From Kick'n It at Kidani to Play'n It at Pop adults only p62/63 last thoughts&request

[wsushocker]

The gods are pleased!​

 

[podsnel]

Congrats to Brian and his team!! Very exciting!! Tyler's football team played in the Superbowl today- and lost for the second year in a row to Summit. They are the only team we can't seem to beat!

Ok, I am all caught up now, just in time for the last supper!!

I am excited we'll get to meet this May- really looking forward to it! I LOVE DISmeets!!

 

[MEK]

That's wonderful! Congratulations!!!

Thanks Dawn!

The gods are pleased!​

Hail all mighty Soccer gods!!!!!!!!

Congrats to Brian and his team!! Very exciting!!

thanks!!!!!!

Tyler's football team played in the Superbowl today- and lost for the second year in a row to Summit. They are the only team we can't seem to beat!

Oh....bummer for Tyler, but I'm sure his team played great and they should be very proud!!!!!!!!

Ok, I am all caught up now, just in time for the last supper!!

And it was a great last supper, even though I never got around to posting about it!

I am excited we'll get to meet this May- really looking forward to it! I LOVE DISmeets!!

I'm excited, too. I have 3 potential DIS meets for May. That is so great....you, manntra (tracy), and Kschafer (katie). It's going to be a great week!!!!! I warned Denny yesterday that there was some serious DIS meet planning going on.

 

[manntra]

WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!

I just had a feeling they were going to win and I am so happy they did!!

You got a lot done on your week off....wow you were a shopping machine! Got some good bargains too! I am all about that!

Wonderful news from Joe....now you can practice for your AI audition this May

Speaking of May...I am thinking of maybe doing a KTTK tour. That or maybe a Segway tour.
I was also thinking of maybe flying in on Saturday and staying somewhere cheap that night....flying on Sunday here can be expensive. That or maybe driving down to Philly....I hate the Philly airport though Well...plenty of time left for planning right?

Hope you are enjoying your first day back at work...at least it will be a short week for you!

Tracy

 

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

First of all......congrats on the state championship!!!!!!!!!!! So happy for you and your son!! (You get to take partial credit for the win since you gav e birth to him!!!)

Second...very nice pictures of POP!!! You have really caught some nice scenery in this TR!!!

 

[DWGal210]

Yea, congrats!! That is so cool they are state champs - I bet they are all walking on Cloud 9 right now!

And those are some great pictures you took around the lake - gorgeous!

 

[MEK]

WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!

I just had a feeling they were going to win and I am so happy they did!!

Well, you must be psychic because I was soooooooo nervous before the semi's. I was a lot calmer at the finals. Once Sallies was knocked out (the team that always wins), I felt a lot more confident!

You got a lot done on your week off....wow you were a shopping machine! Got some good bargains too! I am all about that!

I got a lot of shopping done, that's for sure. But I really didn't do enough around the house. I've got to get this bathroom redo underway. And I won't get anywhere near it this weekend. Oh well!

I love bargain shopping. Its so great. I'm pretty good about it. Except know I hear Stacy and Clinton saying, "why do you think that was on the discount rack?????" Then I get scared like Maybe it is really ugly??? LOL!

Wonderful news from Joe....now you can practice for your AI audition this May

I've pretty much written off AI, but it did give me a lot of pointers that will help for any paid jobs I have. And I have a memorial service in 2 weeks at an Elks Club. So I am going to put my new technics into practice.

I have been listening to Joe's CD non-stop. It has some great arrangements and the songs are a lot more sophisticated than regular pop music. It's really good.

Speaking of May...I am thinking of maybe doing a KTTK tour. That or maybe a Segway tour.
I was also thinking of maybe flying in on Saturday and staying somewhere cheap that night....flying on Sunday here can be expensive. That or maybe driving down to Philly....I hate the Philly airport though Well...plenty of time left for planning right?

I loved the KTTK tour. I highly recommend it. Its cheaper than the segway tour, lunch is included, and the tours guides really know their stuff.

I hear ya about Philly. I don't care for the airport either. I like BWI alot more, but its so close to my house. I was thinking of leaving sat night too and then meeting Denny and my friends Sunday. We both can't be out of the house on Sat night.

Hope you are enjoying your first day back at work...at least it will be a short week for you!

I have been BUSY this week. No DIS time at all. Yes - thank goodness its short.

 

[MEK]

First of all......congrats on the state championship!!!!!!!!!!! So happy for you and your son!! (You get to take partial credit for the win since you gav e birth to him!!!)

Second...very nice pictures of POP!!! You have really caught some nice scenery in this TR!!!

Partial credit for the win!!!!!! I love that! Yes - I gave birth to him and then drove him to all those soccer practices for soooooooo many years! Yup, that's me....good ol' soccer mom!

I'm glad you like the pop pics. I had a lot of fun taking them. I just wish I had taken more. You can never have enough resort pictures!

 

[MEK]

Yea, congrats!! That is so cool they are state champs - I bet they are all walking on Cloud 9 right now!

And those are some great pictures you took around the lake - gorgeous!

Thanks! Yes - Brian has been wearing his medal everyday since Saturday. It's so cute. He is so proud!

I'm glad you like the pics. That lake is so pretty, even with the eyesore across the lake. Such a shame that they never finished the rest of Pop.

 

[MEK]

I just want to apologize for not doing my Artist Point update yet. I promise I will complete it tomorrow. I had to drive Brian to rep team soccer practice the last two nights. He will be officially driving without me starting tomorrow and I feel very nervous about it. What a scary thing. But, I have to let it happen.

So, I forgot to tell you that Brian had a #7 shave into the back of his head for the game on Saturday. That is a major no-no at his school, so today he finally got his detention. And an email was sent from the soccer coach to all the players - no mohawks, no numbers.

Looks like Brian will be shaving his head with the #1 blade on Sunday night!

 

[Disneymoon09]

I just want to apologize for not doing my Artist Point update yet. I promise I will complete it tomorrow. I had to drive Brian to rep team soccer practice the last two nights. He will be officially driving without me starting tomorrow and I feel very nervous about it. What a scary thing. But, I have to let it happen.

So, I forgot to tell you that Brian had a #7 shave into the back of his head for the game on Saturday. That is a major no-no at his school, so today he finally got his detention. And an email was sent from the soccer coach to all the players - no mohawks, no numbers.

Looks like Brian will be shaving his head with the #1 blade on Sunday night!

Ugh! I always hated the stupid rules at school. The team just won, you would think they would let it slide for those reasons. At least it wasn't something profane or raunchy! I can think of a lot of designs worse then your number!

 

[wigdoutdismom]

I agree, it's not like he dyed his hair blue or something....

 

[brookelizabeth]

I'm late to say this, but...

CONGRATULATIONS ON THE WIN!!!!

Thanks. Seriously, there is no way it will turn out bad. They tell you exactly where to draw the lines and how to measure things out. You draw a lot of light lines that work as marking points. Then the real lines get darkened. Seriously, you are very creative. You could do it in a snap. It's not like you are drawing Pluto. In fact, you can't tell what it is until you are almost done!

Wow! I had no idea it was like that - now I really want to try it!


Looking forward to your AP update, we ate there in 2006 and really liked it. I hope you enjoyed it too!

Love the pic of you and Denny in front of the hat at DHS!

 

[Charleston Princess]

So, I forgot to tell you that Brian had a #7 shave into the back of his head for the game on Saturday. That is a major no-no at his school, so today he finally got his detention. And an email was sent from the soccer coach to all the players - no mohawks, no numbers.

Looks like Brian will be shaving his head with the #1 blade on Sunday night!

What is the school's reasoning for that? Our rule at school is if it doesn't distract from classroom instruction, it isn't a violation. I doubt anyone was "distracted" by Brian's #7.

 

[MEK]

Ugh! I always hated the stupid rules at school. The team just won, you would think they would let it slide for those reasons. At least it wasn't something profane or raunchy! I can think of a lot of designs worse then your number!

It's a private school so they have really strict dress code and hair rules. It's pretty clear from the dress code that that is not allowed. I told Brian he was going to get a detention, but he said he didn't care because it was the state tournament. One other boy did the same thing so they both got lunch detentions, which is pretty minor. But I hated getting an email from the coach. ugghhhhh! Plus I thought they would just give him a warning.

I agree, it's not like he dyed his hair blue or something....

OMG - He would probably get suspended for that!

I'm late to say this, but...

CONGRATULATIONS ON THE WIN!!!!

Thanks Brook!

Wow! I had no idea it was like that - now I really want to try it!

Oh, yeah....its easy. You can't even tell what you are drawing at first. Its just following directions.

Looking forward to your AP update, we ate there in 2006 and really liked it. I hope you enjoyed it too!

Love the pic of you and Denny in front of the hat at DHS!

I have to get that update done. I hate how I am procrastinating!
Glad you like our pic. I think its my fav!

What is the school's reasoning for that? Our rule at school is if it doesn't distract from classroom instruction, it isn't a violation. I doubt anyone was "distracted" by Brian's #7.

The 7 was not distracting at all. In fact, you could barely see it because it was right at the collar line. I was hoping they would just give him a warning and tell him to come back on Monday with it removed. They are just pretty strict about that kind of stuff.

 

[MEK]

So when I last left off we were on our way to the Wilderness Lodge for our final dinner. As we drove up to the WL I realized that we had never driven to the WL before. As we approached the lodge everything looked so familiar, yet so new and unexplored. I was filled with a sense of awe. The architecture of the WL is so impressive. The lodge looks like it is situated in the woods of the great northwest, not central Florida. The theming is impeccable. I visited many resorts during this trip, but none left a first impression like the WL. I was immediately drawn in. I wanted to jump out of the car and run to the front of the lodge like a little kid.

Now, I should clarify. This wasn't my first visit to the WL. Flash back to 2006 when I visited with my kids, my girlfriend, and her 2 boys. It was Labor Day Saturday and our last full day of vacation. We spent the morning at Blizzard Beach and then headed to Disney Quest before our 7pm ADR at WCC. Unfortunately, we were almost 45 mins late for our ADR because a bus never came for the WL. The CM's were very nice and they seated us promptly. But I never quite recovered from the rush, harried feeling. And then I couldn't quite enjoy the antics at the WCC. Instead of amusing me, I found the 10 bottles of ketchup on the table and the wooden horse races a tad annoying.

After dinner we just missed a boat back to the MK. When the next boat came it went to Fort Wilderness first, stopped near the Contemporary for the Electric Light Parade, and finally approached the MK just as the 10pm Wishes started. Thinking that we were going to beat the crowds out of the MK we headed for the POP bus stop only to find it completely out of the queue and down the sidewalk. By the time we got back to Pop it was 11pm.

So my first trip to the WL does not bring back some of my most favorite memories. Oh, and I forgot to mention that I didn't even like the food at WCC. I know people love it, but it was one of my least favorite Disney meals.

So flash forward again to 2009. We found the parking lot at the WL to be easy to negotitate. We parked and began our walk to the entrance. I remember saying to Denny, "This place is beautiful. I want to stay here".

Not the greatest picture!

Look at these cool hoof prints in the sidewalk

The welcome mat

We still had a few minutes before our ADR so we nosed around the lobby a bit......

While looking for the Artist Point Restaurant we ran into a photopass photographer in the lobby.....

On arrival to AP we were quickly seated at a lovely table near the window.....

Our view. Nice!

For LL.......

We had a lovely waitress who served us complimentary anniversary champagne and offered to take our picture.....

We opted for the wine flight for dinner. We both opted for the recommended wine pairings. For my appetizer I decided to try the mussels again tonight (I had them last at Narcossee's).

The mussels were very good, but not quite as good as Narcossee's.

Denny had the Portobello mushroom soup.

Our appes......

Braised Penn Cove Mussels with Fennel and Grilled Sourdough Toast $14

Smoky Portobello Soup with Roasted Shiitakes and Chive Oil $9

My Dinner....

And Denny's.......

I had the scallops while Denny had the buffalo.

Seared Jumbo Day Boat Scallops with mild mushroom risotto and white truffle nage $31

Braised Buffalo Short Rib - with parsnip potato grain, glazed leeks, and red wine jus $36

My scallops were very good. Not quite as good as Flying Fish, but still very good. Denny enjoyed the buffalo.

Next up....dessert......

Mine......

Double Chocolate Cheesecake with vanilla shortbread, raspberry coulis, Grand Marnier mousse, and candied orange $10

Denny.......

Artist Point Cobbler - Seasonal berries and housemade black raspberry ice cream $9

Dessert was very good. And not too much - just the right amount for me. Did you notice our little bonus gifts? With dessert I received a light up Tinkerbell and Denny received a light-up McQueen.

I loved our meal at Artist Point. Even though my appetizer and entree were not my favorite of the trip, the whole entire meal just jelled. It was the culmination of many factors - the atmosphere, the service, the food, the wine, the lodge, the extras. I loved this meal. And the more time I spent at the lodge, the more I was convinced I needed to stay there in the future.

Our meal took about 2 hours from start to finish. When we were done we decided to go utside and walk around the grounds. Here are some pictures of that walk......

For LL ( although I bet she already has this pic)....

A view of the contemporary from the beach......

The DVC pool.......

After we thoroughly explored the outside of the lodge and villas, we went back inside to take a few more pictures......

See next post......

 

[MEK]

We sat in the lobby for a few moments before we decided to go back to our room. It was the first night we actually got home fairly early and we were in bed by 10pm.

Up next.....our last day and our first DIS meet!

 

[Lady Lallie]

How you described your feeling of Wilderness Lodge is EXACTLY how I feel about it. It's just so amazing. You feel like you are anywhere but the middle of Florida. Oh MEK, now you have me really wanting to stay there again.

I do have a picture of that owl light.

 

[Mickey_Mom]

I've missed a few updates but wanted to jump back in with this one.... WL looks so peaceful and serene. I too really, really want to stay there.

Artist Point was on my short list for our August trip but my kids overruled me. The portobello mushroom soup looks very yummy and the desserts looked devine. Love the McQueen and Tink light ups!

 

[dawnbu40]

Great update! I really love the look and feel of the WL !
Denny's dessert looks so good!


Happy Thanksgiving!