Well, some film and tv writers may be on strike, but not this one!
Oh yes, I've written for some of the most popular shows on tv. Perhaps you 've seen some of them.
Joannie Loves Chachi.
My Mother the Car.
Edith's Place.
and Extreme Simpsons.
Yes, I've been around, ahem.
Do you remember how I started the last chapter? How I'm going to get killed when I tell her I changed the trip?
Huh?
Well, wanna guess who spent ANOTHER 45 minutes on the phone yesterday with a Disney reservationalist?
(no, don't ask me to say that again!)
(or spell it)
Yes! Very good. It was ME!
Remember this phrase:
"No good deed goes unpunished!"
Memorize it.
Brand it into your forehead.
Ok, brand it into my forehead, just make sure you do it backwards, so that I can read it when I look in the mirror.
Oh no, it's not what you're thinking. OH NO!
The Smidge: "So, we now have 6 nights at ASMU, and 3 nights at FQ?"
The Neeb: "Yes Honey, isn't that GREAT? Plus we'll have a fridge for the last 3 nights."
The Smidge: "But you have us transfering on an AK, EMH day. How's that going to work?"
The Neeb: "It will work out jus,,,,,"
The Smidge: " But the day before, we're not going anywhere, it would have been a perfect day to switch!"
The Dweeb: Yes, HONEY, I know, but I had to draw th,,,,,"
The Smidge: Do you think you can take off another day from the package, and then add it to FQ? " " " " "
Here's a big surprise. Did you know that Disney likes us a lot? Once again, they waived the "change the ressie" fee, and what do you know, we got another room at FQ for 116 a night.
If December doesn't get here soon, we're going to spend 8 nights at Grand Floridian!
You know, just to save money!
By the way, back on the writers strike?
When I see them picketing on the news, ,,,,
Shouldn't all their signs be blank?
Bloody Mama says she's ok, her ankle was just twisted, and it's not like she needs stitches or anything.
PlanetHollywood here we come.
It's that rotten 15 dollar voucher you get with your package that causes this.
Fine. 15 bucks off. We just go for a couple of appetizers and split them, no big deal. A cheap, free, lunch.
Again. How could I have been such a fool?
Oh wait, it's time for another obligatory Coronado photo a gain.
Once again, again, we drive over there. Yes, I've said this before, but I'm still not sure if this makes your trip better,,,,,, or not so better.
It's like when I open the car door and get in, Disney magic and pizie dust goes bye bye. Right, right, it can go bye bye real quick when you're standing at a crowded bus stop and waiting with 200 of your smelliest friends!
But I usually try to take Dis. Trans. when I can.
Ok, ok, I see it now.
No, not pizza dust. Pixie dust.
So put your red pens away.
Like I said, this is really the first trip that we used the car much inside of the World. And we used it today.
We were there about 2 and got a spot right in the first row. Then, we walked up the stairs to Humounga Kowabunga, well, it seemed like there were that many stairs to me,,, and at the top, the podium person greeted us, and said the maitre'd will show us to our table.
Then "podium person" teleported behind us, and led us to a table.
Teleported!
I'm not making that up. She was standing at the podium, then she said walk this way. From behind us. And no, she didn't look like Steven Tyler, or Liv for that matter.
I had already left the podium, and headed inside when I realized the two of them were identical. One problem now, and a big one.
I tried to look back for podium person, but I was too far inside the joint.
And all I saw was Bright, Streaming Light coming in now through the door.
Smidgy, and podium person, part two, had disappeared.
All I could hear was music and tvs playing. I had no idea if the restaurant was packed, or completely empty.
But it was completely DARK!
So, I froze, and just stood there waiting for Ann Sullivan to come back and get me.
(I make a great Patti Duke)
Diane finally realized her total loss and emptiness feeling that was consuming her was caused by my absence. And came back for me. Or should that be obstinence? This time she had to lead me "very carefully" through the tables, and way around to the table we were given in the back.
By that time I thought we were at PlanetPluto!
She pulls my seat out for me, and says "Sit".
I sit.
Yes, we've played this game before. I'm used to it, she's used to it. You'd think by now the table walkers are used to it.
Slowly, very slowly, my eyes start to adjust. Eventually it turned out to be more than a little busy. There were only a couple empty tables left. No wonder they put us on Pluto. Then, the Maitre'd came back and took our oder, or at least tried to.
"Uh uh. Haven't even FOUND the menu, much less read it."
Yeah, that was me.
We did order a couple of pops, then I worked on the menu.
I cheated!
Since I drove, I have my keys with me. And on my keychain, is a little flashy thingy. I used that to read the menu.
Oh, I did accidentally flash it in Diane's eyes, and now she has to relearn everything she ever knew, again.
She's up to sixth grade as we speak, so that might explain a lot to you guys.
(I'm asking for it, aren't I?)
What we ended up ordering was this combination appetizer tray that said it fed four, for 18. 95.
Wish I could remember what the heck was on it.
Ok, it had chips and salsa;
Buffalo type wings, of course, 5.
some kind of glop on a round thing, that was baked in.
and something else.
The buffalo wings were pretty good, so was the something else.
The circular glop was better once you put the guacamole and ranch dip on it.
With a couple of pops, and tax and tip, our "free" lunch still cost me another 18 bucks!
It was really a nice time. Fun to quiz each other on the movie questions that were on the screen. Then Diane asked for another pop.
To our waitress, the maitre'd that was walking past.
"Oh, I'm sorry, that's not my table, I'll try to find your waitress for you."
Diane went "HuH?"
I went "Don't look at me."
Then the same waitress came back to us.
"Yes, can I help you?"
I almost busted up laughing, Smidgy is looking around for the hidden camera.
"I just asked you for another iced tea!"
"No, that was Rita, she went and got me, an iced tee is it?"
"Um, yes."
You had to be there.
Podium girl, maitre'd, waitress one, waitress two,,,,,they were all almost identical. No, I don't think they were twins, triplets or quaddies, but they all wore the same thing, were the same height, the same weight, the same hairstyle, it was like the Stepford Wives fell on the copy machine!
ONE of them brought another tea for her, and she asked me "Which one do we pay?"
That was a great question.
Hmmm. "Hey, you're the one that can see in here, why are you asking me?"
"Ok, how about this: I throw my wallet up in the air, yell "SPUD", and see which one goes for the money?"
Luckily, between the two of us, we had the proper amount to leave, so I just stuffed the little black book and left it on the table.
Whew!
I did say when we left, "Uh honey? I think you can rule this place out as a possible future employment." "Not that I don't think you'd be good, but you'd have to step back in time until your 15, cut your legs off at your knees, probab,,,"
"I know, I know"
" And learn how to answer to the name of , "Hey, YOU!"
Seems like it's time to post a picture, doesn't it? But I don'lt have anything form here. Oh well, filler photo time:
From here, we decided to stop at Saratoga on the way back to just see what it looks like.
Aarrgh! 15 minutes later of waiting for pictures to load on Photobucket,,,, I have it.
It. All one of them. Aarrgh. I don't know why people rave about dial-up all the time, to me it's a little slow.
I'll be the first to tell you , we have never stayed at a DVC before. Still haven't. But there has always been this compulsion to stay at all the Disney resorts. And we've hit most of them.
In reason.
Since we were at WL, we used the pool at WL villas, and even went inside and took a tinkle in the WLV's bathroom. So we kind of feel like we "experienced" that.
We are still missing FW, GF, The Poly, Y and B Club, Boardwalk, OKW, the Swan, and that's about it. And the Contemporary. Never stayed there either. However,,,, now don't tell anyone this,,,,,,,
We have eaten and drank at the Contemporary, swam in the Luna pool at Boardwalk, swam in the Poly pool,,,, Even once took a dip in the FW pool way back when River Country was open.
Just to say we did it!
About the only pool we haven't violated, is the one in the Land of Marita. Just haven't had a need to do so. But the truly designated DVC resorts have always been a mystery to us. And the special codes and rates and whatever, just weren't ever enough of an incentive to try them, but I've never ruled them out.
Well ya wanna know what?
We have now ruled out spending a ton of money just to stay at Saratoga Springs.
Granted, we didn't spend that much time looking around, but we both came away with the same impression.
NO THANKS!
IT's pretty I guess. Very clean. ANd I have to admit, I like the pool area, that seemed "fun" looking. But to be honest, the rest of it, and where all the streets really look like "streets," just reminded me of a condo developement in Schaumburg, a suburb of Chicago.
It just seemed like there wasn't an ounce of "pizza dust" to be found.
I don't care if you get a microwave with your studio, they're the same size as the rooms in WL or AKL. Nope, not going to spend 350 a night to stay there. Oh yeah, here's my pic:
The pool area looks good, no problem there, but the rest of it just seems "boring".
If you really knew me, you would know how hard this is for me to say, since the whole theme is based on life around Saratoga Racetrack in New York. Trust me, I'm a big horse racing fan. But even that didn't do it for me.
Having decided we've seen enough, it's time to head back to CS. Now, CS looked prettier than ever to me. At this point, our plans are still to head out once again later on to the Swan, and see what kind of trouble we can get into for karaoke there!
Golly gee, that sounds like a good place to start a chapter, no?
Yes, like it or not, you're coming with for karaoke, get ready to be emabarrassed!
You were, in fact, "Disneydaded"!!!!
TV laugh for sure!!! Plus, I thought of you the other day at a Mexican restaurant where they put a plate of GLOP in front of me! It was good I used a straw! 
Does anybody know how to put someone on their "ignore" list? 
