alicia, it won’t bother her.”

“I don’t really want you to, but if you feel like you have to have it.”

“Fine, I’ll leave it be. What do you want to ride first.”

“You know me, I’ll want to check for Space Mtn fastpasses.”

“Cool. Look here she comes, it’ll just take a second.”

“Fine!”

DH ordered his teriyaki sauce, and I sat and ate the rest of my dinner, thinking how dumb we were both being.

The waitress returned with a little cup and set it on the table.

Alex went to pick it up, and…

It slipped out of his fingers.

Spilling all over the table.

We both just sat there and laughed.

All that hassle just to have DH spill all of it.

“Can I ask for another-“


“NO!”

We laughed some more.

As bad as the moment was, it was such a perfect distraction. Neither of us had had much of a reason to laugh since the pool, and it was such a relief to find comedic relief after a scary event.

It took forever for our giggles to die down, because not only were we laughing at the irony of the situation, we were finally letting out our complete amazement that we had dodged such a bad bullet. We were both thinking, “Holy crap, did I really just lose my ring…I’ve never seen Alex so freaked…oh man, I can’t believe I’d be that dumb.”

Your emotions do weird things when you get over a scary moment, and ours decided to go into hysterical laughter in the middle of a restaurant.

This was DH’s plate with his teriyaki mess:



Once our dinner plates were taken away, we received the desserts we’d ordered.
DH chose some kind of chocolate torte without the berries:


At the time, he enjoyed it, but I don’t think any Disney dessert is going to match his adoration of the Chocolate Souffle on the cruise lines now. That’s his one true love, and now everything else is just runner up.

I, however, still love my dessert choice from Kona. It’s on the top 3 of my favorites. The white chocolate cheesecake:


I couldn’t finish the whole thing, though. It’s just too rich after a ton of bread and steak.


The two of us paid our bill, left the restaurant, and hopped on another empty monorail. It was about 7 o’clock, and the sun was just beginning to think about setting, which made the views from the monorail gorgeous.

We passed the grand Floridian, then the Wedding Pavilion.


I looked at it a little longingly. I think both DH and I had a split-second fantasy of getting married there, but we let it go as soon as the building was out of sight. As amazing as a Disney Fairy Tale Wedding would be, both of us knew (even after being engaged for 2 weeks) that neither us nor my family could afford a wedding there.

It was a nice thought, though.


Up ahead, we saw what will always be a breathtaking sight for me.

The castle and Space Mountain rising high in the sky.

Even knowing I was about to enter the park, I got a little misty eyed. No matter how many times I say it, the phrase still amazed me.
“I’m on the monorail heading towards Cinderella’s Castle and Space Mountain.”


Every time I see those two landmarks, I think about how many times I WISH I were looking at that sight, and I get a tad bit sad. I think about how in a few day’s time, I’ll be back to my normal routine, and how in a few month’s, I’ll be looking at pictures trying to remember how it felt to be in such a magical place.

I love Hollywood Studios for its excitement.

I love Epcot for its versatility.

I love Animal Kingdom for its animals and conservation theme.

But none of them give me that complete, unbridled, childish joy that Magic Kingdom does.

I looked over at Alex and simply said, “Can you believe it? We’re back!”

He just smiled back at me.


I looked back at the castle, and as we crept closer and closer to it, I tried to envision what new memories we’d make this time in the park. Last time we were there, we got to stop in an empty hub and have the whole center to ourselves to gaze upon the castle adorned in its Christmas lights. Last time, we rode the teacups and giggled so hard we forgot we were 2 grown adults.

What would happen this time?


Up Next…Where’s Wishes?

 

[Nermel9]

Do you think it's harder to train on a treadmill than outside? That's strange, I always thought it was easier on a treadmill! Did you know anything about running before you did the C25K? I mean, when I started it last year, I just started. I didn't stretch, I didn't even buy running shoes (I would have if I kept up with it, but I quit after I got stuck on Week 3 for about 3 weeks!), I know nothing about running!

If you were still going in May, I would totally try my hardest to convince you to do the Expedition Everest 5K. Just because I know that one is a ton of fun, and the scavenger hunt adds a bit more excitement to it.

I would LOVE to do that one, the scavenger hunt sounds like so much fun, but the obstacles freak me out!

Anyway, great update! I love Kona, I've been reading a lot of bad reviews of it lately, and I just don't get it, we loved our dinner there! Loved the teriyaki sauce story, I hate asking servers for extra things, I don't want to bother them!

You just made me so sad, because I'm not on the monorail approaching the Magic Kingdom right now. Seriously, reading that whole description almost made me want to cry, and run into Brandon's room and say "WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY IN MAY AND THAT'S FINAL!" (Nope, I still haven't given up hope that we're going...)

 

[amazingact21]

Do you think it's harder to train on a treadmill than outside? That's strange, I always thought it was easier on a treadmill! Did you know anything about running before you did the C25K? I mean, when I started it last year, I just started. I didn't stretch, I didn't even buy running shoes (I would have if I kept up with it, but I quit after I got stuck on Week 3 for about 3 weeks!), I know nothing about running!


I had a little bit of knowledge about running simply from the fact that Alex works at a gym and has gone through a lot of training courses. However, before I did the C25K last year, I hadn't ran in a year and a half, so I was starting from scratch.
I've never actually ran on a treadmill before. I find that if I want running to keep my interest, I have to do it outside. Even running on a track kills me, because I'm just going around in a bunch of circles.

As far as preparing goes...I would suggest getting good running shoes. I'm sure you know the spewl about hurting your feet and adding unneeded stress. My mom and actually went to this class that lectured us on proper "running stances" and recorded us on a treadmill in slow motion to tell us what kind of shoe we needed based on how our feet fell when we hit the ground.
And, something that was knew to me, you shouldn't stretch before you run, only afterwards. Alex gave me this long lecture about how it could hurt your muscles, and blah blah blah.
In effect, there's really no wrong way to start running.

I got stuck on Week 4 for 3 weeks last time. I just couldn't get that 5 minutes straight knocked out.

And this time, I'm doing each week twice, just to be sure I mastered it.


I would LOVE to do that one, the scavenger hunt sounds like so much fun, but the obstacles freak me out!

Anyway, great update! I love Kona, I've been reading a lot of bad reviews of it lately, and I just don't get it, we loved our dinner there! Loved the teriyaki sauce story, I hate asking servers for extra things, I don't want to bother them!

You just made me so sad, because I'm not on the monorail approaching the Magic Kingdom right now. Seriously, reading that whole description almost made me want to cry, and run into Brandon's room and say "WE'RE GOING TO DISNEY IN MAY AND THAT'S FINAL!" (Nope, I still haven't given up hope that we're going...)

I don't see how people dislike Kona. I think it tends to get overshaowed by Ohana's.

Sorry to make you sad! I became a little sad when I saw the picture, because I wanted to go back so badly! And hey, you never know, Brandon might claim to be burned out on WDW, but 5 months is a longggg time; he might change his mind, especially since it will be your anniversary and that's where you guys honeymooned. Here's to hoping!

 

[sjlupin]

I've read your whole TR Alicia. It is GREAT!!

I feel nostalgic thinking about the trip DH and I just took for our anniversary and super excited about DS and I going in May for EEC.