Our Magical Trip of a Million Dreams, Wishes & Surprises~Engaged at Disney(6/26 p30)

[Cinderella16]

Day 8 – Animal Kingdom: Justin & Julianne Style!
June 22, 2007

We ended up waking up very early to get started on our Animal Kingdom adventure. I think I was up by 7:30 because we made it a point to get to AK early. I think DF ended up making breakfast, which is interesting because he DOES NOT cook. I think he made scrambled eggs and I think they were pretty good, go figure. Now with our tummies full we were ready for a fun filled day at AK!

Jeff decided to stay behind today because he doesn’t like how much hotter AK is than all the other parks (anyone else notice that?). We were surprised that Jeanne, Ken, and Matthew were headed to AK too because they aren’t really big fans of the park...me on the other hand, I love AK and wouldn’t miss it! The final crew was: Me, DF, Karen, Janna, Shannon (Janna’s Friend), Jeanne, Ken, and Matthew. It is a shock that we were all ready to go and ended up getting at AK by 9:05..not too shabby for our slow group!

We were happy to see the parking lot pretty empty so we got a good spot. I had one thing on my mind and that was getting on Expedition Everest, I was so excited to ride it and our plan to get Fast Passes first thing. I hoped that our plan would work, and by the looks of it, it would! We quickly made it into the park and looked at the show times for Festival of the Lion King which was at 9:40, the first show of the day. DF and I told everyone to meet us at the entrance of the Festival of the Lion King and to get seats if they opened the doors. We hoped they could find it without our help. We pointed them in the right direction (toward Camp Minnie-Mickey) and took everyone’s passes and nearly sprinted to Everest.

Now I have only been to AK 2 times before, and since so much of the park looks the same (all the lush greenery), I sometimes find it hard to maneuver around the park. But for some reason, we ended up finding Everest with no problems. It was probably because I had studied the AK map for months so that we could find the way. When we got there we noticed there was a pretty short line of 20 minutes, I was tempted to just get in line, but I didn’t want to miss Lion King and it would more fun to ride with everyone at the same time. So we got fast passes with a return time of 9:50. Perfect! We got our tickets and headed back to Camp Minnie-Mickey. That was a long haul, and it was just a taste of what was yet to come! It was the first time we noticed just how nice it was outside. There was a slight breeze and it was not humid. It was actually quite pleasant, which is very unusual. I looked at DF and just gave him a look that said, “See what happens when you get here early?”

Not too long after we arrived with FastPasses, they opened the doors to FoTLK. (Jeanne & Ken were so happy because the last time they came to AK they didn’t get to ride EE because they were the FPs were gone by the time they arrived and the wait was well over 2 hours! ) We ended up getting really good seats on the Warthog section, of course we didn’t know of the different sections at the time since this was our first time seeing FoTLK. The AC felt really good and DF and myself felt happy to sit down after our sprint to EE! I decided now would be a good time to call my Nephew since it was his 2nd birthday and I would be missing it. I called him and told him that we seeing a show about the Lion King. (OT: he now loves that movie and sings lots of the songs, it is simply adorable!) I wished him happy birthday and talked to my sister for a little bit, and she was a little intrigued about this Lion King show, since she loves the movie too. It is my goal to convert someone into a Disney fanatic in my family and I am doing a good job with my nephew as he always asks me about my trip to “Mickey’s house” which is what he calls the castle, too cute! I will be able to convert my niece too, she is only 6 months old, but very soon it will be time to introduce her to the world of princesses! We chatted a bit longer before I hung up with my sister since the show was going to start.

I was so excited when all the performers started coming out and the Lion King music started! I just had to sing along, it’s what I do.

I love when the monkey-like things come into the audience. They completely scared a lady in the row in front of us, she literally jumped off the bench. It was so funny! They then started picking kids to join in the show and they picked Matthew and Shannon! Now Shannon is 17 or 18 years old, but she so short that she looks like she is a lot younger. Well they picked her to go and join so she went and it was so funny to see because there is Shannon dancing around with a bunch of elementary aged kids! Here is a picture of her, she is in the green.

I absolutely loved this show! The costumes, acrobatics, audience involvement, the singing! It was all incredible and everyone else loved it too. We couldn’t believe that we missed it the last two times we came to AK. I guess it was because it was in Camp Minnie-Mickey and we never really ventured in there. Now that we have seen FoTLK we will make sure to never miss it again. It is definitely my favorite Disney show, well done Disney!

It was now well passed our FP time for Everest which meant we could get another. DF and I decided to get a FP for Kali River Rapids next. We started to make our way back to Asia, but I think Matthew wanted to stop for something near the Tree of Life. DF and I spotted a Photopass Photographer so we decided to have a photo shoot while we waited for everyone to get situated.

We got our usual congratulations from the photographer and were ready to get the Crew and head to Everest. We told them our plan about FastPassing Kali, so once again we had everyone’s FPs in hand and we told them to meet at the entrance of EE while we went ahead to get the Kali FPS. So once again, DF and I were sprinting to Kali.

We knew that getting FPs for Kali was important because the first year we went to AK we waited in that line, and IT IS NEVER ENDING and HOT! Our FastPass was for about 10:30, which would be about the time we got off Everest. With Kali FPs now safely in DF’s pocket, we went to the entrance to meet DF’s family and hopped in the FP line. I cannot believe how big EE is! The ride is massive, and I started to get a little nervous, which I usually do before I ride something new. We did not stand in line very long and before I knew it we were strapped in and ready to meet up with the Yeti!

To Be Continued....

Up Next: We take on Everest and more AK adventures! Find it on this page, post #430

 

[DisneyFreak06]

I'm so sorry for your loss. I always cry at the end of the year, or when I was done my student teaching too. Good luck on the job hunt! I hope you find the right class for you. I see you've posted your next post, so I'm going to go read it now. Again, my sympathies about your grandmother.

 

[Eeyore's Tailfinder]

Hey Julianne!!

It's great to see you back, and what a great update!!

I'm really sorry to hear about your grandma That must have been hard, especially at that time of year.

Congratulations on graduating! I also need to hear about all your wedding planning!

 

[IluvXU]

You have been a mighty busy lady.... good luck looking for a teaching job. The midwest market is so tough... I know that it is hard to get a job here too! Are you subbing to get some feelers out?

 

[Cinderella16]

I'm so sorry for your loss. I always cry at the end of the year, or when I was done my student teaching too. Good luck on the job hunt! I hope you find the right class for you. I see you've posted your next post, so I'm going to go read it now. Again, my sympathies about your grandmother.

I hope I find the right class too!! It is still very early, but I am getting antsy, I want them to start the hiring process now, they are so slow with it! Thanks for STILL reading along!

Hey Julianne!!

It's great to see you back, and what a great update!!

I'm really sorry to hear about your grandma That must have been hard, especially at that time of year.

Congratulations on graduating! I also need to hear about all your wedding planning!

Hi Haley, gosh, I feel like I have been on the DIS for ages. I will have to go and catch up with your TR among many many others! Glad you are still with me here! The wedding planning is coming along slowly. Once I finish this one I think I will start my planning journal.

You have been a mighty busy lady.... good luck looking for a teaching job. The midwest market is so tough... I know that it is hard to get a job here too! Are you subbing to get some feelers out?

Hi there! I keep going back and forth on the whole subbing thing. I am a person who lives for routine. I am also the type of person who needs a plan (as if you couldn't tell from reading this TR ) So subbing does not seem to fit my personality well. Just the idea of not knowing what grade, what kids, what lessons I will be dealing with sometimes 2 hours before school starts, scares the heck out me! Now if it was a maternity leave or something, I would take it, but that is because I could get a routine going. Ultimately, if I do not find something for the 08-09 school year, I think I will search for a teacher's assistant position as those are always popping up, especially at the beginning of the year. Thanks for keeping up with my TR!

 

[burly]

Hey there, still here with you. Sorry for your loss, i just lost my dad last week. so I understand. Think positive about the teaching job, something wonderful will come to you. And good luck with the wedding planning. Thank you for the update and now on with the show......

 

[HKinDC]

Hello there! I'm loving your TR and that last post with the pictures from the Lion King look amazing. I can't wait to see it for myself. Great pics!

 

[DisneyFreak06]

Hi there! I keep going back and forth on the whole subbing thing. I am a person who lives for routine. I am also the type of person who needs a plan (as if you couldn't tell from reading this TR ) So subbing does not seem to fit my personality well. Just the idea of not knowing what grade, what kids, what lessons I will be dealing with sometimes 2 hours before school starts, scares the heck out me! Now if it was a maternity leave or something, I would take it, but that is because I could get a routine going. Ultimately, if I do not find something for the 08-09 school year, I think I will search for a teacher's assistant position as those are always popping up, especially at the beginning of the year. Thanks for keeping up with my TR!

I understand how you feel. I don't know about where you are, but here, subbing really helps because it helps the schools get to know you, and if they can put a good word in with the board for you, they will. They will also suggest someone to be hired (doesn't always happen though) if they know the sub, and they know the sub knows the school. Sometimes when you you can become almost a regular sub in the school, and it helps you develop confidence and it helps you get to know the school routines, so you'll be called more often too. JMHO... I also understand about the unknow. I really didn't like being called at 8 to be at a school at 8:30! Or going into a grade 12 science class! I'm sure you'll make the right decision for yourself though, as we are all different, and things here could be completely different from where you live.

 

[KristinAnne]

I just found your trip report! Good choice of day to leave for your Disneymoon...that's my 2nd anniversary

 

[Cinderella16]

Part II.

When I last left you we were all strapped in and ready to take on Everest! I looked in the car behind us to see DF’s mom completely terrified, I could relate, as I had the same feeling. This is always the feeling I get before riding a ride I have never ridden before (phew, try saying that sentence 10x fast!) Before I knew it, we began to move and I have to say, I absolutely loved this ride! The part where you go backwards is such a crazy feeling, they really did a great job, and that Yeti is pretty amazing looking too, not to mention kind of scary! We got off the ride and everybody seemed to love it! It definitely has become an Animal Kingdom favorite!

We were so lucky with our Fastpass times that by the time we walked off of Everest we walked over to Kali River Rapids. This ride was much needed as it was starting to heat up. I couldn’t believe all we had accomplished so far and it wasn’t even lunch time! We walked right on to Kali and had a superb time. We all got pretty soaked, but we all know how quickly that dries in Florida’s summer heat! Once we got off of the rapids noticeably drenched DF and I took hold of the passes and went to get FPs for Kilimanjaro Safari. Everyone else stayed back because we were going to walk through the Maharaja Jungle Trek, or as DF and I like to call “The Tigers.” You see DF and I collect stuffed tigers and for some reason have a real obsession with the animal (you met our first baby, Stripes earlier in this TR). Anyways, seeing the tigers at Animal Kingdom is always something we MUST do and this trip was not going to be an exception. Plus, we were all soaking wet from Kali so walking on the trails wouldn’t be so bad and atleast we would dry off!

Walking through Maharaja Jungle Trek we saw lots of animals besides Tigers. I avoided the bat house though, bats kind of freak me out!

So cute!

So pretty!

Of course, we really wanted to see those Tigers and when DF and I saw them, we were thrilled. I think his family thinks we are crazy because they are aware of our tiger obsession and I know they think it is a little strange, haha!

Not sure what he is looking at there!

I love how the tigers are behind the glass and you can get really close to them for some great pictures! This is so different than any of the zoos in Illinois because they are behind a cage and really far away. With the glass, you can literally be face to face with the tiger without getting eaten!

We were starting to get hungry, but it was also time for our Safari ride. We decided to do the Safari ride despite our hunger. The Safari ride is always a favorite because it is never quite the same. I always notice new animals or see something new whenever I ride it.

This guy was just chilling out

Luckily, we saved the baby elephant from those evil poachers (I really don’t think this storyline is necessary, the ride doesn’t need it, it is entertaining enough in my opinion.) After our Safari I think we were all starting to get light headed. Since DF and I were the Animal Kingdom experts, everyone was asking us where to eat...DF looked at me and I told him, “Tusker House.”

I had never been to Tusker House before, but I remember reading such great things about it here on the DIS (love you guys!). Tusker House is also in Africa, which is exactly where we were. Good thing we didn’t have to walk very far to get to that delicious food!

Me waiting outside of Tusker House.

The line wasn’t too bad, which was good, because I swear I could eat an elephant at this point! I ended up getting the half rotisserie chicken with garlic mashed potatoes, and carrots. DF got the same thing. This meal was so delcious and it was actually one of my favorites of the entire trip! The glazing on the carrots was so amazing! Go figure that my favorite meal was from Counter Service! I know that Tusker House is no longer counter service, but I wonder how the food is now. We may have to try it again for our honeymoon, but I can guarantee, if they have those carrots, I will 100% be there!

Since we were close to the train that takes you over the Rafiki’s Planet Watch, we decided that we would check that out after lunch, but not before DF and I walked our little behinds all the way to Dinoland to get FPs for Dinosaur. And yes, that was a mighty far walk, and yes, we were very very full!

On our way to Dinoland, I kept telling DF that I was determined to see the end of the Dinosaur (because I always close my eyes and bury my head in DF’s chest). Our conversation went a little something like this....

Me: I WILL see the end of that ride, I promise

DF: Sure you will

Me: Really, I know what to expect and I know it will be loud, so I can do this year!

DF: Like the last time and the time before that?

Me: That was different...

DF: Sure it was...

After more conversation like the one above we made it Dinoland, got our FPs and sluggishly went back to Africa to meet our crew and head over the unknown which is Rafiki’s Planet Watch.

We boarded the Wildlife Express Train and DF and I were happy to be able to sit down especially after the walk from Africa to Dinoland and back again! When our train stopped we just followed the trail, as we had no idea where we were going. We smelled the petting zoo and decided to go into the Conservation Station. They had some pretty cool things to see in there, but we are on vacation and I was in no mood for anything educational (I am a great teacher, aren’t I? ). Instead of learning something new, we decided to wait in a semi-short line for this guy!

Score! We met Jiminy Cricket!

Jiminy was very nice, he noticed our Just Engaged pins and was very happy for us, I think he even made DF and I kiss, which was really cute. After meeting Jiminy DF and I walked around the Conservation Station trying to look like we were learning something. We found DF’s mom and decided to try and find everyone else to head back since it was almost time for Dinosaur, and I had to prove DF wrong!

We found everyone, got back on the train, and hauled our butts to Dinoland. DF’s family started to complain about how far away it was, but DF and I were both thinking, “yeah it is far, and we have already done it today! So Shush!”

We finally made it to Dinosaur right on schedule! We walked in and waited in line for barely 5 minutes. Soon we were in our little car and ready to take on those Dinos! The ride started off okay, my eyes were completely open, I was feeling brave. But then, that stupid T-Rex comes out of no where and I am feeling not so brave...come the end of the ride, my head in buried in DF’s chest and I am covering my ears. This is the truth, we have pictures from the ride, I just didn’t get a chance to scan them in. It is the same picture every year—me with my head buried in DF’s chest, covering my ears.

Now, that is a good ride. I get so scared out of my mind that I really truly think that a T-Rex is going to eat me! Everything about that ride is so real to me, and that is why it is my favorite Animal Kingdom ride, even though I have yet to see the end, I definitely hear the ending though!! So, DF was right, I was not brave enough to see the end of Dinosaur...but on our Honeymoon, that will be a different story—I WILL SEE THE END OF DINOSAUR!

After Dinosaur, and DF laughing at the picture of me NOT seeing the ending of the ride, Janna and Shannon wanted to ride Primeval Whirl. I avoid that ride, as just watching it makes me dizzy. Our plan was to go and catch the 3:15 Nemo show. It was about 3:00 and the wait time for Primeval Whirl said 0 minutes..so we thought it was perfect. While they went on it, DF and I did some window shopping. We looked at one of the pin stands and asked if they had any engagement pins, but no luck there, apparently they don’t make them, bummer. So we went into the gift shop, but didn’t buy anything because we didn’t want to carry it around. We also found this guy and just had to take a picture with him,

We soon realized that they lied about the 0 minute wait, I think the ride ended up breaking down right before Janna and Shannon went on. Needless to say, we missed our 3:15 Nemo show. It was downright HOT outside now and I was starting to feel pretty lightheaded. DF went to get me a drink and I felt much better. When we got everyone back, we decided that we were going to see the last Nemo Show of the day at 4:45. In the meantime, we walked over to see It’s Tough to be a Bug.

I just love this show, I never get sick of it and the ending always gets me! I always seem to forget about it!

When Nemo was over we went to see if the doors to Nemo were open. Luckily they were open and we didn’t have to wait outside, we got some great seats in the front of the theater. At this point, we were all so tired and sitting in an air conditioned theater was just what we needed. Turning this space into an air conditioned theater was a great idea! I remember when they had the Tarzan show here, but it was just too hot to enjoy.

I truly enjoyed the Nemo show. Everything about it was so well done, I just wish I wasn’t so tired, I think I would’ve enjoyed it more.

After Nemo, we decided that we were ready to go home, and we had seen everything we wanted to. We were out of Animal Kingdom and in our car by 6:00 PM, and it looked like a big storm was coming in, so we didn’t feel too bad leaving. We had a really productive day and it showed by how tired we were! It made up for our horribly planned Epcot Day the day before.

We stopped for some McDonalds for dinner because it was quick and easy and took it home. We got home, ate our food, took a shower, and took a quick cat nap, all of which were very needed. DF and I were planning to head over the Downtown Disney for an evening of shopping.

I was excited for our night out on the town!

To Be Continued...

Up Next: DTD...not exactly the night out on the town we were expecting.

 

[Cinderella16]

I cannot believe how long it has been since I have been on the DIS!

BUT I do have a good reason! I had gotten a job as a teacher's assistant until the end of the year, which then turned into a long term substitute position for 4th grade! It was a wonderful experience, but I welcome the summer!

Anyways, now that is has been nearly a year since we have been engaged and been back from this trip, I think it is time to wrap up this report, because it is time to start a planning journal/pre trip report for our Disneymoon! I can't believe it is just a year away! Can't wait!!

Okay, I think that is all for now, I will have another update tomorrow. Almost done, I promise!

 

[klj27]

So glad to read another installment!!!

 

[lazidazi07]

Yay! I ,too, have been a neglectful disser and life has whisked me away from these boards and I'm just now coming back, so I'm glad to see you didnt finish so I'm not behind! Glad you're back too! Cant wait to hear those Disneymoon plans.

 

[snowbell]

Yeah - you are back... I am so excited that you decided to finish your trip report. I cannot believe it has already been a year either. alas, I am still waiting for my prince charming to give me my ring... lol.. what is he waiting for.. .it has only been 4.5 years...

 

[k_reile]

Yeah - you are back... I am so excited that you decided to finish your trip report. I cannot believe it has already been a year either. alas, I am still waiting for my prince charming to give me my ring... lol.. what is he waiting for.. .it has only been 4.5 years...

It'll come someday. I too waited along time for a ring...but I finally got it...and in the end the wait was worth it and it was the right ring for me. Maybe he can't find the perfect one yet or is just waiting for some really special moment. Here's hoping you gets your perfect ring soon!

 

[DisneyFreak06]

Welcome back and congrats on the job!

 

[Cinderella16]

Part III. - Downtown Disney
Once we were all rested and prettied up, we were ready for Downtown Disney. We asked if anyone else wanted to come, and Jeff said he would since he the only one out of all of us with a nightlife. None of us had ever been to DTD, well I guess that is actually a lie, because I had been there when I was 8th grade, but all I remember is the Virgin Megastore and Planet Hollywood. I knew where I wanted to hit first, and that was the World of Disney store. I have only heard of all the wondrous treasures that one can find in that store!

Me posing with Mr. Potato Head **Preview: This is the happiest you will see me all night!**

So of course, fulfilling my request, we hit World of Disney first, Jeff split off from us, because if there is one thing he hates, it is probably shopping with us. I couldn’t believe how crowded it was, I felt so overwhelmed by all the things to buy and people. How many rooms does that store have? Everywhere I looked, there was something else I wanted. I think poor DF was getting kind of annoyed with me because I like to browse first and then go back and get things. So I will walk into a store (even if it is as huge as WoD) and walk from end to another, just browsing, then I will go back and pick what I want, ultimately walking around the entire store about 7 or 8 times. And yes, this what happened tonight.

By the end of it, we walked away with a lot of purchases, I didn’t take pictures of all it, but here is a sampling of what we bought...

We named him Baby Yeti.

After World of Disney, with our many bags of loot, we went to Arribas Brothers, because I can never not go in there. We browsed a little bit and I cannot remember if DF bought something for his mom or Janna, but I know I bought this pretty little necklace!

It is so me!

We went to some other shops like Once Upon a Toy and the Christmas Shop, but didn’t buy anything. Then I spotted Goofy’s Candy Company, (I think that is what it is called...) We went in in hopes of getting something yummy, but walked out with our stomachs empty because it was darn busy and neither of us wanted to wait in that line...sheesh, why don’t they have fastpasses for the store?

We now didn’t know what to do, we had lots of bags, Jeff was gone and not answering his cell phone, I think we walked our bags back to our car and then headed over to Pleasure Island. Neither DF or I really dig the clubbing scene, so nothing in PI really appealed to us, except the comedy club, but we couldn’t find Jeff to tell him where we would be, so that was out of the question. So we decided to check out the stores on the other side of DTD and at this point we were just tired of walking, and tired of crowds. And my mood began to shift...and when it shifts...well, good luck. I really dont know what came over me, I think I really just wanted a nice evening with my fiance, but that wasn't happening, it just seemed like a bunch of walking in circles and it was not making me happy in the least bit.

DF would ask me what I wanted to do, and I would just say, “I don’t know...what do you want to do...” he would usually not answer me at this point because I know he was thinking... if I knew, I wouldn’t be asking YOU. At this point, we were both pretty crabby, but decided to check out DIsneyQuest since we were able to get in our passes. But even Disney Quest was incredibly busy and I think we got on 1 thing which was that bumper car-cannon thing. Honestly, I think if DF could shoot me with it, he would have that night!

We left Disney Quest with the intention of going straight home, if we could only find Jeff. We had both enough of our night out on the town, and decided that maybe DTD after an early morning at AK wasn’t such a good idea. We were both pretty quiet and it didn’t feel like much of a date night, I was pretty disappointed because I know my mood had put DF in a bad mood, and he is usually pretty easy going and happy. We began walking back through PI in hopes to find Jeff and low and behold we do find him, with about 4 girls around him. We approached him and told him we are ready to leave (he didn’t really seem like he was). He bid farewell to his maidens and we were off. Thank goodness! I am sure Jeff appreciated being taken away by his older brother too.

The entire ride home was pretty quiet, DF was still annoyed with me. We got home and DF asked me if I wanted to swim. I told him I wasn’t up for it and I was probably just going to go to bed. I could tell that didn’t help his mood, so he told me that he was going to swim. I instead put on my pajamas, turned on the TV, and tried to fall asleep.

Of course, I couldn’t fall asleep because I felt like DF and I had a fight, and I don’t like to go to bed angry, I know it sounds cliché, but it is so true! A quick side note, DF and I don’t fight. We disagree, yes, but if we are upset with each other, we usually wont talk for about 1 hour, apologize, and all will be good. Fighting is just not something we are good at, and therefore we do not go to bed angry. I waited for DF to come back from his swim and when he did, I apologized for my mood at DTD, and he apologized for his. I felt much better after our little talk and fell sound asleep.

:teach:The moral of this story...don’t get crabby at DTD & never go to bed angry!

I think we both decided that when we go on our honeymoon, we will take morning to go to DTD when hopefully it is less busy and we wont be as crabby! Well, one can hope, right?

Up Next: OUR FINAL DISNEY DAY at MK!

 

[Cinderella16]

So glad to read another installment!!!

Hi, so glad you are still reading!!

Yay! I ,too, have been a neglectful disser and life has whisked me away from these boards and I'm just now coming back, so I'm glad to see you didnt finish so I'm not behind! Glad you're back too! Cant wait to hear those Disneymoon plans.

Dont ya just hate it when that thing called life gets in the way of the DIS?

Yeah - you are back... I am so excited that you decided to finish your trip report. I cannot believe it has already been a year either. alas, I am still waiting for my prince charming to give me my ring... lol.. what is he waiting for.. .it has only been 4.5 years...

Snowbell, you are so funny! Dont worry, it WILL happen, maybe you have to wait the 5 year mark like me. He is probably just waiting for the perfect time!

Welcome back and congrats on the job!

Thank you, thank you--but I am not unemployed again since the school year is over and my position was only temporary...oh well, I was grateful for the experience!

 

[klj27]

Thanks for the update. I can not stand to go to DTD when it is crowded. We usually try to avoid it in the evenings all together.

 

[snowbell]

It'll come someday. I too waited along time for a ring...but I finally got it...and in the end the wait was worth it and it was the right ring for me. Maybe he can't find the perfect one yet or is just waiting for some really special moment. Here's hoping you gets your perfect ring soon!

Thank you -- and the funny thing is we talk about it all the time.... maybe I should just not talk about it anymore...