brookelizabeth
Jambo Wildbunch Gang
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2006
A Fail, a Win, and a Theme Park Mini-Trip!
Fail: Well, today I attempted to make a reservation for Oga's Cantina for our first full day and to no large surprise... no luck! Since we are on a split reservation, I will try again tomorrow for our second full-day, but I really have very little hope. I'll see if I can hunt it down, but if not - we won't let it ruin our trip! I am hoping 'Ohana opens before our trip and that I can snag an ADR for that one as well... keeping watch.
Win: Today I also got a phone call that Joe and I will be able to receive the vaccine tomorrow!
I am thrilled that we will have one shot done before arrival in the USA. We will be receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is usually spread between 8 and 12 weeks here for the second jab, so chances are we will get the second shot once we get back to Germany after our vacation. I put us both on several lists with doctors last week after realizing we would likely NOT be getting a shot from the vaccine center (which has the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine) anytime soon. I had been trusting the system a bit too much I guess, in that yes - eventually I would get a call from the vaccine center (August? September, maybe?), but I hadn't realized how much more vaccine the local doctors had until recently. I researched first the AstraZeneca vaccine at the encouragement of our dear @Flossbolna, spoke to Joe about it all, then I researched doctors that spoke English and had plenty of vaccine. Hours and hours of pouring over websites and expat Facebook groups to find those doctors! Thankfully all that work paid off and I got the call!Germany has 40% of its residents with at least one jab. The roll-out has not been smooth or perfect by any means, it's nothing like people have experienced in the States where you can now just roll-up to Wal-Mart and get a jab. Perhaps a tad more like when the vaccine was first released in the US and people struggled to understand how to get one and there were no appointments open. But, it has gotten better over the last two months, and if you are willing to take the AstraZeneca vaccine, which after much research I decided that I was, it's far easier to get. (It's a very controversial vaccine here). I did not expect a call this week, but I'm thrilled that I got it! Now to cancel our names off all the other lists we are on.... haha!
Just a point of clarification: the doctors have more than just AstraZeneca as well, but very small amounts and the list is loooong. So if you want a vaccine and don't want to wait - taking AZ via a doctor is the key.
There is a CHANCE Henry will get the vaccine (BioNTech-Pfizer) next month at school. But no solid word on that yet.
Enough about vaccines!
Mini-Trip: And in other exciting news, we will be going to Europa Park next week with @Flossbolna and Michael ! If you have been reading her never-ending TR from 2017 you already know this! I am really looking forward to exploring a new area of Germany AND seeing one of Europe's best theme parks. It will feel SO GOOD to be on a real vacation again! We'll be doing a joint TR - I'll share those details as we figure them out. 4.2 million pictures will be taken, and I'll be sharing on Instagram (if you don't already follow me there, DM me and I'll share the details).
Yes, that is part of Europa Park! There is a roller coaster in their "Spaceship Earth"
Not much else in the trip planning world going on. I keep hunting rental car prices and WOW are those scary.
I'd really love to avoid the busses, as I read a horror story daily of how long people are waiting.... but it's literally $100 a day for a roller-skate! We just might use Lyft all the time instead.
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our list of US foods & random items keeps growing and growing. Yesterday we added baseball equipment to the list for Henry! Sadly, that will take up a ton of room, but it will be so much easier to buy there than here.
Our last day is pretty much going to be, "wake up, pack, leave". i do not like it, but there aren't other options.
I was SO bummed when my SIL told me. They have state competition that week, so they can't commit to something when he might be there. I am REALLY glad we didn't tell Henry! But man, I was already dreaming of them laughing together, running around and being silly together.... 
Hopefully another time!
(she had my login information) I logged in and snagged a second one, since we were still undecided on our plans at that point and I was frantic. I typically try not to double up on reservations like that! 
