Oh no, is he going to think again? Please don't let him think again, especially out loud!
Well, yes I am. I'm here to give you the whole truth and nothing but the whole, exaggerated truth.
Thursday night, after T Rex and after killing time in the arcade:
Even though it was only about 8 pm, both of us were tired, and I looked forward to just reading for awhile before I went to sleep, but as usual, my mind was still shooting off in about 20 different directions.
Back in the room, I had taken off my shoes, but still had on my jacket as I sat on the edge of the bed, just staring off into space thinking about nothing and everything, all at the same time. I was already considering something stupid, and I wanted to check out the weather channel to make sure if I brought it up to her that what I was thinking would make sense, but I took too long and she had already turned on some sitcom which I can't think of now to save my life.
I had grabbed a beer, and as I was still mulling this thing over in my head, the doorbell rang, and I went over to answer it.
Yep, that I did!
Just as I was sticking my head out the door the entire, stupid nickel finally dropped into the really stupid coin holder.
Ok moron, you are now trying to answer the door on the tv, and in 3 seconds she is about to put this together and let me have it. In one fluid motion I opened the door all the way, turned around and said I was going down to my yo yo for a smoke, and I was gone before she even noticed I didn't have any shoes on.
Good thing I didn't say, "I'll get it!" when the stupid bell on the tv rang. Yep, I'd still be hearing about that! To be honest, this was just as well, I needed some time tonight in my yo yo to think.
The problem is I feel like crap, even the doorbell thingy just now would have normally brought a laugh out of me, but not tonight.
The main reason is I feel like the world's biggest jerk. Since my company closed, we have now gone more than a year without health insurance, and it's a very scary place to be for the first time in your lives. She SHOULD have that hand looked at, but by the time you factor in ER room fees, x-rays, doctor fees and all the rest including the loss of a vacation day, the expenses would ruin any good time left that we still have.
It's probably not broken, just a popped tenden or ligament right now that will heal on it's own, but, I'm no doctor, and you never know. Diane's aware of all this too, and she does, and doesn't, want to see a doctor.
So I feel like a big jerk. Cobra was never really an option when the company went under, as our HR director totally screwed that up for the rest of us. Not that I could have afforded a thousand dollar a month insurance bill, at least not for long.
Also, at this stage of the trip, I wasn't the only one bummed out by the perpetual cold we hit down there. It is Thursday night, we got down here last Friday, and we still haven't even had a chance to even wear shorts yet, much less even take our jackets off for more than a few minutes. Weatherman says it's going to change now, Ol' Mama Nat is going to play nice nice, and not a moment too soon.
What I had been considering was to see if maybe we can extend our stay next week, nuts as it sounds. We really don't have to be anywhere right away when we get back, maybe Diane can move a house cleaning customer or two around, and after the Boardwalk, either come back here for 2 or 3 nights or stay at a different value for a couple of nights.
This is how a desperate mind works when you have just gone through a brutal year, and what had gotten you through it is now turning out to be about 75% less than expected.
Oh yes, there are major flaws in this line of thinking. Two major flaws to be exact. One is that they are currently still running the buy 4, get 3 free sale on the rooms and tickets.
The other is that next weekend is Presidents Week, not a value season, not a regular season, not even a summer season rate, but a HOLIDAY season at Disney.
I don't care about the crowds at this stage of the game, we will have already seen most of what we want, for about 6 bucks we can still add a day to the base ticket, go to a park in the morning and spend the rest of the day by a pool, which is what we have been severely shorted out of this trip.
Now, do I mention it or not?
3 times I decided to do it, and 3 times I changed my mind.
I even asked Mr. Duncan, but he was no help at all.
But if I'm going to do it, it better be now!
All the way back to the room, I thought about it.
Turns out I didn't have to.
She beat me to it!
Go ahead, tell me this isn't contagious? She brought up all the points that I thought of, and looked at me to see how I'd react.
'Really?"
"Huh, I never thought of doing that."
"Hmmm, maybe we should, but our chances of getting a room are 100 to 1."
So we talked about it, but the one thing I don't want to do is go back and stay somewhere in Kissimmee.
So finally, it was time to make a decision. "Ok", I said, "What do you think? Should we go for it?"
She just grinned, "Till debt do us part!"
Five minutes later I was on the phone, cutting off the voice activated flow chart at every junction. And, no, almost nothing.
SSR was available, 389 a night. Grand Floridian was open too, and I didn't even ask for a price. Ok, we'll try again tomorrow.
This turned into a regular routine the next few days, right after the brushing of teeth.
The next morning I tried again, no changes, so we left to make rope drop at Epcot.
Epcot has always been my favorite park, but maybe not so much anymore. With the Wonders of Life Pavilion closed down, there really isn't all that much to do in Future World anymore, and the big ticket draws are still only about 5 minute attractions.
We started out right at the front by the rope and were with the Soarin' group. (apostrophe trademarked) But my foot was really giving me hell today, and by the time we got to where the line stopped, we were back about 40 people or so. Damn, I used to be right there up front with the fastest runners, now I feel like an aging ballplayer on his way back down through the minors.
During the ride I tried again, but I still can't see the hidden mickey on the golf ball, I can tell there is something there, but that's as close as I can get to it.
While we were down in the bowels of the Land pavilion, we also rode Listen to the Land. Or is it Living with the Land? Or Lending Earth a Hand? I dunno, they keep changing the name of it, ANYWAY, I looked at a bunch of pumpkins. After this we hit a smoking area outside, and crossed over to go into Comuniventions.
That's when we finally noticed something that we hadn't read a single thing about.
The entire fountain was shut down and boarded up, a ten foot barrier going all the way around it like the Great Wall, a cast member told me this is the one man made attraction that you can actually see from outer space!
Ok, made the last part up, but this was a real downer, we always enjoy sitting in our out of the way designated smoking area in a remote corner of Mouse Gear and watching the fountain come to life.
By the way, our our of the way designated smoking area in a remote corner of Mouse Gear is also now sleeping with the fishes, not there any more.
Crap
Inside one of the Innerventions they get a bunch of you together in a small room, make you put on 3-D glasses, and then everybody takes turns yelling at you on how you've messed up your life.
Actually, it's a short film in 3-D about a hurricane, and then a seminar on how to prepare for one.
No, there's more than just the standard "bend over and kiss your,,,,,"
Again, I was expecting more from this, and again the 3-D didn't seem very three-d'y to me.
After that we went over to get Test Track fastpasses, and that was all that was working, the ride was shut down again. Then I talked Diane into going to the first aid room that's where the old Odysses used to be on the way to World Showcase. No, we really didn't have any expectations of a nurse being able to help, but it was worth a try.
Diane showed her the hand, she mumbled something, wrapped her hand in a bandage and gave Smidgy a couple of Ibuprofens.
And that was about it.
"Sorry, can't tell anything without and x-ray."
On the way back, Test Track was still closed down, we didn't feel like we were in the mood to throw up so skipped Mission Space, Wonders of Life is closed for good, and Ellen's Energy is also closed for lack of energy. We hit another smoking area trying to decide what we wanted to do.
It's getting a bit warmer, not swimming weather, but at least we can probably lie by the pool with maybe just ONE blanket this time.
We also have to be back here for our Nine Dragons appointment at 6;30, and it is also EMH night.
As I was slowly limping after Smidgy around the fountain, we stopped for a second trying to read signs, if any, that might say when the fountain will re-open. It was then that I saw the strangest thing.
Standing off the the side is a woman and a dog.
Now, normally the entrance to Mouse Gear is not usually where folks go to walk their dogs, pooper scooper or no pooper scooper. Usually everybody in the world walks their dogs on my driveway, or the sidewalk that leads to the driveway.
On further inspection, you could tell that this woman was blind, and the dog is her guide dog.
What I found unusual though was that this wasn't a german shepherd/ husiy type. It seemed more of a big, standard poodle type.
Ok, hold it. Husky type. Well, could have been a hussy type, but I wasn't going to flirt with it.
SO, I don't know, I guess other breeds can be trained the same way, just used to having the image of a shepherd big dog in my mind.
But also what was strange, is when you receive a guide dog, you are mostly ordered to throw away your cane.
Evidently this woman wasn't comfortable throwing away her blanky, as she had the cane under one arm, and the dog harness in her other hand.
This reminded me of a news story I had read somewhere not too long ago, about a woman who brought a big dog into a restaurant, and after she was done eating, let the dog just run around and fill itself up on all the other patrons meals until her fraud was found out and she was thrown out.
The manager actually had the guts to tell the cops that he should have suspected something when she told him the dog was a "Hearing Ear Dog!"
Back in Epcot, the woman and her guide dog and a friend started walking the other way, and I noticed she was also using the cane occasionally.
As we ourselves headed for the exit, I couldn't help but think;
"I bet there would be a lot less litter if they would just give blind people pointy canes!"
Right at the exit turnstyle, we asked a cast member how long the fountain would be shut down. I am not kidding, this was her response;
"What fountain?"
Diane tried to explain it to her, but she was still blank. BLANK!
She calle over another guy, and asked him, "Do you know anything about a fountain? They say it is shut down."
He was as bad as she was.
"Oh, I think I know what they are talking about. "
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,
"Oh, ok, when will it reopen?" This was Diane talking now.
"I think it's supposed to re-open at noon."
I threw up my hands, literally.
Diane said, "It's already ten to 12, you have no idea what we are talking about, do you?"
Now he was a bit indignant. "Yes I do, I think I do, and it's supposed to reopen at noon." Once again, I walked away. That is one thing I have found that I do not like about Disney employees, if they don't know, they will make stuff up rather than admit they don't know.
I would at least like to find employees with at least as much knowledge of day to day, park to park information as I have.
Unbelievable.
At exactly noon, we are at the bus stop, and sometimes this can be the very worst time to need a bus out of the parks. We waited, by ourselves for 25 minutes. Finally, another family came up, and sure enough, the bus pulled up within a couple more minutes.
"See honey, I told you that we never have to wait long for a bus, here comes one right now!"
I could have strangled her, but I knew if they hadn't walked up, we might still be waiting.
Funny thing was, as we were pulling away, I thought I could hear the celebratory cheers from all the guest inside Epcot, as the construction crews carted away the barriers, and the fountain started back up with Beethoven's 5th symphony!
But I will be near TOT (which I will never ride, EVAH!)
Here's to hoping you found a room to extend your trip!
same year, Feb. trip: Nebo: "there is a snowstorm possibly coming within a 100 mile radius of Smidgy's drive home, and she is petrified of travel in the snow" CM: well, it IS Presidents week, pretty booked, I doubt it... WAIT! there is a footnote on ALL reservations.... if SMIDGY is afraid of travelling in possible snow, make a room available for her! 2 nights at Sports, you folks got it!" 
