I Told You Driving Was Bad For Your Health! *2/2* NEW TRIP REPORT LINK P102

[GoofyFan1515]

Mary Ellen! Had a minute and dropped by to check in!

 

[englishrose47]

I also had a minute so I popped in too!!!!

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Being an Eagles fan builds character. We'll check in again after the Bears begin their annual November losing streak.

Could be worse - ALL the Minnesota sports teams have fans with a LOT of character! Maybe this will be the year for us in hockey. The only team that's any good is the women's basketball team, the Lynx, and I don't like basketball.

Anyway - I'm still skimming and trying to keep up. We had a great time when we met Mary and Avery and Cayley last October! I can't believe it's almost a year since that trip. So much fun. I'm sort of sad we're not going back this October.

Oh - I saw on FB that you had to say goodbye to your kitty Max. I'm so sorry.

 

[dizneeat]

Oh - I saw on FB that you had to say goodbye to your kitty Max. I'm so sorry.

Mary Ellen, I was so sad to read that you lost your furbaby! This is sooo hard.

 

[KatMark]

Sending you a on your loss of sweet Max.

 

[eandesmom]

Maxie is up there purring down and not in pain, I am so sorry for your loss, I know what a hole it is.

Huge hugs my friend.

 

[MEK]

Such cute ducks! But yes, the rules are there for a reason. And yes... not everyone likes to be told the rules.

And that is precisely WHY I did not repeat the rules for the offender. I'd much rather take a paparazzi picture of the offense!

I have never been to the Plaza. That will change come January.... I love burgers...and yours looked pretty good.

It was a very yummy burger. I highly recommend it.

I love the balloon pics. Do you know in all of my trips, I have only a single balloon picture taken with my then 5 year old son? He had moved the air from one ear to another and so the shape was all distorted. That happens to be my ONLY time I took a picture than included a balloon.

That's funny. I bet it's an adorable picture!

But, remember, its never too late to start taking random balloon pictures!

Your adult bevie looks quite good. So your TIW card worked at the lounge? I am seriously considering the TIW card over the dp for our january trip. Things like being able to get a drink in say the lounge would help to tip the scales a tad.

Yes - there are a lot of lounges where you can use TIW. Most of the lounges in the resorts will take it. You get a list with your card. My policy is to ask if I can't remember because I am sure I have missed out on some TIW perks in the past. I do like having the card. I think I broke even in June and I still have the card to use in October and May.

I love seeing all your pictures. I love that you take "random" shots of people. (like the ugly back pack) My family thinks I am horrid when I want to do things like that. Like I somehow violate that person..

Well, then your family would think the same thing about me. To my credit, I really do it discretely. I would never intentionally embarrass someone. I just think its fun to take pictures of unusual items and people. What can I say?

I love that you ran! My poor dh about lost his mind when we were out of town last month and I wanted to run (god forbid) by myself. He knows how safe we are here.... and I think he just feels like we are in some super secret bubble that the rest of the world doesn't know about.

I always run on vacation but I do always take my phone with me. I try to be really careful and aware of my surroundings and I never use ear buds or listen to music. There's an inherent risk, but I am willing to take it. If I really can't find a decent place to run (which can happen) I use the treadmill.

I am glad you stopped at the shrine too so that you could give a recap! So pretty!

Thanks! I'm glad we stopped too. It was really lovely there. A hidden treasure, so to speak.

Very cool you got to meet Kathy and spend time with her, Mary and the girls!!

We had a great time at breakfast and Kathy is just lovely. I really enjoyed meeting her and seeing Mary and the girls again.

We should definitely do that. We love that place too. And it's so close!

We should definitely do that. We love that place too. And it's so close!

I'm in! Whatever is good for your guys is good for us. It's harder for you guys because of the baby sitting factor. I haven't been there since winter, which stinks, because I've always wanted to sit outside.

Mary Ellen! Had a minute and dropped by to check in!

Thanks for stopping by GoofyFan. I know you are super busy right now, but I do miss all you witty remarks. Stop by again soon!

I also had a minute so I popped in too!!!!

Hey Rosie! Hope all is well!

Could be worse - ALL the Minnesota sports teams have fans with a LOT of character! Maybe this will be the year for us in hockey. The only team that's any good is the women's basketball team, the Lynx, and I don't like basketball.

That's funny!

I think everyone has fans with a lot of character, shall we say! There's definitely that in Philly!

Anyway - I'm still skimming and trying to keep up. We had a great time when we met Mary and Avery and Cayley last October! I can't believe it's almost a year since that trip. So much fun. I'm sort of sad we're not going back this October.

It is hard to believe that it's been a year. I'm very excited to be going back this year. Last year was so much fun.

Please let me know when you start your TR for the cruise. I am so worried that I may have missed the start of it.

Oh - I saw on FB that you had to say goodbye to your kitty Max. I'm so sorry.

Thank you so much Sheree. I definitely miss him, but ever since he was diagnosed with diabetes I knew this day would come sooner than later.

Mary Ellen, I was so sad to read that you lost your furbaby! This is sooo hard.

Thanks Karin. It is hard. I liked him more than a lot of people I know. He was a great cat with a ton of personality.

Sending you a on your loss of sweet Max.

Thanks Kathy! He really was a sweet cat. He still purred right up to the end. Poor guy.

Maxie is up there purring down and not in pain, I am so sorry for your loss, I know what a hole it is.

Huge hugs my friend.

Thanks Cynthia. It really is a huge hole. The only thing that makes it better is that I have been waiting for the other shoe to drop. I prepared myself that this would happen sooner than later.

 

[MEK]

Before I start my next update I know that many of you are my Facebook friends, so you may know that I had to put my beloved Max to sleep on Thursday night. Thank you all so much for your condolences.

I write about Max frequently because he really was the best cat I have ever owned.

You see - I have always wanted a dog, but I have never had the guts to get one. I have always felt like I should be able to spend more time with a dog during the day then I am able to. I don't like that on most days I am out of the house 10 hours. I just think its wrong to leave a dog alone that long on a regular basis.

So I have always been a cat lover. I grew up with them and had one since graduate school. They are generally low maintenance and its easy to travel on the weekends and not have to worry about them. Plus, a lot of people don't like cats. Since I do, why not make a home for them.

I got Max about 12 years ago when my former cat, Maddie, died suddenly. I hated not having a cat in the house, so 3 days after Maddie died I went to the SPCA and found Max.

He was a year old. He was a beautiful long haired black cat who let me reach right into the cage and pet him. I asked to take him out of the cage and the moment I picked him up I knew he was mine. Nick was with me at the time and he agreed.

When I got Max home it was clear he had (1) never been outside (2) never seen stairs and (3) never seen kids.

He quickly got used to all three.

He loved going outside, but the second I would call he would prance across the yard and run to me. If I was outside he would follow me from spot to spot.

He still had the "hunter" gene and would bring me mice and other small animals. I never knew what was going to end up on my back doorstep. Yuck.

Sometimes he would stray away into a neighboring field and make me work really hard to find him. He would suddenly appear out of now where with that "what's wrong?" look.

He loved to sleep with me. He would always sleep to my left. If I woke up in the middle of the night it was so nice to reach over and pet him.

For a cat, Max seemed to get sick a lot. He had Feline Urologic Syndrom at 2 years old and got a horrible UTI. Changing his food solved that.

He would occasionally end up at the vet with upper respiratory infections or bites. Every time I would be cautioned by the vet that outdoor cats don't live long. But I still let him out for a brief period every day.

Several summers ago he ruptured an anal gland, but recovered from that.

But this winter he started to show the signs of diabetes and, as you know, he was diagnosed in April. He stopped sleeping with me around Christmas and that's when I should have known something was amiss.

I did my best to keep his diabetes under control, but he ended up with yet another infection, from an animal bite, and in August had a strange episode of illness where we never did discover what was wrong with him.

After that illness his blood sugars remained higher than previously and he started losing interest in grooming again.

This past week he seemed to enjoy some brief time outside.

On Tuesday I got this sick feeling that he was going to develop another urinary tract problem. I tried to tell myself I was being silly and anxious, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to go down.

But on Thursday morning he staggered a bit. I double checked his blood sugar and it was fine.

I came home that evening and couldn't find him. I was certain he was going to be dead. Instead I found him in the basement very weak and not able to stand properly. He still purred as I petted his head.

I took him directly to the vet.

The vet said his left kidney was very enlarged. It had not been 5 weeks ago. He thought the most likely reason was cancer, but I knew it could easily be an obstruction or infection.

I told myself when his kidneys failed I would put him to sleep.

It was sudden, but I didn't leave him in pain.

I brought him home and buried him in the backyard.

I will always miss him, but I have great memories of how special he was. In a way, I am relieved that I no longer have to wait for the "other shoe to drop". It has dropped.

I have two other cats that mostly keep to themselves.

Here's Max in his better years (about 3 years ago)





RIP Max! That's what I'm putting on my magic band.

Thanks for reading.

On to my Update


Frozen What?

Soon enough it was that time again. Time to go back into the bubble.



Where were we heading? Here, of course!



Was it that hot or did Denny spill something on his shirt?







Hard to resist a ride on SSE when there wasn't much of a line!



It was here that I broke a rule which is really blameworthy!

I know there are hieroglyphics on the wall near the cave man scene. I took a picture of this

Epic Fail!


You know what that meant - Second flash!



Got it, but I was zoomed in a little too much to appreciate the detail.

OK, flame away but I still think they wouldn't put that there if they didn't want any photos. Right? Ok, Maybe not!

So after switching from flash mode to shutter speed and trying to change other camera settings, I wasn't quite prepared for the rest of the ride so my initial photos are blurry. Horrors!

This is the first non-blurry one I was able to take.



Things didn't really improve until here





I love this one. I don't even remember where I took it, but I love it!



The Sistine Chapel - hot hot HOT!









Beyonce!



Nerd



Me and and ... wait..what happened to Denny?



I'm pretty sure he was sitting right beside me in the ride, but not according to the camera!

Yup, he's gone!



Are we buried in snow? And we're still laughing?



Hmmm - Is someone injured?



What the?




Continued In Next Post...

 

[MEK]

Continued From Previous Post

A portable X-ray machine - of course!



Wait - this isn't any old X-ray machine. It's one that fixes the fracture right on the spot. What will they think of next?



Apres Ski! We look a little too cozy, don't we?



Gotta Love SSE! It's a classic. What's not to love?

Our Next Stop



Any Guesses?

If you guessed Ellen's dream then you are correct!



We got there towards the end of the pre show.



Stupid Judy



Things look like they are about to get a little dicey here in Ellen's dream



See what I mean?



That looks ... uhmmm …HOT!





Oh Boy! Now I think we're really lost!







This Ellen is so NOT Ellen looking!



Somebody looks hungry!



They look way too happy!



Looks like the dream is over.



Oh Ellen, go on with your bad self!



Look at Stupid Judy. Still so darn smug!



The Question.



Ruh row. Someone doesn't know the answer.



Sorry Stupid Judy. Wrong!



And the correct answer is



Woo Hoo!



So, there goes another 43 minutes I'll never get back!

Continued In Next Post...

 

[MEK]

Continued From Previous Post

Outside



Picture fun.



We still had time before dinner to go cross a drink off my Disney bucket list.

Denny was a little perplexed when I stopped to take a picture of this for Pat and Cynthia.





I considered stopping here, but I had another destination in mind.









We stopped in Italy for a bit.



How cute are they?

















Next stop Japan! The candy lady was out, but it was a tad crowded.



Japan was the home of my bucket list drink.

Background story - Denny and I were driving home from either his mother's or my mother's when I decided to open up an app I had downloaded awhile ago called Beers and Ears. In there I found that Japan serves Frozen Ichiban Kirin Beer. I decided I needed to try it.

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...-comes-to-u-s-at-the-japan-pavilion-at-epcot/

Here she is



and I drank it with a straw. Yup, yes I did. I liked that the frozen foam kept the beer cold for such a long time, but I didn't want to drink the foam. So the straw took me right to the beer.

How did it taste? Sort of mild without much of a taste. I think I expected it to be sweeter because most things with foam are sweet. But I did find it refreshing and I don't know what it is about beer in Disney, but it always goes right to my head. I had to sit for a bit before I could finish our journey through the world showcase, because I was down right dizzy!

Up Next - Dinner, a DIS meet, and show me a sign!

 

[teekathepony]

I've said it on Facebook but I can't say it enough, Mary Ellen I am so very sorry for your loss. Max was a beautiful cat and you gave him a wonderful, loving home for 12 years, rescued him from the SPCA, nursed him through his sicknesses. I think it's wonderful that you're going to memorialize him on your magic band. Sending healing vibes for your broken heart. <3


You got some great pictures in SSE! It's really dark in there so to get anything at all is a challenge. Great job! Ellen! I love that ride. Especially the dinosaurs. And Stupid Judy.

Wow, some really beautiful photos in Italy. Love the way you framed them, very nice. This one is my favourite:

That Japanese beer looks so much like Butterbeer! I can see me being tricked into drinking that... Hahaha you're right about the foam making it look sweet. Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[dawnbu40]

I'm so sorry for your loss. Pets are members of the family and I know how hard it to lose one

The pictures around World Showcase are just lovely!

 

[Pinkocto]

I'm so so sorry Max is gone they become such a part of our lives it's devastating when they're gone

Those are two rides I can pretty much leave. Every few years is enough. It annoys me how unlike Ellen the Ellens look inside the ride.

Did Denny have a beer?

 

[englishrose47]

Mary Ellen I am sooo sorry about Max !!He had a good life with you and you will always have fond memories of him

Yourupdates were fabulous !!I love SE too !!

 

[2xcited2sleep]

Sorry, again, for your loss. Always hard to lose a family member.

Great update and photos, as always! I am looking forward to visiting Spaceship Earth since I had to skip it in July... they were using the side queue!! Always a great trip and those hidden hieroglyphics are cool. Amazing the level of detail those imagineers include.

I haven't visited Ellen in a long while either. Suppose it probably a long shot to have that get updated as I think she mostly works with Universal now.

A drink I have not heard of in Epcot?!?! Actually I'm not too familiar with any of the beers. That one looks pretty good though... may have to check it out!

 

[MeMom]

So sorry about Max. My cat is now getting two shots a day for diabetes. He looks much better than he did a few weeks ago, but he is older now, and inevitable will come. It weighs heavy on me constantly, and that will be one small 'good' thing that will come when he is gone - I won't be worrying about if he is okay and if he is going to still be hanging in there when I get home from school every day.

Nice Epcot pictures. I'd love to be walking around there today.

Disney World is the perfect place to honeymoon. They are starting their marriage off right!

 

[Nermel9]

I'm in tears after reading about your poor Max. I knew what happened from FB but just reading about his life really got to me, I'm so sorry for your loss. It reminds me of when I had to put my Nina to sleep last year, it was just so sudden, she got sick and 2 days later, we had her put to sleep. She was my cat, I still miss her sleeping next to me in my bed, cuddled up under the covers.

Anyway, great update! Who doesn't love a nice relaxing trip on SSE? Someday I'll get around to doing Universe of Energy, I hope! It's always on my list of things to do at Epcot but for some reason, it never happens!

I don't know about frozen beer...I mean, I love really cold beer, but frozen? It just seems strange!

 

[emmysmommy]

Mary Ellen I'm so very sorry about Max. I know he'd had a rough time this year but what a hard thing to do. I had a "moment" when you shared how he still purred when you pet him in the basement.

You've posted the best photo of Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel - so awesome! My photos in SE don't come out so well so I enjoy seeing yours. I don't think I've paid attention to the cave drawings - I'm glad you used the flash! Now, what is it supposed to be? Is there a hidden Mickey? Inquiring minds and all. And the future "instant fx fixer" caught my attention. Could have definitely used that recently!!

I actually may be in the minority but I like Ellen's Universe of Energy show. Especially in the summer! 43 minutes of a/c.

AWESOME photos in Italy my friend! Seriously, I love your artsy photos.

Enjoy your weekend!

 

[jedijill]

I actually teared up reading about your Max. What a special kitty! Now he's hunting mice in heaven.

Love your photos! You are so talented!

Jill in CO

 

[Poolrat]

Every time I would be cautioned by the vet that outdoor cats don't live long. But I still let him out for a brief period every day.

Yeah Mine only lived 16 1/2 years outside.... Really he rarely came in he until he end. He actually had to spend some time inside when he broke his leg and he was so crazy we had to put him in the garage so he could calm down.

So sorry again MEK.

But on Thursday morning he staggered a bit. I told myself when his kidneys failed I would put him to sleep.

It was sudden, but I didn't leave him in pain.

I brought him home and buried him in the backyard.

I will always miss him, but I have great memories of how special he was. In a way, I am relieved that I no longer have to wait for the "other shoe to drop". It has dropped.

When the time came for us it was sudden too. Realizing late on Memorial Day weekend just to take him to the emergency vet just to put him down.

I know what you mean about the other shoe, you will still be in his routine for a while then realizing you don't need to be. I though I caught glimpses of him for a few weeks or would look for him or wait for him to come slowly walking since running was out of the question.

They are both in a better place.
Yes I got teary too.

I love this one. I don't even remember where I took it, but I love it!

On the left right before the Sistene scene and after the sleeping monk...

Me and &.wait&..what happened to Denny?



I'm pretty sure he was sitting right beside me in the ride, but not according to the camera!

Yup, he's gone!

Are we buried in snow? And we're still laughing?



Hmmm - Is someone injured?



What the?




Continued In Next Post...

Yup I had that happen too courtesy of DS. He picked that storyline.

.

Denny was a little perplexed when I stopped to take a picture of this for Pat and Cynthia.

Well that was laugh out loud funny. Got me past the funk I was in after hearing about Max.

.Background story - Denny and I were driving home from either his mother's or my mother's when I decided to open up an app I had downloaded awhile ago called Beers and Ears. In there I found that Japan serves Frozen Ichiban Kirin Beer. I decided I needed to try it.

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...-comes-to-u-s-at-the-japan-pavilion-at-epcot/

Here she is



and I drank it with a straw. Yup, yes I did. I liked that the frozen foam kept the beer cold for such a long time, but I didn't want to drink the foam. So the straw took me right to the beer.

How did it taste? Sort of mild without much of a taste. I think I expected it to be sweeter because most things with foam are sweet. But I did find it refreshing and I don't know what it is about beer in Disney, but it always goes right to my head. I had to sit for a bit before I could finish our journey through the world showcase, because I was down right dizzy!

Up Next - Dinner, a DIS meet, and show me a sign!

hmmmm Good to know - Heard about it but never have remembered when I was in the Japan Area.