Grumpy turns sixty, where else could we be ?? *Updated 10/04*

[janloz]

I'm in too. Loved your previous adventurers with Grumpy.

 

[iluvuwdw]

I have been quietly lurking , I love reading your trip reports and hearing about your adventures . Can't wait to read more

 

[WDWKrazedKitty]

I am breaking from my lurkdom to sub. I can never get enough of Marina & Grumpy!!! I LOVE your TR's. They always make me laugh!!! Can't wait.

 

[marivaid]

Holy moly !!! You guys are sooooooooooooooooooooooo good for my ego Thanks for all the comments, I'm going to really get this thing started now! That darn computer keeps overheating and shutting off just as I'm done with a long post grrrrrrrrr

 

[marivaid]

It was a very odd morning day at work. Customers had begged us for weeks to open an hour early - which for most of the staff, meant showing up at 4am instead of 5. They were lucky and missed the storm. Anyone who was due at work past 6am and drove, well, those were still out there somewhere trying to get through. And the customers ? I believe the first one showed up around 9.

But while I was vegetating at work, Grumpy was busy making sure we would get on our plane the next day. I'd called her as soon as I reached work to tell her about the weather. My father was supposed to drive us the next morning but that was out of the question now. He already isn't comfortable driving when it's dark, if it's dark AND slippery, forget it. We had to get us a cab but there's only one cab company here and I figured they would be booked solid. I was right. I discussed that with a friend at work and he told me there was a "personal chauffeured car service" right here in our town that was about the same cost as a cab and they may be able to take us.

Grumpy called them. She was told they could take us to the airport - tonight.
Now, we don't live on top of the Mont Blanc or anything, but there is one very nasty hill going up to our place. That thing is a death trap on GOOD days. When I used to drive a scooter around, I would actually stop breathing every time I had to go up or down that road. If it's raining or snowing, the buses will stop their service at the bottom of the hill.
You HAVE to go up that road to get to our house, the only other way would take you about 2 hours. The lady from the car service company told Grumpy she had no way to know for sure if the car could get up there the next morning.

So Grumpy booked it for tonight, and then got online to find us a room in a hotel by the airport for the night. She called me to say she settled on an Ibis that was cheap enough at about $120 for the night. The cab itself was about $150.

I had to ask my mom to pack my stuff. She had booked the cab for 8pm, the latest time she could get, but I was supposed to get off work at 7.30pm. The streets were still so bad at lunch time that I decided not to risk it and stay at work for my break. To make matters worse, I was also moving at that time, in fact I had gotten the keys to my new apartment the day after Christmas. So a good part of my clothes and things were up in boxes, and my bedroom was even more of a mess than usual. That didn't help Grumpy. In the end she ended up throwing any T-Shirt that had a smiling mouse on it in a duffle, add on as many clean pairs of jeans she could get her hands on, and declared I was good to go. I gave a list of things I needed besides clothes and she reported that she had found everything, no problem.

It was a long, long day. I was working the oyster stand in the lobby and was freezing to death. Plus, oysters gross me out. We eat them raw in France. I can't believe so many people love to eat things that look like they just came out of their noses. And that they'd pay $25 for a case of 12. But they do!

At 6.30 the store was pretty much empty, and I went to my supervisor to ask her if I could leave early. I told her about us having to leave tonight instead of the morning and for once she was nice and let me out a little before 7pm. I rushed home, washed some of the oyster smell off me, and checked if I had the basics - passport, money, credit cards. Good to go.

Soon enough we were in a very nice van with a very nice and chatty driver. He asked us which hotel we were spending the night at and Grumpy said, "the Ibis".

"Which one?"
"The one by the airport."
"Hmm there are three of them,at least."

Ooops.

Of course Grumpy being Grumpy, she hadn't bothered to write down the address of the hotel she booked. She had printed her reservation but there was no address on it.

She decided it was the "big one" and so our driver let us out there. We collected our luggage and waited in line about 20mns at the front desk. Grumpy handed the guy our reservation....

"Oh, you are at the wrong hotel."

Why, of course we were.

 

[cherokeemamma]

Great update Marivaid. I would be completely terrified if someone else packed for me, especially my mother. You are very brave.
Looking forward to more....

TTFN
Cherokeemamma

 

[jillyb]

"Oh, you are at the wrong hotel."

Why, of course we were.

I know it probably wasn't funny at the time but I laughed out loud when I read this. And like PP, I would hate to see what my Mom packed for me. Can't wait to read more!

 

[Heluvsme]

How did I miss this? I'm so happy you're writing another one!

Yay!!!

 

[The Moonk's Mom]

Oh that is too funny! Sorry! But it is! You just had to know that was going to happen! Hope the rest gets at least a little better!

 

[29apr00]

Grumpy packed for you!?!? How could you not have been packed 24 hrs before you were supposed to leave? I'm usually packed atleast a month in advance! Wrong Hotel!?!? UGH that would be horrible!! I hope the wrong hotel allowed you to stay, or atleast offered transportation to the correct hotel!

 

[whogirl'smom]

Not the wrong hotel! Please post a picture of the offending hill--I would love to see it!

And oysters should be fried and doused in ketchup, shouldn't they?

 

[eyor44]

YAY! Grumpy and Marina are off to Disney!
Can't wait to hear if you found the correct hotel.........

 

[slotzkin]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE your trip reports and am on the edge of my seat for your next adventure!

I was in Paris for 2 weeks this past November and find your local comments hilarious!

 

[KathyRN137]

I can't believe you hadn't packed yet!!

If my mother ever had to pack for me, you probably couldn't lift the bag!!

The "Killer Hill" sounds scary!


Kathy

 

[disneysuncat]

I cannot WAIT to read what Grumpy didn't pack for you...or did.

 

[winkers]

I always seem to be late to the party....

I agree with you on oysters......raw or cooked it's like chewing a giant booger.

For some reason I thought that you would get alot of snow in France. Well other than the southern coast.

 

[kimbo0569]

I'm in! I love reading your TR's among others....can't wait to hear more. I haven't been around here much, life has gotten in the way, plus I haven't had a Disney trip in the works but I suckered dh in and managed to get him to agree to another trip in 2010 sometime, including my mom and his. (knew that would get him...)

 

[NotSoEvilStepmother]

Ah. I'm late!
Joining in!

 

[Pooh's-Honey-Pot]

Great start! Glad you're back!!

 

[angela3676]

Soon enough we were in a very nice van with a very nice and chatty driver. He asked us which hotel we were spending the night at and Grumpy said, "the Ibis".

"Which one?"
"The one by the airport."
"Hmm there are three of them,at least."

Ooops.

Of course Grumpy being Grumpy, she hadn't bothered to write down the address of the hotel she booked. She had printed her reservation but there was no address on it.

She decided it was the "big one" and so our driver let us out there. We collected our luggage and waited in line about 20mns at the front desk. Grumpy handed the guy our reservation....

"Oh, you are at the wrong hotel."

Why, of course we were.

I love reading your trip reports Marina.