How Do You Think We Stay So Happy?*Final Thoughts & Farewells* 10/7 p100

[Wicket's Mom]

Having the bobcat walk through there was so cool! Those things are getting harder to find.

I love riding the boat from HD to the boardwalk for dinner. It is a romantic ride.

ME, I don't get migraines, but I have friends that do, so I feel for you. I don't get headaches very often, but if I'm overtired I get a terrible one. A little sleep then I'm ok.

 

[MEK]

Having the bobcat walk through there was so cool! Those things are getting harder to find.

I guess that depends on how you look at it. There is a mystery bobcat that shows up from time to time in Delaware. It freaks everyone out. Do you think a Disney bob cat is calmer than the non Disney species!

I love riding the boat from HD to the boardwalk for dinner. It is a romantic ride.

Any boat ride at disney is a good boat ride. I am looking forward to the OKW version in December!

ME, I don't get migraines, but I have friends that do, so I feel for you. I don't get headaches very often, but if I'm overtired I get a terrible one. A little sleep then I'm ok.

Headaches can really be a nuisance and worse. Unfortunately, this headache did put a damper on my upcoming plans.

 

[MEK]

Finished booking my December Flights! With the SWA voucher I had and the drop in weekday prices, the grand total works out to be approximately $162/person. Not too shabby! Of course, remember I switched dates and resorts for that. But I am now really looking forward to trying OKW.

We ARE flying out of Baltimore which is a longer drive. Usually I love BWI. I just hope we don't run into any bad weather since it will be December. Fingers crossed!

 

[eandesmom]

I have my eyes on the "penny whistle"-playing guy!

Ok I had to go back and check him out. NICE! There is a burger on there, I'm sure of it.

Ahhh, Cynthia, those elusive Treehouses... someday, my friend, someday.

I have to admit, I really don't care for WOD at all. Too MUCH. Too loud, busy, and frenetic. I know I'm totally in the minority here, but it's just not me. Didn't you do TrenD at DTD in California? I thought you weren't impressed there either.

Yep, it's not an "if", it's a "when".

I went to D Street and Vault 23 in CA. Thought vault 23 was vastly superior (i.e. I spent money there) to D Street (which is the Trend D equivalent supposedly).

Great updates ladies!!
I LOL at Jen not knowing James Taylor until you gave her a Disney connection!!!

Oh - and those little notebooks are so adorable!!

Thanks! It definitely dated Mary Ellen and I

Hey I know that guy!!!! Just any guy at at any Y community center around here.

That makes me want to look around more when I go for a walk. i wouldn't want to bump into the bobcat unexpectedly.

it does give me slight pause about those treehouses...

You ladies sound like you are having so much fun. I tried to get a group of my friends interested in going to Disney in Oct and they all said they weren't interested!!! I really want to go on a girls trip so someday I am hoping it will happen. RR looks yummy. MEK I hope your headache goes away. I have migraines occasionally and they are no fun.

I had the same issue with my girlfriends. 2 were in but the rest, not so much. Good thing I have obsessed siblings!

Great update, MEK and Cynthia. I am so glad that Mark and I changed from Fulton's (which has gotten some really bad reviews lately and we've always loved it) to Raglan--it looks yummy.

Sorry about the headache MEK...hope it went away; and Cynthia great job catching the bobcat.

You'll enjoy it! It was a fluke that I caught him.

Great POR pics! Wow at having to wait in such a line for a boat - you guys sure are patient!

It did go by quickly, I don't think I'd have noticed if I wasn't jonesing for that rita

No, it didn't fit right. Plus it was like sitting in a pew in church. It was just awkward and not very comfortable.

It was wierd! I love that group pic, need to download it.

My guess is that you weren't fully recovered (more than it being a flagyl issue) and pushed it by running in the morning. Add that, sun, a beer and it all catches up.

You are right, no one got dessert despite the fact I'd been dreaming about that bread pudding and was one of the reasons I pushed to go there! I'd ordered fries for us to share though I think as an appetizer and there was just no room
[/QUOTE]

Cynthia...I ate Fulton's when it was the Empress Lilly. It was a family trip way back in the 80's and we must have stayed someplace very close to what was then Disney Village because we seemed to end up there often. They were just starting to build Pleasure Island, as a matter of fact. We had dinner one night on the Empress Lilly, at the Steerman's Quarter's. It was a delicious meal, as I recall. I had prime rib and we had house made potato chips, which I thought were the most amazing things, ever, as they were a rarity back then. Haven't been back there since!

And you will stay in those Treehouses someday. They do look super cool.

Wow, I didn't even know all that. My first trip there was to Pleasure Island.

Also - I can't believe you got a picture of the bobcat. Way to go! There he goes, just minding his own business.

My kids wouldn't know who James Taylor is, so I think a lot of people under the age of 30 probably haven't herd of him. They've heard his music, but not his name.

Total fluke. I didn't even realize I'd gotten the picture till I went to do the update!

Evan and Eric know who James Taylor is but that's about it out of the 4 kids I think. And that is ONLY because of the Cars soundtrack. They love that song!

Great update! Dinner looked really fun, aside from the cramped quarters. I need to talk DH into trying Raglan Road.

I got a kick out of your beer Mary Ellen. That's a Louisiana beer bottled by Abita. Purple Haze is for LSU, Geaux Tigers. http://www.abita.com/

Lovely gifts Cynthia! So creative.

Fun about the beer, who knew!

Having the bobcat walk through there was so cool! Those things are getting harder to find.

It was wild!

Finished booking my December Flights! With the SWA voucher I had and the drop in weekday prices, the grand total works out to be approximately $162/person. Not too shabby! Of course, remember I switched dates and resorts for that. But I am now really looking forward to trying OKW.

We ARE flying out of Baltimore which is a longer drive. Usually I love BWI. I just hope we don't run into any bad weather since it will be December. Fingers crossed!

Love that rate and at the holidays to boot!

 

[manntra]

Christine, Melissa and I got to DTD a bit before you....I think we took a cab.... I do know that we stopped at the Margarita stand and this is what I had

It was one of my favorite drinks of the trip....and trust me I had a lot of drinks!! It was a grapefruit margarita and it was sooooo good. And gone sooooo fast! Seriously I don't know what happened....it's almost like it evaporated in the heat

I don't remember what I had to drink at RR......it was good...maybe a mojito of some flavor....I can't remember

My starter was this:
Cashel Castle - crumbled Cashel blue cheese, caramelized pecans, grape tomatos, raspberries, prosciutto crisps, crostinis and raspberry vinaigrette $14
Was delicious and had great flavor combinations....everything really worked together.

For my main I had the fish and chips. Delicious This started a fish trend for me this trip.

I recall going in WOD and Basin but not buying anything anywhere. It was far too crowded and I thought I would make it back another day (I didn't.) I didn't even step foot into TrenD....I usually make out quite well in there Quite alright because there is always "next time." My niece and I plan to hit up DTD on our arrival night in October seeing that we will be staying at OKW for that one night

Tracy

 

[Nermel9]

Great updates!

Wow, that was a long line for the boat at POR/POFQ! Glad you guys finally made it to DTD!

Raglan Road looks awesome! I've wanted to try it for some time, but can never fit it into my schedule! That booth looks teeny tiny for 6 people, though!

Love the notebooks, especially the Belle one, she's my favorite princess!

 

[SoonerGirl]

Hi ladies! I'm finally here, well actually I subscribed a couple of weeks ago before we left on our trip, but I finally had time to sit down and read! Sounds like you are having a great time so far, can't wait for more

 

[glennbo123]

That bobcat was so big, it was almost a cougar!

My kids wouldn't know James Taylor either, except I used to play "Sweet Baby James" for James.

 

[MEK]

My guess is that you weren't fully recovered (more than it being a flagyl issue) and pushed it by running in the morning. Add that, sun, a beer and it all catches up.

I definitely was not fully recovered so that's why I didn't do a lot of running at all. It was the least amount I have ever done and it did wipe me out. I was wiped out for at least a week after I got home. I feel so much better now. But it took me awhile to fully bounce back.

Christine, Melissa and I got to DTD a bit before you....I think we took a cab.... I do know that we stopped at the Margarita stand and this is what I had

It was one of my favorite drinks of the trip....and trust me I had a lot of drinks!! It was a grapefruit margarita and it was sooooo good. And gone sooooo fast! Seriously I don't know what happened....it's almost like it evaporated in the heat

Seriously - this looks SO good! I wish I had seen this picture while I was at work. I would have picked up all the ingredients at costco. I saw some yummy pink grapefruit juice. I almost bought tequila and grand marnier, but decided not to because I had already spent $70 on beer and the industrial size bottle of kaluha (for my mom - no lie). I gave her a bottle of it at Christmas and she laughed saying she would never finish - guess what - GONE! I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Anyway - I might have to take a boat ride from OKW over to get one of those little beauties!

I don't remember what I had to drink at RR......it was good...maybe a mojito of some flavor....I can't remember

My starter was this:
Cashel Castle - crumbled Cashel blue cheese, caramelized pecans, grape tomatos, raspberries, prosciutto crisps, crostinis and raspberry vinaigrette $14
Was delicious and had great flavor combinations....everything really worked together.

For my main I had the fish and chips. Delicious This started a fish trend for me this trip.


Tracy

This sounds really good! Yum! Sorry I missed the pictures of that. YUM!

Love that rate and at the holidays to boot!

Courtesy of that voucher for my 3 hour flight delay, but who's complaining. I just hope Nicholas really can miss that much school without a major issue. He's taking AP calculus next year (and I think he's crazy for that), but he really wants to. I guess that should look good on college applications if he does well. fingers crossed.

Great updates!

Wow, that was a long line for the boat at POR/POFQ! Glad you guys finally made it to DTD!

It was a long line, but fortunately all our chatter helped the time fly.

Raglan Road looks awesome! I've wanted to try it for some time, but can never fit it into my schedule! That booth looks teeny tiny for 6 people, though!

Well, that's why you'll have to plan another trip after your October trip!

Love the notebooks, especially the Belle one, she's my favorite princess!

Aren't those notebooks amazing. I really wish I knew how to do that kind of thing. I love, love, love mine!

Hi ladies! I'm finally here, well actually I subscribed a couple of weeks ago before we left on our trip, but I finally had time to sit down and read! Sounds like you are having a great time so far, can't wait for more

Hey Michelle -

Welcome Back. I hope you had a fantastic time on the cruise!!!!! Glad you got caught up.

That bobcat was so big, it was almost a cougar!

He was definitely bigger than a house cat on steroids, that's for sure!!!!

My kids wouldn't know James Taylor either, except I used to play "Sweet Baby James" for James.

Awww - that's so sweet. He will always remember that song. Great memory!

 

[eandesmom]

Christine, Melissa and I got to DTD a bit before you....I think we took a cab.... I do know that we stopped at the Margarita stand and this is what I had

It was one of my favorite drinks of the trip....and trust me I had a lot of drinks!! It was a grapefruit margarita and it was sooooo good. And gone sooooo fast! Seriously I don't know what happened....it's almost like it evaporated in the heat

I don't remember what I had to drink at RR......it was good...maybe a mojito of some flavor....I can't remember

My starter was this:
Cashel Castle - crumbled Cashel blue cheese, caramelized pecans, grape tomatos, raspberries, prosciutto crisps, crostinis and raspberry vinaigrette $14
Was delicious and had great flavor combinations....everything really worked together.

For my main I had the fish and chips. Delicious This started a fish trend for me this trip.

Oh that looks good, I'd like one now!

I recall going in WOD and Basin but not buying anything anywhere. It was far too crowded and I thought I would make it back another day (I didn't.) I didn't even step foot into TrenD....I usually make out quite well in there Quite alright because there is always "next time." My niece and I plan to hit up DTD on our arrival night in October seeing that we will be staying at OKW for that one night

Tracy

Basin! That's where we went in and I ducked out to pop into tTrendD

Great updates!


Love the notebooks, especially the Belle one, she's my favorite princess!

I have to say, when I was a group of 8 at RR last summer we had a much better table! Belle is the bomb...that's why I made that one for me!

Hi ladies! I'm finally here, well actually I subscribed a couple of weeks ago before we left on our trip, but I finally had time to sit down and read! Sounds like you are having a great time so far, can't wait for more

That bobcat was so big, it was almost a cougar!

My kids wouldn't know James Taylor either, except I used to play "Sweet Baby James" for James.

It was huge! And definitely cause for a double take by all.

James Taylor

 

[MEK]

Haha....Cynthia....did you and I just post replies at the exact same time! You know what they say about great minds!

OK - I must tear myself away from the DIS. Nick and I are going to Rehobeth beach tomorrow to spend the night. My brother and his kids will be there. That includes LJ who is now 11. We are also taking Nick's GF. They have been "dating" since the fall. They rarely see each other outside of school so I thought it would be nice to invite her. She seems nice enough. If she can put up with a beach-ful of little boys then she's alright in my book. I also did a Costco run and I am dropping off some food at Brian's senior week beach house. He told me they are out of food already. 14 boys.....Out of food.....shocking! He asked me to PLEASE take him out to dinner in Rehobeth. Sheesh - they have only been gone a little over 48 hours!

 

[MEK]

Hey - has anyone seen Melissa or Christine lately????? I miss them!

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

What did you think about Dilaudid? I prescribe it all the time because people love it, but I was always hesitant to take it myself and I never thought I would ever need it for anything. Here's my experience. I literally had a 8/10 headache that went completely away after the Dilaudid - within seconds. I did not feel the least bit sedated or high. I just went from having a ton of pain to being completely pain free. It was like magic. No wonder people love it. It must block every pain receptor in the body.

The Dilaudid definitely took the pain away, but I actually stopped taking it very quickly after I got home. I felt entirely not like myself while on it, and I really really disliked it actually. I pretty much stuck with Tylenol and Advil after that (Aleve kept being suggested too, but it did absolutely nothing), which obviously wasn't as pain-free as the Dilaudid would have been, but I just couldn't take it anymore.

But I'm glad that it works so well for you!!! I must be in the minority with my experience!

 

[MEK]

The Dilaudid definitely took the pain away, but I actually stopped taking it very quickly after I got home. I felt entirely not like myself while on it, and I really really disliked it actually. I pretty much stuck with Tylenol and Advil after that (Aleve kept being suggested too, but it did absolutely nothing), which obviously wasn't as pain-free as the Dilaudid would have been, but I just couldn't take it anymore.

But I'm glad that it works so well for you!!! I must be in the minority with my experience!

No - I think your experience is really similar to most patients after open heart surgery. A lot of patients hate the way the narcotics make them feel. Others, who already take pain medicine chronically, love the stuff and can't get enough of it. I think being on the heart-lung machine and getting anesthesia and all the other physiologic changes that happen with heart surgery just really make people feel terrible. And the narcotics can add to that overall unwell feeling.

I don't even know if its so much the pain as it is the entire experience. It looks very intense. It brings new meaning to, "having the wind taken out of your sails". I think the younger you are, the worse you feel. That's just my observation from doing this kind of work for a long time. I could be wrong. Plus I think the pain and discomfort changes. Especially for women it can become a neuropathic pain where they can't stand the touch of anything over their incision and their chest burns for quite some time.

 

[eandesmom]

Haha....Cynthia....did you and I just post replies at the exact same time! You know what they say about great minds!

Ninja post!

OK - I must tear myself away from the DIS. Nick and I are going to Rehobeth beach tomorrow to spend the night. My brother and his kids will be there. That includes LJ who is now 11. We are also taking Nick's GF. They have been "dating" since the fall. They rarely see each other outside of school so I thought it would be nice to invite her. She seems nice enough. If she can put up with a beach-ful of little boys then she's alright in my book. I also did a Costco run and I am dropping off some food at Brian's senior week beach house. He told me they are out of food already. 14 boys.....Out of food.....shocking! He asked me to PLEASE take him out to dinner in Rehobeth. Sheesh - they have only been gone a little over 48 hours!

Have fun at the beach!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey - has anyone seen Melissa or Christine lately????? I miss them!

Melissa is MIA! AACK! I have "seen" Christine but not Melissa, must be busy, quiet on FB too.

 

[MEK]

Have fun at the beach!!!!!!!!!!!!

.

Thanks. We Did!

Notice Pennsylvania and Jersey people that we call it THE BEACH, NOT THE SHORE! Technically you are going to sit your rump on THE BEACH! I actually had a little trouble switching over when I moved from PA to DE, but I can know see the error of my past ways.

Anyway - here's a few iphone pix from Rehobeth Beach!

Never leave home without a reminder of where you REALLY rather be:

Can I touch your towel?(Oh wait, we haven't gotten to that part of the story yet)

Does anyone remember LJ from my 09 Trip Report? Still cute and polite and smart as ever!

LJ's little bro:

Random beach people

Castles in the Sand

No trip to THE BEACH is complete without a trip to Funland (serving Rehobeth for 30 plus years)

I did NOT go on this ride!

But We all took a nighttime whirl on the paratrooper

No trip to Funland is complete without a ride through the ever popular haunted house:

Not bad, actually!

Wilmington Ave, where my bro stayed and where I should have stayed because parking was a drag! See those meters? Need I say more!

I took "real" pictures, too. But they are not uploaded yet.

Back soon with an update - "Oh, My aching head".

 

[sunny_stace]

Ooooh MEK the beach looks so lovely....I wish I were there....how nice! Where is it exactly? The rides look like so much fun! I think I might have to go to Grand Bend or Port Stanley this weekend now.....are there little boutique shops and that at Rehobeth? That could prove to be an interesting road trip destination some day! I'm excited to see more of your pictures!

 

[Stringbean&Wingnut]

No - I think your experience is really similar to most patients after open heart surgery. A lot of patients hate the way the narcotics make them feel. Others, who already take pain medicine chronically, love the stuff and can't get enough of it. I think being on the heart-lung machine and getting anesthesia and all the other physiologic changes that happen with heart surgery just really make people feel terrible. And the narcotics can add to that overall unwell feeling.

I don't even know if its so much the pain as it is the entire experience. It looks very intense. It brings new meaning to, "having the wind taken out of your sails". I think the younger you are, the worse you feel. That's just my observation from doing this kind of work for a long time. I could be wrong. Plus I think the pain and discomfort changes. Especially for women it can become a neuropathic pain where they can't stand the touch of anything over their incision and their chest burns for quite some time.

You definitely described it well, the surgery is just so many things at once! Also in my case, I was very very symptomatic before the surgery (to the point that I could barely have conversations anymore, I'd be totally out of breath and exhausted), so that was my starting point for recovery! Nowhere to go but up!

I was told that too, the younger you are, the more difficult the recovery is. I think it has to do with nerve sensitivity or something? I definitely still have some weird sensations to the touch around my chest area. Slowly but surely was the mantra of my recovery, to be sure!

On the not-cardiac related end of things, your shore trip looks like it was a great time! (Yes, I call it the shore! )

 

[MEK]

Ooooh MEK the beach looks so lovely....I wish I were there....how nice! Where is it exactly? The rides look like so much fun! I think I might have to go to Grand Bend or Port Stanley this weekend now.....are there little boutique shops and that at Rehobeth? That could prove to be an interesting road trip destination some day! I'm excited to see more of your pictures!

Rehobeth is on the Delaware coast. It is across the Delaware bay so you actually have to take a ferry to get from the New Jersey "shore" resorts to the Delaware beaches. It is north of Ocean City Md which is north of Assateague Island.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rehoboth_Beach,_Delaware

It attracts vacationers from Delaware, Md, and Washington DC. It is a big DC vacation destination.

There are all types of shops there - yes. There is a lively bar and restaurant scene. There is also a very active gay community. It's really a location for everyone and people mix well there. It's a little over an hour from my house. It gets crazy crowded in the summer time, but fall is a spectacular time to visit. There are all types of special events - jazz festival, film festival.

I'll be curious to see how my pix turned out because there is the first time I've ever taken pix down there.

You definitely described it well, the surgery is just so many things at once! Also in my case, I was very very symptomatic before the surgery (to the point that I could barely have conversations anymore, I'd be totally out of breath and exhausted), so that was my starting point for recovery! Nowhere to go but up!

Wow. Interesting. I know a lot of my patients who have mitral valve repair are minimally symptomatic but their ventricle has already started to dilate so they have no choice. The surgery must have been almost a relief for you, because at least you knew the future meant less symptoms.

Y

I was told that too, the younger you are, the more difficult the recovery is. I think it has to do with nerve sensitivity or something? I definitely still have some weird sensations to the touch around my chest area. Slowly but surely was the mantra of my recovery, to be sure!

I bet. I tell you - the patients who can have this surgery through a right chest incision really have it made. My surgeon does that type of repair. It's technically more challenging, but I think the smaller incisions definitely help with recovery. Unfortunately, not every patient is a candidate for the minimally invasive approach.

On the not-cardiac related end of things, your shore trip looks like it was a great time! (Yes, I call it the shore! )

Nah Nah Nah Nah - I'm not listening! We did have a great time. I think I am gonna talk Denny into an overnighter down there in September. It was really fun!

 

[chloe770]

Did they add sand to Rehoboth? It doesn't look as rocky as it has been. We usually skip Rehoboth and go to tower Beach or Fenwick because of the crowds and sand. I am thinking of taking the kiddos to the boardwalk sat tho. I have a ton of ride tickets for Funland. Enough for at least 3 trips.