July 18 2009 Tortola

[mickeymo]

The temperature dropped 40 degrees since yesterday. It's now 45 degrees and raining. To think I was complaining it was hot and humid and I couldn't get into the Christmas spirit to work on our newsletter and Christmas cards. The tree isn't up yet either...

Growing up in Chicago and also living 1 1/2 years in Canada, I did my fair share of hibernating, but I do miss snow during the Christmas holidays (Not shoveling, driving, getting two kids dressed to get out the door,the ruined pants from the slush and salt, the slush tracked in the house... )

 

[lwilliam]

My name is Lucy (lwilliam) and you'll be hearing lots from me - I am a TALKER....right, JoAnn?????

Please add us to the list....we said we were NOT going on this cruise due to the very high price, but then JoAnn and her family signed up and here we are. Please, let me tell you, JoAnn and her family are SO MUCH FUN.....
We met them on a Mexico cruise two years ago and have stayed in touch and taken many short trips together....I LOVE her girls...so beautiful too (no, not Joann, her girls ). Now, her husband Ken, another story.....

It will be me, Lucy, age? it is a secret
my husband Bob - 50
our son Tyler (who adores JoAnn - kindof weird, huh, he is supposed to adore her girls!) ....will be 17 (YIKES ) on the cruise
We have another son, 21 (23 time of cruise), who has NOT been invited unless he pays his way (has a full-time job)...
but LOVES cruising, so who knows, you may see him too.....

This is approximately our 8th cruise with Disney (my husband and I have taken other cruise lines, earlier in our marriage (BC - before children)....
but our kids LOVE cruising as much as we do...unfortunately$$$$$$$$$
Bob and I are scheduled for the May Panama Canal cruise with Disney....I say scheduled - i'm still upset leaving the kids at home that long a time, but Tyler is still in high school and can't go, plus he is scheduled to go to Germany this summer with the German class....

As I write this we are having a winter storm - sleet/snow, everything that can possibly fall from the sky is now falling......I'm dreaming of cruising - our family is also going to WDW at Christmas...we belong to DVC - joined two years ago - wish we would have joined 20 years ago, we go to WDW at least 2 times a year.....
I'll be back......
Lucy

 

[noahsmom]

Here is a current list of who is coming on our cruise that is so very far away

noahsmom - with DH
jlawall - with DH, DD (25), DD (22) and DD (19)
wvmd - with DW and DD (14)
mickeymo - with DH, DD (12) and DS (14), parents, DBRO, DSIL and Dnephew (7)
RAC - with DH, DD (12) and parents
MrsG - with DH
Starwood - with DH and DS (16 - turning 17 on the cruise).

Please add DS who will be 11 at time of cruise. Thanks for starting the list!

 

[noahsmom]

sorry, duplicate post

 

[starwood]

I'll make all necessary additions later tonight or tomorrow morning. It is 29 degrees here and has gone from ice pellets to snow back to ice pellets to rain and back to ice pellets again.

 

[noahsmom]

Sounds like you're getting the storm we had on Tuesday. Good luck with it! Thankfully it cooled off enough that we ended up with more snow then ice.

 

[jlawall]

Here is a current list of who is coming on our cruise that is so very far away

noahsmom - with DH
jlawall - with DH, DD (25), DD (22) and DD (19)
wvmd - with DW and DD (14)
mickeymo - with DH, DD (12) and DS (14), parents, DBRO, DSIL and Dnephew (7)
RAC - with DH, DD (12) and parents
MrsG - with DH
Starwood - with DH and DS (16 - turning 17 on the cruise).

You can add.......lwilliam - with DH, DD17 as well....still working on mom and dad as well!! Sorry, I didn't know LuLu (Lucy) signed on..........I figured she was just going to be a stalker............I'm a lot of fun, who cares if my girls are pretty! (Huh!) Anyway, Lucy and Bob are very nice and also alot of fun, you will love "MrsG." and her husband (Tom), super nice people........looks like a great group!!!

 

[MrsG]

Thanks, JoAnn. It seems like there are a lot of nice people on this thread. Hope they're ready for a fun time!!!!

PS. JoAnn & Ken are really great people and their daughters are BEAUTIFUL!


Maryann

 

[jlawall]

Thanks, JoAnn. It seems like there are a lot of nice people on this thread. Hope they're ready for a fun time!!!!

PS. JoAnn & Ken are really great people and their daughters are BEAUTIFUL!


Maryann

 

[starwood]

noahsmom - with DH and DS (11)
jlawall - with DH, DD (25), DD (22) and DD (19)
wvmd - with DW and DD (14)
mickeymo - with DH, DD (12) and DS (14), parents, DBRO, DSIL and Dnephew (7)
RAC - with DH, DD (12) and parents
MrsG - with DH
lwilliam - with DH, DS (17)
Starwood - with DH and DS (16 - turning 17 on the cruise).

Am I caught up? It's dark and foggy and very early.

DS took my Fodor's book as soon as it came in and I haven't seen it since. Maybe I can glance at it over the weekend.

 

[jlawall]

Looks good!

 

[noahsmom]

Has anyone been looking into Tortola? I'm torn on this one. Part of me want's to go to the Baths, but it sounds like doing this on your own is a bit risky (in getting back to the ship on time), but I don't want to be part of large excursion group. A beach day is intriguing but there are so many beaches to chose from.

Just not sure what to do. It's very important that I get this straightened out - I mean I only have a year and a half to decide!!

 

[starwood]

Obviously we are all obsessive planners. I was looking at the Fodor's book. I think I'll see what excursions Disney has to offer - maybe just walk around a bit near the docks if the area isn't too bad.

I found it interesting that they say there is a specific etiquette when shopping and walking around. You are supposed to greet everyone you pass and when you enter a shop, before you begin negotiating or ask a question you must say good morning or some variation. It is considered rude to do otherwise.

 

[mickeymo]

Good Morning All!

Cold and rainy in Houston! dd10's (Maggie) lacrosse practice is canceled so one less item on the schedule for this morning. We're off to dh (John) aunt and uncle's house for their annual Christmas Brunch Open House. It is an overwhelming load of food and pastries. Yum! Then Maggie's girl scout troop is caroling at an assisted living facility.

Christmas shopping is done - still no tree or cards - that will be this weekend's project.

I've just glanced at the ports, and looked at the current Eastern navigators. I need to plan out our trip to DL in June... If I'm starting now for 2009, I'm waaayy behind on 2008!!!

 

[starwood]

DS doesn't want me talking about this cruise for another year (I don't think I can do that). He is a sophmore right now and will be entering his senior year when we cruise. I'm going to make our airline reservations for April 2008 today.

Right now it is 27 degrees and a light snow. Looks like there is maybe an inch on the ground. "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...." Last year it was in the 60's until the middle of January. I have a feeling this is going to be a nasty winter.

 

[jlawall]

Has anyone been looking into Tortola? I'm torn on this one. Part of me want's to go to the Baths, but it sounds like doing this on your own is a bit risky (in getting back to the ship on time), but I don't want to be part of large excursion group. A beach day is intriguing but there are so many beaches to chose from.

Just not sure what to do. It's very important that I get this straightened out - I mean I only have a year and a half to decide!!

The beaches are all really nice but the Baths ARE NOT TO BE MISSED!! Maybe we can check out private tour packages???

 

[lwilliam]

Lucy is back - aren't you lucky?

Starwood: hope our sons can hook up, they will both be 17 at the time of the cruise...although I'd like him to hook up with JoAnn's girls but for some reason, and I have NO CLUE why, he hooks up with JoAnn everytime we are together
Your son won't let you talk about the cruise - HA! we are ALWAYS talking about the Disney cruise ship in this house.

We were hit with a HUGE ice storm today, really nasty. Of course my son is looking for a school delay tomorrow, he hasn't had one yet this year.
The roads were awful and it took hours to clean off the sidewalks and driveway, chipping away at the ice. We are lucky though, many people in our area are out of power.

Ms. Joann (jlawall) is in Miami right now - grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! It makes it feel even colder here knowing where she is. Oh, well, don't think she won't get a phone call in a few days while we are in Disney and she is stuck in PA!

May I just brag that my Christmas shopping is finished...we celebrated today, since we won't be home at Christmas, so I'm FREE AS A BIRD, except to pack for the trip....VERY good feeling!

Lucy

 

[starwood]

We had the ice storm too (but not as bad as you). Our schools never have a delayed opening - it's either open or closed (today it's open).

Joann is in Miami! Somehow that's not fair.

My shopping is also finished BUT I need to start wrapping. I hate wrapping. I have so much to do before Christmas and I'm not really sure where to start. It's the little errands that drive me nuts.

Today is DS's last bowling game at school until next year. I'm so glad because the bowling alley is 15 miles (yes that is 15 miles) away (uphill both ways LOL).

 

[jlawall]

Yes, I'm in Miami, going home today. I was helping my oldest pack up as she is leaving here and moving to Germany for a few months (some life!).....The weather nice but alittle rainy yesterday (I guess that beats ice, though!).....

 

[lwilliam]

as Lucy is STUCK in her driveway (half in driveway, half on road) - don't even ask what kind of mood I am in right now and how wish I was anywhere but here!