Stop Making Me Laugh Or I'll Pee My Pants! Go Back! I Lost My Shoe! Trip Report!

[It'sWDW4me]

Why doesn't she [your niece] drive? Because she's a big old tiddy baby. I spelled that wrong on purpose because I think it'd be bleeped out if I spelled it correctly. She actually knows how to drive but she doesn't have a car. She said she gets too nervous and too scared when she tries to drive. Big old baby!

Ya know though, coming from another driver's perspective - there are quite enough people out there who think they can drive and are just horrible drivers. I surely don't need some Nervous Nelly out there just a breath away from becoming the next pinball coming down the road towards me. I've been in two accidents that were caused by the other driver. Both times, my car was totalled!

Hmm, maybe your niece needs a lesson in riding the bus!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Oh my gosh! I just had to share my news! John and I have been selected to participate in the Diamond Dash which takes place in Hot Springs, Arkansas in November. The prize? A $12,000.00 diamond ring! Gotta go find out more about it. Will let ya'll know more when I know more!

 

[It'sWDW4me]

Oh my gosh! I just had to share my news! John and I have been selected to participate in the Diamond Dash which takes place in Hot Springs, Arkansas in November. The prize? A $12,000.00 diamond ring! Gotta go find out more about it. Will let ya'll know more when I know more!

WOW!! Too cool. Hope you get the grand prize!!!

 

[cdhale]

I am here! I have a LOT of catching up to do... I'm still on the road with you in Mississippi!

Cheryl

 

[aaaateamsgrandma]

Oh my gosh! I just had to share my news! John and I have been selected to participate in the Diamond Dash which takes place in Hot Springs, Arkansas in November. The prize? A $12,000.00 diamond ring! Gotta go find out more about it. Will let ya'll know more when I know more!

OMG that is so exciting. Road trip and the chance of a prize. How did you get to do this?

 

[pasofan]

I'm sorry to hear that you haven't been feeling well. Apparently, you are better 'cause you are able to get on the Dis.

Congratulations on booking your next vacation! So what are your travel dates?

If my husband doesn't back out of HIS suggested dates, we will be there May 28 to June 8, 2010. Our friends from Georgia will be joining us June 4-8.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Okay, so I've found out more about the diamond dash. I received an email from the Hot Springs Convention and Visitor's Bureau saying they were taking applications for the first ever diamond dash.

I had to write a little story about why I should be selected to participate in the diamond dash. I told them how we had gotten married when we were 18 and had honeymooned in Hot Springs. I told them about John's injury at work which caused him to have epilepsy and how I had pre-ovarian cancer. Also told them about how my wedding ring had gotten stolen while in Kissimmee. I didn't put a whole lot of thought into it.

I really didn't expect to get chosen because the email said they were trying to get "young couples" interested in Hot Springs. At the ripe old age of 43, John and I aren't exactly spring chickens.

Right after entering, I received an email that said something like thank you for your entry....we'll let you know.....blah blah blah. I figured that would be the only thing I'd receive.

Imagine my surprise when I checked my email and I had another email from them. This one said that I had been preselected. I am supposed to receive one more email from them to give more contact information.

From what I understand, the contest is kind of like a scavenger hunt. We will receive text messages telling us where the next clue is. I will have more information in the next email.

The prize is a $12,000.00 diamond ring!

 

[swankybeth]

Enjoyed the last updates.
Good luck on the scavenger hunt, hope you win, you guys definitely deserve it!

 

[jenseib]

That sounds so cool!

 

[Run4Disney]

Wow! Congratulations on being chosen Lisa. Maybe we all need to come and cheer for you and John. Time to brush up on your scavenger hunt skills.

 

[longing2Batdisney]

Sorry I was MIA today; Ashton and I went to the disney store for the halloween party...I posted pics on my PTR...

I can't cross that bridge. I close my eyes when we cross bridges anyway. Except when I drive of course. Then I just look straight at the center line and the car in front of me. They scare me. I'll never forget that tall thing going into New Orleans. EEK.
Ginny

are you referring to the Causeway?!? -- Danny drives it 8 times a week and we had to go that way today!! I don't mind the causeway it is the 310 that I don't like it goes waaayyyyy up high and curves at the same time...I just feel like we are going to fall off...the causeway always has pelicans flying and I just love at certain times of the day how the sun reflects off the lake...did you know that that is the bridge at the end of the movie in "Haunted Mansion"!?!
I can take the bridges its the three lane highways that I HATE!!! I have to drive in the left or right lane CANNOT DO THE CENTER!

Lisa~ good luck on the hunt!!!!! that sounds like alot of fun for you and John...Dayne used to go through growth spurts like Hunter...in the sixth grade was the funniest...Dayne has always been waaayyyyy underweight (still is 6' and only 138#'s) anyway sixth grade he gained sooo much weight I have a picture of him and it looks nothing like him; right after that he started to grow and has not stopped! although he has slowed down I think he may finally stop and he went and bought some protein powder he mixes with ice cream to try and gain weight....here Danny & I need to lose big time wt and he is trying to gain wt.

 

[BPATSMouse]

I have caught up and will patiently wait for the next installment. Good luck on the scavenger hunt a dimond ring would go good with those EPCOT pearls.

 

[aaaateamsgrandma]

Good morning Lisa. The donuts have arrived. Good thing. Another is that he is here already and has had so many people drop off this morning that he gets to go deliver them instead of me having to do it. He is excited about that. I told him last night about you having a store close and he said I know they are all over down there. He went to LSU and is actually from around Monroe.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Thanks to my superstar navigation skills, we had made our way out of the Magic Kingdom and caught the bus back to the Caribbean Beach Resort. This was so out of character for our family. We haven't take a break from a park since Hunter was a little bitty guy. But this trip, it was sooooo hot. We couldn't believe that it was hitting us this hard. We are used to the Louisiana heat and humidity which is much worse than Florida's.

During the bus ride, we decided we'd go swimming in the Martinique quiet pool and just hang out until it was time to get ready for our ADR at Whispering Canyon. When we got to the room, Lacey and Hunter immediately started changing into their swimming suits and were out the door in about 15 minutes.

I forgot to post earlier that John had bought a refillable mug on our first day so he could get coffee in the mornings. Either he or I would run in Old Port Royale and get his refill while the rest of our gang was getting ready. I don't drink coffee but John could drink pots and pots a day.

Before we hit the pool, John and I walked down to Old Port Royale to get coffee and just look around.

More pretty Disney flowers:

While John was getting his coffee, I went to the grab-n-go station to take pictures of the shelves so I could post for my Dis friends. Wouldn't you know it, I took one picture and my camera died.

Coffee in hand, John and I made the quick walk back to the room to change into our swim clothes too. The walk to the pool took us a very few minutes and soon we were in the pool swimming around with the other guests. There were probably about two dozen people total but only about a dozen in the pool. The water felt so nice and refreshing after being so hot and sweaty.

After swimming for about 30 minutes, I got out and sat under one of the umbrella tables and John laid on one of the lounge chairs. Another 30 minutes or so passed and Lacey came over to say that she was going to go take a shower and call some of her Mission friends.

Hunter got out to see what was going on. I asked him what time it was and he said 4:40 p.m. I almost pee'd my pants. 4:40! We had a 6:15 p.m. Whispering Canyon ADR. We had to get moving. Hunter then yells, "No wait, it's 3:40. I forgot that I set my watch to Florida time." I never set my watch to Florida time because I have to make sure John takes his meds on Louisiana time. Only John and Hunter change their's and Hunter had forgotten that he did and was adding the one hour. Whew!

Since Hunter was out of the pool anyway, we picked up our towels and walked down to the beach so that John could lay in his beloved hammocks and Hunter could play in the sand. I helped Hunter cover himself up all the way to his waist but that's all he wanted. He didn't want to completely lay down and get covered up. Hunter mostly just wanted to laze around too. I took a hammock and Hunter plopped down in the sand and chilled. We watched as a father and daughter sailed on the lake in one of the rented sailboats. Other guests were driving the watermice on the lake. It was so nice and peaceful and this comes from a gal who likes to go, go, go while on vacation.

John yelled at us to "Look!". The sailboat had turned over and the father and daughter were floating by the boat. A lifeguard boat came over and plucked them out of the lake and turned the boat back upright. Hunter walked nearer to the water's edge to watch and looked down and found a penny. And then another one. He told me to come look and as I was walking down, I kicked up a dime. John asked what we were doing and I told him we had found 12 cents. He said, "shoot, I bet I could reach down right now and find lost money." He scooped up a great big handful of sand and darned if he didn't find a quarter! Of course, this started us on a mission. We walked all around the beach and came away with $1.52 all in change. We were rich!

We took our beach towels and our booty and headed back to our room to get ready for our dinner at the Whispering Canyon. This was a new restaurant to us and we were looking forward to it.

***Up next: Whispering Canyon!

 

[jinia]

Great update! Can't wait for more!

 

[longing2Batdisney]

great update!! sounds relaxing...and you got rich in the process can't beat that Disney magic

can't wait to hear about Whispering Canyon as that is the only sit down dinner I know I want to do next year, so far!!!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Austin was so like that as a kid. You can tell by those birthday pictures I posted earlier. He looks heavy now at 230 but omg he is solid as a rock. All that weightlifting and football. Andrew has yet to see a chunky day. He is 6'1" and 130. He broke 100 his freshman year at 5'7". I loved those mud pix. I remember your older thread when you had them then. He has grown since then.

Sheri and I can't stand birds. We have been hit too many times on the top of the head. And I have lots of bird houses. Princess makes sure they stay in the houses and trees.

For several years, it seemed like Hunter wouldn't eat a thing. He's still as picky as he ever was but I can't seem to get him filled up. He's already starting to grow taller so I'm pretty sure he'll slim back up. Plus, he's not playing football this year and those exercises helped keep him in shape. Their P.E. teacher is starting a pretty good exercise program so that'll help.

When we took Mama to Disney with us, she got pooped on at Downtown Disney. It was sooooo funny!

Probably not. We had taht conversation last night when "The Little Couple" on TLC was at the Grand Floridian for a wedding. He was talking about how beautiful Disney World is. Then we flipped it over to the Golf Channel and Big Break Golf was at Disney, too! I told him it was everywhere. He said he'd noticed that. But that he still didn't want to go back, even though he he thought it was an awesome place. Too crowded. I said, they have low crowded times, but he didn't want to discuss it. Ugh.

I'm glad you mentioned posting pics of your house. You may have missed the post, but a while back I wanted you to upload pictures of it b/c I think log homes are so lovely. And you built it yourself? Wow!

I like that show but not as much as Little People Big World. I wish you could talk your husband into going back to Disney World. John really hates crowds but they don't bother him while at Disney. He just goes with the flow.

Ya know though, coming from another driver's perspective - there are quite enough people out there who think they can drive and are just horrible drivers. I surely don't need some Nervous Nelly out there just a breath away from becoming the next pinball coming down the road towards me. I've been in two accidents that were caused by the other driver. Both times, my car was totalled!

Hmm, maybe your niece needs a lesson in riding the bus!

I wouldn't wish our bus system on my worst enemy! The people who ride the buses around here are nasty with a capital N. Her grandmother offered to give, yes give, her a car and she said she couldn't afford the insurance. If she'd drop all those extra features on her cellphone, I bet she could.

 

[mickeystoontown]

WOW!! Too cool. Hope you get the grand prize!!!

I'd love to win but I'm pretty sure I won't. I am sure that many locals will be participating and they'll know there way around the town way better than John and I will.

I am here! I have a LOT of catching up to do... I'm still on the road with you in Mississippi!

Cheryl

Hey Cheryl! Welcome aboard!

OMG that is so exciting. Road trip and the chance of a prize. How did you get to do this?

The email that I received from the Convention and Visitor's Bureau said they were trying to get "young couples" more interested in Hot Springs. When I wrote my little essay, I didn't figure I would get chosen because I didn't think the age of 43 was technically a "young couple".

 

[mickeystoontown]

If my husband doesn't back out of HIS suggested dates, we will be there May 28 to June 8, 2010. Our friends from Georgia will be joining us June 4-8.

We'll be at the CBR May 27th through June 5th. It's so nice that you'll have friends coming for part of the vacation too.

Enjoyed the last updates.
Good luck on the scavenger hunt, hope you win, you guys definitely deserve it!

Thanks! I really think we'll be pretty bada at the scavenger hunt since we don't know much about downtown Hot Springs. We mostly know about old historic downtown Hot Springs.

That sounds so cool!

I should be finding out more soon. It's sounding more and more fun.

Wow! Congratulations on being chosen Lisa. Maybe we all need to come and cheer for you and John. Time to brush up on your scavenger hunt skills.

Thanks! I have found out that we can't use any mode of transportation. It's all on foot, skateboard, scooter, skates, etc. Yea.....I'll be on foot!

 

[aaaateamsgrandma]

Austin is not a picky eater unless it is red. Won't eat red food at all.

So exciting you young people (squirts). Maybe you should download a map and have all the special places marked so they will be easier to find.

Love your lovely day. Love the peace and quiet of the beach area. Bad camera.

Ginny