Life’s too short...to never sleep in a treehouse! 8/27 TR is up! Link in siggie

[GreatBiscuit]

I am and will alway be your friend.....ooops wrong forum...(thought this was the trekkers forum)

I am and will alway be a flip flop kind of guy....

Awareness is half the battle now it's figuring out how to make the transition as smooth as possible..if it is possible...

Spock and GI in one post. That takes talent my friend.

I'm pretty much a shoes and socks fellow year round unless I'm at a pool or a beach. I guess one day I need to actually try a pair of sandals, but the only ones I see I'd that I'd actually attempt to wear are like $40 which is a lot to waste if I wind up hating them. I guess I could borrow a play from the more "mature" gentlmen I periodically see in the neighborhood who are sporting them with knee high black socks.

 

[eandesmom]

Well, I can't say that I experience your particular foot problem - but I definitely have some weird foot issues of my own. In fact, I'm going to a podiatrist on Monday. Its my toes. On my left foot especially, when I step down it feels like my toes are going to burst. That sounds so bizarre, doesn't it? But I don't know how else to describe it. It's not exactly painful - but just uncomfortable. I can only imagine the look I'm going to get from the doctor when I try to describe it. Maybe I need to look at that foot forum!

OW! That sounds awful. Good luck on monday.

Spock and GI in one post. That takes talent my friend.

I'm pretty much a shoes and socks fellow year round unless I'm at a pool or a beach. I guess one day I need to actually try a pair of sandals, but the only ones I see I'd that I'd actually attempt to wear are like $40 which is a lot to waste if I wind up hating them. I guess I could borrow a play from the more "mature" gentlmen I periodically see in the neighborhood who are sporting them with knee high black socks.

Oh please, I beg of you, don't. Black socks and sandals are about the most frightening thing I know.

I just don't look down in the summer when I see my dad.

 

[eandesmom]

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[All7OfUs]

Oooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhh!!!! A 6 Layered-Man- Cake!!

I likey!!


3 weeks is NOTHING!! I think you'll be packed and ready before you know it- esp. with all you have going now!

 

[DisMomAmy]

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That cracked Zach up!!

Here's to three weeks!!

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[carissanboys]

I'm always up for a countdown dance!

 

[Native NYer]

Need to catch up today

 

[eandesmom]

Oooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhh!!!! A 6 Layered-Man- Cake!!

I likey!!


3 weeks is NOTHING!! I think you'll be packed and ready before you know it- esp. with all you have going now!

A 3 layer man cake. I didn't think about it that way! Yes, it will fly by but I can't wait!

That cracked Zach up!!

Here's to three weeks!!

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YAY! and you're right behind me!

I'm always up for a countdown dance!

Me too!

Need to catch up today

I know the feeling, yikes!

 

[MEK]

Cynthia -

I have feet issues too, so I am going to try Body Glide in May. LL seemed to have great success with it, so I figure its worth a go. My feet get irritated by seemingly minor assaults, so I feel your pain.

 

[MEK]

And ....WOOT WOOT for 3 weeks! I'm at 5 weeks till Disney!

 

[eandesmom]

Cynthia -

I have feet issues too, so I am going to try Body Glide in May. LL seemed to have great success with it, so I figure its worth a go. My feet get irritated by seemingly minor assaults, so I feel your pain.

Well once they are broken in for the season, they are fine but it's still a pain!

And ....WOOT WOOT for 3 weeks! I'm at 5 weeks till Disney!

WOOT for 5 weeks!

 

[cdotla]

Yipppeeee....everyone is getting awfully close, aren't they???

I don't know about you folks, but I am ready to bust March outta here and head into April...that much closer to WDW!

 

[DisMomAmy]

Cynthia -

I have feet issues too, so I am going to try Body Glide in May. LL seemed to have great success with it, so I figure its worth a go. My feet get irritated by seemingly minor assaults, so I feel your pain.

MEK - Have you found Body Glide yet? I've only looked a couple places but haven't had any luck. The pharmacists at Target hadn't heard of it...

 

[eandesmom]

Yipppeeee....everyone is getting awfully close, aren't they???

I don't know about you folks, but I am ready to bust March outta here and head into April...that much closer to WDW!

ME too! Although it's only close to DCA for me but I will take it!

MEK - Have you found Body Glide yet? I've only looked a couple places but haven't had any luck. The pharmacists at Target hadn't heard of it...

My sister has gotten it from running stores I think.

 

[eandesmom]

Flexibility is my middle name

I was working on my August trip binder pages a while ago and was finding myself ridiculously overwhelmed. I’d originally planned on doing a page per day and actually having a touring plan this time. In both ’04 and ’09 we had touring plans that were as planned out as….this park, this day based on park hours, EMH and ADR’s.. Which, in ’04 for a November trip during food and wine and low low crowds was fantabulous. In ’09…not as much. I am honestly not sure a touring plan would have helped all that much in ’09, parks hit capacity so it basically sucked everywhere. Still. We didn’t see all that we could have, should have and I wanted to, especially in the MK. So I’d planned to…plan more.

And yet. There are NINE of us. Barring interference from the soccer/volleyball/self employment gods that is. As I was making these rather elaborate, complicated pages (pretty but chock full of detail) panic hit. WHAT if we didn’t hit that park that morning or afternoon. Would my whole week be then out of whack? The very thought sent me into a tizzy.

In response, I have decided upon a new approach.

Garanimals.

Yes. That word dates me. Some of you know it, some don’t. I am not honestly sure that I actually owned any garanimals, just that I coveted them. The concept is mix and match. Bobby Brady, be still my heart. And that, with the August heat, with the probable need and desire for mid day pool breaks is what I think I need to stay sane.

The new binder page plan is this. I will have a page for park hours. I will have a page showing what I think is a good touring plan, for US. Basically it’s an EMH plan, nothing more to be honest. But I’m not going to spend my time hung up on specific things each day. I am going to create 8 touring plans. An AM plan and a PM plan for each park. Which we will use as we hit those parks either AM or PM. If we stick to the EMH schedule, cool, it’s just extra hours. If we don’t, we are still fine. Overly simplistic? Perhaps but it will put some order to the daypart of each park without tying us to a specific park if that makes sense.

I have updated the CS pages to fit my binder size, and the touring, tentative plan page. Also, of course, the all important drink around the world pages…sized to fit the binder.

I would LOVE everyone’s input on favorite libations outside the world showcase..I have room on my DTD snack page for it and would like to add this in.

On the subject of food. It's been a big topic around the house recently. I definitely have 2 foodies in the house. When faced with summer camp catalogs up the ying yang....a common thread became clear. They wanted COOKING classes. Clearly I have been remiss. Sadly, the baking class was booked by the time I signed up, kids cooking (which they must not have read closely) is far beneath their current abilities) but world cooking is a go! I found it VERY amusing tonight that the kids, who have been clamoring for clam linguine....ended up with a spicy tomato broth clam/mussel farfalle instead were in heaven (and downed a couple dozen innocent shellfish themselves) whereas Jeff wanted spaghetti and meatballs. I know he's not a huge shellfish fan so avoid it most of the time but LOVED seeing the kids dig in.

Reaffirms those ADR choices! LOL!

I still have a LOT of binder page work to do. With this new plan I have 9 out of 24 complete but I am feeling a whole lot better about it!

New CS pages. Bolded locations are my picks.

New Drink Pages. Not that I remotely intend to drink all these but it will be fun to have the list!

New park hours and touring plan page. This is actually 2 pages, just looks like one due to the landscape orientation.

Next. Living with, and touring with, animals

 

[All7OfUs]

I love the new idea. I'm going with the more complicated (like you had in the beginning) but for you and your group dynamic- it's perfect. I think, no, I know, that you have a BFP in your keen mind of yours anyway, to guide the gang should lull ensue.

I may have to enlist you for at least the park hours page

I diddled around with Word and Paint the other day, and NOTHING turned out even remotely worthy of a binder. ;(

 

[Charleston Princess]

Great new idea!!! I had to laugh because I know I had Garanimals!

 

[My_Pal_Pluto]

Flexibility is my middle name

As I was making these rather elaborate, complicated pages (pretty but chock full of detail) panic hit. WHAT if we didn’t hit that park that morning or afternoon. Would my whole week be then out of whack? The very thought sent me into a tizzy.

In response, I have decided upon a new approach.

Garanimals.

OK - first of all ... GARANIMALS ... I LOVE that you included them as the theme for your "mix n' match" plan!! (I dug through old pictures at mom's this past weekend and just LAUGHED whenever I'd see some of the obvious pairings )

Second ... I Love Love Love the various pages you made (what programs did you use - they look amazing!!) and I'm insanely jealous over your libation pages!! (I was glad to see Tennent's on your list - one of my favorites).

Our way of touring would make most people gasp ... but it ends up working well for us. I usually have a card for each park ... on it I have the primary info I need (that parks hours each day we're there, the main CS I'd want to hit if we got hungry while in said park, and the primary snacks and drinks we'd go for) ... we wake up in the morning ... if we're early enough to do an EMH (which we often are) we'll go for it ... if not, we'll sit and enjoy breakfast while we pull out the cards and decide what the day should bring.

I know that sounds deathly frightening to some ... but my kiddos love being able to be a part of the daily decisions. We're Fun, Fun, Fun, Fun, Fun

 

[Angies1274]

Love the new Garanimals mix and match plan!!! That's too funny!! I remember them!!! I definitely think for the amount of people you have that's the best approach!

Great binder pages!!

 

[DisMomAmy]

I love the Garanimals reference too!! I think they are still around, just not as popular. Zach got a shirt from DMIL a year or so ago and it was Garanimals.

I think your touring plan style is great!! I know you are a huge fan of EMHs, but my suggestion, take it or leave it, is to avoid the parks with am EMHs if you aren't going to be up early enough to take advantage of those hours. Those parks are going to be more crowded on those days. I know you'll take advantage of the late ones with your internal body clocks being on west coast time so I say go for it with those.