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

[All7OfUs]

Hi Kathy!



me too!


very! update coming later this morning

Day off??

 

[eandesmom]

Day off??

I wish! I have a nasty head cold.

 

[eandesmom]

Hi! Sorry I've fallen behind, it was a crazy weekend

Sandie was here this weekend. We had a lovely time although in reality I didn’t get to spend as much time with her as I would have liked. Evan had an all-day TKD tournament on Sat so we lost that time which was a bit of a bummer but it was still a lovely weekend. We took her out for dinner Sat and then hit the Hard Rock café in downtown Seattle for dessert, hung out at the house on Sat night (they did a ferry ride and picnic while Evan, Kendall and I were at the tournament) and then went for a hike yesterday. The hike was a little traumatic. We picked what was billed as a 4 mile moderate hike for children to go on. Which it was. However we chose the woody part of the trail, versus the flat road boring part and as a result it had lots of little ups and downs. Which didn’t go well with Sandie’s knees or the fact that she wore dance (workout) shoes which had no tread. So I spent the hike taking baby steps and trying to make sure she didn’t fall. And she got winded which really freaked Jeff out as she says she works out but we are thinking that there really isn’t much cardio going on. It did give me a little concern for August but…that will be flat.

It was a beautiful hike though, pretty waterfalls, amazing moss on the trees, just gorgeous! I have a feeling we will go back and go all the way to the top at our normal pace. We got some great pics which I need to upload at some point, heck I need to finish uploading our CA trip (though I did “try” to get day 3 uploaded yesterday, not all “took”…darn photobucket).

An August trip update.

We made some decisions, big ones!

Doug is out. For now. Work has not been going well and bottom line is that is if he has work during that time period, he needs to take the jobs. And we don’t want to pressure him. He’s a bit down all around. Things with his GF blew up, work isn’t good, etc. Prayers are needed that things pick up. Hopefully he can join us for at least a couple of days but we will have to just figure it out as it gets closer and be flexible.

After all that drama, to DDP or not, extra tickets on rooms that we didn’t want etc and consulting with Sandie we decided to………do the dining plan after all! This is part of why we need to go ahead and just take Doug off, no sense in paying for him if he doesn’t go. We can add on without penalty but not take off after day 45. Sandie really wants to do the dining plan and it will be nice not to have to think about it. The plan is to have Evan technically homeless. He will get his park ticket the day before and we will add him to Sandie’s room at check in. That keeps him off the dining plan. Which should work out perfectly.

Unless I’m missing something.

Which is entirely possible!

The only negative I can see to this (Evan homeless plan) is that we lose our GG status until we add him at the point of check in. I hope it doesn’t impact our chances of connecting but also figure upping the change by paying another $350 for his food (versus the $175 I think he needs) just isn’t worth it no matter how fuzzy you get with the math! I’ll just be there EARLY that morning to hopefully up those connecting room chances! I will pull our one day tickets off of the YC room keys at check in to protect from accidental use.

I of course am awaiting confirmation from my TA that there are no issues with this plan.

We have decided to keep the Illuminations cruise and do Captain’s Grille for dinner before. So the Cape May clambake is out but the Cape May Character bfast is in. It will be our only OOP meal except for the 1st night at Raglan Road and the GF tea. Which Sandie adored, I hadn’t told her I’d booked it and she is as excited as I expected!

I have also mocked up my garden grocer order to be delivered to the YC. We are going to do DME but carry on 2-3 bags and then have them deliver the rest. I will just need to figure out how to have sunscreen in the carry-on’s that is the 3oz size to get us through till the rest of the bags arrive.

I do have a date night reservation but we will just play that by ear. At this point I am not changing our reservations from 9 to 8, I figure it shouldn’t matter at check in and on the off chance he does come it would be harder to go up.

We are still planning to do the water parks and more but will schedule our day 2 for the surprise water park day. Sandie is not big on the water park idea and they will likely get in pretty late on our day 2 so it should work out well. If people want to go again this way it might only be a half day or a few hours as the “full” day will be out of their system. My vote is for Typhoon lagoon, hands down.
It looks like Sandie may join us for at least one Universal day but we are waiting to hear. Hopefully it will help offset the cost some but I don’t know…I could use some offsets!

I have GOT to look at F! and our dinner plans and try to figure out a way to make it work if there is a second showing. Even, maybe, if there is a first. Everyone really wants to see it but I dread touching my ADR's! I also don't want to wait for the first showing.

Shopping!

I got new park shoes and have worn them twice already.

I figure I have all summer to break them in. These, combined with the other options I have should round out all my needs. I really like them. A bit stiff on one toe (the thong part in between the toes) but that should break in.

I’ve also found, I think, all the rest of the shorts and things I want to order and will be starting to order stuff this weekend.

After payday.

This once a month thing is taking some getting used to!

Up next, more day 2 of our California adventure! I promise to get through day 2 this week.

 

[jenjolt]

WOW lots of changes!!!!! However you seem to have everything figured out that is great!! Very happy for you!!!!

Love the park shoes!!! I'm contemplating buying some Teva Mush flip flops for my upcoming trip!!!

 

[Native NYer]

The DDP is a great addition. Now, food will be prepaid. One less thing to worry about. I had no idea you could add someone to the reservation at check in. Will you just pay OOP for Evan's meals?

So sorry about Doug. I hope things turn around for him.

I love your park shoes! They are so cute.

 

[MEK]

I'm glad you were able to make a decision on the DDP. It must be really hard to keep all these changes straight. I don't know how you do it. Are you worried about what you are going to do when this trip is over? You won't have all these details to obsess over. You might have to become a Disney travel agent to get your fix! LOL

I hope you get a chance to post some of your hiking pictures!

 

[creativeamanda]

Getting paid once a month does take getting used to. But it is doable.

My head is spinning with all of your changes, but my head seems to always be spinning these days, lol.

I love those shoes!

 

[Sunset Cliffs]

You are lucky that you do so well with change. I can't believe how many changes have happened to your trip since you started this PTR. I'm glad that you have a TA to help you.

I'm sorry to hear about your BIL. Hopefully he will get to come, even if it is for a short amount of time.

Can't wait to hear about the rest of day 2!

 

[All7OfUs]

Having Doug not on the ressie does simplify a few things, but the circumstances don't sound too happy. I really hope things can start to look up for him!

Hike sounded lovely, yet stressful. Good gauging though, on how she might (or night NOT) do at WDW. Bummer that the entire Saturday was lost though; I know you had so many things to talk over with her.

Lots of other changes as well. You are right. I think $175 is so worth it to NOT have him on the DDP. Hope you don't find any last minute glitches with the BFP.

 

[Charleston Princess]

It's been crazy around here lately, too! I am ready for some serious downtime!

The hike sounds lovely except for Sandi getting winded!

How are you managing to keep everything straight??? I think I would have pulled my hair out by now!

 

[eandesmom]

WOW lots of changes!!!!! However you seem to have everything figured out that is great!! Very happy for you!!!!

Love the park shoes!!! I'm contemplating buying some Teva Mush flip flops for my upcoming trip!!!

I have a pair of mushies, I love them! They will be coming along as an option for sure and I "may" have to get another color....

The DDP is a great addition. Now, food will be prepaid. One less thing to worry about. I had no idea you could add someone to the reservation at check in. Will you just pay OOP for Evan's meals?

So sorry about Doug. I hope things turn around for him.

I love your park shoes! They are so cute.

Thanks! We did the DDP last year and enjoyed it, it has pro's and cons for sure and I think will likely be a wash financially but it does remove a lot of stress about not adding as we go. It was CRO's idea to take one kid off so we could keep the $$ separate on each room and add them at check in so...we will see! I mean there is room, in the room for more people, kids do not cost extra, what are they going to say? It feels a little odd but it was Disney's idea!

I'm glad you were able to make a decision on the DDP. It must be really hard to keep all these changes straight. I don't know how you do it. Are you worried about what you are going to do when this trip is over? You won't have all these details to obsess over. You might have to become a Disney travel agent to get your fix! LOL

I hope you get a chance to post some of your hiking pictures!

LOL. Jeff asked the other day when I was planning the next one for! It's a lot easier when it's just us. I will get the hiking pictures up, maybe over the long weekend!

In between tournaments

Getting paid once a month does take getting used to. But it is doable.

My head is spinning with all of your changes, but my head seems to always be spinning these days, lol.

I love those shoes!

I actually didn't think it was that many changes lol! I like the shoes too, they are cuter in person, more delicate looking than in the pic which makes me happy.

 

[eandesmom]

You are lucky that you do so well with change. I can't believe how many changes have happened to your trip since you started this PTR. I'm glad that you have a TA to help you.

I'm sorry to hear about your BIL. Hopefully he will get to come, even if it is for a short amount of time.

Can't wait to hear about the rest of day 2!

with 4 kids, being the oldest of 6, my life has always been about change and flexibility.

I guess I don't even really think about it. Honestly in some ways it would be easier without a TA as I know what I want and she is just the middle man. BUT she gets to spend all the hours on the phone so I love that part. I hope Doug can come even if only for a few days as well. We are hoping if we remove the pressure of the length of the trip that it will become more doable for him.

Having Doug not on the ressie does simplify a few things, but the circumstances don't sound too happy. I really hope things can start to look up for him!

Hike sounded lovely, yet stressful. Good gauging though, on how she might (or night NOT) do at WDW. Bummer that the entire Saturday was lost though; I know you had so many things to talk over with her.

Lots of other changes as well. You are right. I think $175 is so worth it to NOT have him on the DDP. Hope you don't find any last minute glitches with the BFP.

We did get through everything actually that we needed to talk about so it worked out pretty well but I felt like I was ditching her on Sat which wasn't cool and then K wanted to watch Evan, which was very cool in and of itself but I (still) wonder if that upset Sandie at all.

I haven't heard from my TA after I gave her the update, we will see if any glitches crop up. I'm sure she's sick of the changes but then again, based on what I think the commission is, she can suck it up. It's a big trip! And she just made more with us adding the DDP.

It's been crazy around here lately, too! I am ready for some serious downtime!

The hike sounds lovely except for Sandi getting winded!

How are you managing to keep everything straight??? I think I would have pulled my hair out by now!

I'm going grey.

Oh wait, I was grey. I just am too busy to color my roots!



looking forward to the long weekend for sure.

 

[All7OfUs]

We did get through everything actually that we needed to talk about so it worked out pretty well but I felt like I was ditching her on Sat which wasn't cool and then K wanted to watch Evan, which was very cool in and of itself but I (still) wonder if that upset Sandie at all.

I'm going grey.

Oh wait, I was grey. I just am too busy to color my roots!



looking forward to the long weekend for sure.

I've never used a TA, and have no idea what the commission is, but if she is saving you from even one root job, it's def. worth it!

 

[eandesmom]

I've never used a TA, and have no idea what the commission is, but if she is saving you from even one root job, it's def. worth it!

Well she's saved me from a sore neck and I'd estimate anywhere from 8-12 hours on the phone, maybe more. And she uncovered the concept of leaving a kid off of the reservation given that he already has his ticket so...it's all good!

The roots are bad....it's ponytail for the rest of the week for me! I went darker last time (which might be why I think my hair looks odd in the DCA trip pics lol) and BOY do you notice the grey roots more. It's like a beacon.

 

[GreatBiscuit]

Plans sound great. One thing you might double check on is Magical Express for the homeless E. Do the numbers on your room reservation HAVE to match the numbers on your DME reservation. If so and he is not on the room reservation in advance, will they still allow him to board DME?

 

[eandesmom]

Plans sound great. One thing you might double check on is Magical Express for the homeless E. Do the numbers on your room reservation HAVE to match the numbers on your DME reservation. If so and he is not on the room reservation in advance, will they still allow him to board DME?

That's a darn good question! Thankfully we won't have to worry about it as he is on the POP reservation for our first night, which is why he will already have a ticket and not need to be on the YC reservation. DME is tied to the POP ressie So he should be good!

 

[Sleepingbooty]

VERY cute shoes! They actually do look pretty comfortable - at least the soles look really supportive. Did you wear them on the DCA trip?

Your changes are making my head spin!

 

[eandesmom]

VERY cute shoes! They actually do look pretty comfortable - at least the soles look really supportive. Did you wear them on the DCA trip?

Your changes are making my head spin!

LOL. I'm probably what a nightmare client looks like!

No, I didn't wear them on the DCA trip, I just got them. I do have another pair from the same brand. Different style but the sole and insole is the same and I loved them so much I've been looking at their sandals to try and find the right one.

I wore my earth shoe sandals (to Knott's) and keen flip flops (DCA) on the DCA trip for the park days. Among other things. Both were great, but they don't match with everything.

 

[eandesmom]

Having had brunch with a Queen, fully fueled (and then some) we headed out. We’d dined on the Queen, now we wanted to see her!
Strolling the decks.

]

Gee Evan, no one wants a picture of that! (Coffee and Mimosa’s catching up with me!)

My that’s a big bell!

And anchor!

Nice view!

Living quarters

Continued in next post

 

[eandesmom]

And working quarters!

How fast should we go?

The lounge. No, we weren’t having more drinks! Just checking it out.

The chaplains memorial. I believe this is here due to the fact that the QM was a WWII transport ship, as was the USAT Dorchester

USAT Dorchester was a United States Army Transport ship that was sunk when it was part of a naval convoy during World War II.
In February 1943, Convoy SG-19 left St. John's, Newfoundland, bound for the Army Command Base at Narsarsuaq in southern Greenland. SG-19 consisted of six ships: Dorchester, two merchant ships (SS Lutz and SS Biscaya) that were leased by the United States from the Norwegian government-in-exile, and their escorts, the small United States Coast Guard cutters Comanche, Escanaba (both 165 feet), and Tampa (240 feet).[1]


United States Coast Guard Cutter USCGC Escanaba (WPG-77) rescues survivors of USAT Dorchester in the North Atlantic in the predawn darkness of 3 February 1943.
On the night of 3 February 1943, Dorchester was torpedoed by German U-boat U-223. The damage was severe, boiler power was lost, there was inadequate steam to sound the full 6-whistle signal to abandon ship, and Dorchester sank by the bow in about 20 minutes. Loss of power prevented the crew from sending a radio distress signal, and no rockets or flares were launched to alert the escorts. A severe list prevented launch of some port side lifeboats, and some lifeboats capsized through overcrowding. Survivors in the water were so stiff from cold they could not even grasp the cargo nets on rescue vessels. The crew of the Escanaba employed a new "retriever" rescue technique whereby swimmers clad in wet suits swam to victims in the water and secured a line to them so they could be hauled onto the ship. By this method, Escanaba saved 133 men (one died later) and Comanche saved 97 men of the 904 aboard Dorchester.[2]
Life jackets offered little protection from hypothermia, which killed most men in the water. Water temperature was 34 °F (1 °C) and air temperature was 36 °F (2 °C). When additional rescue ships arrived on 4 February "hundreds of dead bodies were seen floating on the water, kept up by their life jackets."[3]
The American writer Jack Kerouac served on the Dorchester, where he befriended an African-American cook named Old Glory. He would have been on the sinking ship but for a telegram he received from coach Lou Little, asking him to return to Columbia University to play football.[4]
Dorchester is best remembered today for the Four Chaplains who gave up their life jackets and went down with her. In 1948 the US Postal Service issued a stamp to commemorate the sinking.
The Four Chaplains' Medal was established by act of Congress on July 14, 1960, and was presented posthumously to their next of kin by Secretary of the Army Wilber M. Brucker at Ft. Myer, Virginia on January 18, 1961 [5].

Initial strolling done we headed down to check out the official tours.

We had an agenda!

 

She was called the Grey Ghost during her years as a World War II transport ship, but even now, with her service long over, the Queen Mary is still associated with ghosts: over a dozen apparitions have been reported aboard the ship.

Over the past 60 years, the Queen Mary has been the site of at least 49 reported deaths, not to mention having gone through the terrors of war, so it comes as no surprise that spectral spirits of her vivid past continue to walk within her rooms and hallways.

Located 50 feet below water level is the Queen Mary's engine room, which is said to be a hotbed of paranormal activity. Used in the filming of the Poseidon Adventure, the room's infamous "Door 13" crushed at least two men to death, at different points during the ship's history. The most recent death, during a routine watertight door drill in 1966, crushed an 18 year-old crew member. Dressed in blue coveralls and sporting a beard, the young man has often been spied walking the length of Shaft Alley before disappearing by door #13.

Two more popular spot for the Queen’s other worldly guests are its first and second class swimming pools. Though neither are utilized today for their original purpose, spirits seemingly are not aware of that. In the first class swimming pool, which has been closed for more than three decades, women have often been seen appearing in 1930’s style swimming suits wandering the decks near the pool. Others have reported the sounds of splashing and spied wet footprints leading from the deck to the changing rooms. Some have also spied the spirit of a young girl, clutching her teddy bear.

In the second class poolroom, the spirit of another little girl named Jackie is often been seen and heard. The unfortunate girl drowned in the pool during the ship’s sailing days and reputedly refused to move on, as her voice, as well as the sounds of laughter has been captured here.
In the Queen’s Salon, which once served as the ship’s first-class lounge, a beautiful young woman in an elegant white evening gown has often been seen dancing alone in the shadows of the corner of the room.
Yet more odd occurrences have been made in a number of first-class staterooms. Here, reports have been made of a tall dark haired man appearing in a 1930’s style suit, as well as water running and lights turning on in the middle of the night, and phones ringing in the early morning hours with no one on the other end of the line.
In the third class children’s playroom, a baby’s cry has often been heard, which is thought to be the infant boy who died shortly after his birth.
Other phenomenon occurring throughout the ship, are the sounds of distinct knocks, doors slamming and high pitched squeals, drastic temperature changes, and the aromas of smells long past.

These are but a few of the many reports of apparitions and strange events occurring at this luxury liner turned hotel.

Today, the Queen Mary, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, provides not only a wide range of guest rooms for travelers, but also 14 Art Deco salons, tours, restaurants, shops, and exhibits.
​

So really, picture a guy with a tower of terror wanna-be voice and outfit, giving the tour, complete with dry ice smoke, loud noises, flashes and eerie sounds. They definitely milk it. But actually, after the initial cheesiness, it was pretty well done and comprehensive. Due to it being inside (in the infamous engine room, the 1st class pool etc) my pictures did not turn out so great.

Did we see any?

What it did do was freak Eric out! He must have jumped 10 feet! And wanted to leave. He settled down but both Jeff and I were a bit shocked at how shocked and scared he got. It would not be the first time on the trip.

Having been on the boat for the lions share of the day we decided it was time for a stroll and if possible, a boat ride! We wanted to take the water taxi to downtown long beach to see the cute shops and restaurants in the
harbor.

On the way we checked out this sub

And a few hats

Actually more than a few. There was a fedora stand in front of the sub, Evan went nuts but they were all too big.

Once we were ON the water taxi we were told that the Long Beach Grand Prix was that day. Granted, you could HEAR the race cars from the taxi once we were on it but we didn’t make the connection. That meant you couldn’t get to the shops and the restaurants without a race ticket. Which of course we didn’t have.

What did we do?
I’d like to say this was their reaction to the news but I have no idea what they are doing here!

Up next…the boat to nowhere, a lock out and a dinner!