September 22, 2007 -- WESTERN

[scrapperjill]

Hey all...Looks like soooo much has happend since I've been away. Some good some sad.

I'm sorry to hear we've lost a cruiser...but I understand everyone needs to do what they need to do....and with having AP's and points to use...then a trip to the world may be in order. A another cruise will be around before you know it.

I know awhile back someone asked about any perks for arriving to the port early...And IMO I really don't think there is. The earler you get there the lower boarding number you'll get meaning the sooner you'll board BUT if you arrive after the big rush you're likely to be able to just walk right one. Now that they've done the board by number bit....you don't have to worry about rushing to the terminal to get in line first. IMO it's a MUCH better system. Even if you had a later boarding # you can freely roam around the terminal taking in the sights there. Either way your a winner...because you'll be boarding the ship SOON

EVA....Way to go on the not smoking. I wish you the best with that. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK

Papa....LOVE your photos. Very CUTE!!! And great news about your wife and her new job. I'd LOVE to work in the NICU. I hope everything works out for her to get her vacation time. I'm totally guessing...but if it's anything like my hospital...by Sept it's not to hard to get the vacation time...I just mean SOOO many people want the summer months off...as well as holidays. Sept seems to be a safe month. I'll wish her luck though.

Spa specials...I've heard quite a bit about spa specials being offered on port days. But I'd guess it's not something they advertise ahead of time...or they'd risk loosing out on regular priced spa stuff. At least if I "KNEW" they were going to offer some awesome deal on a spa thing that I wanted...I'd wait to book it on the special. I'd guess to say they don't announce the 'specials' until the day off. And that may only be done "if" their bookings for that day are low. Either way it's worth checking the spa daily.

I'd bet now that spring is on the way...and summer is just around the corrner...we'll be seeing more and more lime green items.

I'm thinking I've already mentioned we're comming to Orlando and staying at POP almost a week before the cruise. We're actually flying in EARLY EARLY Tuesday morning So far we only have plans for two days at the parks...and two days resting and seeing the sights around the world...which I think will be fun and keep us busy. We've only been to WDW one other time...and that was only for two days. We were running NON-stop that time around...so this time we're taking it easy. Tammy I wonder if we'll run into you again at the world That was too cool last time.

Kathy...are you back from Vegas yet? I bet you had a BLAST.

 

[CustardTart]

Just giving us a *bump*...

Hope everyone's having a good day! The weather's still fabulous here and I've been outside cleaning the patio with the pressure washer - I'm exhausted now...

BTW when do you pick up your boarding number? Is it available if you check-in online?

 

[brady961]

howdy ho. great weather here. of course getting warm <G> busy with work. but around.

 

[eva]

Today is a gorgeous day here in Illinois. It is sunny and the high will be 72.

Thanks for all the encouragement in quitting smoking. Today is day 13. Don't worry. I'm not going to give you a full countdown. Maybe I will just mention when it has been a month. So far so good.

Karen, if you use a rectangle size graphic, you can also buy those plastic name tag holders that they use at conferences. I did that for a meet a few years ago and they worked really nice. You can buy those at office supply stores. I guess it all depends on whether everyone wants to agree on a certain graphic to use. The round buttons that you just pop the back on are easy to use too. I thought that Marsha’s designs are really nice.

Jill, thanks for the spa info. I think that I will reserve one treatment and then see what specials they are offering during the cruise. I'm thinking of the hot stone massage. Has anyone tried that one?

We will be staying in a 1-bedroom at BCV for the week following the cruise. We have 2 old hopper passes that have 1 day of major parks and 4 days of minor parks on each one. But I know that we won't be able to resist and will have to buy more passes. We go every year, but our trips rarely land right for an annual pass. It's pretty amazing that we have covered 3 trips to WDW (1 trip had 4 people using the passes. Can't do that anymore.) and one trip to DL with 4 7-day hopper passes. And we still have 2 days left. Boy, we sure miss the old hopper passes. We really knew how to get the best bang for our buck using them.

 

[eva]

Oh, I forgot to ask if anyone is planning on getting a passport before the cruise. There are quite some threads going on over on the main board about doubling the average arrival time from 8-11 week to over 16 weeks. We went and got our pictures taken last night and have an appointment at the post office for tomorrow at 11:30. I couldn't believe it, but it was the only appointment they had open for nearly two weeks. I know that you don't need them for the cruise, but I think it will make life easier. Plus we have a number of future trips planned that will require them.

DH and I also have appointments to get our Hepatitis A & B vaccination on Friday. My aunt, the nurse, has been bugging us to do that for quite some time. Over Christmas she just kept saying, "I can't believe that you are going to Mexico without being vaccinated!" Well, she won and we are going in to get it taken care of too. Glad we didn't wait much longer. They give you a first combo shot. Then you have to come back in a month to get a second shot. Finally, you come back 4 months after the second shot to get the last one. That's 5 months total!

Oh! I hate needles!

 

[papa]

Eva we broke down in November and got our passports. It took 6 weeks to get them. We did not do a rush job or anything at that time. Went to the main post office here in Nashville today and people were lined up out the door of the passport office. If you don't have a passport and the government changes their mind again, you might not be able to cruise without one.

We are doing a few days in the parks after the cruise and maybe a day at Universal before the cruise. Mike

 

[papa]

Meant to add that we are not getting any shots before the cruise, just eating at the local Mexican restaurant every now and then should boost our immunity Mike

 

[brady961]

Karen, if you use a rectangle size graphic, you can also buy those plastic name tag holders that they use at conferences. I did that for a meet a few years ago and they worked really nice. You can buy those at office supply stores. I guess it all depends on whether everyone wants to agree on a certain graphic to use. The round buttons that you just pop the back on are easy to use too. I thought that Marsha’s designs are really nice.


.

Even the design I did for a button could be used in rectangle size name tag holder too. I don't cut out the actual design but cut a circle out to fit into button. So could cut it in rectangle. I put small stickers around button where the background isn't covered by design.

great idea though about the name tag holders. I believe those would work too for "buttons"

 

[CustardTart]

...Thanks for all the encouragement in quitting smoking. Today is day 13. Don't worry. I'm not going to give you a full countdown. Maybe I will just mention when it has been a month. So far so good...

Well done, Eva! Keep up the good work...

...Karen, if you use a rectangle size graphic, you can also buy those plastic name tag holders that they use at conferences. I did that for a meet a few years ago and they worked really nice. You can buy those at office supply stores. I guess it all depends on whether everyone wants to agree on a certain graphic to use. The round buttons that you just pop the back on are easy to use too. I thought that Marsha’s designs are really nice...

That is a brilliant idea, Eva! They're nice and big too, so easy enough to spot. My DH gets those all the time so I'll drop that responsibility into his lap!

 

[CustardTart]

...DH and I also have appointments to get our Hepatitis A & B vaccination on Friday. My aunt, the nurse, has been bugging us to do that for quite some time. Over Christmas she just kept saying, "I can't believe that you are going to Mexico without being vaccinated!" Well, she won and we are going in to get it taken care of too. Glad we didn't wait much longer. They give you a first combo shot. Then you have to come back in a month to get a second shot. Finally, you come back 4 months after the second shot to get the last one. That's 5 months total!

Oh! I hate needles!

I don't fancy that at all! We had to have shots before going to India many years ago and they were horrid!

Meant to add that we are not getting any shots before the cruise, just eating at the local Mexican restaurant every now and then should boost our immunity Mike

I think we'll try the Mike method of immunisation...

 

[eva]

Well, DH and I just returned from the post office. Passport applications are officially turned in. I was a bit ticked at CVS. We bought our pictures from them two days ago and when we got to the post office, we found out mine was not regulation. They stood too close when they took the picture. Luckily, our post office also does the pictures there. But it cost me an extra $15. I am going to try to get my $8 back from CVS. Hey, I know it is only $8.

But that $8 will buy me a BBC on the cruise!

Still in search of the perfect lime green top.

 

[papa]

Eva in a couple of weeks you can go to the passport website and check on the status of your passports. Mike

 

[brady961]

I sent off to renew my passport on Feb 20 via mail. So far my check hasn't cleared the bank. and if do check status just says found nothing to match my info etc.....

So I am assuming until my check clears means process of actual renewal hasn't even begin. ummm

 

[Bareacuda]

One day closer to the cruise!

All is well here... HOT but fine! Weather channel says we are 20* hotter then normal. Being 97 in March is HOT!!!
On Saturday morning a bunch of us are going to be paddling under the London Bridge. I think the head count is around 40 of us in kayacks, canoes, and outriggers.Then off to a local park for a picnic.

 

[brady961]

Its been warm here, but they are saying a "cold front" is coming in tonight. So only highs in l70's tomorrow. Cold front yeah right LOL. Rain coming with this front tomorrow but weekend sunny with low 70's.

Really hoping weekend is nice weather as have friends coming to town and we are going to WDW for St Patty's weekend.

The canoe's kayaks etc... sound fun but the picnic sounds better. no work just eating LOL.

have fun this weekend.

 

[eva]

Marsha, that cold front came through Illinois too. Sorry I can't feel sorry for your highs in the 70's. We were celebrating having two days of the 70's earlier this week. And just as we were cheering, that cold front came through and gave us highs in the 40's today. BOO!

Not long before we hit the 6 months mark!

I can't believe that I will be making ADR's for our stay after the cruise at WDW in just 18 days!

 

[papa]

Eva and others in the frozen North. He is a link to some pictures of the next door neighbors saucer magnolia in full bloom

http://homepage.mac.com/mworrelltn/PhotoAlbum8.html

Mike

 

[eva]

Oh Mike, those are beautiful! I will have to start looking around to see if anything is blooming yet here in Illinois. I absolutely hate cold weather. But DH loves the fall. And becomes a true child when it snows. That is until he has to go out and shovel the drive.

 

[brady961]

Marsha, that cold front came through Illinois too. Sorry I can't feel sorry for your highs in the 70's. We were celebrating having two days of the 70's earlier this week. And just as we were cheering, that cold front came through and gave us highs in the 40's today. BOO!

Not long before we hit the 6 months mark!

I can't believe that I will be making ADR's for our stay after the cruise at WDW in just 18 days!

i always laugh when the weather ppl say we are getting a cold front coming thru etc.... Cold Front??? then they say we will be in the 70's.. That's a cold front????? well maybe for Florida but I still find it funny.

i am so ready for the cruise. the thought of getting thru the summer here though is dreadful. but with knowing just get thru the summer then the cruise, makes little easier.

 

[brady961]

Eva and others in the frozen North. He is a link to some pictures of the next door neighbors saucer magnolia in full bloom

http://homepage.mac.com/mworrelltn/PhotoAlbum8.html

Mike

WOW, gorgeous!!!!